The Sun. — 1827-04-20 (London, England)

LORD HIGH ADMIRAL.  The office of Lord High Admiral is one of great antiquity. Before the time of Edward I. this officer was called " Custos Marilyn)," but in the reign of that. Monarch the title of " Admiral of the Seas of the King of England" was conferred for the first time. The office was next split into three or four offices, the holders of which had separate maritime jurisdictions, and there were besides Admirals of the Cinque Ports. We find that there was a regular succession of Admirals from the time of Edward IL, but the highest Naval officer was not always called Admiral. He had sometimes the title of " the King's Lieut.-General of the Seas," and frequently too the office was divided into two jurisdictions:— But in the reign of Henry IV. the office of Lord High Admiral being conferred on that King's brother, was constituted in that permanent form in which it afterwards existed. It was, in fact, almost a sinecure, and granted as a mere honorary distinction. until the year 1632, when it was put into commission. It remained in commission until Charles the Dd.'s reign. The Duke of York, afterwards James 11., held the office for several years, and had the merit of introducing a number of naval regulations of great use and importance to the service. Since the accession of that Monarch, the powers of Lord High Admiral have been in commission to the present time, with the exception of a short interval, during which they were exercised by P►ince George of Denmark, and another short interval when they were vested in the Earl of Pembroke.  According to the terms of his patent, the Lord High Admiral is empowered " to preserve all public streams, ports, rivers, fresh waters, and creeks whatsoever, within his jurisdiction, as well for the preservation of the ships as of the fisheries, to reform too strait nets and unlawful engines, and to punish offenders, to arrest ships, mariners, pilots, masters, gunners;bombardiers, and any other persons whatsoever, able and fit for the service of ships, as often as occasion shall require, and wheresoever they shall be met with ; to appoint Vice-Admirals, Judges, and other officers durante bene plc-wit° ; to remove, suspend, or expel them, and put others in their places; to take cognizance of civil and maritime laws, and of death, murder, or maim." The jurisdiction of the Lord High Admiral is confined to the sea. For instance, if a man be killed in any ship riding in great rivers, beneath the lowest bridge towards the sea, he has legal cognizance; but if a man be killed above the lowest bridge, or upon any arm of the sea where the land can be seen on both sides, the Coroner of the county is the proper person to inquire into it; and where a Coroner may inquire the Admiral has no jurisdiction. Between high and low water mark also, the common law and the Admiralty have jurisdiction by turns : one upon the water, the other on land. The Lord High Admiral is empowered to grant commissions to inferior Admirals, enabling them to enforce obedience in all branches of the service, to institute Courts Martial, to take cognizance of all maritime transgressions, &c. The perquisites given to this office by the patent, consist of " treasure, deodands, derelicts found within his jurisdiction; all goods picked up at sea, all fines, forfeitures, ransoms, recogmzances, and pecuniary punishments : all sturgeons, whales, porpoises, dolphins, rigs and grampusses, and all such large fishes, all ships and goods of the enemy coming into any creek, road or port by stress of weather, mistake or ignorance of the ware all ships seized at sea, salvage, &c. together shares of prizes." This officer anciently carried a gold whistle set with precious stones, at the end of a gold chain,_ and the office itself is of so with th great power, -honour, and profit, that. it has been conferred mostly on princes of the blood.