Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-31

the commanders OF our sqnadrons the most con-
siderale regard for The commerce Of American
citizens and OF Deurals, and The sna Hest posi-
BILE interference with lawful trade compatible with
the successful maintenance OF our bcligeIeni
rights. This liberal course Of rolicy has been
carried cut by eli, ers, ard Justly appreciated by
neutral nations. In all its details The scale OF
duties prescribed and enforced 10y The officers as
night OF military occupation was lar below The
onerous duties levied by The Mpxicans. But there
was want of uniformity; ard, by your diIcc-
lion, in the month of March last, system was
disesled. and instructions given 10 conform TO ii
al the several ports or places held by cur land or
naval forces by military conquest.
Such notifications have been adopted as ex.
perience Of the practical working OF Inc system
suggested. The ehi is derived from the law OF
nations, as The result vi successful b liigeTtnt
operation, and Inc duty OF collection al places
heid by The navy has been performed by naval Of
hceEs without any allowance for The service. |
respectfully suggest thai the ac of 1912 be So far
relaxed as 10 allow 10 officers perormingthiS lnly
commission OF one per cent. on The amount col
Iec'eu, win pfoviso that in no case such COM
MISSION shall exceed sum which would afford a
reasonable compensation for the risk am, trouble
incident 10 the duty
The moneys collected have been applied. nm
der The direction Of the commanding officer to
The uses OF The squadron. No .elnrns have been
received from the Pacific. Those received from
the Gnl! OF Mexico show al amount OF between
thirty and forty thousand dollars collected bat
they DO not contain collections since caily in Sep
lember.
Vera Cruz and Tampco are the principal
ports, and The duties al lhoSs places are not COL
eclcd by naval officers. No doub. is entertained
thai considerable revenue will be collected at
The several ports OF Mexico in or possession,
which will reduce The expenses OF The war on The
treasury. But The great advantage resulting is,
that The admission 0! trade under moderate du-
lies will remove the temptation to smuggling, and
The import trade being compelled TO pass under
IN" inspection OF our officers, the enemy will be
deprived OF aid by the introduction oi articles
conlraba IND, and at The same time an active and
probable employment given 10 our own naviga-
Ting interest.
In The Cult Of Mexico, the squadron has cap
lnred number OF steamers aud 2un-boalS oil
light draush suitable far entering The rivers
along The coast which were valued and taken in
10 service by the commanding officer. with the AZ.
probation OF the department. Their valne was
subject 10 distribution as prize money. With ev.
cry disposition TO make prompt payment, especi
ally 10 the crews, who, in The vicissiindes Of II
sailors lie, may otherwise never receive ihei!
shares, did moi leel at liberty TO make payment
without adjudication and condemnation by prize
court. The rish OF a caplor is prima faeic good
bnl he cannot pass perfect title without SEN
tence OF court OF admiralty. II has been ar.
ranged ,ha, The question shall be submitted by Ii.
bel 10 the district court OF the United Slales in
Louisiana, and il is supposed that The court will
exercise jurisdiction without sending in the YES.
sells; which it is desirable 10 avoid as they are
useiully employed in the squadron. The yalua-
ton was made by disineresled American shin.
masters, is believed TO be reasonable, and will BE-
paid according 10 the provisions OF The prize ac',
whenever the vessels shall have been legally con-
Gemned.
In The Pacific, number OF vessels have also
been captured. IL would not have been compali.
bic with the efficiency OF The squadron 10 dr,ach
prize crews 10 bring Them to the u. States by the
long voyage around the Cape; and il was indis-
pensaO'e that the legality Of The capture should
be submitted 10 judicial investigation Al the re-
quest OF the commanding naval officer, prize.
court was Organized by The military officer cxer-
cising the functions OF civil government in Cali.
forpia Instructions h"".. L-- -:----, ..",-'r ,.O
case will the prize-monev be disrihu;t2 until the
proceedings Of Inc ccurl, showing The con Jenna.
lion and sale, shall have been transmitted and
passed in review by the department
The extension q, cur laws over the Oregon
Territory, and the establishment Of courts with
jurisdiction, would seem to lie highly
important Tor the settlement OF the delicate ana
difficult questions which often occxr in such cases
deem The subject Of sufficient importance TO
transmit, with This report, extracts OF dispatches
from This department TO The commanding officers
of The squadron in the Pacific, on The subjec, OF
the law Of blockade.
BY join, resolution Of Congress, approved On
the Sd OF March last, authority was given 10 The
Secretary Of the Navy ITO place al The disposal
OF Capt. George C. DeKay, Of New Jersey, The
United States ship Macedonian, fol- the purpose
of Transporting 10 The furnishing poor Of Ireland
and Scotland such contributions as may be made
for their relief; and 10 place al The dispose OF
Capt. Robert b. Forbes, OF Boston, The United
States sioop-ol-war jamestown, for The same pur-
pose" There was superadded an alternative au-
lhorily "to despatch said vessels on the service
as public ships il, in The opinion OF the
Secretary OF the Navy, the public interests would
be better subserved"
Tie two ships were placed al The diposal OF the
experienced navigatois named in the joint rcSo-
luton, respectively; and each having performed
It's mission OF charity, has been returned in sails
factory condition. The sublime spectacle las
been presented 10 tie world, Of our people, in Il
spirit OF Christian bcncvoleEce, relieving The su-
fernss OF subjects of mighty foreign power,
which the vast resources ui that great empire
could not aver; and Of our country, while en-
gagged in foreign war, furnishing from lis SUI
plus products The means Of feeding furnishing ma
tions abroad
was no, of opinion that the pnblic interests
wonid be better subserved b. sen.'ing the Mace
DOMAIN and the jamestown Oh the service required
as public ships. The department could not pro
cure The crews necessary for the public service in
giving protection to our commerce, and in The
prosecution OF The war; and ! may be permitted
to add, that while the voluntary offering Of the
people of the United States was received with
gratitude by The sufferers, and with heartfelt &C
acknowledgements of thanks by high lunc;ionafles
of the British government; while The relief SO
gracefully Offered and received has contributed 10
promote aleciionale feeling. and strcng. her The
bonds of friendship which bind The people oi the
two srea, countries together, without leaving any
paintul recollection such results could not have
been expected il the Government; of The United
States had undertaken thus 10 minister 10 the
wants of The subjecs Of Great Britain.
Under The direction uflhe Tin section oil The navy
.,.,.,,, :.,:.n 90, Of tho ~ Of March ,aei, ton
dollars have been paid, on his requisi-
lions, 10 Uriah Brown. On the I4h day If Oc-
lober, Mir. Brown informed The department that
he was prepared TO submit 10 inspection an ex.
pertinent OF the liquid fire OF his invention. a
board OF officers was ordered iu witness the cX-
pertinent, and have The honor TO transmit copy
OF their report, with communication from Mr..
Brown. No preparation has been made, Of which
am aware, to lest The practical utility OF the shot
proof Steam ship OF his invention. The appro-
priaion is exhausted in the experiment oil The
liquid fire; and have no such Information as 10
the principle on which he proposes 10 make shot
proof Steamship as 10 justify my forming an
opinion, or directing an experiment. |! is not
my opinion that the interest OF The United States
will be promoted by adopting the invention OF
liquid fire as means Of national defence.
have The honor to present herewith The re-
ports from the several bureaus OF Construction,
Equipment and Repairs; of Ordnance and Hy-
typography; OF Yards and Docks; OF Provisions
and Clothing; and of Medicine and Surgery;
with estimates in detail for The several branches
Of the naval service for the next fiscal year.-
They are based on the employment, pending the
war, of len thousand m'n as allowed by law,
and number Of vessels in commission requir-
ing their services. These reports present gra.
iiying exhibit of the condition OF The public
works and Of The public property subject 10 The