The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-16 00:00:00

inc(rning

LONDON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1846

Rumours, to which full credence is given in several quar-
ters, lead to the belief that a mutiny has broken out in the
Admiralty, and that it will require all the tact and courage
of Sir R. PEEL and Lord ELLENEOROUGH to subdue the
rebels. One report states that Sir GEORGE Cociseurts and
Admiral BOWLES have both resigned on the ground that
they have insuperable objections to Captain Rous as a col-
league. This is extremely probable, for the Gallant Officer
is a well-known Reformer—he has denounced the crying
abuses in the navy; he has some young blood in his veins,
and must therefore be regarded with the utmost jealousy and
suspicion byst disciple of the old school, like Sir G. CocKnußze.
In our opinion, however, this is not half the truth. Lord
ELLENBOROUGH is the great bugbear; strong qualms were felt
on his appointment, the old rotten system was in danger
from a man who had created such alarm at the India House,
and Captain Rous' accession was only the feather which de-
cided the balance. During the whole of Sir R. PEEL'S ad-
ministration Sir G. Cocxnunx has had everything his own
way ; Lord HADDINOTON, never very resolute, and latterly
labouring under infirm health, yielded his own convictions,
perhaps, to those of the first naval Lord, and the junior
Lords were kept in such excellent and severe discipline, that
they were very cautious in hazarding an opinion adverse to
the venerable Admiral. The Admiralty has hitherto exer-
cised a sort of imperiurn in iinperio ; it has the power
of appointing, or what comes to the same thing,
recommending, all officers to ships and stations; it regulates
its internal economy with the most wonderful independence
and self-satisfaction, and seems not at all disposed to recognise
such a body as the Cabinet, or such a personage as Prime
Minister. It was natural, therefore, that a tremendous com-
motion would be excited in the decayed tenement when the
old crew were invaded by such radicals as ELLENBOROUGH
and Rous, and the sacred fabric was touched by the un-
hallowed hands of a thorough Reformer, like the First Lord
of the Treasury. But what is this commotion to the public?
A new system of management for the navy has for
many years been demanded, not by the press only but
qy some of our most distinguished naval 'officers
The public cannot forget the speeches made by Sir
4 alga NATIER on the abuses in that
department.o ;
they cannot be blind to the fact that most of th N
brought up as apprentices on board our ships have-noulgdmuceen
ment to remain in the service for which they were especially
intended ; that many go into the merchant service, or into
the American navy, where they get better pay; and that the
greater portion of the sailors who man the fleet of England',
great rival are natives of this country. Thus the main arm
of the Cnited Kingdom is weakened by disease at the very
source of life—we have ships of every class in abundance
and to spare, admirals in still greater numbers, and every
department, except one, full to overflowing. Where patronage
prevails there is no lack of hands; but where there
is little or no patronage where the interests of
the sailor should be consulted, and the best men
that money and rewards can obtain should be found,
we find only poverty and destitution. Should war break out
with America, an event very probable, sailors to man our
fleets could not be obtained without the press-gang, an
instrument to which these rulers of the navy cling
as if it were the only salvation of the country.
Men are thus torn from their lawful and peaceable occu-
pations by the most cruel of all despotisms, hurried on board
a Queen's ship, there to be treated as outcasts, and not al-
lowed again to touch their native land till they sell them-
selves as slaves. But these are only a few of the grievances
which such men as pzEL, and ELLENBOROUGH, and
&we TrOald eradicate, and the ,public, therefore, can

J

;
,;•• -