New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-06
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.

To a. Editor u asE y TrSv~s
Sra. The Report of ]. c. Dobbin, Secretary OF the
NAVY !. indeed lame defense Of the action OF the
late Navy Board. and particularly weak in lite adni7-
Sons Of fact 70 wit: that the late Navy Board called
the Efficiency Board made great mistakes IL u
,on the magnitude Of these mistakes both those OF
the BOARD and those OF the Secretary, that 10"
desire vour indulgence TO communicate Information.
Tho naramouut mistake | conceive to be IN the
erroneous a..nmpton n fact that the American Navy
IN IL ,er,orrel was comparatively inefficient, and
-eouired reform: when truth, the fact II, that a.
compered with other Navies OF European Govern
nsnts it, persoEHel and has been Ioi ~
efficiency. The cases 10 the contrary are rare auu
eIc.ntionsl individual instances for which there "a
now an ADEQUATE remedy in regular C0Hrt-hdrtidi,
and in the authority which can be always exercised
by the Secretary of not giving employment 10 men
who do not deserve II. -,
been dropped by this Board of Inquiry who woad not
he given the command of rigate IN any OF the En-
ropeau Eayies where the superior cTlcfHey OF AeTl
can Naval officer is well known. The same may DC
said Of the retired OF furloughed list
Tbsre l. another very important and erroneous as
srnton of fact that i0l of the AZ officers who have
been selected from 7l2 officers IN the Navy, as the
acttre last. are mentally, phsncaAy and morGIy IN
competent 10 perform their whole du1y on ses ana on
land That il 70 saw that ffy per- cent o. ore kdt OF
the elite OF the Nary 10 this deporabe condition Inc
good sense Of the people will not fail to enable them 70
see that this proposition Is in itself pTeooeTous iney
will aso see that the who have been retired or
dropred are not superannuated, but in the prime OF
M. and have spent the better part Of their lives IN &C.
curing special skiH in navigating naval ships and
doing naval duty and that the Board assumes that
crEeTience acquired in this department OF hte, I'M
ike skill in oil other professions, is not of value The
Government having had the use OF that skln ana ex-
rerience for great number Of years are under certain
EQUITABLE obligations TO these men not TO deprive them
.la+ LlaIt HON anltrf n
Ire without the ability to acquire competence and
that by summary process" which has been rightly
characterized as Star Chamber decision, not unlike
the proceedings of the Spanish 1nquiston. The pub
lie will also that il is adding insult to injury to say
that this degrading deprivation on office is honorable
and enerous the part of the Government, and that
the recommendation Of the Secretary OF the poor man
plaster Of simply years pay is si'ly beause the Gov.
eminent publishes Islander upon the fair reputation OF
these men, which deprves them Of employment in the
mercantile marine while in the prime OF life, and many
Of them with families to support, and who having ac'
qured skill in other professions, are left to beg or
starve, with al unj ust stigma on their fair Names
The public already know that the Board numbers,
among the list Of mentally, morally and physically u-
competent, Lieuts ellis, Maury, Porter, Gedney,
Stout Maft and scores of others who have rendered
the American Navy ilnstriOus through their valuable
scientific abor.
The Secretary endeavors to show that the Board
! made "a careful examination" as required by the
law and the opinion of the Attomy-Genera upon 1t,
and that he the Secretary had spread before the
| Board the records of the Department; and IN the
same paper put forth az State paper he states that
the Board Commenced their joint labors on the goth
"of June and reported the result on the Goth of July
lees than month being thus employed to consider
hundred and twelve cases upon which they were
required to form Judgment is to say, legal
! equitable and impartial decisions, according to the
facts. The time they in session, most certainly
would not enable them to do this. careful compu-
tation of the time this Board in session has been
| made, and it only allows twelve minutes and forty
seconds to each case, which would not be than
sufficient time for them TO write, collect sort and count
votes each case, mach ess to read the history OF
the acts of the officers Of the Navy from the time when
they entered it Mdshpmen to the present II does
not appear 10 occur to the mind Of the Secretary that
summary process" is not q careful examination,
and that bis records, if they really copied from
the files of the Department or examined upon the files
BY the Board, (which ] am satisfied they were not,
would be erparte eridence, and unjust to proceed
| unop to arrive al a safe Judgment by careful
examination" Where, would ask, is the justifica-
ton for summary proceeding in this Jaw lin the
Constitution Of the country or in the Common Law oi
! the land
The Secretary compliments the Board a. suitable
selection but have yet to find any of the same
| opinion except 10 two members, Perry and
McCowly, who disapprove of the proceedings of the
Board, and "ony regret that they did not protest
| "against it,"
The Secretary has some fine compliments for ellis
and Maury both of whom have been degraded by the
Naval Board-but not for those who have beenre-
| tanned.
TIE officers of the Navy, whose and position
| are well known TO their countrymen, deem it due TO
their brother officers in this service who are perhaps
less known but not less deserving that they should
stand together and oppose The entire acton of this Ma.
| raj Board a. a great public prong-trenching upon
TIE Constitution and not afordng them any rights OF
trial and defense according 10 established usage 10
| courts where extensive and permanent injury
done to the reputation and estate" of the officers.
II they are to be hung they ask first to be tred II
they are to be dishonoraby deprired Of employment
they think but just that they should know the rea-
ron and the evidence If any upon which those
based. Respecting this the Secretary writes 10
of the officers who has been sacrificed since the
| decision Of the Board, follows:
The Beard Of Naval Officers recently convened In Wash
ingon in accordance with the law merely reported the
and ranks Of officers who In their judgment within the
provision Of the Act Of COue the
grounds which their action based No charges
psfeTred against any geer. iOu will perceive therefore
that nnsbe 70 comply with request " know chat me
charger uere agaiH.t yog, &c"
! That IL, indeed, all the Board did, They reported
the and ranks of those who stood above them
the list of promotion, without exception, who in
any way during their lifetime, from superior knowl-
edge skill or achievement, stood above them in the
public estimation, and thereby in any other way
offended tkeu.-for what For disgrace for dishOn-
Orabe retirement in the prime of life upon pittance
for total depry alton of employment though unfit
for other Guty without American red cent 10 buy
| bysad ruth FIAT JUsTIrIA.
| MECHANICAL DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE
PRESENCE AND POWER OF SPIRITS.