52] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



into a Committee of Supply to 

 which the Navy Estimates were 

 referred, 



Sir George fVar render re- 

 mariied that the observations he 

 had to offer might be compressed 

 within a very narrow space. For 

 the last twenty years the navy 

 estimates had been printed in 

 such a manner that every item 

 could be taken into consideration; 

 and in the last two years the sub- 

 ject had been so ably treated by 

 the committees of finance, that 

 he did not know that he could do 

 his duty better, than by referring 

 the House to their reports for the 

 fullest and clearest information. 

 It was known, that during the 

 war the expense of the civil de- 

 partment of the navy had consi- 

 derably increased ; and much of 

 this must remain a permanent 

 charge, since arrangements had 

 been made for bringing the whole 

 of the work that was formerly 

 done in the merchants' yards, 

 into the king's yards. Another 

 large branch in the expenditure 

 of the navy was that connected 

 with the public works in the naval 

 yards. These would be found , 

 detailed in the report, together 

 with a statement by that able en- 

 gineer, Mr. Rennie. The com- 

 mittee were aware, from the na- 

 ture of all works carried on near 

 the sea, that it was most desirable 

 to complete them as soon as pos- 

 sible. That consideration had 

 contributed to produce the in- 

 crease in the ainount in this 

 branch of the present estimate to 

 which he had before alluded. 

 Every pi-actical reduction had 

 been attended to. The works at 

 Sheerness and Chatham had done 

 away the expenditure to a much 



larger amount in the establish- 

 ments on the river. 



There remained one point on 

 which he wished to offer a few 

 observations. In the course of 

 the present session, some remarks 

 had escaped gentlemen which 

 seemed to indicate an opinion 

 that the navy had been neglected 

 by the government. He could 

 not believe that such an idea was 

 seriously entertained. The navy 

 was felt by government to be the 

 bulwark of the nation, and every 

 thing had been attended to that 

 promised to give it strength and 

 efficiency. Pensions had been 

 given of late years, not merely 

 to disabled seamen, but to those 

 who might one day be called upon 

 to serve their country again. The 

 arrangements which had been 

 made were such, that an expedi- 

 tion could be fitted out sooner 

 than at any former period. He 

 might be allowed to remind the 

 House how rapidly, in one 

 recent instance, an expedition 

 had been got ready for sea ; an 

 expedition as unexampled, as was 

 its efficiency when complete. A 

 state of peace did not afford those 

 opportunities for brilliant enter- 

 prize and daring achievement 

 which grew out of a state of war; 

 but even in the former, the spirit 

 which distinguished the British 

 sailor might be usefully display- 

 ed. An expedition was now about 

 to be dispatched to the Arctic 

 regions, which would attempt to 

 solve a problem most interesting 

 to maritime science. 



The hon. baronet concluded 

 with moving, " That a sum not 

 exceeding 2,480,680/. 175. 3d. be 

 granted to his majesty, for de- 

 fraying the ordinarj' establish- 

 ment 



