Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-04

ton, on the honorable manner in which they
nave sustained the reputation of their country
and MS navy, the sentiment is alioyed only by
concern. that. in the fulfilment of that ardu-
Gus service, the diseases incident to the sea-
son, and {" the climate in which il was dis
char ged, have deprived the nation of many
useful lives. and among them of several oil
GERS ofgreai promise.
In the month of August very malignant
fever made iis appearance ut Thompsun's Isl
and. which threatened the destruction of our
station there. Many persisted and the COM
mandlng officer was severely attacked. I'm
certain as To his fate. and knowing that most
at the medical officers had been rendered in
Capable of discharging their duties it was
Thought eSpedent In send To that post an Off
Ger at rank and experience, with several skilfu
surgeons tn ascertain the origin of the fever
and the probability of its recurrence there in
tuture seasons; To furnish every assistance To
those who were suffering. and, il practicable
tn avoid the necessity ofabandoning so In,por-
ianf u station. Commodore Rodgers, with -
! pr"mpuiude which did him honor. chez, fully
accepted that trust, and has discharged il in
The manner anticipated from his skill and pat
riotism Before his arrival, Commodore Por-
ter, with the greater part of the squadron, Had
removed from the Island, and returned to the
United States in consequence ofthe pre-. aillng
sickness. Much usefuI information has how
ever been obtained, as to the state of the ISL
and, and great relief afforded TO those who
had been necessarily leu there.
Although our expedition, co-operaiing with
an invigoIated administration Of the govern
| ment ofthe Island of Cuba, and with the cor
! responding active exeriions ola British naval
| force In the same seas, have almost entirely
destroyed the unlicensed piracies from that
! island the success of, our exeriions has not
been equally eflcciual to suppress the same
CRIME. under other prrtences and colors, in the
nelghboring island OF Porto Rico. They have
been committed there under the abusive issue
OF Spanish commissions. At an early period
OF the present year, remopstrances were made
to the Governor of that island, by an agent
VINO was sent for the purpose, against those out
RACES on the peaceful commerce of the IT, S.
of which many had occurred That officer.
processing his own want of authority TO make
satisfaction for our just complaints, answered
only by reference Of them to the govern
ment OF Spain. The minister of the United
States To tina; cnuri was specially instructed to
urge the necessity of the mmediate ard eff
fectual interpositon of that government, di-
recting restitution and Indemnity for wrongs
already committed, and interdictjug the repe-
luton OF them. The minister, has been
seen, was declared access TO the Spanish gov
eminent. and, in the mean time, several new
citizens of the United States in the island of
Porto Rico have suffered, and Others hav.
been threatened with, assassination, for as
sertIng their unquestonabe rights, even before
the lawful tribunals of the country.
The usual orders have been given to al,
our public ships, to seize American vessels en-
gagged 10 the Slave trade, and bring them in
Tor adjudication, and have the qualification
10 state, that not one 50 employed has bteu
] flICrn H..
that our flag IL now seldom, if al all, disgrac
ed by tIiat traffic.
1t rsa source of great satisfaction that we
are always enabled tn recur to the conduci of
orr Navy with pride and commentator. AS
a means ni natiDna defence, il enjoys th,.
| public confidence, and is steadily issu.ninr nd
dIiional importance. II is submitted whether
more Efficient and equally economical or
gaWZaiion OH might not, in several respects
De elected. IL is supposed that higher grades
than now exist nv law would be- useful
They would afford we'll oeriled rewards To
those who have l"ng and faithfully served
their country present the best NEGATIVES Ia
good conduct. aOd the best means Ut insurios
a proper discipline; DESTROY the inequality in
thai respect between military and naval seryi
ces, and relieve OR officers from, many IN
conY"n'enc"s and notifications, which occur
wh'n ourvrsseis meet those ofother uatons-
ours h.ins The "mly service in which such
grades do MOI exist
Arepnrt of The Post Master General. whic!,
accompanies lhis communicaii0n, will shev
the present state of he Post Office Deuart
ment, and IFS general operations for some years
past
There IS established by law, eigbty-eight
thousand six hundred miles of post roads. on
which the mail IS now transported rishty-Gve
thousand seven hundred miles, and contracts
have hecn made for IFS transportation ON all
me established routes, with one or two excep-
lions. There are five thousand two hundred
and ierty post Offices in the Uuion, aud as
many posimasters. The gross amnunt of
postage which accrued from the first oft
July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty
two. to the first of July, one thousand
! eight hundred and twenty three, was one
million one hundred and fourteen tIlnu
sand three hundred and forty-ive dollars.
Twelve cents. During the same perind
the expenditure of the Post Office DEPART
mentamOunted TO one million one hundred
and sixty nine thousand eight hundred and
eighiy-Gve dollars and fCty-one cents and
consisted of the following items: Compensa- |
! ton to POstmasiers, three hundred and fCtv |
three thousand nine hundred and ninety-Gye
dollars and ninety eight cents incidental ,x- |
peDses, thirty thousand eight hundred and six
| ty-siX dollars and thlrty-seven cents trans
portaiIoD OF the mail, seven hundred and eigb-
| ty-Iour thousand six hundred dollars and
eight cents payments into the Treasury
| tour hundred and twenty three dollars and
rsh' cents. On the first Of July last, there
was due 10 the Department, from Postmas-
,ers one hundred and thirty-fve thousand two
hundred and forty-fve dollars and twenty
FIsb' cents nom late pOst;uasteTs and con
tractors, two hundred and fifty-six thousand
seven hundred and forty nine dollars and ,h;r-