'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎199] (218/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
199
will enable him to improve the discipline of the Indian Navy,
to raise its character, and to promote its efficiency in all its
parts."
On the 4th of April, 1848, a Government Order was issued
appointing Sir Robert Oliver, Commander-in-chief of the Indian
Navy, and, in January of the following year (1849), an Act
was passed by the Supreme Legislative Council by which the
Governor-General and the Governors of Bombay and Madras
were empowered to direct any superior officer, being a captain
or commander, of the Indian Navy, to hold courts-martial in the
Eastern seas, the officer in question presiding over such court,
which was to consist of commissioned officers of the Indian
Navy, whether in command or not, or, when a sufficiency of
such of suitable rank could not be found, of officers of the
Company's army above the rank of captain, and officers of the
Royal Navy, should such be disposed to act. Courts-martial
had been held during the past few years under Sections 5 and 6
of Act XII. of 1844, whereby the Governor-General of India in
Council, and the Governors in Council of Madras and Bombay,
respectively, were authorized to grant commissions " to any
officer commanding-in-chief any fleet or squadron of ships or
vessels of war," to call and assemble courts-martial; provided
always that " no Commander-in-chief of any fleet or squadron
of the Indian Navy, or detachment thereof, consisting of more
than five ships or vessels, shall preside at any court-martial,
but that the officer next in command to such officer command
ing-in-chief shall hold such court-martial and preside thereat."
By these enactments, for the first time in the annals of the
Service, the Commander-in-chief, or Acting-Superintendent, of
the Indian Navy, by virtue of his rank of Commodore afloat,
having his broad pennant flying on board the 4 Hastings,' were
empowered to convene courts-martial for the trial of offenders,
and the authority hitherto vested in the General officer com
manding-in-chief the Bombay Army, to assemble a court and
revise its finding, was abrogated. Finally, in 1856, a bill was
brought into the Supreme Legislative Council to amend the
Articles of War of the Indian Navy. Under the original Act,
officers belonging to the Service were not responsible to a court-
martial for acts committed on shore. The new bill repaired this
omission, and provided that any officer guilty of " scandalous,
infamous, cruel, oppressive, or fraudulent" conduct anywhere
within the dominions of the East India Company, was liable to
be tried by court-martial.
In June, 1847, under the auspices of Sir Robert Oliver, was
completed the enlargement of the dock, next the factory An East India Company trading post. , con
structed in 1810, and called after Mr. Duncan, Governor of
Bombay. The entrance to this dock was enlarged to the width
of sixty-three and a half feet, and was thus of sufficient extent