Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-12-07

Of great merit and intelligence: y 'A'ss'
LIST. To reduce the number of mdshipmen no :. n 6
sl ony Q many may be required to supply the higher
I'd. To educate number equally great as thai nov
and TO M an age In every grade upon the affair
men Of which, If vacancy exists for promotion thew
DO rered rom the navy 70 md employment In the merchant
service and supply reserve corps case Of war of the
most efficient character.
Whether either of these worthy of adoption. or anna
preferable cure may be devised for this mpeecon is sub
mitted for the delberaion Of Congress.
also most earnestly recommend that the service tsef
elevated BY recognising by Law the office of Commodore ana
cy the creation Of at least two officers Of the rank of Rear
Admiral This increase Of rank in the navy oen proposed
90 oy the highest consideration Of policy and duty Not %
speak OF s effect IN promoting discipline and effectiveness bv
an increased and concentrated responsibility ia the hehe
grades Of the service would add to the dignity Of our OH
GERS mol unfTequenty the representatives of their country n
direct intercourse with foreign Governments and ~ ,h
sect accorded 70 them by those of other nations in their in
tercourse Abroad and furnish and powerful incentive
excellence in the minds Of the merorous and aspiring Of
Oil tne Inferior ranks We have this time veterans 10 our
navy, with the commissions only Of captain and she tiles -
courtesy OF commodore because they have
rons who meet on the ocean, -admas and
mlra contemporaries in other services with whom n earlv
,e ney asscca'eo as coeutenants and who with
peor rank have often commands numerically inferior TO their
own nation which be classed among the great n.
val powers OF the world, and which, in the abundance Of ts
resources and its situation between the two greatest +
the very first place. should longer de-
lay the establishment of higher naval ranks and should look
70 and for the command of fleets az well az souadrons
in any exigency which may call for it,
Our navy 10 Its aggregate persons about equal to the
Inc commanders Of SOME Of its squadrons have actu
ally under their command than DIVISION the com
msnd OF major general and yet its highest commissioned
ofhcer captain ranks with colonel BY resolution of
the continental Congress in 776, providing navy for the
war OF the hevolaion the relative rak Of officers ia the land
and naval services established as folows viz an sdm
raj as generals vceadmira lieutenant-general rear
admiral as msorgeneral; commodore a. brigadier gem
Of ship Of 40 guns upwards colonel &C.
nus scheme relative rank prevails 10 the British service
at the present day. It is worthy of remark that ahou0b A
period since has there been less than one Of
the army OF the United Sates our naval officers though il
70 their proper commands they ae from the nature Of
tneh service much more frequently than those of the army
called to act for their country diplomatic intercourse with
distant nations whose acal states of society render rank
SO important consideration, have never been advanced be-
yond OF regiment No comparison can pos.
necessary Of defence, which have so harmop-
ous against the public enemies wherever oppor
tun mas permitted and good can be perceived
why the highest officer Of the service should not as
general rule now in 776, and here in Great Britain
be equal in rank to the highest officer Of the other Com
gess shall think to add the rank of lieutenant
to the army reward for the long service and brilliant sue
ces: OF veteran soldier, may be accompanied or followed
pleasure of the Legislature.
VI the two rearadmas proposed one might be most use
fuy employed at the Department. ITSELF when not on more
acve du IN such supervision and direction of the person.
mel OF the navy might be assigned him by the head of the
Department. in analogy to the connexon Of the Generan-
Chief and the Aduant General with the Department Of War
ne oer when not in command sea- should establish his
AZ San Francisco other point the Pacific coast
and should be invested with command all the naval Off
GERS and seamen west of the Rocky Mountains as well as the
naval in the Pacific and in the China and East India
reporting all his orders and the operations and proceed
under them to the Department. at stated and early periods
onfpu
by the most expeditions route too great for an ener-
geic system OF naval operations by of the ransmis-
on OF orders and dispatches and o even for the en-
orcement Of proper discipline under the existing law. In the
latter particular our squadron there is in less eligible stua
lion than before the acquisition of California. The
commander OF squadron foreign station is empowered
g order courtsmartia and approve and carry effect
her sentences but if be within the United States,
IAN only be ordered by the President the head Of the Depart
nent Thus military justice, which formerly Of easy
orcement where the squadron sufficiently
furnish the necessary officers to constitute court is depend
mt now orders from Washington and has become too
ardy IN It's administration for the ends Of the service This
nconvenence seriously felt and demands early remedy.
s however, but one Of many illustrations Of the necessity
stationng that officer rank larger
authority than any now existing in the navy.
The object in maintaining our naval force in the Pacific
md demanding that it shall be in the highest degree of eff
iency, is two-fold
lst To protect than one thousand miles in
ength. occupied by sparse population probably not ex-
eedng in the whole sOO 900 souls wo.thrds Of whom are
dependant on for the supply Of their
nay food and ramen and separated by mountains and
esers Of thousand miles in extent from other set
lemens
3D. To give adequate protection and to our
ountrymen engaged in the whale fisheries in in
ne South Pacific, and to that expanding commerce with
Eastern Asia which possessions the Pacific will enable
Is to command, with proper improvement Of lawful
Advantages naval policy adequate to these ends to
70 indlspensaby required 1t is fact perhaps not generally
that the longest voyage in the time necessary for its
Atlantic 70 our Pacific ports and hence will appear mani
esy expedient in cruises that ocean, fit naval
,edions from the Pacific coast, which shall return thher
ne end Of their tour vessel sent there from the Atlantic,
ccodng to the present arrangement to return at the end Of
hree years, loses year of the three in going and
urning. And from the marked difference in the navigation
the oceans If the design be to bring her home ret
he will need condition of repair to enable her weather
Cape Horn and the boisteous coast Of the Atlantic
which will qualify her for extended cruise in the Pacific
The extraordinary state of prices prevailing fobds the
dea Of building vessels or recruiting that coast.
ndeed the flag ship of the Commodore Of the Pacific SQUAD
was last advces, deficient by more than oneha in
complement Of men, without the ability recruit MORE
Icept at wages far above those allowed. It must
herefor be greatly to our interest," at least until change
a monetary affairs in California
ls To build ships and recruit sailors on the Atlantic
oast for the Pacific feet;
I'd. When sufficient number Of vessels shall be placed
that side Of the Continent TO retain them there for perma-
lent use and
3D. That when wanted to man them, after the
xPlraon of the term of those originally carried out enlist
hem in the Atlantic ports and send them out in Government
ransports on the ordinary line Of travel the Isthmus
Panama, as they transported from Atlantic
ort To anotf ar