New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-16
TIE NAVAL B0ARD-LECOMPTE.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 1856.
TIE President bas determined To redress such
errors Of the late Naval Board his authority will
admit. afer sufficient evidence has been pres ,n.ed
to establish the injnstiee. There are now three
vacancies in the rank of captain and fourteen in
that of lieutenant. The commanders grade is full.
1t IL pretty We ascer:aiDed that Commodore Stew
art ard Commodore Smith, now at the he I'd of the
Bureau of Docks and Yards, will be minated to
fill two of the vacancies in the captains rauk-.he
highest known to our service except BY courtesy.
pers on for the third vacancy is yet to be Indicated
If satisfactory proof can be exhibited on behalf OF
any of the lieutenants retired by the Board they
ail be re. tUred if not, the vacancies will be filled
Fl OH tie passed mdshipman's list, in the regular
line If promotion. When these nominations or 9TH
ers involved in the same category are mad, the
whole subject of the action of the Naval Board will
cone under Investigation. Then the causes which
led to dix missa 10 each particular case, and which,
thus far, have been concealed, must be dicosed.
TIE Beard will necessarily endeavOr to Justify II
self and the corps Of officers to be affected by re-
ipstaements from the retired list viii take care 70
nfeIpose all proper obstacles IN the way OF the pro-
posed r,paratiOn that it Is quite probable
This Executive Intervention may bring about some
that influenced tie proceedings before the so-caled
Star Chamber They will be worth reading, and
THE TRIBUNE, i'll good time, may satisfy the pu0hc
craving for that enlightenment.
Although the newspapers keep insisting, upon the
authority of an announcement made IN The Star
here. that Lecompte has been removed, and his
successor appointed, they are mistaken. TIE
readers of this correspondence we're informed TWO
weeks ago that that event would happen, and ifthey
fh1lA
be confirmed officially. In the mean time enterpris.
ing newsmODgers need not get ahead OF the fact, as
they did in Cramptons case for the decapitation will
cone in IFS ORDER III the first as in the last instance,
and hardly be hastened by small speculati0ns.
Since this matter WAS first brought seriously to the
attention Of the President, and under circumstances
that rendered the result nearly certain, it was
understood. when the removal should be made, the
vacancy should be filled from Kentucky. Hence
the dsinterested patriots of that State, under this
suggestion, have fled their cloims and urged their
merits with the emphasis OF men who would serve
their country a. the rate of several thousand dollars
a year. They can discover imperfections In the
conduct of the immaculate Judge, whom IT Is now
convenient and profitable to supplant. The same
men W DO applaudtd his Southern devotion not long
ago, are now confident that his excessive zeal
damaged their cause and that his decisions were in
contempt Of the law and the prophets. How the
prospect of good Office does sharpen the perception
Of men, even when living south OF Mason and
DixOn's
The peculiar friends of Gov. Wise hereabout
proclaim with stentorian lungs that he was offered
a Cabinet seat, at Wheatland, which was declined.
Others whisper that the latter circumstance was
the consequence of a condition precedent viz that
he should decline. In proof of the fact, the Gov
ernois speech to the Electors is cited, wherein he
magnanimously assured them that, come what
might, be would not leave Virginia at this crisis.
Beside significant an inti%ation, there are other
revelations all tending to the same point. These
partsans do not discover that in the eert to gorty
Wise in thisway they are rather compromising both
his personal dieriy and public character. There
surely could be no greater humiliation than to offer
a man Cabinet Office with the understanding
beforehand that it was not to be accepted. Per-
hsps the Chiyay, who could 90 so far as TO thrust
a Recommendation in Mr.. Buchansns teeth, may
look upon such an arrangement a. an ordinary
business Transaction Elsewhere a different opin-
ion is entertained.
Congress is taking respite from its immense
talking labors of the present week. This is one
way Of earning $4,000 year at the public expense.
INDEN