'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎58] (77/622)

58
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
of greater size and horse-power. The officers of the Indian
Navy became acquainted with this plan, and, as the sugges
tions were said to include a reduction in the pensions of the
officers who were to be turned adrift, a large number memo
rialised the Court. To these Memorials the following reply
was received from England, and published by the Govern
ment :—
" Marine Department, Bombay Castle, Nov. 21, 1838.
" The Hon. the Governor in Council is pleased to publish,
for information, the following extract, paragraphs 1st and 2nd
of the Court's letter, dated the 18th day of June last. Letter
from, dated the 16th of October, 1837.—Forwarding Memorial
from Commander W. Rose, respecting the effect upon the
officers of the Indian Navy of its conversion into a steam
service, stagnation of their promotion, suggesting the option of
retirement, &c.; and Letter from, dated the 28th of February,
1838—forwarding Memorials to the same purport from twenty-
five officers of Indian Navy : viz.. Commander J. H. Rowband ;
Lieutenants H. Warry, P. Powell, T. G. Carless, R. Ethersey,
F. D. Winn, G. B. Kempthorne, F. Whitelock, T. W. Dent,
S. H. Buckler, W. Jardine, A. Offer, J. Sheppard, J. P. Porter,
and H. C. Boulderson ; Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. A. E. Ball, C. Hewitt,
A. M. Grieve, W. B. Selby, D. Scott, A. H. Gardner, C. H.
Berth on, J. S. Grieve, A. Whitburn, and J. Roberts.
" 1-—The Memorialists appear to have been betrayed by the
vague announcements of the public press into the belief that
the measures in progress with regard to the Indian Navy, not
only detrimentally affected their interest, but virtually con
cerned the character of the Service to which they belonged;
and, making every allowance for men whose anxious feeling
had been aroused by the unsettled and apparently insecure state
of the Service for some time past, we are not unwilling to view
the conduct of the Memorialists with indulgence, on the ground
of their former services, although we cannot but characterize
their mode of proceeding as most unmilitary.
" 2.—With regard to the Memorialists themselves, we do not
feel it necessary to enter upon their merits further than to
observe that, in the option of retirement from the Company's
Service offered by our despatch in this department, dated the
9th of May last, a remedy has already been provided by us for
the chief causes of complaint."
At length, the Court having arrived at a determination
regarding the future of the Indian Navy, in 1838 the following
Order was published at Bombay :—
The Superintendent publishes, for the general information
ot the Service, the following extracts from the letters of the
Hon. Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. , under dates the 28th of February and
the 9th of May last, relative to the substituting steam for sail-