The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-22
REFORM IN THE NAVY.
Result or the Action OF the Naval courts Of
Inquiry.


Result OF the Action OF the Naval courts OF
Inquiry.
We published in the HERALD yesterday the result Of
the action o the three Naval Courts appointed inquire
into the decisions made the Naval Retiring Board in the
cases Of the Captains Commanders Ieuenan and other
officers of the United States Navy who were either
tired on leave, furough, who were "droppcdn al
together from the service. The act under which the
Board constituted became law the 2Sth Of Febru
ary 1855 having that date received the approval OF
the President, and the Goth of June the naval in
QUESTION: consisting of the following officers went into
session.
VIM. p. shubriCk c. X. stribling,
Matthew c. Perry, Abraham Bigelow,
Charles McCauley.
COMMANDERS.
g. J. pendergast, samuel Barron,
Franklin Buchanan, Andrew II. Foote,
Samuel J. Du Pont.
IlEUTBNASTs.
John S. Mssroon, VIM /. Maury,
Ricard J.. Page, JAS 5. Biddle
Syivanus W. Godon.
The Board remained in session from the Goth OF june
1866 Till the 26th OF July Of the year. and in that
time decided upon the Of less than two hundred
and seventeen officers A nice calculation of the work
performed during this session shows that the Board gave
average of twelve minutes and forty seconds TO the
of each officer furnishing OF the most remark
able cases of judicial expedition perhaps on record
The summary action of this Naval Court--unencum.
bered it by the regular forms of trial. the sum-
moning OF witnesses the rebuttng evidence of par
ties tried none Of whom allowed to appear or had
any notice that they secret trial--aroused a
strong feeling of indignation throughout the country
The officers who had been removed from the active
list presented memorials and petitions TO Congress
protesting against the action OF the Board demanding
the appointment OF court Of inquiry to adjudcate upon
their several cases At the head of the list Of complain
ants stood Commodore Stewart or, he is famarly
called, " Old ronsdes, ,, who refused to permit his
TO go before court OF inquiry, but who determined
presenhng IL To Congress only. There were among the
names large number Of others, who by their gallant
services, had acquired high reputation in naval
annals and who certainly entitled fair and open
trial After due consideration of their petitions and in
view of the justice of their demands Congress passed
act for the appointment OF court of inquiry which went
into session on the goth OF February 1857 Two others
subsequently appointed and has taken the three
nearly the whole of the present year TO investigate and
adiudicate upon all the which disposed of by
the Naval Retiring Board during the brief space of one
month. The following tables give the result of their
ton regard to the officers retired leave the officers
furoughed and those have been dropped from the
navy list altogether. The asterisks show those who
have been restored to the active list the daggers those
who have been removed from the furlough list and
tired leave the double dagger those who have been
nstated from the list Of dropped and put furough
while the section indicates those in whose the
ngs have not yet been notified 10 the department.