The daily union., 1852-01-17

modes OF punishment, and who will not render himself
amenable 10 order and discipline and there may be such
men amongst large masses let the commander have the
authority TO discharge him from the Service al any proper
ue ana place. provided his offences have not been OF
grave character as 10 require the Intervention OF court
martial have frequently, in the course OF my Service
gone behind The law, and varied my modes OF punish
ment, with highly beneficial results Even where the
lash had been used in vain have succeeded in produ
cing wholesome reformation by means oil irhlng punish
ment That cruelty and oppression have occurred in the
service OF hy years standing may readily be conceived
but we may search the records OF courts-maral in
vain for instance where examples have been made OF
such offenders Al all events, there are none within my
recollection.
On shore. under our civil Jurisprudence where much
greater field for number and variety of punshmens
be resoed TO, there exists great difficulty in finding them
commensurate and appropriate 10 the many offences
mtled against society and, after the nnamerabe penal
ues Tor crimes which have been resored TO from time
mmemoal, the public mind 10 have settled down
upon those of imprisonment, the tread mill, bard labor,
and solitary confinement but OF these none are appca
Bile on shpboad and, they they could not be
inflicted without injury great disadvantage TO the duties
and the public service.
Should the present means OF controlling their commands
be taken from your officers, and adequate substitute
be iound, il may be asked, how will it be possible TO
force the obligation OF all placed under their command
No will exist by law. Resort will finally be had
TO side Tor persona protection in their efforts to per-
form their duty; murder will ensue-mu,ny and death TO
the sailors, and halter for the officers. What then be-
comes Of "husaniyr The peculiarly isolated condi-
ton OF shipof war cuts them oil from aid or assist
ance from the authorities on shore; and dis.
position interfere from that quarter when in port
shown the compact and irresistible power OF her internal
force would place at defiance such inerference and.
where this was inadequate, the locomotive qualities OF
their vessel would enable her 10 glide from the attempt
Sailors aware OF its necessity, and volunteer TO
counter it.
To your last question. "Can the spirit.ra,on be dis.
pensed with, and, il so, what substitute will answer in It's
AS have never been one OF those who believed that
The spirit part Of the ration authorized BY law to be
Issued was the cause OF noxlcaton in ships unaided
by other means cannot now conceive that its reduction
to onehaf OF The former allowance produces that effect
neither does il seem from the record of punshmens
furnished to the department. I'd have been arrested any
measure under the reduction it has undergone while at
the same time it has given rise to punishment,
through the propensity 10 smugge on board OF our
sells, induced by the strong desire TO have it II there
fore appears TO that the further reduction will only
increase that DESIRE and augment the efforts to procure it
candesiinely hence, as II will be smugged in larger
quantities than now issued, drunk enness will be in
creased To those who do comprehend the character
OF sailors this may appear paadoxical but 10 those who
DO know, when influenced by their strong propensiies
Tor and tobacco il will be clear and indspulable"
In the earlier stages of navy, efforts made 10
abolish the sprtra,on by substituting porter and beer in
casks but it found not 10 answer and drunkenness
still occurred. Some OF the men refused the substitute
altogether. In the hot attitudes it ermented. and burst
the casksit got stale and sometimes Il could not
be procured al all places resored to for suppes and 1t
found nconyenenl 10 take IN the requisite quantity
because OF the great space required, and which would
sometimes exclude more important stores il therefore
entirely failed, and was obliged 10 be abandoned Since
that period | believe substitute has scarcely been
thought Of and perhaps could be found calculated
TO satisfy the ships company.
AT this late period of naval history il would be difficult
TO discover the origin of The introduction OF spirits
component part OF the ration into the navies OF Europe
II seems they always had aud still have such. an allow
ance is, however, varied in kind, to suit the
habits oil those OF their own seamen, and the policy OF
the respective governments who allow It's use in render
ing II subsevent 10 the various products OF their
try or colonies England furnishes rum from lis West
uil
day Di,e and the next brandy aernately Sweden aud
Denmark from their colonies, &c.
All persons who have been much at sea are aware OF
the mpossibiiiy OF keeping up supply OF good or pure
wafer Sometimes il is brdckish, at others ropy and pu-
d, and oftentmes, from long confinement in close
sels u is found 10 state OF decomposition and any
fixed air it originally contained wholly separated and
PEELED In the hot latndes II becomes in heated holds
OF vessels that the stomach will almost reject
IT; and in the higher attitudes, as cold and chilling as the
northers thus the almost daily varying OF cruising ships
positions brings with like variance in the wateT and
from those circumstances oilentlmes deprives the water
of It's refreshing qualities This may have originated the
OF the spirit ration in vessels of war, OF
ameliorang this essential article OF life amongst those
who go down 10 the seas in great ships. know that,
IN addition Qrom experienced TO be sometimes abso-
uiey essential 10 the sustaining the energies OF the
when great efforts TO be made under emergencies
TO sustain them from sinking entirely after great physical
exeron, influenced by excessive excitement.
IT, therefore, II in any measure form essential TO
sailors comforts, (of which he has few al sea- why
them should the very many be deprived OF il, because
Two or three cent. OF the whole number Will, when
opportunity offers, abuse themselves and their service
through nordinate use oi II This would seem like
Furnishing the many good men for the faults OF the few
Besides, when reasonable quantity is furnished, the
dread OF losing that for part the whole OF cruise
aids materially in checking habits OF drunkenness on
shipboard and long restraint to quantity only which
will comfort and moi lnoxIcale apprehend will do
for reasonable reformation than the sudden deprivation
and entire inierdicton OF il the period oil cruise for
Jack. when again free and return 10 former indul
gences smore likely TO plunge headong into greater ex
than he INDUCED IN under former habits from the
very excess OF restraint to which be had been reduced
during his cruise The authority TO the commanders TO
withhold the spirtrsiion for part the whole OF a
cruise from those who will by otbefmeans become reck
essy drunken, will be better restraint OF such offences
than punishment with the lash This and confinement IN
IRONS until twenty -four hours after sobcfness is restored
ought TO be generally the only punishment for nebeiy
Ihe foregoing observations induced IN reply to
your several questions from experience OF nearly sixty
years sea services and IN all that time does appear
to that the characters OF those who follow the sea have
materially varied. In regard TO native seamen OF which
all the eastern seaen composed. their habits and
character most generally those OF industrious sober
aud enterprsng men those OF the middle and southern
States are more made up OF foreigners especially Scotch
Engsb and Irish their propensites more Irregular
and require scter discipline TO keep them in any reason
able order and when so kept are generally good seamen
brave and skiul.
In illustration OF what have here stated, | could fur
nsh very many examples but II would render this paper
too long and rbaps inconvenient to the department
therefore have the honor 10 remain your obeden
want, very respectfully, CHAS STEWART.
To the Hon. WM BALLARD PREsTos,
Secretary OF the Navy, Washington
MIR. MALLORY here gave way to motion to ad.
journ.
THURSDAY JANUARY rs. 1852