The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-04 00:00:00

THE LATE BOARD OF ADMIRALTY,

Yesterday, on the re-assembling of the committee,
Lord Seymour (chairman), Lord Hotham, Sir B. Hail,
Sir F. Davie, and Mr. Beckett,
The Chairman, in reply to Hon. Mr. Talbot--who re-
peated the statement contained in the letter we pub-
lished yesterday, that, unless the committee were per-
fectly satisfied that Lord Derby brought no undue in-
fluence to bear on Mr. Stafford with reference to the
dockyard appointments, his lordship wished to be called
to give evidence before the committee—said the com-
mittee were not in a position to give a reply to the ap-
plication at present.
The Chairman said he had understood from Sic Bald-
win Walker that he wished from personal reasons to
read a letter with reference to what had passed between
himself and Admiral Parker before the committee.
Sir Baldwin Walker then read the following letter :
" Admiralty, May 2,1853.
"My dear Walker—l regret I made a mistake about your
making use of my three letters. I was not aware when I
said before the committee that I had only given you per-
mission to make use of one letter, that the three letters
were all on the subject of the master smith. You are
therefore perfectly at liberty to make use of the three be-
fore the committee,—Yours very sincerely,
" HYDE PARKER."
Sir Baldwin Walker—l also wish to ask Mr. Stafford's
permission to read a letter he addressed to me on the
28th of November.
Mr. Stafford having intimated his acquiescence,
Sir B. Walker read the document as follows :
(Private and confidential,)
" Admiralty, Nov. 28.
" Dear Sir Baldwin—As no official answer has arrived to
sok
the letter you received from the board on. T4`riday t, on the
subject of your communication of that trig!, I ' youthis
unofficial note, which I trust you will read in t e same
friendly spirit as actuates its writer. Admiral Berkeley has
given me notice of a motion on the subject of your corres-
pondence with the Board of Admiralty, and he may to-
morrow raise in the House of Commons the question of its
existence. I cannot, therefore, let another board day pass
without another official letter to you or from you.
" But if you will call here before the board meets, i. e.,
before half-past eleven o'clock to-morrow, I think I can
point out a course of proceeding which may be adopted
without the least annoyance to yourself or to any one else.
"We cannot, of course, control the proceedings of our
political opponents ; but it is also absolutely necessary
that the several departments of this important establish-
ment should at once be brought into harmony with each
other.
" My only objects are to carry out the instructions of
my Government, and to avoid as much as possible giving
pain to any one. I shall be glad to see you any time after
nine o'clock.—Truly yours, STAFFORD.
" Sir Baldwin Walker, &c."
The Chairman then said it was his intention to move
in the house that there be laid before the committee re-
turns of the appointments and promotions that took
place in the several dockyards during 1852, specifying
when such appointments and promotions were made,
and in every case, where practicable, specifying on
whose recommendation.
Captain Duncombe suggested that, in fairness, the
return might be extended as far back as 1847.
Mr. Cotsell was then recalled, and requested to pro-
duce the letter he alluded to in his evidence given yes-
terday, addressed to him by Thomas Collings. He said,
the Surveyor of the Navy led him to believe that his
desire to be removed to Portsmouth had been favour-
ably entertained, and Thomas Collings, in the Account-
ant-General's department, wrote to him a series of letters
on that and on general subjects, leading him to believe
it. From 1846 he had communications with Collings on
the matter. The witness went into a narration of this,
and then produced the following letter :
(Strictly confidential.)
" Admiralty, Somerset-house, April 13, 1852.
" My dear Cotsell,—l have resumed my duties to-day,
after having been confined several days at home with in-
flamed eyes. I cannot write much, but, knowing your
anxiety, will not omit to inform you what I have heard
since my return here.
" Your letter applying for the change was received here
last Wednesday, and Sir B. Walker very considerately di-
rected it should stand over until Mr. Tyler's papers came
from Portsmouth. They were received only yesterday,
now, therefore, the case is complete. You will be gratified
to know that Sir Baldwin has received a letter from Mr.
Fincham, applying for you in very earnest terms, and all I
can tell you more is that, up to the present time, no
obstacle has presented itself to your request being complied
with. The Surveyor himself is very desirous of doing it,
and as it will not interfere with patronage of any kind, he
does not foresee any objection on the part of those in
power. On the whole, the matter is surely in as fair a
train as it possibly can be, and albeit I am not unmindful
of the adage about the cup and the lip, I sincerely hope
that I may before long have to congratulate you as Master
Vulcan of Portsmouth dockyard.
"My wife and bairns are all well, and hoping you are
the same,

" I remain, yours most faithf
COulLly,
" THOS. LINGS."
The evidence adduced during the day had relation
almost exclusively to the case of Wells, and to the sys-
tem of patronage and promotion adopted in the different
dockyards, and which mainly formed the material of
evidence adduced on previous days.
Sir Baldwin Walker was further questioned by the
committee on a variety of points, and stated that the
report of the Admiralty committee of revision of 1848
was not published, but that no doubt a copy of it might
be had at the Admiralty. It was a rule with the Ad-
miralty seldom to promote an officer in the same ship,
but generally to another.
Mr. Hamadros, clerk in the Admiralty, deposed, from
the entry-book in his departmert, that Joseph Ridgway
was appointed acting first-class leading man in the metal
mills at Chatham, on the sth of April, 1852, having been
then advanced from the second class. The papers con-
nected with the appointments were missing.
Mr. Barrow, of the Admiralty Record-office, deposed
that sometimes letters and documents did not go into
that department at all.
Mr. John Briggs, 27 years reader to the Board of Ad-
miralty, deposed with great preciseness and importance
to the duties that devolved on him in his department.
Two lords of the Admiralty and the secretary were suffi-
cient to form a board ; but it would be, probably, what
was called a " secret " board. His duty was to open all
the dispatches sent to the Admiralty. They were opened
either by the secretary or by him in the presence of the
secretary. He marked the papers and distributed them
—asking the lords if they approved of them. He made
the selection of the most important papers, and read all
the letters to the secretary and the lords. He took the
sense of the First Lord on various subjects, as well as
the opinions of the other lords, and the secretary entered
it in a short minute. He did not know how often a se-
cret board was held. All the most important proceed-
ings would be known both to himself and the head of the
secret department, whether it was a message from the
Foreign-office, the Queen's command, or an order for
the distribution of the fleet. When there was any se-
cret document, it would be put under a sealed cover with
" secret" endorsed upon it. Was present at the board
meeting of September, 1849, and remembered the circu-
lar being brought before the board. Witness was very
glad of the arrangement which directed that all letters
for promotions should go to the Surveyor of the Navy
in the first instance, as it diminished witness's labours ;
but subsequently, owing to the cancelling of the circular,
they were sent to the secretary, and opened by witness.
Witness's opinion was, that the old system of sending
first to the surveyor was the more desirable one, and
that it would have been better, for that and other reasons,
not to have cancelled the circular of 1849. Ile thought it
occupied the secretary's time. which might be devoted to
more important matters. When the matter of the resig-
nation of the surveyor of the navy was mentioned, witness
did not pay much attention to it ; it was so common
een
a
thing for naval officers to talk of retiring. Had b
desired to leave the board-room when some matters were
discussed, but it had not occurred for many years. After
reading all that was proper he might have withdrawn,
and then their lordships might discuss matters among
themselves. Remembered the occasion ➢of Sir Baldwin
Walker, the surveyor of the navy, being at the Admi-
ralty on the subject of his letter of resignation. "On
g unpleasantu n der great
had
ad agita-
tion
my entering the room, said said the witness, " the Surveyor
o f th
of
fN mind,a y a paps e aur e
something
bt
he
n 1 labouring ovu:
oc-
curred. I heard some words andsiwr,asl
wiablolugto toto
sroetmireer,-
thinking something had taken place. The Surveyor was
standing at the table, folding up his Papers, and I heard
him say these words, 'Very well,
set-house, and return by and by. Seeing that he was
very much agitated, I said to Mr. Stafford, ' I hope the
Surveyor has not resigned.' No, he's resign-
ed.' I said, ' What do you mean 7 Then Mr. Stafford
said, The Surveyor of the Navy has been to the Duke
of Northumberland, and the Duke of Northumberland
informed him that he had never seen his resignation, and
letter
aylotfht oorledDsiguhknimae,.
that if he had seen his letter of resignation he should
Sur-
immediately have taken it to Lord Derby ; that the
tjPoi
iwabrfiir ik;:ieghcswui slffi_t letter before the
thatvbeo yaor
board,
eh hadbandt
efisttryed it.' Mr. Stafford also
beenthatn ot
ht
thoughteo
hadd Admiral
made use of these words
t Navy not only comes
tions ub bi
ne dt
hboyfirfire,
the Admiral
Surveyor Par,Par, f
to inc and recites this in his own proper person, but asks
mark (said Mr. Briggs)
nished at you, I am. Laughter.)nos topress too' heavily
'let me beg and entreat of you
me what he had better do.' cL_o_urd.slatuayfihnnrtedder,e.d)l,,mMl
the Navy ; he's a most amiable ya
said,s o
man,
on the Surveyor of
going onquickly
to put a stop to
beliefwhatis
is
that no asposilble gooads
possible, as my
it.'
Mr, Stafford then put his hand
he's a most talented officerl a,nmd
yI bdeegaranßdriegigitsr,eaytouy,ovue
can come from it.
to know that I am not vindictive.'
known me long enough
h (I au ht If 1
known hi five mont s. s g er.) e t very
I had
cause from what I knew of the sur-
much distressed, be ,
1 1 •
I believed that when le sal( lie was going to
/eY°l., - I would be a real bona fide resigna-
Somerset-house, t iere
on my shoulder and said,
secretary to Mr. Stafford, was then
Mr. Grant, private
to the system pur-
called and examined with reference
When
tion. said, I did not thins. the surveyor was to blame.
sued in 'slaking appointments and promotions.
for promotion, but to ascer-
it was not to submit names .
xisted, in the dockyards;
tarn whether certain vacancies e
iralty having received notice
the Secretary of the Adm
he went to see Sir Baldwin Walker at Somerset-house,
that certain vacancies existed, but that they had not