The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-01-08

544,426 Sc; expenditures, S5,37l, 5t4 so. Ar
preparations for the year ending June 80, l847,
$6,4S4,349 go; available aggregate, $780,
1888 48 expenditures, $6,435,4l6 So.
Sand Of the expenditure for increases and
repairs during the past year, $345,l75 have
been paid for fifteen vessels, store-ships, and
steamers, OF suitable draft of water, purchas-
ed and sent to the Gulf of Mexico"
The four war steamer authorized by the act
Of March Sd, l847, are rapidly building The
models, tonnage, and machinery were adopted
on the report Of a mixed board of naval off
GERS, constructors and engineers.
The contracts for the transportation Of the
mail in steamers between New York and Liv-
erpool, between New York and New Orleans,
from Havana to Chagres, have been made with
Messrs. Collins and SIoo, in compliance with
the act Of Congress. The carriage Of the
mail monthly from Panama to Oregon has been
assigned to the lowest bidder.
The Secretary says: '#a35h
"Astoria, in the Oregon territory, was deter
mined on as the northern terminus Of The route,
with a right Of changing IT reserved to tn De.
lpartment, and the law was construed to re-
quirc a mail 10 be transported from one point
to the other within 80 days. The distance is
more than 5000 miles, and the currents Known
10 be such as to render it improcticable to err
form the required service il sail vessels, II
was, thereiore, determined to employ steamers.
The gteat distance at which the service is to
be performed, the heavy expenses which must
be incurred by the contractors in providing, on
the Pacific coast, the necessary ships and ma
@terlals Tor repair, the Indispensable tuel and de.
pots tor coal, induced me 10 adopt the term Of
9 ten years as the duration Of this contract
: which has been adopted BY the Post Office De.
partment, for its foreign mail contracts. Blu
10 guard myself against The, reproach Of ex.
ceeding the authorit which it was the inten'
: ton Of Congress to confer, a clause is inserted
9 iD thecontract, reserving to Congress the RICH
9 to annul the contracts at its approaching SEES
y sion, if il shall be deemed proper or expedien
9 to do so. 'o .aE,. r,,s N.
u "The contracts require the,vessels TO be rea
4 dy for use in October and November of th'
: year I84S, and the night Of pay will commence
with the commencement Of TIT performance
d Of the mail services stipulated. The annua
compensation under the contract will be:
10 f. r. Collins, aa a4st tss| S385,0O'
q To'AsG Slon, ID 5sf mr. 10000
To Arnold f>iartis, Il 10000
, 81 regard them as favorable contracts, an
= The establishment Of a regular and speedy in
tercourse byamail between the Atlantic elite
and Oregon as Of the highest national import
) ance. -am ,ar-r -#fv tr es tTa
II have cordially co-operated in the establish
ment Of the several lines of steamers stipuIat
ed by these contracts Thirteen new vessel
will be constructed in the most skillful man
ner, which may be used as war steamers, an
T. will be available Tor national purposes in an
emergency" @ I1rdaey9g'a lo Gjue93.
: The Secretary asks Congress to make an aF
preparation for these contracts, and to approx
or annul the term for which they have bee
made.
At the naval school 90 midshipmen are in a
ne tendance; the school is doing well and is a
excellent thing. An increase Of the nunbt
Of midshipmen in the navy to 400 is recon
MS mended, making two for each Representativ
" in the House.
~ The full number Of marines authorized b