The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-10 00:00:00

(From, Ike Morming Herald)

The Morning Herald has ever been the staunch ad-
vocate of the rights of officers belonging to her Majesty's
navy. We must, therefore, express our deep regret at
a recent order that completely shelves many, very many,
deserving and gallant officers. \ quote the following
from the speech of the Fir L-ird, Sir C. Wood, in the
House of Commons :

"In the curse of the present year a change has been
made in the mode of paying captains. Instead of being
paid according to the rate of the ship in which they are
employed, they are paid according to their standing on
the captains' lint. It may be desiral.dc, on account of
the importance of the coisimand, to employ a captain of
high standing in a small ship, and I think it would be a
great injustice to give the lower rate of pay.
" It is therefore now provided that captains shall be
paid at:circling to their standing on the list (in whatever
size ship they may serve), and at the same time we have
raised the pay of the lower class of captains—of all
below the first 170, because we thought it not adequate
to meet the expenditure which in these days they may
be called upon to make."
The Admiralty circular states :

"Feb. 1, 1856.
"Fall pay of captains of the Royal navy has been
established by her Majesty's crder in council of the 30th
of January, 1856.
"First Class—To the first 70 captains on the list,
when employed, irrespective of the class of ship in which
they may be serving, 7011. 2s. ld. per annum.
" Second Class—To the next 100, when fully em-
ployed, 5741. 17s. 61. per annum.
"Third Class—To all other captains below the first
170 on the list, when employed, 4501. 3s. 4d. per annum.
"The above rate is to apply only to such captains as
may have been appointed subsequently to the date of her
Majesty's order in council establishing the same, excepting
those captains now serving as commodores in command
of stations, and those captains of the lowest class now
actually serving, whose full pay is less than 4001. per
annum, who are ti become entitled to the new class of
pay from and after the Ist of April, 1856.
"By command of their Lordships.
R. OSISORI1E."
Now, in reviewing the above, there is el idently such
a manifest injustice to many valuable and excellent of.
ficers, that we will venture to hope the Lords of the Ad-
miralty may be pleased to take into consideration how
much injustice inadvertently appears on the face of this
recent order.

We have only to enumerate the following list of of-
ficers—captains in actual service at the present moment
—who aru entitled to as increase of pay according to
their standing on the list, but excluded in consequence
of the late Admiralty circular :
Capt. M'Dougall, superintendent of packet service,
Southaapton.

Capt. Kincorne, Royal William, Plymouth.
The above officers are entitled to 7001. per annum,
but only in receipt of 6001.
Then follow the Hon. Capt. Elliott, Sybille ; the Hon.
Capt. Keith Stewart, Nankin ; Capt. Frederick, Presi-
dent ; Capt. Watson, Imperieuse ; Capt. Morshead,
Dido; Capt. Ramsay, Euryalns ; Capt. Hastings, Cura-
can ; Capt. Lyster, Arrogant ; Capt. Buckle, Valorous ;
Capt. Baillie, Meander ; Capt. Sullivan, Merlin, &c.
The above officers are entitled to 5741. 17e. 6d. per
annum, instead of being paid to the rate of the ships
they now command. Captains now in command of
screw block ships who aro not entitled from their stand-
ing on the list, yet continue to receive 7001. per an-
num, whereas if paid acccording to their proper
standing many !of them would only receive 450/. per
annum, provided the supposed improvement be strictly
carried into effect. The whole is as inconsistent as it is
unjust towards those officers who are excepted.