New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-11-11
these VITO did, would thus be in far better position
10 meet tie exseneies Of tho hard Winter before a..

these VITO did, would ehua BE- u tar better Poslss0o
10 meet tie ehsenries Of tho hard Winter before a.
-
The Naval Department Of the Government Il s
present managed, OF. - some say, mismanasod, by
the Hon. haao Toucey, and, st the suggestion ofs
correspondent we desire TO direct the attention Of
that eminent officer to IN abu,e in the NNal ser
vice, which it will be both equitable and crsdtAble
for him to correct. Governments, We know,
whether republican or monarchici are not eI-
peoted to stand By their contracts. Tho od-fAsh-
ioDed presumption is that the King can DO no
wrong; AID hence We may say, without any very
violent Federal analogy, that the President can 90
70 wrong. But this does rot entirely relieve
Secretary of the Navy from all possibility Of doifg
what be should not do, or Of leaving undoBe what
he should not leave undone. Might does not always,
in spite Of the proverb, mako right; and il We
cannot, to any good purpose sue our rulers, we can
Ut least take them 10 task in the columns Of oar
newspaper.
A letter from a person on board the United
States ship Saratoga, written from NicaraQs, asks
us TO direct toe public attention to the practice OF
retaining men in tho naval service far beyond tho
period Of time for which they have engaged TO
serve. TIE ship engages the sailor for three years
service; but at the end of this period he is dis
charged or be il not discharged, just 81 the con-
venienoe Of the Department may dictate. What
ever may be said in defense Of this practice on
fo eign stations, there is not shadow of excuse
for it upon the home station. Now soc what has
hsprsred upon our coast, and under our very
noses Sailors, long after the period for which
they shipped has expired, are denied their dis
charge. There 10 q show of compensation fox this
injustice, but what does it amount to- The regu-
lar pay of an ordinary seaman is Sl4 per month.
When his term bas expired and his officers hsve
kidnapped him fer further and extorted service,
the monthly pay is augmented onefourth. He re.
ceives 81 so per month, when he might be earn
ing double that amount if he were restored to the
liberty to which be is legally entitled. Let us see
how nicely thcie little liberties which the Govern
nent allows itself of not sticking by its bargains
have operated 10 q particular care.
The United States sloop-sf.war Saratoga was
con missioned at Boston on the 9Th Of September,
1855, and ordered for duty in tho Homo equadrou.
Her crew consisted Of men transferred from tho
Falmouth Sleep of. war, which hsd been ordered
home in consequence Of yellow fever on board.
There was also transfer Of men from the recsv-
ing ship Ohio. The majority of the men thus
transferred bid less than two years to serve. They
had rather hard time Of it in the West Indies but
were ,ent there again, and Immediately the Sara
toga, after cruising about the West Isdies and Gen.
trail America and after scjournipg for four months
at Navy Bay, was ordered to Norfolk in December,
1856. This pleasant transition from the tropics
to Norfolk in midwiDter may have given proof
Of the immense sagacity of the Secretary
of the Navy, but it lad rather hard effect upon
the constitutions of the sailors Some of them, it
is stated, have not yet recovered from the shock.
The Saratoga was provisioned and sent back to the
West Ipdies. The ship was short-handed from
desertion and other causes, and dive. grcenhorns
were induced to come on board with the full under
standing that their services would not be required
for more than eight months. The captain and hs
executive officer have since been detached from the
ship, but his cupes are still on board, and are in
formed that they can be legally detained for any
period less then five years. Last May, the Saratoga
again visited Norfolk, and was dispatched again
short hsaded (and this was only natural result)
upon an indefinite outward. bound cruise. Many
men were almost entitled to discharge. Upon
learning that the chip was again ordered to the
West Indies, they pettoned tho Secretary Of the
Navy for relief. They petitioned in vain. Every
day of the three years must be eEacted. But they
were told that as their terms expired they would
be discharged and sent home. Long ago those
periods of service expired, but tho men are still
doing, duty on board Some Of them have offered
to pay out of their own pockets the price Of
passage to Norfolk, but the commanding officer has
utterly refused to grant any discharge. 1t is fur
Their complained of that the sailor is allowed no run
on shore, being sometimes detained on board eight
ten and twelve months.
Whatever the views of the Hon. Isaac Toucey
may be, all this looks to us very much like swind-
ling and tyranny and cruelty. We want efficient
.aors, ard TO get them must treat recruits equi
tsbly. If man ships for three years, he should be
at liberty to 60 at the end Of three years; and e.
pecly if be can be discharged without any special
expense to the Government. We particularly call
the attention of the Hon. Isaac Toucey to the case
of the U. s. ship Saratoga.
new Anglo engalee Dsinterested Life and
Trust Compapv has lately exnIoded in I.ondon