, 1866-08-31
TIE BRITISH NAVE.
British Ships OF War in Comparison
with those Of Other Nations.
In Lar doz.I Atnrusf

with those of Other Nations.
From the London Times, August 15.l
A tour Of inspection, conducted In accor-
dance with official routine, has Just brought
the Lords Of the Admiralty TO Portsmouth.
Afler d brief essay Of his authority In tho
House of Commons, Sir John Pakiugton will
now have an opportunity Of testing with his
own eyes some Of tho descriptions Of Dock
yard management given by Dir. Seely but
the result will not be limited to official i'm
presslons. An experienced naval officer has
recently observed that the public has now
questions for itself, and that tho most pure
II professional disquisitions may be address
cd In the present day with cntirc EceetJ 20
the general reader. 1t must not be forgot
ten. moreover, that we owe OUT first alarm
in this matter to Sir John Pakington him
self We have it on his own evidence that
England has not reserved enough for the
mere relief Of her foreign sQrndrous In tipe
Of peace, and It requires no great effort to
infer from this statement what ToEld be o1r
position In time OF war Let Es now see,
however, what Is the actual state Of Things,
as ascertained by inspection at tho chief
naval arsenal Of the nation.
| At Portsmouth, then, there lie the Be11cr-
ophon, new and powerful i1on-c1ad, and
i stored and ready for sea, with one material
! exception. There men-of-war hare no guns.
| This Want,it Is true, cannot be loid to the &C.
count Of the Admiralty, SINCE the ggns re-
quired for sea service are furnished by mil
Besides these vessels, there is tho Royal sov-
ereign, iron.clad turret-shfp, not designed
| for duty ut sea; q couple OF Gtgates, the
Mersey and the Glasgow. reasonably efficient
| as wooden ships SO, and two Or three smaller
be thc extent and quality Of the available
reserves at Portsmouth: 1t Will be asked If
It Is really true that half dozen ships rep
resent the whole floating navy at this impor-
nssp, 1ss, peTs Tsers vs. { IS snsSs:' ns sy yst
ships ships in Portsmouth walters As any
body twenty years ago) would have wished
to lee. Eleven magnificent llne-ofbattle
ships, eight heavy fagates, a floating bat
tery, and whole squadron Of gunboats can
be shown to the visitor. a more powerful
sib1e to'desirc; but, unfortunately, as fleets
are now, the army is all but useless. The
ships are without Rrmor aud without any
guns which could make m impression on an
armorcd enemy. We might, possibly, in the
countless exigencies Of war, find some en-
tcr, hut nobody i1nagincs that second Chan
| mel Squadron could be formed out Of sucf
materials. So we see the whole truth Of th'
case in this one example. There y, indeed
fleet at Portsmouth, but it Is Q fleet unl
for service In the present day.
Happy the nation that had no navy tel
wears aEo! That Is what has sent the Aneri
cans SO ia1 ahead. Every sixpence Of expen
diture has been upon vessels Of real and i'm
mediate efficiency Nine-tcnths Of the ship
Ii their navy List have been built Or bough
since 1861, and nre therefore eeryiceahle
| 1866. Nor Is 1t only America which Is In TIL
| fortunate position. Brazil spends upon he
navy less than one million sterling, and ye
! to anything We can show. She has actual
. thirtT-two Of these formidable vessels, u
,, iron built, al1 iron-plated, and all capable
| hour. The smallest armament carried b
. any one Of these boats consists of four Viii
worth guns, rided, and throwing shot Of l:
i. pounds weight. Now, it has been ee1ionsl
! argued by persons Of no mean authority ths
! squadron Of small, heavy armed gunooaI
. speed, would be match eTea for aect