Star.
London, England, 1830-05-22 00:00:00

decided character that would leave the minds of the sup-
porters of the original Bill entirely at ease with regard to
the final issue. We regret that a elluF.e which would
perfectly nullify the measure, and entirely defeat its pur-
pose, should have found so much support in the Com-
mittee.

We should consider our notice of the pamphlet of Ad-
miral PEN Rosa incomplete,were we not to advert to a sub-
ject connected with our naval administration, of equal im-
portance to any of the topics which the gallant Admiral has
so ably treated. We allude to those abuses of naval patron-
age, and the general system of advancement in the navy,
which are not less unjust in themselves than injurious to
the best interests of the profession. It is, indeed, some-
what extraordinary that these should have escaped the
author's attention ; for we can easily conceive that one,
who was so feelingly alive to the other defects of our
naval system, could not be insensible to a mode of treat-
ment which continues to excite the greatest discontent
throughout those classes of the service that are more par-
ticularly exposed to its effects. Nothing can more
clearly prove the pertinacity with which abuses of every
kind are adhered to in our navy, than the indifference
manifested to the complaints which have assailed the
Admiralty during the last twenty years. In this long
period, scarcely a session has passed, without some no-
tice having been taken of the subject in Parliament,
while the press has teemed with remonstrances urging
redress.

Having quoted that portion of the gallant Admiral's
pamphlet, which points out the invidious distinction made
between military and naval men, in the appointments to
certain offices, we shall in these brief remarks confine
ourselves to two classes, whose case seem to call most
loudly for revision, namely, Commanders and Lieute-
nants. It is by comparing the relative treatment
of these officers with those of equal rank in
the Army, that our readers will at once be
enabled to decide how far the complaints of
the Navy deserve attention. Those who are at all
conversant with the subject, do not require to be informed
with regard to the Army, that from the momentany officer
obtains a Captain's commission, his rank, whether em-
ployed or not, goes on progressively till he reaches
the highest grade of the profession. Thus it is,
that numbers, who never served a single campaign,
after they became Captains, figure in the Army
List as Major-Generals, enjoying the Kixo's allow-
ance of 5001. a-year. But what is the case in the
Naval Service ? Why, that although an order in Council
has conferred the rank of Major on Commanders, and
of Captains, on Lieutenants, both these can never advance
a single step, unless through interest, or some of those
acts of gallantry which can only fall to the lot of a
few. This glaring distinction between the two ser-
vices is very easily illustrated. Our readers are
aware that the army promotions take place at stated pe-
riods. By referring to the Army List, it will be found
that all the Majors of 1812 have obtained the rank of
Lieut.-Colonels,and all the Captains of the same year, that
of Majors. What a striking contrast does the Navy List
exhibit ! To begin with the Commanders : out of 902 of
this meritorious class, one hundred and eighty-seven have
held their present rank EIGHTEEN Y c A as,while four hun-
dred more have been ten years on the same list! In the case
of Lieutenants, the hardship is immeasurably greater : of
these, in all 3,564, the first three hundred have held
their actual rank from FIFTY to THIRTY YEARS, and
the following seven hundred, TWENTY ! According to
the present system, not one of this large mass of the two
most useful classes in our naval service, has the smallest
chance of promotion, except through Borough interest, as
it is called, or patronage of another kind. But the dis-
tinction between the two services does not end here. The
half pay allotted to Majors and Captains in the Army, is the
same throughout in each rank, that of Captains being
seven shillings a day from the top to the bottom of the
list, whereas only three hundred Lieutenants are allowed
this sum : the next six hundred receive six shillings, and
the remainder only five. When the fatigues and priva-
tions to which naval men arc exposed, the necessity
of serving six years before they can aspire to any rank
whatever, surely there is no just ground for distinc-
tions so invidious as those we have pointed out.—
There are a number of minor grievances which we have
not time to notice. Among these, we cannot help
animadverting on that part of the system which enables
those at the head of our naval administration to place
every stripling whose friends or relatives happen
to possess certain influence, over the heads of ve-
terans who have bled and become grey in the ser-
vice. As this is an every-day occurrence, we are
surely called on to point out an abuse so diame-
trically opposed to every principle of justice. We believe
the whole of this subject engrossed the attention of the
late Lord High Admiral, and that a plan was in contem-
plation for correcting the evil. But since the resignation
of his Roial Highness, nothing more has been heard of
the projected changes. As the Times seems to have
fully appreciated the value of the suggestions put forth
by Admiral PENROSE, we trust our contemporary will
consider the subject we have this day discussed, equally
entitled to his attention.

We yesterday stated that it was our determination to
observe the strictest impartiality in the misunderstanding
which has arisen between the Marquis of BLANDFORD
and Mr. HU YT. A letter, which will be found in another
column, in reply to that of Mr. BERG U Ea, proves that
we intend to adhere to our promise.
Mr. HERM as visited the Duke of WELLINGTON yes-
terday at the Treasury.
We understand that a new claimant to the Annan-
dale Peerage has presented himself in the person of
Lieutenant Johnstone, of the 14th Foot. This gentle-
man, we believe, has but recently returned from India.
Despatches were sent off by a Messenger last evening
from the Foreign-office, for Mr. Dawkins, our resident in
Greece. The Messenger took also despatches for Sir
Frederick Adam, the Lord High Commissioner of the
lonian Islands, from the Colonial-office.