STEAM NAVY OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 399, 23 July 1859, Page 6

STEAM NAVY OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND.

(From the United Service Gazette, April 16.)

The Committee appointed by the Treasury in December last year, to report upon the Navy Estimates, and also upon the comparative strength of the French and English Navies, have just made their Report. The most important part of the statement is that which relates to the increase, respectively, in the two Navies ; and although the rapid strides made on the other side of the Channel are not calculated to excite alarm, the progress unquestionably demands increased efforts on the side of Great Britain in order to maintain the superiority which she once enjoyed. Passing over the sailing Navy we find the Committee have arrived at the following facts regarding the steam force of the two countries. In December last the number of British line-of-battle ships, complete in hull and machinery, was 29 ; four were receiving engines, seven converting, and ten building ; total, 50. The French Navy, at the same period, comprised 29 line-of-battle ships complete, two receiving engines, four converting, and 5 building ; total, 40. The frigate force was as follows : — British, seventeen screw, and nine paddle frigates, complete ; two receiving engines, and six building ; total, 34. France :— Fifteen screw and nineteen paddle, complete ; three receiving engines, one converting, and eight building ; total, 46.

The above shows that the two countries have at this time exactly the same number of steam line-of-battle ships afloat, and that in frigates France has the advantage of eight ships. It is also stated that the French ships building are far more advanced than the British. The comparison, however, is incomplete, not showing the individual horse-power, and gun force of the ships. Three of the ten British line-of-battle ships, building also, are three-deckers, of which class France is not building one. France will also have four iron-sided ships, with 800 or 900 horse-power engines; but we should much like to see one of these afloat and under way, before incurring a similar enormous outlay. Our scepticism on this point is very strong. We doubt the possibility of ever getting ships, loaded with four-irfch plates of iron, to move through the water with even a moderate degree of velocity or facility, and also their alleged impregnability. Judging from the performance of floating batteries the success of the French ships constructing appears extremely problematical, but as two of them are more than half finished, we would rather see them in the water before venturing upon a like experiment. The description furnished in the report does not remove one of our doubts. Their timbers are said to be of the scantling of a three-decker, and they. are to have 36 heavy guns, most of them rifled 50-pounders, which will throw an 801b. hollow percussion shot. Of course the designers look upon them as 1 invulnerable, and like the visionaries who foresee that every merchant ship will, at no distant period, be as large as or larger than the Great Eastern, believe that iron-sided ships will in the course of a few 'years, supersede all other war ships. It must never be forgotten that a ship has to contend occasionally with elements much more devastating and uncontrollable than powder and shot, and we should like to ascertain what sort of weather one of these steel monsters would make of it during a strong south-west gale in the Channel.

In addition to the fifty line-of-battle ships now ready, or building, six sailing liners are being converted ; but the Committee show the need for a large increase in the dockyard labour, in order to expedite the work in hand, and necessary to be undertaken. The Commission of Naval

Officers appointed by the Emperor Napoleon to revise the organization of the Navy, calculated that by the year 1860 they would have a steam fleet, with a proportion of large transports, sufficient to carry an army of 60,000 men, with horses, provisions, and materials for one month ; and that there would also be ready at the same time, forty steam line-of-battle ships, six ironplated frigates, and thirty screw and nineteen paddle-wheel frigates. The steam transports will number 26. Formidable, indeed, is this force ; and one natur.illy asks, What does it all mean ? Is France apprehensive of an invasion from us, or does she contemplate the annihilation of our " tight little island ?" The former would seem to be contrary to common sense, while the latter tells us to look out ahead. In 1852 the aggregate horse-power of the engines in British ships was 44,482, and the French Navy 27,240, but since then 55,030 horse-power has been added in our service, while France, in the same interval, has increased 54,804, including, in both cases, the engines in course of construction.

We gather from the report that in one, and that no unimportant particular, the progress of the British steam Navy has been very satisfactory — we allude to " corvettes and sloops." We have now afloat 38 screw corvettes, and nine building, and 35 paddle sloops. France, on the other hand, has only nine screw corvettes afloat and four building, and nine paddle sloops. In " gun, despatch, and small vessels," we have 29 screw against 17 French, but only 24 paddle against 66 French, and France has ten screw vessels building, while we have none. In screw gunboats our numerical superiority is considerable, viz., IGI and one building, against 28 French, but in steam troop-ships we are inferior byseven'. The aggregate of the steam Navies shows the following, all classes included :—: — British, 425 afloat, six receiving engines, seven converting, and 26 building ; total, 464. French, 219 afloat, five receiving engines, five converting, and 35 building ; total, 264 ; showing a difference in favour of the British of 200 sail.

All things considered, we do not look upon the British Navy by any means relatively inferior, but "progress" must nevertheless be our watchword ; and moreover, while paying all due attention to ships, let us not lose sight of those who, in time of need, will have to work and fight them. Encourage the breed of British sailors and engineers, for to those we must mainly look. To our sailors we owe our proud position. In. future wars, however, we must enlist also the services and abilities of another class. Attach all to the British Flag by ties of patriotism and interest, and do not treat them again as they have been treated, or cast them aside as worthless lumber when their services are not immediately in requisition.