The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-27 00:00:00

" Distance of the Harbour of Refuge and Aggression at
Seaford. Miles.
To Boulogne 52
To the mouths of the Somme 60
To Dieppe
To Fe camp
To the cape in Front of fle_ere
" This harbour will, no doubt, experience some invon,
venience from not being sufficiently sheltered by Cape
Barrow on the N.W., which wind prevails especially in
the bad season r but this objection is not of predomi-
nating influence with the Commissioners. They take
into oonsideratiort the proximity to the inland port of
Newhaven, and .lo not hesitate to recommend for so
important a situation an outlay of 1,200,0001. Let us
add, that as the crow flies, the distance from Seaford to
London is only about seventy-four miles, and that by
means of the railroad from London to Brighton, from
which a branch may easily be constructed, there will be
no difficulty it getting from the capital to Seaford in
less than two hours.
" Newhaven, of which I have just spoken, is a good
,ort' into which the tide flows. It may, however, be
tha-moved; it may hereafter be sheltered, by a break-
wate i• running from Cape Barrow to the point where
there are 15 to 16 feet water at the equinox- neap tides.
The je,`lies which form the mouth of the Inland port
may be at the same time extended; this mow.th may be
widened and deepened. But as this entrance cannot be
rendered ac,' essible to shipping at all times of the tide,
Newhaven is. therefore, not comprised in the naval sta-
tions respecting which the Commission can make aAV
recommendation.
" The British navy will have nothing to wish for from'
Seaford to Portsmouth; it is necessary to proceed 60 miles
to the westward to arrive at the magnificent situation of
Portland. Portland island shelters on the west and south
the extensive roads of that name, which are open to the
east. These roads are contiguous to those of Weymouth,
which look to the south. The Commission proposes the
erection of a jetty which would cover the south-east
Portland-roads. This jetty is propor,ed to be of 2,315
metres, with a passage pretty near l'And. at a spot where
the depth is not less than 42 feet, The cost is esti-
mated at half a million. It may surprise us that with such
a depth of water a jetty of this length may be con-
structed for so small a sum, but at Portland all tends to
make the construction of a jetty both cheap and easy.
It is to be observed, that Portland contains inexhaustible
stone quarries, of which a considerable number belong to
the State, and will, therefore, be at hand to supply the
stone and lime for the jetty. The island abounds in
fresh water springs, which will suffice for supplying the
vessels in the roads. Finally, this situation affords the
advantages of an inland port, which is formed by the
mouth of the Wey, as the name of this town indicates.
Such are the combined works which the Commission
recommends to be executed at this spot. A naval sta-
tion at Portland will protect, in conjunction with that at
Dartmouth, all the intermediary points. These two
sNtions, along with Plymouth, will complete the chain
of communication, co-operation, and protection from
Dove:* to Falmouth, a distance of 300 nautical miles.
" Exclusive of this vast line, and in order to extend
it northward, and beyond the straits in the Channel,
new improvements are recommended for Harwich-roads.
Two rivers, the Stour and the Orwell, fall into each
other immediately above the town of Harwich; the con-
tinuation of their course forms a crescent:round the town
before emptying themselves into the sea. For the pur-
pose of narrowing this mouth, and to convert it into an
inclosed roadstead, it is proposed to carry out from the
land on the side of Harwich a jetty of half a mile in
length. Thus one of the finest roadsteads on the coast of
Great Britain would be protected—a roadstead having
an excellent bed and sufficient depth of water for all
class of ships, slid capable of containing a vast number
of merchant vessels. A fleet intended for the protection
of the North Sea, or the Thames, would be most admi-
rably placed at the Harwich station. Let us add, that
these are the only safe roads on the eastern coast of
England. They are in the direct line of the trade of the
Thames with the northern ports of Great Britain and
the north of Europe. Harwich already has building
yards which belong to the State ; the Ordnance Depart-
ment also has land, and has establishments at this place.
I pass over the particulars of the damage done to the
anchorage at Harwich in the last 25 years by injudicious
excavations at the cape which sheltered the entrance from
the west—a damage which the proposed works would
remedy. The channel leading to the anchorage would
be excavated to a depth of 18 feet below the lowest water
mark.
"I now give a summary of recommendations, of which
I have faithfully stated the grounds. First of all, it is
recommended to construct at Dover a harbour of refuge
entirely enclosed by jetties, with two entrances, one to
the east 150 ft., the other to the south 700 ft. wide. This
harbour to measure 520 acres, of which 370 are to have
a depth of 12 feet at the least.
" Deeply convinced,' says the Commissioners, that
it is indispensable to obtain without delay a sheltered
anchorage in the bay of Dover, we venture earnestly to
call the ai:ention of the Lords of the Treasury to an
immediate commencement of the works, by first con-
structing the jetty running out from the west of the en-
trance to the port of Dover. This first jetty, which
shelters the bay on the west, will insure smooth water
in the bay when the wind blows from that quarter; it
will stop the alluvions which progress from the east;
it will facilitate the execution of the other works, what-
ever may be the final plan. Whilst this jetty is in
course of construction to the west, the experiments
recommended as to the bodies in suspension in the
waters of the bay, and the shifting of the alluvions, will
be completed. These experiments will allow of adopt-
ing definitively the best plan for the exterior harbour,
and the most suitable dimensions of the entrances.
"The breakwater or jetty recommended for Seaford
is to shelter an anchorage of 300 acres. The breakwater
at Portland is to shelter an anchorage of 480 acres.
" As to the succession : it is not possible to undertake
at the same time the construction of three breakwaters ;
the Commission proposew—first, Dover ; second, Port-
land ; and last, Seaford.
" As to the expense, the Commission does not hesitate
td recommend the following outlay :
For Dover £2,500,000
Stscifurd 1,250,000
Portland

T0ta1...: £4,250,000
" So far from being sCrurised at the amount of this
expenditure, it will probably 1..,e found to be below the
reality when the following simple fact is considered. If
it be supposed that the above-mentioned breakwaters or
ietties be placed continuously one after the other, the
total length will be equal to three times that of our long
jetty at Cherbourg !
" As to the means of constructing, the Commissioners,
availing themselves of the experience acquired by the
French for the jetties at Cherbourg and Algiers, state
that they will give the preference to stone masonry over
pitched in stone.
"As to the protection of the ports of refuge by land
defensive works, Dover and Seaford are already provided
with the requisite ones.
" Portland-roads are commanded, in the most advan
taeeous manner, by the island of Portland, on which it
will be easy to erect such fortifications and batteries as
may be required for defence.
After having made a report of their labours, and
giveAshe reasons for the conclusions they had came to,
the Commissioners wind up definitively in the following
manner :
" The Commission cannot close its report without ex-
pressing, in the strongest terms, its unanimous opinion,
and its thorough conviction, that it is indispensable to
adopt such measures as may afford the south-east coast
of the kingdom a powerful naval protection. Without
any exception the ports into which the tide flows, situ-
ated on the coast between Portsmouth and the Thames,
are incapable of receiving large steam-ships. Conse-
quently, now that steam produces such great alterations
in the situation of naval matters, there is an imperative
neceesity for supplying by artificial means the want of
suitable ports in the narrow parts of the British Chancel.
An hydrographical chart will show the situations where,
according to our recommendations, ports, enclosed
anchorages, well sheltered, will afford a refuge to
our merchant shipping. By these means, added
to the use of steam at sea, with railroads and telegraphic
communications on land, the naval and military force of
Great Britain may in a few hours be rendered most
efficient on all points of the coast. The recommenda-
tions which we have deemed it our duty to submit to
your Lordships to be carried out, require a heavy out-
lay of public money ; but when the lives, the property
of citizens, and national security are at stake, we do
not believe that considerations of money are to be an
impediment in the way of realising results of such vast
importance.'
The general chart referred to by the Commissioners
in their recommendations, shows a series of distances
which must strike every attentive observer. I now give
them in their order, proceeding from west to east :
__..

Miles.
" From Falmouth to Plymouth, first centre of pro-
tection and aggression
" From Plymouth to Guernsey, at the entrance of
the Gulf of St. Malo
" From Plymouth to Dartmouth 3O
" From Dartmouth to Portland (second important
centre of protection and aggression) 45
" From Portland to the Anglo-Norman Island of

Guernsey. .
" From Portland to Alderney, second Anglo-Nor-
man island (Alderney is 20 miles from Cher-

. _
Bourg)
" From Portland to Portsmouth, passing off the
Isle of Wight 6O
" From Portsmouth, third centre of protection and

aggression, to Alderney B7
" From Portsmouth to Seaford, fourth centre of pro-
tection and aggression
" From Seaford, doubling Beachy Head, as far as
Dover, fifth centre of protection and aggression
" From Dover into the Thames, as far as the Nore,
opposite the naval arsenal at Sheerness, sixth
centre of protection and aggression
6' From Dover to Harwich beyond the Thames,
seventh centre of protection and aggression
" It will certainly be observed that the centres of pro-
tection and aggression increase, and I shall say are
almost one on the other, as the coast of England becomes
gradually nearer to France. From Portsmouth to Har-
wich, within an extent of only 164 miles, it is recom-
mended to construct in the sea-works, which, by estima-
tion of first projects, are to cost 3,850,0001. sterling.
There are to be five grand centres of protection, capable
of receiving five fleets, and serving as starting points of
five expeditions, consisting of large war steamers—ex-
peditions, the furthest off of which may, in seven hours,
reach the coast of France, and the nearest in one hour
and a half. This combination of works will have its ilia
fluence, not to say control, over 150 leagues of our coast,
from Dunkirk to the Bay of St. Malo."

A first-rate amateur theatrical party is forming
at Oxberry's (the comedian's) house, the Anchor, in Oxford-
market, Oxford• street.