The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-05

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carries round ths world Inc consequence Is natu
rany great love OF me shore; WIN not congress
remedy ms, ana make Ifor tne Pecuniary interest
OF pursers TO perform their duty at sea! II this
can be accomplished, their number needs no m
crease,
IN tne army, disbursing omcers penodically come
before the Senate to DC confirmed anew. Would i
not oe wen 10 extend ihis 70 inc navy and
to require that pursers should, once IN every few
years, DC suolect 20 reappoin'ments ana would II
no. DC good rue tna' no Purser shouia De reap
pointed VINO has not, within reasonable.per
performed cruise
Snanses IN inc present law are neeued 20 project
The treasury. Balances are sometimes retained too
long--for which the best remedy is prompt settle
ments; Three months are now allowed to disburs-
ing omcers within the United States to render their
accounts ine emcient pursers WIN agree unani-
mousiy tnai ior Them forty-nye days are ample for
inc purpose, congress VIA establish that limit,
believe me auditor WIN be able TO settle their ac-
counts witnln tne next iorukWc Gays, 70 the Inn
mense dement, OF themselves ans tne p9nilc service
Moneys can only come INTO thear hands on specific
rquisiuons for pecinc purposes, ana ought never be
diverted oy them 70 tne payment Of their own
CLAIMS real OF pretended, agai the United states
These claims, m some cases, extend back twenty
years. and, when traced to their origin are not In
frequently found 10 De based upon services which,
when rendered, were recognised as regular duty.
Zen uniouhded demands, pursers sometimes pay
oy retaining pubhc money IN their hands, conslitu-
ting themselves Judges IN their own cases, and vex-
atiously persist IN carrying them forward In their
accounts afler they have been repeatedly rejected by
the legally constituted authorities pursers desire
70 mold large sums OF public money for The purpose
OF conending Ia courts against the decisions OF the
accounting ohcers sustained by the opinions OF the
Attorney General, they should first become private
citlzens for while they are conending, the govern
charge OF undue advantage, in sending them from
home. Il IS moreover manitestly unsafe 10 trust
them, under such circumstances, with further
amounts Of the public money. This subject calls
for the action OF Congress-
The law Of January 81, 1923, requires that dis
bursting officers who fail to render their accounts for
settlement in due time shall be promptly reported to
the President Of the United States, and dismissed
from the public service. Might not this law be ex-
tended with great propriety and advantage to those
who, upon settlement Of their accounts reported
holding balances, and who, on requisition by the
proper authority, refuse or neglect to pay into
the treasury the public money remaining in their
handsl Although the aggregate number Of
discussing officers in the service need not be
increased, an improvement might be made, by es
tablishng, within the present limit the grade Of as
sistant pursers. The services Of this grade would
be chiefly called for in the smaller vessels, and theil
pay being regulated by the amount Of their respon.
sibility might properly be less than that of the pur
sers As vacancies occur among the plrsers, these
assistants, if on examination they proved themselves
to be fty trained for the higher duties Of their pro
fession, might well be promoted. A system would
thus be formed which would prevent the appoint
ment Of the inexperienced and incompetent.
The excess of officers exists almost exclusively
in the higher grades Of the navy. Of the forward
officers the interests of the service demand that thu
number, especially of boatswains and gunners
should be a little increased. If permission were
sd tcix bonto and "a
many acting gunners, it would be but . reasonable
alienation to class of men who now, from theil
limited number, are almost always at sen.
It has been my strenuous endeavor to make the
condition Of the seamen in the public employ such
as Congress- designed. The apprentice spstem, al
heretofore regulated, though 1t has produced some
| excellent seamen, has not been wholly successful
but it is believed that the failure has arisen from dc
fects OF arrangement and not rom the system itself
An attempt will be made to revive II, IN q SIMPLE
unpretcndlng form, ana win the nope OF beneficial
results IN the increase OF accomplished American
seaInen. Meantime, our mercantile marine, Of near.
ly one hundred thousand mon, Feady yfcfds patriot
&c ana skilifui crews 70 our sMps-oi-war. Inc nm
tation OF these to seven thousand nve hundred men
mas neverln the past summer peen exceeoed, ana
mas nad a wnoiesomc enect IN competing reduc-
lions at me navai stauohs al nome
u me glory OF our navy una. our ours sailors are
held ny ahechon ana choice. Ihey enlist volunta-
ry they are freely discharged on thelr return from
cruise; and, with few exceptions, they readily en-
list again. They love the service; and on whatever
sea they are found, they are Americans AZ heart.
Efforts nave been made 70 break up violation OF
law which has TOO long existed on snip board. The
mercy OF the statute entrusts the power OF the lash
exclusively to the commanding of,cer. NO other
officer worthy OF command VIII inhict punish
ment except after due examination INTO the offences
charged. The former custom OF deegatlng this
power 70 subordinate omcers Is Migrant violation
of the Will OF Congress and the people. The men
have rights, ana must be protected IN them. Expe-
rience shows that discipline never so good as when
the commanding officer sets the example OF subordi-
nation, ny obedience to the laws OF his country.
Freedom to enter the service protection IN their
rights during their seryce freedom to leave 1t after
cruise; sktul medical attention, with comfortable
pension IN case OF uisaolity; nome a. ue navai
l cannot close this communication without repeat
ing that the evils in our navy to which have called
attention spring from the defects in the system that
L. g. tkn. skas, Ia &c