The New York herald., 1845-12-09

our officers will agree that after proper dmnuti0ns you
would do more honor to its country.
Wherever the principle OF discrimination has been !
applied the navy has been benefited Some years ago.
the rule esabohed for the corps Of surgeons and
the result has given the navy body Of welleducated
and well trained surgeons, of which any nation might
be proud.
The same system has been applied during the summer
to the engineers and with very beneficial results II is
the only system which will shut the door against favor
and prevent the Offices in the navy from becoming
branches of an authorized pension list
This is most decidedly in the case of masters
The United States navy has the grade of maser-a high
station we'll paid and requ ing great ability and expe
rience at sea- Full pay given thity masters of
to their duty can learn that more than six five,
perhaps four three, are able to navigate ship
Those who are and by examaation prove themselves
to have been incompetent, should be dischaeged
the should be employed in their turn at sea- or be
To the younger branch of the service have felt
scrupe to extend somewhat farther than was hereto
fore usual the principle of Discrimination by authority
of the department. The number of midshipmen has
gradually become so reduced that new appointments
begia to be made A medical survey ana an eAamina'
ton of the candidates for appointment have been pre-
scribed.
1t twould be very desirable system of free competi
ton fer appointments could be devised, which would
preclude all possibility of favoritism. ought also to
add that many of the best friends Of the navy believe the
number of midshipmen should be brought within still
limit than that which is at present established
by law. If Congress also should be Of that opinion,
would recommend that for every FIVE vacancies which
may occur two only should be filed until the number
is still farther reduced
regret be obliged ask the interposition of Con-
gress for legislation respecting the crops of pursers
The law of August %, ls42 gives them, leave
waiting orders, the same pay as surgeons, that is large
they have been i'll the service, without reference to
their seaduty present merit Under the operation Of
this law the old purser, doing nothing shore is fre
quenty paid more than the faithful young purse whom
duty carries round the world. The consequence is
medy this and make it fer the pecunary interest Of pur
sers to perform their duty at sea If this can be ac
com plished, their number needs no increase
In the army, disbursDg officers periodically come be-
fore the Senate to be confirmed anew. Would it not be
well to extend this principle to the navy and to require
that purses should once in every few years be subject
to appointment And would it not be good rule
that purser should be reappoined no has not with
in reasonable period, performed a cruise
Changes in the present law needed to protect the
treasury. Balances sometimes retained too long
for which the best remedy prompt settlements Three
months are now allowed to disbursng officers within
the United States, TO render their accounts The eff
cient purssrs will agree unanimously that for them
will esta bsh that limit, believe the auditor will be
able to settle their accounts within the next fortyfve
days to the immense benefit OF themselves and the
public service Moneys can only come into their hands
specific acquisitions for specific purposes and ought
never to be diverted by them to the payment of their
own claims real or pretended, against the United
States These CLAIMS in cases. extend back twenty
years, and when traced to their origin not nfre
quently found to be based services which when
| dered, were recognized as regular duty Such
public money in their hands, constituting 2 u ithemseves
judges in their own cases, and vexatiousy persist in
carrying them forward in their accounts after they have
| been repeatedly rejected by the legally constituted
authorities fpursers desire to hold large of pub
lie money for the purpose of conending against
the decisions of the accounting officers sustained by the
opinions of the Attorney General they should first be-
come private citizens; for while they conendng,
the government must lese their services expose il.
SELF to the charge of undue advantage in sending them
from home 1t is moreover smaniesuy unsafe to trust
them under such crc with further amounts
OF the public money This subject calls for the action
| OF Congress
The law of January 81 1929 requires that disbursing
n VI
in due time shall be promptly reported to the Pesden
of the United States, and dismissed from the public
vice. Might not this law be extended with great pro-
priey and advantage to those who upon settlement of
their accounts reported holding balances, and
negl lect to pay into the treasury public money
mainng in their hands Although the aggregate mum.
creased, Improvement might be made, by establish
ing within the present limit the grade OF assistant
called for in the smaller vessels. and their pay being
regulated by the amount of their responsibility, might
properly be less than that of the As vacancies
occur among tho pursers, these assistants eXami
nation they proved themselves to be y trained for the
higher duties Of their profession might well be promoted
system would thus be formed which would prevent
tie appointment of the inexperienced and incompetent
The excess of officers exists almost exclusively in
the higher grades OF the navy OF the forward officers
tho interests of the service demand the number
pecaliy Of boatswans and gunnes should be little
creased lfpermisslon were granted to appoint
ing boatsw ans, and many acting gunners it would
be but reasonable aeviation to class of men no
now from their lin tied number, are almost always at
has been my strenuous endeavor to make the con.
dton of the seamen i'll the public employ such Con.
designed The apprentice system, heretofore
regulated, though has produced excellent sea-
men, has not been wholly successful but it is believed
that the failure has arisen from defects of arrangement
and from the stem itself An attempt will be made
to revive it, in simple, unpreending form, and with
the hope OF Denehcla results IN the increase OF accom-
pished American seamen. Meantime, our mercantile
marine, of nearly hundred thousand men, readily
to ssVe hundred
men has never in the past summer been exceeded and
had wholesome effect in compelling reductions
The naval stations at home.
Iii the glory of navy that sailors held by
affection and choice. They enlist voluntarily they
freely discharged their return from cruise and
with few exceptions they readily enlist again. They
love the service; and on whatever they found,
they Americans at heart.
Efforts have been made to break up violation of law
which has too lorg existed on ship board The mercy
statute entrusts the power of the lash exclusively
the commanding officer. No other officer worthy Of
command will infict punishment, except after due
examination into the offences charged The former
custom of delegating this power to subordinate officers
agrant violation of the will Of Congress and the
people The men have rights and must be protected
them. Experiences shows that discipline is
good as when the commanding officer sets the example
Of subordnaonby obedience to the laws OF his country
during their service; freedom to leave after cruise;
skilfu medical attention. with comfortable quarters at
naval hospitals in case OF sickness; pension Of
disability home at the naval asy lum in old age-thess
provisions show that the sailor has not been neglected
by his countrymen.
/ cannot close this communication without repeating
that the evils in navy to which have called atten
ton spring from the defects in the system that has been
followed rather than from the want of proper personal
qualities in the officers period of peace, which it is
be hoped may continue, left employ at with
out the strong attraction that comes from the mmncnce
OF danger and the prospect of winning renown and the
department. while possesses authority to summon into
activity the services OF all, without exception, has yet
had no opportunities of rewardng those who distinguish
themselves by aacrity and capacity An exploring
pedtien was indeed, sent forth and kept at for
ong of years; and many OF ordinary employ
ment have imposed great hardships and prvatons but
not lieutenant midshpman in any instance
received much the slightest Advancement beyond
those who remained during the period on shore
at easier stations. Ours is the only service where
activity and inactivity have Jared slike and it is the
highest evidence of the capacity and integrity OF
officers and the vast OF talent which a proper
system would call forth, that in spite Of this usage Of
Indifference, which prevails in other country, and
ought longer to prevail in own the sentiments OF
honor and the pride Of professional duty have still edu
cd liant IN