The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-05

Department TO the Department of State.
The squadron in the East India and China
seas, lately under the command Of Commodore
GeisiDger, who returned home in the sloop st.
Marys in June last, was transferred to the COM
mand Of Commodore Voorhees,, and consists Of
the soop-Of-war Saratoga, Commander Walker,
and the sloop- of-war Marion, Commander Glendy
The sloop-of-war Plymouth, Commander Ged-
ncy, and the brig Dolphin, Lieutenant Com
mander Page, having been recently detached
from this service the expiration Of their cruise,
are now on their passage TO the United States.
| In the month of February last the commander
Of this squadron took on board of his flagship,
the soop-of-war Plymouth, at Macon, Mr. Bal
! lester, who had been appointed a comm rcia
agent of the United States, and carried him to
Cochn-China and other parts Of Eastern ASIA
with 4 view TO the extension of orr conlmercla
! relations among those distant and peculiar ha
! tons.
1t is Il source of high qualification that, where
ever our flag has been displayed by national
vessel, it has received the respect due to the ma
tional character and that our interests and com
mercc in every sea have been secure and pros.
porous under its protection.
Under the Joint resolution of Congress APP
proved May ,, 1850, authorizing the President
| to accept and attach to the navy two vessels Of
fered BY Henry Grinncll, esq, of New York, to
be sent to the Arctic in search of the British
commander, Sir John Franklin, and his com
panons," whose uncertain and melancholy stua-
ton has enlisted the sympathics of the friends
Of science aud nautical adventure throughout
the would, two brigantincs were received, and
by order of my predecessor were placed under
the command of Lieut. j. De Haven, who, with
Il sufficient crew of officers and men, noblv vol
unteerrd for that service. The command of one
Of SSnlS 70
man S. p. Griffin, Lieutenant De Haven com
handing the other in person, and having the d.
rcction Of the expedition. They sailed from
New York in the month Of May, and at the date
Of their last report to the Department had nd
vanced t. the 10th degree of north latitude, and
about the Goth degree Of West longitude gal
lantly contending with the icebergs of that re
gion, and AS vet not without hope Of success j!
their humane but perilous enterprise.
i In the active service aoat Of the officers 0
the navy, it is proper to enumeratc their labor
/ on the Coast Survey, work which, althoug
II committed to the direction of the Treasury De
10 partment, is, in the most important part Of it
l. field operations, essentially performed by then
J. During the last year, nine parties, eight in tn
Atlantic and one in the Pacific, each in charge O
e Il lieutenant in the navy, accompanied by com
il petent force of midsh pmen rs assistants, have
d been actively engaged in this survey. Whether
t in consideration of the main objects expected t
: be realized in the COM letion Of the work, anl
t the large agency in itH execution devolvcd OF
n the navy, it would not be more appropriate ant
= Just, as we'll rs economical, to assign it wholly
/, to this branch Of the scrvisc, is worthy Of til,
r attentive consideration Of the legislature.
) Having presented hasty review of the service
r of our various squadrons during the past year
: and designing to suggest some general co!iSi-
p derations upon the naval policy required by the
, present interests Of the country, deem it need
r full to full comprehension Of the subject, very
c briefly to review our present naval establish
= ment.
l The vessels of the navy Of the United States
: consist Of : ships the line l razee; ~ frigates
u sloop:- ot-war; 4 briggs; , scllooncrs :
} steam trigatcs: 3 steamers Of the lst class
: steamers less than lst class storc-ships.
OF these there are in commission, ! ruzee
frigates l5sloops of war; briggs 2 schoon
e ers, (coast snt~nyO steam frgates; steamer
= of the LIST class: 3 steamers less than lst class
Q ships-ot the line, as receiving ships; stcamc
do: ] slnop do.
e There are also on the stocks, and in progress
II of construction, but the work thereon now sus
i pended, four ships of the line and two lrirates
Il TO the foregoing may be added a contingcn
If naval force Of vessels owned by individuals, bu
d built by contracts with the Governments, III,
is employed in the transportation OF the mail, anc
| liable in any emergency to be taken at valuation
y and converted into vessels Of war. namely: F0ul
Il steamers Of the first class employed on the line
. between New York and Liverpool A fifth i.
p contracted for, but not yet constructed. On,
J. steamer Of the first class between New Iorl
f. and Panama. y second steamer on this linz
II has been brought into usc but has not beer
r. finished us to undergo inspection and be re-
II ceNed. The contract on this line, as on that t
H. Liverpool provides for five steamships.
TO supply the demands Of the service in th
4 constructions equipment, and repair Of vessel
o Of all descriptions, navy yards are established
: at Portsmouth, New Hampshire; :. Charles
g town. Massachusetts; 3. Brook vn, New York
Il /. Philadelphia 5. Washington; g. Norfolk; 7
J. Pensacola; s. Memphis.
/ Permanent stone docks have been many year.
since erected at the yards in Charestown anC
Norfolk, and Il third is nearly completed in that
ut Brooklyn. Floating balance docks, witt
stone basins and railways, are expected to be
completed for use at Portsmouth and Pensacola
in the course of the ensuing year, and Il floating
sectional dock also with stone basin and rail
way, at PhadeI phia within the same period
If these three docks shall realize the cApecta-
tons Of the Government, they, with the dry
dock at New York, will have augmented our
the next twelve months, and will have provided
all the accommodations Of that kind which may
be required on the waters of the Atlantic and
the Gulf of Mexico for many years to come
The navy yard at Washington carries on a
highly important mandatory of ordnance and
ordnance stores, Of anchors. chain cables, steam
engines, and other fabrics Of iron, and prepara-
tons are in progress to erect there machinery
for rolling copper, an establishment long wanted,
rs well on the score of economy as to furnish a
better quality Of rolled copper for sheathng YES
sells than can be Obtained in market. The yard
at Memphis is being Immediately prepared for
the manufacture of cordage and other supplies
of hempen material for naval uses, and its
operations may be enlarged with the necessities
of the service | have regretted to learn that
there has been some loss in the expenditure
there, i'll consequence Of the difficulty Of OBJ
tanning firm foundation for the buildings; and
it is in contemplation TO have a survey of the
r yard by board of engineers, constituted for
= that purpose, in accordance with the recon-
|, mcndation of the Chief of the Bureau of Yards
y and Docks, to provide against like casualties for