The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-05
IIa4

81 Us fSaIlA R.l4 Ata SsSA..la u La AGt 81 Msfeh
3, 1901, approved by John Adams, and carried INTO
effect by Jefferson that the Presdent be authorized
70 discharge ofcsrs in the navy service OF the Un-
ted States and .thst all commissioned and warrant
officers who shall be discharged as aforesaid, shall
be entitled 10 receive four months pay over ana
above what may be due 10 them respectively, at the
Time Of their discharge" This was the precedent
established in the marine corps by the act approved
I'd March, 1917 OF which the second section enactsr
that the President of the United States cause any
| supemumerary officers TO be discharged from the
service Of the United States and TO all persons SO
discharged there shah be paid three months add
| tonal pay. .,
no great change from the actually existing system u
10 discharge none, but to limit the number Of NC
i've officers and TO put ~ supernumerares on fur
Tough. This might be directed 10 be done in the
usual form. Or il might be enacted, that officers
who have seen at least twenty years sea-seryee,
and have faithfully performed their duty, shall re-
eeve, when neither employed nor waiting orders,
onehalf the sea-pay Of their grade; and that officers
who have seen less than twenty years service
but at least fifteen years Of sca-seryice, and have
faithfully performed their duties, shall receive,
when neither employed nor waiting orders, half The
leave pay Of their grade Officers who have not
seen ffteen years sea-seryice will II discharged, re-
ceive support under the pension law, If they have
become disabled in The public service.
The number Of midsbipmen can best be reduced
by rgidly dscharging those reported incompe-
tent and unit; and by appointing but two new ones
for every Ave vacancies that may occur, until the
number shall he reduced to three hundred aud
sixty.
ooe further suggestion remains; that in all case
when an increase Of the pay Of any offcer is now,
by law, made according TO the number of years
afer the date OF bis commission, said increase Of
pay shall hereafter be made according 10 the number
Of years Of actual service; and IN computing the
years Of actual service the years Of sea-seryice shall
be counted in full; and the years of duty at stations
on shore shsl b cohntod bat % year for every
1--we. IL may also be proper TO extend the system OF
nm increasing pay, graduated according 10 actual
service, to captains, commanders, euiensb,s, shd
midshipmen. 800 hr, a,-.Jr. grs7r y r.
And il may be directed that no officer shall ever
be taken to be the Oldest captain in the navy,
who has not seon al least twenty years SeaSer-
vice, , ... I..,......I ,...
But the evil Of an excess of officers will not he
remedied until it shall be fixed by law that APP
Pointments and promotions to the highest posts ~
the navy shall no longer be made without regard 10
capacity. Ability 10 all the duties Of an Office
should go before advancement to an Office. Capo-
city should be a condition Of holding Office. The
doctrine that advancement rs due seniority alone,
irrespective Of capacity for duty places personal in
erests before the public good, and parakes Of the
very essence of the worst form OF aristacracy Let
the qualifications for Office in the navy be prescribed
by law; when an examination Is requisite, let
the board Of examiners be provided an Is now done
by law in the Of assistant surgeons, and as is
now done by regulation in the case of midshipmen
and engineers. When an examination ~ not pro-
per, let method be adopted that shall altogether
and absolutely, in appearance and in reality pre-
clude fayontsm. Fayoritism in naval appointments
Is detestabe. Let The discretion OF the secretary, in
recommending for promotion, be bound and re,
stricted; let a aystem be followed which shall
preclude the possibility Of casting upon the Presi-
dent the rcmotost suggestion Of bias of any
kind Let either the Secretary or the President
even select board Of advisers. Is promotion 10
captancy to be made' Let letters be written to all
the captains near al hand requiring them TO propose
the name Of the oldsa oomuander, who, on Then
honor, is believed by them to be every way fitted
TO be captain. Let the commanders also he writ
ten to for the same end. Lot these communca-
lions be the guides to the President and Senate in
their exercise Of the appointing and approving
power, so that they may make no appointments but
Of men whose compssoacy u established.
To say that such system could not be made 10
work well, is to doubt the principle Of selfgoyern-
ment, which implies selection; to substitute the
abuses in the monarchical and arisocracal govern
ments Of Europe foe de certaininfuence Of human
passions and principles Of conduct; To shut out the
light Of experiences, and the lessons of history,
which point disgrace and defsas consequent on
absolute Difference to claima Of rank and show the
most wonderful results from oreanization, where the
elective system has been combined with devotion
service for life. The application of the elective
system 70 snbordinats oaiSsrs, and control Of il by
superior officers, cobinAs principles which, wher-
ever they have been applied, have been attended
with the happiest rcsuitS. Il rs
The ultimate reduction contemplated by these
suggestions amounts for--5 -, I'm 4, ~
Twenty captains, AZ waiting ordera pay, -. w..
Foty-seven cofnaaAnSsrss,, & waiting.tor '''''
ders pay, Sl,SOO per annpm,, - $4,000
pay, $1,000 per annum 49,, s-,ras3 $1,000
81 800 per annrn,a ~. = .,.., - l,4OO
Nnety-one midshipmen, at waiting orders nv
pr pssa a Rsf , sseS oo hi. s'0
sum is asked 70 be, appropriated to re-
| pairs, improvements, aud Instruction, at
| the naval school at Fort Severn, and is
! not included in the reduction.
rh s1sS !mas .s " waitlngords pay, % ,oo
Eleven masters mates, at waiting-orders w
pay, $500 per annum,. :;...a;-r, $500
Seven secretaries, at $1,000 per annum 1000
Twenty six clerks, at $500 per annum $4,000
| ..s .....-..,. .. S302, 500
This reform in the number Of officers actively
employed, or awaiting employment, IL in itself so
vice, that the estimates for pay for the year were
based upon the probability Of its being effected.
To this single point as far "a retrenchments are
concerned, the resolution Of The House appears to
1 be limited. "" '- ''''''
| The propriety Of retrenchment in the marine
corps is reserved for a reply to a. special resolution
which has been received On that subject
/ For the reduction of, the number Of shorc-sta-
TONS, the authority of the department seems suif-