Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-04
WARRINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

idse nsoouoicu de DoSton, ihuos dtc tue me-
cessity of reform in the Navy, and shows with
how much reason public attention has been
urgently called to the condition of that branch
Of the public service. We learn from an I'M
official party that about the 10th of November
last, the Secretary of the Navy issued an order
to Lieutenant, directing him to proceed to
Boston, acithoaa delay, and report for duty on
board of the ship Germantown The words,
''scithonf delay" being underscored, in order
to draw the officers attention to the peremp-
tory nature Of the order; precautiop, the
necessity Of which is, in itself, proof of the
laxity of discipline in the service. By re-
turn Of mail, the receipt of the order was &C.
knowledged in the following laconic terms, as
appears by the record of the proceedings Of
the Court ..g.l g.
r.. "PITTs BURG, Nov. Is. 1853.
"Sir: Order of the 10th is received.
Every resp'y, your obd't serv't, **K
ssHon. j. c. DOBBIN, Sec y of the Navy"
The promptness and spartan brevity of this
response, no doubt gave the Secretary some
reason to hope, after numerous disappoint
ments, that he had at last found an officer who
was willing to obey an order without remon-
strating against the necessity or propriety of
it, or sending some distinguished parsonage
to beg him of, on the plea of being married,
or about to be married, or having some i'm
portant private business to attend to. But, IN
about fortnight, this agreeable illusion was
dispelled, by intelligence from Boston that
the laconic Lieutenant had not arrived, and
that the ship was all ready for sea and wait
ing for him. The Department then addressed
| -, IN to piffShurp
ceived q message, in reply, from some relative
of the officer, stating that he had left Pitts
burg on the 2Sth of November, ten days after
the receipt of the order directing him to pro-
coed without delay. In about week after
wards, the Department was notified from Bos-
ton that the ship had sailed on the Sd Of De-
cember, and that the Lieutenant had arrived
the evening before, just in tue to be too late.
The delinquent then made his appearance
in person at the Department for the purpose
Of apologizing; but as the sum and substance
OF his explanation was that he did not sup
pose that there was any necessity for being
in hurry to obey the order, the Secretary
directed him to be tried by Court Martial
upon the charge of '..wilful disobedience of
an order In the military code of every
nation, this is an offence of the gravest char
scter; and by the Act of Congress q for the
better government of the Navy; it is made
ment as Court Martial may adjudge. 1t is
self-evident, indeed, that as obedience to
orders is the basis Of all military discipline
and that without it an army or navy could
have no existence, the offence of wiIful and
deliberate disobedience OF a lawful order
could no more be tolerated than an act of
open mutiny. If anything can a9gravate
such an offence, it is the high rank of tue
officer from whom the order proceeds and in
i, ia nrIc nv no
tary himself, and in tho most pcremptory
terms.
Such, however, has been the progress of
Reorganization in tho Navy, that IL Court
Martial, composed of officers of high standing
in the service, by whom tho lieutenant in
question was tried, found him guilty of the
charge in the precise and strong terms in
which it was preferred by the Secretary, and
yet without having before them, or referring
to any mitigating evidence in the case, SEN
fenced him merely to be publicly reprimanded
and suspended from dMtY for six months but
not suspending his pay. With such IL sentence,
public reprimand would have been merely
public notice to other officers that they might
disobey orders with impunity Suspension
from duty for six months, with pay, is nothing
less than leave of absence for the same Pc
Rod whereas, the ordinary leave Of absence
to officers who have just returned from a long
cruise, is only for three months
Such sentence might have been construed
as a mark of disrespect to the Secretary him.
self But besides that, Mr.. Dobbin has given
no cause whatever for the existence OF any
| unfriendly feelings towards himself on the
part of officers (unless it be the firm determi-
nation which he has manifested to effect a
reform in the seryice) the high character of
the officers composing the court forbids the
idea that they were actuated by any motive
Of the kid. Their sentence is merely an
illustration, and forcible one, of the decay
Of discipline, and the necessity of reform in
the navy.
The Secretary, We understand has con-
tented himself with quietly setting aside the
proceedings of the Court, and Placing the
offending officer ON furlou III or Lalf-pay for
twelve months.
The PUBLIC LANDS The short debate in
| the House yesterday, upon Mr.. Bennett S land
bill, developed something of the sentiments
Of Congress with reference to the future man
agement Of the public domain. which i. real
ly hourly bee sming more valuable as property,
though in quantity it has decreased 50 rapidly
Of late years. Turnpikes, steam boats, plank
roads, railroads Il G., and the swarms of set
tiers rushing out west, have together increased
its intrinsic value beyond measure, though
under the law, the Treasury of the United
States realizes no more from it, per aero, than
when lands in the vicinity of Washington
city, which now readily command $50, we're
without purchasers ut one sixth that price
Their increased value is evidently inducing
many members to be much more chary than
heretofore OF idly disposng Of them; while
it has induced more applications for them
upon innumerable and as various pretexts
We have seen sufficient to satisfy US that the
present Congress will pass no bill designed to
throw the proceeds Of any considerable guam
tity Of the public domain directly into the
treasury of any State in which the territory
so disposed Of may not be situated. OF course
all Senators and Representatives from public
land States are strenuously opposed to such
measures. very large majority of the Dem
ocrats in Congress, from the old States, too
are quite as much opposed to any such propo-
sitiOn; on the ground that the money coming
so easily to their State authorities will do
their constituents no real good, it being in
evitable that it will be squandered, and that
their people will be taxed to make up the
deficit created by the donation in the funds
of the General Government. In fact, all
who are really opposed to '.thc distribution of
the proceeds Of the public land sales may
be reckoned certain to oppose Mr.. Benefits
bill. The real friends of the homestead bill
are also against it. Many voted yesterday
for its reference to the public lands commit
tee in courtesy towards its distinguished and
popular author, who enjoys u large share of
nal Of tk,a