The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-20 00:00:00

SUPERB.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17.
The court was opened at one o'clock ; the prisoner in his
defence again objected to the second charge, which was
grounded on the 27th article of war, and in justification of
that objection produced the opinions of Mr. Greenwood and
Mr. Merivale, two members of the bar. He called Captain
Corry, Mr. A. lleneage naval cadet, aged 121,4 years, John
Smith, able sea.nan, and John Harrison, quarter-master, but
their testimony did not invalilate the evidence for the prose-
cution.
Mr. John Colter, surgeon of the Superb, deposed that the
prisoner was labouring under the effects of a severe physical
injury. The complaint is sometimes, but not always, pro-
ductive of violent pain in walking. He was on the sick list
from the sth to the '26th of August. Suffers from hernia, and
wears a truss. The complaint was not of a nature to pro-
duce drowsiness.
The Court was occupied until four o'clock, and then, after
consultation, declared the charges proved, and sentenced the
prisoner to be dismissed her Majesty's service.
The following are the words of the 27th article of war :
" No person in or belonging to the fleet shall sleep upon his
watch, or negligently perform the duty imposed on him, or
forsake his station, unon pain of death, or such other punish-
ment as a court-martial shall think tit to impose, and as the
circumstances of the case shall require.
R "
POTSMOUTH, OCT. 18.

PROMOTIONS.

Mates—Augustus Phillimore and S. F. Douglas, of the
Hibernia, to be Lieutenants.

APPOINTMENTS.

Captains—S. Lushington, to the Retribution ; Sir H. Hart
to be one of the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, vice
Maunsell, deceased.
Commander—G. K. Wilson, to the Pilot.
Lieutenants—J. H. Craug, of the Syren, to command the
Volcano. vice Miller, deceased : R. Hopkins, of the Geyser, to
the Syren, vice Craug; J. M. Croke, to the Avon ; R. A.
Buckman, to the Styx ; J. G. Bickford, and J. Wilson, to the
Retribution ; Hon. G. D. Keane, to the Alarm ; H. M. Bur-
roughs, to the President.
Masters—J. Avien (1823), to command the Alban, vice
White ; W. R. Madge, to Canopus ; W. S. Mainprise, to
Woolwich steam factory, for study.
Paymasters and Pursers—W. H. Wis '
cheman to the Sydento
-
ham (superseding pro tern., Mr. Rutter, clerkarge),
conduct and report upon the new system to adopted as
regards the victualling of passengers in the Mediterranean
steam-packets, under the late Admiralty order. A baker,
butcher, pastrycook, and confectioner have been appointed
to each packet under the same order ; J. Williamson, to the
Queen, vice Fletcher, deceased; R. H. Goddard, to the Re-
tribution ; and C. F. Turner, to the Flying Fish.
Surgeon—J. W. Bowles, to the Alarm.
Assistant Surgeons—J. Leppett and A. Batewell, to the
Penelope.
Mate—G. C. Campbell, to the President.
Midshipmen—R. B. Webb, to the Syren; E. W. Shaw, to
the Juno.
Clerks—E. Stone, to the Alarm ; J. J. Spark, to the
Beacon.
The Rev. J. H. Lang has qualified for a naval instructor
at the Royal Naval College.
Mr. M. Brady, extra clerk in Portsmouth Dockyard, is
promoted to third-class clerk, and R. H. Rogers has been
appointed extra clerk.
Mr. Thomas Baker is re-appointed a foreman of works at
Haslar and Weovil departments at Gosport. •
COAST GUARD.
Removals—Lieutenant C. A. Lafargue, from Jury's Cap to
Littlestones station, vice Davison.

THE NAVAL RETIREMENT.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF HAD-
TON, &c. &c.
My Lord.—Parliament have granted 30,000/. a-year to
the Admiralty to enable them to retire old captains and ob-
tain young admirals, but the plan their Lordships have laid
down will neither do the one nor the other. I understand 243
captains have sent in their resignation, of whom 43 are within
the first 100, and 143 within the first 250, the rest being low
down the list, one even in 1845. It is left open until the Ist
of December, to give more time for consideration. It is not
likely men from the upper,part of the list will accept it, and
suppose it is filled from the lower part, let me ask your Lord-
ship what good will it do? Just what Sir Robert Peel him-
self said in the House of Commons in reply to me will take
place, viz., those high up will not take it, but those low
down will.
I foretold in the House of Commons what would take place
if the plan announced was carried out, and the seniority not
limited, and was answered by Sir George Cockburn that the
plan was not decidedly fixed ; but, notwithstanding, it was
promulgated two days after. The grant was only conditional,
and if 300 could not be obtained another plan was to be
adopted. The 300 have not been obtained, and it is not too
late to change it.
The plan I beg to propose to your Lordship is, in the first
instance, to limit the retirement to the first hundred, filling
them up as vacancies take place, giving them 400/. a year,
with the rank of rear-admiral. 'When the retired list is
completed to 100 another list should be formed of retired
captains with 3501. a year, only eligible when they come on
the 14s. 6d. list, which should always be kept up to 100, and
as vacancies occurred on the retired list of admirals, they
should be filled from the retired list of captains. When the
money granted by Parliament is absorbed, the retirement to
the captains list should cease, and the retired list of admirals
be filled up as vacancies occurred.
It may be calculated that 12 admirals will die every year,
and three captains in the first. hundred. This will raise 12
captains to admirals, and 15 to the 14s. 6d. list, as many of
whom, if within the age, might retire if they pleased till the
grant is absorbed. If this plan is adopted the stream will be
kept running, and the service benefited; if, on the other
band, it is filled up agreeably to the present plan, officers
who are low down the list, and not at all in the way, will
resign and the current of retirement will be stopped for seven-
teen years, and the captains' list will be just as much in
want of reform as it is Row, after costing the country 30,000/.
for the first year, with a gradual annual reduction.—l have
the honour to remain, your Lordship's obedient servant,
London, Oct. 18. CHARLES NAPIER.

ACQUITTAL OF LIEUTENANT HITHER OF THE 10TH
ROYAL HussAßs.—The proceedings of the court-martial in
the case of Lieutenant Hyder, of the 10th Hussars, the issue
of which has been looked for with great interest by the army,
have terminated in the official announcement of that officer's
acquittal on Friday afternoon at Leeds. The above are all
the particulars which have reached London. Mr. Samuel
Warren defended Lieutenant Hyder, for which, we under-
stand, he received 300 guineas.
The Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, the Mar-
quis and Marchioness of Clanricarde, Lord Dunkellin, the
Earl and Countess of Cawdor and Lady Mary Campbell,
Lord Wm. Thynne, the Hon. Win. S. and Lady Caroline
Lascelles and Miss Lascelles, Lcird and Lady Carteret, Vis-
count and Viscountess Evelyn, the nip. A. and Mrs. Las-
celles, the Hon. 0. and Lady Caroline Duncombe, and a
large party, are expected to assemble at Harewood House,
Yorkshire, on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Harewood,
by the 4th of the ensuing month.
TITHES ON SALT FISH.—It is hardly so well known
as it ought to be, that amongst the exactions levied for the
support of the Kirk is one in the shape of tithes on
fish; an odious instance of which is to be seen in the
five per cent. exacted by the minister of North Leith
on all fish entering the port. The worst feature of this
impost is, that it falls principally upon the poor
fishermen of the Shetland Islands, who have, from the scanty
profits of their perilous occupation, first to pay their own
ministers in Shetland, and then to pay again to a minister
having the. second-best living in the whole country, and resi-
dent 300 miles from their homes. We understand that vigorous
efforts are now making by which, we trust, this iniquitous
impost will be successfully evaded for the future, and its in-
justice and hardship so clearly established that the minister
will see the propriety of renouncing his claim, or the
government the necessity of abrogating the law. Messrs.
John and Archd. Peterson, of Leith Walk, brought a cargo
of fish to this market in August last, and instead
of bringing the vessel to Leith or any place within
the power of the minister they discharged her at
Granton Pier. The plan has proved completely successful,
and the Norma has arrived at Granton with a second cargo
of seventy or eighty tons. We trust that the Leith Dock
Commission or the magistrates will give this matter their
attention, and see the necessity of immediately using efforts
to get this tax swept away, otherwise it will tend with other
causes to injure the trade of the port.— Scotsman.
SCOTCH CATTLE.—Within the last few days seve-
ral droves of Scotch cattle, on their way to the south,
have been detained in the immediate neighbourhood of
this town, in consequence of suffering under the seve-
rities of the prevailing epidemic. At one time they
amounted in number to more than three hundred.
Some of them were unable to rise from the ground, and had
to be fed with hay; but all of them required almost inces-
sant attention. It is to be feared that this lamentable dis-
ease will occasion Very serious losses to dealers in Scotch
cattle, because. the expenses on the, road are not only in-
creased, but the quality of the animals is very much clepre-
ciatedi—Doncaster Gazette.