The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-22 00:00:00

ADMIRALTY APPOINTMENTS.

On the motion for going into committoe of supply,
Mr. HANBURY-TRACY rose to call the attention of
the house to one of the recent promotions made by the pre-

sent Board of Admiralty, and to move that the promotion
by the First Lord of the Admiralty of a junior lieutenant
iu the navy, without any special or distinguished service,

over the heads of hundreds of meritorious lieutenants

senior to him in the service, is prejudicial to the public

interest.

Sir J. PAKINGTON was bound to believe that the
hon. gentleman was animated solely by patriotic feeling
for the interest of the navy in the course he was pursuing;

but was sorry that feeling did not equally influence him a
short time ago. The charge made was that he (the right
hon. baronet) promoted a lieutenant of five years and
eight months' service to the rank of commander, he being
Lieutenant Yorke, the son of the Earl of liardwicke.
The Duke of Somerset while in office promoted the son
of Sir J. Graham after five years and two months' service,

the son of Sir Charles Wood (now Lord Halifax) after five

years and two months' service, and the son of the Earl of
Munster, the Hon. George Fitzclareace, after four years
and eleven months' service respectively, from the rank of
lieutenant to the rank of commander. Whatever may be
the iniquity of the promotion of Lieutenant Yorke, these
cases were worse. (Hear, hear, from the Opposition.)

They were all officers of good service and unexceptionable
character, but without special distinction, and of shorter
service. (Hear, hear.) But no member on this side of the
house made any complaint. (Hear, hear.) Provided their
character was good, their service honourable, and desirable
as it is admitted to be to introduce new blood into the

higher ranks of the navy, he was not the man to say that
the public services of Sir J. Graham and Sir C. Wood were
to be disiegarded, and was the last man to complain of the
promotions. The only complaint ever made against the
Duke of Somerset's promotions was that he did not make
enough of this kind. (Laughter, and hear, hear.) Head-
hared to promotion by seniority more than the interests
and the service justified. (Hear, hear.) The hon. and
gallant admiral on the opposite side of the house (Admiral
Erskine) knows that young blood ought to be introduced
and young men promoted. Alen tread on dangerous ground
when they draw distinctions between one young officer of
good character and another; and there is reason to com-
plain of the manner in which this promotion has been
picked out for auimadver6ion. On the same day when it
was made four others were made. Lieut. Fitzmaurice,
who had been selected for promotion by the Duke of Somer-
set, wits promoted because it would have been hard that he
should lose his rank on account of the accident of a change
of Government. (Hear.) The others were gentlemen whose
names he did not know, also selected for their character
and reputation. The language of the notice of motion will
give an erroneous impression to the public, which does not

understand, as the hon. gentleman does, that in every case
of promotion from the rank of lieutenant numbers of meri-
torious cases must be passed over. For this reason the
Duke of Somerset a year ago introduced regulations by
which provision was made for the retirement of lieutenants
at a certain age and under certain circumstances, as some
compensation for the impossibility of their promotion.
(Hear, hear.)
Admiral ERSKINE concurred in the right hon. baro-
net's opinion that promotion in the navy should not be sys-
tematically by seniority. If it were a stagnant feeling
would be produced ; the best men would not be promoted,
and responsibility would be removed from the person who
makes the promotions. (Hear, hear.) But he did not agree
with the right hon. baronet as to the question by whom
the patronage should be exercised. Several years ago
the right hon. baronet gave the opinion that promotions
now made by flag officers and " board pr, motions" should
be placed in the hands of the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty. But the possessor of political power is not neces-
sarily the best judge in those cases. The late Duke of
Wellington was of opinion that it was much better that
promotion should come to an officer from a man who is
obliged to expose him to danger and subject him to dis-
cipline. Even the right hon. baronet has shown no indis-
position to employ officers promoted by flag officers. He
appointed Sir J. Hope, Sir C. Freemantle, and himself (Ad-
miral Erskine). For the latter he had always felt grateful
to the right hon. baronet. (Laughter.) Each of these had
been promoted to flag lieutenant by a flag officer in com-
mand, and under whom they served. If every promotion
would stand a test with these, little would be heard cf dis-
content in the navy. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. LEFEYRE complained that the right hon. baronet
had not given notice of his intention to justify the promo-
tion of Lieut. Yorke by those made by the Duke of Somer-
set. Lieut. Wood was flag lieutenant under Sir B. Walker,
recommended by the latter for promotion when he struck
his flag; but he served afterwards in the Excellent, in
order to complete his three years' service at sea as a lieute-
nant before promotion to the rank of commander. No doubt
the other case can be equally explained. After this discus-
sion he hoped the motion would not be pressed.
Mr. W. R. DUFF said Lieut. Fitzclarence had been flag

lieutenant to Admiral Smart before his promotion. The
reply of the right hon. baronet will not be satisfactory to
the profession, though it may bo very well from a party
point of view.

Mr. AYRTON said he had served on the committee on
naval commissions, and rigidly examined the Duke of So-
merset on promotions of this kind. The Duke of Somerset
laid down the principle of seniority as prevailing in the
navy, qualified at times by the selection of younger officers,
either fur superior fitness or on special recommendations,
which could be quoted as grounds of promotion. This sys-
tem the committee accepted as satisfactory. But the right
hon. baronet admits that he had no special grounds for this
promotion, except the fact that this gentleman was the son
of a noble lord, and a political friend of his own ; and he
laid down the principle that the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty is entitled to make every fifth promotion according to
his own pleasure, apart from considerations of the interest
of the navy.
Sir J. PAKINGTON—I laid down no such doctrine.
(Hear, hear, and Oh.)
Mr. AYRTON said that the right hon. baronet did worse
than lay down such a doctrince, because he justified him-
self on grounds based on that doctrine. (Hear, hear.) He
did worse than enunciate the theory; he carried it out in
I practice. (Hear, hear.) If the First Lord of tke Admiralty
I is to set an example of making selections from personal
friendship and political considerations, how cau we expect
that admirals of stations will not make similar selections ?
(Hear, hoar.) This is a proceeding very pernicious in its
character, and it is the duty of the house to express itself
decisively on this question. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. B. COCHRANE said, as far as he could understand
the objections taken to this appointment, it was the gen-
tleman is the son of the Earl of Hardwick°.
Mr. AY IiTON —I spoke entirely without reference to
his being the son of anybody. (Laughter.)
Mr. B. COCHRANE said if the gentleman had not been
the son of the Earl of Hardwick° the house would not Lava
heard of the subject. (Oh, oh.)
Mr. CHILDEItS suggested that a motion should be
made for a return of the services of Lieuts. Wood, Graham,
Fitzclarence, and Yorke, and of the recommendations and
rules under which they were promoted. (Hear, hear, and
No, no.)
Sir J. HAY was assured there would be no objection to
give such papers. It is an advantage to have young officers
promoted from time to time; for if the principle of se-
niority were invariably followed, an officer who is made a
lieutenant at 21 would be 50 before he could be a cactain,
1 and 70 before he could be an admiral. There is no feeling
of jealousy in the navy when the son of a distinguished
person is promoted to the rank of commander, when no