Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-12-07
REPORT OF SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.

REPORT OF SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
NAVY DEPARTMEsr, NOVEMBER 80, 1850.
Sin In anticipation Of the session Of Congre respect
fully submit the annual report Of this department of the public
service.
The vessels in commission during the past year, exclusive
Of the steamer Michigan under the command of Commodore
Bulus, which has been cruising the lakes above Niagara
giving protection to commerce. and rendering assistance
to distressed merchantmen on those inland seas have been
employed in six different squadrons.
The home squadron, Commodore Parker commanding,
whose field Of operations extends from the Banks Of New
foundad to the mouth Of the Amazon river has comprised
the gate Rartan, Captain Page, the soopowa Albany
Commander Randolph, the sloop-ofwar Germantown Com
mander Lowndes the Vxen Lieutenant Command
ing Smith, the steamer Waterwtch, Lieut.. Commanding
Tot.en, and the schooner Fr, Lieut. Commanding Turner
and has been chiefly occupied in the West Indies and the
Gulf of Mexico The valuable services Of the vessels of this
squadron, together with the gs,e Congress and he steamer
Saanac IN preventing violation of national obligations
in attempted invasion of the Island Of Cuba from the Uni
ted States and the mission Of Commodore Morris inter
cede with the Spanish authorities Of that island for the lives
and liberation Of misguided fellow who had joined
in that expedition and had been captured made known
to Congress in communication from the late President
the month Of June last The gate Ratan being required
for distant service withdrawn from this squadron
in the month Of May and after being re6ed was dispatch
ed, under the command Of Captain Gaun the South Pa
cifc Ocean The steamers Waerwitch and Vixen stand
ing in need Of REPAIRS brought for that purpose
yard at ashngon and expected be again
ready for sea- The soop Germantown having been infected
with yellow fever during her cruise in the West Indies was
taken early in the present the port Of New York.
And being now thoroughly ceansed and retted preparing
TO join the squadron the Of Africa The steamer
Sarana Capt. Tana has been lately added this squad
rom and bears the broad pennan of Commodore Parker
The Pacific squadron continued under the command Of
Commodore I. Ap G. Jones until the month Of June last
when he was relieved and succeeded by Commodore Nc
Cauey II consists Of the fgate Savannah Captain Page,
bearing the broad pennant Of the commander the squadron
the rigate Raran Captain Gaunt, the soops vandals
Commander Gardner, Vincennes. Commander Hudson,
Falmouth, Commander Pearson, ST. Mary's, Commander
Maguder Warren, unseaworhy and used as storeship)
Lieut. Pickering, the steamer Massachusetts, Lieut. Knox
and the storeship Supply Lieut. Kennedy. The soop Pre-
Bile, Commander Gynn, and the soreshp Fedonia Lieut.
Neville, are now their homeward voyage from this sta
tion, and the shp-ofhene Ohio Commander Stribling
returned thereom in April and placed in ordinary at
the navy yard in Charestown It is intended that the fri
gate Raan and sloop St. Mary which have been receny
dispatched to this squadron together with third vessel to
designated BY the commodore shall cruise between Cape
Horn and Panama, and westward to the ls0th degree Of
longitude, visiting the Marquesas and Friendly Islands, and
making their depot of supplies Valparaiso while the resi-
due Of the squadon will be generally employed In that ocean
north Of the equator The advantage indeed the necessity
OF an efficient feet in the Pacific for the protection Of an ex
Q
that hitherto unoccupied region of the world cannot be
too highly estimated, and will be sgan adverted to in the
sequel of this communication.
The squadron on the coast Of Brazil, Commodore Nc.
keever commanding, composed Of the gate Congress
Captain Mcintosh, bearing the broad pennant Of the commo
dore the soop st. Louis Commander Cooke the brig Balm
bridge, Lieut. Manning, and the soreship Relief Lieut.
Totten The frigate Brandywine, Captain Boarman the
Tag ship OF Commodore Store, who recently relieved
from the command Of this station is expected arrive
ahe New York The cruise this squadron extending
from the mouth Of the river Amazon to Cape Horn and occa
siena eastward to the Of Africa its attention has been
especially directed to the suppression BY legitimate ntepo
ton, Of the African slave trade still carried on TO consider
able extent between Brazil and the coast Of Africa to the
protection Of neutral rights in the state of hostility lately
existing between the Argentine Republic and the Banda ORR
entail OF Uruguay and the cultivation Of relations Of
merce and amy with the Governments and people Of the Sc
vera nations along the coast of its cruising ground.
The Mediterranean squadron, under the command Of Com
modoe Morgan consists of bis flag ship the Razee Inde-
Pendence Capt JAMESON, the fsate Cumberland Captain
Laume ine steamer Mississippi Captain Long, and the
HoresniP Lexington, Lieutenant Mitchell The course Of
political events in Europe appearing require the
nusnce Of the large force which had been assembled in that
sea, in consequence Of the unsettled aspect Of affairs at the
date OF the last annual report from this Department the fri
gate St. Lawrence, Captain Paudng, attached this squad
rom was ordered to proceed to the Baltic on short cruise
and thence to return to the Unied S,ates She arrived at
New York in the present MONTH The frigate Constitution
Captain Conover also Of this squadron has been ordered
oA'e, may oo cAPcCteu CnQer orders rom the
Department, Commodore Morgan with his flagship Inde-
Pendence and the steamer Mississippi visited Lisbon in the
month of June and received board our Charge Aares
on the occasion Of his retirement from that court and
ed him Naples This squadron has been actively
IN visiting the various ports Of the Mediterranean the Ad-
attic and the Archipelago and has man,ained discipline
and efficiency highly commendabe
The squadron the Of Africa under the command
Of Commodore Gregory, embraces bis Hagshp the sloop-o
Var Portsmouth, Commander Peck the sIeopofwar John
Adams Commander Powell, the soopof-w war Dale Com
mander Pearson, the brig Porpose Lieutenant srdner and
the brig Perry, Lieutenant Fooe Orders were issued for the
return of the sloop-ofwar Yorktown Commander Marsop
lately attached to this squadron but before their recent she
was wrecked coral reef the northern extremity OF the
Island of Mayo, Of the Cape de Verdes AN the officers
and crew were sve and have been home in the soop
John Adams they arrived at Norfolk on the 9th instant
the vessel total loss Under the vigilance and energy Of
the officers Of this force the slave traffic has been byken nm
the Of Africa, hut il still prevails ON the sor,b
coast in vessels bearing the flag Of The United States in mite
Of the efforts Of cruisers which have been from Tina 10
time dispatched from the squadron TO suppress il Within
the present month brig called the Chatsworb capured
prize the latter by Lieut. Foote in the bro perry
for being concerned in the slave trade has arrived m be no
of Baltimore for trial. -"
The amount stated for the year ending June 30 1881 1.
that OF the appropriations only which were unon
posed Increase Of the army OF fifteen hundred 5oOI men in
stead Of three thousand sooo provided by law II i,
believed, therefore, that the expenditure, .f erce.d he
appropriations though they will not equal tbose az the
ending June 80 1852 consequence Of the deay which
ceary nteryened after the passage the act OF June Iss0
before the augmentation authorized by it could be elected