The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-16 00:00:00

.NA VA

!BNCE.

Captain Uddney Mundy has resigned the command of
the London, 92, at Spithead, in consequence of ill health ;
and has been succeeded by Captain Charles Eden, late
private secretary to the Earl of Auckland and Sir
Francis Bari ng, when First Lords of the Admiralty.
The London ig 'not yet fully manned, but we trust she
soon will be. Captain Eden's selectiOn is a fair one.
He is compai atively a young captain, but he has com-
manded a 50-gi m frigate— the Winchester, and for some
time the flag-sh.ip at Portsmouth. He will now make
up his time in on: of the best sailing ships in the service.
THE NEW MASTER SHIPWRIGHT.—There are several
candidates for the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. 0.
Lang, master shipw right of Woolwich yard, of whom
Mr. 0. Lang, son of the deceased, and assistant-master
shipwright of Chattiam yard ; Mr. Turner, filling a
similar office in Devonport yard ; and Mr. J. Peake,
assistant-master shipwright at Woolwich, the designer of
the most successful life-boat on the coast, son of the late
Sir H. Peake, formerly Surveyor of the Navy, are con-
sidered to have the most favourable chance. Mr.
Lang was the acting-master shipwright of Deptford
Dockyard on its re-establishment, and Mr. Turner was
master shipwright of the establishment at Bombay for
many years. It is not likely, however, that the officer
promoted will come to Woolwich. That has always been
regarded as a senior establishment. It is more probable
that Mr. Read, who for many years has been the effi-
cient master shipwright at Sheerness, and who was for-
merly Mr. Lang 's first assistant at Woolwich, will be
appointed to that dockyard, and the new master ship-
wright will go to Sheerness. At all events, we trust the
vacancy will be given to a good, sound, practical ship-
wright, and not a mere talking, fidgetty, hair-splitting
calculator. Doubtless the Surveyor of the Navy will be
consulted on this promotion, and the consequent appoint-
ments.—Herald.

The vacant appointment of junior medical inspector
of Haslar, vice Anderson, deceased, has been given to
Inspector of Hospitals Dr. John Wilson (1841).
Dr. Thomas Frazer (1838), of the Cumberland, 70,
flag-ship in the West Indies, has been appointed surgeon
and medical storekeeper at Jamaica Hospital ; and Dr.
William M'Kinlay (1847) has been appointed to the
Cumberland.

The Admiralty have appointed two, medical officers to
the Illustrious, hospital ship, at Portsmouth, Surgeon
James Ellis (1823), and Assistant-Surgeon Wm. Pat-
rick (1847). -

The foll Owing assistant-surgeons have been proinoted to
the rank of surgeon :—Dr. Charles Forbes, of the Cal-
liope, 26, Australia ; Arthur Adams, of Haslar Hospi-
tal ; Dr. Robert Hastings, of the. Hogue, 58, screw-ship,
Devonport ; and Dr. John Balfour Nicholson, of the
Antelope, steam-vessel, Mediterranean. These officers
are the senior qualified, with the exception of Mr.
Pritchard, who has been passed over, and other officers
who wished to remain in their present rank. These
assistant-surgeons are of more than eleven years' stand-
ing, being of 1841 seniority. A poor encouragement,
indeed, for young medical men to enter the service, even
if they met with the treatment from the Admiralty
which their age and education entitle them to receive.
The following, clerks have also been promoted to the
rank of paymaster :—F. W. Cole (1836), the senior on
the list ; J. T. Spark (1844), of the Virago, steam-sloop,
Pacific, fifth on the list, passing over Messrs. Ellis,
Spear, and Slaughter, all serving at the, present time ;
Edward Robert Chamberlain (1844), of the Porcupine,
steam-vessel, Queenstown, passing over Mr. Pinhorn ;
John Thomas Wells (1845), of the Ajax, screw flag-ship,
Queenstown, passing over Mr. Retallick, who is now
serving; and James L. Thorne (1845), also of the Ajax,
passing over Mr. Horniman, who is serving.
ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE.—The following gentlemen
passed their examination on Wednesday in navigation
in the presence of. Rear-Admiral Superintendent Fan-
shawe, Captain Chads, C. 8., of the Excellent, &c., and
on Thursday received their certificates :
Mates for Lieutenants.—Claude A. C. De Crespigny,
Edwin Charles Chaplain, John G. T. Clarke, George
W. Strong, George R. Bell, Keith Stewart, Andrew. J.
Kennedy, George L. Sulivan, Marcus P. Costello,
Arthur M. Wells, Louis de la Cherais, John K. E.
Baird, and Henry J. Urquhart.
Second Masters ,for Masters.— Palmer, Clifton, and
Parks. •

Naval Cadets.—Turton, Pearse, Skene.
Masters' Assistants.—Brown, Hitchcock, Richards;
Row, Atkinson.

DOCKTARD.-Mr. Theophilus Scott has been appointed
inspector of shipwrights of Chatham dockyard.
THE FEVER IN THE (MlN.—The Admiralty have or-
dered the Odin, 16, steam-frigate, Captain Scott, to take
a cruise to the westward, with the hope of improving
her sick fever patients. If the fever should not abate
the ship is to return immediately to port.

PORTSMOUTH, APRIL .15.
The London, 90, still remains at Spithead, but under
orders for sea.

The Vulcan, screw iron-troop-ship, Commander Von
Donop, got her lower yards down to-day, and sent them
ashore. We undeistand she requires much more power-
ful ones, as she is very stiff under canvass, and could
bear some few hundred yards in addition, which would
enable her to increase her speed at the least a knot an
hour.

The Avon, paddle steam-tender, Master Commander
Veitch, came into harhour this morning, from Devon-
port, with supernumeraries, and returned this afternoon.
The Illustrious, hospital-ship, has received her jury-
masts to-day, and will be moored at Block hou'e hole—
the entrance creek to Haslar Hospital. Soundings for
that purp6se have been taken to-day.
Th. YR:W.IO.s, rec..; sic% hulk, has been shifted along-
side the Duke of Wellington, 131, screw, Captain Henry
Byam Martin, C. 8., opposite the Sheers Jetty, and has
been shipping stores the whole day from lighters belong-
ing to the victualling department. •
The Mercury, cutter, Lieutenant Commander Ireland,
arrived this morning from the Channel Islands, and came
into harbour to receive wages.
Ships of War at Spithead.—London, Encounter, Im-
perieuee.

The Styx, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Hall, was at
Mauritius Feb. 14, and was reported off Point de Galle
on the 6th March.

The Sphynx, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Hillyar,
arrived at Trincomalee Feb. 27, en route to England to
be paid off.

PEMBROKE, APRIL 15.
M. Dupr4 de Sarm and Captain Bourgeois, the former
the constructor and the latter the commander of the
Napol4on French screw line-of-battle-ship, have visited
and thoroughly inspected the Royal yard at Pembroke.
For some time past an order has been in force to admit
two French gentlemen to view the establishment, and
on their arrival they were received by the Captain-Super-
intendent, Sir T. Pasley, and Mr. Rice, the Master-Ship-
wright, by whom they were taken over the yard, the
whole of which was minutely inspected. The shipbuilding
department elicited warm commendations.

FLOGGING THE BOATSWAIN'S MATE.
SIR, —I have been much gratified with the manner in
which the Morning Herald has commented on the cruel
treatment of Stapleton, the boatswain's mate ; and with
the promise that the " subject shall not be allowed to
drop."
Some years ago a good deal was said in the House of
Commons on the flogging of soldiers, which resulted in
the limitation of the powers of courts-martial, as regards
that degrading punishment to 50 lashes, and which is
now applied only in the cases of disgraceful crimes. I
have long expected that the Legislature, which was so
warmly interested on behalf of the priyate soldier, would
in time extend some protection to poor Jack ; but have
looked in vain for this desirable boon.
The cruel case of the boatswain's mate has been ex-
posed to the view of the public and excited its just
indignation, but that is only a specimen of the mar-
tial law used in the Royal Navy, " the right hand
of England," whose humbler members should, in this
age of enlightenment, at least enjoy the same immu-
nity from the scourge as their brethren on land, if
not from philanthropic, at least from political mo-
tives ; but hitherto no benevolent M.P. has been
stirred up to inquire into these matters, and things
have been suffered to go on unchecked in our ships of
war on the distant ocean that would not have been
tolerated for one day if they took place in a garrison
town in England within earshot of the inhabitants,
arising from the power entrusted to the captains of the
navy to inflict corporal punishment on' their men to the
extent of 48 lashes ; in most cases the captain being, not
only judge, jury, and administrator of punishment, but
prosecutor also.
I readily grant that many of these officers use their
enormous power with moderation, and, it may be, a
sincere desire to avoid the use of this disgusting punish-
ment, when they think it can be dispensed with. But
the principle of placing such power over his fellow-crea-
tures in the hands of one man is atrociously wrong,
and, as might be expected, it is often abused. For ex-
ample, I have known a captain capriciously to spard a
thief's back, and in a few days afterwards inflict the full
penalty of 48 lashes on an unfortunate wretch whose de-
linquency was drunkenness and too loud talking.
This captain was by no means a cruel man, and the
injustice he committed was only a consequence of a
system which Sir James Graham seeks to uphold, rather
than the fault of the fallible man, who carried his power
to its utmost extent, perhaps under the influence of
temper, caprice, or any of the numerous motives which
bias the human mind.
Such cases as Stapleton's when perpetrated in an Eng-
lish harbour, naturally create their own remedy, by their
very enormity arousing public attention, and directing it
to the manners and customs of naval courts-martial ; but
the legalised cruelty that may be practised on the, wide
ocean does not so readily reach the public ear, and to this
especially I desire to draw attention.
The inevitable misuse of the despotic power to which
I have adverted might be corrected by relieving every
captain of the onerous responsibility of punishing minor
offences, and laying it on a jury of the ship's officers
(whose awards should be strictly scrutinised at the Ad-
miralty), the prerogative of mercy being still left to the
captain as his privilege ; and no minor punishments, as
they are called, ought tp be entrusted irresponsibly to a
clpta,in or a first lieutenant, a quarterly return of such
being included in the reports of graver punishments,
and forwarded to the Admiralty, and that board held
accountable to the country for the act of its officers.
I doubt not there are a few despots in the service who
would dislike to be deprived of the sweet power of lash-
ing their humbler fellow-man's flesh, and offer plausible
ar. uments for the continuance of it : but nothing, in my
opinion, should be allowed to come in the way of a re-
form of this monster evil