The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS, May 6.
RETIREMENT OF NAVAL OFFICERS.
The Earl of HARDWICK!? then rose, pursuant to
his notice, to move for a return of the supplementary
estimate for the retirement of naval officers. He moved
for this paper merely for the purpose of making a state-
ment on the subject, as the paper itself, as their Lord-
ships all knew, had already appeared in all the news-
papers. There was no doubt that the state of the naval
profession had engaged the serious attention of all recent
Administrations, as well as of her Majesty's present
Government, not only as regarded the navy list gene-
rally, but also as regarded the inefficient officers on that
list, with a view to inducing them to retire from it, and
of causing thereby a gradual reduction of the heavy
charge of the dead weight. That was a subject which
must at all times be interesting to the country, as it re-
lated to a branch of the national service which was justly
dear to it. Questions had been made with the views he
had just stated, and which had been to a certain extent
successful in reducing the list. In the year Is4o the
last effort had been made for the reduction of that list,
and had been in operation up to the present time. It
had two principal features—first, it was voluntary, and
next it had reference to the discipline of the navy. It
was deemed necessary that all captains should serve six
years at sea before they could obtain their sags. Those
who had not were put some years ago on the retired list;
but this regulation was thought to bear hard on many
officers, and theirnames were in consequence transferred
to the active list. He therefore assumed that if the
Crown called for the services of those officers, they
would be compelled to perform active service, and would
have no means, if they were so inclined, of avoiding it.
A recent order, which bad been issued for the purpose
of putting certain officers on the retired list, was a com-
pulsory order, and made them take rank summarily on
the retired list, without any choice whether they would
do so or not. Those officers who were at the head of the
captains' hat would also be compelled to retire, if they
had not seen six years' active service mt. He would
enter into a brief explanation of the mode in which this
regulation would act. The first operation would be this,
that every officer on the admirals' list who had been per
mitted to take his place on the active list, and who had
not served six years at sea for his flag, would be com-
pelled to lease the active list, and to retire with his per-
manent rank on permanent half-pay. Now, this was a
breach of faith with rorty-two or forty-three officers,
who, being on the active list, were still anxious to serve
the Crown. There were on the admirals' list undoubtedly
a number of officers who wished it thinned to a certain
extent, but, at the same time it must be admitted
that though there were officers who would be satisfied
with the place which they would obtain by the retire-
ment of their seniors, it would be extremely hard on
many of those officers who were still anxious to serve
the Crown. There might be officers who, when the list
was thus cleare i off, might find themselves within reach
of a vice-admiral's flag. It was proposed to give to the
Treasury a sum of 1,5004 a year, which was to be di-
vided into pensions of 1501. a year for ten retiring ad-
mirals. No doubt many officers might be glad to see a
large portion of officers struck off from the admirals' list,
and 8° many admirals who stood in their way bought off
by the country; but this mode of dealing with the senior
officers might not be so agreeable to such of them as
were still hale and active and ready to go into any part
of the world on the service of the Crown. His next
ob-
jection was to the mode in which it was proposed to re-
duce the number of captains. Every captain who came
to the top of the list was to be asked whether he had
' served six years afloat. If he had, then he was to be
told to pass on to the admirals' list; but if he did not,
then he was to be told to pass off to the rear- admiralelist,
and was to be put on half-pay at once for the rest of his
life. He would suppose that there were three, whom he
would call Captain A, Captain 13, and Captain C; Cap-
tain A is introduced to the secretary of the Admiralty;
he looks rather old—indeed, he is 65 or 70; he is rather
subject to the rheumatism, and his nerves are somewhat
out of order. But he has served his six years afloat,
although it unfortunately happens that it was some 20
years ago. " Well," says the Secretary, " let him go
to the active list." Captain Bis then introduced. He
has served hie six years afloat, but it has been at South-
ampton, or some such place, in the packet service.
" Oh," says the Secretary, " pass him on, too, to the
admirals' list." Captain Cis then introduced. "Have
you served six years at sea?" " No," is his reply;
" though willing, I was not able to get employment."
He is a hearty, healthy man, knows his business, and is
anxious to serve, but he has not been employed, and
therefore the order is given, "Put him on the retired
list." Such was the fact. An officer, who had gained
his laurels many years ago, and who was perhaps too
old to acquire more, might be placed on the active list,
while another was placed on the retired list when he
was able and willing to serve, but was rendered incapable
of serving by this new regulation. It was true, that
it was intended by it to give an honourable retirement
to those officers who were worn out in the service; but
it was not just to use it to turn out officers who were
yet capable and desirous of serving. You lay down a
rigid Jaw that every officer must serve six years before
he can have his flag; but do you offer to every officer
the opportunity of serving for that time? No; you have
not been able to employ your captains of late for that
period in active service; and, therefore, your recent re-
gulation is but a summary process for turning a certain
portion of them out of th© service. The reduction of the
number of captains on the active list from 500 to 350
was au extraordinary course, whereby they were enabled
to place on the active list many officers who ought to
retire, and remove from it many officers who ought to be
retained in the service. The order, in its very words,
implied a contradiction, though he hoped that there was
no contradiction in reality. Their Lordships observed
"that their arrangement included the creation of ten pen-
sions for admirals." That item of ten pensions would
entail on the country an additional expenditure per
annum, but they went on to express their hope that the
Lords of the Treasury " would Lot withhold their as-
sent to a small charge which will enable them to effect a
beneficial alteration with due consideration of the claims
of old officers." It was therefore a matter of some doubt
yet whether these pensions would be granted. But
their Lordships further observed, "As vacancies occur
in the active list of flsgscfficers' the captain first in
seniority who has served far his flag will be pro-
moted (reserving her Majesty's undoubted right of selec-
tion)." In that last parenthesis there was a loophole for

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 6.
POOR- R A TES—A GRICULT URAL BURDENS.
Mr. GRAN :'LET BERKELEY rose to move a reso-
lution in u Committee of the whole House, that to alle-
viate a portion of tile burdens from which the agricul-
tural interest is at present suffering, through the
payment of parochial poor-rates, varying in many
instances from 65., 75., is., 95., to 13s. 10d. in the pound.
it will be necessary to substitute an equalised poor-
rate, in England and Wales, not exceeding Is. 6d.
in the pound, and subject to local government.
Some parishes were paying 179. in the pound;
Bishop Wearmouth, he believed, even paid as much
as Its. 9d. He proposed that there should ba an
immediate fresh assessment for making rates for the
support of the poor, iu order to remove the
inequalities of the present system of rating. A
copper, tin, or iron mine, for instance, which
yielded 10,0001. a year was exempted from the tax,
while a coal mine in the same neighbourhood, pro-
ducing only 2001., had to pay the full rate. If
the whole mines in the kingdom now exempted were
made to pay towards the support of the poor,
the poor-rates would no longer be burdensome,
arid would be easily borne. He wished to make a na-
tional rate, but he totally disagreed with the pro-
position that the cost of the poor should be
paid out of the Consolidated Fund. He wished to
maintain, if possible, a local power, in order to check
all unnecessary expense. He would suggest that
there should be a general maximum rate of
Is. 6d. in the pound. Some would say that this
would be unfair to those localities which paid a less sum,
but he found if his plan were adopted there would be a
much greater number of districts benefited than compelled
to pay a larger sum. Besides, he did not think as high a
rate as ls. 6d. would be required; he only fixed that as the
maximum rate which should be assessed. The Hon.
Member concluded by proposing his motion.
Captain HARRIS seconded the resolution. He referred to
the report of Mr. Beckett, a Poor-law Commissioner, who
stated that he had perceived in many quarters a feeling in
favour of a national rate • and the justice of the principle had
been acknowledged by the Secretary of the Treasury, who in
his evidence before the Lo-ds' Committee last year,
though
he put forward many difficulties, said nevertheless he was
quite prepared to admit that, unless it could be shown that
there was a special reason in favour of a local tax limited to
real property, it was more fair and equitable to defray the
expense of poor relief out of a national tax, to comprehend
all descriptions of property. The plan of Lord Malmesbury
made every man pay according to his ability, and retained
local management. No fewer than 200 unions had given in
their adherence to it; in the union where he (Captain
Harris) attended the board of guardians there were objec-
tions to it at first, but they agreed to it after a discussion.
Lord Malmesbury proposed to ascertain the whole poor-
, law expenditure for seven years. For the seven years pre-
vious to March, 1849, the total expenditure for England,
Wales, and Scotland was 5,850,0001. He then ascertained
what amount of tax would reach that average. hd. in the
pound levied on every species of income down to 301. would
meet the expenditure. The Poor-law Board would draw from
the Exchequer the average sum for each pariah and union;
and if the guardians exceeded the sum remitted to them they
would be called on to raise a rate-in-aid on the real property
in the parish ; but, if a surplus accrued, the amount would
be applied to the county rate.
Mr. BAINES hoped the Hon. Gentleman who brought
forward this motion, and the Hon. Gentleman who seconded
it, would not think him guilty of any disrespect towards them
if he should pass over many of the topics to which they had
directed the attention of the House, seeing it was his desire
to confine himself as closely as possible to the resolution
which had been submitted for their ,pproval. The questions
of settlement, of assessment, of personal property, and other
matters winch had been introduced into the discussion were u
each of them of sufficient importance to merit a distinctdis-
cussion ; but he did not think they should be mixed p with
the question now before the House, and therefore, instead of
referring to them, he would confine his observations solely to
the resolution which had be n proposed. But, before he did
so, perhaps the House would permit him to allude to the
appeal made to him personally by the Hon. Member for
West Gloucestershire, as to the Poor-lawie returns for which
he held him responsible. The Hon. Member mber asked how it )
was that in 1846 a change was made y a general order o.
the Poor-law Bygcl d, IV PP to that time
VA roo