The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-05 00:00:00

thesis,
rote an official letter to the Admiralty, stating that he
naught the punishment had been sufficient, and begging, as a
,Irreonal favour, that the prisoner mieht•he liberated. In reply
letter they stated that. they could' not c msistently re-
-111411re full punishment, but that altar the lapse of a month
:9eY would grant a release. They considered that after the
rluittfi man had been dismissed from the service, and disgraced,
g sent to the Marshalsea, if they kept him in the
dY longer the sentence might appear to be vindictive ;
--,lethrhteudess the House decided to the contrary, they would still
tliat they had exercised a just and proper discretion.
L. sot the , every: young man that could manage a ship,
eoad:til he had no doubt that every young man thought he
1eb:1-10 t (Laughter.) It required considerable experi- nee and
1.6 et, and a great deal of talent, to be able to manage a
otir! ith respect to the age of an Admiral being an objet
:cotiallal stated by the Hon. and Gallant Officer, he (Sir G.
goyeAl" ) thought that when a man had been em-
is '4. and had been found worthy of employment, it
Otlaliatnti.leir duty to continue to employ him.—( Hear.) The
bee:
reit* Officer thought that allowances should be made to offi-
to induce them to retire from the service. This had been
tow,re introdneed into the House, and it was decided that it
wee sot be entertained, and at that time it was argued and
OrEeecc°lsidered. With regard to the motion of the Gallant
ietb. " to increase the pay of seamen in the Navy, it was a
eteleat for grave consideration. In the first place, if they in-
lieees.4 the nay fine the seamen line the Navy, it would become
their•akr,Y for the -ehants to rease their pay to sailors in
the ones It behoved the parties conducting the affairs of
ago ropey to look to this. With regwd to adding to the
Veva,. of boys, they must consider that there ;was always a
std number of boys ready to go to sea, both in the Navy
tore •:ue merchant service, than either could take, and there-
the wauld be an unwise thing to bring up a larger number
tbalt3 be provided for, for the consequence would be,
./eitytheY viould ultimately become paupers. At the time the
aMounted to 20000, the next reduction caused 100,000
IC) t° be turned outo, upon the wide world. Many became
,semtulP's in the country, and were in great distress. He was
I.lle t° admit that seamen could not be g,t in a day when
1,4 wanted to increase the Navy. If they decreased the
oeenrti'Tvcs and a war should spring up, that difficulty they
and. There could be n doubt that it was a highly
attrrtant thing to keep up a cer o tain number, to prevent dis-
An 4; in case of war. If they kept up this number of seamen
tetnlNavz, the less necessity would there be for reeruit:ng the
seaZY• But it war were to come upon:them with but 32,000
•-set,,7`sa in the Navy they would have to go into the merchant
oft ice for men. With respect to increasing the pay of the
tneers in the Navy, he, for one, could have no objection ; but
.104114 be remembered that Captains had larger pay than Co-
, the 11,i/commanding regiments. With regard to the officers in
the, Na hey they could not give too much encouragement to
tile-e- /hey were very valuable men—they got attached to
he ;service, and moved about from one ship to another ; and
eil'ittaight it highly desirable to give them encouragement
sh,,,ght it was desirable that the officers commanding ships
%to'''. mke return of the petty officrs that were fit to he-
4offieaers,a and recommend them toe the Admiralty. With
niect ta the statement of the Hon. and Gallant Commodore
at man Admirals
Admirals were not fitted to command, he (Sir G.
kburnch must say he thought the Gallant Officer was very
Pee Mistaken. With regard to tale good service pension, there
%Lb° objection on the part of the Admiralty to continue it to
th."'` to whom it had already been granted. With respect to
„ retirement of Captains, he thought it would be a very
tvoaulable thing to allow officers, after a certain age, to retire
aritell day.—(" Hear, hear," f rom Sir C. Napier) Now
st— regard to another point alluded to by an Hon. and Gallant
stlernber on his (SirG.Cockburn's) side of the House, viz., the
litd,_°f commissions. It was not the first or second time it
"eeti mentioned in that House, but the question had not
ill: entertained. In these commissions a certain degree of
Item must prevail. A person holding an office came to the
enli:eoffice when there was a commission for sale, and insisted
3 son or his nephew receiving it. Now it was not easy
reesist this.—( Laughter.) He thought there wag advan-
Zth iri bringing young persons forward in different ranks,
old "Rh they ought not, nor did they, refuse advancement to
t officers. But still it was very useful to bring young men
th aril, for voung men gave sufficiet.t money to retire
e old officer and make him comfortable in his retirement ;
("in d • •
Us a dawn to this comfort the old man who had been
inseaty or thirty years in the service felt that he was paid for
tot:ervice. If an old officer had a son in the Navy, he came
e Admiralty, and his name was put down for promotion on
by e first vacancy. The Hon. and Gallant Member concluded
s•
aeing that he thought it would be much more advisable to
Zretirine Captains 20s. a day,instead 141. per day.
Pe ,aPtain 'BERKELEY commenced received that he was
eerreeet .
to tc-sty satisfied with the answer he had with respect
"e ease of Mr. Elton, notwithstanding the odium thrown
wPacal the case by the pubic press. It was very. true Mr. Elton
(Al:n a Alio under his (Captain Berkeley's) command. His
Ofr.: Elton's) friends had taken great pains to bring forward a
`,'ficate from him (Captain Berkeley) approving the conduct
toe young man. Although the friends of Mr. Elton had
;aught this certificate forward, they knew perfectly well why he
..as obliged to quit the hip. They were als o aware of the rea -
Zs that induced him (Captain B.:1 to turn him out of the
✓ P• He should have been content to have let the subject
0?t, after the answer he had -received, but for the feeling out
te_tlyliors, and the ex parte statements which had gone forth.
ing stated so much, he would just refer to the speech of
ehle',ll(ms and Gallant Member for Westminster, who stated
a circumstance took place in the Mediterranean with re •
"a to some Midshipmen carrying a black flag round the
boor.i He merely begged to state that no such
circum-
ever took place, and he wished to clear Admiral Sir
tnorrt Stopford from the supposition that such a circumstance
d have taken place under his command He was quite
(care that Gallant Officer never would have allow ed it. He
Paitlitain 13. ) was very sorry, at ell times, to make any corn-
h 4'°ll between their brothers of the Army and themselves,
tit it had been done that night by the Gallant Admiral,
finer Pay than a Colonel in the Army, but it must be taken
;titcotnhseideration that a Colon-1 its the Army had no mess.
Captain in the Navy was obliged to keep a table
months out of the year ; and he had many other calls
417,h-itli which the Colonel of a regiment had not. Much
*ell"e"
said with reaard to the age of officers, and it was very
• ems":
the Hon. and Gallant Member who had just spoken to
e": to this, for he was promoted at a time wh the list
_,,so large as at the present time—at a time wherifhere was
.-1.74,1tate necessity for such promotions for redeeming the list.
'• longer net think that he need trouble the Committee any
'- that sheurlN?„ o the subje t ; but before he sat down he should say
Hem .„.4 ar7Y,,, and the servtce generally, owed much to the
on Gallant Commodore (Sir C. Napier); and there was
subject which, although a delicate one, he should advert to.
Na,lneant the comparison instituted between the Army and
se Y, as he should certainly say that it struck him most forcibly
'at those who were placed at the head of the Admiralty had
the same feelings or anxiety for the promotion of naval in-
„ crests as those who were at the head of the Army, and for the
Praroo;ien of the interest of that service.-4 Hear.) He made
fas
t observation without the slightest disrespect for those
NOhle and Gallant Officers at the head of the Admiralty. Ile
"old further observe, as an illustration of what he had already
ted, that two of the last military officers who had distinguished
'l_,i'era4lves were made Peers, while a aim far distinction
['Lan_ not been conferred upon Sir Robert Stopford, who, it
:auld be admitted upon all sides, had commenced and termi-
ilted his career most brilliantly.—( Hear, hear.) When it
;as recollected that the result of the victory achieved by that
alrlalit Officer had secured the peace of Europe, he (Capt.
Fa eley)k thought that some distinction should have been con-
ferred upon Sir Robert Stopford upon the same principle that
rewards for public service were conferred upon military officers.
Lord INGEST RIE said it was gratifying to ere Gentlemen
• nnv both sides of the House discussing this subject without ad.
vetting to politics. As reference had been made to Sir Robt.
h. °Plard, he (Lord Ingestrie) should add the expression of
zl! wish that a peerage had been conferred upon
s t distinguished officer ; it was an honour due,
t Only to him as an officer of distinction, but
tiwall due to the profession to which he belonged. He trusted,
t,e,r what had fallen from the Right Hon. and Gallant Admi-
it:l that some plan would be hit upon to secure younger men
t: the naval service. He did not mean the slightest disrespect
,L the officers who had been so long into service, but be
Zought a small additional pay should be given to them:on re•
• Atlng; it would net cost the country much, and it would afferd
guis "Portunitv of providing for officers who had been distin-
h d
4•s and have their places filled up by younger men. Ile
:7e"d to advert to ti. subject of the construction of British
'err; a subject which was neglected by this country for a
ele." of years, however, he was glad to see by the
• wsFtapers that there was a committee of shipwrights
h°!rlted at Woolwich to see that every improvement
tre„nt be effected in the construction of ships for the future.
r,”‘nuld beg leave to ask the Right Hon. and Gallant Ad-
Miral whether it was the intention of the Admiralty that their
tih: of battle ships should be constructed for the future upon
Ith.ltalas of Admiral Hay. He (Lord Ingestrie) thought that
tit English Navy was not supplied with a sufficient quan-
te4" heavy frigates. He wished also to ask the Right Hon.
Gallant Admiral a further question with reference to the
Expedition. He (Lord Ingestrie) called the attention
aed 'louse to that subject in a former Session of Parliament,
the„ e was extremely sorry to say that the apprehension he
lI e./Pressed had since turned out to be lamentably true.
sz, wished to ask (as the Noble Lord was understood) whether
it '; ePort had ee received from that expedition, or whether
SuIoW intended to repeat it.
t tiIEORGE COCKBURN rose to reply, but frbm the
4se h?" of voice in which he spoke, it was impossible to heal
the -`enee. The Gallant Admiral was understood to say tie t
tishitricteet attention would be paid to the constructi in of Bri-
stret,sh'Ps, w.th a view to make them the most perfect, th.o
he elest and the best possible description of ships that could
eliii°Ostructed, both as regarded their stability, their
.power of.
lee :11,g, and, what is still more important, the working off a
eor&-t-Ore- The most particular attention should be paid to the
pollOetion of the bows and sterns, which were the great
Iteienh4, Where strength was required in ships of war. Theyh.
lin? ht. am effect some improvement in the construction of.s ships,
titisehwas hound to say he believed the very best ship in the
i navy was the Inconstant. The sailors described her by
Vratn: a nautical phrase, which was—that she sailed over tbe
Wm:. like a duck, whilst the others had their bowsprits under
ord
4 tL
üb* '3TANLEY said it might be proper for him to notice
Vi,raPet which was brought under the consideration of the
Ai
iltee by the Noble Lord who had just sat down ; he
with— ''"e Niger Expedition. That expedition was undertaken
possi,a, desire to increase and improve the communication, if
if pos'ie, between this country and the interior of Africa, and
earriesPie t° Put a stop to the system of slavery which was
maton Unite. It was impossible to deny that to a very
He extent that expedition was a failure.—( Hear, hear.)
doei,L'ul ot say it was altogether a failure, because it showed
Prove Iti upon the part of the people in that country to im-
eunnevand enter into commercial intercourse with this
elimat Hotvever, it was impossible to eentend against the
seive of Africa. The Government world not feel them.
agiti: Justified, after the lamentable losses that had occurred,
;Ate, to risk the lives of Euroreans and white persons in
lie„ediling to send another expedition up the Nile. He be-
thee "e might safely say that the Got ernm. nt who had sent
hear.) at expedition had no idea of the fat:l results.—( Hear,
blisd . IVith respect to the Mush ssubjerts who had esta-
dese
.nthernselves in the interior of Arica, it was a matt, r
erv"
of the most serious consPeration whether it woo d
staar aisle to iriterfere for their erotection. He (Lord
intent o) would 'e :line saying anythir g that would show an
the .° upon the part of her Majesty's Government, or hind
in in the least
total' d•, to give protection to those people. He.
,tre__Ypo disclaimed the idea. that British pro, ection by force or
w_.!!!:•• old or would be given to them, and if British subjects
settle therrnelves there, they shou`.d not expect
""11Y:e protection from this country, but they must live
• they'L d r the laws and the Government of the Country in which
ehose to reside. At the same time, he should say that
1, ought not.to be altogether abandoned by the Government.
served be
consideration whether it might not be yenp-o-
-e send out a small frigate to that. country, for the purpose
chose it or bringing home those British subjects, if the
to which, as
afford them that moral support and rrotection
, as subjects of this realm, they were entitled; the
vessel might be entrusted to the care of
negroes, who wouhl
l'isatt be affected by thea°
climate ; at the same time he (L rd
y) should say that, locking
at the dreas f loss of 11,
'which had oceurred in that expedition, her Majesty's Govern-
e
loent had no intention whatever to repeat it.
Mr. CHARLES
fiction is, h . WOOD said he had the greatest satis-
earing the statements which had been mas'e
17 the—
Govern:a°
ble
I,Lord of the intentions of her Majesty's
ith reference to the Niger exiieuti on
It yea:, not
his intention to go into many matters which had
occupier; the attention of the House. He would only, before