Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-12-23
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.

the NAVY IN particular, embraces an almost
inhnite number of topics, relating to the ma.
Wy IN oil It's aspects,-Its condition, its dcfici.
ences, the detects Of its CODE the wont of or.
gan'zation OF the department., Its need of en-.
Iargement' It's wants of higher gaade of off
GERS, the need OF an increase Of the marine
corps 'he want OF naval school, and many
o'her subjects, are all briefly and judiciously
considered, and great number of reforms,
improvements, and engagements are recon.
mended.
The present force Of the navy is II ships
ol the line, OF which one is OF I2O guns, and
The rest of74 each Is friga,es of the lirs,
Class, one OF which is rated ut 81 guns, and
The other 10 at IA, and Of the second class
rated al 81 guns; lS sloops Of war rated at
IOt 20 guns; q briggs and schooncrs Of 10
guns each; steamers 3 store ships 3 re.
celvlng vessels; and ; small schooners.
The frgate BrandywIne and soops. of. war
falriicld aud Prcble are in the Mediterranc-
an under command OF Com. Morgan. The
squadron In The PacIiic, when Com. Jones
arrives there, who is expected to sail in the
course OF the next fortnight, viii embrace
besides that irigate The sloops. Of. war st.
Lonis, Yorktown, Cyane, and Dale, and
schooner Shark. The squadron on the Bra.
zll station, on The arrival of the Delaware, "a.
which left Hampton Roads on the st of No.
vembcr, will consist OF the Delaware, Poto-
mac, Concord, Marion, Decatur, and Enter
PRISE, under command of Com. Morris. The
West India Squadron, under command of
Com. Wilkinson, consisting of the Macedon.
an, the Vandalia, aud Warren, now in the
United States, having left the station for the
hurricane season, will be ordered back rs
soon us they can be furnished with crews
The Constellation and Boston, under CON.
nland OF Com. kearncy, are in the East In
dies, dispatches having been received from
them at the Cape Of Good Hope to July 81,
lS4l. The Exploring Squadron, under the
command Of Lieut.. Wilkes, was at the date
Of the last official dispatches, Nov. II, 1910,
at tue Sandwich Islands, undergoing repairs.
This squadron, after visiting the northwest
coast OF America, is expected TO return to the
Unitcd States carly in 1912. 1t is probable
that later particulars have been received from
Lieut.. Wilkes, since the date of the Secre-
tary's report. A squadron of small schoon
crs under Lieut. McLaughlin, is cooperating
with the army in Florida. The Consori,
Lieut.. Powell, has been employed in The sur.
vcy Of the coast, from Apalachlcoa TO the
Mississippi, and is now engaged in the sur.
vcy of Nantucket South Sloal. The brig
Dolphin, Commander Bell, and schooner
Grampus, Lieut.. Paine, returned in May aud
August last, from their second cruise to the
coast of Africa. Tho steam ships Missouri
aud Mississippi, built at Philadelphia and
New York, are nearly ready for service, and
will form part Of the home squadron.
Orders have been given for the building of
three steamers of medium size, at New York,
Philadelphia and Norfolk. In addition, n
steamer of GOO tons is to be built at Philadel-
plia, under the supcrintendence of Capt. K.
Il. Stockton, with Ericson's Propeller, and
another at Norfolk, Of 300 tons, by Lieut.. w.
w. Hunter, to be propelled by submerged
water wheels, invented by himself. Orders
have beca given for building a first class
sloop, and three small vasses Of war, and for
finishing the iriga,es Cumberland, Savannah.
Rari,sn, and St. Lawrence. Measures have
also been taken for the construction Of o
steamer on Lake Erie.
The Secretary states that great difficulty
is encountered in the enlistment Of seaaen
that the operation of the apprentice sys-
ten is encoursging-that great depvcdatIons
arc made on the live oak and rcd cedar, tim
bcr,rcserved for public use ,on the public lands,
in violation of the law-and the efforts TO OBJ
tain American water rotted hemp for the use
The Secretary states that reform is ncces-
sary in every part of the naval establishment,
and he proceeds to specify many Of the par
ticulars in which this reform is needed. lie
points ou, the great deficiency, and almost
absence OF any properly legaized code of
laws and rules for the regulation Of the ser.
vice, and the gross irrrgnlariiy of the mode
in which the regulations actually in force
were introduced. lie says that the evils re-
sul,ing from the want of proper naval code
are Of the most serious chortcter, and will, il
not remedied, Ultimately ruin the naval ser
vice. Tine next reform which he deems to
he necessary, is in the Organization of the
Navy Department" 1t is, he says, " in truth
not organized at oil, and he earnestly re-
commends immediate attention 10 the sub
ject.
lie urges at some length the Importance of
an increase OF the navy, as rapidly as the
means at its disposal will admit. He cx-
presses a decided opinion that a very large
part Of the increase ought 10 consist of steam
ships, and he gives the grounds Of this opin-
ion. He recommends that an experiment be
made, in imitation Of the example Of Eng
land, which has proved successful, of build
ing an iron steam ship. He thinks it not ne.
ccssary to increase at present the number Of
line OF battle ships, and that some of those
which we have would be more useful, if cut
down to frgates Of the largest class, Of which
we need largely increased number. The
vessels for which there is the most pressing
demand are sloops Of war; briggs and schoon-
crs and he recommends that n suitable
number be Immediately built Not less than
ten. he says, are now necessary.
lie repeats the recommendation Of tho cs-
tablishmcnt Of higher grades of officers III
the service, and urges its Importance on a
variety Of grounds. A large increase Of the
marine corps. he pronounces to be absolutely
necessary. The laws and regulations for the
government of the marine corps require to be
amended. lIo recommends strongly the cs
,ablshmcnt of naval schools, as a measure
highly important. lie recommends some
provisions IN regard TO the professors of math-
omatcs now employed in the service.
lie recommends the necessary appropria-
tons for keeping much greater number Of
ships in actual service, and expresses his np
p.oval Of the estimates made by the Navy
Commissioners. lie recommends an nppro-
pria,ion for the purchase of lands. for an in
crease of the Navy Yard a. Brooklyn. lie cx.
presses his approval Of n prudcn, economy in
oil things. but considers true economy best