The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-02-11 00:00:00

AMERICAN NAVY.

The Nullona! Intelligencers to the 26th of Decem-
ber, contain a variety of public documents, all tend-
ing to the elucidation of the political affairs of Ame-
rica, but which are of too voluminous a nature to ad-
mit of their being given at length. That to which the
American Government naturally pays the greatest de-
ference is a Report from the Secretary of the Navy
to the Senate regarding the naval establishment of the
United States. The emulation evinced by the Ame-
ricans in this Report to rival the naval glory and
strength of Great Britain, ought not to be over-
looked by the British Government. It may be re-
collected, that as far back as the 18th of March last,
the Senate came to the resolution to direct the Secre-
tary of the Navy to devise and digest a system for
the better organization of the Department of the
Navy of the United States. It was in 'obedience to
this resolution that the Report in question was made.
The Secretary sets out with saying, it had been gene-
rally admitted that imperfections existed in the civil
administration of the naval establishment; and hence
it had been inferred, that a radical change of system
could alone remedy the evil.
Mr. Secretary, after observing at length, on the
waste, bad agency, and other defects of the naval
system, next refers to those qualities and causes which
have exalted the reputation of their infant navy, in
the following terms :

44 That our navy is not excelled in any thing
which constitutes efficiency, perfect equipment, and
general good qualities, it is believed will be admitted.
That our seamen are better paid, fed, and accom-
modated, is no less true. That all the imported,
and many of the domestic articles of equipment, and
of consumption in the service, are exceedingly en-
hanced ; that the wages of mechanical labour
more than double that which is paid by Great Bri-
tain; that our expenditure is greatly increased by
the interruption to navigable transportation, and the
great extent of the local service, is equally obvious.
Yet,uuder all these circumstances, it is demonsteabte,";
ithest Opet. a comparison of an enualquantlty of ton-
nage and number of guns and men;/or in proportion
to the number of men alone, mir naval expenditure
is eonsideriUly less than that for the navy .of. Great
Britain, in: which ' one hundred and forty-five
thousand men are employed, at an expellee of more
than twenty millions of pounds sterling, annually.'"
The manning of large ships of war (745, &c.) now
out of commission, is recommended by Government
as the cheapest and the most effectual mode of de-
fending the American toast. " The nature, con-
sttuction, and equipment of the ship:, &c." con-
tinues.the Secretary, " which constitute a navy, form
the basis •f its efficiency, durability, and economy,
and the most important branch in the civil admi-
nistration of its affairs.

" The defects in this part of the 13ritish system
have been the theme of criticism and reprehension for
many years past. The most minute, laborious, and
able investigation, has, from time to time, taken
place, under the direction and scrutiny of the Par-
liament, yet nothing approximating to radical
amendment has been adopted ; and the advocates of
reform, either from the subtle ramifications of the
evil, or the agency of some sinister influence, ap-
pear to despair of success."
Mr. secretary next speaks of the diversity in the
form, dimensions, and proportions of the British
ships of war in general, and illustrates his argument
by the following statement :
" When Lord Nelson was off Cadiz, with 17 or
18 sail of the line, he had no less than seven dif-
ferent classes of 74 gun ships, each requiring dif-
ferent masts, sails, yards, &c. so that if one ship
was disabled, the others could not supply her with
appropriate stores."

The consequences resulting from this defective or-
ganization cud want of system are strongly illustrated
in the fact, related by a recent professional writer
of rank and talents, that " out of 538 ships, &c. in
the British navy, now at sea, there are only sixty-nine
which are in reality superior in the discharge of metal
or force of blows, but inferior in sailing, to some of
the American frigates; and that there are but 18,
which, unless in smooth water, are equal to contend
with the United States, leaving 451 out of 538,
which are admitted to be incompetent to engage,
single handed, with an American frigate."
" These facts," says the Secretary, " are eacourag.
ing: and if the American navy is made formidable
upon the principle proposed, the host of British
frigates and smaller veseld on the coast would be
struck out of the account, or added to the list of the
American navy, if they came in contact.
" These veiws, it is true, are prospective, but, with
a stable, judicious, and liberal system, the resu:t would
be realized at no remote period.
" having noticed these exceptions to the civil ad.
mitiistration of the British navy, it is but just to ob.
serve, that the organization of the military part of
their system is much more perfect."
After pursuing the subject further as to the system
to be adopted in dockyards, and' in the other depart-
ments of the naval establishment, he concludes by
submitting, with great deference, a new system for
the organization of the department of the nary, which
he presented in the form of a Bill.