The North-Carolina standard., 1845-11-05
For the North Carolina Standard;
Naval Rureams....fNo. Ii


II is the PERFECTION Of government 10 have wise
laws faithfully administered Under the act oil OF
Congress of August, 1842 there were hVe bureaus
attached to the Navy Department
Bureau of Navy Yards and DOCKS;
g A Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and
8. A Bureau of Provisions and Clothing;
A. A Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrogiaphy;
s. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
The third section OF The act declares that " the
President ef the United States, by and with The
advice and consent Of the Senate, shall. appoint
from The Captains IN the naval service C1Itt LOT
each of the Bureaus OF Navy Yards and Docks,
and Of Ordnance and Hydrography; and shall IN
ike manner appoint Chief Of the Bureap of Con-
stFuction, Equipment and Repairs, who shall Oe a
skiLLfut natdL constructor, aud also he shah ap-
point Chief of the Bureaus of PROVISIONS ano
CIothing, and from the surgeon oil the navy a
Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
(See act of Congress, 1912 entitled An act 10 re-
organize the Navy Department OF the U 0tates'
That the Bureau of Navy Yards and Docks, ana
also the Bureau of Ordnance and HydroS[aPny'
should under this law be filed from rhe Captains
in the Navy is unGeniably correct. II IS equally
true that the Bureau of Construction. Equipment
and Repairs should be filled by sk!iitnl naVaI
constructor and the Bureau OF PROVISIONS anu
Clothing by same other than Captain In tne NaTy W
Lei the Navy Register /" say whether this is The
fact. Every one of them is filled by Captain OF
the NAVY contrary 10 The spirit OF the law, and de-
timental to the utility of the service:
Ii was the remark Oi Mr.. Je1erSon tnat such was
the tendency of the judicial power of the country
that il became a maxim that it Is the part OF good
Judge to enlarge his jurisdiction. .
Il seems TO be the part and policy Of these OH
GERS snugly lay themselves up an ordinary n
these Bureaus, which habit and education have not
qualified them for, and which the law never in
tended for them. . r.s. f.-
Public attention has been drawn strongly TO this
subject. In the ''Pennsy ylVanian Of the 7th Oc-
tober, a public meeting at MoYamensng, on the
4Ih, calls for this change in The Bureau OF Con-
struction The New York Evening Post " has
brought the matter before the public. The Phla.
deiphia Ledger Portsmouth (Va.) New Era
and many other papers have spoken very unequlV-
ocally The voice of the nation. Several members
of Congress have had this matter brought 10 thelr
attention and The action Of the Executive on this
subject would add another laurel to the President.
and by decided action upon this subject he would
receive the united thanks of grateful people.
The pursuits and education of an officer are not
gerDsdiRe to the duties Of the civil Bureau. ou
might as properly place Judge civilian on deck
of a seVeniy-four gun ship and ask him 10 COM
mand as brave captain whose life has been spent
ship, and who has in every country and sea
90 $50" Borne our thunder black and bold"
should be confined in an office settling accounts,
making contracts, &c. Every man to his trade.
A captain Of the Navy should never convert his
laurels to such uses. The sword that has flashed
in battling the cause of his country, should never
be turned into yaTd-siick or quill But if they
still adhere TO the desire Of Office let them be put
as the heads of other Bureaus are, not holding a
commission and an Office at the same time. This
is not f.. ~ JUSTICE.