Lieutenants. Ensigns. Captains of seamen under eight years, with Captains. midshipmen, The last quarterly" Navy List," for a wonder, appears without any removals, resignations, dismissals, or desertions of Naval lieutenants. From January 1864, till 1865 inclusive, there were successively five removals, seven resignations, nine dismissals and one desertion of lieutenants of the Navy, from Her Majesty's Service. Would it not be considered worthy of inquiry into the cause if twenty-two captains had been so disposed of from the Army? The cause is comprehensively explained, for the majority of the Naval lieutenants having been so summarily turned adrift from so honourable a profession by the proof that, from their being only misters, whilst their marine shipmates are captains, they are not supported in their position of responsibility and rank in the fleet, otherwise than subaltern officers as their title of lieutenant applies. The Admiralty are informed of the great number of sub-lieutenants and midshipmen who are removed from the Navy for questionable causes, and resignations in consequence of dissatisfaction, the sub-lieutenants as commissioned officers being kept in the gun-room mess, when their subordinate officers the second-lieutenants of marines mess in the ward room-and the midshipmen to strut, until they pass for Naval lieutenants, in coats, with white patches on the collar, the menial badges of livery footmen, and a carving knife stuck by their side-when their equals the marine second lieutenants are uniformed and sworded according to their recognized rank. These Naval subordinates, from the age of sixteen having been trained and nautically educated at the country's expense in trainingships and sailing vessels, are qualified for superintending ship duties on deck and aloft, and become essential to the discipline and order of the between decks-therefore the numerous removals of these experienced officers from seagoing ships must tend to the disadvantage of the service in general. Give the qualified midshipman at sixteen a Naval ensign's uniform, and to the executive officers professionally superior titles, then their lordships would check the junior officers from quitting the service for any other profession, and confer the greatest boon to the Navy since the reign of Queen Anne, when a corporal proudly declared that, "he would sooner be a corporal of dragoons than an admiral at sea," to that of Queen of Victoria, whose Order in Council could equalise the titles of officers in her Majesty's sea and land forces, with those of Naval and Military Ensigns up to those of sea-marshals and field-marshals, and prevent the enrolling of Naval captains, (sea colonels,) with Military captains in the muster roll of th Queen's levees and drawing-rooms, and the echo of the court cuckoo-cry-captains in the Navy and Army are all alike captains, in the roll-call from the Lord Chamberlain's office. Style the Royal Naval Captain "commodore" in the reign of Queen Victoria, we should hear no more of the corporal's preference in that of Queen Anne, but that of, "I would sooner be a a commodore of one ship of war, than a colonel of dragoon horses." MUSKETRY PRACTICE IN THE ARMY DURING THE YEAR 1864-5. Our army is very small compared to that of any of the great Powers of Europe, and therefore its thorough efficiency alone can be the guarantee of that position which we have a right to hold amidst the nations. To be equal to the requirements of our "situation," every British soldier should be, at least, and in every respect, superior to ten foreigners, whoever they may be; and in no respect can he afford to be less qualified than in musketry or the power of accurate shooting. For this training of the British soldier the nation cheerfully pays a considerable sum per annum-not less than £69,740, being expended on our Schools of Musketry at Hythe and Fleetwood, besides additional pay to the musketry instructors of the regiments, which, although very small in itself, amounts to a respectable sum per annum. It is, therefore, not without some little concern that we findnot, indeed, any retrogradation-but certainly no improvement in the shooting of the army generally, during the past year-a result which we could scarcely deem possible, with reference to the fact that every year since the establishment of the Schools of Musketry, has strikingly increased this most desirable efficiency in shooting throughout the British Army. Nor is the cause of this want of progress less surprising, since it happens to be the neglect of that which is so emphatically insisted on in the Regulations of Musketry-the practices of Position Drill. Major-General Hay, the Inspector-General of Musketry, speaks very plainly on this startling fact in his Annual Report just issued. He says: "I would remark that if I have not been able to report improvement in the shooting of the army generally, I feel perfectly satisfied that the cause is solely attributable to the fact that the men are not habituated to the proper position in handling their rifles. "Having closely watched the men at practice, I am not surprised that the shooting is not better, but that it is so good. The man who is not trained to the proper position in the first instance as a recruit, and confirmed in and habituated to it during the ordinary weekly drills and parades (and a very little time will suffice, if often repeated,) cannot possibly fire in the same position twice running, particularly when shooting on the knee-an essential position for effective volley-firing, and for long-range shooting." Thus, for the first time we think, a very significant hint is given to our army-men and instructors-that "the great object," as it is emphatically called, of all their training has, during the past year, been slighted or neglected. But, as we have stated, there is, apparently, no falling off in efficiency; and perhaps it may be thought that we should be satisfied with the stationary "figure of merit," without exacting more, since it is really very imposing. Indeed it is rather a curious fact that the figure of merit of the best shooting regiments is exactly the same as it was last year. The 2nd Battalion of the Scots Fusilier Guards still stands, as last year, at the head of the list, claiming the high figure of 117.37 points-which unmistakeably means that the proportion of "dead shots" must be formidable in that battalion. The 4th battalion of the 60th Rifles figures next at 112.01, as last year, followed pretty closely by the 1st battalion of the Grenadier Guards, and six more battalions or regiments, against five last year, all of them ranging over 100 per cent. in their " Figure of Merit the sixth being the 26th Foot, scoring 101.45 points. The "order of merit" in which these regiments stand is as follows. 1. Scots Fusilier Guards, 2nd Battalion, 3. Grenadier Guard, 1st Battalion. 5. 7th Depôt Battalion. 6. Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion. 117.37 112.01 111.57 7. 15th Depôt Battalion. 8. 26th Foot. Last year thirteen regiments ranged in their order of merit from 98.47 to 8111. This year we find seventeen Regiments in that category, which, perhaps, the reader will consider a decided improvement in spite of the very laudable discontent of the veteran Inspector-General, who, we know, goes on himself improving from year to year in his magnificent shooting, as all will testify who have had the pleasure of witnessing his performance at Hythe. The order of merit of these seventeen regiments is as follows:1. Coldstream Guards, 2nd Battalion. 98.47 2. 88th Foot. 97.37 To which we may add as ranging nearly up to that mark, the following regiments. 21st Fusiliers, 1st. Battalion. 80-74 The great majority of the regiments stand, as last year, in the very satisfactory position of the Figure of Merit from 78.85 to 50.02, which seems to show that about one-half of the regiments could "bag" their enemy, at any distance, when required. These regi ments are as follows: 60. 22nd 1st Battalion. 54.32 68. 48th. 69. 61st 70. 28th. 71. 77th. 51.72 72. 16th 73. 8th 50.91 74. 4th 50.83 75. 9th 76. 6th 50.23 77. 2nd Depôt Battalion. The remainder of the regiments score from that down to 14:34 points-which is that of the 3rd.West India Regiment (right wing,) the lowest of all-practising on the old system. |