The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-12-16


The employment Of these revenue cutters and
steamboats,, under the command Of Commodore Dali
las, has subjected the Navy Department TO heavy
charges not provided for in the appropriations for
The West India squadron has been mosi actively
and efficiently employed in the complicated duties
OF protecting the persons and property OF our mer-
chants and oher citizens In the West Indies and the
ces IN the Florida war; and of preventing the impor-
tation Of slaves
The sloop OF war Peacock, Commodore Kennedy,
which, with the schooner Enterprise, sailed from
New iork IN hpril, 1885, on a cruise In the East
Indies, and along the Of Asia with view TO the
protection and extension of our commerce i'm that
quarter returned to the United States on the Goth Of
October last having successfully accomplished the
objects for which the cruise was undertaken. The
Enterprise was detained by Commodore Ballard
on the Pacific station, where her services were re-
quired
Commodore Read, with the frigate Columbia and
cruise in the East Indies and is expected 10 sail in
few days. part of his crews are detained al short
time TO assist in taking the ship of the line Pennsyl
vania from Philadelphia to Norfolk.
For the purpose Of protecting our commerce and
suppressing the slave trade the coast of Africa,
our ships OF war have been occasionally ordered 10
touch al the settlements on that coast The most re-
cent visits TO these have been made BY the brig
Dolphin, on her passage out TO the coast OF Brazil
and by the frigae Potomac, on her return from the
Mediterranean TO the United States. These visits
have given the highest satisfaction to the coonists
on the coast, and will no doubt be attended with
beneficial results
Lieutenant Commandant Gedney, in the schooner
Jersey, and Lieutenant Commandant Blake, in the
schooner Experiment, with their officers and crews,
as sounding parties, attached to the coast survey,
ed in the harbor of New York and the waters ada
cent. The discovery by Lieutenant Commandant
Gedney, of a new channel into the haTbor OF New
York through which the heaviest ships may pass
without danger, must add greatly TO the commercial
advantages OF that harbor and to its value as naval
station.
The survey of the harbors south Of the Chesapeake
made by c ommodore M. T. Woolsey, Captain Alex
ander Claxton, and Commander f. X. Shubrick,who
were sent out for that purpose in the brig Porpoise,
under the command of Lieutenant Commandment
William Ramsay being finished, that brig has since
been employed under the command Of Lieutenant
Commandant Wilkes, in the survey and examina-
ton Of Georges shoals off the coast of Massachu-
sets ...."~ ...
This survey has, after much labor, been finished
in the most satisfactory manner and will add much
to the safety of navigation hitherto considered dan
gerous. Lieutenant Commandant Wilkes is now
ordered to take command Of the brig Porpoise, and
make an examination and survey Of the harbors Of
Beaufort and Wilmington, in North Carolina, and
survey of May river, from Tybee bar to The Hunt
ing island which surveys are required BY the act OF
the Sd of March last, making appropriations for the
nava! service. ...
Upon the application Of the Board Of Navy COM
missioners, seventeen officers OF the Navy were
placed under their ORDERS for the purpose OF making
examinations required by the second section 81 an
act OF Congress of the Sd Of March last, in relation
to selection Of sites for lighthouses: These Off
GERS have completed the duties assigned TO them IN
satisfactory manner as the Commissioners have re-
ported to the Secretary of the Treasury. The ira
yelling expenses and increased pay consequent upon
the employment OF these officers on this duty, have
been borne by the Navy Department, and nave TO
that extent increased the naval expenditures beyond
what was contemplated in the estimates for the
year.
The vessels enumerated in commission on foreign
stations, or about TO SAIL including the ve vessels OF
the South Sea Exploring Expedition compose lar
ger naval force than we have had in commission at
any time since the late war with Great Britain:
The satisfactory condition Of our force abroad
affords us the opportunity OF providing Tor home
squadron for the protection OF commerce on our
extensive coast Estimates for such squadron are
submitted with those for the general naval for
the year 1888.
Within the past year the number Of captains ofthe
Navy has been increased from forty to fifty; OF lieu
tenants. from two hundred and sixty to two hundred
and eighty of surgeons from forty -four to fifty and
of assistant surgeons from fifty to sixty.
This increase of officers was deemed necessary,
from the increased number of ships 10 be put in
commission, to meet the exigencies of our growing
commerce. 1T. ~.
The number of surgeons and assistant surgeons
have not been increased in just proportion with
those Of the captains, commanders, and lieutenants;
and the wants of the service require further addi-
ton to their numbers. .... G..r&. -
As the appropriations for the South Sea Exploring
Expedition, in the Law authorizing the same amount
ing TO three hundred thousand dollars, were made
quate to the expense of its outfit became necessary
TO submit estimates for further appropriations for
this object which done at the last stated session
of Congress.
With my letter to the President of the United
States of the 9th of February last and by him sub
mitted to the House of Representatives, state
ments OF the Board Of Navy Commissioners by
which it appears that there had been expended upon
the Macedonian from those appropriations about
$4,000 upon the ship Relief barks Pioneer and
Consort and schooner Pilot, to be taken from the
same appropriations the sum of $l6s, GOO; and that
to complete the equipments OF these vessels exclu-
sivey of provisions instruments, contingencies with
the preparation of which the Board was not charged,
it was estimated that $40 900 more would be requir-
ed making in all $500 500, exceeding by $500 the
amount of the appropriations.
The estimate submitted for the annual expenses Of
these vessels $346, 43l 90, amounting, for the
three years, during which time it intended the
exploring squadron should be absent to 81 OBS, 293
90. In this estimate is included the sum Of $43 642
So for the annual expense Of the scientific corps of
the expedition, amounting, with their assistants, to
the number of eighteen.
As this statement Of facts could leave no doubt that
the Exploring Expedition would cost nearly, If not
quite million and half of dollars, and as il greatly
exceeded in number of vessels and men the most
successful expeditions of like character heretofore
sent out by the maritime powers of Europe, il was
believed that its amount would have been reduced
by Withholding part of the appropriations asked for
by the estimates. This however, was not deemed
expedent, and the full appropriations were made by
an act of the Sd Of March last.
Before this time, Lieutenant Commandant Tat
NALL who had performed cruise to the Coast Of
Mexico, in the Pioneer, reported unfavorably Of
her sailing, that it was deemed proper to examine
into her condition, as well as that Of the bark Con-
sort and schooner Pilot, which, with the Pioneer,
had been built expressly for this expedition, and
which, point of sailing, not considered equal
to the Pioneer.
On the lOth OF April, commodore Jones was IN,
formed that the Commissioners Of the Navy had
made arrangements TO have thorough examination
of the barks Pioneer and Consort, and the schooner
plnf with view ID ascertain their SnfficicncY Tor