The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-05 00:00:00

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The following recommendations have been made by
the commissioners appointed to inquire into the irregu,
larities which have taken place in the transport of
stores, &c., to the East :
' 1. That the usual permission in the charter party to
employ lumpers in loading the ship be so far qualified as
to insure a portion of the crew being present; and that no
transport or hired vessel be considered on "pay" until the
master chief or second officer, and a proportion of the
crew who are to go to sea in the vessel, have joined.
couldgn arise
1 be
co this arrangement, so many persons on board would
I s o
to
ot
whereh the position
anyof partof the
icta
wasr g o,
stowedth at no
;whereas,
difficultyw herea
0,
owing
to
the changes which took place among the officers
and men of the Robert Lowe and the Prince, previous to
sailing, it appears doubtful whether any one on board
knew accurately
where the stores intended for Scutari
were placed.
2. The cargo book is to be carefully and accurately kept;
made out in duplicate, and a sketch of the ship's hold sp.
pended showing the exact position in which the stores are
placed, and that, whenever practicable, a memorandum
should be inserted in the bill of lading, showing in what
part of the vessel the stores were likely to be found. The
duplicate of the cargo-book is to
transport board for reference. be deposited with the
From the absence of such precautions at a time when
extensive shipments have had to be made in great haste,
may be matter of surprise that the errors have not bean
it
„
more frequent.
3. The cargo-book to be shown to the suPerintondent of
transports and consignee at any port where cargo is to be
discharged, whose duty it should be on all occasion:la to
inspect it.
This precaution appears very necessary, to prevent ft*
mere assertion of the captain, as to the difficulty in getting
at the stores, from operating to the prejudice of the pub-
lic service. In the case of the Prince, it has been found
that one captain, whose views it probably suited to hurry
forward, was permitted to leave Constantinople without
delivering an important part of his cargo, on his bare
assertion (perhaps imperfectly understood) that the stores
could not be readily got at ; while in the ease of the Robert
Lowe, another captain, whose views it probably suited to
,"
remain, was allowed to waste five days in landing goods 111.
Scutari when one would have been sufficient for the pnr•
pose. Some controlling power obviously requires to be
exercised over the captains in these matters.
4. That a discipline clause be enacted, extending to the
masters, officers, and seamen of transports, enforcing obe-
dience, attention to duty, the prevention of desertion, and,
the proper care and due delivery of cargo.
Cases have been brought under the notice of the com-
mittee of serious inconvenience and delay to her Majesty's
servicrefrom the desertion of the crew, and from the captain
and officers not joining until immediately before the ship
sailed.
It is also in evidence that one of the sailors on board the
Prince was found in a state of intoxication in the maga-
zine of the vessel, partly filled with ammunition and ltva
shells. Transports have also had to proceed to sea with a
drunken and mutinous crew, who left the safety of the
ship to be provided for entirely by the petty officers and
apprentices.
At a time when the whole operations of a campaign, or
the safety and health of any army, may be seriously com-
promised by delay in the arrival of a vessel, no pecuniary
recompence for breach of contract would be of any avail.
Power is wanting to compel the crew to that degree of
obedience and subordination which is essential to the
safety of the ship and the immediate prosecution of the
voyage.
5. That the requisitions for freight from the different
departments of government having been lodged in the proper
quarter, duly considered, and vessels appropriated, such
appropriation should not be changed, unless under the
most pressing emergency.
6. In the event of such appropriation being interfered.
with, and stores shut out from any vessel, the authorities
concerned to be immediately acquainted therewith, in
order that a fresh appropriation may be made.
7. Whenever there is a sufficient quantity of stores from
one department to fill a vessel, she should be taken up ex-
clusively for the use of that department.
8. That on the departure of a transport or store-ship
from England, the consignee should be written to by post
as well as by ship, enclosing counterparts of bill of lading,
so that he may take measures for the reception of the stores
on the vessel's arrival, reporting immediately and direct
to the department from which the stores were sent, in the
event of the non-delivery of any portion of the articles
named in the bill of lading.
In illustration of the necessity of some arrangement of
this kind, it appears that no report has yet been received
by the Ordnance or Medical Department, as to whether
any or what proportions of the 667 iron bedsteads shipped
in the Robert Lowe and Manilla, in October, 1854, for the
East, have reached their destination.
9. That, on shipping stores from any department, the
several parts of every article, such as iron bedsteads, &c.,
be tied together; and where this is impracticable, as in the
case of camp equipage, a responsible officer be sent in
charge of such stores, in order to see that they are put on
board the transports from the lighters or craft in proper
proportions, or in a complete state.
Captain (Signed) ROBT. CRAIGIE, R.N., Chairman.
ALEX. M. TuLLocn, Colonel.
ALEX. STEWART, Ordnance Storekeeper.