The Express.
London, England, 1859-02-14 00:00:00

The first of these grades
malts, of which than ans tun ohms. and onemoding
through the sucoessire maks of Atidshipmes, Limbs-
naa t, Captain of frigate, Captain of liarrof-battle
ship, Haar-Admiral and Vint-Admina,, sniminibm in
that of Admiral.

with naval

The Eagleson are all obliged in the first instant*
to pus through the ordeal of apprenticeship, after
whisk they become snocessively sub-engineers of the
third, second, and first climes, then engineers of the
mooed and first clam, above whom the Dinner of
Naval Construed°a and the lespeetor-Cieseral

Tyr lowest denomination in the Commismariat is
the OMMIlli• (or clerk) ; above him in surimenion come
the emistant-comenesery, the tindercamimuy,
the ceemnissatre-aijoisr, the commlisary of the
second and first claws respectively, and the
Commissary-General. The Inspector-in-Chief is
assisted in the discharge of his function' by
inspectors, assistant and deputy inspectors. An
Inspetce-General presides over the Board of
Health, having wirier him a first physician, or a
surgeon, or apothecary-in-chief, styled Professor,"
besides na or apothecaries of the first, second,
and third c .

Al,CenehAdniral ranks with a Field-Marshal
a Vic► Admiral and an Inspector-General of Naval
Engineers with& General of Division. A Rear•Ad-
lairsl is considered equal in rank to a Director of
Naval Construction, to a Commissary-General, as
Inspector in Chief (of the corps of Naval Inspectors),
far to the head of the Board of Health.

Osptains of line-of-battle ships, first-class en-
gingers, first-class commisearies, and first-slaw phy-
einem, re.=:: equality ; as are captains of fri.
Wok commissaries, and
physisisne s these lastaaLlar Ming wondered upon
a IF. with lientenantwienels. The comnsimaw•-
atteeist, assistant-inspector, professor of medicine or
of surgery, correspond to the chefs els balcialoii in the
army. Lieutenanti of a line-of-liattle ship, sub-
engineers of the first and second classes, and sub-
inspectors of surgery, medicine, &c., are upon the
hating of military captains; while midshipmen of
line-of-battle ships, rub-engineers of the third-
class, assistant-commissaries, &e., are considered
to be equal to lieutenants in Watley. Lastly, naval
cadets, engineer apprentices, sad other inferior
officen not alread specified, correspond is medal
pentioa to second-1 te in the land foress.
All the respdatlems respecting naval promotion
were carefully revised last summer, and it Will be
perceived from the few we shall presently select
that they have evidently been well considered, and
indicate the maintenance of salutary discipline. At
any rate, the system as now constituted, is found to
work well, and will in all probability serve to bring
forward the most meritorious officers, while encou-
ragement is given in every way to those who mani-
fest especial qualifications and a well-directed seal
for their profession.
An aspirant to the rank of Lieutenant on board a
frigate most either have served two years as a &M-
-elees cadet, or as an auxiliary lieutenant or chief
muter; in the latter ease he must have passed a
very severe examination in the theory of navigation,
as well se is all matters connected with the practical
working of a ship. Having obtained that commis-
sion, he mad peooeed to sum two years more on
beard a ftiote before he ma be promoted to a line-
of-battle ship. After four years in the latter capa-
city be becomes eligible to be captain of a corvette.
Four years' service as captain of a corvette qualifies
him for the command of a frigate, bat two years
most yet elapse before he can hope to be appointed
to a line-of-battle ship.
Rear-Admirals are eligible only from Captains of
line-of-battle Mips of eight years standing, during
four of which, at least, they mast have been actually
afloat. Frees the time, therefore, that a Lieutenant
has eliminated himself from the rudimentary stages
of his profession until he reaches the dignity of
Admiral, an interval of twenty years must have
elapsed.
A Rear-Admiral must have had the entire com-
mand of a squadron of not less au five wends be-
fore he can become Vice-Admiral. Half the
appointments on board frigates and corvettes and
two-thirds of those on board ships of the line are
given according to seniority.
The Emperor reserves to himself power (in war
time) to abridge by one-half the different periods of
service dell officers ' • but with that sole exception,
no promotions whatever can take place out of the
prescribed course, and no one under any einem-
stances can obtain au honorary appointment. In
the various ships now in commission there are be-
tween 68,000 and 60,000 seamen contently em-
ployed afloat. A regular routine of exercise is
observed on board every vessel, whether she be
attached to a squadron of evolution or in harbour,
and every exertion is made by the officers to have
each date performed with the greatest smartnesal
and precision.
It is not an imolai performance, even on board
a line-ofbattle ship that has not een more than
six months in commission, to heave in 90 fathom of
chain and make all sail, within fourteen minutes of
the appearance, on board the flag-ship, of the signal
to " weigh anchor." A topsail will be shifted by an
expert crew in little more than seven minutes and a
half, and a who's squadron have been known in a
gale, with a heavy sea running, to strike topgallant
masts in nine minutes. The Br stags*, not long ago,
was observed to lower her three topsails, to take in
a reef in each, and hoist them again, in rather less
than two minutes and twenty-five seconds—a feat
which probably the smartest ship's company in our
own service would not readily surpass. Half a
century ago the interior of a French man-of-war
&Ended a very different aspect from what it now
palmists. Everything that was worth adoption has
bees scrupulously copied from English ships, at the
same time that some few obvious improvements
of verions kinds have been introdoced. The spirit of
the nation has evidently bean roused; by indomit-
able energy and lavish expenditure they have created,
almost from nothing, a stupendous navy; with
untiring perseverance they are adding to it from day
to day. We have already shown how, by means of
the " Inscription," a certainty of obtaining any
requisite supply of men can be ensured, and if ever
the two greatest nations of the world should un-
happily be involved again in war, we shall find that,
se far from tamely acknowledging our supremacy on
the Ocean, France will be fully prepared to dispute
it, and at all hazards to engage in a death-spun'''.
Wire resigning her pretensions to the brilliant
pile. site so ardently loop to clutch.