The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-04-28

And - q speedy recovery from the III el{ecy OF
recrpsrs,ye ansyas ,bs. oss This our
history proves. WAC believes. SIR that the late
war was Of any injury 10 Us! Though many fell
though much blood was spilt-onr foreign com
merce broken up, and all industrial pursuits Grip
ped and deranged, and not object attained for
which the war was de Jared and waged at 30 much
expense of blood and treasure, who can DOUBT that
It was OF immense service to US, weighing all these
against that one item which II gained tor u5-the
respect OF all other powers and the high exaltaion
OF our national characterl And we recovered
from lite effects in few years, and with renewed
lie and vigor have since pursued our glorious and
The Senator from Delaware, sir, (Mr. J. m.
Clayton took occasion, in his remarks upon these
resouuons to contrast our naval force with that OF
Great Britain, and read 10 the Senate prepared
statement Of her military and commercial marine
But the Senator did not seem to recoIect that the
number OF vessels OF war possessed By nation is
no criterion oy which to estimate Its power. Eng
land has many ships OF war, slr-she has the wood
en- walls. but has she the slnew and muscle with
which to man them? Can she get the men? /
recoect reading last summer, sir, in British
magazine, an article upon the defences of Great
Britain, and. among other things, the condition of
her navy, both Jas to the nlatiet and personnel in
which il was stated that Captain Lushngton, one OF
the most popular officers in her navy, had great
difficulty, and had been unable up to that time to-
ship crew for the steamer "RetnbutIon." Now.
sir, with this fact in view. would ask that Senator
how it the power OF Great Britain, to man one
Vessels pHe9eQ~
ted to the Senate even by resorting-as she certain
ly would resort-to the press.gane? She cannot
man them, sir. The Senator showed, Sir, by his
statement, that in proportion to our commerce, as
compared with that of England and some of the
minor Powers of Europe, We had fewer guns tor its
protection than any OF them; but the Senator did
not seem to consider the capacity OF this nation to
arm itself on an emergency, and he left the infer
ence very fair that he believed ours the weak
est naval power on the globe. think, sir, little
consideration OF, and examination in.o elements of
naval power will serve to safety every Senator tina
we have the capacity to put afioat In very shart
time, more powerful navy than Great Britain ever
possessed. 1t cannot be denied, sir, that we
pable OF constructing vessels with more rapidly,
and with better equipment and sailag qualities,
than any other nation; and ii war comes, instead Of
finding as unprepared in this arm OF annoyance and
defence, we should be found in a few menths, the
best prepared nation In the world. 1t is true sir,
OF national vessels, we have but 'seventy-six, eli
told, but we have commercial marine unsurpassed
by any. All Jour packet ships, sailing from the
ports Of New York and Philadelphia, are larger.
better fitted, stauncher, better sailers, and capable
and resisting enemy broadslde, than our second
class rigates were IN the last war, could be
made SO by additional bulwarks, the work of few
weeks. These, with our whale ships armed and
ments on board. will enable us to put afloat more
efficient navy than Great Britain ever posse ssed;
and tor shipping crews, patriotism would supply the
place OF the press-gang.
navy, you will find that many ships named In it
not seaworthy, and cannot be made so; many of
them are old ships. ships engaged IN the battles OF
Trafalgar and the Nile; they are now old hulks,
unfit for service.
Mr.. J. M. CLAYTON desired to correct.the honor
able Senator In one or two particulars. He did not
say. that we were the weakest nation, nor had he
endeavOred to place the strength of Great Britain
IN striking light before the Senate He had meIe-
y stated the relative naval power Of this country
and England, in reply to the remarks Of the Senator
from Ohio lM Allen He had lad said notHng to
proper to correct some statements Of the gentle
man from Ohio in regard to the naval power Of
England. And he had done so from facts then in
his possession. Since he had made that statement,
he had seen still later authority, disclosing more
particular information as to the naval power Of
Great Britain than he had been in possession of at
the time ne had the honor to address the Senate
He stated at that time that England had GIL ships,
carrying an armament of 16 272 guns. BY the
latest official documents received by the last
steamer, perceive, so much has she increased her
naval power within the last quarter, that she has
now II, 772 gums in her navy. This is great in
crease, and this has been effected in the last quar-
ter OF the last year. The number OF her war
steamers, according to the account we were in pos
session Of when he last addressed the Senate, was
80. He perceived by the documents lately received
that there were now III He had alaD stated that
her military marine amounted to 49, 00O, and he did
which the Senator from Illinois had now alluded,
hat about equal perhaps little inferior
70 that OF England. But the recent information
showed that that estimate was somewhat erroneous,
at least that their commercial marine had in.
creased since the former statement
The tonnage, foreign and coastwise, Of the
United HI gdom OF Great Britain, at the close OF
he year ls was va 40 tons , The same state
md by Baron Charles Dupn, In his " Parable DIES
frois Principnles Marines de = Univers''
A rare work, very recently published, and re-
(McGresor's Commercial Tariffs, &c.,) re fs
10 and relied upon in the Secretary's report this
lay, brings down the information the subject as
late as the 3lst December, 1874, at which time it
appears that the whole tonnage, foreiga and coast
wee, OF the United Kingdom, was 2 99i, l66 tons;
which added to that of Guernsey, Jersey, and Man.
100, 296 tons,) makes the whole tonnage OF all, by
he latest returns received within the last week at
the Treasury, 30A 392 tons.
The Secretary's report states the tonnage nj the
United States, on the Both June, 1916, at 2 4l6 500
tons THIS was the amount stated by Mr.. G, in his
He then estimated the tonnage Of the United King
ION, sc, at 242O, 759 TONS which was according
to the latest returns TO be relied on at the time
BY the latest "List of the British Navy" IT
appears that there has been very extraordinary
increase OF the naval power Of England within the
last quarter Of the year 1916. He (Mr. C.) stated
in the debate on the 12h ult,mo, from the best
Information TO be then had, the whole number OF
ment was founded on the then latest returns OF the
British navy. The official list received by the last
steamer now shows the number of guns to be
l7,772, exclusive OF the armament of the SAILING
packets. 1t is certain that the British navy has
greatly increased OF late. Mr. G. stated, on the
same occasion, the number OF English war steam
ers, by the only official list then to be consulted
on this side OF the water, at s.. The late lntel-
gence shows that this number has been increased,
within the last quarter to l2l. Mr. G. observed,
Ia his speech OF the 18th utImo, in reply to MIR.
Allen, that he had carefully avoided overrattng
the British power. His estimates were correctly
predlcated on the very best information to be had
at the time he spoke and he had rather moderated
the British and slightly overrated our own naval
power. He stated the number of guns In our navy
at 1852, the number lie, / now learn, precisely
q 29 The important result of this interesting in.
curry into the relative naval and commercial power
of the two countries is almost precisely the same
as stated by Mr.. G. Great Britain appears, by
the Secretarys report, to have about 900 guns for
every 10000 tons OF commerce; we have only 50;