mate who never used any milder means of enforcing an order which was not promptly obeyed, than à la Belcher! This man, a smart seaman, was a Bristolian, and was drowned in the command of a fine ship. Unquestionably there are a great many clever and worthy men commanding merchant ships, who do honour to their station; but, it cannot be denied at the same time, that, there are others who, from habits of inebriety and swearing, are unfit for their situations; and these are the members who bring discredit on a respectable and most important profession. Exceptions to general propriety of conduct are, indeed, to be found in every society; those attached to the skipper are not therefore mentioned here as being singular, but merely as bearing on the question under review.

I have, Mr. Editor, slightly touched on subjects of great moment to the well-being of our mercantile marine, and having done so with strict impartiality, may be permitted to express a hope that, whilst any endeavour shall be made to enforce obedience in the sailor, every attention will be paid to his condition; for to effect the one equitably, the other cannot be neglected.

I have the honour to be, &c.

NAUTICUS.

While on this subject we are tempted to add the following picture of British Seamen at Quebec, contained in a letter from a person long resident in that place.

"In 1838, the Fall shipping arrived, many hundred sail of vessels at the same time at Quebec having been detained with westerly winds in the river. In all cases when a great number of shipping arrive at Quebec at the same time the wages of daily labour nearly double, in consequence of the seamen contributing little or nothing to the labour of unloading and reloading the merchant cargoes; therefore as long as the seamen's money lasts, they range the streets of Quebec in a drunk and disorderly manner, to the great annoyance of the inhabitants. But in the case of 1838, the seamen amounting to about 700 men, led by a few sea-lawyers, all mutinied, left their vessels in the stream, and of course nearly all became more or less drunk and riotous on shore, demanding double wages, and from their numbers produced general alarm, so much so that troops were ordered out for the protection of property and females. The seamen being half drunk and unarmed, they were soon either driven to their vessels, or taken off to confinement till the prisons were all filled. This sort of trouble from the seamen, happens more or less every year, in such cases as I have before described.

A similar case happened during Lord Durham's stay at Quebec, but his Lordship had established a Police from some of the Volunteer troops, that were drilled during the previous winter, in consequence of the rebellion. The seamen again appeared in great numbers, but the Quebec Police being armed with pistols and cutlasses, were enabled to drive the seamen to their haunts in the suburbs, and to take the stragglers to prison till it was filled, and this last affair was so well managed by the police, that most of the crews were taken from prison to proceed with their vessels on their return voyage.

Finding the Police establishment working so well, (making a dirty town comparatively clean,) there has during the last year, been a Water Police established which has been of great advantage to the Merchant Service, and of comfort to the citizens. No seaman without a pass from the ship he belongs to can be allowed in the street alter Nine in the evening. The Water Police having three boats day and night in readiness, the master of a merchant Vessel having any refractory men on board have only to make the case clear at the Police Office, the seamen are taken out by the Water Police, and taken to prison, and there kept till the vessel is ready to sail for England.

"The consequence of this Quebec Water Police is, that some of the worst characters, (and I trust the Quebec merchant seamen are the worst of our naval marine,) for I think not any language can convey an idea of the degradation of their moral character, few are worthy of the olden name of seamen, clearly proving the folly of the lawyers' proof of a seaman-hand, reef, steer; are obliged to leave Quebec finding that if they are not well behaved they will be sent to prison. Therefore many walk to the lower ports in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and thence to St. John, New Brunswick, plundering the poor inhabitants to an alarming extent, thinking nothing of breaking through all contracts either for a greater gain or drunkenness. Imagine a man recovering from a beastly state of drunkenness, and after rubbing his eyes endeavouring to discover where he is, every thing being new and strange to him, at last peering up the hatchway he calls out to some more who have been conveyed on board in the same drunken condition. My eyes Jack, what's that-why I'm d-d if that isn't a pennant flying over our heads.' This will give you an idea of the method of obtaining seamen at Quebec."

[The picture is a severe one, but unhappily no less true, and is amply corroborated by the evidence before Mr. Palmer's committee, on timber ships last year.-ED. N.M.]

Nabal Chronicle.

CHINA. The following order in council has been presented to both houses of parliament by command of her Majesty, April, 1840.

At the Court of Buckingham Palace, the 3rd of April, 1840; present, the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.

Her Majesty having taken into consideraiion the late injurious proceedings of certain officers of the Emperor of China towards officers and subjects of her Majesty, and her Majesty having given orders that satisfaction and reparation for the same shall be demanded from the Chinese government; and it being expedient that, with a view to obtain such satisfaction and reparation, ships and vessels and cargoes belonging to the Emperor of China and to his subjects shall be detained and held in custody; and, that if such reparation and satisfaction be refused by the Chinese government, the ships and vessels and cargoes so detained, and others to be hereafter detained, shall be confiscated and sold, and the proceeds thereof shall be applied in such manner as her Majesty may be pleased to direct: Her Majesty, therefore, is pleased, by and with the advice of her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, that the commanders of her Majesty's ships of war do detain and bring into port all ships, vessels, and goods belonging to the Emperor of China, or his subjects, or other persons inhabiting any of the countries, territories, or dominions of China; and, in the event of such reparation and satisfaction as aforesaid having been refused by the

Chinese government, to bring the same to judgment in any of the courts of Admiralty within her Majesty's dominions; and to that end, her Majesty's Advocate-General, with the Advocate of the Admiralty, is forthwith to prepare the draught of a commission, and present the same to her Majesty at this board, authorizing the commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral to will and require the High Court of Admiralty of Great Britain, as also the several courts of Admiralty within her Majesty's dominions, to take cognizance of, and judicially proceed upon all, and all manner of captures, seizures, prizes, and reprisals of all ships, vessels, and goods, that are, or shall be taken, and to hear and determine the same according to the course of Admiralty, and the laws of nations, to adjudge and condemn all such ships, vessels, and goods, as shall belong to China, or subjects of the Emperor of China, or to any others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories or dominions, and that any such powers and clauses be inserted in the said commission as have been usual, and are according to former precedents: they are likewise to prepare, and lay before her Majesty at this board, a draft of such instructions as may be proper to be sent to the courts of Admiralty in her Majesty's foreign governments and plantations for their guidance herein and the said commissioners are to give the necessary directions herein accordingly.

:

ADMIRALTY ORDERS.

C. C. GREVILLE.

Admiralty, Jan. 23rd, 1840. WITH reference to the Circular Order of the 14th Feb. 1834, and to their Lordships' letter of the Sth Dec. following, addressed to the Commanders in Chief, in the former of which it is directed, that such Seamen as may volunteer to continue their services abroad, after their own Ship shall have been ordered home, shall be paid the Wages due to them by the Naval Storekeepers abroad; and in the latter of which it was explained, that this indulgence was intended to be confined to Seamen only; My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct, that such Marines as may in like manner volunteer to continue their services abroad, shall also be allowed to receive the Wages due to them under the regulations contained in their Lordships said Order of the 14th February, 1834.

By Command of their Lordships,

R. MORE O'FERRALL.

[We understand that the Commanders-in-Chief have been informed that the Marines are only to be removed from their ships, when the exigences of the service may require it.-ED. N.M.]

Admiralty, Jan. 20th, 1840.

Ir is their Lordship's direction that the Commanding Officers of each of Her Majesty's ships and vessels shall transmit through their respective Commanders in Chief Quarterly Returns, according to the subjoined form, of the Gunners, Boatswains, and Carpenters serving afloat, in order that their Lordships may be enabled from time to time to select for advancement those Officers who are most deserving.

By Command of their Lordships,

R. MORE O'FERRALL.

Quarterly return of Warrant Officers serving on Board Her Majesty's Ship

NAVAL AND MILITARY COMMISSION.

THE Gazette announces that the Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal, authorising and appointing Arthur Duke of Wellington, K.G.; Charles Duke of Richmond, K G.; Gilbert Earl of Minto, G.C.B.; Robert Viscount Melville, K.T.; The Right Hon. Henry Grey, (commonly called Viscount Howick); Rowland Lord Hill, G.C.B.; The Right Hon. Henry Labouchere; Vice-Admiral Sir C. Adam, K.C.B.; Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. Kemp, G.C.B.; Admiral Sir G. Cockburn, G.C.B.; Lieut-Gen. Sir R. H. Vivian, Bart., G.C.B. Major-Gen. Sir A. J. Dickson, K.C.B.; Major-Gen. Sir H. Hardinge, K.C.B.; and Col. Sir R. Williams, K.C.B.; to be Her Majesty's Commsioners for inquiring into the several modes of promotion and retirement now authorised and granted to the officers of Her Majesty's Naval and Military forces; for ascertaining the comparative situation of the officers in each branch; and for reporting whether, due regard being had to economy and to the efficiency of the service, it may be practicable and expedient to make any, and what changes in the present system.-See Nautical Magazine, page 422, volume for 1838.

REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR INQUIRING INTO NAVAL AND MILITARY PROMOTION AND RETIREMENT.

To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty.

WE, Your Majesty's Commissioners, appointed by Your Majesty's Commission, bearing date the Third day of May, in the First year of Your Majesty's reign, whose hands and seals are hereunto set, do humbly certify to your Majesty-That

We have entered upon the inquiry which Your Majesty was graciously pleased to entrust to our charge, with a full sense of the responsible nature of our duties, viewing them either in relation to the individual interests, present and prospective, which might be affected by the result of our examination, or in relation to that important national consideration, the maintenance of efficiency in the officers of Your Majesty's Army and Navy, whose comparative situation and prospects of promotion and retirement we were instructed to investigate.

To assist in our inquiry, Your Majesty has desired that we should summon before us those who might possess any information on the subjects into which we were to examine, and, acting upon that authority, we have received evidence from officers of every branch of the Military and Naval service. We have availed ourselves also of the resources of every department connected with the Army and the Navy to supply such details as would exhibit the exact condition of the officers with reference to their age, and consequent efficiency for service, the duties they had to discharge, their present remuneration, and the prospects open to them of promotion or retirement.

In the course of our proceedings, as Your Majesty will not fail to observe, various proposals, some of them comprising great and important alterations, and emanating from officers of high character and distinction, have been submitted to us. To all of these we have given our best consideration, but recollecting that the results of a war unexampled in its duration, as in the extent of the services Your Majesty's sea and land forces had to perform, afford ample testimony in favour of the general efficiency of the existing systems in both Navy and Army, we have rather endeavoured to amend where we thought amendment was required, than ventured to propose the adoption of material changes (however plausible the arguments by which they were supported,) the effects of which we were apprehensive might not realize the hopes and expectations of the projectors; and this we have done, under the full impression ENLARGED SERIES. NO. 5.-VOL. FOR 1840.

2 x

that the existing constitution of each branch of the service, with the alterations we have suggested, should they meet Your Majesty's approval, is such as will enable it readily and effectively to meet any demands that may hereafter be made on it either in peace or in war.

The present state of efficiency of the officers of Your Majesty's forces is best shown by the returns for which we called immediately on our assembling; although it will be seen, that in the higher ranks there are many of an advanced age, we are still happy in having it in our power to report that they are for the most part competent to the duties of their several stations, and moreover that there exists, both in Your Majesty's Navy and Army, ample means of extending and organizing either Force to any amount that may be necessary.

Upon one great principle we immediately concurred, that it is for the interest of the individuals whose claims we have had under consideration, as it is undoubtedly for the interest of the country, that the expense should be as much as possible kept down, and that the pay should be regulated on a moderate scale.

The reason we have to submit for this opinion is briefly this. It is the natural interest and should be the object of every officer in either the Military or the Naval service, that the force to which he belongs should be as effective as possible, that it should be of sufficient strength and energy to discharge the duties intrusted to it, and to discharge them in a satisfactory manner. But from the moment that this service should become burthensome to the country, or that a prejudice should be created against it on account of the high scale of its pay, its efficiency would be reduced, its strength curtailed, its capacity to render service to the country annihilated, the opportunities of acquiring reputation and honour reduced in number, or no longer afforded, and it would languish from wanting that popular support which is essential not only to its vigour and efficiency, but to its very existence. Reduction would follow upon reduction, and the non-effective establishment would be increased, while the duty to be discharged, not being correspondingly diminished, would become incessant and irksome to the smaller establishment maintained to discharge it.

The great object to be kept constantly in view is, that the service should be performed not only well but cheerfully; this, however, cannot be accomplished if the severity of the duty should harrass or overtask the energies of those employed in the performance of it, or if they should be led to consider the continuance of that employment of a temporary and uncertain character.

In a small establishment, which would be the necessary consequence of a highly paid service, the hope of promotion, which should be the first incentive to good conduct, might be materially diminished; and there can be no condition of affairs more to be deplored than that which would place a number of efficient officers, with strong attachment to the services in which they have been brought up, in a position where they would be without hope of employment, and consequently without hope of promotion.

In a fluctuating and uncertain establishment, the continued fear of reduction would equally operate to check the energies of those holding employment therein, as their anxieties might be more directed to their individual position than to a satisfactory discharge of their duties.