Mr. GRIMES. I Thee lanation that I have to give in regard to this by 1 will bewery brief. From the foundation of the Government down to this time, I believe there has never been any allowance to any naval officer for any loss that he may have sustained in cons uence of the destruction of the vessel of which o wasa part of the full complement and of which he was an officer. The reason upon which that rule was based I suppose to be that the officer was responsible ldr the ship and for the safety of the ship. That rule formerly prevailed in the British navy, but has now been char: edthere as we propose to change it here. t was ostelr 1866. 437 I lished when we had nothing but sailing vessels in the Navy, and before the introduction of steam, before the introduction of torpedoes, and before the introduction of shell guns which are so destructive upon ships.During this war there have been several ships that have been destroyed by torpedoes, the placing of which by the enemy could not have been fore seen by the officers in charge of the ship s or the men upon them. It did not strike the ComNavAffrs that in a case of that kind the old rule should be adhered to. We all thought that an officer who, in the proper discharge of his duty, withoutany wan ffore sight or skill, and not on account of an negligence or malfeasance on his part, should be entirely stripped of all his personal effects should receive some compensation, and we have therefore provided that in cases of that kind, under the irection and with the approbation of the SecyNavy, there shall be allowed to him the sum of one months sea pay. In the British service, the amount that is allowed to a flag officer under similar circumstances is 300, or $1,500; to a fleet captain, 150, or $750; to a commodore or captain, 200, or $1,000; to alieutenant, 80, or $400; to a gunner or boatswaiii, 80, or $160; and to a midshipman, 40, or $200. If this bill should become a law, a vice admiral in our service would receive $026, against $1,500 in the British service; a rear admiral would get $416; a commodore $388, against $1,000 in the British service; a captain 251, instead of $1,000 in the British service; a lieutenant $156 in stead of$400 in the British service; an ensign, $100; and a midship man, $41.