American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-06

The brig Truxton, Lieut. Upshur, returned
from CUnstantinople in January last, with the
remains of Com. David Porter, and in June,
sailed to Join the squadron on the ceast of AT
RIGA, under command of Commr. Bruce.
The steamers Col. Harvey ard Gen. Taylor
were transferred from the War Department for
the use Of the Navy. The former has been
employed in the transportation of recruits and
supplies for the Navy, and is now under orders
TO sail without delay under command of Lieut..
Lynch to prevent trespasses on the hve-oak
and other timber on the public lands between
Cape Sable aud the Balize, with instructions to
give aid to merchant vessels in distress during
the coming winter. The Gen. Taylor, Lieut..
Farand, has been employed for like purposes
during the past season.
The schr. Phenix, and brig Oregon, have
been successfully employed under the COM
mand of Lieut.. Arthur Sinclair, as a packet
between this country and the lsthmus of Dari-
en-. The mails for the squadron, and for such
of our citizens as choose to adopt this mode Of
conveyance, are regularly forwarded by this
route. The schr. Flirt, Lieut.. Davis, will be
employed on the same duty 1t is believed that
great advantages to the service and to the pub
lie will result from this mode of communca-
ton with the Pacific Ocean.
The Pennsylvania, at Norfolk; the North
Carolina, at New York; the Ohio, at Boston;
the Experiment, at Philadelphia; the On-ka-
hy-e, at Charleston, and the Ontario, at Baltl-
more, are employed as receiving vessels.
The force estimated for and proposed to be
employed during the year, commencing on the
LIST day of July, 1915, consists of 10 trigates,
Is sloops of war, briggs, schooners, armed
steamers, 8 small steamers, store-ships, and ?
sma!a vessels.
1t is not so large as that estimated for in the
last annual report-but it is somewhat larger
than that authorized by the appropriations for
the current fiscal year. 1t is confidently be-
lieyed that this force may be most advantage
ouSly employed i'll giving protection to Amcri-
car commerce, which is daily enlarging its OPP
erations in every region of the G lobe.
The cruising grounds of the several Squad
rons are so extended, and the interest of our
icllow-citzens requiring their protection, so
large, that it is hardly possible, with the utmost
zeal and activity on the part Of the officers, to
visit many points, where the presence of a ma
tianal ship is necessary to attain this great OBJ
iect. To this protection they are entitled In
attending it, high public duty is discharged,
the officers and men are kept familiar and prac-
tscd in their duties, and it is not believed that
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kept in ordinary.
By the act of the 18th of June, 1914, it is
provided that the whole number of petty off
GERS, seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmen, and
boys in the Naval service during the current fis-
cal year shallnot exceed, atany one time, seven
thousand Ave hundred men. The Department
promptly gave orders to suspend the enlistment
of men, and to discharge the crews of the YES
ses as they reached our own waters, until the
required reduction was effected. The line of
battle ships have been put out of commission,
except as receiving vessels, and the compile
ments of men allowed to the several classes
carefully revised and reduced to the lowest
point consistent with the safety of the vessel
and the honor of the flag 1t is hardly possible,
in.7iew of the changes of crews on foreign
stations to maintain any specific number with
exact precision. The Department has endea-
vored to conform to the law, and it is believed
that the measures adopted have been SUCCESS
full.
I.deem it my duty to suggest that the reduc-
ton made by that proviso will, in my opinion,
be Injurious to the public interest. 1t precludes
the employment of ships of the largest class
and # it should become the settled policy of
the Government, the officers who will be re-
CURED to command them, in the event of war,
will not have that degree of familiarity, with
the order and management of ships of the line,
which is essential to success. There are also
considerations of great weight against adopting
az maximum the number of men intended to
be actually employed In sending reliefs to
to squsdrons abroad, it will frequently happen
that the relief vessel sails before the one to be
relieved returns home; while one is on the
way to her station and the other on her return,
there is apparently double crew in service,
but not so for any valuable purpose. With
such restriction no public exigency or unfor-
seen national necessity would authorize an adj
dition to che number until the law could be re-
pealed. The Coast Survey, the Ordinary, and
the Receiving ships, all require men, and they
form part of those allowed to the Navy.
| have, therefore, caused estimates to be pre-
pared for nine thousand men for the next year,
and it is believed that this number will not
leave available, for the ships of war in their
appropriate duty OH foreign service, more than
seven thousand five hundred men.
An increase of the number of Pursers and
Surgeons is respectfully recommended. The
number of the former is not sufficient to re-
lieve the comma nding officers from the neces-
sity of performing the duties of Purser. For
this they are not compensated, the duties are
not professional and they are sometimes in
Yolved in apparent defalcations for want of
knowledge of accounts and of the required
forms of vouchers. The duties of dsbursing
officer places the Commander in such relation
to the crew, as to affect inIuriously the disc-
pline of the ship. If provision shall be made
for the increase of the number of disbursing Of
fcers of the Navy, as is earnestly recommend
ed, it may be effected with more economy, and
with great advantage, by authorizing the APP
pointment Of Assistant Pursers at small sala-
ry. Twelve such officers might be employed
with great advantage in the small vessels in
commission. They would acquire an accurate
knowledge of their duties, and constitute class
from which promotions to the more important
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