20 FEBRUARY 1875, Page 2

The Times of Monday publisls an interesting account of the-

benefite which the Navy will dtrive from the recent Orders in Council providing for the application of the funds of Greenwich Hospital. There was room for iraprovement in that wealthiest of English foundations, and that room has been occupied. Instead of 1,400 in-pensioners, there are novr6,000 out-pensioners. The widows of seamen and marines reeeivegratuities, their daughters are boarded and educated. The school for boys has been enlarged ; the Naval College founded ; the infirmary and a grant of £4,000 a year in pensions assigned to the Mercantile Marine. The Times takes to itself—justly, no doubt—the credit of having first sug- gested the Naval College, but somewhat invidiously assigns all the other reforms to the credit of the Duke of Somerset. But the facts are that the. Greenwich Acts in question and the scheme for establishing the College at Greenwich were Mr. Childers's. The Duke of Somerset no doubt saw the vice of the old system, in which he was not alone ; but the reform was all planned, and in great part carried out, by Mr. Childers.