The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

MANNING THE NAVY.

Copies of a correspondence between the Board of
Treasury and the Board of Admiralty, on the subject of
the manning of the Royal Navy, together with copies of
a report of a committee of naval officers, and of her
Majesty's Orders in Council relating thereto, have just
been presented to Parliament by command of her
Majesty. The following is an abstract of the contents
of these important documents :
" R. Osborne, Esq., Secretary to the Admiralty, to J.
Wilson, Esq., Secretary to the Treasury.
" Admiralty, Mareial, 1853.
" Sir, —I am commanded by my Lords Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, for the in-
formation of the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's
Treasury, that they have had under their consideration
the important subject of the manning of the Royal
Navy. _ _

"The difficulties attaching to the present system of
manning her Majesty's ships have engaged the attention
of different Boards of Admiralty ; and various regula-
tions have from time to time been adopted with the ob-
jects of improving the condition of the seamen and of
inducing them voluntarily to enter for longer periods of
continuous service. Hitherto, however, so far as the
latter object is concerned, no satisfactory results have
been produced.
" The difficulties are inherent in the system itself,
which consists in entering men for particular ships se-
lected by themselves, nominally for five years, but,
practically, according to immemorial usage, for three
years' service, unless the ship be detained on a foreign
station for a period longer than three but less than five
years ; and then, after much expense, time, and labour
bestowed in training them, they are disbanded, and are
often lost to the service. A certain portion of the men
thus discharged never return to the navy. Some carry
the fruits of their training to foreign flags ; the larger
number return at periods dictated by their own inclina-
tion or convenience, and not by any regard to the wants
of the service. This desultory mode of proceeding is a
cause of great embarrassment and expense in conducting
the ordinary duties of the naval service. It creates un-
certainty as to the period when ships may be expected to
be ready for sea; and the evil becomes one of great mag-
nitude, and a serious danger, when political considera-
tions suddenly demand the rapid equipment of her Ma-
j esty's ships.
"These circumstances induced the late Board of Ad-
miralty to appoint a committee of naval officers to in-
quire into the expediency and practicability of engaging
men and boys for longer terms of continuous service.
The committee having fully investigated the subject, and
taken such evidence thereon as they deemed proper,
arrived ' unanimously at the conclusion that it was ex-
pedient to place her Majesty's navy on a more perma-
nent basis, upon a similar principle to that established
in the Army and Marines, and that solid advantages,
both to the Crown and to the seamen, would result
therefrom.' A copy of their report is transmitted here-
with for the information of the Lords of the Treasury.
"My lords fully concur in the view above expressed,
and they are of opinion that it is essential to give to the
royal navy a permanent constitution, in order that it
may be brought to a higher point of organisation, effi-
ciency, and discipline, and thus be enabled at critical
junctures to fulfil the expectations of the country.
With this object they propose to bring under the con-
sideration of the Lords of the Treasury such of the pro-
positions of the committee as involve an outlay of pub-
lic money, and which my lords confidently believe it is
the real interest of the country to carry into effect.
" All boys under the age of eighteen, who hereafter
enter the navy, to be required to engage for a period of
ten years' continuous and general service from the age
of eighteen, in addition to whatever periods may be
necessary until they attain that age ; and when ad-
vanced to the under-mentioned ratings la be allowed
the rates of pay specified below, in addition to the pre-
sent rates of pay of the royal navy :
Second-class ordinary seaman
Ordinary seaman
Petty officer and able seaman
"My lords propose that the above increased pay
should likewise be granted to men who hereafter enter
the navy for the first time, and who volunteer for ten
years' continuous and general service, and also to sea-
men who have served or are now serving in the navy,
and who volunteer to continue therein, certain portions
of their previous service being allowed to count towards
such ten years.
"Men whose period of service may, in the event of
an emergency, be temporarily extended, to be allowed
2d. a day (in addition to the pay of the rating they
hold) in lieu of the present proportionate rate of pay,
viz., an increase of one-fourth.
"A class of leading seamen to be established, with
2d. a day in addition to any other pay to which they
may be entitled. A third of the carpenter's crew to be
composed of shipwrights, who should also be granted
2d. a day additional.
" Men and boys to be permitted to purchase their
discharge upon a principle similar to that in the army
and marines.
" My lords consider that it would be beneficial to the
service to establish the following new ratings of petty
officers in sea-going line-of-battle ships, and in certain
special cases in ships of lower rates, with the under-
mentioned pay, in addition to any pay to which they
may be otherwise entitled
Chief gunner's mate ...
Chief captain of the forecastle 3d.
Chief quartermaster 3d.
"As encouragement to deserving petty officers, my
lords propose that an increase should be made, as fol-
lows, in the number who are eligible to be recommended
for good-conduct gratuities when ships are paid off :

. 3d.