The sun., 1896-10-28
THE NAVY REPAIR SEASON.
Dispositions for Courts sMartiai-ExamininE ID q
Bourds-Letters Patent.

TIL j. NAVY REP AIR SEASON.
Dispositions for Courts Notwithstanding q
Bonrds-Letters Patent.
wAsHINGroN, Oct Git is the repair season
for the North Atlantic squadron. cot only on ac-
count OF damages from the recent storm, but on
the general principle Of getting tho vessels
ready for the winter or spring cruise and the
long season OF manteuvres to ensue. The Indi-
was the first OF Its vessels to resort to the
Brooklyn yard, for turret repairs, and then the
Maine and the Texas followed for machinery
repairs. The Newark. which arrived at Hamp-
ton Roads from Gulf patrol duty tho other
day Is to have her square yards removed and
her rig changed to that of a three. mas ted
schooner. Perhaps as much as $1,000 will be
laid out on her. The Castine has left the South
Atlantic station for Norfolk. bringing back
time-expired men. so that there ar e on that sta
tiou only the Lancaster and the Yantic. neither
of them O modern steel vessel. AS no other ship
has yet been ordered there, It Is clear that all is
quiet in that latitude; but tho Castine will go
back to Montevideo early next year.
When the spring season opens there will as
BILE, probably. at Hampton Roads. a feet of
at least fifteen vessels, constituting a finer mod
ern array than any yet seen Ia our waters.
The points made by Judge Advocate 6 General
Lemly for giving the navy some OF the privi-
relates to the removal OF merely technical
charges of desertion in arising at the close
of the civil war, after faithful service through
1t. Another concerns the army practice OF dis
honorably discharging men sentenced to long
confinement before Imprisonment 1t is held to
be much bettcr to do this than to carry
such men on the rolls, to the exclu-
sion of those that render active
service Again, he ad dvises that the navy should
employ the army practice OF allowing deposit
uons to be used In court-martial proceedings.
The reasons for such practice are evidently
stronger in The case Of naval officers. since they
may be attached to vessels that are sent to q
great distance before the trial is had. and must
the trial at Inconvenience and cost to the Gov
ernuent. II this latter is avoided by delaying
the trial until the return OF the ship on which
the witness or witnesses are serving, that may
be hardship for the accused. In the army the
reasonable notice to the opposite party.
Still another assimilation to the practices of
the army is recommended in the case of naval
promotion or retirement Under the naval
system there is what the Judge Advocats-Gen
tion Of work. One Board examines officer
for promotion. and II it finds that ne IL phys'.
sea he must thereupon be ordered before a
second Board for examination for retirement.
although II seems pslpable that the decision Of
however. the secoud Board should reach diff
ferent conclusion from the fret. the officer
would be In the predicament OF being neither
promoted nor retired, at least until something
further was done regarding It, To have two
different Boards on tho subject seems unwise.
The recommendation that Congress should
provide means for compelling the attendance
stands on rather a different footing from those
already mentioned. This latter power is lack
Ing also 10 courts MARTA OF the army, but
Congress Is very naturally re eluctaut to give
military and naval courts compulsory authority
over civilians II Is interesting to note that the
British Army act makes this provision:
Where any person who Is not subject to military
law commits any OF the following offences, that is
court marta and after psym:nt or tendsr 70, IA tho
reasonable expenses o. h. attendance makes default
S to s % ssn 99 o tS 70 rsaara eoae by
inent in his power or control legally required by
G1nTt nawr martial to he prodGssd by him or refuses
legally require an answer the President OF ts court
ne q % SfSF
a Tx m9ir'on' DAMN m wners ] the Silence Is committed WHICH
offences N that court aud t6at court may ihereupoa
on 40 81 sny witne,s;s t1st ErSd@eed assat
semen may he osrta In snce ar II m ssa sny
1os nIni;h sHSh Wines in IKE m9nner II no had
in this country there may be an idea that tho
empowering Of naval courts to obtain evidence
would allow them to punish civilian witnesses
Advocate; General would obvate by making the
witness who refused to appear punishable only
by civil court. 1t is doubtful. however whether
even with this arrangement the desired legisla-
tion will be obtained.
One further suggestion otInterest is that which
relates to the uso By the Navy Department Of
Inventions patented By those in its employ.
Thia is n matter not exclusively pertaining to
the navy, but IL comes up In various matters
connected with the material OF ships. OF
lcers have special opportunities for finding
out what Is needed in their seryice
and for devislnR improvements on existing
appliances. When they arc assigned to duty in
other facilities for experiments furnished to
Them by the Government. the latter reaps the
results. But when not so assigned and when
the expenses OF experiments ana procuring the
patent are borne By the officer the patent be-
that of determining cases in which there il a
mixture of these elements. The officer may not
have hcen directed TO secure n particular do
vice. and yet the facilities given to him by his
education Al the Governments expense and by
ms assignment to ccrtain paid service may lead
to hie invention. Grent britain has made tho
Admiralty the Judge of the com pensation which
should be awarded in such cases and IL is suu
gested that like discretion should be lodged In
the secretary Of the Navy here.