Star. — London, England, 1806-03-28 00:00:00

Fin - REPORT . . . Oft ?PI COMMISIIIOIII/Rll TOR REVIRINGI AND DiatiT giet Tits CIYIL A►iAlt, of MS RIAJIIITY.4 • • To the Inure MoR Excellent Maley. TIM Firti Report of the Commidlooers appointed to revile the ileigst mod ado of acconstlng (or the receipt and expenditure Meaty and Stares; and likcwife the Inßro aloes and Stand- Order. for the gweernment of the Civil Departments of his 's Nun{ foruku; and to arrange and frame a regular di ill the Cow, liorieg it carefully in vkw to adapt the mode asisamiarlhailhllook. end *um, and, Illttwifc the whole Mika filikaidasi *A lultesdtMea, to the prefent exteoftve fade of illalbsslifisevice; aria ft tea ateafutu for keeping up the lid IPllilled dlaelt ill tidal to coca.: and who were sir aim less dadr punkahs' malidarstiss, all 01111.11Sllidlee *St net the 1111irut deursil ef & sti elnauest. NM balm not yet Is fi e l v ilia tegw efiFJP• voitb dmilltdeatthithirekrvietappea, and to be • ' 11111Wilk, sod dm belt messilst &a fame lots ea • dmillisht hi Out last amminisse and espeidsas 'amulet, and to revert cm di the mates alutetald, from Mae to time, as they liall fee maim We have proceeded to the execution of the truft, which your Maleily has been pleafed to repofe in us, in the order which feemed the moll likely to enable us to accomplifh the objeds for which we were sp. pointed. • With this view we have not only confidered, with great attention, the many ufeful fuggeflions in the very able Reports of the different Boards of Enquiry, and Stied Committee on Finance, but bare deemed it.neceifary silo, carefully to perufe all fuel: official or other authentic documents, as could give us in formation concerning the adminißration of the Civil Alfaire of the Navy, from the earließ times. By obferving what changes have, at differer.t times, taken place in the fyftem of management ; what &ban have prevailed; what means have been tried to prevent their continuance; and what fuccefs has attended the meafurcs, which, on former occafions. have been adopted; we thought it probable that we might receive information that would affiß us in judging of the alteration which might now be ne eeffary. to adapt the whole to the prefent very exten five kale of the naval fervice I and that by compare bag what was accomplinted in times of the greatek exertion, by the number of artificers and labourers then employed, with what is now done in the Royal Dock Yards, as well as by obtaining information from merchants-builders of the work performed by the numbers employed in private yards; additional means might be act hired of judging of the lathing of thole at pretest in your Majeity's fervice. From the whole, we hoped to be able to form fome eflimate of what may, in future, be expelled, and of the eßabliffsmeat which may, under proper regulations, be adequate to the management and fopport of the naval force, which may be deemed neceffary for the &control this country. • To the numerous official documents, and written et printed authorities, which we. have perukd, we (ball refer as the occafion may require, and than, therefore) nOw only give, as briefly as we cat 4 loch a general view of the means, which, during different periods, have been taken for providing a naval force for the defence of this country, and for the civil go. verument of the navy, as may render it ammapeltary ay be to full in thole references, or in our obervations .. spas them, as for the fake of alum& might other wife, be fequifite. . The whole of our Naval hiiterey may be divided into three periods, the firil cottiprebehding all that preceded the reign of Henry the Eighth; the fecond ending with the Relocation of Charles the Second; and the tali coming down from the Reftoration to the prefent day. . During the firfi pEriod, it appears that our Rings bad neither arfenals nor dock-yards, their only per manent naval force confined of yy veffels, each car rying 21 men and a boy, well armed and fitted for war, which the Cinque Ports were bound by their Charters to turning on forty days notice from the Crown. When, in cafe of war, a greater force was required, kips were hired from merchants at home, or from thole in Dantzic, Hamburgh, Lubec, Ge noa, and other ports, or were fitted out from various motive, by private adventurers, who (bared in the advantages acquired ; trading veffels, in thole times, having no protection from flops of war belonging to their refpedive Governments, were necenkrily armed for their own defence. The foundation of the navy of England was laid by Henry the Eighth. He conflituted an Admi ralty and a Navy Board, and during his reign, the Trinity Houk, and the Dock yards at Deptford, Woolwich, and Portfmouth, were formed : the regu lations which he made for the Civil Government of Naval Affairs, were, in the reign of Edward the Sixth, reviled, arranged, and turned into ordinances, which form the bafis of all the fubfequent innroc tions given to the Officers, to whom the Manage ment of the Civil Affairs of the Navy has been coin. witted. The officers then appointed were the Viet Admiral of England, the Mailer of the Ordnance, the Sur veyor of *the Marine Caufes, the Treafurer, Comp troller, General Surveyor of the Victualling, Clerk , of the Ships, and Clerk of the Stores. Particular duties were allotted to each Member ; and they were ordered to meet once a week at the Office on Tower Hill, to cnnfult together for the good order of the Navy, and to report their proceed togs once a month to the Lord High Admiral. But the (hips belonging to the Crown, or provided by the Civil Department of the Navy, Rill formed only a part of the naval force employed in time of war. In the fleet by which the Spanith Armada was defeated, there were 176 (hips, with 14,992 men, of which only 34 (hips, with 61a5 men, belonged to the Crown s end this mode of adding to the naval force by hired (hips appears to have been continued down to the end of the loth century. No confiderable alteration in the civil government of the navy took place from the reign of Edward the Sixth till the year ;nosh when, in confequence of many abufes which were complained of, the princi pal officers were fufpended s and Comminioners were appointed, with powers to manage, fettle, and put' the affairs of the Navy into a right courfe, and to take fuch meafures as they might deem necelfary, to prevtnt the continuance of the many great frauds and abides which prevailed. A fimilar commiffion was iffued in 1618, and a very full, able, and minute report was made by the Commiffioners then named, in which thole frauds and chutes are detailed and el - plained ; a very dtilin& account of the fate of the 1 Navy, at the time, i, given, as well as of its date . . . during the four forecedinS reigns j and many very ; i wife regulations are fuggetled. . I That commillinn wa s t erm i nate d upon the death of James the Firfl, but was renewed by his fucceffir s and remained in force till 1628, when it was difrilved, and the affairs of the Navy were rellored to the ma. nagement of the &ardor Principal Officers, which had been ellablithed by Edward the 6th. During the diiturbances in the reign of Charles I. the managing Officer. were diretled by the King to j refute obedience to the orders of Parliament ; and a number of (hips having been carried away by Prince ; Rupert, the Natal force was, by there means, reclined to fo low a Rate, that at the beginning of Cromwell's Winfred Government, he had only 14 (hips of war of two decks, and Tome of there carried only 40 guns; 'but under the careful management of very able men, l in different commiffions which he appointed, fuch vigorous meafures were purfued, that in five years, though engaged within that time in war with the greatelt Naval power in Europe, the fleet was en- ' created to 150 fail, of which more than a third part , had two decks. The Navy was indeed railed by him to a height which it had never before reached ; from which, bowsier, it again declined, during the Mort and feeble adminiftration of his fon, at the latter part of the fecorid period. On the Reftoration of Charles 11. the Duke of York was immediately appointed Lord High Admiral; and, by his advice, a Committee was named to con• fider a plan, propefed-brhinifelf, for the future regu lation of the affairs cif the Naiy. qt whith the Duke himfelf prefided. In all naval affairs, he appears to bite rifted With the advice arid Aniline of Mr. Samuel Pepys, who, fink, held the office of clerk of the Aufts, and was afterwards Secretary of the Admiralty ; a min of extraordinary knowledge, in all that related to the bofinefs of that department, of great talents, and of the moll indefatigable indußry. All the proceedings ' of the Duke of York, in the management of the Navy, either when he was Lord High Admiral, or after he came to the throne, are minutely detailed in a great number of manufcript volumes, in the Pepy flan Library at Cambridge, of which t 8 volumes have, at our defire, been fent for our perufal. The powers which had been before granted to the Commiffioners of the Admiralty and the Navy Board were recalled, and the entire management was put into the hand, of the Duke, as Lord High Admiral ; by whom three new Commiflioners were appointed to aft with the Treafurer of the Navy, the Comp troller. the Surveyor, and the Clerk of the Ads. as principal Officers and Comrailfirmirs of the Navy. Zr, 166 r, thofe initiations and Rending orders, for the guidance of the principal Officers and Commir (loners of the Navy, and the fuperior officers in the dock yards, which are Rill in force, were fent to the Navy Board by the Duke of Tot+. There had been formed under his direAion, by Mr. Pepys, and had been found, ever fence, of great ufe and value in the hianagement of the naval departments. It appears, that after the Duke's appointment, great progrecs WAS very fpundily made in the repa• ration and increafe of the fleet ; but on his return from his command, at the end of the Dutch war, which commenced in 166* he found that, though he bad authorized the Navy Board to make all the addition to their eftablithment which the exigencies of the tear might require, yet the fame careful ma. vestment bacinot been continued daring his abreact. The example of zeal and.indultry fet by Mr. Pepys in his Office of Clerk of the Aas, had not beta fuf ficienti without the prefence and authoritf'of the Duke, to prevent aegis& in the other departments, and the fleet and dock-yards had (offered greatly in confequence of it. After minute enquiry into the cireumftances, a Rate of the cafe was, by order of the Duke, drawn up by Mr. Pepys, and fent to the Navy Board, in which the duties of the Board, and thofe of each Member of it, taken from the inftruSions before mentioned. are Rated in different heads, and under each bead the errors and mircondria that he dirco vered in the execution ; requiring a written anfwer. in a chart limited time, from each of them. The an(wers were given, and, in reply, a fecond paper western to each, pointing out what part of the charge remained unaccounted for; bin finding, at the fame time, that a part of the blame was juflly to be im puted to the irregularity and remand's of Govern. ment, particularly in the (apply of money for Naval purples, in confequence of the " deplorable condi tion of the King's treafure," he continued thofe Of ficers in their employments, warning them, that on any new nested they would be removed. The Duke of York remained Lord High Admiral till t 67, when, in confequence of the teft required by Parliament, to which he would not fubmit, he refigned ; and that office was, in part, putt in corn. million, and the reft retained by the King. Prince Rupert was put at the head of the Commiffion, and Mr. Pepys was, at the fame time, railed to the office of Secretary of the King in all Naval affairs, and of the Admiralty; by which means his influence was inereafed, the torrent Wind's, by the King's direc• tion, came to be left almoh entirely to him, and, on extraordinary occafions when the CJmmillioners met, the Duke of York ;Rifled :. the careful manage ment which he had etiablifhed was, confequently, not departed from, or relaxed till :679 ; at which time were in tea pay, and in excellent condition, 76 (hips of the line, all fur nifhesl with tiores for fix months, eight fire-(hips, heficies merchantmen, and a nume rous train of ketches, (masks, yachts, &c. with mote than 12.000 (carmen; there were Aro 30 new (hips building, and a good fupply of limes in the dock yards. But a complete change then fuddenly to , ,k place ; the look diflipation of the King having hill added to his great pecuniary difficulties, he was induced to give up the plan, which he had formerly plaited with In much zeal, of fupporting and increafing the Na vy, on account of the expence attending it. The Duke was fent abroad, and Pepys ro the Tower. A new let of men were made Commitlioners of the Navy, though of fair moral charafter, were without experience, ability, or induflry, which that important fituation requires. All the wife regulations, formed during the admi niftration of the Duke of York, were reglefted ; and fuch fupinenefs and wage appears to have prevailed, that at the end of not more than five years, when he WAS recalled to the office of Lord High Admiral, only t wen ty-t v n fbip., tonne larger than a tow th rate, tsith two lire flops, were at Ica` ; thole in harbour, • • were quite unfit for re tyke , ; even the Iltiity new naps which he had left bitildiog; had been ftiffered to fall into a nate r,f girl, decay . ; and hardly any fore. were fond to rem tin in the Dockyards. The fittl art .I the Dake of YOP k on his return, was the re aprMitment of Mr. Pcpys, as Secretary of the Ad mtralty ; and his whole conchal tin that oceatinn, in the management of the affairs of the Navy, bears the molt confpictious marks of prqfellional knowledge, moderation. and 4:economy, mixed with firmnefs and wit - dom. He proceeded with great earnettnefs to the examination of the fuperintending officers, but gave them a year of trial, to corred the abufes which their former negle& had allowed. At the end of that year obferving no reform made, and them unequal to the talk, the greaten pains were taken to find out the abler and - mon intelligent men, to whole care the re etlablithrnent of the Navy, the remedy of abufes, and the renoration of order and difcipline were to be committed. In the manofcript mlleftions of Mr. Pepys, thei Cu.s a paper. prepared by the Duke's command, contain ing a liii of all she great Ihip builders in England, with their charafters, in refpeet of fitnefs for the ob jets which he had in view. Among there. Sir An thony Dean is Rated in be a man of by far the greats:A abilities—one indeed, witlmt whole alliance the propored reform could not be made ; but on being ipplird to ' he declined she employment, his prole!- ' ernelturents being greater than bore offered to'hini. By the advice of Mr. Pepys; -a full eumpen fation Wei given m him for the loft of thafc emolu ' ments, and he was, with three others, thin joined with the former principal officers in a new consmiffion. There new Cornmittotters *ere men, in the wordi of Mr. Pepys, polieffing 4st prattired knowledge of 0/cry part of the works and methods of the Navy, both at the Board and in the yards; a general mallet) iw the ' bufinefi of accounts, vigour orm in d, and approved indutlry and integrity,' and to each of them was committed a diflinft branch of the propofed reform, for which his talents were the moll fuited. Thrfe eld Commiffpmers; whofe conduft had been Molt enmplained of, were not permitted to interfere in the meafores of reform, which the telt were in. baled to muffle. They were not, however; dif placed, no wilful tran fgreflion beinglaid to their charge,hut were direfted entirelypn confine their atten tion to the bufinefs of a Committee of Accounts. An eftimate, formed by Mr. Pepys, for the corn. plate repair of the fleet and docilirds, and the ftipply of ftores. was laid before the new Cremmil; fioners, in which the whole expence was limited to aoo,oool. a year, to be fupplied in weekly payments for three years, in which time the 'whole was to be completed—and this was confiderably lefs than what' had annually been expended by the Former Comraif fioners, during the few years of remifnefs and wade. ' The Cornmiffioners, after full confideration of the plan, undertook what was propofed to diem; and•it appears from the very full-account ‘f the whole pro ceedings, left by Mr. Pepys, that they perfonised what they had undertaken, in lefs time than was' al. lowed for it, and at lefs expence. In two years and a hell after the Commiffloners were appointed,' the King vifited the Dock-yards-- and finding every thing accornplifked to his fatiartz •tion. and the whole bufineft arranged, he diffolVed the Commiaion, with marks of his high approbatinn, and then rellored the management to the regular Boards. The commiffion was opened at Lady-day. 1686, and was clofed on the szth of Oflober, 115111; and by a lift left by Mn Pepys, there were, on for 18th of December, 1688— Of Ship* of t►c Lille, at fes. or going forth Ditto repaired Under repair To be repaired Newly time in from Sea 41 4 soli with a confiderable number of vefrels of (mailer fine. Thole meafures which had been fo judicinuily plan.. ned, and lo ably and expeditioutly executed, gave, as might be ezpeCted, the molt general fatisfaftion. ne revolution took place within two months after the bufinefs of the Committee was completed ; but the naval regulations were wifely left unaltered ; the burin& of the Admiralty continued for CIIIC time to be carried on under the immediate direCtion of the King, by M. Pepys, till the arrival of Admiral Her bert and Captain lioffell, from the fleet, into whole hands, he lays, "he fat:tidy let it fall ;" and, ender the fyltem formed by the Duke of York, with his aid, the Cisil Government of our Navy has ever fine been carried on. We have flatted thofe proceedings the more folly, not only bemire the fyilem under which the civil affairs of the navy have ever fince been condutied, was then methodized and fettled ; but becanfe the circumllances give very tifeful information, and hold out an example which well deferves attention in the prefent times. The rapid decay of the fleet, and the wage of (ores, during thole few nears of fupinenefs, Phew, from experience, how efintial it is to the fafety of this country, that the moll effeCtual means fhould be taken to guard againft any negligence in the dock , yards ; and the great work of re-eflablifhing the fleet, and reflormg order, indultry, and difcipline in the dock yards, accomplithed info thort a time by the Commiffioners then chnfCn with fn much care, proves, in the molt convincing manner, how much depends on having the civil affairs of the navy placed under the managtment of men of real ability, pro. feffional knowledge, and uninterrupted induftry.— And we think it our duty m recommend to Govan. ment, that, in the ehuice of them, no other eircum flat.ce, but that of their being the fitteft that can be found, for the executi r.f . the various and important duties they are to undertake, may be regarded. It is far lion' being our intention in what it may be our duty to pv,polc, to depart from the principles on which thofe ancient regulations and orders are founded. They have flood the telt of time, and have been found by long trial to be well adapted to the great objeel of their inlittution I but thofe orders and regulations, though in every way fuited to the Rate of our naval force at it then flood, have neceffarily required many additions in confequence of the call lacteal' of that force which has finny taken place ; and thofe additions having been MCA tionally made as circontitances occurred, the principles of the general fyllem which they were meant only to extend, do not appear to have been always kept in view : different orders have been found, is certain cafes, incompsti. hie with elicit other ; lonic itarcEecorne obfolelc. an thole given to one dock yard have not, on all °eta lions, been given to the ref, though neceffary to pre. fcrve uniformity to the management. l he inconvenience arifing hem thofe caufes, na ' totally inereafing with the progress if time, and the erica; of the fervice, the attenti , n of the Admi ralty came at length to be necelfatily called to it— Ana in beir orders to the Navy Beard, dated the s4th of June 5764, and 23.1 of pine 1767, they fat ed, as that though the orders and ;nitrations given for the general government of the yards and ordina ries may be fufficient fur the wife porpofes intended by them, yet, as they are difperfed without order or method in a variety of warrants ilfued at different times, through a long (cries of years, they do not afford, in a p•oper and clear manner, the information neceffiery for the condat of the officers and workmen of the yards ; and they therefore &reel the Navy Board to proceed immediately to arrange and digeff the laid orders and indrations under proper heads, r as to compote one uniform body and fyllem out of the whole, taking care where there are any repeti tions of the fame ruder, to adopt that where the fettle is molt cleatly explained, and belt enforced ;" but the arrangement thus propoled, owing to various eaufes, has never been carried into effemt ; and, from the late great addition to our navy, and the accumu lation of niders and inaruelions in conie.quence of it, ltill ilfued without any retrofped or fyßematie regu larity, the evil which the Admiralty had it in view to remedy, is now immenfely inereafecl ; and the bring ing into clear and regular order, what is at prefent a great and undigefted mafs, is a work of fg great magnitude and difficulty, that it could not reafonably be expelled to be accompliffied by a Board loaded, as the Navy . Board has been, wins holiness Great progrefs was, however, made by one of our number, while lie was Comptroller of the" Navy—a book, in which all orders and regulations prior to the year 1786, were attired and digelled under dillinit heads, which he had prepared, was (Omitted to the perufal of the Commiffioners appointed in 1787, to "inquire into the fees, gratuities, perquifttes, and emoluments of the Several Puhlic Officeo, and silo into the abufes that may exit in the fame," who, in their Sixth Report, thus . exprefs themfelves, " The numerous regulations and itanding orders, which have from time to time been made for the good government of the Dock yards, require to be reviewed, put in order, and connected, to as to be referred to on every occa flow:" and they add, " the Navy Board have, fioce the peace, had the meafure under conaderation, and a confider able .progrefs has been made therein. We have teen and examined the mode of its _execution, which we highly approve, and recommend being carrftd fully into effect." And the Oommiffioners of :Anal Enquiry, appointed in 1803, obi - olive, that 4 -The neceffity of reviling the initiations, and dttelliag the ins:midi mars of orders which have once been given to the O ffi cers of the Yards, was x, en h y the late Earl Howe, and Sir Charles Middle ton, when they prefided at the Admiralty and Navy boards; and the latter had made fome'progrefs in fo aisful a work, when he quitted the Navy Board; but line that time the fubjed has not been adverted to ; no Qeps have been taken far forwarding the work ; 'tied it teems to have been laid slide, and wholly • feriutten." In another part of the fame Report, they add,.". It is much to be regretted that this very Ireful work was not accomplished, as it would have groady facilitated the bonnet's of the Dock Yucts, "filid afforded to the Navy Board a com t ribl • i g htie • of th e (landing regulations, whereby 'weld Awe been enabled to keep a better chee upon ;het • 'Atte obfervance of them, than in the coolie of We Report wiffappear to have called." The Distil Book prepared in the rnanneropiwowni • of, Sod recommended by thole different Bowleg Enquiry, has been given to us ; and after treflowing the fyllell ConfidetatiOn on every pan of it, waking fuch alterations as appeared to us 40 be neceffary, and completing it by the addition off, allthe order; and initrudions down to the Indent (fay, we proceeded to prepare, as the fubjed of our grit Report, the inarations for the guidance of the refident Comtnif floner,and the principal Oflicersof die Dock and Rope Yards, concurring, as we do, with the Commiffioners of Enquiry,in thinking that there is the moll occaaon for them. In thofe ;nitrations, the original plan of the Duke (it York and Mr. Pepys has been fotlowed, and forms the bafts.of what we have done on all the branches of duty contained in it. Wc began by c ailing upon the Commiffioners of the Navy to tranlnlit to us copies of all warrants, [land ing orders, and inthations, ilfued by their Board, flues the earlielt period to the prelent time ; and, from the collation which we received in anfwer to that precept, we related all fuch as were connected with the duties of the principal Officers of the Dock and Rope Yard,, and fent them to the Commiffioners, requiring them forthwith to era:if-nit them to chore officers, with directions to take the fame into their immediate confederation, each in his own department, and to point out what part of thole orders they confidered to be inconfl tient with the prefent %%tended fcale of the naval fervice, and what other initiations they might deem regulate to render the execution of their relpeatve duties mote clear and intelligible to them ; &firing, all°, that the Commiffioners would inform us whether they themleßts confidered thofe intlrations to be fofficient for the good government of the different officers, or if they did not, that they would fuggell what might further appear to them to be necdfary. Returns from the principal Officers in the Dock yards were fent to us by the G mmiffioners, with an affurance, that if any thing elfe Should occur to thsraelves, it Should be communicated agreeably to our reguifition ; but no communication of that kind having been made to us, the initi odium, after incor porating what appeared ufelut in the fuggeftions from the 016:eritu the Dock yards, were again fent to the N fla a t v e y me ß n o t a o rd f , l d ue e advisable to make ; and they hare Since returned h rn a in lt g er t a o tit v i e a t s h t e l i : r ey "P a Pm oul ba d ti c 4i hink " i a t their pt,poting fume altct.ttiuns, a part of which to Lis , bare adopted. The Grand Jury of the Ccun:y of Surrey yeller day found the Bill agai,ill Mr. Faith, for the murder cf Mr. Blight. The trial is fixed tur Monday next, if the principal witneti can be found; but the maid. &ream, rho gave fuch circumllantiat gi~ttlp a la' not at Kingflou. .: 46 ;5 1 II '1 iii