The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-03 00:00:00

priving 358 lieutenants of Is. per diem, directed to be
paid by the King's Order in Council at the close of the
war. These retired commanders receive the half-pay of
the youngest captain in the army, and their widows 201.
per annum less than the major. It has been assumed
by official gentlemen, that these retired commanders ob-
tained what they asked for—viz., rank without pay ;
this, we with deference submit, requires proof. Out of
the next 800 lieutenants there is only one employed in
the line for promotion. During the whole of the war
the commands of small vessels were always given to old
officers,and your memorialists could name a goodly list of
those who obtained promotion for the successful dis-
' charge of their duties whilst so employed. Of this ad-
vantage the old war officers hare been deprived during
the last six years ; besides which, the lieutenants in
command have been deprived of one-half of their emo-
luments, without one single penny as an equivalent.
" The comparative situation of your memorialists with
their own rank in the Army is so anomalous, that it
could not be credited without examination. The Naval
Lieutenant is constantly upon guard ; the safety of the
ship, and lives of the crew, depend nightly upon his
watchful eye, and the ever ready resources which expe-
rience alone can afford in the moment of difficulty.
When he requires leave of absence from sea-going
ships, he must go upon half-pay ;if overtaken by disease,
the effects of excessive duty in a sickly climate, he is
immediately invalided upon half-pay, and must incur
considerable expense ; when in Action, or shipwrecked,
Stith the loss of everything, he is not remunerated
in any manner whatever, in many instances, for
his irreparable loss ; when recovered, it may be
years before he can get another ship—if an old
officer, never. He is unable to provide for a son in his
own profession, from the great expense and insuperable
difficulties lie has to contend with in procuring for him
a commission, and the deprivation of his gratuitoqs
education and clothing at the Naval College.
" For many generations naval officers suffered a re-
duction of 3d. out of every 20s. received from the
Government, whether upon full or half-pay, to be ap-
propriated exclusively to a pension for their widows ;
this deduction has been discontinued ; but the lieUtenant
must be ten complete years as such before his widow
can receive one penny, even should he die whilst em-
ployed in the most unhealthy climate. It becomes im-
portant, then, that the navy should have some state-
ment of this accumulated wealth, and know how it has
been expended ; for the captains in the army who do
not purchase their commissions, never subscribe a
fraction for a pension to their widows, nor undergo
env day's probation to entitle them to it.
" Captains in the army can always be upon full pay,
and obtain one, two, and three years' leave of absence
at a time, enjoying their full pay ; and when retureing
from our colonies, through ill health, their comforts are
attended to, without expense on their parts ; every loss
by battle or shipwreck is fully paid for ; with very little
difficulty, comparatively, they can obtain commissions in
their own corps for sons who may be qualified ; and, if
obliged to retire from the service for a few years, they
can return to it again with the advantage of every brevet
which has taken place during their retirement.
" The full as well as the half-pay of naval lieutenants
is divided into three classes—viz., when first of line-of-
battle ships, 150/. per annum ; all others, 1201. ; and
when serving with a flag, 6d. per diem flag-pay ; when
employed in civil departments of the navy, 200/. per
annum is about the maximum ! whereas the captain of
the Marine Artillery, with the rank of brevet-major,
when embarked on board a line-of-battle ship, will re-
ceive 2371. ; when the first lieutenant of the Marine
Artillery, seven years' standing, is embarked on board
a frigate, he receives 143/. ; the naval first lieutenant
of the same ship, his superior officer, oely 1201. ; cap-
tains of Marines, who hold the situation` of assistant de-
puty adjutant-general, receive 5381. ! paymaster, 428/.;
barrack-master, 3191. ; first lieutenants of the Marine
Artillery, when above seven years' standing, receive as
adjutants, 262/. ; quarter-masters, 2281. All captains
in the army of 1825 are brevet-majors.
" Captains of Marines have received honorary dis-
tinctions for their services in the Navy—the naval
lieutenants, their equals in rank and seniors on board
ship, never.

" With respect to half pay the first class, whose
junior is of 33 years' standing, only receive 7s. per
diem ; the second class, whose junior is 26 years'
standing, receive Gs. ; the remainder 55., many of them
after a service of 20 years as midshipman and mate.
" Your memorialists will not enter into the details of
many minor grievances to which they are subject,
but conclude with a hope that your Right Hon.
Board will be impressed with the belief that the true
efficiency and economy of the naval service can never
exist apart from justice ; and they humbly pry that the
Lieutenants of her Majesty's Navy may be placed in all
respects on an equality with officers of their rank in the
Royal Marines, Artillery, and Engineers.
" And y our memorialists will ever pray."

" My Lords and Gentlemen—ln presenting to this
Most Noble and Right Hon. Commission the memo-
rial of the Lieutenants of her Majesty's fleet, I beg
leave to assure your Lordships that I feel more pain
than it would be prudent for me to express. The ap-
proach to justice appears to be encircled by difficulties
of no ordinary description ; for who can contem-
plate with indifference the shock given to that
discipline which is so necessary to the naval go-
vernment of this maritime country ? The House of
Commons has displayed a laudable anxiety to advo-

cate our cause ; nor does it appear that the House will
ever cease to do so until justice shall be awarded to the
legitimate protectors of our native isle. For several
years the naval press has teemed with appeals for jus-
tice, through innumerable writers ; and more recently a
Flag officer' has addressed the Duke of Wellington
upon naval affairs—a Naval Captain has written to the
First Lord of the Treasury and to the Foreign Secre-
tary—and a C ommander to The Sun newspaper ; it
therefore rests with your Lordships to put a stop to
all these irregularities. The decline or prosperity
of the British Navy will depend upon the report which
your Lordships may make to our most gracious
Queen. Whilst advocating the cause of 3,000 Lieu-
tenants, I feel assured that I shall not have to sue in
vain for the indulgence of this august assembly, circum-
stances over which I bad no control having placed me
before your Lordships. Had I possessed a voice in the
matter, I should not have undertaken this great respon-
sibility, from a just apprehension of my inability to do
justice to the many grievances of which for a series of
years, my brethren have had cause to complain. It
will be my bounden duty to detain your Lordships for
as short a period as possible ; yet the intense anxiety of
my brother officers will require at my hands that I
should lay before you a clear statement of their claims,
as time and circumstances will permit ; humbly, but
earnestly, soliciting that the Noble Lords, and Gallant
Officers present will be graciously pleased so supply any
omission that I may unwittingly make in the various
details which I shall have the honour to bring
under your notice. The data which I have used
npon the present inquiry have been gleaned from the
last Navy Estimate and ' Official Navy List ;' and
my desire is, that every detail should bear the test of
criticism. Whilst I consider it to be my duty to an-
swer every question which the Noble Lords and Gal-
lant Officers present shall see fit to propose, I will, in
all other respects, confine my observations to my own
order,' that of Naval Lieutenants ; Lisa whenever I
may have occasion to mention any other class of officers,
it will only be to elucidate more clearly my position. In
soliciting your Lordship's attention to the comparative
situation of the retired Commanders and Lieutenants of
her Majesty's fleet, and the majors and captains of the
Royal Marine Forces, I repudiate the idea that any in-
vidious distinction is intended ; so far from this, I am
one of the many who believe that this gallant corps will
have just cause to complain whilst a single promise of
their Sovereign remains unredeemed ; but, as the Royal
Marines are not inferior, except in point of emolument,
to any other military servants of the Crown, I have con-
sidered it my duty to show the still greater inferiority of
the Navy, in comparison with the Marines, in every
particular—so much so, that a stranger might he in-
duced to inquire if they were servants of the same Sove-
reign, or paid from the same public purse.
" The naval lieutenants complain that they posesss
no right to promotion, let their services be ever so
long or brilliant 1 nor can they claim employment, be
their abilities ever so efficient. Coronation and gene-
ral promotions, so far from being a benefit, have
proved a fruitful source of ctensive annoyance. The
full force of a saying of the first Lord Mansfield oc-
curs to the here, viz.—that the greatest truths are
the most difficult of proof ;' indeed, sophistry and
ingenisity Might almost persuade your Lordships that
this complaint is altogether untenable, for, with re-
spect to promotion, the admirals and captains are the
only naval officers who can claim such a right : the naval
lieutenants never possessed any, nor is it necessary they
should, whilst the First Lord of the Admiralty dispenses
his patronage with so much fairness ;, upon all occasions
a majority of the oldest officers employed are promoted ;
nor are the first lieutenants neglected whenever a gene-
ral promotion takes place.
" As to the 'Ant of emplgyment, the Board of Ad-
miralty follow a custom which has existed for near 30
years, viz.—to give to admirals and captains the choice
,
of their first lieutenants : this privilege forces upon the
board the appointment of junior lieutenants to com-
plete the complement of the different ships (the greatest
difficulty of which is to induce them to join). It is true
that the commands of small vessels arc now given to
young officers of interest, which was not formed), the
practice; but was introduced by Sir J. Graham : all
this and much more might be offered in vindication of
this system,
if system it may be called, which, when
viewed abstractedly, appears to be substantially correct ;
but still it does not touch the facts of the complaint,
nor would it convince one single naval man that such a
system should be suffered to continue for a single day--
it is too far in the rear of the present enlightened age.
" Most humbly would I entreat your Lordships and
the Gallant Officers and Right Hon. Members of this
Commission to inform me, if it be right and prcper that
the naval lieutenants should remain in ignorance of the
system which affects their c: P.;l:f.-!1
officers I Are not neglects calculated to damage teen.