New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-31

Comusssstou for the Constrnehon Vi D"S.
ar. Wcbstcr--Peaceahic Surrender OF We
:. Cruz-Destruction Of the Castle of San
Juan.
From our own Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. Monday, March %.
An act passed Congress last session, and re-
ceived the sanction of the President, authorizing
the construction Of docks at the several navy yaros
of Pensacola, Philadelphia and Portsmouth, leaV
ing, most properly, to the direction oil tne oee,e
tary the selection OF the place upon wnicn 'oe
decks should be constructed. By the terms Oh sne
act. the building Of stone dock Is preciuded IL
NAV be that Congress had repented of the lavish
millions Il had voted previously TO docks Of ths'
kind
The Secretary, unwilling TO make his own judg-
meut the arbiter Of the merits ofthe VARIOUS places
of the Floating Docks submitted TO his Inspection
has determined upon the appointment OF Com
mission. by whose decision he intends to be
guided. This Commission is to be composed of five
persons Of whom two will be Commodores in the
NAVY. two Engineers and one Naval Constructor
All eminent in their several professions. IL WIN
meet at this city, and there U'il be suoni''eo '0r
i,s examination and Differentiation oil the various
Information that can bear directly or remotely upon
the subject-mstter.
Tho souropnste Bureau in the Navy Depart
yoant is. and for some time has been, engaged III
tho collection ard arrangement OF such lniorma'
,,oo the depth of water ct the several yards, the
mechanism Of the docks and their several capaci-
,;o.the time required for their complete consIuc'
tion. with various other matter eucldatiTe OF the
purpose proposed will be early ready Tor the Com
mission: 20 that when II assemblies II can GeVote
/ --ltS a,
nared to its hands. The Commission Will be lnsLl'
| tuted the moment the great mass oil iscts 10 OIL
gested and properly arranged.
For thus submitting the whole subject to a COM
petent Commission, the Secretary OF the Navy IS
entitled to much appreciation. He has done So ho'
TO avoid responsibility he was afraid to encoun-
ter but to obtain from professional men an opinion
upon subject completely within their JURISDICTION
| He has done so, against interested attempts 70
prevent the institution OF such Commission preVi'
| ously 10 the passage OF the act and since an
matter of great public Government he has deemeu
/ IL exoedient 10 advise with sknl and experienced
men, whose service is the public interest: their
decision he will adopt and on which side soeYer IL
/ turns he will be sustained by that public senu'
ment which he has thus sought to express.
J Mr. Webster will not be able to visit his friends
at the North, till after his return from his Southern
tour He will leave Washington directly Tor tne
| Soutb the precise period Of his departure hence
| il uncertain The subject, which has cansed his
detention here, has been protracted far beyond MS
| expectations, and is yet uncompleted. In week
! however Mr. Webster expects 10 be able to COM
| mepce his Journey he will go first to Richmond
thence to Charleston and keeping the sea board,
| arrive at New Orleans early in May. BY the mid
die ofthat month he proposes 10 be IN CINCINNATI,
which place he will reachby the Mississippi River
| The Richmond Enquirer of Saturday last con-
| tains most strocious calumny upon MIR. w ebster.
1 II sscribes 10 him language in relation 70 Mr ma
| olson, which he never used-sentiments "Dlch ne
| never entertained. Neither the words nor the
| opinions are Mr.. Websters; the whole fabrication
| "a most clunsily designed To say nothing oil the
absolute falsehood of the sentiments OF the para
! graph no one, acquainted with Mr.. Webiters pup
lie speeches private conversation could Tor mo-
! ment suppose he had used the language therein
| ascribed to him If had the paragraph by me L
would insert il entire to show how recklessy party
ralienity perpetrates the grOssest falsehoods: or
how easily party prejudice suffers Itself to be
| duped 80, ,
The paragraph alluded to. as Published in the
Enquirer, purports to be extracted from an "ex'
change paper" But is it not somewhat singular
that the Editor Of the Richmond Enquirer,-who is
a respectable gentleman,-shouldb be so ready to
give circulation to such miserable SANDER, if he
knew it to be such And If he did not Is 1t not al
most as singular, that he should be SO ignorant
educated politician as he is,-of the style and Ian
guage of of the greatest orators OF the country
whose speeches are in almost every library, public
or private, the country throughout 1t is not i'm.
probable that Mr. Webster refutes this wholly
gratuitous and groundess attack himself
1t is rumored here that Mr.. Secretary Buchan-
an has received dispatch from our Consul at ha-
vana TO the effect that the City OF Vera Cruz has
been evacuated by the Mexicans, and taken by our
forces under Major General Scott If this be true
you will have received the news in NewYork be
fore this time 1t is also reported that the Castle
of San Juan dUlloa has been blown up, bat whether
by the Mexicans or Americans is yet painful mys-
terry There may be farther intelligence by the
Southern mail. The news received-such asi is
provokes a session of the Cabinet.
Among the distinguished strangers now here,
are 1hos w. Newton. the popular member from
Arkansas, and Geo. NJ. Keim, formerly Represen-
tative in Congress from Pennsylvania, and at pre-
sent Marshal OF the Eastern District Of that State