The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-12-09

1 III, ~, the fulGIment of that ardnous ser
.,,. the DISEASES incident to the season,
| md IT, the climate IN which II was orcha Z
| ID. have deprived the nation nt many use
| Il In es, and among them oil sc'efai "Hce'9
Of great promise.
In the month Of August, very malIg
nant fever mad lis appearance at lh"inP
sons Island, which threatened the destlne
tim of our station there. Nany persisted
aud the commanding officer was severely
attacked Uncertain rs 10 his late, aud
knowing that most of the medical officers
1 had been rendered incapable of discharslns
their duties, it was thought rxpedie-t 10
send To that post an officer of rank and ex
perience, with several sklful surgeons, To
ascertain the origin of the fever, and the
probability Of its recurrence there III future
SEASONS to furnish every assistance To
those who were suffering, aud, if practica
Bile, to avoid the necessity Of abandoning
SO important a station. Com Rodgers,
with promptitude which did him honor,
cneeriully accepted that trust, ard has
discharged it in the manner anticipated
from his skill and patriotism. Before his
arrival, Com. Porter, with the greater part
Of the squadron, had removed from the
island and returned to the United States,
in consequence Of the prevailing sickness.
Much useful information has however been
obtained, as to the state of the Island, and
great relief afforded to those who had been
necessarily left there.
| Although our expedition, cooperating
with an invigerated administration Of the
government of the island of Cuba, and
with the corresponding active exertions Of
a British naval force in the same seas, have
almost entirely destroyed the unlicensed pi-
races from that island, the success Of our
exertions has not been equally eflectual IL
suppress the same crime, under other pre-
fences and colors, in the Mt ghboring island
of Porto Rico. They have been commit
| ted there under the abusive issue of Spanish
commissions. At an early period of the
| present year, rPmonstrances were made to
the governor { that island, by an agent,
who was sent for tile purpose, against those
outrages on the peaceful commerce Of the
United States, Of which many had occur
red. That officer protesting his Own want
of authority TO make satisfaction for our
Just complaints, answered only by refer
ence Of them to the government of Spain
The minister Of the United States 10 that
court was specially instructed 10 urge the
necessity of the immediate and e1pctua
interpOsitiOn Of that government, directing
restitution and indemnity for wrongs alrea-
cy committed, and interfering the repeti
ton of them. Thu minister as has been
seen, WAS debarred access to the Spanish
Government, and, in the mean time, scve-
raj new cases Of nagrant Outrage have oc
I n I,it., 81 n 4
the island OF Porto Rico have suffered. and
Others have been threatened with assassna-
ton, forasserting THEN unquestionablc rights,
even before the lawful tribunals Of the
country.
The usual orders have been given 10 all
our public ships, to seize American vessels
engaged in the Slave Trade, and bli ing theme
IN Tor adjudication, aud have the gratihca
tlon to state, that not onr SO employed has
been discovered, and there is good reason
to believe that our fay is now seldom, if at
all, diegracrd by that traffic.
II IS source of great satisfaction, that we
are Away enabled to recur to the conduct oil
Our Navy with pride and c"mmendatiun.
As a means of national defence, ii ruio, S
the public confidence, and is steadily assunr.
iiib "I'iitlbiIhl II - submitted
whether IA more efficient and equally eco.
nomlcal organization of il might not, in Sc
y"ral respects, lie olft ced. 1t is supposed
that higher grades, than now exis, by law
would be useful. They would afford ~ ell
merited rewards TO those who have long
and faithfully served their country pre-.
sent the best incentives 10 good conduct
aud the best means Of ensuring a proper
discipline; destroy the inequality in that
respect between the military aud naval ser.
vices, and relieve our officers from MANY
Inconvenience and notifications, wh,rh
) occur " hen our vessels meet those Of Other
nallons-ours being the only service in
which such grades do not exist.
report of the Postmaster General
which accompanies this communication,
VIII shew the present state of the Posi-
once Department, and its general opera.
tons for some years past.
,, There is esta4li he'd by law eighty eight
thousand SIX hundred miles of post roads,
, Oh "hleh the mail IS now transported eis
'y-hVe thousand seven hundred mtlrs and
contracts have been made for lis transpor.
iatlon on all the established routes. n,th
one or two exceptions. There are five
thousand two hundred and forty posi-
Offices IN the Union, and as many postmas.
, .e'S' Inc gross amount of postage which
accrued from the first of July, one AIou
sand eight hundred and twenty two,
10 the first of July, one Thousand
eight hundred aud twenty three, was
one million one hundred and fourteen tbo..
sand three hundred and forty five dollars
snd twelve cents. During the same ne
+ rod' the expenditures of the Post Office
department amounted to one million ON,
hundred and sixty nine thousand eight hun.
: drrd and eighty five dollars and ifly onc