The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-27


this case, or to prevent recurrence of such frauds
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said of course
his attention had been called to the embarrassment
attending the present state of the law in regard to
bills fctitiousy purporting to have been drawn
abroad, and having recently been engaged in collect
ing information on the subject, he should be much
disappointed If he was not able to make proposal
to the house about it during the present session..
(Hear, hear)
Tho Brftish Steam Navy.
from the Paris Journal CO. Dsoaw. Feb
The extraordinary activity with which the British
admiralty is aboring to produce ornaments of war in
the English arsenas begins to produce results which
cannot fail to strike every observer however little
week in which It is not announced that some one Of
those formidable s:rew lice Of battle ships, which
were building month ago. is launched, armed, tried
as to her engines, snd ready to weigh anchor and to
which is amoet incredible. and which is the surest
evidence of the reality of the naval power Of England
The nayies of other nations may oppose to that Of
England vessels rs well armed as hers supplied with
officers and seamen equally skilful; but no other
marine in the world can arm SO great number Of
ships in 80 short time, and be assured of always
presenting ITSELF OF every field Of battle with that
superiority in numbers and of maritime quality,
whether waIlke or mechanical, which is the almost
certain promise of victory, and which renders 1t
more and more certain the longer the contest con-
times
There is only one opinion amongst the officers who
took place at Spthead last year. as to the immense
superiority OF screw line battle ships sailing
vessels. The comparative trial which they were both
then put TO was overwhelming to the sailing vessels
although they were represented on that occasion by
some of the finest vessels on the old system that
England ever armed-the Prince Regent and the
London, for instance. These, however, were COM
petsly eclipsed by their Fortunate rivals. By the
side of the Duke Of wellington aud of the Agamem-
non they appeared like the relics Of another age,
and it is instructive to gee what is the result of the
experiment At the end of last August, England,
besides the four guard ships, in which they had at
first studied the merits and properties of the screw,
had only three ships-ofthe-line on that system
the Duke Of Wellington, the Agamemnon, and the
Sanspariel. Since shat time the Admiralty has
completely prepared FIVE others of these vesels-the
l01; the Princess Royal, 81; the James Watt, 81;
and the Greasy, 81-and it has also pushed on, with
incredible energy, the armament of six other vessels
Of the same kind: the Royal Albert, III guns; the
mouth, 81; and the Algiers, 9l,-which will be
ready for sea in the month Of April. 30 that in less
than seven months, in which three only have been
eleven screw steam vessels Of the line; and in the
approaching spring, England will have eighteen
steam ships Of war, without counting frgates. This
will be incomparably the most formidable fleet that
has ever appeared on the sea.
In the opinion of many persons, the application of
the steam engine to the purposes Of navigation has
been regarded as q circumstance which would dimi-
nish the maritime power Of England But in the place
OF being special industry, almost isolated and con-
fired to Daval arsenals, the royal marine, since it
has received the admirable addition of the ste
gine has not ceased in England to connect itself
and more with all interests, to become more and more
o part Of the nation, and to form every day new
points of union with all branches OF national activity
receiving from them every day more powerful as
sstance. 1t has been thus with the military marine;
has entered more deeply than ever into the life and
into the interests Of the nation it has been able to
draw from them resources infinitely greater than at
any other epoch Of its history. Formerly it was .
department of the public administration, enjoying o
well merited popularity in return for the glory
which it had given to the nation, but which existed
in some degree for itself, which every year took
large sum from the budget, but which expended it
according to its pleasure in closed arsenals without
any intimate tie with commerce and general indus.
try. Now the English admiralty is in continual con-
tact with everything that interests England in the
progress of the physical sciences, in chemistry, and
in mechanics; it exists in community with all the
industries, with the innumerable establishments in
which the metals are employed. One of the most
important consumers Of their products, and, con-
sequenty. one of the customers whom they have the
most to consider and 10 satisfy it has become
Of the directors Of their labors. It has thus sue
ceeded in rendering them the assistants Of its ar.
senas the creation of which cost 1t nothing although
their products come to it twenty thirty and even
hundred per cent cheaper than it could form them
iself although, in time Of pressure, they place at
Its disposal means OF action surer, more rapid,
powerful, than could be supplied by all the other
workshops Of the world. II Is not the Admiralty
which has created the admirable establishments Of
Robert Napier, Of Penn, Miller and Ravenhill, OF
Msudsey and Field, Of Robert Stephenson, OF Watt
of Fawcet, and of 80 many others; but the 100 900
horse power Of steamers wlch il has caused them to
construct for IT, during the last twenty year, has
il IL which explains how England, though employing
fewer workmen In her arsenals than the Ministry
Of Marine Of France for instance, can in . moment
create an energy and power OF production which
leave far behind it those which are seen in other
countries.
This is one Of the principal points Of union Of the
English marine with one OF the branches Of the
uoDal activity, which, in all its manifestations, EN-
ploys the greatest capitals occupies the greatest
puInter Of haDds interests the greatest number Of
mel in the country There are also others which we
might cite but for the present we content ourselves
with mentioning another which does not less deserve
attention, inasmuch as in the event Of war, 1t
alsp represents resources OF which II would be diff
cult josty TO estimate the Importance and yet which,
when we examine things properly, has not cost any
sscr'fce-we mean those magnif ,ent lines of ocean
steamers, which have been established for postal
poses betseen England and all parts OF
the woIlc Instead Of thinking OF possessing
fsef OF these, the admiralty has stimulated
private industry By means OF grants: which
now amount to $500, 900 year. Is has thus Gre
ated companies, whose capital now amounts to many
hundred millions OF francs. great source OF riches
has thus been created; and the immense advan-
tages which 1t brings t, the political power, the
commerce, the industry, and the financial supremacy
Of Great Britain, would more than compensate the
treasury for its apparent sacrifices. But there is no
real sacrifice. The money which Is given to these
companies they ourths Of itin postage,
which the Post Office receives on letters carried;
and the rest is more than repaid by the customs
revenue paid by the valuable cargoes of these steam
ships. Thus It is not . sacrifice, but an advan-
tseeous investment and, in addition to having made
that good bargain, the admiralty has been able to
reserve to itse in of war, she right to dispose
Of the fleets constructed by the companies fleets
composed of the most rapid and the best ships in
the world always kept In the best condition, always
ready to enter on active service and which possess
at the present day $50 600 tons Of shipping propelled
BY 900 horse power Of engines. Join 70 this feet
the fleet purely naval, and Il must be acknowledged
that war has never been made With mch command
Of resources. BY the rspidity which they can
give to the movements OF armies, they multiply their
strength beyond all calculation. Thus, for instance
the English soldiers who are to-day at Portsmouth
in London or even In Edinburg, are not one-third
the distance from Constantinople, II You caculate
distance by the time necessary 70 move from one
a.