Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-10-21

dsserbsd fAa. sesas, hevsvss eek pses ana IL o..
ton i,.h an uncommon oos % board oassus shlps
when lying In port
The assooshug thing L. rot that single young naval
or marine officer sboold fall into cou,usrcs uth pros-
tu!e but that the public opinion VI the service shod
women. Who had been veil saturated With brandy and
water, were introduced into the gun,oon where The
officers at table, aud led into cabin which actus,
seated Let Ne accept for srguuenS sske the eltenes
OF gross vice a. necessary evil but groas vice
not without some lingering Of decen,y. VIVA,
amour. Of se.especs could exist smoug tno, Of young
men where such scene Was possiblef What may moi
DO presumed whom much Il ascestansdf There IA,
however, another view which be taken Of the case
the pollution OF debsuchery could DO confined to the
officers alone the mischief would DO comparatively ANAL
But there uss not among tho Of tho Dsun,iess
Who not Within few hours Of What had taken
place. There Vas the watch deck at tho time the
young women we're brought on boArd-there were ma
rnes who relieved each other the gunroom doorheru
the steward who waited on the ottccts throughout
their vulgar riot-ihee we're summoue rst 70 hand
ooe drunken prostitute over tho ships side
and then moro men summoned carry the other Door
battered wretch down TO the boat state Of
There were drunken cries echong through the ship 10
tho silence Of the night, and gosus SO loud that they
attracted tho notice Of the police on shore Now wo
say, IL such scenes are common board the Queen
ships In hsrbor our only wonder bow the captains
contrivs maintain discipline when At sea II the OH
csrs ampe tho frst decencies Of life under foo,-the
persons who supposed to be Of cultivated intel
hgence and educatiou-shat will the dor IL IL dii
him TO be aware OF the OF such on
board his shp-can punish any OF HE for drunken.
nes riot or proagscy, when such the conduct Of the
officers Shall the forecaste be logged and the sunroom
escape uushipped! The evil OF the example, indeed IL
would be difficult to szaggerae. The rulers of this
Try In former days appear to have been pains 10
setting upon record their conviction Of the fearful evils
which must arise the services the
profanity, debauchery and drunkenness OF tho officers
To our professional readers the following extract may not
be altogether new, however much many Of them may
have dsregarded its tens; but we'll the public should
know that well nigh hundred yesrs ego such order
made:
"And to the end that all vice and debauchery may DO
prevented and religion virtue prsctised by a. ocers
private sojers Mariners aud Who are employed in
our service by and land do hereby strictly charge
and command all our commanders aud officers whatsoever
that they do take care to avoid all profnene debauc
aud other immorses, and that BY their own good and
rruous lives and conversation they do good examples
all such under their end authority and ike
wise take care Of aud Inspect the behavior Of all such
are under them and punish all those who shall be guilty
OF any OF the Offences aforesaid they will be
able for the i'll consequences of their neglect therein
"Giveu at our Court at Leicester house. the SIS. day
Of octoee lISo, and In the hrst year Of our reign.
God save the King"
Such was the order made by George ILL., In the first
year Of bis accession to tho English throne how 10
oocyed At the present. day may be too ameutb inferred
from The recent revelations OF the condition Of Her Ma
jeys 10th Regiment Of Infantry, aud from the scene
which has just occurred board the hulk Victorious
Portsmouth harbor.
This Is the point to which would earnestly direct
the attention Of the Admiralty. and is one which will
DO forced upon them In than one il they do
not themselves take the initiative In the NATTER We
have no wish behalf Of the public TO lecture them
upon duties which they should discharge without re-
mnder 10 any dicatoral They must DO better sd-
vsed than their military brethren and ntau scan-
dial simply because the public scaud. h1ed II popular
camor should not avail to procure the condemn alton OF
An innocent neither should public ind nv
to shield the guilty from deserved punishment Public
opinion will tell upon tho internal administration Of tue
atI 10 h.a1
Public opinion has abolished the Of the lashhas op
Grated upon the food drink aud clothing of soldiers
and sailors at every moment Of their lives aud will do 50
IN times TO come TO still greater extent There l. no
manner OF doubt that will be powerful enough to effect
reform in the conduct of the officers in either service
by putting stop to all public exhibition 10 their
OF filsehood bullying, perjury, Drunkenness and grega
r,ous 'orncaslon within the Queens ships and
The public has its procuring redress 10 this
natter il the military aud naval authorities are found
wanting in their duty. ,-,..,,,