The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-07
TIE cOUHCIL OF FIFTEEH.
V Hon. r. n. Benton ON the Law Retiring
Naval Odcexs.

restdent and the Board OF Naval OH under the act
or Congress for the elimination OF the navy, and also
eopies Of Nike appeals from many other officers ana an
vsr the whole through you - the he'd Of the navy
The act under which you and the have been ellm
mated Is bad one, passed In bad way. and made worse
FIRST is bad act. Officers of the navy have pro-
sssion, and that profession II their lives
government q the navy winch spsossd toe offences for
which they might lose their places, and gave taem .
The naval es felt sns an aud
patriotic discharge Of his duties was the tenure By
hn to
tion, and securing him from the caprice Of go
INNINGS Of subordnates The act has changed ali this
and placed the commissions OF the whole nsvy-sxcept
those selected for the work-at the discretion board
OF brother officers acting under the ap pputment and
WITH the appreciation of the President thereby destroy
ing the high and honorable tenure bv which navy
st Presidential instrument instead of national arm
for It 10 not to be- supposed that the business will stop
with this eminAtion there will be period a for It,
VIII show just as long As great mauufactory Of
young officers continues.
and gagged through The House under tie pr7ioas quss
on QUITTING Oh debate after the had
os
this category and had the honor to place my name At
for which nse@nia.d myssf little ~ speaking
piece of my mind like bill for the eimnaion OF the
army; whereof add an extract as supplement OF this
letter spd to show that did wait for the bad
tion the got TO condemn it.
Thirdly 1t made In Its execution. And here
leave out all that yourself and others have we'll said
against the odous and trackess secrecy of the
ing-s hidden inquisition without rd-and
eoution Of the act There was clause aided 10 IT, by
construction BY which the board got hold Of class Of
officers which the law bad 1t was did not subje. to
their inquisi,ion 1t was the class 0, those whom
moral deiuqusnces or crimes imputed. The act
cheney appiiedhoss who we're unable 70 do their duties
ashore and aoat Of this latter class the board mad
under the act Of the former they had
finnut
crininsls they violated two aws-arst the eod uader
which sSsy acted and next the law which secure. to
full and fair trial. Besides this clause ADDED by
sruction to hold Of offences and ofendecs w.s
another added to enable the board to any body
they pleased although neither inefficient rmiuay
charged and in tois class you, Commodore would
to have been ellmnated for the letter OF Nc Secretary
Dcbbin, which apprses you of your fate, compliment
you upon the 'vsry satisfactory In which you
were then performing your duties.
This is my opinion Of the law and my judg upon
the seton Of the board ia that their whole dog
beyond inability duty by watec This naoii-
ty, in my view was to be bodily menta and to
ton" into the efficiency of the like the inspection
OF record The word examine in this city aud every
other case In which the state Of thing sto 90 as,sr
tanned, requires personal inspection. Would ship
carpenter directed to examine ship 70 ascert ia whether
she was seawor.hy think Of reporting her Without
looking at the and falling With himY Was any e1.
animation Of Students candidates for promo lion ap
Pointmens In army navy, made without personal
inspection and pe,s onal inquiry Aud in civil fs
them questions. To examine ones self is lock in
wardly upon the soul, and to see ones actions
!. soi into snss
By authority 1t signifies searching inspection
thu v"1 's ss
thu. t GS,n board p Rsa
Jurisdiction under the act but that they
ct Ike other examiners In all other cases. the man.
inerrogste him. hear his answers and call f the ceru
concerns the officers to be eli minated harsh one in
Of the general laws the land and ahould
whereas all constructions have been against them
50 much for the text Of the Law Itself for the rest II is
policy Of TIE country It fraud in using the word
'referved," when the word ''retred" intended
ment that these reserved" Officers were % be called
back to duty at some future ume-as ineficiency,
arising from old age or disease is thing to % mendsd
are frauds upon their face and to cheat the
law and the country BY establishing the British ''re
thing during the their lives under the false
substitution Of the word reserved" and the false pretext
of being called ba * into service
The Romans had reserve OF veterans which they call
ed oca-that Ia, evoked. called out again; but they
veterans in the vigor Of hfs licensed from present
service account of their prowess and liable be CALI
ed out again on great emergency The last time these
vus death Of Caesar they iou ush It
their head Does Secretary of the Navy conte npate
time when his preserved" list be called into &C
ton either to subvert empire Congress had
often refused to adopt the British system of retiring off,
GERS upon pensions had often refused to have retired
list This act gives one and just 1t Ii in England-a
ing annual salaries.
the objects Of tne act said at the time it pass
cd he when spoke upon 1t on the army bin; but did
Der Of the eliminated officers two hundred and the
whole number Of the passed midshpmen ncludpg those
and four These were mostly graduates from tbs Naval
Academy, well connected, and long waiting tor lieu
tenants' commissions, for which there sesmed bat
little chance before these graduates should forty,
fifty, or sixty years Of To throw two hundred
board out Of those who ahead of them only
way TO clear the rosd for promo,ion and it done.
And this will have to be done again, and periodi-
cally thereafter for there just two hundred
ninety four who viii want commssi ms and must
have equal number showed out OF their way. And
Academy has two hundred Afty BABY officers con-
stantly on the stocks, (s powerfully eced) and
who must have commissions as soon they their
aeg r.. n.,h,,.,, ., hoard . - ~. :,
oontIivance to do what the government wishes do and
behind the of the Board the Board shelf
ers itself behind the approval Of the PRECEDENT In the
dent he appoints the MEMBERS he approves rejects
what they do they receive promotion from him, and
full not to disoblige him. More than that he
issues OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES for carrying act
Of regulation dns To or nso~as down sas tine
meaning Of statute These regulations instructions
usually accepted BY all boards for the law itself and
80 seems in the Of this Naval Board whore
the Instructions are manifesty smpacs ton Of the
law, and were followed In preference to the law
You speak q word, Commodore, which must be news
10 this generaton-that Of such thing naval peace
establishment You retained upon that establish
msnt under Mr. Jefferson fifty years sgo but the idea Of
. naval peace establishment Is lorg since dead In
country 1t Is ali war now, and keeping up continually
TO the point and for This purpose have wars
but rumcrs Of wars" incontnenty. Every session Of
Congress they come and though each one turns out
Asas alarms; sanother and another still succeeds and
the last rumor ia welcome the ormern In the mean
while every succeeds In It's object which TO get
shps for the two hundred and atty young officers
which have constantly at school, and which must
have ships when they leave the school house. and which
has converted Navy Department into department
of ship carpentry, which gives us four times many
navy yards Great Britain has, and which carries on
the business Of building and rotng ships at great speed