containing official accounts of the disturbances, to the
same effect as those that had appeared in the journals
some days since, but not coming down to so late a date.
Reinforcements had been despatched to the troops at
the Cape, whose numbers at present were only 3699 men.
The subject of the expense must be a matter for future
consideration; at the present time the great necessity
was to provide for the defence of the colony.—Mr.
HUME regretted that the demands of the colonists so
often reiterated, with respect to the composition of their
local legislature, had not been conceded. As they were
still kept without the means of self-government, there
could be no doubt that this country must undergo all
the cost of their defence.—Mr. V. SMITH inquired
whether the government would give any information
as to the conduct that had preceded, and the causes
that had provoked, the present outbreak?—Lord J.
RUSSELL promised the rapid production of all information
that might be received. With respect to the
extension of territory, and other military measures
accomplished within the last few years, the effect had
been, according to the best authorities, to render the
British frontier much more defensible than before.

The House went into committee of supply, and Sir
Francis BARING brought forward the Naval Estimates.
Referring to the objections he had urged, in past years,
to the system of taking scanty votes of supply,
necessitating the annual introduction of an item of "excess"
to make up the deficiencies, Sir F. Baring rejoiced to
state that no such item would now appear, but on the
contrary, the expenditure during the two years last past
was nearly £700,000 less than the amount voted by the
house, and the accounts of the current twelvemonth
would present a continuance of this saving to a considerable
amount. Coming to the successive votes, he stated that
the first, that fixing the number of men, would be the same
as last year, viz., 39,000; and remarked that France, with
much smaller demands for the protection of colonies
and commerce, kept on service a body of 25,000 seamen.
Since 1835, again, which had been assumed as a "model"
year, the increase of expenditure in this item had been
much larger with our neighbours than ourselves.
While the number of men remained the same as last
year, the next vote, namely, that of the money wanted
to defray the cost, would be slightly increased, owing to
some increase in the pay and allowances. After
explaining the mode in which a reduction of £1,256,000
had been effected in the dockyard, expenditure for
building, repairs, works, &c., as compared with the
votes of 1848-9, the right hon. baronet went through
the remaining list of votes, on some of which small
diminutions were apparent, while others, among which
was that for the packet service, exhibited an increase.
Altogether the result was that the sum total required for
the navy services would be £171,000 below the estimates
of 1850; and this, he repeated, was far less than the
probable reduction in the actual expenditure. Reviewing
his own career as head of the Admiralty board, Sir
F. Baring recorded the fact that in the financial year,
1848-9, the actual expense of the navy had been
£7,955,000 and that of the year about to expire only
£6,362,500; showing that, after making full allowance
for charges transferred to other heads of expenditure,
an economy of one and a half millions had been
accomplished in the two years of his administration. He
contrasted this saving with the far smaller reductions
accomplished during Earl Grey's ministry, from 1831 to
1835, during which period little more than a million
was retrenched from the navy estimates, and contended
that the comparison was one of which the present government
had no reason to be ashamed.—He concluded by
moving "That 39,000 men be employed for the sea service
for the year ending March 31st, 1852, including 11,000
royal marines, and 2000 boys."—Mr. HUME called upon
the Protectionists to assist him in his efforts to enforce
retrenchment. He wished that they would look
practically at practical questions, instead of getting up
futile county meetings, calling names, and imputing
evil motives to other people. Telling the Protectionist
gentlemen that there will be no relief for them any
more than for other classes until there is a decided
reduction in our expenditure, he called on them to join
him and take his budget; which would give them a
margin of at least ten millions. In place of the
£19,500,000 for the Army, Navy, and Ordnance, he would
go back to the estimates of 1834-35, which amounted to
some £12,000,000 or £14,000,000; there was a margin
of £5,500,000 at once, which, added to the present
Chancellor's surplus of £2,500,000, gave £8,000,00. The
interest of the Debt, £28,000,000, he would not touch;
for he wished that that debt, large as it was, should be
put in course of liquidation, and that we should pay
our debts like honest men. The next item was the
Civil List: of that he would not take one farthing from
her Majesty; for he thought that she had at present too
little for her own purposes, as she did not receive more
than £60,000 annually out of the £385,000, the remainder
being frittered away in gaudy and useless parade. Look
at the forty-five Lords and Ladies-in-Waiting, and the
expenses of the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward,
and the Master of the Horse's department. All these
should be kept within their bounds; and he called upon
the Committee not to sanction a return to the folly of
George the Fourth, who put these people all in livery,
dressed them like trumpeters, and was not content till
he cut out their coats himself. The whole amount
necessary for the Civil List might be obtained from the
sale of the Crown lands, which there could be no
difficulty in effecting at their proper value. Then
there were the expenses of courts of justice, diplomatic
pensions, salaries and allowances; and he asked whether
out of the sum of £2,800,000 which was thus annually
consumed, at least £800,000 might not be saved? At
the same time, he would remove the whole amount
of the Assessed Taxes, which fall so heavily upon the
landed gentry. Of the expense of collecting the
revenue, at present between £3,000,000 and £4,000,000,
at least one-half might be saved. Again, some
£7,000,000 that was taken in the course of collection
never came to the Exchequer at all. He had himself in
the year 1821 detected £220,000 in the hands of one
tax-collector, which would never have been heard of
but for him. Mr. Herries framed an act intended to
prevent the repetition of such occurrences as much as
possible; but the thing still continues. The actual cost
of the Colonies to Great Britain amounts to about
£2,928,000, and that at a time when every colony is
anxious to have self-government, and is competent to
bear its own expenses. Last of all, upon the
Miscellaneous Estimates no man could deny that a vast
amount might be spared. Such a budget as this would
enable the government at once greatly to reduce
taxation and to lessen the burdens of the people. Mr.
Hume concluded by moving as an amendment on the
motions of Sir Francis Baring, that the number of men
granted be 30,000 men.—Mr. CORDEN, in supporting
the amendment, compared the present state of the
world, with that of the year 1845, when the naval
estimates were so moderate. Then there were dynastic
and boundary questions unsettled, involving
controversies with and about Russia and France, Oregon,
Syria, and Tahiti. Now, if ever, the world might be said
to be in a normal and pacific condition. The French
were using our arguments and following our course, by
increasing their establishments as we increased ours.
Was it impossible (he asked) to accomplish some
amicable arrangements, by which two great nations might
put a stop to this childish game of beggar-my-neighbour?
Lord John RUSSEL supported the estimates. He
admitted that a popular prejudice existed against the
management of the public dock-yards, but denied that
it was well-founded. Considerable improvements had
been effected, rendering the works more economical and
more efficient, and removing the stigma of corruption
and favouritism. As to the number of men, it was
below the average of the past ten years; and with
respect to construction expenses, it must be remembered
that a new power had lately obtained a vast development,
rendering attacks more easy and rapid, and
compelling a prudent provision of similar means for
defence. Steam had gone far to deprive this country of
the security it once enjoyed from its insular position,
and obliged us to look with more jealousy upon the
means of offence possessed by our neighbours. Under
these circumstances, with an army comparatively so weak,
and no reserve of militia, the naval defences of the