The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-05-21 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TIIIIRSDAY.

Sir C, NAPIER requested the attention of the house to
the state of the Navy List, with reference to the expedi-
ency of establishing a retired list for a fixed number of
officers above 60 years of age. fje recapitulated his own
former endeavours to get such a list established, and the
discouraging Answers which from time to time bad been

giver. to him. Thus baffled, he thought it his duty now
!() press the subject once more upon the house. After
o 0 years of age a man was not generally fit for the com-
mand of a ship ; his strength was not sufficient to go
through the conduct of an action, and follow it up to its
full results. He gave a variety of instances from our
naval history of disadvantages which he considered as
having accrued from the advanced years and exhausted
energies of commanding officers. At this time there
' were no officers above the rank of Rear-Admirals—and
only 15 even of that rank—who were under 60 years of
age. In order to facilitate promotion, he proposed that
old officers should be permitted to sell their commissions,
and that officers purchasing them should be allowed to do
so after a shorter term of service than might be required
from officers getting promotion without purchase. He
entered into a variety of professional details on the sub-
ject of promotion, and took occasion to mention the great
distinction which a son of Sir R. Peel had just attained
in his examination for Lieutenant.
Sir R. PEEL expressed his gratification at so flattering,
a notice of a young officer from so eminent a man as Sir
C. Napier. He said that in the time of the late Govern-
ment the whole subject had been referred to a commis-
sion, upon which were two noblemen who had been First
Lords of the Admiralty, and three Admirals. They had
specially considered the proposal for a retired list; and
they had reported that it would not confer any public
benefit commensurate with the expense it would entail.
If the option of retirement were given to a certain number
of captains, it would have no effect in clearing the list
from old officers; the oldest, being nearest to the chance
of getting their flag, would, of course, remain, and only
the younger captains, whose promotion was very remote,
would retire. He hoped the house would not express an
opinion which should fetter the discretion of the Govern-
ment on this subject.
Captain BERKELEY enlarged upon the disadvantages
arising from the great length of time during which an
officer's talent and experience must rust on shore before
he could obtain any promotion under the present system.
Sir G. COCKBURN observed, that the great number of
old officers now unemployed in the high ranks of the navy
was the natural result of the extensive appointment re-
quired by the war, and the necessary discontinuance of
employment during the subsequent peace. He thought
that when a subject of this kind had been carefully con-
sidered by a competent commission, it was inexpedient
to rescind the decision pronounced by them. He was
satisfied, from his personal knowledge of the navy (and
he had lately been serving in the Mediterranean), that a
fleet of 50 or 60 sail-of-the-line could be sent out at this
time as well manned as in his younger days. He was
favourable to the principle of purchase, though not with
a shorter term of service; but he had not pressed that
principle, because the commission had given their judg-
ment against it.
Captain PEcuEm. supported Sir C. Napier's proposal.
He complained that under the present system all Boards
of Admiralty, whig or tory, were under an undue pressure
from political influences; and then went at large into
subjects of naval architecture, and other nautical matters
having no apparent connexion with the motion before the
house. The Government asked the house to let them
alone ; but he did not intend to do that. He believed
the present Board of Admiralty were very well inclined
to fulfil their duty ; but he thought they would do better
if they would follow the example of the Duke of Clarence,
who, when Lord High Admiral, saw every officer per-
sonally.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT said, that if they gave the op-
tion of retirement, they would have the old men on their
active list, and the young ones on their retired list. A
few years would make a great change, by the deaths of
very many officers now in advanced age ; and in the mean
time it was not desirable to fix a great expense on the
country, more especially when any plan that might be
proposed to please some of our officers was sure to he
very unpalatable to others. He hoped Sir C. Napier
would withdraw his motion.

Sir C. NAPIER replied. He did not care for the com-
mission which had been quoted as so strong an authority;
it had decided one way one day, and another way the
next; there was nothing like it, except the late divisions
on Lord Ashley's motion. He admitted that the officers
at the very top of the list, who were near to getting their
flags, would not retire ; but between them and the young
ones there were very many who would. An old captain
of 70 could no more do his work as he did at 40, than a
fox-hunter of 70 could ride with the nerve of a youngster
at a five-barred gate.
The house then divided, when the motion was lost by
a majority of 71 to 28.