The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-17 00:00:00

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THE GRAND DUCHESS OF MECIAII4" NB)
STRELITZ.
The following account of the health of her Royal
Highness was issued yesterday :
" Cambridge House, January 1 5.
" Her Royal Highness the Hereditary and
Duchess of Mecklenburgh Strelitz continues to go
on most favourably.
(Signed) " CHAR LOCOCK, M.D."
Inquiry was made at ridge House on the
part of her Majesty the Qae owager. Her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent sent from Frogmore
House to learn the state of her Royal Highness.
In the afternoon the Duchess of Gloucester ar-
rived to make inquiry after her illustrious relative.
The following members of the diplomatic corps
called during the day :—the French Ambassador and
the Countess St. Aulaire ; the Austrian Ambassador
and the Countess Dietrichstein, the Bavarian Minister
and Baroness de Cetto, Count Pollon, the Belgian
Minister and Madame Van de Weyer, M. Dedel, the
Danish Minister and Countess de Reventlow, the
Saxon Minister and Baroness Gersdorff, Mr. Col-
quhoun, i.Age:it for the Manse Towns, Count de
Revel, M. Koudriaffsky, and Baron Brenner.
Among the -nobility and gentry who left their
names yesterday were the., Countess of Tankerville,
Dowager Countess of Westmoreland, Earl and Coun-
tess-of Meibbrough, Lord Monteagle, the Right Hon.
W. E. Gladstone, llon. Charles A. Murray, Viscount
and Viscountess Combermere, Mr. and Mrs. Macleod
of Macleod, Hon. Sir Henry, Lady, and Miss Dy-
moke, Marquis of Douro, Mr. W. Fox Strangways,
Lord Gifford, Viscount and Viscountess Hawarden,
Lieutenant-General Sir A. F. Barnard, Mr. and Miss
Newdigate, Viscount and Viscountess Jocelyn, Lord
and Lady Beresford, Mr. and the Ladies Gore, Sir H.
Mildmay, Lord and Laly Trimleston, Lord Campbell,
Earl and Countess of Ripon, Colonel and Mrs. Corn-
wall, Countess of Mount Norris, Miss F. Somerset,
Marchioness of Westmeath, Mrs George Leigh, Ad-
miral Sir J. and Lady H. Whitshed, the Misses
Whitshed, the Duchess of Hamilton, Lady Brougham
and Vaux, Lord Stanley, Earl and Countess Dela-
warr, Sir C. and Lady Egerton, Dowager Countess
of Listowel, the Marchioness and Lady L. Corn-
wallis, Sir Frederick Trench, Marquis and Mar-
chioness of Downshire, Alarquis and Marchioness of
Conyngham, Lieut.-General Sir G. Lady, and Miss
Quentin, Earl of Clare, Marquis of Winchester, Lieut.-
Colonel Wylde, Earl and Countess of Clarendon, Mr.
Fred. Byng, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, and many
others of the nobility and gentry.
The Hereditary Grand Duchess was going on fa-
vourably last evening.

His Excelleney M. Dedel, the Netherlands Minister,
accompanied by Mademoiselle Dedel, his daughter,
returned to Wilton crescent yesterday, from Paris.
The Health of Towns Commission had a'meeting
yesterday at Gwydyr House, Whitehall. The Com-
missioners present were the Duke of Buccleuch, Mr.
Robert Aglionby Slaney, Mr. George Graham, Sir
Thomas de la Beche, Knight, Mr. J. R. Martin,
Dr. Lyon Playfair, Dr. David Boswell Reid, Mr.
Richard Owen, Hunterian Professor of the College of
Surgeons, Mr. W. Thomas Denniston, and Mr. James
Smith of Deniston.

Signor G. Calvetti and Mr. P. Fairbairn had an
interview with the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone
yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade.
Mr. Wickham, Chairman of the Stamps and Taxes,
had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-
street.

Lord Wharncliffe, Lord President of the Council,
left town yesterday for Welbeck, on a visit to the
Duke of Portland.
Dispatches were sent off last evening from the
Colonial-office for the Governors of the West India
Colonies.

Mr. Dean, Chairman of the Customs, had an inter-
view with Mr. Gladstone yesterday, at the Board of
Trade.

Mr. J. Strettell Brickwood, Public Works Loan-
office, Southsea House, had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday.
Lord Granville Somerset left town yesterday for
Brighton.

Dispatches from the Governor of Van Diemen's
Land and the Cape of Good Hope were received yes-
terday at the Colonial-office.
The Earl of Auckland and the Hon. Miss Eden
are staying at Woburn Abbey, on a visit to the Duke
and Duchess of Bedford.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE FOR THE

NAVY?
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Another year has passed away, and still the old
question remains unanswered--What is to be done for
the navy? No one seems to know. We must, therefore,
assume that the question is unanswerable; but another
arises in its place—What is to be done for the country?
We havo a war establishment of naval officers in time of
peace, and we have not employment for one-twentieth
part of the number that are upon the list; every one
seeking:employment, and no employment to be found.
The navy has advoeates enough, but the country has
none. The navy may say, " Why don't you reward us
for our services?" but the country has a right to say,
" Why don't you give us an active list—a set of men who
are young enough to do their duty, and able to face
every danger by night or by day—in a tropical climate,
or in the frozen regions, instead of encumbering the list
with men too old to serve, to the exclusion of the young
and active?" An officer who is not able to serve has no
business to remain on the active list of the navy; and
age, generally speaking, is the fairest test of vigour and
activity in the naval profession. Now, Sir, what is the
present state of our Navy List? We have 168 admirals,
of all ranks, and not ten of the number are under 60
years of age. We have 717 captains; take the first half
of them, or those taking rank down to the_year 1826 in-
clusive; and there are not 50 of them under 50 years of
age. Take the next half, and there are more of them
over 50 years of age than under. The lists of com-
manders-and lieutenants each bears the same proportion.
Is this justice to the country? Of what age was Nelson
when his most glorious actions were performed? He
died a vice-admiral at 48—the question needs no answer.
We are now at peace, but who can tell how soon we may
be plunged into a war ; and can the old officers on the
list suppose they could endure or stand up under the
hardships they were exposed to during the last war?
They may flatter themselves that the fire of youth is
still unextinguished, but they will be disappointed when
they come to put it to the trial. No one can desire to
see those old officers on the captains' list set aside with-
out some consideration, for that list contains a host of as
noble spirits as ever breathed ; but we cannot remain
always young, and as we grow old we should be willing
to make way for the young and active, who can serve
their country better than we can. We should therefore
be willing, one and all, to sacrifice all personal interest
for the good of the country, and those who are too old to
serve should acknowledge their inability, and voluntarily •
retire. Where could there be a better commencement
than with the list of admirals, who are most of them 70
years of age and upwards, many past the natural age of
man, three score years and ten? This is worthy of con-
sideration in a personal point of view ; but what an
injury the country is sustaining by the present list of
the navy, from the lists being so crowded with the old!
We are keeping fine ambitious young fellows as lieute-
nants who ought to be commanders and captains, and
other fine young men for years as mates who ought to be
lieutenants and commanders. There is no denying that
these are the men we must trust to to fight our battles in
the next war, and what is the consequence of the present
system? These young men are getting disgusted with
the service for want of due promotion. They are losing
their ambition, and numbers of them are leaving the
service. Now comes the question—What is to be done
for the country? What ought to be done may be told in
a few words. The old officers ought to bend to the ne-
cessities of the country; they ought to volunteer a re-
tirement to make room for the young. There ought to
be a retired list and an active list of every class of officers
in the service. Of the 168 admirals, let every one above
60 years of age retire; let as many as remain of that num-
ber under 60 years old be made full admirals ; give those
that retire 100/. a-year in addition to their present rate
of pay. Take the captains on the list down to the year
1820 inclusive. Let those who are 55 years of age and
upwards retire upon 2s. a-day, in addition to their pre-
sent rate of half-pay ; let all the remainder, being under
55 years of age, be made vice and rear. admirals, . Of the
remainder of the list of captains, let all those above G 5
years old retire upon 2s. a-day, in addition to the present
rate of half-pay ; the rest of the list will be found a fine
active set of fellows, not young enough to run their
heads against a post, nor too old to work. Let the list
of commanders and lieutenants go through the same ordeal,
and we shall have what is much to be desired—an active
list of the navy. Thus we should reduce the list of ad-
mirals to about 100; the list of captains down to about
350; and commanders and lieutenants in the same ratio.
This suggestion may appear startling at first sight. to
those officers whom it immediately concerns, but they
will find what I say to be pretty true—that an officer of
55 years of age is too old to command a ship for active
service. Ponder on these words well, Sir, and let us
have your ccmment upon them ; you have ever been a
staunch friend to the navy, take up the cause and show
us what you can make of it, but be fair to the country.
Jan. N. A N OLD CAPTAIN.

An incendiary tire occurred on 'fuesdav, on Mr.
J. Weed's farm, Ford-house, Newent, Gloneeitershire,
by whiith four wheat ricks, containing each. 300 bushels,
and a large barn, containing 80 bushels of barley and a
quantity of wheat, were burnt to the ground. A stack of
hay, which hod ignited, was preserved by the exertions
of the labourers, who flocked to the scene in great
numbers, and manfully assisted in extinguishing the
flames.—Shrewsbury Chronicle.
POLICE WAR AGAINST THE APPLE-STALLS.—On
Wednesday evening a police order for the removal of all
the fruit •stalls in the Strand, and at the streets and
courts leading thereto, WAS carried into effect by police-
men specially appointed for the duty. No reason has
been assigned for the order; which is, however, justified
by the Police Act, and can be enforced at the caprice of
any inspector or other policeman.

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61,24
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COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, THURSDAY.—Their Royal Highnesse
the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal walked
on the Terrace of the Castle this morning. Her Royal
Highness the Princess Alice was also taken n airing
in the forenoon.

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