The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-22 00:00:00

HERMAJESTY'S NAVY.

SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE OF HER MAJESTY'S
NAVY, FOR THE YEAR 1845-46.

An Estimate of the Amount required to provide for sums that may
come in course of Piyment in the Hall year ending on the 31st
March 1846, on account of the Retired Allowance of three
hundred Captains in her Majesty's Navy, commencing on the Ist
October, 1845 ; viz.
VOTE NO. 14.—HALF AND RETIRED PAY OF OFFICERS OF TUE

NAVY AND ROYAL 111ARINES.
For the Retired Allowance of three hundred cap-
tains in her Majesty's Navy, for the Half-year
commencing on Ist October, 1845, and ending
on 31st March, 1846, at the rate of ss. 6d. a day
to each beyond the amount of their existing Half-
pay, I 5,056/. ; but of which one.half only there-
of will come in course of payment in the
period; viz. £7,528 0 0
The whole charge amounts to the sum of 7,5281
HADDINGTON.
W. GORDON.
Admiralty, July 15, 1845.
The attention of the Admiralty has not now been called for the
first time to the growing inefficiency of the Admirals' List, arising
from the advanced age of the officers filling the highest rank in
the service. This evil, necessarily increasing from year to year,
has created great anxiety ; suggestions have been made from time
to time with the view of providing an effectual remedy, and have
been successively rejected, because on examination it was found
that they did not meet the exigency of the case. The object of
these proposals has been to bring officers still in possession of health
and vigour nearer to the flag, by providing for the honourable re-
tirement of those at the head of the captain's list, and thus opening
the succession to the highest rank to younger men.
For this purpose proposals have been made at different times
for the retirement of 100 and of 150 captains ; but it was found that
the number of officers of that rank who had attained an advanced
age was so great, that the retirement proposed would have left
matters much as they were before; and that the succession to the
flag would have still devolved upon men as old, or nearly so, as
those now occupying that rank.
The total number of captains now on the list is 714 ; of these
376 are above 55 years of age; among whom 50 are above 70,
and 205 above GO; 171 are between 55 and 60, and 138 between
50 and 55; and nine only under the age of 45 are to be found of
a seniority higher than 1827.
The retirement of 100 captains from the top of the list would
remove officers averaging 67 years of age, to bring up others ave-
raging 64.
If even 200 were retired, the average age of those advanced to
the top of the list would be 60 ; either of such schemes, therefore,
would leave the evil untouched.
This short statement is decisive as to the impolicy of retiring
100 or even 200 officers, with the view of bringing the flag within
the reach of a junior class ()ernes).
Former suggestions, moreover, went merely to the retirement of
the number proposed, and to the maintenance of a Retired List of
100 old captains, to be recruited from the Effective List in death
vacancies. They left all the causes in full operation which, by
overloading the Captains' List, have created the existing evil.
There is, however, no conceivable method, consistent with the
practice of the service, of so disencumbering the list of captains of
the old and more infirm members as to bring efficient men near
their flag, but by resorting to the principle of retirement ; and it is
necessary to make that retirement so large as to prove really effec-
tive, accompanying the project with other provisions calculated to
prevent the growth of similar evils hereafter. In the conviction
that any scheme of retirement, to be effectual, should be offered to
300 officers, it is now proposed that there shou:d be a Retired
List of 300 captains, of 55 years of age and upwards, with in.
creased half-pay, power being given to the Admiralty to allow
infirm officers of 50 to retire, if the number required of the age of
55 should not be found willing to do so, and that the officers so
retiring should be placed on a separate list between the Flag
Officers' and Captains' Lists.
That this list should be allowed to diminish, by death, to 100,
and be hereafter permanently maintained at that number.
iThet general promotions should no longer be resorted to as the
means of recruiting the list of admirals, but be replaced by a system
of continuous promotion, as death vacancies arise on that list; and
general promotions be reserved for the celebration of important
national events.

Admiralty, July 21, 1345

That the Flag Officers' List should be limited to 150, and the
Captains' List to 400, to be retained at those numbers by promotion
to every vacancy. This limitation Is intended to be permanently
applied to a state of peace, but it is impossible to say what the
exigencies of a war might require.

It is not proposed to place theofficers wishing to avail themselves
of the immediate advantage of this plan on a retired Flag List,
but it is intended that those retiring from the 14s. 6d. list should
at once be permitted to assume the title of Rear-Admiral, and
that the remainder should be permitted to assume the same title at
the period when they would have obtained the flag by seniority had
they continued on the Active List.

It is recommended that the officers retiring should receive fis. 6d,
a day in addition to their present rates of half-pay, and to those to
which they would become subsequently entitled had they remained
on the present Active List. Thus, officers retiring from the
10s. 6d. and 12s. 6d. lists would receive 16s. lind 18s. respectively,
until the period when, had they remained on the Active List, they
would have been entitled to the half.pay of 12s. 6d. and 14s. 6d.,
when their retirement would be increased to IBs. and 11.

At present the 100 senior captains receive I4s. 6d. a day half
pay, the 150 next in seniority 12s. 6d., and the rest of the cap.
tains' list I Os. 6d.

In consideration of the great change proposed, which produces
throughout the whole list a nearer approximation to the Flag, and,
by reducing the number of captains from 714 to 400, shortens the
time during which each officer will have to remain on the captains'
list, while at the same time it greatly increases his chances of em-
ployment, it is thought that the number of officers to receive the
highest rate of half-pay, should be reduced from 100 to 50 ; and
that those to receive 12s. 6d. should not exceed 100.
To the widows of the retired officers it is proposed to allow pen-
sions of 1101. per annum, and to those of the officers entitled to
assume the rank of rear.admiral the pension of a rear admiral's
widow.

Should any great national event render it right to grant the boon
ofa general promotion, it is proposed that the two limited lists so
increased in numbers should be gradually reduced to the numbers
already specified, by a recurrence to the principle of restricted
promotion, instead of filling up every vacancy, and that the same
rule should apply to any temporary increase in the number of
captains created by promotion awarded for brilliant or distin-
guished service.

A considerable additional expense will in the first instance be
necessarily incurred by the retirement of the large number of
officers proposed, which expense, however, will be in process of
annual diminution, as the officers whose vacancies arc not to be
filled up, die off the list, whilst savings to a large amount, arising
from various causes hereafter specified, will, by the operation of the
proposed plan, gradually accrue.

By a calculation founded on the average tables of mortality, it
is assumed that the Retired List of 300 captains will be reduced
to 100 in about 17 years ; consequently, the expense of retire-
ment, which in the first year will amount to about 30,0001. will
diminish annually till in the 17th year it will be reduced to a little
more than 10,0001., which will be the permanent charge re.
quired to be maintained. And further, as the 200 officers who
will thus be removed from the Retired List, without being re-
placed, will not contribute to promotion on the Active List by
the usual promotion of one officer for every three vacancies, an
annually increasing saving will accrue, which in the 16th year
will amount to above 5,000/. per annum.
A further saving will also result from the reduction of the List
of Flag-officers to 150, from the number at which, of late years,
it has been maintained, and to which it would be restored by
another brevet promotion.
In addition to these savings, there are some others which form
a considerable item in the calculation of the savings to be effected
by the adoption of the foregoing plan ; the general result of which
will be, after a few years, an excess of saving over the cast,
amounting to many thousands per annum.
It is believed that the terms on which this retirement is offered
are consistent with that due regard to economy which should ani-
mate every public department in the consideration of all questions
involving an expenditure of public money, and at the same time
sufficiently liberal to induce the officers to whom they are offered
to accept them.

Such is the plan of retirement which, after a full consideration of
all difficulties, has met the approbation of the Admiralty, and is, by
that deppartmeut, recommended to the favourable consideration of
the Government and Parliament.
It is quite impossible to calculate with certainty on its success,
founded as it is upon the principle of voluntary retirement, but it
promises to be as effective as any plan can be made, from which
the principle of compulsory retirement is necessarily excluded.
Its superiority to former proposals consists in the great number
it withdraws from the Effective List, and the precautions it recom-
mends, in order to prevent the recurrence of a state of difficulty
and stagnation hereafter similar to that which now
sexists ; its ulti-
mate adoption, however, must be dependent on the reception which
the officers interested may give to the plan.
It is too obvious to require explanation,that unless the number
required (or nearly so) should accept the offer made to them, very
little good would be effected, and the country would be put to a
heavy charge for increased dead weight, without deriving any cor.
responding benefit.
It is only necessary to refer to what has been said of the former
proposals, and the reasons for rejecting them, arising from the state
of the Captains' List, to show that by no retirement less extensive
than that proposed can we hope to see a class of men advanced to
the head of the Captains' List. who, from their time of life, are
likely to be fully qualified for the active duties of service in the
highest ranks of the profession.

Unless, therefore, we can remove from the Captains' List the
number now proposed by voluntary retirement, it would not be
advisable to persevere with the plan ; but in that case it will be the
duty of the Government to consider what ulterior measures may
be necessary in order to provide for an efficient list of Flag Officers.
A vote in supplement of the present naval estimates, amounting
to 15,0001., the estimated cost of the retirement for the half year
commeecing the Ist of October, will be necessary to enable the
Admiralty to take the first steps towards carrying their arrangement
into effect. Should it not succeed, no portion of the money voted
will be expended. It is therefore for a conditional vote only, that
the naval department will have to ask. HADDINGTON,

EMALE CONVICTS FOR VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.—
The Woolwich Company's steam-packet Fairy brought down the
river, from Millbank Penitentiary, on Saturday, 100 female con-
victs, and put them on board the Lloyd, hired convict-ship, at
present moored opposite the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, to embark
female convicts only for Van Diemen's Land. The Woolwich
Company's steam.boat Nymph brought down 120 female convicts
yesterday, and embarked them in the Lloyd for the same destination.
TIIE UNITED STATES.—LIVERPOOL, JULY 21.—
The packet-ship Montezuma, Captain Lowber, arrived in the
Mersey last evening, bringing advices one day later, and a large
number c f passengers. These advices contain no intelligence
worthy of notice, neither do thoie received from Canada.
Alechi's chessmen in ivory, bone, and wood, No. 4,
Leadenhall-street, the best and cheapest, which may also be said of
his backgammon, draught, and chess boards, cribbage boards and
pegs, cushioned bagatelle tables, Pope Joan boards, work-boxes,
desks, pocket-books, writing and envelope cases, dressing-cases,
tea..caddies, table cutlery, Sheffield plated ware, penknives, scissors,'
clothes, hair, and tooth brushes, combs, razors, strops, &c. Quality
of all articles first-rate.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE :AT FINSBURY.—Last Light,
shortly after eight o'clock, a fire of a very alarming character was
discovered burning upon the premises belonging to Mr. Hall, a
cabinetmaker and carpenter, situate in Bath place, Tabernacle-
square, Finsbury. Whilst the neighbours were engaged in pour-
ing water on the fire, it extended to the adjoining workshops, in
the occupation of Mr. Rynar, a French bedstead maker. The
stock in trade deposited therein was of quite as inflammable a
nature as that in the premises of Mr. Hall ; and in the brief space
of ten minutes both buildings and their contents were completely
enveloped in flames. The firemen were unable to get the complete
mastery over the flames before half-past nine o'clock, and not be-
fore both workshops were gutted, and the whole of the stock in
trade consumed,