Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-06-21
REPORT FROM THE NAVY DEPART.
MENr

SIR = Uc nluuc at tDe last Se5-
sion oil Congress will be found amply sufficient TO
cover Tie expenditures Tor the current year, under
'ne several heads oil appropriations, unless il
should become necessary or he deemed proper 10
assume another and larger basis of operations
IMAM that on "hich The estimates from the Depart
hent were loilnued
me Slhle OF tne navy fehsloh RUM WIZ re-
quro Tie llnlncdintc action ct Congress. Under
the operation OF The act entitled " An act for the
more equitable administration OF The Navy Fen
sion Fund.-" that fund has been exhausted. 1t
wlIl I've seen from the accompanying report OF
tie COMMISSIONER OF Pensions that there VIII be
required Tor tic payment OF navy pensioners, Oh
th@ ISL OF July neHt, Tue sum OF SSo,lO6 10; aud
lon the Isl OF january, 1872, thehIriher sum
OF TO0,OCO: III addition to these sums, about
po'Voo WIZ oe required 10 pny arrears Oh pensions
WHICH VIII probably lie allowed between July
next ana me Isl oil JalInary, making III Ihs whole
sos 'Oo w 10 meet these payments, there Is
wilhln the control oil lhc Department Tie sum OF
s2o,UEO leaving dciIplehey OF l5oOo6 vi, which
The pun: inlh requires should be promptly sup
plleu'
he sudden return OF ne branuy WINE seems 10
require so"e eNplhna.'pn' from tne desp"lches
sent 10 lie Department ny captain boItoh, OF tllnt
SUPP HaPpe"'s ti'a Tue great eAoIiemcn' prevail
ing III Ehganu III Inc carry part OF March lasi, IN
duced our minister al nat Couft 10 aduTess COM
nunlcaiion 10 commodore huil, NE otfcer com.
mnndlng the United states Naval forces III tho
Mediterranean, the result oil which was, that the
squadron, then lying at Nlahon, left the station
with view 10 get out of that sea, ascertain the
true state of things between the United States
and Great Britain, and either resume their station
or return home according to the result The
l}randywne outsuug the Commodore, and Cap
tain Bolton having received no information OH his
voyage deemed satisfactory by him, returned TO
the United States.
Though it is presumed Congress will scarcely
be willing to give attention TO general matters un =
connected with the objects for which the extraor-
diunry session oil that body was convoked, yet re-
cent events induce me To- bring 10 your notice,
with view to the action OF Congress- two sub
jects as worthy Of present consideration. The
first is the establishment of u home squadron
While squhdrons are maintained in various parts
of the world for The preservation OF our com
merce, our own shores have been left without any
adequate protection. liud war with Great Brit
ain been The result, as was Mt one time generally
feared of The subjects of difficulty now in
of adjustment between that Rover aud the Uni
ted States, not only would our trade have been Ii =
able To great interruptions and our merchants 10
great losses abroad, but a naval force, compare
lively small, might, on our very shores, have seiZ-
c,l our merchant ships and insued our flag with
out suitable means Of resistance or immediate re-
taIiaon being at the command of the Govern
mcni. TO guard against such result-to be ev-
er ready repel or promptly to chastse agrees
sions upon cur own shores, it is necessary that a
powerful squadron should be kept ahoat at home.
This measure is recommended by other consider
atoms. There is no situation IN winch greater skill
or seamaIshIp can he exercised and acquired than
on The coast OF the united States ; anu IN no GER
wee would our ofncefs ana seaheh become more
thoroughly initiated III all 'lSt Is necessary Tor Inc
nauohnl defence ana glory III that service, AID
cd ny the coast surveys now IN progress, thor
oush acquaintance would 80 gained with our OWE
sea coast, extensive and hitherto but imperfactly
Known - lie various ports would DE NlSltGu-iDe
bays, in!ets, aud hnrbors carefully exann the
uses 10 when each could be made available during
war; eiIher Tor escape, defence, or annoyance, be
ascertalheh and the confidence resulting from per-
iect knowledge would give 10 us, what we ought
surely 10 possess, decided advantage over an en-
e"y on our own shores' ohoh'" IL ne lhousht
neslraoie tnn' such squadron DC pat IN commls-
SION llnthedlately ANA kept constantly Oh Duty an
addtohai appropriation may De necessary Tor
the amount OF which, as well MS the force deemed
proper TO be employed, beg to refer to The
accompanying report on The SUBJECT prepared
under my direction, ny the Board OF Navy Com
nissohers
lie attention OF Congress hes been hereto fore
earnestly 'nV'ed 10 iIe s,a'e OF our ordnance and
Gi"i'u"ce stores ana uecm IL worthy Oh Iihine-
uia'e consiaefal'on suihcieht supply OF su'la'
n'e arms ana muhiuons OF war Is ihdh pehsanie 10
me successful operation OF me bravest oihcers
ana men aid 1t cannot, from the nature vt the
c"se' pe ProV'"eu upon sudden emergency oai-
iors may lie lastiiy Collected from our CONNER
cal lhArine slps may be purchased, but ordnance
ca"hot NC supphe" on an emergency, nor can
some OF tie materials Tor The preparation OF am
ihuhilioh DE procured either ny purchase Or man
u iac'nre. Hence the ordnance Should ny time
" foresight, bc provided M advance, ana the ma
terlals be secured, from which supply of umsnu
n''on can DE speedily prepared lhe accompa-
SWEETS o, SLOWS 'ne a'houn. OF expenditure whch