herefore, were employed in a
manner no less honourable and useful than it had been in his
Majesty's service; and it does not appear that he had taken any notice
of the manifest neglect of his claims until the peace of 1814, when,
at the conclusion of the war, peerages were conferred on those
officers of the army and navy who had most highly distinguished
themselves. He now found his name omitted; while Sir Edward Pellew, an
officer junior to him on the list of admirals, who had never commanded
a ship in a general action, and who was not even a Knight of the Bath,
was raised to the dignity of baron.

Sir James could not but consider this circumstance as an injustice to
his superior claims; and we know that Sir Edward Pellew, then created
Baron Exmouth, admitted that Sir James's claims for that high honour
were far greater than his own. We may add, that every officer of his
Majesty's navy was of the same opinion. Feeling himself bound to
remonstrate, a correspondence took place between Sir James and some of
his Majesty's ministers on the subject, but without effect; and we
believe that the only reason given by them for his having been passed
over, was simply "that Sir James's flag was not flying at the
conclusion of the war," while that of Sir E. Pellew was hoisted in the
Mediterranean, where indeed Sir James _ought_ to have been, and where
he would certainly have been had he not accepted the command in the
Baltic at the request of ministers, on the especial understanding
that it was not to be prejudicial to his claims. The fact was,
however, that he had _no friends_ in power at that time; while Sir
Edward Pellew had many claims on ministers for the support he gave
them in Parliament.

It is needless to revert to the ungracious treatment he received,
which can only be accounted for by his having refused a seat in
Parliament, coupled with conditions to which his conscience would not
allow him to accede, and from his diffidence in not putting forward
his claims at an earlier period; too often the case with men who are
truly brave, but which is injurious to the service, inasmuch as it
induces a belief among the rising generation that even manifestly just
claims may be entirely neglected.

On the 4th of June 1814, when the general promotion took place, Sir
James was advanced to Admiral of the Blue, at which time his name on
the list of the navy was the fourth above Lord Exmouth.

The following is the extract of a letter