The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-09-10
Tie Navy DEGRADED ana Injured.

Appended to the last annual report Of the
Secretary Of tho Navy srj reports of two
q ards Of Officers on tie present condition OF
our vessels Of war and navy yards The
latter documents derive their ca'cfvaluc from
the Insight which they G01rd into the
objects a.mcl at by those Who now con-
troll tho Navy Department, and into tho
means y watch they propose - attain their
ends These persons, as tho public well
know, are Admiral poyyGE md tho little
clquo of Almirals AM C1mmolo,cs by
whom no ia surrounded, and who, des r, to
share with him the patronage aJl emolu.
ments Of tho Department. That q icy have
not hitherto succeeded to the extcft Of their
wishes is owing to no lack of Industry and
perseverance,.
Ono of tho FIST acts Of Gen. qnANT upon
assuming tho Presidency WAS - place in
admiral PoRTEH's hands the Supreme con-
troll Of thu Navy Department, tho titular
sccre,ar,' Of tho Navy assuming practically
the functions Il his chief clerk and proba-
bly, tho very frs. oile;I act Of PORTER was
the appointment Of the Cards in question.
One WAS composed Of Rcar-Aic'tsal COLDS
EoRouuu Commodore BOdds, Isaac NEW
TON, n civilian, and Chief Engnccrs MooRE
and RoDIE of the Navy. The addition Of
the two gentlemen last named was IN in
advcrtcncs which was remel ca in the
second Board, composed OF Rear Admiral
| srarnLrSo ana Commoi0rcs LEE and
| LARDSER, and to which was attached not
as a member of the Board, but Hs an expert,
| Chief Engineer HENDERSON. The object Of
! this arrangement was to exclude Chief En-
Cineer uESDERsoN's signature from the re-
port of tho Board. Should he fail TO agree
with its conclusions-which in fact it was not
necessary for him to know-ho would have
no opportunity OF making a minority report ;
while tho TACT of hs having served with the
Board as IN expert would convey the i'm
preston that he had agreed in the report.
These Boards were the machincryfor bring ng
into existence, by act Of Congress, an ire
movable and irresponsible Board of Survey,
TO be composed of three Admirals including
PORTER and GoLDsDoRoUGu and which was
to have absolute control over everything ap
pertaining to tho Navy Department
The reports of tho two Boards show thai
they performed tho work laid out for then
in a thorough manner. The first Board
presided over by Admiral GoLDsBoRoUGH
an officer whose incompetency, while in com
mand of the North Atlantic squadron in the
spring of 1862, cost US the sailing bigateI
Cumberland aud Congress and many of theii
heroic defenders, went into an elaborate re
view OF our steamships of war. Those con
structed within the last six or eight year.
seem to have been particularly obnoxious t,
! the Board, and in respect to model, mschin
cry, armament, and rig, they arc condemned
in toto If Admiral GoLDsBoRoUdH 10 t.
DO believed, a thorough reform must b.
naugurated if we desire to remain
respectable naval power. This, of course
can be effected only through tho nstrumer
tality of Board Of Survey. Such is til
!. purport Of the report, which 10 strang
jumbo of ignorance, conceit, and assurance
h It's real object, apart from the appoinhmon
f Of Board of Survey, is to deprcciate tn
t services Of tho staff officers of the navy, an
y to concentrate NIL power in the hands Of tn
= line officers.
c. This purpose il still more clearly unfolde
v in the report of the second Board, pr
10 sided over by Admiral STRIBLING. Viii
1t GoLDsBoRoUGH contented himself wit
y simple insinuations, SrRIBLISG pronounce
b. in the most unqualified manner in fav'
is OF the supremacy Of line officers. Ho pr
n posos, for instance, that the heads Of d
ut yard and dock departments in the sever
DC navy yards shall henceforth be selected fro
he that class, which is contrary to the practi
Vt l Of the Government since tho establshme