The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-05 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY. EVENING, NOVEMBER 5, 1861.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

ADMIRALTT, Nov. 4.—PIIOIIOTIONS AND AP-
rot:. ryl:%Ts. The following officers have been appointed
on the staff of the battalion of Royal Xsrbses under
orders for particular service :--Captain J. Holkileco, R.M.,
t.. be luyiumter First Lieutenants J. X. Haesilteo, R.M.,
to be adjutant, and J. D. Broughton, R.M., to be quarter-
master.
Anders .1. M. Shire, to the Conqueror ; and W. F.
Harris, to be additional of the Indtu., fur service in the
PTID4XI4 Royal.
Chief Engineer W. N. Covey, to the Cumberbuid, for
charge of the machinery of the WOO when paid off.
A =G. V. lii•Donogh. to the Porcupine.
t Menem@ E. P. Forrest, to the Conqueror ; A.
J. Bolton, to the Phaeton ; and C. J. Devoinhire, to the
Colossus.
Midshipman L. P. Willem, to the DoecgaL

MALTA, (k:r. 30:

The department of which the naval 'authorities
had the greatest cause to be proud wu the hospital at
Bighi. This, under the enorgetse management of Dr. Arm-
strong, of arctic celebrity, had become famed throughout
the navy fur its organiastion, combining as it did every
ues-essary for the recovery of the sick. Every and the most
minute duty the doctor personally superintended ; he was
constantly oa the spot, and made the comfort of his patients
his constant stwly. loan amateur visit the Sanitary Corn-
tuissi.aers lately paid to the hospital, they declared that
the natal hospital at Malta was the most perfect in all its
arrangements of any it had ever been their good fortune to
visit.

Of these facts the authorities in England must have bees
ignorant, for about the very time that the commissioners
were declaring this opinion at Malta, the authorities in
England were unlering Dr. Armstrong to be superseded by
Dr. Anderson from China. This has caused the greatest
astonishment throughout the naval circles at Malta, for
even those personally opposed to the doctor acknowledge
him to have been the must efficient medical inspector at
Malta since Sir John Liddell. It is stated that on the Wrd
he receive( a letter from the Admiralty saying that it, con-
semeuee of the constant bickering' at the hospital they had
superseded him and appppoiansted Dr. Anderson in his place.
It. this time their lonLhip. will be aware that they must
have Lout misled, for Admind Codrington. we are informed,
inmic 'lately wrote a full exculpation of any blame that their
lordships may have erroneously attached to Dr. Armstrong,
and jointed out that to his positive knowledge the bicker-
itl,l eluded to is the hospital had their ea igin previous to
Dr. Aneetresg's appointment, that he had done all
that sense and judgemat could do to suppress them, and
in fact that now they were suppressed, and the naval
hospital at Malta cur no well organised and so perfect in all
! its aerations's* that the Admiralty, and all connected
with the navy, might print to it with pride ; that Admiral
Codringtoo as saperfatendent of the hoepital, and
the various commendsnein.chiefa Sir Arthur Fan-
, abase, Sir W. F. Martin, and Admiral Duras
had never once had occasion to had fault with
Dr. Armstrong. but have had many on which they
very justly praised him. If Admiral Codringtoa's letter
of the 2-4,1 of October concerning Dr. Armstrong is pub-
billed (and in justice it ought to be), the country will see
[ that they have at least one active, energetic, clever, medical
ottic-r, and one that the seamen of the fleet put the most
unlimited confidence in. Fortunately the present Board of
Admiralty are practical men, and will me justice done
the doctor, and though they may not restore him to Malta,
I where his loss will Le severely felt, they will at least see
that Dr. Armstrong is no lamer by the energy and devotion
be has displayed 111 reforming the naval hospital at Malta.
From the lax state of discipline the hospital had fallen
into, the doctor Las necessarily hail to use some seventies
to restore proper discipline and efficieucy, for he looked
upou the hospital as a place to be devoted to the recovery
of the sick officers and seamen of the fleet, and not as a
comfortable retirement for certain officers and their families.
The boats and the boats' crews he looked upon as being paid
for by the country to attend on the wants of the sick, sod
not as a convenience foe pulling about the harbour the
families of the officers of the hospital or the taking their
children to schooL The nurses he would only look upon as
attendants upon the sick, and aot an servants to the
families of the officers of the establishment, nor did he
look upon the hospital as a fit place for parties or
the practising of music. Every visitor to the hospital
bad to insert his tome in a book, and the came of
his visit, so the sick were no longer disturbed with parties
of an evening; in short, a oumber of abuses had crept into
the hospital, the cure of the sick had become a secondary
consideration to the comfort of the families of the oilcan
attached to it. All this Dr. Armstrong changed, made each
wilccr rigidly attend to his duties, and forbad any of the
boatmen or nurses attending to any private families, and
also saw the destine really devote their time to the cure of
their patients. All this naturally turned idlers sad
drones into eueudes, and these enemies he treated
too lightly, ontisfied in his own mid that while
he did his duty he would be supported by those
is authority above him. The reputation of the hospital in a
curative point was rapidly gaining ground, and young men of
talent were numerous in their applications to be appointed
there ; on the other hand, those who were not well up in
their profession sad ready to devote their time for the pay
they receive were afraid to some under the observation of
Dr. Armstrong, who failed not to discover any errors or
smiesioaa.

The Mediterranean fleet will suffer a severe loss in the
withdrawal of Dr. Armstrong, but his friends will re fresh
ruse to be satisfied of him wuenever Admiral Codrington'e
despatch is made public.
The gnat evil of most of our naval and military establish.
meting is, that the of are apt to be filled by men who
think mom of their own personal comfort than the public
service. Very frequently the meet comfortable of these ap-
pointment" pt filled by men who are technically known as
the Quern's hard bargains ; these men have • peculiar talent
for turning subordinates into • sort of household servants,
and nicking the establishments in which they serve in every
way subservient to their own individual convenience, and by
which the interest' of the public become ascrificed. Thus
men are known, laughed at, and grumbled at, but if any or
his the courage to expose them they become marked
man, sod the first opportunity taken to pick a hole in their
coats. Its. Armstrong earns to Malta determined fearlerly
to do hi. duty, and he has dose it, and conferred • mat pab-
lie betietit on the navy. Gifted with great tista and
energy , and with • peculiar gilt for organiattioo, he hes de.
votedthe whole corcientiously to do the duty be was paid
for. and now he has the proud aatisfaetion of knowing that
he has succeeded, and the more rigid investigation his eon-
diet undergoes the higher will be the honour he will re-
ve.

The present Admiralty are too practical not to appreciate
the having such a man in their service, and the courtly Si,
John Liddell cannot but feel satisfaction in having no
talented and energetic ■n officer in his department, and can
who iu all human probability will be his successor.
Her Majesty's ship Neptune arrived fruiu Naples on the
26th, and the Terrible on the 2tith. On the 21ith the Marl-
borough. with Str William Martin, the Commaoder•in-
Chief, arrived, arcomisinied by the Surprise. The Victor
Emanuel it at Messina, and the James Watt at Syracuse ;
the Hannibal and London are gone to Corte ; and the Am-
ph ion lies arrived from :Vila.
The Russian steam frigate Grand Admiral is here re-
Attie&
The weather after the late gales hes become calm sad
beautiful.

The steamelitp Berwick bas attempted twice to recover
the cable between Yalta and Corfu. trying at Loth ends,
and, after 'veneering a very small portion, bad to abandon
it. She leaves again this day to endeavour to recover the
cable between this and Mamie.

The examination of canditlateefordireet commie-
noes commenced yesterday morning before the Council of
34iMary Education, at the Hovel Hospital, Chelaee. The
firm day wee confined to medical ezandaatioac To-day,
Englid' and history Brea lotted ; tomorrow, mathematics ;
Thursday, Latin and Creek ; Friday, drawing and French ;
and Saturday, experimental saner awl tritium' science.
There are of 150 ouididoiss at this axedicio.