Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-01-15

we nave thrown upon our first the 9TH No. of the
Series of letters the alleged abuses of the NavyThe
following is from officer in the SERVICE whon have
long known aud respected. press is open to a free
investigation of all public Under this impress
son. We have published the structures the Navy-and
now publish the following comments:
To THE EDIToRs.
".Ne,o York, January 8, 1894.
" You are giving publicity to a series OF let
tiers which purpOrt To point out the abuses ex-
listing IN The service" | know not who your
correspondent can he--yet, am sure he is
mIsinformed upon most of what he states as
IN facts. That there are abuses, may be true
yet the Secretary of the Navy is clothed with
ample power To correct them all: with the
appreciation of the President, he can dismiss
any officer he may think proper-and if he
finds one who deserves it, he would meet with
applause from all who belong To the navy. We
wish no dishonorabe nor little-m minded men
among us.
" Nclaiive In the transportation of specie,
&c.-it is allowed by the articles of war; and
can see no good reason that il should not be,
as long rs our ships do not go out of their
way, To the injury of the service, TO do SOL
should wish Il portion of the small per centag..
| should he given Ia the pension fund, &c.-As
! TO making division among the crews and Of
GERS, il would he too small TO he of value
| long time in service to arrive at the rank of
commander, and still longer to be captain in
the navy. The pay of master
not $1,000 year, nor of a captain quite $4,000.
You require your officers To live, and keep up
The responsibility and appearance Of gentle
men and those who have families, without
some private means find il IA difficult matter,
as when away they must keep two tables
should death overtake them, their family must
be thrown upon the bounty of their friends
or upon the charity of congress 1t is true,
some few of our officers have made "A decent
competence in the transporting of specie; hut
they had To sign bills of Iading for the amount,
and received from to 3 per cent. for trouble,
Sc.-lt rs better that officer should have
some hope of gaining such an opportunity to
| make hilir IN addition To his pay, 10 educate
| his children, nc. although he may never have
| mat nope realized: il certainly acts as IA sti-
| nlIlant 10 induce all officers to seek sea ser
wee, instead of remaining on shore: and
know OF no one instance where an officer has
made AN improper use of bis little earnings
but quite otherwise; for in three instances il
mas enabled them to marry, when otherwise.
rom 'heir want oi means, they were COM
| pell I'd To live life of celibacy
Your correspondent SAYS, officers who
serve on courts martial are allowed 81 so pc,
day, for extra services. | believe il is custom
airy to allow travelling expenses, as well as
| 81 30 per day, when ordered from your shin
| or station, to go tO a distant one, as "A witness
as well as member; and were the officers com
PEELED to pay their expenses necessarily at
| tendant on travelling, &C. their small nav
| would soon throw them upon the charity OF
Their friends, &c. can only say, | have never
for upwards of eighteen years which I have
been in service, (faurteen of which have been
a. tnd In uHfsa of.
one cent for such duty, nor did ever know
was entitled for such services, except when
ordered TO another station. On this subject
he has certainly been misinformed
AS to the poor surgeons, who really lately
nave been numerically handled, he too has
gwen them paragraph, with the same JUS
ice as he has treated other subjects. believe
there are as many as six stations where n sur
geon is allowed extra pay, for house rent, fuel,
&c. attached to the hospital * and where ma
rlnes are stationed, a surgeon is allowed like
wise, which will give you six more. The pay
OF the surgeon is small who has a Sidiion-hs
pay when otherwise employed is $50 per
month, and SO cts. per day-but with his paw,
perquIstes and all, he receives not $500 per
| year: and is this considered too much for
men TO receive who give up all prospect of
making competence for their family?
can only wonder we have men Of talents a
rn0nS us at all, for you must allow the induce
| meDt which is held out is not adequate to the
services of men upon whom we must look up
to for help in sickness and wounds. do hope
to see that class of officers better provided for
that we may command respectable talents
for much of the efficiency of the navy will
depend upon them.
He speaks Of the older officers who com
mand on the several stations. Generally speak
ing they officers who have seen much and
long service, and are thus employed TO give
them their pay, &c.-I must, however, say Ia
you, that thcte is but one officer in that sifua.
ton this officer is Capt. Sinclair, at Norfolk
All the other stations have but one CAPTAIN
and he is in charge of the navy yard, as wei
as commanding OfEcer Of the station. dc
not know what perquisles he receives, bu
presume he is allowed house rent. The Other
officers who command our yards and stations
are allowed with all perquisiies about $500
per year.
No officer in the service would wish more
than myself TO see Ill abuses corrected, and
cannot but regret to see disposition anon,
our young officers (particularly,) to end faul
with every thing, and misrepresent 10 the pub
TIC all that relates 60 the service. II has ariser
from our having too many officers for the ser
vice we have to perform had we fewer off
GERS, or more ships, the navy would be NOR
| ---
Pnrveyors Of Medicine and Hospital Surgeon,
have ihe snus Allowance as 10 the Amy.