The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-01 00:00:00

MASTERS 'IN THE NAVY.

The following is the Copy, of a Plan which has
been submitted to the Lords Commissioners'of
the Admiralty, having for its objectqlic promo-
tion of practical navigation ou board ships of ware
and the improvemencof the condition of that very
useful class of officers, Masters in the Navy :

1. A class of officers, to be denorniniated Navigating Lieu-
tenants, to take the charge anti navigating of his Majesty's ships
(as the Masters now do); all Lieutenants to pass an examina-
tion at the Trinity House to become Naiigating Lieutenants,
before they are eligible to command gun-brigs, cutters,
schooners, &c.; this regulation would be an excitement to ac-
quire nautical experience, and would tend greatly to promote
practical navigation in the navy.
2. Whenevee it so happens that a Navigating Lieutenant
becomes the senior Lieutenant of the ship in which he is serv-
ing, he is, bona fide, to do the duty of first Lieutenant, and
another Navigating Lieutenant to be appointed to succeed him
in the Charge and navigating of the ship: this regulation
would do away the idea that to become a Navigating Lieutenant
precluded the officer from further promotion, and would clearly
point out that the Navigating Lieutenants were equally in the
military line of the service with the Lieutenant of a watch.
2. The command of all gun-brig,s,cutters, schooners, and
store-ships, situations in dock-yards. &c., to be filled (as vacan-
cies occur) by Navigating Lieutenants only: this regulation
would tend greatly to increase the number of Navigating Lieu -
tenants, and would bring forward many officers of ability in
the science of navigation it would be the means of training up
many more to gain every Information by experience, and to
acquire a local knowledge of the diMrent harbours, bays, roads,
coasts, anchorages, fortifications, &c. &c., they may visit in
his Majesty's ships.

By the above means, the navy would be enabled to train and
bring up her own navigating officers, without having recourse
to the merchant service for auxiliaries as Masters: another
circumstance strongly in favour of adopting a class of Navigat-
ing Lieutenants is, the great experience they would gain while
commanding gun-brigs, cutters, and schooners, on the several
stations where they might he ordered, as well as a local know-
ledge of the harbours which would be their particular ren-
dezvous ; and, to further the extent of nautical experience still
more, it might be deemed expedient to change the stations of
all vessels commanded by Navigating Lieutenants, once in every
two years. All those Lieutenants who are now desirous of
holding commands would' of necessity qualify themselves as
Navigating Lieutenants, nor would it be requisite to limit the
number • as admitting that there were twice the number of
Navigating Lieutenants than there are ships in the list of the
navy, it would not he detrimental to the service, because those
officers could either do the duty of Lieutenant of a watch, or
take upon them the charge and navigating of the ship ; on the
contrary, it would rather have the effect of bringing forward a
great many
.skilful and jedicious navigators, whose abilities
otherwise might never be brought into practice; anti it is gene-
rally.allowed, that of all the theories of science, that of navigar
tion is the least useful, without the experienced and practical
part.

.The following additional suggestions on the
same subject have been made to the Admiralty
and NaVy Beards, subsequently to the delivery
'of the. plan ; and both, we understand, are at
present under consideration
The senior Masters on the list of the Navy to be superannuatea,
and all the junior officers to be made Navigating Lieutuiants.
As the Order in Council of 1804,. wherein :darters were made
eligible to the rank of Lieutenant (and which has never been re.
yoked), would give them. sonic claim to seniority with the Lieu.
tenants, those Masters Who were made Navigating Lieutenants
'might be allowed to take seniority with the Lieutenants., from.
the date bf their having served six•years io theMvy, it being the
specified time required of 'Mates and Midshipmen to serve be-
for they are eligible to a Lieutenant's.commission : this would
appear to he a Just and ete!.,table way of placing them on the
list; for although some of the junior Lieutenants might be
jealous at having a few of the ei-devani Masters placid over
their heads,. yet, if the adoption of Navigating Lieutenants
should be considered of importance and practical benefit to the
sirviest, the Lieutenants and Masters should make an equal com-
promise, in•order to fix the time and equal point of seniority._
/is it may be considered that frequent promotions and removals,
by invaliding, &c., would often occasion ships to be without
navigating-officers, we will suppose ten sail of the line are fitted
for foreign service, averaging seven Lieutenants to each ship,
including Navigating Lieutenants; suppose each ship to have
in her complement of officers, two Navigating Lieutenants; the
First Lieutenants of half the fleet shall •be Navigating Lieute-
nants ; the First Lieutenants of the other half shall be Lieute-
nants of divisions. This fleet proceeds to its destination, and the
chances of service promotes the whole of the First Lieutenants;
there are still left 10 navigating officers on board the fleet: ad-
mit that five more of the navigating officers work their way to
' first Lieutenants, and are promoted by the chances of service,
either from an action or otherwise, there will then be left ten
Navigating Lieutenants of this fleet.thatis, one to do the duty
in each slut). We will now admit, that those Navigating Lieu-
tenants left rank promiscuously between the fourth and junior
Lieutenants, consequently stand no chance of becoming First
Lieutenant while the ships are on the station ; nevertheless,
we will allow that five out of the ten have powerful interest
with the Admiralty, and are promoted by them ; the same ship
that took their Captains' commissions, could take out Navi-
gating Lieutenants to -supersede them. Admitting the Ad-
miralty: did not immediately send out navigating officers,
half the ships being now without, is it possible that out of
the remaining fifty Lieutenants who left England in this
fleet (for I will not include the midshipmen who would
take the . vacancies of the five Lieutenants of divisions, who
were made in the first batch), that five could not be found
competent to do the duty of acting Navigating Lieutenants on
foreign station, where the navigation, perhaps, was not very
difficult, until proper officers were sent out; if so, it shews in a
stronger point of view the necessity for Improvement in nau-
tical seience. It will be observed, this case is in :he extreme:
onlrontmenth of the Lieutenants of divisions being made
Captain*, to 3-4ths of the Navigating Lieutenants: had there
been a corresponding number of .Navigating Lieutenants made,
there would havebeen eighteen left, two only, being promoted.
1 have' made this statement with a view to prove that the fleet
would not- be in extreme difficulty, admitting all the promo-
tions mentioned to have takes: place, which, by the by, carries
She greatest improbability with it.-4 Times. )

The following' is the chief argument in a
Morning Paper of this day, in answer to the
keatiOns given In The Quarierl,y Review for the
support of our ParnEsTANI. ESTARLISHMENT
4"f i-di-ti-diddy -dum-twidd le-twadd le,twee."
On Monday last one of the fish-ponds of Sir
flAnalr FEATHERSTONE, at Harting, was drawn,
and an immense quantity. of fish taken--:-amongst
them four pikes, weighing together ninety-two
pounds.
Loss or COMMODORE O'Brtir.m.—We regret
to learn the loss of Commodore 01,BetEsr, whose aquatic ex-
hibitions here and elsewhere excited in the public mind a con-
siderable degreaof regard for this dextrous, though diminutive
mariner. A tientlernan direct front Plymouth Dock has in.
formed us, that the Commodore was' cruising on Thursday
(With ult.) in Plymouth Harbour, for the purpose of seeing the
DUke of Norfolk, whose yacht was in the Sound. The Thetis
frigate manned her yards, and fired 15 guns. About one o'clock
the gallant Commodore, together with his boat, unaccountably
sunk, and had not afterwards appeared. Thus the poor Com-
i'nodorei who so often triumphed o'er the wave, at last fell a
victim to his own element.--(Southampton Herald.)
MORTALITY IN PARIs.---The Board of Health
has preaedted its general report for 1822. The report states
the linprovements already made, and those which seem yet
necessary' to complete the salubrity- of the capital. The
Board-makes SOITIe melancholy reflections on the ravages of
the small-pox at Paris. During the year 1822, 1,236 peer-
Kens died of that disease ; in. 1821, 112 persons ; and in 1820,
only 41 fell
"victiThis alarming increase," says
the report, naturally lambi to the conclusion that the use
of vaccination has dirmnished in the same proportion. Another
cause of mortality still more afflicting. because it arises from
the depravation of morals, bas diminished in a manner equally
remarkable." The total number of deceases, in .1822. was
23,1317 in I8:11, it wa523,749; making a differenosof 68 more
in 1822. The births in that year were 26,319, being an excess
of 2302 over the deaths. The number of suicides was 355, of
whom 239 were men, and 116 women, It differs fano the pre-
ceding year by cnly four less,

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