The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-11-01
From the Now York Globe.
THE ARISTOCRATIC AND EXCLUSIVE
FEATURES OF THE NAYAL BUREAUX


without any material variation of their exclusive
and ariStocratic features, which the people have
complained of for the last thirty years. Let us
see how the case stands We have before us the
Nary Register for 1916, wherein we find not
only all the names and grades of the officers of
the Navy and Marine corps, hut the act to re-
organise The Many Department. passed in the
year 1912.
This act begins by repeating the act creating
the Board of Commissioners The second sec
tion declares that their shall be attached TO the
Navy Department the following Bureaux,' name.
ly:
!. Bureau of Navy Yards and Docks.
.. "A Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Re-
pair.
5. A Bureau of Provisions and Clothing
4. Bureau of Ordnance Hydrography
D, Bureau of Nj: diciue and Surgery.
The duties of the three Commissioners. who
were always by that law tn he Post Captains. are
Thus cut up and distributed among five distinc,
offices, at the head of two of which the law still
declares there shall be none other than Post Cap
tains; and even the subordinate places of clerks
are guaranteed to Leuenants and AIldshipmen-
thus not only perpetuating the old arstocracy of
the quarter deck, hut by way of amendment car
rylng the objectionable eXclusveness still farther
Lest we may be in error, let us uuote the law
The third section runs thus: The President, by
and with the advice &C., shall appoint from the
Captains IN The JNarGt service, Chief for each
of the Bureaux of Navy Yards and Docks and of
Ordnance and of photography, who shall each
receive salary of three thousand five hundred
dollars per annnm These places, we see by the
Register, are filled by COmmodores Warrington
and Crane, standing at numbers five and six on
the Navy list and long doing service as Navy
Commissioners at similar salary. They are.
happily, still comfortably provided for The act
goes on TO declare that the President shall, in
like manner, appoint Chief Of the Bureau of
Construction, Equipment and Repair, trho shall
be a skiifW .NaraL Constructor whose salary
shall he three thousand dollars per annum. -
Turning To the official list in order to find tho
name of this 'skilul Naval Constructor and ex
pecting TO find the name of practical shin car
penter. we discover that of Commodore Morris.
the fourth on the list of Captains, and also for
long time one of the Navy Commissioners! The
act proceeds TO say that the President in like
manner shall appoint "a Chief Of the Bureau of
Provisions and Clohing,' whose salary shall be
three thousand dollars per annum > but the act
is silent as 10 whether he shall be taken from the
quarterback or from private station. True,
however, 10 the aristocrac line, we find the in
cumbent n Post Captain, instead of a man Of
practical experience in such matters Commo-
dore Shubrick is the fortunate individual, and he
rejolces IN standing number twenty upon the list
nf Captains, and was also Navy Commissioner.
the Surgeons Of The Nary Chief of the Bureau
of Medicine and Surgery. who shall receive for
his service two thousand five hundred dollars ner
annum.' This snug place is filled by Surgeon
Harris, long past sea service, who stands number
three on the list, and has received his regular paw
as a surgeon for thirty three years past In addi-
ton to this appointment the act provides a berth
for an Assistant Surgeon. who shall receive for
his services not less than the highest pay of his
do in tho of,o =.
filled by Passed Assistant Surgeon Gillou.'-
Thus are these important places disposed of, in
strict adherence to the Navy list, and given to
operative surgeons when they should be bestow-
ed upon practical and educated phamaceusts, or
person who understand the quality and compound
ing of drugs and medicines. But the act does
not stop hero. The former monopoly of the three
old Commodores is now much enlarged, (not for
citizens, mark you,) and embraces within its
ample folds all the lientenants and midshipmen
Of the Navy, whose time may thus be directed
from legitimate duty to the labor of the book
Keeper and accountant The sea is no LONGER the
vocation o the buttoned and epauletted sailor
Land service is the order of the day. The tenth
section Of the act directs the Secretary of the
Navy to appoint officers of the Navy, not ADORE
the grade of eutenanls, to perform the duties of
any clerbship created by this act There are
some thirty clerkshps and such appointment
''''''''N''
the servcen Thus, promotion may still be 90
ing on, though their duty be done on land This
is the law ; but, TO the honor of our gallant lieu
tenants and midshipmen, be it said, not one is 10
be found in the service who will accept of the
shore-duty Of cerkship in preference to duty at
sea.
Another peculiar and exclusive, as well as in
sutng, feature of orr Naval Establishment is the
appointment Of Naval Store keepers in foreign
ports, all of whom, we believe. were formerly
taken from the body Of the people, but are now
confined TO naval officers alone The ordinary
and untitled citizen is utterly discarded.
Thus, taking view of the whole question. it
seems as if the framer of this law of the BIZ
reaur, (Mr. Wise, we believe, of Virginia in
tended to shut out the people. as far as possible.
from any cipation in the honors and emoIu
ments of official station in the Department of the
Navy and to confne even its clerkships and
agencies to the officers Of the Navy exclusively.
The people complained, and with good reason. Of
the operation of the Board of Navy Commission
ers; and, after nearly thirty years Of protest. the
law was remodelled, apparently TO crafty the
wishes Of the public. But how was it changed
Changed only in name, but not jot in its fea-
lures; if any thing, they are rendered more obi.
GUS blythe change, and the exclusveness is still
the same. Every other objectionable featuro ;e