The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-29 00:00:00

MENTS AND PROMOTIONS.

MR. STAFFORD'S CASE.
Yesterday the select committee appointed by the
'louse of Commons to inquire into the circumstances
arising out of and connected with the investigation before
the recent committee on the Chatham election, and
generally into the exercise of the influence and' patron-
age of the Admiralty in the several Parliamentary
boroughs connected with the dockyards, met for the first
time.

The members of the committee were- -Lord Seymour
(chairman), Lord Hothani, Sir Benjamin Hall, Sir Fer-
guson Davie, and Mr. Beckett.
Although not generally expected that the inquiry
would be open to the public, the room was crowded
during the day by officers and others of the Admiralty
and dockyards, and members of the House interested in
the inquiry.
Sir Baldwin Walker was the first witness called and
examined—He deposed that he filled the appointment of
surveyor to the Admiralty, and that about the last day
of March, 1852, Mr. Grant came to him from Mr. Staf-
ford, with a request that witness would not submit the
names of the persons to be promoted into the vacancies
for foremen and inspectors of shipwrights in Devonport
Dockyard, as Mr. Stafford's political friends were dis-
satisfied, and he wished to promote some of their party.
Witness felt annoyed at receiving such a message, and
requested Mr. Grant to inform Mr. Stafford that wit-
ness had been upwards of four years in the department,
that he had not allowed political notions to influence his
submission to the board with respect to promotions in
the dockyard, and that he was not going to commence
jobbing for Mr. Stafford or anybody else, and witness
requested' that such a proposition should never again
be named to him. Mr. Eden, of witness's depart-
Ment, entered the room during the conversation and
heard what witness said to Mr. Grant. On the 3d
of April, 1852, witness received the confidential let-
tPx• referred to by Mr. Stafford in his speech in the
House of Commons on the evening of the 19th of
April, 1853, to which witness replied on the same day,
and on the sth of the same month witness had a
warm argument with Mr. Stafford, at the Admiralty,
during which he informed witness that, as his political
friends were dissatisfied at the manner in which promo-
tions and entries were made in the dockyards, he had
no alternative but to cancel the circular of 1847, and on
witness pointing out the evil that would arise from such
a step, Mr. Stafford said, " There's no use blinking the
question ; I am so pressed by the Government I cannot
help myself ;" adding, that he was ready to take all the
responsibility on his own shoulders. The interview
ended by witness informing Mr. Stafford that if he can-
celled the order without taking any other step to rectify
the evils he stated existed, witness should consider it a
personal thing to himself. On the 19th of April, 1852,
'the circular was cancelled by Mr. Stafford without the
knowledge of the board, but no notice was sent to the
'surveyor, and he enly knew that (such was the case by
the dockyard returns, acknowledging its receipt. On the
same day (April 21) witness wrote the letter tendering
his resignation, which was addressed to the Secre-
tary of the Admiralty. Witness read this letter
to the Senior Naval Lord, Vice-Admiral Parker,
he being immediately connocted with witness's de-
partment, Captain Milne being present at the time.
Admiral Parker took the letter, and told witness
he would bring it before the board. On the day follow.
ing the delivery of the letter witness was sent for, and
Admiral Parker asked him if he would meet Mr. Staf-
ford in his room, to talk over the subject of the letter,
which witness did ; and during that interview the order
cancelling the circular of September, 1849. was warmly
discussed, and Mr. Stafford again repeated what he had
stated as to there being no use " blinking the question."
On witness stating to Mr. Stafford that cancelling the
circular must lower him in the estimation of the super-
intendents of the dockyards, Mr. Stafford assured him
that such was not his intention, and that ho was ready
to write any private letter witness might think proper
to show, to which witness replied, " I require no private
conversation ; yours has been a public act, and it can
only be rectified by a public act," to which Mr. Stafford
said he saw no objection to a public letter being sent.
Witness having told Mr. Stafford that that was a question
for the board to decide then tendered his resignation, and
Mr. Stafford then read a draft of a circular he proposed
should be brought before the board for their decision, in
which some alteration was made. Admiral Parker had wit-
ness's letter in his hand during the interview, and which
contained his resignation. On the 27th of April, 1852,
Admiral Parker informed witness that the board had
ordered the circular in question to be sent to the dock-
yards, and he thought witness ought to be satisfied ; to
which witness replied, that, although it cleared his cha-
racter, he did not consider it satisfactory, for the board
had confirmed an act the secretary had been guilty of
without their knowledge. On the 2d of April, 1852,
witness received a letter from the Admiralty, enclosing
a copy of the circular to the superintendents of the dock-
yards, dated 26th of April, 1852, which he considered
an answer to the letter he wrote tendering his resigna-
tion. Witness had no idea that letter had not been
officially brought forward, nor was he aware, when he
wrote to the board on the 25th November, 1852, that
it had been destroyed, for he never authorised its de-
struction or withdrawal, and considered it had been
before the board and was on record. Witness wrote the
letter of the 21st April, 1852, in consequence of an im-
putation having been cast upon his character, which the
board circular, of the 25th April, 1852, had cleared up ;
but finding that unjust promotions were being made
in the dockyards, and that the circular of February,
1847, was not adhered to, he felt that he had a duty
to perform to the public, and this induced him to write
the letter of May 10, 1852, to the First Lord of the Ad-
miralty. That letter witness requested Captain Pelham
to deliver to the Duke of Northumberland, and witness
read a copy of it at the time to the first naval lord, Ad-
miral Parker, who remarked, " I think you are quite
right ; there is nothing like going to the fountain head."
Witness never received any reply to that letter. On the
22d November, 1852, witness received a note from Mr.
Stafford, enclosing Admiral Berkeley's intended notice
to the house respecting the correspondence between the
Admiralty and the Surveyor. Mr. Stafford wished to
know what it meant, as he was not aware of any ; to
which witness replied that he could not at that time find
any of the copies, but at his residence, but that he had
no doubt his letters were at Whitehall. On the follow-
ing day, the 23d of November, Mr. Stafford replied to
Admiral Berkeley and Sir George Pechell that there was
no correspondence with the Surveyor of the Navy on
the subject of promotions in the dockyards, and also that
the Surveyor of the Navy had not tendered his resigna-
tion. On the 24,th of November, in consequence of the
answer given by the Secretary of the Admiralty in the
House of Commons, witness wrote the following letter
to the board, calling their attention to the letters of the
21st of April and 10th of May, 1852 :--
" Somerset-house, Nov. 25, 1852.
" Sir,—Having observed in the public papers that the
Secretary of the Admiralty is r.Torted to have stated in
the House of Commons, on the evening of the 23d inst., in
reply to certain questions asked by Admiral Berkeley and
Sir George Pechell, that there was no correspondence with
the Surveyor of the Navy on the subject of the promotions
in the dockyards, and also that the Surveyor of the Navy
had not tendered his resignation, I desire through you to
call the attention of my Lords the Commissioners of the
Admiralty to the letters from me bearing date 21st April
and 10th May last.
'I have the honour to be, sir, your most obdt. servant,

B. W. WALKER
"A Stafford, Esq., M.P., Secretary of the Admiralty

On witness going to the Admiralty on that day, the 25th,
lie was told that Mr. Stafford wished to speak to him, and
Mr. Stafford commenced the conversation by naming wit-
ness's letter, and stating the answer he had given in the
House of Commons. Witness then asked him, " What
could have induced him to give such answers?" Mr. Staf-
ford replied, " What would you have me say?" Witness
answered, "Anything but what you did say, for you know
that I tendered my resignation, and that some days after
I wrote a letter to the First Lord of the Admiralty."
Mr. Stafford stated that was a private one, pointing at
the same time to what appeared to witness to be a copy
of his letter to the Duke of Northumberland on Mr.
Stafford's table. Witness 'observed that it was a letter
from the Surveyor of the Navy to the First Lord, and
left the room. On the 27th of November, 1852, witness
received the following letter " Admiralty, Nov. 26, 1852.

',uesis

witnesl

" Surveyor of the Navy.
" With reference to your letter of the 25th inst., I am to
acquaint you that your letters of the 21st of April and 10th
of May, referred to by you, do not appear to haver eached
the Record department of this office, and my lords,
there-
fore, request you will transmit copies of those letters.
" By command of their lordships,
"A. STAFFORD."
Witness had copies made, and wrote the following letter,
enclosing it to the Secretary of the Admiralty
" Somerset-house, Nov. 20, 1852.
" Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 26th inst.,
I beg to acquaint you that since my
communicationAd •
25th inst., I have been informed that m of the
i y
letter of the 21st
of April, addressed to the Secretary of the
Admiralty,
which was delivered to Vice-Admiral Hy P
de arker, was
not brought before the board, and with reference to the
letter of the 10th of May, it was a communication ad-
dressed to the First Lord of the Admiralty, and not to the
secretary.—l have the honor to be, sir, our most oho•
dient servant,
"Aug. Stafford, Esq., M.P., Sec. of' B.
theWAC-Imi
Admiralty."
WALKER,ty.,,
Witness took it to Whitehall, but when he got there
was late, and the- members had left, it being Saturda
the 2
Witness took the letter home, intending to send
MOr.uSSta,ilitn(d)racly,,requestBinthg,tillv,ll
the Admiralty on Monday morinn6
c3ei
wouldiovne dd a
may
noteemeet
t h morning.ifmr oatm
Stafford,
Witness went there soon
abetweenfter
9 o'clock, 9 and li .1
and o clock,'sa ‘v
Mr.lan
wishes,of settling the affair if
that he had hit on a
again differed the fault wouldl and
that if they
tafford, who told witness
Stafford's. "I," continued the witness's'
witness would meet hist)
ethawtitlnemssus, and not Mr.
what it was." . He slaitdo,ld"hDiom
t: afsokre dI himb had
letters called for." not send the copies of the
got an official letter to doso. He pressed me hard to
agree to his proposal, t,
that I could not with ut I did not consent, stating
then left Mr. Stafford any propriety do so. Witness
told him that he and went to Admiral Parker, and
letters (and , a
e _ was going to send in copies of the
had them in his hand at the time)—one