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 and "Raleigh"; but they did not propose to lay down any new frigates. Neither France, Russia, nor Prussia were building any frigates, and it appeared that the time of these large vessels, once a most useful class, had passed away.' It is much to be regretted that the policy indicated in this wisely conceived programme was not more closely followed. The 'Bacchante' class, subsequently introduced, represents an increase, as compared with the 'Active,' of 1,000 tons of load displacement, an advance in the cost of the hull from 80,000l. for the 'Active' to 110,000l. for the 'Bacchante,' and in the cost of the engines from 39,000l. to 72,000l. There is therefore a total additional cost of 63,000l.; and, if the 'Active' and 'Yolage' were of adequate power, our expenditure would have produced a more advantageous result, had we confined ourselves to that type instead of incurring a greater expenditure on larger vessels.

Mr. Goschen's proposals for 1872 also included a corvette of the 'Blanche' class of 6 guns, 1,753 tons displacement, and 350 horse-power, and five sloops of the 'Rinaldo' class, of 7 guns, 951 tons, and 200 horsepower. It is not quite clear what were the vessels to which Mr. Goschen referred in quoting the 'Rinaldo' as a type. If he alluded to the 'Magicienne' class, it will have been shown already that they were much more powerful than the 'Rinaldo.'

The disproportionate cost of high speed was conspicuously illustrated in the comparison drawn by Mr. Barnaby between the 'Shannon' and the 'Shah.' The relative displacement was 5,000 tons in the armoured,