Chapter VII: The Board of Admiralty

Defects of the Marine Committee 181

Criticism of the administration of Congress 182

A new system of Executives 184

Criticism of the Naval Department by Washington and Jay 184

Establishment of a Board of Admiralty, October, 1779 187

Powers and duties of the Board of Admiralty 188

Salaries 189

Selection of commissioners of Admiralty 190

Francis Lewis and William Ellery 193

Congress and the Board of Admiralty 194

Work of the Board of Admiralty 195

Decrease in naval machinery 195

Reports of the Board of Admiralty 196

Naval legislation under the Board of Admiralty 197

The granting of naval commissions by the states 201

The American navy and British models 202

Court of appeals for prize cases 203

The fleet under the Board of Admiralty 203

Embarrassments of the Board of Admiralty 204

Success and failure of the fleet 205

Discontinuance of the Board of Admiralty 208

Defects of the Board of Admiralty 209