The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-20
THE ADMIRAL or TIE PERIOD.
Tho League Island League aud How IL
Failed Of Succcss-AdmirnI Porter aud
the Hon. william ID. X clicy-A Congress
slnnal-NnXnI AlIInnco mud liz Reanlia

Tho League Island League aud How Il
Failed Of succcss-AdmirnI Porter and
the Hon. william ID. Kciicy-A Congress
sionai-Navnl Alliance and its Results.
correspondence OF The sun.
WASHINGTON, Aug. l7.-Chief Clerk Robson
has recently, issued by permission OF his WORTHY
chief, Porter, the regular semi-annual Register of
the Officers OF tho Navy aud Marine Corps
The pamphlet contains tho number Of officers In
each grade, the duty upon which each is Gu; nged.
the new pay table adopted by Congress in it, clos.
ing hours. aud all the recent promotions made to
tie several grades.
There is well settled conviction in the minds Of
tho people generally, that for tie past eighteen
months our navy has been so grossly, IL not erini.
naly mismanaged, that 1t has become a laughing
stock abroad ~ well as at home. Wherein this mis-.
management consists perhaps it would DO diffcult
for the uniuitiated public TO say for they have no
knowledge OF naval aGiirs, AM in consequence are
unable to point to any specific acts calling for
condemnation. They have a general idea Of the
most reckless extravaganza in the expenditure of
naval appropriations, and they know also that the
Navy Department has been tdrnei over to the soc
control OF a man In whom they have no confidence
Further than this the people have no direct knowl
edge OF naval corruption, or the many abuses OF
power which are daily enacted.
It's popular belief tina, Porter IL responsible for
every iniquitous Transaction In the management OF
the navy. This IL an error. 1t Is true lie Is the
ruling spirt ia everything, but he H. only one OF
clique Organized for their own personal benefit
This clique is composed mainly OF officers high ia
rank, ION duty" here, vita fair srrink Ing ct
members OF Congress, no.t OF WHOM have axes to
grind, aud depend upon the naval officials TO aid
Tie whole number OF Rear Alnras in the ser.
vice is 81, Of whom % are on duty," 10 OF .hem
hling places in tis city alone. II IL not necessar5
to state that they all belong to Porters clique. In
addition to tne Rear Animals employed here. there
are len Comm ldores also special duty. II must
DO remembered that nearly all these officers on
the retired list, aud would, II they were en-
ployed, or nominNly so. be on salary OF S20O1 OF
S2JO per year They noV receive, the Admirals 5000
per year and the Commodore 81 900. As an Illus
t'ation OF what this special duty Is upon which Por
Ter are RS AS H ReT2a SS ~
head Of the Department Of Administration OF
Naval Laws" Rear mirals Smith, Powell, B,Ilev.
and HoG. and Commodore Bisscn form a " B5lrI
for the examination OF Officers Tor promotion, aud
also for the retiring o. officers" Their sessions on
tlls dutv occupy two hours MONTH
Commodores REYNOLDS AMI Temple constitute n
board for Examination OF Inventions applicable to
naval purposes Then We tave the Iorpe 10
Bureau, VITA eight officers attached 10 H. and the
really established signal tOrps-an unnecessary ap-
zen nasc forced upon The Navy hl Commo lore Alden
sistdnts Again We have the "iiydrogrlphic q lice
| Tor the distribution OF charts one Commoio
| and i've assistants. II must be remembered thl,
these assistants are all Commanders and Lieutenant.
! Commander. AMI al 90 10 swell The number en-
poyed tots special duty In addition To ali these
| Is the Navy Yard with an Admiral in CON
mand, and sll another, Glllsborougl, a. Port Ad-
where nothing but the Tallaroosa ever comes n amj
4
| the Nayl! Observatory with one Commo lore and
twelve Assistants; and last. but not least the dozen
or 20 OF particular pets WHO are scattered through
the Navy Department 70 al the chiefs Of the differ
eat bureaus.
Another swindc pcrpetrated upon the country ny
Porter AMI his clique Is the almost whole ale en-
p,o ment OF hgh-r1uk ofhcfrs on the retired list.
Notwithstanding The fgci tia. have 1.1iG Officers
ON me active i-t Of the navy there are - al the l9j
retired officers above tie rank of Lieutenant EN-
pIplci on some Pleasant aud high rtmuu erat We
duty. On tle active list alone We have an officer
| at an average OF S25f per year for every five en-
Httvl men and yet h Il found necessary 20 en-
l.uy mere than half o. tie retire list To Illus.
instance ana see how 4 worKs. n, law the nay Of
retired uricgr IL just one AZ Of the highest Sc
~ OF I've Grade IN which he was retired. l. he l.
placed on duty however, he receives the full pay OF
| Thus Commolor, J. G. Carter WAS "a Commander
Nhtn retired. II uucmptoycl, hr would rece I've
| SlibO per year, L. e, half TIE sea NV of Com.
mandCr. heing employed, rs lc l., on some nomi-
nal du'y, he receives the lull shore plY OF ComuIo-
| dore-t l,OD. Tls is not On ISOLATED case. They
| arc uCr.y all IN the sane way. OF the retr-
ed Almirals CmpOyc |, ton OF them We're
retired Captains, Their being ordered 10 unue-
ccssLry duty make di1rtnce 70 e1ch one OF e. 100
rer year. nnl 10 the country Of y27 80 Ont oi the
| tweny.ouo retired Admirlls, there are seventeen
employed; and vi the tWcny-seVcn retired COmmo
dpres, ten are cmplu ycd, We have TWENTY-FIVE OF
these on the active li't, IN employed, AZ the Naval
| Academy we lni that there are on duty one Com
WOu re-, three Comma udcrs, and twenty tnree Lieu
ten ~ Commanders, rs Professors, many Ut them
| ort lt tie school hut year or two themselves.
~ H me ones ordered to tako the place OF the
| w. .o.''rs Who were dismissed for vucKing son
G.1. sherman should dismiss al. the Profess ~
.rom West Point, and ,rdcr tMentJ three youn Z
LIcuteuaua tn take thor ullcIsf Would he not G
thought i"saEef Nouid the country submit to ~