Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-20
DOCUMENT
accompanying Ia. Presidents .snrua' Message.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.
IcosTISuEp


The evils resulting from the want OF a proper
naval code are Of most serious character, and viii
A not remeded, ultimately ruin the naval service o
our country. What can Toe expected of cDmmu
nity OF men, living together under circumstances
tending TO constant excitement AMI collisions, with
no fixed laws to govern them, and where even rank
and staff q are impshectly dehned1 Tho necesss-
~ conseuuence Of such a state of things must be,
disputes, contests, disorder and confusion. Some
times unauthut Z~d power will be assumed, and at
other times a~ ful authority will be disobeycd IL is
impossible that a wholesome discipline can prevail
in this uncertain condition OF official rank and au
thor,y. The same uncertainty prevails IN regard
TO punishments. The unhountcd latitude Of dis
creion allowed to courts martial IN this respect is
of most evil consequence, cnd calls loudly tor cor
recon IL invites 20 the indulgence OF prejudice and
f,yorteism-suhiscting light offences to undue pun
ishment and suffering great offenders Ia escape with
trivial punishment. And, even # no such improper
bias could be supposed To exist, u IS not 10 he cN
pected that al, cosrtS will look upon all ohtuces
with the same eve. Men OF enient and indulg,nt
feelings will PUNISH lightly the same Offences which
those OF different character viii punish with the
most rigorous severity. Hence, an inequality Of
punishment will prevail, odIous IN ITSELF calculated
10 excite scontenl 10 bring courts martial into DIS
repute and Destroy the Just influence of Their SEN
t,nces as a means OF preserving the honor and dis
cpins oi the serv ce. To prevent these evils, TO
remedy the disorders which now prevail. AID 10
place the Navy 10 a healthy ard efficient condition.
IL
laws and rules which shall accurately dChne rank
and au,hodIy; panty prescribe duties ana respon-
bilities; aud ascertain crimes and their punlshmen's
And | would rcSo.c,tJlly urge upon the proper de-
par,ments ol tie q ,yernment the Indispensable ne
csssity OF entering upOh this important work with .
out loss Of iue.
The suit CT next in importance is the reorganiza
ton oi the Navy Department. | have had but n
short experience IN us Department; but short
experience enough to display us defects, even to
the most superficial observation. IL Is, IN truth
organized at all. The labor TO he performed must,
under any circumstances, be great and oncrous bu;
IL Is rendered doubly SO 10y the want OF proper
arrangement and distribution of duties AT present,
n mai i.ude of duties imposed upon the head Of
the Department, which any one of IT. clerks could
discharge as well as hlASe!i, nut which, for their
pressing nature, he is not permitted TO postpone
Hence hS whole time is occupied IN lh.ng Details
rendering IL impossible for lin To bsstow the
euisle attention upon moce important subjects, in
Nolvng the great interests Of the service. These
details are indeed 50 numerous add mnlIiilrious as
10 COAST ute in themselves an amount OF duties fully
equal to the powers OF any one man. In addition
to this the present want of proper nsemen;, IS
extremely unfavorable that direct individual re-
sponsbiIily which il is so necessary to impose on
every pubic officer. The same ctCsc occasions de-
laws in the operations 81 the Department, ny rem
dering necessary ywiety OF tedious Official forms
and Consequently preventing that promptnesS OF
action which i, "a !tspeaslhe TO its due efficiency
And it i NJ. the least among the evils OF this State
OF things that the rrscise condition OF the several
branches OF the service cannot be ascertalned with
out much time aul labor; thus adding 10 the cost OF
the Department, while II dlmInlshes It's usefulness.
These Inconvenience aud embarrsssments, and ma
nv others which daily felt IN the administration
% the Department, would IN some degree be removed,
by a mere Encouragement and proper dis rlbuuon
OF the labor employed Ia II; bur ad
dlional labor is absolutely necessary, order 10
enable it to discharge its functions in the mrnnerre
CURED by the interest OF the service. IL would not
be proper into all the details al the subject
in this report. Ii is already before Congress, and
W ~ doubtless receive the early attention of that
bodp A resolution was adopted by the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES on the I9th February, 1889, d.
rectne the Secretary Of the Navy to report to this
House at the commencement Of the next Congress,
a plan for the re'orsanIz liion OF this branch Of The
public service adopting the basis oil his plan the
division OF the duties now performed 10y the Board
of Navy Commissioners, ana their assignment 10 Sc
para,e burelus." In obedience 10 this resolution
Mr. Pauling, the th-n Secretary, submitted, on
30lh December, 1889, long and elaborate report
'b lsed on the principle presented IN the resolution"
To this reportl respectfully refer In most OF its
Views and IN ali Of its more important conclusions,
fully concur. | do not, however, adopt his plan
precisely as he has proposed II. Some change in the
principles, and some additional provisions, will pro-
hnhy he necessary, which the experience ofthe De-
parlmcnt will enable II TO suggest, in arranging the
details of the law. | earnestly invoke imnedi,te
attention TO the subject firmly believing that the pro-
posed reform is Indispensable 10 the due admins
Uaton OF the Department, and that 1t cannot be
-onger delayed without serious injury to the ser
vie.
There is reason to believe that il is now the set
tied policy of the Government to increase the Ma
Wy as rapidly as the means at It's disposal Wi adj
init, and ii may therefore be unnecessary that
should offer any suggestions upon that subject ]
should not feel, however, thOt my duty proper
ly discharged II should fail TO add whatever in
huence my own recommendation may possess to the
many considerations which suggest this as our true
policy.
We may safely estimate the mercantile property
of our citizens annually Rfoa the ocean, and EN-
ployed in foreign trade; at not less than one hun.
bred and twenty millions OF dollar; and to this is
20 he added The value of the vessels in which that
property is conveyed, and the value Of Ams-
rcan interests vested IN mercantile establishments
abro'j, and dependent on American trade. The
coasllng trade, not including such articles are
exported, cannot be accurately esimlted, but II
certainly amounts 10 many millions Of dollars. Ia
king the aggregate Of all property annually expos
Cd TO an enemy on the ocean, on the lakes aud on
our princIpa! bays and rivers, It will probably be
'pund that 1t does not fall short Of hundr and
Any millions OF dOIllrs. So large an interest IS
titled 10 demand, and justly expects TO receive
the most certain and ample protection. This IS
due alike to the citizen whose property is thus *
posed and to the Government whose revenues are
derived principally from the duties which that
property pays. But that protection can be found
only on the ocean. Trade IS never secure unless il
en- at all times and IN all places, appeal for sup
port TO the national a V; and it ought to feel that
it Is safe wherever that AIs is displayed.
Every nation engaged IN foreign commerce to any
valuable extent provides part Of It's established
policy, adequate military marine Our own
country is far behind Bl the considerable nations OF
the world in this respect As compared with Eng.
land and + unce the two principal commercial no
tons of Eur pe, it is found that England wi,n much
Ice fbnst p#Ur Haaf Fknr
eight times ns many YES els OF war, exclusive Of her
steamships; France, with only one third Of our for
eign tonnage, has more than five times as miny
vessels OF war. The comparison nigh be still fur
Their extended. scarcely less to the disadvantage Of
our own country. IL may well excite surprise that,
with so large interest at stake, and with certainty
thlt II will npdly increase from year TO year, 50
little preparation should have been made for us pro
lection and security; and THE surprise will not
he diminished when we reflect on the vas, interests
which arc connected with, and dependant upon, our
foreign commerce, and which must necessarily
flourish or decay along with IL. the farmer, the
planter, the mechanic, the manufacturer, and even
the day laborcr depends, in grsnt or less degree,
upon this for the success Of his own peculiar
branch Of industry and even the fine aIis themselves
= are not exempt from tie same influences. Commerce
nay be regarded our principal interest, because,
to agreat extent, Il includes within It every other
interest.
Was often arise from rivalry in trade, and from
the conflicts Of interests which belong TO IT, Tn,
presence Of an adequate naval force to protect com
meree, by promptly redressing the injuries which
are done TO IT, of the best Of preventing
those disputes and collisions which so apt to in
isrrupt the peace and harmony Of nations,
But these views although sufficiently imporlln
in themselves to justify and require a very lag
increase Of our naval force, are by no means III
most interesting which the subject suggests Rank
ing in the first class Of nations, under~an ab
solute necessity 20 regulate our policy IN somd DE-
-. ..s.sa- L.. al. -.
lev may affect Vs. All the considerable martini
Powers have, within late years, added greatly