Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-12-28
From tie Plata. North American
Report of ilse Secretary Of the Navy.

Cor our crowded columns, we give the following
draft Of lis contents -
During the past year. the ST. Lawrence, irigate
Of the first class, and the Vermont. a ship OF The
line, have been launched. The shores as we'll as
the lower timbers of the ffgate, found on ex-
! animation to be so decayed by the long time she
had been on the stocks, that her security would
have required repairs at large cost, and it was
! deemed economical to launch her. She has been
in commission, and is splendid addition to The
! Navy The old ship-house in the Boston yard
which covered the VermoIk. stood so near to tie
boundary line of the public grounds, that the ex-
Iperienced officers in charge ofthe bureau ofcon-
stfuction, and in command Of the yard, concurred
inhe opinion ocfiially communicated that the ship
exposed to danger of destruction by fire from the
contiguous private buildings. was satisfied that
if the ship house had taken fire the ship could not
have been saved.
The admirable stone docks near it would have
been destroyed, and pablo property Of the value
Of several millions of dollars would probably have
shared the same fate, and therefore directed that
jury, until the wants of the service would require
her 10 be fitted for sea. This has been done, and
the ship house has been taken down and the ma
terals used for other purposes.
The construction of the four steamships o. war
authorized by the Act of Congress of Sd March
1917, is in satisfactory state of progress. The
Saranac, built at the navy yard at K,tery, has been
launched. The Powhattan, at Norfolk, The Sus-
quehannah. at Philadelphia, the San Jacnto at
New York, may be launched and ready for sea
in the course of the next year.
There are unfinished on the stocks, at tile sew
eral Navy Yards, four ships of the rate of71 guns,
and two frigates Of the rate of Al guns. They
sidered judicious or consistent with the interest of
the service TO launch them. They are so near CON-
petion that they can be readily launched and fitted
for sea service on the shortest notice. if public ex
igencies shall require.
The report then proceeds to give deailed state
ment OF the vessels in commission during the past
year, the services in which they were employed,
and the various changes in the commands Of the
navy during the late Mexican war are reviewed,
and deservedly compmented The report says
that through The efficiency Of the navy not a sin-
gle American vessels has been lost to her owners
during the late war
The Secretary says, that the respect felt for
our flag, and the fear of our navy, has alone re-
strained foreign nations from the temptation to
commit depredations by means Of prirateers. 10
comparing the smallness of our navy with the ex-
tent of our commerce and sea coast the Secreta-
ry does not recommend an increase, but thinks
that it should be made capable ofgreat expansion
in cases Of necessity. To effect this, there should
always be greater number of officers than are
always be on hand when wanted. lie recon-
mends that officers rendered unfit for duty other
wise than by wounds received in battle, or not
qualified for promotion to higher grades, should be
placed on reduced pay out OF the line of promotion.
He dwells with peculiar stress on the efficiency
and necessity of naval schools. and strongly rec
ommends an appropriation for that porpose lie
also recommends tha, the trophies won by our nav
al heroes and now in the department at Washing
ton, be placed in the naval schools to excite the
scholars to emulation.
The construction of the DRY docks a: Phiadel
phia, Pensacola and Kittery is treated of next
The prices stipulated to be paid for the works
complete at Pensacola 1921 ,937; at Phla-
delpha S8l3,742 ). and at Kttery S732, ,905-total
s., ,4s8, ,5s4.
By the Acts of March 3, 1917, and August 8,
TS4s, S75O,Ooo were appropriated for the objects,
and an estimate is submitted for S650,000 for the
next fiscal year, In the contracts for such costly
work, and especially as the appropriations made
were known to be insufficient to meet the whole
cost, it was deemed proper to provide for partial
as the works progressed, with such Sc
curities to indemnify the Government in the event
of failure to comply on the part of the contractors,
as it was thought reasonable to require.
The Naval Observatory and the valuable result
OF the labors of Lieut.. Maury, and his assistants,
are alluded to in strong terms Of commentator.
Estimates are submitted with view to the pub.
lication Of charts and nautical almanac
Under the several contracts made with this de-
partment, for the transportation Of the mails in
steam ships, convertible into war steamers, the
party interested have made great progress in the
construction of their vessels as also in their ma.
chinery.
The connected lines in all their parts will, it is
expected, be in successful operation early in the
ensueing spring, and regular communication es.
tablished between New York and Oregon