The newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant dated 26 July wrote that the official Wiener Zeitung reported that the cabinet decided to build a formidable navy including large steamboats. Within short time she would consist of 3-100 gun ships of the line, 3 2nd class ships of the line, 12 screw steam frigates. 6 steam corvettes, 12 sailing ships including 4 with 3 masts and 12 gunboats. The newspaper De Noord-Brabanter dated 27 July confirmed this item.
The newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad published an item dated Vienna 6 October according to which the emperor ordered what the naval strength was to be namely: 3 ships of the line 1st class with 10—120 guns and 1,000 hp, 3 ships of the line 2nd class with 80-90 guns, 12 frigates including 6-60 guns of the 1st class, 3-50 guns of the 2nd class and 3-31 guns of the 3rd class, 6 corvettes of 23-28 guns, 2 sail frigates, 2 screw steam corvettes (probably an error and were these frigates), 4 brigs, 4 schooners, 12 transports which could be armed in times of war, 3 screw steam corvettes?, 3 paddle steam ships, 4 advice yachts, 2 screw steamboats and as coastal vessels 4 screw steam schooners and 8 gunboats. The newspaper De Tijd dated 12 October confirmed this item.
The newspaper De Tijd dated 2 December published an item dated Vienna 28 November reporting the race between the two German powers to create a naval power not just to defend their coasts but if necessary to be prepared for a war at sea in the near future. In Austria (1) and Prussia (2) are two princes head of the Navy Departments and doing all efforts to full fill their tasks. Prussia was regarded her small quantity of coasts and the small significance of her ports content with a well fitted out squadron where as Austria desired a navy comparable with that of the naval powers. The Prussian cabinet seemed to ask this year the Parliament for a budget of 3.000.000 thaler for building and arming of new ships and to finish the naval base at Jade all according to the plans of prince Adalbert. In Austria was the naval budget to be increased from 6 to 10.000.000 Dutch guilders. Probably was 33% of this budget necessary to finish the two sea ports Muggia and Pola but the remaining 12 or 14.000.000 (?) was to be used for new building of warships. The measures taken in the three principle Austrian naval bases would effected in a Austrian navy in 1862 of 120 ships and vessels of all sizes including 7 or 8 ships of the line.
Notes
1. Arch duke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph (6 July 1832 Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria-19 June 1867 Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro, Mexico), son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and princess Sophie of Bavaria. He became emperor of Mexico as Maximilian I (10 April 1864-19 June 1867). In 1854 was he appointed as commander-in-chief of the Austrian navy and was responsible for modernizing the fleet and the naval bases at Trieste and Pola (nowadays Pula).
2. Heinrich Wilhelm Adalbert prince of Prussia (Berlin 29 October 1811-Karlsbad 6 June 1873) was an admiral until 1871 and well known with naval theories, author of Denkschrift über die Bildung einer deutsche Flotte published in 1848, founder of the first real German fleet dating from 1858 and became in 1850’s involved in establishing the navy of Prussia.
