The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-23
THE NAVY.

One great step towards reform in the Navy, and
without which all Others would avail but little, is the
through and complete reorganization of the Depart
ment itself.
The necessity Of this step can be clearly demon
stroted and the money which would be saved by a
well digesed system for the government OF the De
partment, is of itself consideration. which viii
nerd the recommendation of the Secretary upon this
subject to the mind of every
The abolition of the Board Of Navy Commission
ers and the substitution Its place of several Bu
reaux, is absolutely essential.
The great defect in the Board of Commissioners is,
that responsibility cannot be brought home to ii and
that from its very constitution, II is utterly ncompat
Bile with that promptncss and decision that should
characterize an Executive Department But indie
pendenty of these objections, weighty they are,
the duties performed by this Board of the most
inconsistent and absurd character >
1t is part of the duty of the Board to attend to
the equipment of ships and to supernend the inter-
nal police of Navy Yards, &c, and this duty is all
marked out in the "Bue Book a most suitable name
certainly for the code Of Blue Laws which it con
tans.
With regard to the equipment Of ships, few facts
may serve illustrate the absurdity of the Blue
Book rules.
BY the authority, and by the direction of this same
Blue Book, articles to a great amount, but of
whatever TO ship, are most literally allowed.
For inst ance on board the line Of battle ship Penn
sylvana, there is expenditure Of money for ar-
Giles which do not add an ota to the efficiency of the
ship, such as making the combings of her hatch of
brass and yet requsiton for Mix Stopper would
be denied although the safety Of the ship the fate
of battle might be eoparded for want OF it the one
is granted and the other denied, because, forsooh
the tBue Book says so. This Mix Stopper is an
invention of late date and its Importance may be IL
Illustrated by referring to incident in the Battle of
the Nile"
Lord Nelson orderei Sir S. Hood to take a certain
position opposite one Of the enemys ships. He
brought his shlpto the point desired, and let 90 his
anchor, but for want of some such machine as Mix
Stopper his ship could not be brought up, but gather
ed sternway running the gauntlet of broadsides from
every ship he passed until she had all her ca
bic Another officer who was ordered TO a contigu-
Gus position seeing that Sir S, Hood out of his
sta ion, had the judgment 10 repair the defect by la
king the lost position. 10 this exercise of judgment
is to be attributed probably the oflhe British
fleet at the great battle of the Nile. If that ship had
ssed Mix Stopper she could have been brought
to within an inch of her desired position. This i'm
poytan machine worth, perhaps one or two hundred
dollars is not in the "Blur Book, and cannot be al
lowed but useless brass conlbngs allowed be-
cause they ale in the "Biue Book"
This is single fact illustrative of the system by
which the Navy is now governed Again
Three Post Captains, Constituting the Navy
Board) actually prescribe what medicines ship shall
take to sea and the medicines allowed for all
climates whether to the torrid the ftigd zones
Thus ship, bound to the West Indies was allowed
but six ounces of calomcl and when her surgeon ask
ed for more he was informed mat the ship had much
as was allowed by the Blue Book"
Again 1.-THE Navy Board be abolished, and Blu
reaux be established In lis place. the amount which
will by this be saved will over and over again
pay any d,ional expense incurred in the organ
zation We will take the Medical Board for example
A ship going to sea, furnished with valuable
set of surgical instruments, which cost large OF
money. When thatshp returns from her cruise her
Surgeon passes these instruments to the officer
of the Navy Yard, and they slowed away nobody
knows where, and the next ship which goes
to sea- IS obliged to be furnished with complete
set the others being spoiled by rust and neglect 1t
is tact, that scarcely ship goes to sea that does
not require entirely set of surgical instru-
men,s.
This illustration may be applied to every other
branch of the service, all the endless variety OF
ticles necessary to ship Of
II there were Bureau of Equipment and Stores,
you would never hear OF GOpernmhnt buying rdistRs
in The United STATES to send 10 Mllagd moidsSes,
and sending il TO The West Indies and beans 10 Lima,
sions to and through the tropics to rot to the squad
rons, which can purchase them fresh the spot
for one half the money
II is a well known fact that the Board of Navy
Commissioners have persisted for tnenty years!U IN
sending to climate (Braz) clothing totally unsuited
&c IT. which the seamen witt not buy, and the Naval
Store House on that station has been for that period
Magazine for those goods TO rot the Commanders OF
the Squadrons being obliged 10 turn them out OF their
ships as useless membranes. II all the money
Which has been thus nasid had been applied 10 the IN
crease Of the Nary is probable that its Efficient
head, icouid not nop be entredting Congress TO do
phdt common and nature dictlte--o prePdretor
| seLf defence