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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 232, 1 October 1870, Page 4

The Broad Arrow of June 25 says : — " Mr. ft Scott, midshipman of H.M.S. Phoebe, belonging to the Flying Squadron, was tried by court-martial at Yokohama, on the llth April, for going ashore at Auckland without leave, wilful disobedience and contempt of his captain's orders, and unofficer-like conduct. He was found gutlty, and sentenced to be dismissed H.M.service." Admiral Porta writes an interesting letter to the Chicago Journal on the subject of the revival of American commerce, by increased attention to the building of ships. ' He advocates Congress taking forty million dollars duty off articles used in ship-building in the United States ports. We give the following extracts from his letter : — " The power of a nation is measured by its commercial importance and ils naval aggressive /feree. This may be seen in the case of England, that little iron-bound island that dictates laws to nearly all the world. What nation ia there that likes to have England's enmity , or that will not submit to insult rather than beard the Bntish lion ? I know of none. A nation may have miles and miles of railroads, thousands of river steamboats, millions, of bales of cotton, and be possessed of all the arts and sciences. She may have in addition a large army, but all these will not" make; her powerful if she has not ships to transport them and a navy to protect them, Without the latter she is a weak thing, open to the encroachments of every nation thnt may have a proper naval force. In granting drawbacks en some. particular articles used in- ship-building, you, may run foul of some local interests,.' but ' that should not be considered when the life pr death of. commerce is concerned,- the decadence pf which is the 'severest blow this nation has ever experienced^ and the only one from which it - has not recovered. 'f . ",.'_..' '/.'. j .