Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-07-01
Documents
ACCOMPANYING THE PREsIDSNT's MESSAGE.
FROM THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
NAVY DEPARTMENT May l3, 1871.

4 |
} SiR, The appropriations made at the las
; session of Congress be found amply suf
ficient to cover the expenditures for the cur
rent year, under the several heads ofappropri
; alton, unless it should become necessary o
be deemed proper to assume another and lar
ger basis of operations than that on which thu
estimates from the Department were found
, ed.
The state of the Navy Pension Fund will
require the immediate action of Congress-
Under the operation of act entitled San ac
for the more equitable administration of the
Navy Pension Fund.-" that fund has been ex.
hausted. 1t will be seen from the accompa-
nying report Of the Commissioner of Pensions
that there will be required for the payment of
navy pensioners, on the LIST of July next, the
sum of $0S,7O6 O6; and on the LIST of Janua-
ry. 1912, the further sum Of $4,000. In adj
dition to these sums, about Sc, 600 will be re-
quired to pay arrears ofpensons which will
probably be allowed between July next and
the LIST of January, making III the whole
Sl63, FOG 06. To meet these payments, there
is within the control of the Department the
sum of $2S,Ol0; leaving a deficiency of
$l35,666 06, which the public faith requires
should be promptly supplied.
The sudden return of the Brandywine
seems to require some explanation. From the
dispatches sent to the Department by Capt.
Bolton, of that ship, it appears that the great
excitement prevailing in England in the early
part of March last, induced our Minister at
that Court to address communication to
! Commodore Hull, the officer commanding the
! u. :. naval forces in the Mediterranean, the
result OF which was, that the squadron, then
lying at Mahon, left the station with view
to get out of that sea, ascertain the true state
OF things between the U. s. and Great Bril-
tain, and either resume their station or return
home according to the result. The Brandy
wine outsailing the Commodore, and Captain
Bolton having received no information of his
voyage deemed satisfactory by him, he re-
turned to the United States.
Though it is presumed Congress will
scarcely be willing to give attention to gen
eral matters unconnected with the objects for
which the extraordinary session of that body
was convoked, yet recent events induce me
to bring to your notice, with a view to the ac-
tion of Congress, two subjects as worthy Of
present consideration. The first is the estab-
lishment OF ahome squadron. While squad
rons are maintained in various parts OF the
world for the preservation of our commerce,
our own shores have been left without any adj
equate protection. Had war with Great
Britain been the result, as was at one time
generally feared, of the subjects of difficulty
now in a course of adjustment between that
| Power and the u. s., not only would our trade
have been liable to great interruption, and our
merchants to great losses abroad, but a naval
force, comparatively small, might, on our We
ry shores, have seized our merchants ships
and insulted our flag, without suitable means
ofresistance or immediate retaliation being at
the command of the Government. To guard
against such a result-to be ever ready TO re-
pei or promptly to chastise aggressions upon
CHI ~ is. hot
full squadron should be kept afoat at home.
This measure is recommended by other con-
sIderations. There is no situation in which
greater skill OF seamanship can be exercised
and acquired than on the coast of the u. s.;
and in no service would our officers and sea-
men become more thoroughly initiated in all
that is necessary for the national defence
and glory. In that service, aided by the
coast survey now in progress, thorough ac-
quaintance would be gained with our own sea-
coast, extensive and hitherto but imperfectly
known--the various ports would be visited
the bays, inlets and harbors carefully examine
ed-the uses to which either could be made
available during war, either for escape, de-
fence, or annoyance, be ascertained, and the
confidence resulting from perfect knowledge
would give to us, what we ought surely to
! possess, a decided advantage over an enemy
on our own shores. Should it be thought
desirable that such squadron be put in COM
mission Immediately and kept constantly on
duty, an ADDITIONAL appropriation may be ne
cessary; for the amount of which, as well as
the force deemed proper 10 be employed, beg
to refer TO the accompanying report on the
subject, prepared under my direction, by the
/ Board of Navy Commissioners.
The attention of Congress has been hereto
fore earnestly invited to the state of our ord
nance and ordnance stores, and deem it wor-
thy ofimmediate consideration. A sufficient
supply of suitable arms and munitions of war
is Indispensable to the successful operation of
the bravest officers and men; and itcannot, from
the nature of the case, be provided upon d
sudden emergency. Sailors may be hastily
collected from our commercial marine, ships
may be purchased, but ordnance cannot be
supplied on such an emergency, nor can some
of the materials for the preparation OF amInu-
milton be procured either by purchase or man
ufacture. Hence the ordnance should, by a
timely foresight, be provided in advance, and
| the materials be secured, from which sup
) ply of ammunition can be speedily prepared.
. The accompanying report from the Board oil
{ Navy Commissioners shows the amout OF eX-
, penditure which will be required under this
, head Should the object be deemed OF such
i importance and urgency as 10 require the I'M
= mediate attention of Congress, ! respectfully
| recommend thatan appropriation o! onc-third
of the estimated amount be now made.
a The opinion seems to have become general
= as well i'll the service as in The nation at large
{ that thorough reorganization OF tho Navy
is demanded by considerations connected witt
the defence and honor of the country, and il
= this opinion heartily concur. Yet avn ful
a ~ aware that any plan for this purpose shoul'
|. be the result Of the most careful elaboration
+ and that it would be at once unwiso and i'll