The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-03 00:00:00

ett tutus egint

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 18s9.

Our frequent allusions to the necessity of a reform
in the mode of promoting flag-officers in the Navy
seem to have excited due attention in the naval circles.
Our object has always been to do justice to meri-
torious'officers, while at the same time we are anxious
that equal justice should be done to the country.
Now, it has long been notorious that the system of
naval promotion has been on the side of class interest
more than of merit. An officer, however active in
the service, has little or no chance of promotion if he
be without a corresponding activity of influence in the
proper quarter. Devotion to the service is all very
well, so far as it goes, but that is a quality pre-
sumed, as a matter of course, while the young
aristocrat is "shoved forward," whether he have ability
or not. The craving buzz of high connexion sounds
ever and anon in the Minister's ear, until at length,
to get rid of the importunity, the lucky officer is
made. Once on the captains' roll, he is serving out
his time, be he asleep or awake.
All this may be very well for those who profit by
it, but what say the friendless, hardworking men,
to whose services the nation is beholden for its safety ?
Remonstrance were vain, beeistisejt would be con-
strued into insubordination, and- to endure is their
only course, in the forlorn hope that something may
turn up some day for the better.
And this is the way in which patronage works in
the Navy—that arm of our strength on which our
very existence as a nation depends! Surely it is
time that a reform should take place—not more as
a matter of justice than of prudence—and yet
fort the perpetuation of such a system there
are many apologists—nay, stout unblushing advocates.
With these men the maxim is, as it has too long un-
happily been, "Never mind I it will serve our time,
and let those who follow take care of themselves.'
But if such argument were acted upon before these
vermin crept into the service among the bread-bags,
where would their chance be now ? Yet such ever
has been, and ever will be, the conduct of men who
only live for themselves. How far different is it
with those gallant hearts who cherish the national
honour in the proud consciousness that the true in-
terests of their country are blended with their own,
and that while supporting the one they are upholding
the other.
Of such patriots England has yet many to boast ;
but as corruption creeps by degrees into every insti-
tution, it is the business of those in power to see that
whatever ought to be done, be done, and not delegate
to others that which requires the vigilance of higher
authority, nor suffer an accumulation of idleness to
choke the path where willing labour is anxious to
work.

Among several communications which we have
lately received on the subject of our remarks on the
superabundance of flag-officers which now crowd the
Navy List is one from a gallant correspondent wbo
signs himself MARINER°, inserted in another column.
His letter will be found at once courteous and candid,

but at the same time amenable to the charge of
leaning rather too much to his own colour, be it a
blue flag or union jack. The admirals' list, grown
grey in years as in glory, seems to engross his solici-
tude, to the exclusion of other lists equally worthy
of regard, though not so venerable in ser-
vice. MARINER° contends that because a com-
pact was made—(the best that could then be
made by the men in authority)—no further
amelioration ought to be made in a system which
tolerates 150 admirals in a navy numbering only

fifty ships of the line, or about three flag-officers to
each ship ! Surely this is too grave for the most
ardent advocate for flag promotion. And yet we are
told that the measure then adopted for limiting pro-
motion "is quietly working the cure which was in-
tended, so that in the course of time we shall have a

few admirals under the age of GO—the average of
flag ago being now 72." We do not recollect
the precise period when the arrangement was made,
but, if the cure proposed is to take place in
the course of time, we wonder when that time
will COMP, seeing that for every admiral
who dies, a captai❑ is immediately promoted in his
place, to keep intact the round number of one hundred
and fifty ! Bless the flag-officers ! We honour
their grey hairs as we proudly respect their
services ; but our • remarks are not, and
never will be, directed against their claims to promo-
tion and reward. Far from it; we are advocating
that reform which a Committee of the House of
Commons recommended—the reduction of the ad-
mirals' list to one hundred. We shall even then
have two to each ship of the line, with a
host of young expectants in the same promising career.
Our correspondent imputes the over-crowded state of
the flag list to the late war. That may be; but what
does he say to the batches of promotions made, by which
30 or 40 were posted in one day on certain occasions,
and which batches will continue to keep the flag-list
full until doomsday, unless a reform take place.
It must take place : but in advocating re-

form, whether in the Navy or in any other
department of the state, we shall never
countenance any injustice to those in possession
or in expectancy. All we want is fair play to the
country, as well as to individuals, no matter what

their rank or pretensions. A saving, be it
of thousands or of millions, unless it be
founded in justice will eventually prove
to be no saving at all ; and when "
~lssi-
NEII•" extends his solicitude to the forlorn list
of commanders, and to the still more forlorn list of
lieutenants, many of whom have served in the four
quarters of the world before some of the present
captains were born, he may depend on our hearty
co-operation in a cause so dear to every lover of his
country.

The question of the amalgamation of the English
and Irish Bars is so intimately connected with the
abolition of the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland, that
one topic cannot be fully and fairly considered with-
out the other being forced upon the attention. The
great end and object of the Government in calling
upon Parliament to consent to do away with the
Viceregal Court, and to place the administration of
affairs on the other side of St. George's Channel on
the same foundation as in this country, is to remove,
so far as practicable, all unnecessary distinctions, and
to render Ireland to all intents and purposes an inte-
gral portion •f the British empire ; to give to the
Irish people the same rights and privileges, and to
make them subject to the same laws as their
English fellow-subjects—to cement more firmly the
bonds by which they are united, so that they
may remain, through all ages, " one and indivisible."
This is a wise and prudent policy, which will receive
the cordial and energetic support of all loyal subjects
in both kingdoms, with the exception, perhaps, of
those who erroneously consider their local or personal

interests to be involved in the issue. As the Protec-

tionists struggled for the maintenance of an unholy
and unjustifiable tax on the food of " the many" for
the gi.in of "the few," so will some of the worthy
citizans of Dublin endeavour to perpetuate not merely
an ust leis, but a positively mischievous office, fur
what they believe to be the benefit of the trade
of their; native town and the advantage of its shop-
keepers. That they are greatly mistaken in this oni,
nion we are firmly convinced, but experience
has shown that no great reform can ever be
achieved without provoking an interested opposition,
and the change in the Irish Government will consti-
tute n o exception to the general rule. Such remon-
strancks cannot, however, be suffered to prevail, nor
the ir,terests of the inhabitants of a single town to
overrule those of the rest of the community.

.nxious, however, as we are for economy and re-
tri :nchment, we should not advocate the change, if it
c ould be considered as a mere question of reduction