The New York herald., 1878-02-23
THE BILL TO REORGANlzE THE NAVY.

THE BILL TO REORGANlzE THE NAVY.
To TIE EDITOR OF The HERALD:-
Ny attention been called TO bin (No 2 SAY re-
Gently reported in United States House OF Repre-
ssntstivss, BY Nj. wis, providing for the reorgan-
izing OF the navy during peace.
Section reads a. follows:-
That regulating the retired list OF the United
States Navy 70 ana i 50 modified aud amended tina.
and retired stan officers who four
were retired; that l other officers retired shall
retired.
The bill appears fair enough on its face, but care
full consideration OF this section Will. think, con-
every fair minded man In the community that its
adoption, reported will create much dissatisac
ton aud result In much injustice and wrong as
caused by the action Of the notorious Retiring
rance, many Of the most gallant and efficient officers
OF the late civil stricken from the active
list
"Twenty years OF actual service at sea-" That
sounds we'll for = navy officer. Twenty years OF .
mans life spent upon the In tho service Of bis
country, enduring It's storms and all the privatons
discomioRts incident lie at sea, should cer
tainly cutitls him reward. But let old salt tell
you something about this 'actual service at sea !"
Many years ago be was AN officer on board the North
Carolins (ninstygun ship when she went Ground
the Horn;' II was three years. cruise and her ON
accredited with three years. "ea ssrvce by
the Navy Register and with three years. sactual
vice sca" by the bill under consideration, when
fact, they At but eight nine months; the
Of the time spent In the harbor Of Callao.
and large portion OF the eight or nine months was
occupied IN the passage 70 and from tnat port Now
IL A "A man N =
and " 10 calculated 70 make one smile, while reading
section oi The biii, when he thinks OF the oo
nautical saying, "rhnt our hagships iay in port 80
long that they grounded NJ last upon tnelr own beei
bones ""
taken OF section s. by which II will appear that,
adopted without amendment II VIII work The greatest
injustice ana wrong. IL not The fault Of many oi
the retired officers tnat they have not "seen twenty
years service at sea-" counting the time, according
to Inc Navy Keglser and according TO the bul, from
the aay that oflccr ordered 10 u cruising ship
or any other vessel going to sea occasionally and in
cuuIug every day he attached " ner whie at
and while NJ anchor IN port 10 uso honeiy phrase,
there not ships enough, much less hlguer CON-
mands than that Of siagls ship, 10 60 around. "
Ths writer OF thus (and such, NO Doubt rs the case
with many others) has applied time and again for
orders 70 sea. put Jailed ~ receive them.
Under the laws and regulations OF the navy the
Secretary OF Inc Navy may give superior commands
whomsoever he pleases, therefore emitting th0se
officers who receive them TO higher rank and more
pay tue retired list should TINS Dill pass. and The
where there but little difference IN the quaiihca.
tions OF officers tor particular command he, .
matter OF course IL disposed to prefer his friends.
anu tAe consequence Is That some officers
desirable commands VINO are not moro enu,lea to
than others, but living tu or near the capital
aud having s.trtends ut C0urL and being constantly
on the LOCKOUT desirable ssa service" they OBJ
tain poslions winch, under the present arrange
ment oi our navy list or register, entities them 10
have their names above some OF our most deserv-
ing officers who received The thanks Of tneir c0m-
mxuders amt the Secretary oi the Navy Tor mcrito.
rious war service, and 10 give them y still further
advantage over tnsr les fortunate broihsr olhours
this blu ~ introduced; 70 give them ssventy-hve
Pc. cent Of sIs aa pas o. sse srs4s from Which
serving, are TO receive but nifty per cent Of The
full pay or the grade IRON which they were retired.
The is all this pretence Oi ''twenty years. actual
service ~ sea" put forward by the friends
who are be benefited by Tue bill 10 humbux, v
delusion snare calculated 70 deceive ne people Of
hus 'twenty years Of actual service at sea'
appears to be contemplated by The bill The greater
part OF the time 30 claimed was spent Especially by
Inc pets OF the departmenl In some large pleas
seaport this or some foreign country. And Il
matters not under thus bill, as repor.ed now mori-
torlous officer may Dc WHO has not "seen twenty
years. actual service ~ sea" Called He may have
rendered The Important service during the Mex
and disease, yet II he lacked week OF the "iwenty
years actual service NJ sea-" without any tauit
his part his pay 's 10 DC cut down TO onsha Of the
tuli pay 0i the grade from which he retired,
II matters not what lims OF war and pubiic peril
may nave been The conduct OF those who are 10 be
benefited by the bilhey may nave shirked duty, or,
least, they may not have been quite urgent
active service as they have been Ia the ppins times
OF peace" and yet If they succeeded IN obtain
ing pleasant ssrvice since The war to make
out tns twenty years contemplated Wy the bill they
are have ssvcnLy-nve per cent OF the full pay Of
the grade from whicn they were retired.
An examination Of the Navy Register will show
that many Ot officers whV 10 he benefited "
OF; That they have been favored with choice COM
niands, which aid not require long absence IRON
home, ana that part of sns twenty years actual
service with wnich they accredited
was not spent In tho naval service OF
the United States, but the merchant sorvce where
they received large eoiuments IN addition 10 The pay
they received officers OF tue Uniled States Navy
these officers u receive seventynve per cent OF
their tuil pay when retired. But those officers VINO
IN navy any KIND of VESSEL and separated Tor
years from their families, aud VINO, IN time OF war;
sought and obtained tho most hazardous service
fougut IN many battles, suffered from wounds, cx-
posure ana disease, tbey are 10 give wuy TO the
favored few anu receive but ty per cent Of their iu
From the above considerations we would submit 10
every uir-niuoed senator ana Representative Con-
gress whether or not the war record Of those officers
the ''retired sp' who have not quite twenty
years oil service, Is not tar set oil the few
mouths or years oi those officers who have seen
twenty years OF (mosty) pleasant service but
rendered no important service In tiino OF wary
10 make the Uiii operate with fairness ana JUSTICE
II should be 30 amended AS TO pu. those wno Is we'll
known rendered distinguished service tue ate
par at least with those who have II little
more sea service, but renamed at home or dd uot
perform actual service battle uuring the war; Tue
oued class of officers surely tully
titled 10 scventyhve per cent The last ncntioned.
Inc army officers without exception, believe who
retired alter scrvng fathfuiy through tho war;
receive scveEty-nv per cent oil their ull pay but
this bill proposes TO dmcrimnate against officers of
the navy occupying reiarvcly the same pos.tioD and
ailow only nILy per oi their tul pay when
retired, because they ala not "tweniy years.
actual service At sea- when SO many OF those officers
could not obtain sea service as lavor, and many
ior several years unjustly and cruelty debarrsd
tbeir right 10 seek such service, some Of whom have
since rendered tar valuable service IN war than
tteir onlf dag md mi ed hv lavv aro
now reduced halt pay, that appears there
are to DC two classes OF officers United States
Navy--tne first class Ior peace and plenty aud
second class Tor war ana tribulalion. BARNACLE.
DANGEROUS RUINS.