New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-31
Total, IS vesssb............sll

PioneeE.......".."........... Ho
Total. ,sv.............sll si85
From the above it will be that the entire
British navy, on active service, nu noers only lao
repuary ARMED vessels manned by about 81 600 men,
We are then, to suppose that the remaining 90 ships
700 ie the number officially reported as In commis
sop) are transports, tenders &c. Bot where are the
81 coo sailors and marines tbst go with those en-
ployed TO give the grand total Of 10000 stated as the
force of the Davyl Within the last month steam
fIeate hss been detained six weeks of Portsmouth
Navy ard waiting for the enlistment Of men 20 COM
plete her crew. The receiving ships cannot be well
,uppljed or this would not be the case Allowing lon
men each to all the GO ships supposed to be employed
as transports storesbips, tenders, &C.; and 5000
mariLes for bsrrack duty-19OOc being the sum Of
these requirements-22 COO remain still unaccounted
for In view Of these facts, forced to the con-
clusion that the real strength Of the British navy is
greatly exaggerated by statisticians; and that very
wide margin should, in estimating available mate
rails, be left for invslids, useless persons, &c.
No sach difficulties present themselves in confront
ing the naval forces of France as we find in almost
every table in the English Admiralty documents.
Yet, the French not by any means 80 communica-
tive in regard to military and naval affairs as their
Saxon neighbors. All papers relating to the army
and navy 20 through official hands before being
printed and when printed arc carefully read before
even the subordinate officers are permitted TO see
them Latterly no names whatever are given to the
vessels.
In plancipg at French table before us. which is
commented on and explained by . friend who hiss
made naval subjects his study for years, we are
struck with the seni-ofcia prominence given to the
announcement that ninety -four of the shps herein
named could not be rendered suitable for action. -
OF these, however, it may not be on. of place to re-
marx, that ity.ope are sailing craft, some of which
are very old, and have done quite enough service to
safety any reasonable nation.
The available strength of the French navy, on the
1t of January 1852 is stated to be 800 vessels not
including tenders for hsrbor purposes and some lighter
ships The 81 "unsutable for service are not here
included. Grantir the possibility Of France overesti'
mating the exact material at her command, We may
safely conclude that che has 10 ships which could be
equipped for commission, exclusive of about
1870 actively employed, or in port commits
sion There are 63 steamships Of the line
and steam frigates included in this estimate.
/ The condition of these is excellent. English
Admras, who are very careful in their statement,
on such point affirm that the ensemble of French
steam liner is unapproachable. The whole energies
| and experience of naval architects in France are
concentrated in the erection Of large steam vessels
capable of ipHictng and of wthstanding the most
| desperate cannonade. The experiment of iron-sid,
| ships is now being put to the test, and every i'm
| provement that promises to advance maritime war
fare carefully inquired into. 1--WE believe said ,
| French Admiral to an American some months ago
that naval, like military engagements, will be de
| 'cided in favor of the heavy metal. We have, ane
will take care TO keep, an equal strength with En-
/" gland in ships of the line; We have twelve formid
"a able steam frlgates more than she, and this pro-
proportion satisfies us. The glory achieved in agun
boat is never decisvs--in fact not worth the pow
" der paid for it."
The statement Of tho strength Of the French navy
in is explicit that in regard to ships. One
sees in q moment where every man is. In May las,
there were 80, 900 uen Immediately connected with
ships on duty. Since the commencement of the Italian
War, however, Napoleon ordered the enlistment OF
900 extra men, Tho booked ia fourteen dcys.
The detachment of these from active employment
VIII probably be the sum total Of the disarmiog pro.
cess now gong in France. They have all got ther
"numbers' and " mess drafts, and could not be re-
called in less than fortnight. But it is proper 70
state that not one of these 10000, except perhaps
an occasional enthusiastic volunteer, was taken from
the mercantile marine, or from the enrolled sea.coast
population, which nunbers 160, goo men eligible for
and liable TO national service. 1t may not be gen
orally known that, in the French merchant marine
nearly every sailor is what may be called graduate
Of a msn-of-war Those who have not land they are
few, as well those who have served regular ap-
premiership in naval vessel registered for trans
Ter TO the navy, when the country needs them"
The mercantile marine contains 1900 men, all
French, who are intelligent, and understand gunnery
The estimate of 40, 600 men which are the figures
given in the tables from which We chiefly gather our
iacts-is evidently moderate Then there is marine
artillery Of 80 900 that could be speedily detailed
tor naval duty. These stationed principally in the
neighborsood Of navyysrds and are regularly exer-
cisco al heavy guns RATS and floating batteries,
IN srder 10 become fsmisrzed with the oscilla.ine
motion OF ship. This body of soldiers ans yer to
sources from which her ,esu,.n are the
ue % ne noesses isous oScers sail IA and Off.
Try u euroatd and icvir. ar rYr.s an @
o are liable 10 s-~-s<vic~ from M. AGE ~ NJ 20 81
b. The :, 'ec nuIe,r are ,upposea 70 be svals
seven wears Sea service The force. Obtained f, 80,
~ and the mous.es or boys afer being
" he VARIOUS dets ar into compare.
secrsrnrD, CUR AID er,ins,.
~ ol'ls which have been thoroughly Instructed AZ
ofiAo crews are I'm bSheo according dso.ns V.vr.
been tTsi ed 10 exercise aud work treebsr "a. ~,
unite IN The organization onhe shpbosFd internal oomy
Of tbe service has also been determined by The ,nrt
Tbs there be uniformity 81 rule Of detail sp.of ss
Throughout, that ~hsese. shp nisb BE- 80
se void hIo tDe ssne system prevailing AID fan
the that and should vaxs an
uniform mode PREVAILING u which they had been is1s--d