sion of the Jubilee of that Monarch of blessed memory George the Third, where twenty of the SENIOR OFFICERS of each class were promoted, but which (having an eye to economy) we will reduce to twelve on this coronation promotion. The difference in pay of twelve Captains promoted Making the total expense to the country Or, as Cocker would have it, £3650 per annum. £ 8. 6 6 per day. 0 6 ditto. 18 ditto. 3 0 ditto. I have heard it invidiously remarked, that Ministers were easily induced to waive a Coronation promotion of old officers, to enable them to pursue, as heretofore, the system of favouritism. Be that as it may, was the ANNUITY of £3650 for the lives of thirty-six officers, all of whom must have been upwards of forty years in the service, and of twelve old worn out midshipmen, of such paramount consequence to the country, as to sacrifice their last chance of promotion? October 9th, 1831. I am, Mr. Editor, yours, A Warning Voice. "Fiat justitia, ruat cœlum." MR. EDITOR,- The old officers of the Army and Navy return you their sincere thanks for the notice you have taken of their being neglected at the Coronation, and will further feel obliged if you will do them the favour to admit into the pages of your impartial Journal á few observations on the way in which some of the favoured have been lately, and indeed still continue to be smuggled into the Gazette for Brevet rank; and they trust you will fearlessly do your duty by publishing the enclosed list of those who have obtained this species of promotion to the exclusion of many of humbler birth, but of far superior merit. A past life of danger and hardship it appears must now remain uncheered by the hope of receiving even the barren and unprofitable (though much cherished) distinction, to the attainment of which all ranks (save the K.C.B.'s) have been so anxiously looking forward; that rank appears only to be lavished on youths who have entered the service long since the conclusion of the war, and who thus enjoy the fruits of our services and victories, no doubt as an encouragement to fawning and sycophancy, giving to such men the reward due to sterling courage, talents, and manly integrity. When discontent and disgust at such unfair proceedings become universal in that class who suffer thereby, is it not the height of folly for those who have the power to correct the evil to turn a deaf ear to that "warning voice" which with truth and sincerity points out, that conciliation at the outset is a wiser course to pursue than to wait for that period of expediency when the attempt may be too late? Believe us, Mr. Editor, this is not thrown out as a threat; but in these levelling and discontented times, is it wise to render lukewarm that class who may be shortly called on to keep down insurrection or even revolution? and may not at such a moment the thought suddenly cross the mind of the negleet of past services? and thus that arm be paralysed, which a wiser, prudent, and more grateful conduct might have seen actively and unflinchingly employed in the defence of the Monarch and the Constitution. How truly has Colonel Napier remarked, that "Napoleon's troops fought on bright fields, where every helmet caught some beams of glory;" but the British soldier and officer (with the exception of the higher ranks of the latter) conquered under the cold shade of aristocracy; and is not the remark still applicable? Look at the old Majors, Captains, and Subalterns, still remaining under a like impenetrable cloud of disappointed hope. One's blood boils with indignation when we daily observe butterfly and would-be soldiers, (one half of whom would slink out of the service the moment they were ordered abroad if war were declared,) who have never even quitted the kingdom, receiving that rank only due to merit and length of service; whilst the Majors of 1814, and the Captains of 1813, men who have served in every quarter of the globe, braving death in every shape for these twenty-five or thirty years, are passed by with utter neglect and apparent contempt. Another fruitful source of discontent has arisen from the number of aides-de-camp which his present Majesty has been advised to employ, each of whom, be it known, receives ten shillings per day, with the step of Colonel; George the Third had ten; George the Fourth twenty-three, and at present there are fortyfour, (exclusive of Militia,) thus opening another door to undue influence, most of these officers being culled and picked favourites to the injury of numerous Lieutenant-Colonels of great merit and long standing, who find this class daily jumping over their heads, whilst they are compelled "to drag a lengthened chain" in a fruitless expectation of a just and impartial Brevet. The pay to this increased number of aides-de-camp would have more than covered the expense of giving the rank of Major to all the Captains of 1813, 14, and 15, they being the only class who benefit in a pecuniary point of view, (2s. a day,) the other steps of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Colonel, receiving no increase of pay with increase of rank; the excuse of expense and economising therefore was a mean subterfuge. It is now insinuated that the authorities at the Horse-Guards recommended that no promotion should take place at the Coronation; but this is not to be credited, and they no doubt were compelled to succumb to ministerial domination. Still we are not so utterly cast down as to despair but that justice will shortly be done us, and that the scar-worn veteran and enduring soldier of fortune will be liberated from the griefs of the hitherto endless supersession and "hope deferred which maketh the heart sick." I remain, Sir, On the part of the aggrieved, NAMES OF OFFICERS RECENTLY PROMOTED, TO BE LIEUTENANT- TO BE MAJORS BY BREVETS. Capt. Bullock, 1st Life Guards and Ensign, 13th August 1825!!! Date of Commission as Captain. 26th Dec. 1821. 2nd August 1822. 11th Nov. 1824. 30th June 1825. 4th July 1829!! 3rd Sept. 1829!! Capt. Lord C. Wellesley* 26th Feb. 1829!! Capt. Baring, 1st Life Guards Lieutenant in 1827!!! Cornet in the Horse-Guards in 1828 !!! The promotion of the officers marked thus (*) had reference to their official employment at the Coronation.-ED. Congreve's Guns. MR. EDITOR,-It has been a matter of surprise "to more persons than one," that Congreve's medium guns of different calibres have been so generally withdrawn from naval service: one reason assigned is, that they were "unsafe and unsteady on their carriages;" others assert that individual prejudice and misrepresentation met with too ready acquiescence, and that the job was to get rid of them for another sort of gun by a rival projector; however, should it be correct that upon the old sledge carriage they were rather unruly in action, there can be no such objection started when they are mounted on Marshall's admirable principle. That ingenious officer throws considerable light upon this important question, and suggests a plan of armament for the 28-gun frigates, which would in a degree make up for their bad sailing. In his Disquisition upon his new Gun-carriage, we find the following remarks:—“Some years ago a new description of cannon, something between a carronade and a long gun, was introduced by Sir William Congreve into His Majesty's naval service, and also into that of the East India Company. From the Congreve guns being about one-fifth lighter, and much shorter than the regular guns of similar calibre, whilst their point-blank range was found to be more extensive, they seemed calculated to be importantly useful, more particularly in the upper tiers of threedecked ships, and in the service of the East India Company. From the unsteady and unsafe action of these guns upon their carriages, their use has however lately been discontinued in His Majesty's service, though they still form the entire gun-deck armament of the fleets of the India Company." By mounting these guns on Commander Marshall's principle, it appears, from the experiments of Capt. Broughton, that they are rendered steady and secure though fired double-shotted; and that with three men less, or with only four-sevenths of the old crew, they may be worked more easily and quickly than before: thus all the benefits which were expected to arise from the use of Congreve's guns, may now be realized, their general efficiency be greatly increased, and a considerable number of guns at present considered useless, be again restored to His Majesty's service. By mounting Congreve's guns on board ships of the line and Indiamen, short guns were introduced on board thick-sided vessels, by which the greatest angle of training towards the bow and quarter, already too limited, was made still less than before. On the new carriage, however, Congreve's guns trained to about 45°; and as they may be worked by nearly the same number of men as carronades of similar calibre, line-of-battle ships, carrying even fewer men, may now change their main-deck guns for Congreve's 32-pounders, by which means all the guns and carronades of the whole broadside will fire the same sized shot. "There is also," says Commander Marshall, "in His Majesty's service a class of small frigates, on board of which Congreve's guns might be used with apparent advantage, in exchange for the carronades which form their gun-deck armament." Without enquiring into the comparative merits of long guns and carronades, it must be considered an unfortunate circumstance that so many 28-gun frigates, in which it has been found expedient to mount nothing but carronades, should rank amongst the worst-sailing ships of His Majesty's Fleet; for being unable to advance within carronade range upon a quickersailing enemy, manoeuvring with long guns, or to retreat from a superior force, they are incapable of returning the distant fire of the one or of crippling the advance of the other. Now, since 18-pounder Congreve's may The weight of a long 24-pounder is about 494 cwt.-that of a Congreve's 24-pounder 41 cwt. According to the result of experiments published by Sir W. Congreve, the point-blank range of the former to the graze is 368 yards, whilst that of the Congreve gun is 505 yards. CORRESPONDENCE. be worked on the new carriages by very few men, and will stow fore and aft nearly as conveniently as carronades, 28-gun frigates, without any augmentation to their crews or inconvenience to their narrow decks, may be rendered equally efficient with ships of a larger class, and may be made capable of acting at distant ranges with 18-pounders, either at sea or in shore service, where there may not be water for larger vessels. I might bring to your notice many other striking passages from the work from which the above is extracted, but many of my brother officers have doubtlessly read the whole of its contents, and must be equally surprised with myself, that no steps are taking in the British service to bring this perfect system of mounting guns into general use, whilst France and America are eagerly adopting it. I have the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with the projector, and I know that he offered the plan to the Admiralty, on the most handsome and liberal terms; much as I reprobate lavish expenditure of the public money upon uncertain schemes, (the 18-gun brigs to wit,) I equally condemn a mean and false economy when utility and efficiency combined present themselves for patronage and support: and, perhaps, there never was a more important invention offered to any Naval Administration than the one in question-and yet, not only has it met with cool reception, but subterfuge and personal hostility has marked every step taken by the inventor in endeavouring to establish the merits of his plan; putting aside the question of personal claims altogether. There must be "a screw loose" somewhere, Mr. Editor, and the sooner Sir James can put matters to rights the better-he will be doing a service to the state; come a war, and a pretty mess we should be in. It was unsound policy of a certain Admiral to say"We can use the new plan eleven years hence for nothing, and in peaceable times we don't want to fight guns. So much for patent right. I have no wish to "fire a shot at a hardy tar," but a little flash in the pan may make him open his eyes and think seriously of these few cogitations of a London, 14th Sept. 1831. " Medals and Prize-money for Ava. BLUE JACKET. MR. EDITOR, Your truly interesting publication possessing an evident desire to do justice to all parties connected with both services, induces me to put the following questions, trusting that some of your numerous correspondents may be able to answer them satisfactorily. 1st. Upon what pretext has a medal been granted to the Native troops engaged in Ava, and withheld from the few surviving Europeans (both Army and Navy) who underwent the perils and privations of the Burmese war? 2nd. Has the prize property taken by the British (for they bore the brunt of every thing) been appropriated to the construction of those medals? or, How has it been disposed of? At the close of the war, the Governor-General of India (now Earl Amherst of Arracan, a place famed for disease and death during the warQuery, would not Golgotha have been a better title?) issued an order, granting medals to all the troops engaged; but by a recent order in an Asiatic journal, it would appear that the Native troops alone are considered worthy of so high a distinction, consequently reflecting on the conduct of the British, many of whom served in the Peninsula, and some in Egypt. There was a report that the croire of rupees paid by the Burmese was to be distributed amongst the actual captors: if you could prove that such was likely to take place, you would oblige, Oct. 7th, 1831. Your humble servant, Night Signals. MR. EDITOR, Lieut. Robert Wall, R.N. having in your Journal for the month of August last, so ably represented the difficulty and great utility of signalising by night, or in thick and foggy weather, has induced me, through the same widely circulating medium, to claim attention to a plan for accomplishing these purposes, invented by my friend Mr. John Allan, Naval Architect, Pembroke Yard. That the systems of telegraph and semaphore now in use are in a great measure use-less by night, and totally so in a fog, cannot be doubted; and that a mode, both rapid and secret, which could be put into practice at small expense, in fact little more than the first cost, would be of essential utility to the Government of the country adopting it, is equally true. The latter is decidedly the case in the method proposed by Mr. Allan to the Board of Admiralty last spring. On this, then, and the principle that economy and simplicity are terms of recommendation to schemes in general, do I rest its claim to adoption, and recommend, at least on a small scale, the test of a fair and impartial trial. By it a communication can be almost instantaneously (and perfectly private) transmitted from one part to another, both by night or by day, and "despite of wind and weather," however distant the extremes, and that too without the aid of any intermediate stations, thus reducing the expense of all such establishments. Aware of your readiness to forward improvements in general, I beg to claim the insertion of this statement in your forthcoming Number, And remain, Mr. Editor, Your humble servant, W. THOMAS, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London. Pembroke Dock, 8th Oct. 1831. Trisection of an Angle. MR. EDITOR,-In continuation of the paper on Angular Trisection in No. 32 of your Journal for July last, (page 406,) permit me to offer you the following demonstration relative to the portion of the curve lying between the points B and A; which I had not investigated when I sent you my former paper. I have the honour to be, H. M. ship Alfred, Spithead, August 1831. Sir, your most obedient servant, ALFRED BURTON, Capt. Royal Marines. The law for the construction of the curve FƒB, has been already shown; but when the greater angle whose vertex is at C, exceeds 135°, and the less, whose vertex is at A, exceeds 45°, the order of construction is inverted; and the curve is thus continued from B to A; at which latter point, the angles attain their positive maxima; the one being = 60°, the other 180°. |