The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-24 00:00:00

would be educated in accordance with the laws of
the country and in the Protestant religion. Lord
Palmerston then stated, in reply to Mr. Buxton,
the circumstances attending the deportation from
Egypt of a Nubian regiment for service with the
French in Mexico. He said that the Emperor of
the French had wished to enlist volunteers, but the
late viceroy had forced:theiwretched men on board a
French frigate. The noble lord said "the violence
and cruelty of the conduct of the Egyptian Govern-
ment was exactly similar to that committed at War-
saw." Her Majesty's Government had expressed
their opinion to that of Egypt, that such conduct
was a violation of the rights of the Sultan.—The
house went into committee of supply and Lord
C. PAGET proceeded to explain the naval esti-
mates of the year. He said that the votes
showed a decrease of £1,058,273, and entered into
various details, and in conclusion moved a vote of
96,000 seamen and boys, including 18,000 marines,
for the service of the ensuing year.—Sir J. PAK-
INGTON expressed his satisfaction at the speech of
the noble lord.—Mr. COBDEN said he objected to
the number of men ; let them build ships of iron,
and no more of them than was wanted, and they
would not have occasion to vote such an enormous
number of men.—Mr. LAIRD considered that the
wooden ships cased with iron would be failures.—
Lord C. PAGET replied, and the vote was agreed to.
—The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the
second reading of the Tobacco Duties Bill. After
some discussion the debate was adjourned till Fri-
day.—After some other business was transacted,
the house adjourned at two o'clock.

It has been maliciously asserted that annuitants
never die—probably from the expectants, who are
quite ready to step into their shoes, being tired of
waiting. But that is a personal affair, and does not
deserve much consideration in a national point of
view. Every collective body is made up of indi-
vidual association, and must be dealt with on the
broad basis of the general good. Favouritism
is a term too often applied by envy, without
due allowance or knowledge of the merits of
the favoured individual. Sometimes his good for-
tune may be ascribed to luck, but more frequently
to less obvious causes. -What takes place in private
life in the way of preferment passes generally un-
observed, because that sphere is sacred from critical
remark. But it is far otherwise in public life,
where rivals enter into manly competition for the
envied prize—promotion. True, the prizes are few
compared to the ardent many who strive for pre-
ferment, and hence the too frequent display of envy
imputing the success of a rival to motives unworthy
of a generous mind.

That preferment is often given from kindness
or relationship cannot be disputed, and that is but
natural, for if one may not help a friend when
opportunity offers, what is the benefit of having
the power unless it be used—and if a friend possess
the merit required, or approaches it, surely one is
justified in stretching a point if only for good fel-
lowship. If kissing goes by favour in love, surely
promotion may go sometimes by presumed merit in
war. The faint heart requires some encourage-
ment now and then, and when the desired object is
won, the merit is in granting the favour. That is
the doctrine of the sanguine aspirant, and happy
are those who have good reason to be satisfied.
Now suppose we apply this doctrine or argu-
ment to the Navy List, where merit ought to meet
its due reward, if anywhere in the public service;
and what do we find, taking age simply as the
standard for promotion. Here we find captains at
the age of twenty-nine—commanders old enough to
be their grandfathers, and poor lieutenants, at an
age quite beyond a lady's comprehension. And it
we ask the reason why ? myriads will start up with
wrinkled faces and furrowed brows bewailing their
fate and lamenting that they had no influence, like
their fairweather friends, but were left to rough it,
as best they could ;—their home was on the deep,
and promotion was past sounding.

But particular as the Navy List may be, we
have been favoured with a list still more particu-
lar and correct, under the title of " The Active
Lists of Flag Officers, Captains, and Commanders
in the Royal Navy, with particulars exhibiting their
progress from their entry into the Navy, with their
ages and other matters of interest, by the Rev.
Wm. HARVEY," and published by Mr. STANFORD,
of Charing-cross. It has reached a third edition—
a sterling proof of its merit. Let the public look
into it, and rub their eyes with wonder at its
precious contents. To talk of favouritism were
almost a mockery in gazing over this record of
our naval worthies—some of them entered in the
books before they were able to creep, and yet
these were the lucky imps that climbed aloft hand
over hand, leaving the old salts to stare EA the rapid
rise of the youngsters. Why, to take an example
Nom Mr. HARVEY'S discriminating list, the Ad-
miral of the Fleet was only eight years from en-
tering the Royal Navy till he attainad the rank
of Captain. Nor does he stand alone. There is
the Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom equally
fortunate—he w asmade Lieutenant and Commander
in the same year, and Captain almost the year fol-
lowing ! But these were the good old times, and
how many gallant fellows in the navy would pray
such times came back again ?
But we will not scrutinise too closely. Many
of these old officers were good men and true,
having served their country faithfully and bravely
in the hour of danger. We do not quarrel with
them, but with the system, which covers a mul-
titude of sins —both of omission and commission
too. The Admiral of the Fleet has been in the
service 73 years-44 of these unemployed. He
is now 85 years of age. The next to him is 88
—then follows 81, 76, 87, and a string of wor-
thies rejoicing in years of 70's and 77's, all in
happy companionship, and, what is better still,
these are on the ACTIVE list, by way of example,
we presume, to those who will never profit by
it. And of these there are 21 Admirals, 27
Vice-Admirals, and 51 Rear Admirals—making up
the magic number of 99,
with one to boot, sit-
ting aloft to watch o'er th© life of poor Jack !
Now, of this number, we will venture to say that
not one in ten of the very old ones will ever ride on
salt water again. Possibly they may have had
enough of it in their day, but the question again
arises—Why are they kept on the Active .List ? is
it to keep youthful enterprise in the background—
or are they waiting to make way for their grand-
sons' No wonder the navy estimates have swollen
so disproportionately to the service performed, when
JACK is kept in pay to see that Tom does not do
his duty, while Tom is only careful about looking
after a good berth, with better pay and less to do.
This is partly the reason why a thorough reform
is so much out of place at the Admiralty. Nor
is the fault confined to one party the leprosy
spreads over all. Patronage is the natural perqui-
sites of office, and if those in power do not exercise
it their hopeful successors will be sure to atone for
the mistake. Thus, when once installed in office,
if there be no vacancies to fill up, ingenuity creates
them for the more efficient benefit of the service.
Again, when a change of office is apprehended—
promotion is thrust on promising merit, lest another
opportunity may not occur again for a time far be-
yond their reckoning. How long is this system
to go on, now that a change is as imperative in the
personnel as in the materiel of our Naval Adminis-

tration.
We perceive by the votes that Sir JOHN HAY 19,