e Lord Cochrane had a
disagreeable interview with the admiral, who insinuated that he desired
to take all the merit of the service to himself. On his arrival in
England Lord Cochrane, who had now a seat in Parliament, gave notice
that he should oppose the vote of thanks about to be proposed to Lord
Gambier. On hearing this Lord Gambier, on his arrival, demanded a
court-martial. The evidence of Captain Pulteney Malcolm was much in
favour of Lord Cochrane, but the other witnesses supported Lord Gambier,
and sentence was pronounced, honourably acquitting him of all blame.
From that day Lord Cochrane's prospect of success in the navy was
destroyed. Though attempts were made by Lord Mulgrave to bribe him
over, he refused to abandon what he considered his duty to his
constituents and the country. The vote of thanks to Lord Gambier was
carried by a majority of 161 to 39.

The following year, when Crocker, secretary to the Admiralty, brought
forward the navy estimates, Lord Cochrane moved an address for certain
returns relating to pensions on the civil list, contrasting them with
pensions to naval officers; remarking in the course of his speech, "An
admiral, when superannuated, has 410 pounds a-year, a captain 210
pounds, while a clerk of the ticket-office retires on 700 pounds a-year.
Four daughters of the gallant Captain Courtenay, who was killed in
action with the enemy when commanding the _Boston_, have 12 pounds, 10
shillings each; the daughters of Admiral Sir A. Mitchel and Admiral
Hepworth have each 25 pounds; Admiral Keppel's daughter, 24 pounds; the
daughter of Captain Mann, who was killed in action, 25 pounds; and four
children of Admiral Moriarty, 25 pounds each. Thus thirteen daughters
of admirals and captains, several of whose fathers fell in the service
of their country, receive from the gratitude of the nation a sum in the
aggregate less than Dame Mary Sexton, the widow of a commissioner."

Remarking on the pension list, he observed, "Captain Johnstone receives
45 pounds 12 shillings for the loss of an arm; Lieutenants Harding and
Lawson, 91 pounds, 5 shillings each for a similar loss; Lieutenant
Campbell, 40 pounds for the loss of a leg; and Lieutenant Chambers, RM,
80 pounds for the loss of both legs--while Sir Andrew Hammond retires on
a pension of 1500 pounds per annum."

Amongst the most renowned exploits of the navy is that of the capture of
Curacoa. It having been reported to Vice-Admiral Dacres,