The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-02-24

more foot To the length first directed by that in
ane Board We have not time, nor is il necessa.
ry, TO trace the history Of that defunct fungi
killed 10y the nations universal disgust and indig
nation Suffice it to say. this souless Board was
destroyed in 1912, by the law creating the present
incubus, the Bureaus. II was earnestly hoped
mat The " Old Men OF the Sea-" would have been
gotten rid Of or especially that portion of the
duties "f that Board would have been conferred
on men who understood their bnsiness-,he law
SO imperaively directed, and made provision, ac-
cordingly; giving the Navy Officers the majority
OF the Bureaus; but they were not satisfied, and
oy some means or other. they have multiplied
themselves like the tabled Hydra. and our Pres.
dents, by strange fatality. seem to sanction this
gross violation of ,critten la,U.
When the fatal explosion of the Princeton cut
of several distinguished men, efforts were made
by legitimate applicants TO bring the law back to
operation, but there stood the SPIRIT of lake
care OF ourselves. by God-.for nobody else ,oiH
do 4" and the Executive was compelled To an
point Commodore CHARLES MoRRIs as a Skill
f"l VNauat Constructor, who, to keep out "a
SKILFUL NAVAL CONSTRUCTORS" such az the
law calls for, from the situation provided for by
law, performs the duties of the office at Il reduced
salary, which. If in any other station, ,vould dis.
grace him, and which, in our estimation, does
degrade the rank
Frequent and repeated complaints have been
made ct the work which has been executed at
the different Yards ; and now we have complaints
made against our mechanics of the Gospurt Navy
yard, than whom, there is not in the United
States, more energetic, faithful, and competent
set OF men, to complete ship from her lowest
timber to the highest splinter that points to the
stars; and yet these men have to rest under OBJ
| loquv tor the acts and orders, under which they
work, which emanate from the Naval Bureaus.
We understand that the reports from the friuate
Congress, which left this Yard some few months
since, represent her as" spewing out her oakum."
lhs may be the fact, and we have no doubt that
II is-but the workmen are not to blame for
This. Let the proper authorities demand the or
ders by which The ship was fitted for sea at this
Yard, and they will find the real cause of b.r
present condition resides, or is ensconsed in N.
Navy department at Washington Further, we
say 'hat there has not been ship properly fitted
out al thlS Yard, because neither time nor oppor-
UNITY has been given to do justice to them-the
orders received are, get her off with as l,,la
delay as possible-wth the least expeose-and
do nothing but what is barely necessary :" and if
sixPence IS expended without the authority of
the Bureaus. the officers here are held to an in
sulling accountability. until we are astonisbed
| that honorable and high minded men sbould 70.
tain situations where they can be domineered
over by their equals only in rank, and. we believe.
their interiors IN every noble quality, that goes
to form the man. The Secretary seems to think
That ship can be fitted for sea with the same ia
| cIlity, that he can write eulogy-for which he
was so highly complmented by our respected CO.
temporary, Mr.. Richie; and tina. all tina, is me-
cessary to be done is to give the order, and
presto, the work is compIeted--but he will find
such an idea all humbmg. even as those arc
humbugs. on whose advice he relies, and az our
people have found their labors, which promised an
much,
| "Turn to ashes their lips."
We urge upon the Naval Committees of the
two Houses to thoroughly probe The matter To the
bottom we tell them that the fault lies there in
Washlngton-and there they will find the evil
dence. The work of which complaint is made is
not the work which would have been turned of
| oy the regular mechanics, and it met with their
| protest at the tlme-and the niggardly allowance
of the Department rendered such slight repair
necessary. We tell those Committees, also, tina,
under the same nnjnslifiable orders, the Potomac
frigate will leave This port, without being in pro-
per and perfect condition for sea and we here
enter our protest, most soleRnly, against the in
justice which we fear may be inflicted upon the
mechanics Of this Navy Yard. We have pointed
out thoSe who are to blame, and as an American,
jealous Of the rights Of all, in every rank and sta
tion, we hope that justice, stern and inhexible,
will be dealt to sll-and let those fall who de-
serve to fall
To the Hon. Thos. II. Bsyly we commit tho
duty Of bringing the whole matter before tho
Naval Committee and to our immediate Repre-
sentative, Mr.. Atkinson, we say, great ;nius
tice is being done to your constituents, watch
over and protect them-their eyes are upon Won
P. S. Since writing the above, we have ne
rused a Circular Letter addressed to " Naval
Committees Of both Houses Of Congress-" &c.
which in the main is an admirable paper and con-