1897 - 98 .] 
Chairmans Opening Address. 
T 
Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Bart., G.C.B., was born at 
Inveresk in 1806. His father was Sir David Milne, G.C.B. Sir 
Alexander received his education successively at Musselburgh, Ports- 
mouth, Bordeaux, Halifax, and Bermuda, his places of schooling 
being in a great measure determined by the situation of the com- 
mands held by his father. He was subsequently entered as a pupil 
at the Edinburgh Royal High School, and thereafter, in 1817, he 
entered the navy as a volunteer and midshipman on the “ Leander,” 
which carried his father’s flag. In 1825 he was lieutenant, in 
1830 commander ; and while in command of the “ Snake,” in 
1837-38, he captured four slavers off the coast of Cuba, setting 
free 952 slaves. He was acting captain in 1839, and in 1842 
became flag captain to his father. In 1847, while commanding 
Nelson’s ship “Victory,” Captain Milne was installed a Junior 
Naval Lord of the Admiralty, and was nominated Superintending 
Lord of the Store, Victualling, Transport, and Medical Depart- 
ments, — in all of which he introduced great reforms. He was at 
the Admiralty for upwards of eleven years. In recognition of his 
work he received in 1855 a good service pension, was gazetted a 
G.C.B. after the Crimean War, and was promoted to rear-admiral’s 
rank in 1858. In 1859 he quitted Whitehall to take the command 
of the North American and West Indian Stations. He was appointed 
Vice-Admiral in 1865, Senior Naval Lord of the Admiralty in 1866, 
Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Station in 1868, and 
Admiral in 1870, He was again invited to become a Lord of the 
Admiralty in 1872, a position which he resigned in 1876. He was 
created a Baronet in 1875, and became Admiral of the Fleet in 1881. 
In dealing with the grant of £30,000 a year which had been made 
by Parliament for the benefit of petty officers and seamen, his plan 
for the introduction of good conduct badges and pay was adopted. 
Previously there was nothing to mark the good from the bad or in- 
different men. At his instance the first Signal Book was drawn up 
by Captain Wilmot, and he established the first Cipher Secret Signal 
Book for communication between the Commander-in-Chief and the 
Admiralty. He was the means of bringing under the notice of the 
authorities at Whitehall the defenceless state of Jamaica, Antigua, 
Bermuda, and Barbadoes, and of securing the strengthening of their 
defences. He was one of the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition, 
