The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-14 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDKNT3.

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LONDO.Y,..FRIDA V. JANUARY 14.

ONE happy product of the Derbyite downfal is
likely to be sumetbuig in shape of Naval Reform.
We may now hope to bear before long that the
Mediterranean fieet has been moved from its
absurd winter moorings at Gibraltar—we may
look forward to the day when, like the French,
wo may get first-rate steam-ships when a &st-
rive price is paid fur them -and may anticipate the
time when naval milmanagement will be checked.
Had the Admiralty remained long under the con-
trol of the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, it is
quite clear that the notorious jobbery of the
Dockyards would have extended itself through the
whole service,—to the great injury of those very de-
fences we are warned to keep in the best possible
order. A correspondent yesterday referred with
indignation to the fact that a Southampton elec-
tioneering friend of Mr. BAILLIE COCHRANE had
been re-instated in the Royal Navy by the Tories,
after he bad very properly been struck off the list of
lieutenants for refusing to serve. Any common-
sense person will admit the complete justice of re-
fusing to give the public money to an officer who
declines to give his services in return, when called
upon so to do. No business in the world, either
public or private, could be carried on, if those who
are paid to work were allowed to escape from work
when working - time came. The officers in
the Navy receive their pay on condition of
going to sea when wanted afloat ; but Mr.
DiGLEDUE, of Southampton, the partisan of Mr.
BAILLIE COCIIRANE, being a lieutenant on half-pay,
took a post in the Peninsular Company's service,
worth, it is said , six or eight hundred a-year, and
then when called upon to serve in the Navy refused.
He was no doubt quite wise to prefer 8001.
a-year safe on shore, to a lieutenant's :pay on
dangerous seas, and fully entitled to choose which
of the two occupations he would retain. But surely,
when Mr. ENGLIDUE made his election, and refused
to serve his country, the government of the day
were equally bound to act upon their pre-
scribed duty by striking the officer so refusing
off the list. This they did—in pursuance of the rule
in such cases laid down—but when Mr. BAILLIE
COCHRANE wanted Tory voters at Southampton
to op the Liberal candidate, Mr. Ent:menu;
of limiting his attention to the busi-
ness of the Peninsular and Oriental shareholders,
became a very active Tory partizan. His services
were, of course, quite disinterested. The visit of
Mr. STAFFORD, the Secretary of the Admiralty, had,
of course, nothing at all to do with Mr. Erenenue's
exertions. Yet it curiously happens that one of the
very last official acts of the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND
was to saddle this Tory electioneering agent upon the
taxpayers of this over-taxed country, by putting his
- name again into the list of lieutenants of the Royal
Navy !—there to encumber the already over-crowded
catalogue of those who take the people's money after
having refused, or being unable, to do the people's
work. This case we shall of course hear more about.
It is too bad to be allowed to die out, but it is far from
the worst act of the Derbyite Admiralty administra-
tion. " Lieutenant" &to LEDUCUI only likely to pocket a
lieutenant's half-pay, but another of Lord NORTHUM-
RERLAND's special naval protigis, Sir FLEETWOOD
Pat Lew—chiefly known as • very elderly dandy,
whose real service was seen as long ago as 1813
—has been sent to take charge of a large force
of steamers on the Irrawaddy. This very indent
bean is to undertake the conduct of an onerous
naval expedition in India at a time of life
when be should have been "nursing up" in Eng-
land. Under no possible circumstances could he at
his time of life be called en efficient officer for seek
a post, in such a climate, at each a time. Neither
his vigour, his experience, nor his services in the
navy, point to him as a proper man for such a com-
mand. But then—if he does not rank high as a naval
veteran he stands well with the Peerage—and away
he sails for the East, as colleague for the equally
active and antique General GODWIN. The ENoLE-
DOI and FELLEW specimens of the NORTHUMBER-
LAND appointments illustrate two points of Derbyite
faith—the one that patronage should follow elec-
tioneering services; and the other that good appoint-
ments should always be given to the relations of •
lord. Tory votes were wanted at Southampton, and
Lord NORTHUMBERLAND rewards an active Tory
canvasser with a Lieutenant's rank and half-pay.
A good sea captain was wanted in Burnish to
command a fleet of steamers, and Lord Noinnum-
nsatesnn sends there an officer who had not had
real work at sea for more than a quarter of a cen-
tury, and whose commands in war date back to
time when war-steamers were unknown. But, then,
Sir FLEETWOOD PELLEW is the use of a Viscount.
With Sir faun GRAHAM and Mr. BZRNAL
OSBORNE at the Admiralty we may safely calmest*
upon something better than all this. In no &Ten-
ant of the public service is it more desirable to
have efficiency than in the navy—and in no depart-
meat is mien asthma' reputation to be won. With
a vod umbel. in tbe peer seas England may
saktisrely spa lirelsniebedshed security hen
attack. Sisal minim are just as panto
as ready, and en palsies§ oar they ware; and we
have the best noel. the but ken. Ohs hest work-
men in the world. What thin bat god menege.
meat is needful to gin we the ihmi emil
beet manned steam fleet? The Hesse of Om.
mom has never rebind la vete its silken highs
navy, and, contrary to repsetation, there has bee.
no difficulty in securing good seamen. Since the
last vote for additional sailors, we are informed that
volunteers have entered the Royal Navy at the rate
of from 40 to 60 • day—thus showing that the Ad-
miralty and the country need be under no ap-
prehension on that score. The men thus read)
to take service under the old flag should be well
shipped. It is worse than useless to send fried men
on ooard bad ships, of which (the 42-gun frigates to
wit) we have unhappily too msny. Even worse sit
to put good men an good vessels in charge of officers
whose claims are to be found in the peerage, att the
parliament house, rather than the Navy List.
With our men and our stoney and the vast mar
et iiidtierisl in ear arsenals and dockyards, the only
seed, we repeat, is good management. For this we
may reasonably hope dna we have reformers at the
Admiralty. But to convert good intentions into
good deeds the public must be on the alert to
Indicate what it is desirable to have done. Home
questions must be asked, suck as these : Is there no
waste connected with the Harbour Department ?
Can Sir BALDWIN WALLER positively affirm that the
nation is right in supposing that that portion of the
Mercantile Steam Marine—to which we pay a heavy
!staining fee would be thoroughly efficient if their
services were suddenly called for by the outbreak of
any war P Are we to have a reform of the system
by which good well-disciplined ships are dismantled
thee a few years' service and all their trained men sent
*drift? May we hope that a stop will be put to the
jobbery in the dockyards, and to the wasteful expen-
diture on tfte tinkering of ships that won't sail, and
on steamers that won't steer ? To all these ques-
boos, and to others that readily suggest themselves,
the public may expect practical replies from Sir
JAMES GaAnAm and Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE. And
should these replies be satisfactory to the public, and
proofs be given that the great abuses in our naval
system are really to be cured, both the member for
Carlisle end the member for Middlesex may safely
calculate on reaping an ample measure of public
gratitude. In proportion to the inefficiency of the
Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND'S Admiralty adminis-
trations the amount of honour to be won by his
cooonsors, if they carry out the good work now
ready to their hands.

A Bnoci or Benson Ana was experienced four
days ago at Fos, on the frontier of Spain, but it lasted only
• short time. The weather, which And been eery fine.
.banged all at once, and in the mo•ntaise them was • fall
of elbow. At Foie, department of the Ariige, there was
also, three days ago, a shock of eart►quake; it oscillated
from the east to the we.t, and shook the pictures, dm.,
hangiog to the walls of apartments.—Ualigoarei.