The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-12-27 00:00:00

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% transmit a remora Of die militia of the several states
.actoodinte to/Abele% reports which' have brew made lay the
pepper nffiewarin eacb, In the Department of Wiz. lig re-
ference to this room it will beaten that it is mot complete,
altheeek vest exertions have been male to make it so.—
At thedeftecititina even' the liberties of the country must
' deperr,tieseis of iceininent danger, on the Militia, it is of
CM h . „Set i `thiette that it be well ot4aniaed, armed,
and tie4p)iir' le olientigLqui the Union. The report of the
70
• setskliftof. AiSseitewd the progress made during the three
C•roClPlfiftrrnftt thelreient year, by the application of the
fond appropriated ter arming the militia. Much difficulty
•is fiend in ibiskrittutieg the arms according to the act of
• Ccmgrene providing for • it, from the failure of the proper
.Departmeets;in many of the states, to make regular returns.
The act of May the twelfth, one thousand eight hundred
and- ttsrnty, provicKe that the system of tactics and regale-
tiOns of theearinns corps in the regular army. shall he
*Mewled le themilitia. This act has been very Imperfect-
.ly,executesi, feonillte. want of uniformity in the orgaciee.
ten of the militia, proceeding front the defects of the sp-
• ten. itself, and especially in its application to that main
artl of the public defense. lis thought that this important
• *object, in all its branches, merits the attention of Con-
gem.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy, which is now
voimattnisafed, furnishes an account of the administration
' if, that o.epartnient. for the three lust quarters of the pre-
sent year, with the progress made in augmenting the navy,
and the manner in which the vessels in commission have
been employed.
• Theesuat. forte has been maintsired in the alediterra-
mean See, The P;scific Ocean, and along the Atlantic Coast,
and has afforded the necessary protection to oar commerce
in those seal.
In the West Indies anti the (inif of Mexico our naval
force has been augmented, by the addition of several
mnall vessels, provided for by. the " Act authorising an ad.
•litiOnal naval force for the suppression of piracy,' passed
'by Congress at their. last Session. That armament has
`teen eminently successful in the accomplishment of its ob-
• jeit. The pieacles by which our commerce in the neigh-
bourhood' of the island of Cuba had been afflicted, have
loin repressed, and-the confidence of our merchants in a
• great measure restored.
• The patriotic zeal and enterprise of Commodore Porter,
'.to Whom the command of the expedition was confided, has
..been folly' seconded by the. officers and men under his com-
mand. And, in reflecting with, high satisfaction on' the
honourable manner in which they have sustained the re•
-potation. of their country and its navy, the sentiment fps'
alloyed only 'by a concern that, in the fulfilment of that
.ardueits service, the diseases incident to the season and' tie
theclimate in which It was discharged, have deprived the
rialtos of "many useful lives, and among them of several
•011ieers of great promise. .
In the month of Aogost a very malignant fever made Ite
appearance at Thompson's island,. which threatened the
"destrettion of our stittion there. Many perished; and the
•tounnanding officer was severely attacked. Uncertain as
'to his fete, and looming that most of the medical officers
Lad been rendered incapable of discharging their emits, it
was thought expedient to send to that past an officer of
rank and experience, with several skilful surgeons, to
useertein the origin of the fever, and the probability of its
"recurrence there In furore seasons; to fertish every assist-
• Attlee te ' those who were suffering, and if .procticatile,* to
avoid the necessity of abandoning so important a station.
lt.'tidituodere Rogers, with a prumptitude which did him
tolette, iheerfolly accepted that tron;and has distrWrged
'it in the manner anticipated from his skill and patriotism.
• Wore his arrival Cointoodoze Portent,. with the • *greater
party( the squadron, had teamed from the island, end
leferned to the United States, in consequence of the pre-
'wailing sickness'. Much useful infinraation halt, however,
•leerrobtaised, as to the• state of the island, and great
relief afforded to those' whiit ad been necessarily left there.
• Although our, expedition; co.operating with an kedge-
rated administration' attire Island of • 'Cott*. and with the
!corresponding active exettiontof a British naval • force in
the shum seas, have alai on talked, destrityrd the unlicensed
• Omits from that islanktbe lime's, of our exertions has
'etoebteneqinilly effectual to suppress the same.crime, under
either pretences and colour in the neighbouring Island of
'Porto •Itico. They have been committed there under the
abusive isspe of Spanish commissions. At an eatly period
•iif, the present year, remonstrances - were snide to 'the
tOdeernof df that island, by se agent who was setit for the
perpose,itgaiset these outrages on the peaceful commerce
df the United 'States, of whit% many had occurred. 'That.
afficer professing bis own eranttf authority to make satis•
fettiop for out just complaints, answered only by.a reference
'Waited
to the Crovernment of Spain. The Minister of the
'Waited States to that Court eas specially instructed to urge
-die necessity of the immediate and effectual interposition
•tef that Government, directing restitution and indemnity
kirwiongs already committed, and interdicting the eepeti•
twit of them.—The Minister, as has been seen. was de-
barred access to the Spanish Oovernnient, and, in the mean
time, several new cases of fiagraot outrage have occurred,
and citizens of the United States in the Island of Porto
Biel) have suffered, and otitis been threatened with
assassination, for. 'aliening their unquestionable rights,
crib before the lawful tributialecif the country.
•The usual orders have been given to ell oar public ships to
nave Airuevican vessels engaged in the Slave Trade, and bring
them Is for adjudication, and I have the gratification to state,
,that sot one so employed.has been discotered,sud there is good
reason to h •licve that our flag is now seldom, if at all, dis-
Owed by Ibat nage, • :. , ' , . i
..„
}tar a source of great satiefsetien. that we are always ena-
biled to recur to the conduct of oior navy with pride and com-
wcodation. 'As a means of uitiOnsl defence, it enjoys the
'Optic coi.fidenc- end is stradilf hamming additionat Import-
sae. It is submitted whether a amore effieient and equally
economical organization of it might net, In several respects.
be effected. It is supposed thst higher grades. than now exist
litlaw, would be useful. They would afford well. merited
rewards lo.tbostvwho have leap end faithfully served. their
country ; present this best incentives to good conduct, and the
isostouraus of insuring a proper discipline; destroy the Me.
:quality In that respect between the military and naval services, 1
stud redeye our altars from ;natty inconveniences and mord.
Oconee, which occur when oor vesseis meet those of other '
nations'—ours being the only service in which such grades do
• nOtelist.- '
-it report:ol.lkt postmaster General, which accempailes,
Ibis efoontasloslot, Witt show the present state of the Poll
! thlice Department, and its general operations for some years
-"fit.. • •
~ There Is estothlisbed by . t thousand and six
isti 44.0141Y-olih
)%leidred miles o: post roams., on which the inall is now trans-
ported eighty-flse thousand seven hundred miles; and con-
tracts have beet) made for its transportation on all the esta-
)dialsgil routes, ' "h one .or Iwo eitteptions. There are HU
• thousand tr- -I and (cony postottices in the Liston, sod
Ti.. groskamouut, of postage wltlch
' July, cup titnapal eignt htynilred and
alillinn.oaciatudre and faerteen thee-
Yogi-Hie dollars* and twelveeentS.—
led the ispentlitures of the'post enter
to cent Ini aeon cote bundriiii• ant silty!
nielrbd sod 1111”flvedollartt sbd Ittly•onr
Aor the WWII t• g it,nus f.—toropen.satiOn
1.110844160 and. illy-three ,tlsolmand nine
it-ateliers and ouistay-ei,dit.cepts ;.Inci-
V thoessoil eight hundred and siAty-six
_sea. cents ; transportation of the snail,
e414400r thousand six hundred .dollars
vomit iutp thetreasory, tour hundred and
i Is 4 dew' eentl4` On the lit of 'Ally last,
,idelpintosent teen post misters, one bun.
wresandterehinuteee and forty lee 'loiters
cents ;from let, pest rasitera end contractors.
'ftv vieggie4pod eerfollgge.reti . end forty
iso400oto; reOtiof ,It..tmal it:want. of
e depsnehet df Wee butelred aid. nitiety
liqulrici, off cloetyltde dollargatid fifty
halftime ambrant• el l' lb t.- deftriqu'eficies.ot
weavers, which hate taken 'plate singe

„treats uar• iiee.......... •
islislipti routes, with one
.
11 • tkousand IVlVQ.liunoreti i
. . .
~, as. sassy post Militerli.
.. ocorud from, tr.e,i_st of
• iii enly -tutre; wait oaf I
wand three hulidred 'mai
....I)iiihrittiia snip! pariei
--iopartitilsot awnwrited ti
• -1-.lno'ttriortild t• It hian
_-tents:. ind'eoaslsiet .4.1
. . -to.gost•woristeii. 'lstria
;iturriJr.d aluistineal 4TA
1 deutal expensiew. ilvsty
I .. stritiA4olll, thirty-se%e
~- ift ietl:hilitaftd aI e4P
6.4 eighl testa:, pilirs
twerit-threidtrihir.s it
1 . • th;re wits do& to shear
dred sad thirty liretha
...pd tweisty eight cents
i 1. , Slow hottilit4ll64•Arit
.
„Lk.. riltig iii!y.
I. ~e,
. thit el,
, '• oifiggasadhiti— 0)104
• - • . 160. 'Mgr bid
' ''' 604 •( • i f'S stlCApat,
.”. -.-. " f*--• A I . ,•)4..ti
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