The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-09 00:00:00

RESERVED LIST.

Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty to hay
upon, the table of the house a copy of the form of commis-
sion promoting the first-named 90 officers on the reserved
list of the navy to the rank of captain ; and a copy of the form
of commission promoting the last two officers on that list to
the rank of capt tin, with any explanationthere may havebeen
for the necessity of changing the form of commission : to
ask for a return of the names and pay or other emoluments
of the first sixteen captains on the reserved list : and to
move that the case of the reserved captains be referred to
the law officers of the Crown.
Mr. B. Cochrane, Major Edwards, and Admiral Walcott
suppor ed the motion.
Mr. BERKELEY opposed the motion, and was under-
stood to say that he thought that the officers on the reserved
list were not entitled to the promotion in question, when
there were so many lieutenants who were engaged in active
service.
Lord C. PAGET said that this was a question which
had been so frequently discussed in the House of Com-
mons that if he went into it at any length he would only
be repeating what had been already stated by honourable
members. He might state that, in consequence of the
opinion expressed by certain hon, members on the opposite
side of the house, his noble friend the Duke of Somerset
bad laid the whole question before the law officers of the
Crown, who were of opinion that the course adopted by
Government was quite correct. His (Lord C. Paget's)
sympathies were with the officers alluded to, but he did not
think they were entitled to be placed on an equality with
officers engaged 'n active service. He had no objection to
the production of the document asked for as regarded the
90 officers and 12 officers in question, but drew attention to
the fact that it was not usual or con'enient to lay the
opinion of the law officers on the table of the house.
Mr. TALBOT congratulated the house on the fact that
this matter had been referred to the law officers of the
crown, but he thought the opinion of these officers should
be laid on the table of the house.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that there were public rea-
sons why the opinions of the law officers of the crown
should not be laid on the table, aid he trusted that the hon.
member (Sir J. Hay) would not persevere with this subject,
but rest satisfied with the conviction that he had done all
in his power for the class of officers in whose welfare he
was so much interested.
Mr. MALINS said he had been present at the different
discussions which had taken place on the vexata questio,
which he considered had become more perplexed by the
speech of the right hon. member, who had taken a different
view on previous occasions. He thought the case laid be-
fore the law officers of the crown should be submitted to
the house, in order to enable honourable members to
judge if that statement embodied all the facts
of the case. B e had the highest opinion of
the law officers of the crown, lout as a man of experience
and common sense, an erroneous opinion might be obtained
from the most eminent lawyer in consequence of the nature
of the statement laid before him.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that the fact was
that the statements made by the officers who felt themselves
aggrieved, had been laid before the law officers of the
crown, and that their opinion had been founded on a full
knowledge of all the merits of the case.
Lord J. MANNERS and Mr. COLLIER trusted that the
motion would not be persevered in after the discussion
which had taken place. (Cries of " Divide.")
Sir J. HAY, in deference to the wishes of the house,
withdrew the motion.

The subject then dropped•
THE RECORD•OFFICE.
Mr. COCHRANE called the attention of the house to
the state of the Reccrd-office, and said that the right hon.
gentleman opposite (Mr. Cowper) by his statement the
other evening had conveyed an erroneous impression to the
house, and he quoted the report of the Master of the Rolls
to show that an alteration in the present Record .office was
desirable. The learned judge said that the apartments
in which some of the public records were kept were unfitted
for that purpose, being old, damp, and unsafe. He (Mr.
eCffiocehiernaenye)efcotuhledpslpaeetteks fwrhomerepethrseonal inspection of the ino:
sited. public e papers were dep