The New York herald., 1869-04-07

country.
Senator Grimes and family will leave New York
ON the oath Of April for Europe.
THE REVOCATION IN TIE NAv1.
The staff Officers Set Back-Work In the
Doclkyards-The Old Arlss of the Navy to be
Turned Into Flying Clippers.
WASHINGTON, April 1862
The bill OF Senator Grimes reorganzing the rank
OF sta officers in the navy possesses an interest Tor
the naval which outsiders entirely fail to ap
preciate. 1t is easy to understand the necessity
for an officer in command OF ship to possess
absolute and unquestioned authority In every
thing pertaining to his vessel. In fact, to
be thorough and successful commander
he must WELD his power like an autocrat, ana few
will complain when the reflection occurs to them
that IN the war OF elements, when the sea rolls
mountain high and disaster becomes imminent,
nothing under heaven but the untrammelled au-
thorty Of the commander can save the vessel from
destruction. Divided command in such an hour or
in the perilous period OF a fight would work sure
and decided overthrow. The sense OF this belief
impressed itself forcibly on the mind of the chair
man OF the Senate Naval Committee and induced
him to set about adjusting the Ill advised arrange
ments put In fore by Grandfather "elles, OF giving
stair officers who attain certain grade OF seniority
equal RANK with the commanders Of vessels Weles'
plan has done great deal to sow the seeds Of Ill
feeling between the line and staff officers Of the
navy, and has without doubt been detrimental to
the best interests, the discipline, the efficiency and
officers in the navy hold the same relative
rank to the star as line officers IN the
put the surgeon of q regiment on the same level
of command as the colonel. Yet this was exactly
the status OF the hitherto existing regulations IN the
a q
paymaster or engineer took assimilated rank with
commanders, and thus 1t could happen that four
commanders mghI be on board the one vessel at
the same time.
The sensible way of settling the matter is that
which senator Grimes proposes OF giving star
officers rank in their own corps as inspectors, sur
geons, stafr surgeons, &c The other plan can alone
breed dissenson and Generalization The recent
order OF Secretary Bore has Of course carried dis
may into the ranks Of the stan Officers and they fill
tae ar Win over 'eT nf cneS
who ranked as captains, are put back TO the rank or
commanders; those who ranked as commanders and
lieutenant commanders are put back to lieutenants
passed assistant surgeons passed assistant pay mas
ters and first assistant engineers, who ranked as
leutenants, go back to the rank OF masters, while
assistant surgeons assistant paymasters and second
assistant engineers, who ranked as masters, are
a1@VeeG ABOVE midshpmen Isl and the sis9 Shall always
be junior to the assmilated rank OF the line. over
this cruel order there is great wailing and weeping.
because. you know, rank, like power, Is q thing
to be renqulshed only with regret.
Admiral Porter, however, who ought TO know
passed his lifetime in It, yielded the wisdom OF hts
experience and believes very firmly that 1t will do
great deal Of good 1t Will put things In their natu
raj order and restore that discipline and subordIna-
tion of parts to the whole without which the navy
OF any country cannot be said to be properly or
ganized
OF the new Secretary the amount o! real work ac-
compsled is something marvellous. Let us
over few prominent items In the long list to show
what Il heap in that legacy OF rust and rottenness
left by old Daddy Wel!es has been swept away.
board OF experts has been established to eX-
anime into all the navy yards for the purpose OF
bringing about an efficient and economical peace
establishment, to remove useless employees VINO
have been drawing pay for years and giving
back nothing IN m, return to sell nas all use
which can be found in all the navy yards OF the
country and to turn the money into the treasury and
TO establish a system which we never bad before
and which Will be useful 10 us in time OF war. This
board viii not content itself with looking after tie
strict inquiry into the cause OF the accumulation
against the provisions OF law. Another board has
been established to examine into the efficiency of
our steam navy. to recommend the sale OF Old an d
useless vessels and TO let us Know what we have to
protect our commerce. We know what we had dur
Ing the war-a sc: OF old tubs that every sharp con-
tractor ana swindler managed TO palm or on the
government for fast saiiers, but none OF which ever
got within a hundred miles OF the all destroying
rebel cruisers. Still another board has been put in
operation for the purpose Of examining into and re-
commencing chang IN the Iig OF % oui steam YES,
vessels that have heretofore CROPPED along under
steam merely will now constitute neet Of Alabamas
their speed, aud like the flying Dutchnan, VIII be
here, there and c ,erywhere az the same time 49,
plan has been sent TO all our naval stations by
pase Of 'de the ubberT od nI' ars ri s' st M se
stars and stripes OF America we are to have vessels
presenting an appearance as perfect and beau;
Henrietta. Already In the dock yards mass
are being hoisted out and altered, sails enlarged,
bowsprits run out over the naked looking bows,
handsome cutwaters added to .ne vessels, heavy
guns mounted In place OF p0pguns, and in a few
mon months we may ncsreto have some vessels a. least