Show CANNOT DISMISS COFFIN AND washington dec 19 secretary bonaparte has found that he has no power to dismiss midshipmen coffin and vandever charged with hazing and complicity in midshipman karn brough this information was conveyed to him today by attorney general moody A few days ago he aub matted to the attorney general the abstract question aa to whether a cades must be tried toy court martial previous to hla dismissal from the he did not name the two midshipmen above referred to but he did state that a case bad recently arisen at tha academy wherein two midshipmen bad hazed another the attorney general told the secretary that hla conclusion was averse to the asserted right of tha secretary to dismiss a midshipman and ha promised to supply an opinion in full legal form within a short time it is now the duty of admiral sands superintendent of the academy to order coffin and vandever before a court martial tinder the terms ot an act of 1874 and if they are convicted of hazing they must be dismissed from the academy he will be instructed to athla effect aa soon as the attorney generals formal opinion IB received at the navy department Secretary Bona patte Is becking legislative authority to make dismissals himself in cases but such legislation would not toe retroactive or effective in tha caa of the two midshipmen today he sent 0 letter to senator hale and representative moss chairmen respectively of the senate ana house committees on naval affairs in forming them of the actuation which he araysi will make it very difficult to deal satisfactorily with in my judgment said secretary bonaparte in these letters it Is eason elal to tho proper discipline of tha academy and especially necessary tor the eradication of these abuses that a discretionary power of summary dismissal of midshipmen should be vested in the secretary of the navy secretary bonaparte suggests sug gesta the advisability vis of securing if possible tha immediate enactment of such a statute |