The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-12-04
REPORT
or rHE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
N.,r prrlnrn.sr, Nov. IS, Isl4.

report oil the Conuitioh oPe'S'~"S ~ 49,
psrtment Of tho public service fa.f.
The Navy of the United States consists oil SIX
ships OF the line, razee, fourteen irga'es ~en
t,-one sloops of war, sixteen brgs and schoonss,
three store ships and eight steamers ahoat
There are on the stocks in unfinished slate, four
ships of tho line three frgates, one sore-ship, an
iron steamer al Pittsburgh and one at the Navy Yard
at Washington TO be used as water tank. Since
the last Annual Report after careful survey and IN
spection il was found most conducive 10 the public
interest to sell the frgate Hudson, and the store shP'
Consort and Chpola, and orders have been recently
given for the sale Of the Pioneer In each case Tue
Navy Agent conducting the sale was Limited 40 70
the price, and the sales satisfactory. Inc mud
son was originally built by contract LOT ioresu
government was found to be unworthy oil repair ana
il was believed TO be more advantageous 10 SCH man
10 break her up. ,,
The vessels in commission nave oeeh e"Pi'!'N ~
Ia the Home Squadron, the frigate Potomac, the
soops Vipcennes, Vandalia and Falmouth, The prigs
Somers and Lawrence, ana the steamer Up'on, w.
der the command Of Com. Conner. In The mon'h
of August the Vincenhes returned north from 'ho
Gulf of Mexico, was put in ordinary and her Gre"
discharged. H'
la the Mediterranean sea, the squadron was I'M
der command of Com. Morris, until he ieit that
station in the Delaware "a in February, when the
command devolved on Com. JOS Smith. Our Naval
forces in that consist Of the frgaes Cumberland
and Columbia, sloops Plymouth and fairheid, ana
4tore-ship Lexington. The new sloop 81. Marys IS
under orders and will proceed, as soon as se eauJ
for sea- to relieve the Fairfield.
% the coast Of Brazil the squadron has consisted
of the Columbus "a, frgates Rartan and Congress,
sloops John Adams aud Boston, brig cambridge ana
schooner Enterprise.
The Columbus, John Adams and Enterprise have
returned home been put in ordinary and their crews
discharged. The squadron is under the command oil
Com. Daniel Turner
Ia the Pacific Ocean there have been employed the
frgates United States and Savannah, sloops Cyane,
Ievant and Warren, schooner Shark, and store-ship
Relief The United States and Cyane have return
ed home, been put in ordinary, and their crews as
charged. The new slooP Portsmouth has been h''ed
for sea, and under orders to join this squadron
Com Thos. up c. Jones was relieved from the COM
maid BY Com. Alexander j. Dallas, by whose Ia
mentea death in the month of June last, the com
mand devoved on Capt James Armstrong, the
second IN command. Com John d. Soat has been
ordered TO the Pacific TO assume command on 'hat
station.
No change has been made in the vessels compos-
ing the East India Squadron since the last annual
report. The fiigate Brandywine arrived at Macao
with the Hon. Caleb Gushing on board, IN February
last. The sloop St. Louis and the brig Perry have
since arrived at the same port. Both OF these YES
sells were detained on their outward passage by the
illness of Comr. Cooke, of the st. Louis, and OF
Comr. Dupont, Of the Perry. To the mortihcatlon
Of both these officers, and to the regret OF The De-
psrtment, each was compelled, by The state oil ms
health TO relinquish his command and return to the
United States Captain Mckeever and Comm.
John Stone Paine were sent out TO supply their places
The squadron is commanded by Commodore Foxhaii
A. Parker. The frigate Constellation, bearing the
pendant of Commodore Kearney, returned home In
April last after cruise Of nearly four years. She
has been laid up and her crew discharged.
The squadron on the coast of Africa, under com
mand OF Com. NJ. C. Perry consists of the fngaie
Macedonian, sloops Saratoga and Decatur, and brig
Porpose, nting ninety three guns. The sleeps
PEBBLE and Yorktown, and brig TIuIton, have been
sent out 10 relieve the Saratoga, Decatur and Por-
pose. The sloop Jamestown has been launch
ed and in active preparation to go to sea TO relieve
the Macedonian. Com. Charles w. Skinner has
been ordered to proceed in her to the station and re-
heve Con-. Perry. Another soop will be ordered TO
the station with alfpract,cable dispatch. The Inrde
guns. II is found that single decked vessels are best
suited 10 this service, and that in them the health OF
the officers and crew will DO secure than in
those of larger class and more difficult of vena.
ton. 1t affords pleasure to state that the sPpre-
tensions which entertained for the health OF the
squadron have not been realized. While at sea II Is
found that Their health is good, and the deleteIious
influence of the climate ia only felt by those shore
The operations of the squadron have 1t Is believed,
exercised favorable influence IN preventing the
slave trade. With The provision Of our law denounc-
log IT as piracy and the presence oil our own Naval
fot ces, with authority to visit all vessels under the
American flag II is not probable that our citizens will
engage in this dsgrscetul and perlous traffic, or our
flag be used by Others TO any great extent
If other Christian nations would nhict the same
punishment on the offenders II is not improbable that
the trade would cease.
The stere-ship Erie Is about to sail from New York
with stores for this squadron The unbealthness of
residence shore, the influence of the climate in
deeroIating provisions when in store and the diii-
cutes of landing them, make it very desirable to
have large and well found store-ship permanently
attached 10 the station.
No alteration has been m sde in the cruising grounds
Of the several squadrons the las annual report.
The following vessels have been employed on spe-
cial service. The frigate Constitution, Capt Perez.
val, sailed from New York on the 29th May last, on
cruise in the Indian Ocean. The Hon. Henry A.
Wise took passage in this ship, and YVES landed at
Rio de Janelro the 9th August, when she proceed
81 on her ciuIsc
The steamer Princeton, Capt Stockton, has been
employed IN gun-ursctice and experiments. She is
under orders TO be prepared for cruise TO test her
qualities, we'll under her sails her steam, and 10
determine the advantages Of her mode Of propulsion.
The steamer Ponset,, Lieut.. Semmes, has been
employed IN making surveys between Apalschicols
bay aud the Balze The work is finished and she
will be laid up for the winter.
The brig Tuition, Lieut. Upshur, returned from
Consl aniiDope January last, with the remains Of
CON. David Porter, and IN June, sailed TO join the
squadron on the coast Of Africa under command Of
Cvmmr. Bruce.
The steamers Col. Harvey and Gen. Taylor were
transferred from the War Department for the use Of
The Navy. The former has been employed IN the
transportation Of r,crnis and supplies Tor the Navy
and ~ nav onder orders TO sail without delay under
command OF Lieut. Ly och, TO prevent trcspasses
the i've oak and other timber the public lands, be-
tween Cape Sable and the Baltic, with instructions
give nd TO merchant vessels distress during he
coming winter. The Gen. Taylor Lieut.. Farrsnd,
has been nployed for like purposes during the past
season.
The schooner PheniI and brig Oregon, have
been succe .syey employed under the command Of
Lieut. Arthur Sinclair, as packet between this coun
try and the Isthmus OF Dsren. The mails for the
sauadran nd In, sueh nj opr FL.