, 1866-08-06
ESGLAND'S POSITION AMONG NA.
TIDESs
She Views Herselff In the Mirror of Pro-
Eress-Tho Startling SuxEessfonA OF
tho ntnntonomah-AIne1 Stxength
-Englandts Weakness.

Eress-Thc Ssxrsllnx Suggestions OF
tho MtnntonoEnah-Alne Stren2th
-England,s Weakness.
From the London Times, Jnly l7thl
The rpYal Tisitors at 8hceFuess on satur-
day, as well - tho numerous pleasure. par
a very extraordinary and-we wish VIC could
not feel TIA psrsentous spectacle. They
raw fabric something between d ship
and diving betf-the Romans would
have called 1t = tortolse-almost
invisible, but wnat there was Of It ugly. It
crossed the Atlantic safely, and was anchor-
cd in our waters, with tho intention of gisit-
Ing Russia Round thls fearful invention
wcrc noored scorcs Oft big ships, not all utter
antiquities, but modern, for there were
among them steamships, generally Screws,
years old. These ships form considerable
portion Of tho navy Of this great maritime
power, and there was not one OF them that
the foreigner could not hare sent to the bot
tom In tvo minutes had his crraud not been
peaceful. Tberr was not ono Of these big
companion, or saved itsclf from Immediate
~ sharing It's fate. In fact, the wolf was In
the fold. and the whole fiock was at ttA
mercy. No human accountant will ever as
certain tha coat Of all the ships, Of all sorts
and sizes that wefo once launched on the
fore them, and that are nov laid up, many Of
them at their last anchorage, and painted
that dirty yellow which Is universally adopt
cd 10 nsrk trcachery, failure and crime. But
to an enormous original expense, and to fur.
ther cost In alterations and repairs, Is still
added the cost necessary to retard tho sure
process Of decay, and to sare these poor
moosings or blocking up the difficult channel,
The authorized list Of the steamships and ves-
sells Of the Royal Navy, and Of sailing ships
in commission, mounts up 10 the important
figure Of sss5, What the list includes, and
what II does not include, We would rather
not say hastily, for It Is impossible to ap.
P,oseh The Royal naIh9E without bout, 'cs,nF sh,s
can hardly be included In any usefal Gunner
atiou. But whatever sentiment Of veners.
ton or rcgEct may be aroused 1t the sight
ofan old three-dccker that has merely swung
with the tide for thirty years, It Is ). Ill sad.
der to Ieaa through = long list Of ships Of .
Tonnage and weight Of metal unknown to on
fathers, With drstrate machinery, mauy
With accomplished officers and brave crews,
which arr all superseded BY the last lnveu-
tion, aud can only come under irt to be eth
ct sunk or burnt.
The present Is the time for . naval review
Of much more modest and useful character
than either Of the spectaclcs NC saw before
and at1er the Russian war. We haGc new
naval administration, and 1t consists OF men
who hare expressed their oplnlop. freely on
that side of the House, which Is most hvota-
bic to criticism. One Of them, indeed, only
last week improved the DISASTROUS collision
In the channel with laudabls promptitude.
and Without sparing the feelings OF
his predecessors. That Administration may
Itself handle the broom that sweeps clean,
but there arc those who think no admin
fstsation proper to be tntrusted With work
Of Inquiry, aud who wou1d rather sec = COM
mlssion for the purpose. e ~ = alleged,
change Of ministers IL not favorable 10 cnn-
tinuons and consistent policy, 1t should At
least give us the compensation Of new and
unbiased opinions. When pFiEate estAb-
lishmcnt temslns long ta ths same hands,
accumulation becomes the law Of every do.
partmcnt. The place Is burdened md hticd
with useless servants, useless horses and czr.
rfaSe*, useless furniture, useless books, and
al1sosts Of persons and things thAt + would
destroy, IS the case may happen TO b. o.
course the old folks will never SEE this, and
It Is not TIL nov occupant hak brought the
common standard Of the outer world 10 beat
on the place that any change eau b tolt
disputed, that every Item in the list befo.r
III, ftom the Vlctoria, now In the Aediterfa.
mean, with her 1H guns, her 4, 191 tons, and
her 1,b00-horsc powrr-nAy, from the Armot.
. plated Warrior, xish s. bigger guns, 10:
tonpago, and 1,sa5o-horse power, down
to Tho feet Of screw steam
depreciation By the fac& Of the Milan
tononah, and the forthcoming dect o
monitors Of which she is the prec1Esor Ths
value Of any wrapou aud any engine Of wai
depends upon the existing state Of the art
war, and the existing means 1t the service O
the foe. Just ~ tue artillery of the Nor
mans was rendered Ineffective by that Of th
PlantAgcnete. and Just as the muxile-loade
has been reduced 10 mere fraction of IT.
value hy the Invention Of brcceh leaders, th
ships which twenty years Ago were said t
sole as for tho want Of unlimitet
armies, arc now found to be nseles
against ship that hardly shows itself Aoos'
the water, aud that can discharge with Pei
feet steadlaess and accuracy 4 projectili
which even our best arrnor plating Is not quit
proof against. But II even our best an
latest eh1ps have nox to consider how the
f1Ee In the hands Of this new Antagonist. ~hs
hope Is thcTc for the gwsttns of oosolcte Ct
I1o$ities ncw encumbesinE our ancnoFaRcs
It is almcst oppressive to think Of the II
mcnse amount Of resistance thas VIII snesi1a
big be reused by any attempt TO ossns OF
navy up to the mark Of the dsJ. In the fr,
nlaec there Is The Immense Anlonnt Of cost
: property to he sacrificed, pulled to pieces #
tbs materi&ls, or sold for "A oid sonS.
!. Anybody who has seen an old ship broke
. up will be ready TO shed tea1a n tae thon$t
oisuch solid constructions and such excelle,
material being thrown avay. The wossh'
ofwork and Of material u uatuIaa tc Al OF q
. but man IA q still finer piece Of wofxmahsh
and = stu more Costly mat ny m.s,,
cannot Afford to pne sailors IN tau aoll