The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-14 00:00:00

HIGH.IiATU AT_LONDON_BRIDOL

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Toitossow—Montag, S. Ma.— Allerases. a. sm.

LONDON, FRIDAY, DEC. 14.

Wutx the present Board of Admiralty under-
took to modify the system of punishments in the
Navy, and issued a general order classifying
offences and professing to confine the discretion of
officers within certain limits, we expressed a doubt
whether any material change would be thereby
effected in the system previously pursued.
Beneath an elaborate show of lenity, and the pro-
fession of a desire to yield to public opinion on
the subject of naval discipline, there seemed
to lurk all the old tendencies to despotic rigour
which have rendered the noblest service in the
world the most difficult to maintain in personal
efficiency. It may, perhaps, be impossible, from
the very nature of the case, to establish uniformity
of discipline in minor waders : so much must de-
pend, do what you will, upon the temper, spirit,
and tact of those who for the time being must be
entrusted with something of arbitrary power in
each particular ship. One officer may be as
brave and as careful as another, and as fitting,
therefore, to command one of our floating for
; but he may be cursed with an impatient
or overbearing disposition, the consequence of
which must be an infinite disparity between the
condition of his crew and that which his brother
officer commands. We do not suppose that such
inequality can ever be effaced ; or that the crew
of one veinal, when paid off, will ever give the
same account of their life on board as that of
another. Still, within the widest margin of allow-
ance, there are certain definite rules of humanity
and justice which are clearly capable of enforcement,
and which it is the bounden duty of those who
are entrusted with the direction of the Navy to
take care shall be enforced. The Duke of SWINZSZe
and his advisers may have imagined that the ordi•
nancee promulgated last year were calculated to
ensure the observance of such rules ; and we are
not disposed to raise any discussion on the point.
But if, when tested by experience, they have prao-
tically failed, we shall not be so abstemious es to
urging the necessity of discarding abortive forms
and departmental pedantries, in order that some-
thing more substantial in the way of reformation
may be tried. Accounts have reached us, not
yesterday or the day before, of the continuance of
eepn,,,,,is and inordinate severity on board
Qt.asm's ships, for which there is no justification
or excuse. We believe the lash is as deeply dyed
as ever in the blood of the men on whose loyalty
and steadfastness the safety of us all depends ; we
believe the rope's end is as brutally used to main-
tain the old system of mute terrorism over boys,
as it wee before the modifications of Let year
were pompously given to the world. We
must say this is deeply humiliating to the national
spirit, and utterly indefensible as a matter of
public policy. It is no answer to say that in
some line-of-battle ship the cry of torture is com-
paratively unheard, that the liken are treated as
they ought to he treated, and that when paid off
they depart from their officers with regret. We
believe this to be true, and if so it is the damning
fact of the whole case, because it proves that the
sc,,urge s not indispensable to naval rule, or
de,padung punishments to. the maintenance of

spirit and discipline. We base our denunciation
of wantou and brutal violence, not upon any
maudlin Ayrnpathy for the sufferings of the ill-
contlityn.A or inc..rrigibly wayward few found
here and th.:re In the fleet, but upon the dale.-

sive allegation that is constantly made receding
the numbers who have never bean sabjeeted to
the lash, and regarding the proportion of sidp in
which it is nearly unknown. We fear that this
proportion is very far exceeded by that in which
the contrary is the prevailing rule ; but it shows
whet can be done, and it therefore shows what
must.

We shall give but two illustrations out of many
that have come under our cognizance of what is
actually going on in the Navy at the present hour.
About two years since • man, who had been
fourteen years in the service, and who had borne
during that time an unblemished character,
shipped himself on board a frigate not in par-
ticularlybad repute amongthe sailor class as regards
the treatment of the men by their officers. It
might be, for aught we know, that the conscious-
ness of professional worth and experience in-
fused into his bearing something more of self-
respect and independence than was observable
in those around him. Be that as it may, he had
the misfortune to incur the dislike of a certain
lieutenant, by whom he was insultingly rebuked
oa several amnions for faults which ho felt he
had not committed. At length he was placed on
the black list in accordance with the new regula-
tions for the space of amen days, and condemned
during that period to perform the most menial
offices in the ship as a punishment. The old habits
of subordination were strong enough to prevent
his expressing audibly what he felt at the injus-
tice ; but within three months he was again told
by the same officer that he was to endure similar
treatment. The veteran spirit of the man rose up
within him, and he said calmly to his young
oppreseor--" Before I submit I must be tried,
" sir ; I appeal to the captain to say whether I
"am deserving of punishment" His appeal was
in vain ; and he persisted in declaring the utter
injustice of the usage he was subjected to. For
this he was tied up and flogged. Not • groan
gimped his lips during the savage proceeding.
Bat when he was taken down he turned to the
captain and exclaimed, "The best thing you can
" now do with me, air, is to throw me overboard,
" for you have spoiled the best seaman the
" Qua= has on board this ship, and I shall be of
"no use to her any more." He was told, with
a curse, to hold his tongue and go below.
♦ few months afterwards, when the frigate
same home, leave was given to the crew to go
whore in watches ; and his conduct had been so
exemplarily faultless, that there was no pretence
for excepting him when it came to his turn ; but
as he jumped into the boat that was to convey
him to the shore he pulled off his hat, kissed hand
to the officer who had been his persecutor, and
cried, "Your tyranny and torture are over now,
"for you'll never see me any more ;" and although
thus giving fair notice of his resolve not to return,
he contrived to elude all attempts at pursuit,
leaving his sagacious captain to console himself
with the reflection, that he individually was well
rid of so firm and fearless a subject. But what
is the net revolt of sue♦ inadan"e to the public
service f How many years will it take this stupid
commander and his lash-loving lieutenant to make
a substitute for the man whom they drove by
sheer insolence and cruelty out of the Navy

The other illustration we are about to mention
is of a different sort. The son of a highly
respected London tradesman, on the accuracy of
whose narrative we can thorongly rely, at the age
of fourteen overbore the reluctance of his parents,
and was duly entered on board her BLumerr's
ship, about • year and • half ago. He had not
been long on board ere the spectacle of his youth-
ful comrades day after day subjected to merciless
floggings for the most trifling errors or neglects
filled him with such horror that, though he had not
himself been subjected to the lash, be secretly
made up his mind to quit the ship upon the first
opportunity. When anchored in the roadstead of
-, he sought in vain permission to go ashore ;
and believing that his request had rendered him
an object of suspicion, he jumped overboard at
midnight, and reached the land in safety. Fow-
-1 lug to go into the town till the vessel should
have sailed, he lay concealed among the
rocks and brushwood for nearly three
days, hardly tasting food. At length he
was found, and, faint with exhaustion, brought
back to the ship, and flogged in • manner
which it is impossible for us to describe in these
columns. After some months the vessel returned
home, but it was many weeks before the boy was

permitted to communicate with his father. At
length he was allowed to pay a visit to his parents,
and to detail what he had seen and suffered. It
is needless to add that his discharge wad purchased
for him. His father would have had him remain
at home and take to some other pursuit ; but the
lad was not sick of the sea, but of the scourge,
and earnestly prayed for permission to enter the
merchant service, which he has since done, and in
which, with all its comparative disadvantages, he is
content and happy. This is the way we unman
our navy ; and a precious sum it costs us every
year, to say nothing of the shame and infamy of
these detestable practices.