NAVAL FORCE. (From the Times, October 26.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 415, 6 April 1850, Page 3

NAVAL FORCE. (From the Times, October 26.)

Another lival has enteied the lists in the grtat race of shipbuilding ; Sir Charles Napier's words have found an echo across the Atlantic, and the Secretary of the United States Navy has been politely rrquested to " have the goodness to put on the steam." Sir Chi-rles's contrasted sketch of ihe British and French steam fleets ha* been transferred from our columns to those of the New-York Herald, and wilh the very unexpected results of ci eating in America that; spirit o* emulation which it whs intended to excite at home. It had been represented as partially dangerous and wholly deplorable that we should have but 12 steamfi igates ag.iinst 20 French ; but our cotemporar J after striking ihe balance between these two lists, proceeds uueaiily to inquire what the Americans could produce against either the twenty Frenchmen or the twelve Englishmen. It seems that the steam force of the United Stales is really too insificant to be exhibited in a tabular form, 'i here is the Missisiippi "somewhere at sea" ; Massachusetts and the Edith, on the Pacific, coast ; the Michigan '• up yonder" in the lakes, and the Alieghany and the Princeton, still disposable in harbour. This is the sum- total ; and a conspicuous example it certainly supplies of that economy and thrift for which the American service has been so loudly extolled. 'Ihe result, however, proves to be anything but sati factory in the opinion of the State! , and we recommend the unadorned remarks of our most commercial and matter-of-fact contemporary to tbe attentive consideration of those who have recently been taught that ships of war sertc no purpose but that of amusing an aristocracy at the expense of the Exchequer. Iv this country we still entertain doubts as to the part which steam wi 1 be found to play in the event of a naval war, but our Transatlantic brethren seem to be perfectly " concluded in their opinions, both thai war may tome day come and that &tearo will be the principle agent in it. The expedient of aibitration bcarcely attiacts even the cursory notice of intelligent Republicans. " Port's tobacco claim" or •• the salvage case," or "John Bull's impudent claim on the Nicaragua territory," are all enumerated as questions which might naturally lead to a " regular knock-down" either with Fiance orGieat Britain; and then, "what force have we to meet their war steamers ?" The case and its contingencies are very fairly put. " Without Bteam we can do nothing : our sailing vessels would be just as many itore-shipa sent out to the enemy's steamers with supplies of munitions and provisions. A swift little steamer with one big gun could sink the Pennsylvania with her armament of 120. A fleet of steamers in a dark night might run the gauntlet of the Narrow*, and lay NtW York under contribution at daybreak! 1 ' We aro not quite so cle.ir about the re ults of a brush between the Pennsylvania and the " swift little steamer," but might not the reader of these remarks imagine that he was perusing the Duke of Wellington's letter or the pamphlet of the Prince de Joinville? Think of the "national defences" question being sedously taken up again by the good people of New York ! Considering the vigilance wiih which the Americans have maintained the general effectiyeneis of their navy, it does seem somewhat singular that they should have suffeied themselves to fall in arrear in this one particular department. Nothing can exceed the care which is shewn in American dockyards for the thorough efficiency according to the highest known standard of every vessel which is launched. All improvements in armament, rigging, gunnery, &c,are introduced and appropriated without a month's delay j and when an American frigate does put to sea, she still is as perfect a model ot her class as tbe old Chesapeake or Constitution. Theie w.»s more in the American marine than met Mr. Cobden's eye, for little show is made, although there is a good deal in store. Even in the matter of steamers we should not be surprised if they were doing more than is imagined, They have certainly four firsUclass steam -frigates on the stock*, one of which, accord mg to their •ystem of shipbuilding, is likely to be larger and heavier than our Terrible — the oingle *' wholesome man'of-war" which our steam j fie« van. ihow. It ?n»y be tuonrnd v\\\\ the nao»t

perfect certainty that when an American steamer doM •how hertelf on the seat, she will be a fair match, in point of matirielt for anything likely to meet her from, any port of Europe. Mr. Mahay tells a good story at the jealous diiquietude of the States people even upon the amalleit matters of naval rivnlry. He was standing upon the battery at New York, two or three years ago, on one of those anniversaries which the Americans still celebrate with a fervid tenacity almost liislv in its character and purport. la the harbour vrus the North Carolina, doing duty as h gvurd-ihip, and a little distance off lay the Warspite, under Lord John Hay, which had just b, ought out one of our Plenipotentiaries to Rejjo iate a boundary question. The Carolina Wat of course d-essed in her colours, and as one o'clock struck »he commenced a Royal salute from her 24-pounders, to the infinite gratification of the crowds on the battuiy. As gun after gun was counted, the people big.in to cpfculate furiously upon what the Englishman would do, and whu'her the Royal frigste would pay her compliments to tbe flag of Independence. At length the echo of the discharge died away, and there lay the Warspite still, with her bunting politely up, but without the sliglitrst sign of life or motion visible throughout her whole figure.— "The Britisher's out of powder, I reckon," obse'ved, a voice near Mackay. " vSnagged, I calculate," returned a second. The words hud kcrce left his lip* when a sheet of brilliant flame glanced from the Warspite's side, and the loar of a hem/y gun burst ttpon the battery tfith such mdden force that the h^uies all round shook from top to bottom, and the audienco were fain to save their euri from the painfiiiness of the hhock. As the 68-pounders of the friujstc took up the peal, the mortification of the Atneiicans was complete, and the annoyance which they expressed at the superiority of the Wargpite'a metal was far greater than any that would have been conceived at her silenceAfter all the circumstances w<jre quite accidental, for the Carolina, not beiug intended for sea service, had no sailing armament on board, and therefore emplived the gum which hid been thought sufficient for harbour duty. In any serious work, as we Deed hardly add, the metal carried by the Americans is usually even heavier than the British. The most instructive feature in the remarks of our contemporary is the assumption insensibly pervading the whole argument that commercial supeiiority cannot be maintained without naval power. "We are a trading people," said Mr. Cohdea, "so away with, useless armaments." "We are a tradiog people," says the New York journalist, " so we must look to our steam marine." In the eyes of the ene brute force becomes an expensive and discreditable manifestation ; in the eyes of the other it is the necessary correlative of commercial greatnesa. Commeic© requires the command of passes, the possession of potts, independence on tbe seas and security in haibour } and these resultfi thinks the American speculator, are only procurable by naval excellence. We could of course havo quoted many authorities nt variance with Mr. Cobden, but we wished to contrait hi» sentiments with those of a class who set the same store by trade, manufactures, and money, as he does himself. It is clear that there are two opinions respecting the true method of maintaining national greatness { and as Mr. Cobdea'* opinion is only defensible upon the supposition of Us being universally received, we hhouhi surely take ctrft that we do not exhibit a warning, while we fancy ira are sotting an example.

Letter from Kossuth to Lord PalmerstoK —• The Daily News contains a long letter from Kossuth, chted Widdin, September 20, and addressed to Lord Palmenton. He itatex the circumstance* under <vhich be had taken refuge in Turkey, and that he had gone therein the hope of being permitted to pasi to Eoglaudi He then deieribed the revolting condition that bad been proposed to hi na and bU companions to securo their lafety— oamely, the renunciation of their religious faith. Toward! the ciose of this fetter he eayt—"Time prenes — our doom may in a few dayi be icaled. Allow me to make an humble personal request. lam a man, my Lord, prepared to face the worst, and I eta die with a free look at Hearcn as I have lived. But I am also, my Lord, a husband, son, and father; my poor, true-hearted wifr, my children, and my nobla old mother, are wandering about Hungary. They will probably soon fall into the hands of those Au«trians, who delight in torturing even feeble women* and with whom the innocence of childhood is no protection against persecution. I conjure your Excellent cy, in the name of the Host High, to put a Hop to these crueltieb by your powerful mediation, and especially to accord to my wife and children an asylum on the toil of the generous English people."

Engraving on India. -Paper supunsEDßD. — A. process bas been discovered by our townsman, M. S. Leigh, lithographer, by which all the advantages of printing on India paper (along with additional adrantages peculiar to it«elf) ore secured at a mire tithe of the expense. One of the most striking features of this important invention is, that it ia applied to engravings after they are printed off on common paper in the ordinary way, so that the oldest ai well a& the most recent engravings can safely and efeeliVfly b« subjected to the process. It is so complete that it amount! to illu'ion. Sight and to nub, art: both deceived. Though only oiip piece of paper is used, close examination both by the finger and the eye would, without other assurance, fail to convince one that there ore uottwo separate sheets employed ai in India paper proofs. Every Vhriety of shade can bo produced, from the most delicate to the richest tinliag-. The effect of the process also is such, that instead of in any way dimming the impression, as mi^ht b<> supposed, it actually renders it clearer and more effective. It ii equa'lj applicable to lithographs, mezotinti, and to line engraving*, and can, as we Haiti beforo, bo as readily used in the case of an engraving taken yesterday as of one a huudied years old. The beit e»idence that can be given of the value of Mr. Leigh* invention it that it has been warmly welcomed by the trade ai a very important impiovemeut ia art, and some eminent engravers of London have already torwarded Mr. Leith supphea of valuable engravings of the highest clahs tv be subjected to tho new proceii* —prints to be transformed, so to spear., into Indi* proofs.—tfeofmatt,

A New Penal SbttlisM*.nt.— The Mediterranean, a Malta journal, announces in one of li.s late oumben that Government has it in contemplation to fcsnd convicts from England to this island, wb'cb, with it« already teeming population and great influx of straage/s, canuot but prove of detriment to the property of the island, as the forced labour of the convicts must necesianly throw out of employ meut hundreds of the indigent nativci.

How to Make a Good Cup of Tba. — M". Soyec reuotnsnendn that, before pouring m auy water, tha teapot, with the tea in it, thall be jilaced iv the oven till hot, or heated by means ot a spirit lamp, or in front of the fire (uot too close, of cumse)* and the p«t then filled with boiling writer. The remit, he 3»y»» will bo, ia about a minute, a nioit delicieus cap of tea, much tuptfnor lo th«t drawn ia the ordinary wny.