The Sun.
London, England, 1818-03-17 00:00:00

MR. Pirt ESTON

Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a petition from an
Thomas Preston, well known to the House, from being
one of the persons Acquitted of High Treason. It alleged
his frequent arrests and detention. That during his imPri-
sontrent a person called Castles, of universal notoriety,
made to his (Preston's) daughter a false representation, by
which he gut ilosses,:dori of petitioner's furniture. He prayed
that Ministers might he impeached, and that he himself
should be indemnified for his sufferings.—The petition was
ordered to lie on the table and to be printed.
Mr. JOHN SMITH brought up thelteport of the Bankrupt
Laws Committee.—Ordered to be printed.
Lord A. HAMILTON presented a petition front The Uni-
versity of filasgow against any alteration in the Laws respect-
ing Copyright.—Ordered to lie on the table.
NAVY ESTIMATES.
Sir G. WARR6NDER, moved the Order of the
Day for the House resolving itself into a Com-
mittee of Supply, and that the Navy and Trans-
port Estimates be referred to the same Committee.
The House baying proceeded into Committee,
Sir GEORGE WARRENDER said, that the observa-
tions which he should have the honour to submit
to the Committee would occupy but a very nar-
row space. The subject of the Naval Expendi-
ture had for some years past been brought before
the consideration of Parliament in a shape so dis-
tinct as to render any detailed statement al-
together unnecessary. lucked the Reports for
the two last years of the Committee of Finance
and Public Expenditure were best calculated to
give the fullest and clearest information. Dur-
ing the war an important change had beets effect-
ed in that branch at the public service. The con-
tracts in the merchants' yards had been abandon-
ed, so that the whole ship-boilding was brought
under the eye of the Government. Such a change
had not alone been productive of great economy,
but a better description of vessels were built. An-
other large branch of -the public expeoditure, and
which, from the extent to which, from circum-
stances, it had been carried, wa, the cause of an
increase in the present estimates, referred to the
works carried on in the naval yards. For a de-
tailed elocidation of these branches, he begged
to refer the Committee to the eighth Report of
the Finance Committee, now oo the table of the
House, and to the Report of the aide engineer,
Mr. Rennie, which also accompanied that Re-
port. The Committee were aware, from the na-

tore of all works cat tied on immediately near the
sea, it was most desirable to complete them as
soon as possible. Besides .the mat cads aml la-
bour in a time of peace were so much cheaper,
that though a large situ, might, in one or- tWe
years, have been expended, it was in the end pro-
ductive of consitl,-rable diminution in the expense.
--That consideration had contributed to prodnet
the inctease in the amount in the present Esti-
mates to which he haoheforealluded. Eve; y practi-
cable reduction had been attended to The works
at Sheerness and Chatham had dune away the ex-
.peoditure to a much larger amount in the estu-

... . , . . .
blishments on the River. There remained one
Point on which he wished to offer a few observa-
tions. It had been insinuated, in the disrUssion
of, general questions- of our policy, that tha Go-
'. vent meat of the country 110 unheated a diSp,,Si.•
f time to neglect that important branch of the :tub.
lie security—its natural and ancient bulwark, the
I - Navy. He could see no ereitind for such an in-
-1 sinnation, for, nothing. had been omitted to
f strengthen
,and Make,it available to the national
. watle.. The number of out-pensioners of Greene
. wich Hospital amounted to 35,000, the far greater
proportion of whom were serviceable, and ready
I to be employed in the 'public defence, wherever
our
,security ..reqUited it. The establishment of
safe roadsteads for our fleets, by which safety and
prompniende in fitting them out were obtained,shew
that there existed no grounds for any such feats.
Jr the Committee looked to the efficieucy and dis-
patch, even in a time of peace, with which the
last expedition on which the Navy was employed
had been fitted out (Algiers), an efficiency that
had attracted the acknoaledgernent of the gal-
lant and distinguished Commander, it was impos-
sible to asseit that any neglect was chargeable.----
It was perfectly trite that the period of peace was
not the season for daring enterprises and brilliant
achieVernents. But glories of another description
presented themselves—by advancing the progress
of science and of geographical improvements.—
Many very-able officers were now employed in
surveying coasts and seas either before an-
known, or
It
mightwhic h:listiolciaeb,
eiul itith.ere:r:titfs,at.:iiit:ic,nit
distinction
aAosf,:taebirliy:
imperfeer.
country to solve the problem so long desired, as
to a Northern comm
Atlan-
tic and Pacific (Oceans. These were the porsii;,.
of Peace, but should other circumstances demand
a vigorous exertion, he felt perfectly assured that
this country wool(' then display the elastic power
of her naval arm. He concluded with moving,
that a sum not exceeding 2,-489,1871. be granted
for defraying the codlings, lixpences of the Navy
for the year ISIB.
Sir M. W. Min' Said, that he did not gene.
rally object to the Estimates ; ' bad he felt any ob-
jection at first, the pet it'sal of the Eighth Report
of the Cotinnittee of Finance had removed it. All
he hoped was, that a Report containing such be-
neficial suggestions would not be unproductive of
. public benefit—that it a °old not be allowed, like
so many . other valuable Reports presented by
Committee ,of that House, to remain altogether
a dead letter. His object in then addressing the
Committee, was simply to propOse, as an amend-
ment, a reduction of 20001. being the amount of
the salaries of the two Junior Lords of the Ad-
miralty. It was in the recollection of the House,
that during the last Session he had moved for the
reduction of the number of Junior Lords of the
Admiralty from six to four, as folly sufficient to
carry on the service of the country in a period of
peace. The argument opposed to that proposition
was, that there was a great necessity for the exist-
ing Government to have the disposal of those offices,
at the same time that thry cmistit tired a school of
education for young Statesmen. Had he not himself
beard such iirgiuncins stated in the Congruous
House of Parliament, he would, hardly have be-
lieved it possible, that soeh an objection could
have been urged with any hope of effect. In re-
gard to the.proposed education of young statesmen,
he was of opinion, that in their course of studies
they had
,no claim on the nation, and that if the
bolding of the office was necessary for their pro.
greys, they at 'least alionld be called epon to pay
the Tax of their just ruction. The sum, it was
true, was only 20001. bet in that small amount,
the principle was the great object. What the pe-
culiar course of knowledge in which lie mind* of
these you: gi statesmen were trained, he was not
informed enough correctly to describe. He was
willing, however, to adtei• that the Cemmittee lo,tl
that night witnessed the progress of improvement
in the Honourable Baronet (Sir G 11-atrender).
But he believed he saw opposite to hint, an
Honourable Member (alluding, it was sup.
posed, to Mr. Croker), connected with the Mali..
rally, who had applied his talents to literary pur-
suits, and had lately published a work, entitled
" Stories for Young Children."--(t laugh).-el it
this work probably were comprehended the ele-
ments for these sticking Stattennen.—(A laugh)—
He (Sir .M. Ridley) had the good fortune to pe-
ruse it, and lead, not svithoot a little sot wise,
but certainly without conviction, that Charles the
First was considered an excellent man and a good
King. If he was not Inistaken, a very respectable
publication, the Quartet ly Review, was also io.
debted for most of its leading articles to its cone
nection with the Admiralty. All these circutn-
staaces certainly promised well of this school of
education, hut he notwithstanding could not
agree in making the country pay the expence. He
saw many Honourable Gentlemen opposite, who
bad voted with him against the condonation of
the Leather Tax. Surely, when they took from
their Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, such a portion of the revenue,
they ought at least to diminish the unnecessary
claims upon it, and vote with hint in his amend.
mem for the reduction of the 20001.
Lord CASTLEEFAGH did not rise for the pug.
pose of arguing the question, which had before
been decided, upon the propriety of keepieg up
the present number of Lords of the Admiralty.
On the occasion which had been referred to, the
question had been Nils' looked at in every point
of view,; The Board was now as it had exited
for more than a century nast ; and fewer Corn.
missioners, when it Was ConSide.ed that some
were wanted at the outpost, it did not appear to
him would be sufficient. All the suggestions of
the Committee of Finance bed been attended to.
The Hon. Member had very pleasantly stated so
much of the argument that bad been used in the
former debate out the Admiralty Louis ; as served
Iris purpose. He (Lord Castlereagh) was sure
he could not state his share of it in the same
pleasant manner, and should thiretore trust to
the recollection of the House and sit down.
Mr. Biomes could so far confirm the statement
of his Noble Friend as to state that the Cony
mittee of Finance had great reason to be satisfied
with the economy introduced lets various depart,*
clients, and with the attention paid to all the
suggestions they had thought i: their duty to
throw out. He had read that enorning a minute
respecting. the Ordnance p.pArcuieut, former!,

t 1 most exrensive, which bael affordfd him great
sAtisttic,ion; ai:d he 11:4tect it whl. o,:-hecti4Jally
gsatislactury to the House when it came bcfoic

thPirt.

Ihe Committee divided, when the numbers*
Weur, •

For the Amendment 5B
Against ;:r
:lajority in Civour of 1;1;t iottslrtion ,-27

A grant of 1.767,1811.. was moved for, to cover
ehargcs for buildings and repairs Majesty's
flock y,ros.
Sir M. W. 11 int.rY called the attention of Ni-
nisters to the situation of pursers iu the Navy.
- Ile described the cese of that very meritorious
class of men to, he one of great hardship. They
_were at present in great distress, and et re not so
uoMetous but they might be relieved by a snip
'little exceeding that which he had had the honour
to pr“pose should be taken horn the Lords of the
Admiralty.
Mr. Claoßga stated half-pay to have been al-
16Wed to Pursers within_ the last three years. It
would be seen that it was not in the power of
.the liOard of the Admiralty to giant the relief call-
ed for widiout opening a door notch larger than
the Bon. Member scented to conteun,!atc,lo other
aprlicants.' He begged to state the Board of Ad-
miralty h.tl already gone to the expence of het p-
lug supernumerary clerks, which were chosen from
the Pursers whose conduct bad been most meni-
torinus.—The motion was agreed to.
The following ;;rants were then voted :

For provisioning gat rions Oil forcigo .tmions, for ships o
ovqr, and transports, 380,0001.
Iu cover the expences of the transnort service for IRIR
178,94R1