The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-01 00:00:00

rial ADMINISTRATION OF THE

ADMIRALTY.

TO TRH /EDITOR 07 TRH MIL
SIR,—Among the many important papers of the
late distinguished Admiral of the Fleet, Sir George
Cockburn, G.C.8., that have come under my no-
tice, previous to their appearance in his Memoirs,
which are about to be published, none of them ap-
pear to me more likely to attract the attention of
the public at the present crisis of affairs than the
accompanying document, written by the gallant chief
the year after his retirement from the Admiralty
in 1846, and which I now beg to submit to your
consideration, should you be inclined to favour
your readers with his ideas on a subject of such
vital importance to the general, as well as more
immediately to the naval interests of this great
country, as that commented upon in the document
in question.
It was found in his secret drawer, under his will,
ant from this I infer it was intended ax a bequest
to the country he had so long and so faithfully
served en his own element, in the field, and the
Council chamber.

I may as well state, that it is evident Sir George
had not exhausted his 3:nem° at the point where
the document ends •
:‘loalthough up to that point it
is clear it had b
n deliberately and thoroughly re-
vised) the '.f.aole having been fairly transcribed as
a ..o,om-eitte copy in his own handwriting.—l re-
maCcl, Sir, your obedient humble servant,
JAMi i SCOTT, Rear-Admiral.
London, Jan. 30.

" Having filled the station of confidential, or
principal Sea Lord of the Admiralty for more than
17 years, I feel that my opinion regarding the con-
stitution of that body may, sooner or later, be
deemed worthy of consideration and attention ; I
therefore Am induced to place in writing the deci-
sion to 'which my experience has brought me on
this paint.
'" 1 have, then, no hesitation in stating, that I
Consider the present establishment of that Board
to be the most unsatisfactory and least efficient for
its purpose that could have been devised.
" In the first place, it is most inconsistent and
inconvenient that one member of the board should,
without any communication with his colleagues,
issue orders at Somerset-house, in the name of the
board, for the governance of the whole fleet, dock-
yards, 1f70., provided it relates to the branch of the
Admiralty business he is selected to superintend,
such orders being issued in the name and under the
authority of the board, without any other member
thereof being aware of such order, and often only
learning its promulgation from the newspapcis, or
frosn questions asked about it in Parliament.
"It is true the ' principal officer' (as he is
termed) of that department is, or ought to be, able
to give all requisite information or advice to such
Lord of the Admiralty ; but such ' principalofficer'
has no responsibility ; yet such course naturally
places the greater portion of the real management
in his hands as relates to such department ; the
board—the really responsible parties—remaining
wholly ignorant (with the exception of the single
member of it before alluded to) of such general
orders, or of the grounds thereof, unless the par-
ticular Lord of the department mentions the mat-
ter to his colleagues, which, in the latter part of
my being at the board, was very rarely done, espe-
cially by one of my colleagues ; and consequently
the business could not but be carried forward in
an unconnected and disjointed manner, the fault
being with a system admitting of, and, indeed,
leading to, such evil results.
" Secondly, as regards the proceedings of the
board when united for general business, I must
premise that nothing can well be more contrary to
reason, and, I may say, common sense, than for a
person to be selected to preside at such professional
board, who is totally unable and admits his inability
to understand three-fourths of the professional state-
ments or even expressions contained in the various
documents read on such occasions to the board, and
which, therefore, the professional members of the
Board become obliged to occupy time in explain-
ing and endeavouring to make him comprehend,
which, nevertheless, cannot be always sufficiently
effected.
" Then, again, the Board, consisting of six per-
sons, and the professional members, or a portion of
them, being selected with reference to political con-
siderations and their having seats in Parliament,
3,-0 without any regard to their knowledge of each
easy., ‘s. hoe Laa. witly lillglll, Lie 112,07.) Idll “,.., L. 11.-
dially together, much valuable time becomes con-
sumed in fruitless and sometimes irritable and un-
satisfactory discussions, interfering greatly with the
necessary advancement of the numerous profes-
sional and other matters almost daily brought for
decision before the Admiralty ; and the evil of
such check to business may be well conceived when
it is considered that matters of almost every pos-
sible description, from the building of ships of war
and ordering the movements and discipline of our
fleets down to the deciding on the details and eligi-
bility of railroads, are now brought, either for de-
cision or opinion, before the Board of Admiralty.
"It will not, then, be deemed surprising that,
with the want of concert and the difficulties above
alluded to, I experienced frequent annoying checks
and obstructions in carrying forward those objects
which appeared to mo essentially required and
called for, and some of which I was obliged to
abandon from the opposition of one or other of such
disjointed ruling body, and such opposition, in some
instances, springing from parties having no real
knowledge on the professional matters under con-
sideration, but objecting to them in consequence of
something that may have been said to them by some
irresponsible person out of doors.
" Indeed, during my last seat at the Admiralty
Beard the annoyances I was subjected to from the
last-mentioned causes kept me in a continual state
of anxiety and difficulty, and required from me
the strongest exertion or forbearance to enable me
to remain in a situation so truly unsatisfactory to
my view of efficient management of so important
and multifarious a department, to advance which
cordial union of decision must be urgently neces-
sary, rather than the existing cause of impediments
from unworthy jealousies and debates.
" The remedies I would recommend are :
"1. That the Admiralty Board should be abo-
lished, and that the management of the navy should
be transferred to a flag officer, as Naval Comman-
der-in-Chief, to be assisted by two naval officers,
either as Vice and Rear Admirals of England, or
as Council. That a leading member of Parliament
be appointed by the Government (to be in the Ca-
binet or not, as may be deemed best), to be styled
' Controller of Naval Expenditure,' to be in con-
stant and cordial co-operation with the Naval
Commander-in-Chief, to arrange with him the pro-
posed expenditure for each year, to be submitted
to the Treasury for approval, the said civilian Con-
troller to be charged with submitting the yearly
estimates to the House of Commons, and answering
there all financial questions relating to the navy ;
the said officer to have the patronage and control
of all the clerks and others in the accountant and
in the store departments ; all other appointments,
as well in the dockyards as at Somerset house and
elsewhere attaching to the naval administration,
to rest with the Naval Commander-in-Chief, whose
directions, relative to the number of ships to be
built, or repaired, •r fitted for service, and the
quantity of stores required, should be deemed
siifficient for the Controller of Naval Expendi-
ture to provide for the payment :.-hereof, though
he is to be at liberty to make any observation
he may deem necessary thereon to the Com-
xaander-in-Chief ; and, in the event of any
irreooncileable difference of opinion upon any
suoh or other points between the said two high
officers, the matter or matters at issue between them
to be referred to the First Lord of the Treasury for
his decision, which must, of course, be adopted.
" So much of the accountant detail being re-
moved from the Admiralty branch, the Naval
Commander-in-Chief and his two councillors, or
assistants, will be more at liberty to give full at-
tention to the more professional objeots of main-
taining and improving the efficiency and discipline
of our fleets, as also the efficiency and works of the
dockyards ; though, as regards the latter, I would
recommend the appointment of a flag officer under
the Admiralty, to be continually visiting the yards 1
in succession, to insure uniformity of practice and
working in all, with such a generial superintending
officer under the Admiralty, an casctleonadvcis board
of construction, as lately established,
to shipbuild-
ing. ande
offer suggestions on all points relating
This would,
system ; and of
in my opinion, form a most effi-
cient and satisfactory working
course the appointment of ' Surveyor of the_
.Navy'
(the objections to such an officer, whether himself
a shipbuilder or not, have been often experienced)
would be entirely abolished.
" The Naval Commander-in-Chief and his 'two
councilors may or may not be in Parliament, as
deemed best by the Government;but I am of opinion
they (especially the former) should not be in Par-
liament, to render it unnecessary to change the
S tgoverning system of our navy with every change of
71
---
~- , Vinisters, which keeps the naval service in a con-
„A,' stint state of unsteadiness and uncertainty, very,
f 4
74, 'IS detrimental to its complete and unvarying effi-
2,:ser!, eieneyHfin, evil which would be remedied by the
"i`A ' COMMillain-in-Chief and his colleagues being re-
tvx.4; lieved from all political character.
c/1..
...,,,..&e, ",:44-4,e foregoing observations I have mentioned 1
ves Tvl l , the twt"" assistants to the proposed Naval Corn-
../,. • ~.
xnander-in-Chief in union with him, but, although
be will have the benefit of their advice and ex-
perience on the various points under his control and
management, it is to be clearly understood that
he alone will be responsible for whatever is done
by hig authority, and all ordert and directions ,

signed by him alone are to be deemed complete,
and to be obeyed as such by all subject to his con-
trol. •But he may, if he think proper, authorise
the members of his council to sign conjointly sitch
documents as he may not deem necessary to be
signed by himself ; and, after he shall have - of&
cially notified his authority to such effect, all such
directions, signed by the members of his council,
to the extent so authorised, are to be deemed of
full force, and to be obeyed accordingly.
" The principal objection I have heard advanced
to placing a naval officer at the head of the naval
service, is that he would be likely to show undue
favour to those of the profession who had served
with him ; but I see no reason why this should be
the case more with the navy than with the army,
and such has not been found a sufficient objection
as regards the Commander-in-Chief of the army.
And even supposing, for the sake of argument, such
favourable feelings towards any particular officers
to be entertained by a Commander-in.-Chief, it can
only be supposed to arise from such favoured offi-
cers having given him full proof of their zeal and
abilities while serving with him ; and, admitting
such an impression to have, therefore, any reason-
able foundation, it would have a tendency to render
officers in general when on active service anxious
to secure by their attention and eealous conduct
the good opinion and future protective friendship
of their superior officers, and might, therefore, have
a generally beneficial result rather than otherwise.
My conviction, however, is, that a naval officer,
placed in the high and honourable post of Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Navy, would evince as much
real impartiality as any other individual of any
other class or rank whatever.
"The only other objection that has been advanced
against placing a naval officer at the head of the
navy is, that a naval officer is not likely, from his
earlier habits and education, to be efficient for the
many other than naval matters continually under
consideration of the Cabinet ; my answer to which
is, that he need not be in the Cabinet any more
than the Commander-in-Chief of the army, though
I firmly believe very many superior naval officers
would prove as efficient Cabinet Ministers as many
of those gentlemen I have known there during my
connection with government business."

DEATHS AT SCUTARI, de.

Since the date of the last letter the following is
the nominal return of deaths in hospital reported
at the Commandant's-office by the medical autho-

rities :

Sergeant WM. Carroll, Ambulanca Corp,,, Jan. 14
Sergeant Thomas Gavan, BSth Regt., ditto, Jan- IEI
Sergeant James Nail, 3Sth Regt.„ febris, Jan. 15
Corporal John Mathews, Scots Fusilier Guards, ditto,

Jan. 11.
Corporal James M'Gee, 30th Regt., gelatio, Jan. 15
Corporal Henry Warren, 4th Regt., Jnn. 16
Corporal George Taylor, 17th Lancers, diarrhoea, Jan. 16

PRIVATEB
David Jackson, 4th Regt., diarr., Jan. 13
Patrick Hughes, ditto, ditto, Jan. 13
John Doe, ditto, ditto, Jan. 11
John Brown, ditto, febrik inter. Jan. 9
Alfred Holden, 2d Batt:* Rifle Brigade, cholera,
Jan. 10
Patrick Hennessey, 4th Regt., febris rem., Jan. 14
Wm. Potter, 30th Regt., vulnus, Jan. 14
Alex. Wells, 30th Regt., diarr., Jan. 14
Leonard Hilliers, 21st Regt., ysentery, Jan. 14
W. Sanders, 50th Regt., ditto, Jan. 15
Wm. Carroll, Royal Art., Jan. 14
Wm. Robbins, 28th Regt., febris, Jan. 14
Daniel Robinson, 41st Regt., diarr., Jan. 14
James George, Ist Batt. Rifle Brigade, Jan. 14
Wm. Grady, 63d Regt., Jan. 14
Wm. Chapw ell, Royal Art.' Jan. 14
Wm. Baston, 46th Regt., Jan. 14
0. Bisfoot, 21st Regt., Jan. 15
Alex. WNab, 17th Lancers, diarr., Jan. 14
John Brent, Royal Art., dysentery, Jan 14
Frederick Dodge, Royal Art., diarr., Jan. 14
Robert Baldwin, Royal Art., ditto, Jan. 14
George Mackie, Scots Fusilier Guards, ditto,
Jan. 14
Robert Blair, Ist Foot, ditto, Jan. 14
John Goodall, 7th Regt., ditto, Jan. 14
James Stoddart, 7th Rest., febris, Jan 14
John Gaunt, 7th Regt., diarrhcea, Jan. 14
John Lemon, 20th Regt., ditto, Jan. 14
Henry Hoddinott, 20th Rest. dysentery, Jan. 14
Charles Connor, 28th Regt., cliarrhcea,'Jan. 14
John Cooney, 30th Rest., ditto, Jan. 14
John Chuppell, 33d ditto, Jan. 14
William Morton, 33d Regt., ditto, Jan. 14
Ai e.elatio. Jan. 14
Robert Brennan, 44th Regt., feline, Jan. 14
Richard Emery, 46th Regt., diarrlicea, Jan. 14
George Woolnat, 60th Regt., vulnus, Jan. 14
Patrick M`Keon, 77th Rogt., dysentery, JAL 14
Alfred Watson, 77th Regt., ditto, Jan. 14
George Mille, 79th Regt., ditto, Jan. 14
Edward Warley, let Batt. Rifle Brigade, diarrhoea,
Jan. 14
James Bates, 2d Batt. Rifle Brigade, dysentery,
Jae. 14
Wm. Blissstt, Coldstream Gds, vulnus, Jan. 15
Daniel James, 23d Regt., dysentery, Jan. 15
Henry Cowley, 50th Regt., ditto, Jan. 15
William Woodgate, 50th Regt., Jan. 15
J. Smith, Soots Fusilier Gds., dysentery, Jan. 15
James Radford, Ist Royal Dragoons, diarr., Jan. 15
Wrn. Lane, Scots Fusilier Gds, ditto, Jan. 14
Simeon Shore, 47th Regt., ditto, Jan. 16
William Norman, Coldstream Gds., gelatio, Jan.
Thomas Abbot, Royal Art., diarr., Jan. 15
Robert Lamb, ditto, ditto, Jan. 15.
James Gell, ditto, ditto, Jan. 15
John Davis, ditto, ditto, Jan. 15
T. William, Grenadier Guards, dysentery, Jan. 15
Patrick Cooper, 7th Regt.. diarrhcea, Jan. 15
Thomas Williams, 19th Regt., rheum., Jan. 15
Ezrah Nichols, ditto, dysentery, Jae. 15
William Ashpool, ditto, diarr., Jan. 15
Edwin Kelly, 20th Regt., febris, Jan. 15
Joseph Fookes, 20th Regt., diarr., Jan. 15
Lawrence Sexton, 21st Regt., ditto, Jan. 15
Thomas Ashfield, 23d Regt., ditto, Jan. 15
John Fisher, 30th Regt., ditto, Jan. 15
Alexander 3,l‘Donald, 38th Regt., ditto, Jan. 15
James Hall, ditto, rheum., Jan. 15

Mark Hay, ditto, dysentery, Jan. 15
James Murray, 44th ltegt., hepatitis, Jan. 15
Thomas Waynor, 46th Regt., diarr., Jan. 15
John Parker, ditto, ditto, Jan. 15
Daniel Wall, ditto, febris, Jan. 15
William Hixon, 49th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 15
James Fletcher, 62d Regt., Jan, 15
John Pennegsr, 63d Regt., diarr., Jan. 15
John Logan, ditto, ditto, Jan. 15
John Begley, 77th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 15
William Gaynor, 79th Regt., diarr., Jan. 15
Henry Martin, 2d Battalion Rifle Brigade, diarr.,
Jan. 15
John Body, ditto, dysentery, Jan. 15
George Hesketh, Sappors and Miners, ditto, Jan.ls
John Bnrcham, 7th Regt„ diarr., Jan. 16
Thomas Summer, Ist Royal Dragoons, diarr.,Jan.l6
George Thompson, Ist Foot, ditto, Jan. 16
John Mulligan, 28th Regt., Jan. 15
Robert Jeakins, 27th Lancers, synocha, Jan. 17
Henry Abraham, 88th Regt., febris, Jan. 16
James Sharp, 97th Regt., diarrbeca, Jan. 16
P. Morris, 28th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 17
Edwin Greeves, Coldstream Gds., febris, Jan. 17
Gee. Maitlay, Ssots Fua. Gds., dysentery, Jan. 16
Daniel Moriarty, 4th Regt., febris, Jan. 16
Michael Hallahan, 9th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 16
Patrick Bohan, ditto, ditto, Jan. 16
William Shine, 21st Regt., ditto, Jan. 16
Andrew Hamilton, ditto, ch. rheum., Jan. 16
Edward Fierce, ditto, diarrhcea, Jan. 16.
John Ingram, 28th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 16
Michael M'Carthy, ditto, diarrhcea, Jan. 16
Chris. Robinson, 41st Regt., ditto, Jan. 16
William Henson 44th Regt., ditto, Jan. 16
John Lackery, 46th Regt., ditto, Jan. 16
Richard Sherwood, ditto, ditto, Jan. 16
Hugh Cappell, ditto, amputation, Jan. 16
Bartho. Collins' 50th Regt., diarrhcoa, Jan. 16
William Craig, 55th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 16
Peter Daist, 95th Regt., rheum., Jan. 16
James Crook, 63d Regt., diarrhcea, Jan. 16
Jos. Reid, 2d bat. Rifle Brigade, dysentery, Jan. 16
Henry Fitzpatrick, Ambu. Corps, febris, Jan. 16
DRITI3 ON BOARD VIE COLOMBO.
sergeant D. Freeman, 41st Regt., Jan 14
PRIVATES.
J. Bridger, Bth Dragoons, Jan. 10
P. Watts, 2d Dragoons, Jan. 10
J. M'Gee, Royal Art. Jan. 12
J. Smith, 2d Dragoons, Jan. 13
M. Jones, 2d Dragoons, Jan. 13
T. Burnes, Ist Foot, Jan. 10
C. Walker, 62d Regt., Jan. 14
R. Brown, Scots Fusilier Guards, Jan, 14
G. Henry, 97th, Jan. 15
J. Ccx, Grenadier Guards, Jan. 15
J. Kane, 6th Dragaons, Jan. 15
T. Tate, iicote Fusilier Guards Jan. 15
H. Clarke, Scots Fusilier Guards, Jan.
W. Weymouth, Coldstream Guards, Jan, 16
W, White, 6th Dragoons, Jan. 16
0. Walls, Scots Fusilier Guards, Jqa 16
J. White, 2d Dragoons, Jan. 1;
W. Pattison, 2d Dragocsd, ; 16
3. Shorter, no redgaiirn.... j , gi Jn.
ven, Jan. 17
Allen, ditto.
17
RATIMIN OF DY.:ams ozi
no
jam
tin
THAMES, ON PAS
BAGS FROR TIM CRIBRA.
PRP7ATIS.
John Buchanan, 47th Regt., Jan. 9
Peter Johnston, 42d Regt., Jan. 11
Samuel Ganer, 49th Regt., Jan. 14
Thomas Jones, Scots Fusilier Guards, Jan. 11
John Davidson, Ist Batt. Rifle Brigade, Jan, 10
Wm. Morris, 19th Regt, Jan. 8
John Savory, Royal Art., Jan. 9
William Jackson, 55th R-gt., Jan. 9
Edward Cooper, 49th Regt., Jan. 7
Chas. Leamington, Scots Fusilier Gds., Jan. 11
Alfred Caldecott, 97th Regt., Jan. 13
Chas. Winston, 9th Regt., Jan. 13
Robert Chivers, Scots Fusilier Gds., Jan. 13
Samuel White, Ist Batt. Rifle Brigade, Jan. 13
J. Rolfe, Royal Marines, Jan. 7
Richar,l Wills, Royal Marines, Jan. 8
William Bullock, Royal Marines, Jan. 7
John Newell, 23d Regt., Jan. 5.
"1419_ TA,a 23d Reitt.. Jan. a