SIR JOHN COLOMB&c) (Tower Hamlets, Bow,I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the average total complement, officers and men, of line of battle ships in 1858–9; what was the average total amount of annual pay and allowances of the officers and men of the accountant branch borne in those ships in 1858–9; what is now the average total complement, officers and men, of battle ships; and, what is the average total amount of annual pay and allowances of the officers and men of the accountant branch now borne in those ships?
§ LORD G. HAMILTONIn order to give the comparison between the pay and allowances of the accountant branch in 1858–9 and the present time I have selected the Marlborough and Trafalgar as representative ships of the two periods. The complement of the Marlborough was 1,100 officers and men, and that of the Trafalgar is 536. In the former ship the number of officers and men in the accountant branch was 9, at an annual cost of £1,199; in the latter ship the number is 7, at an annual cost of £1,202.
§ SIR J. COLOMBHave not the expenses been doubled?
§ LORD G. HAMILTONThe expenses are about double per man.