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

REPORT OF SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
| NAVY DEPARTMEHr, 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
Buus, which has been cruising the lakes above Niagara,
giving protection to commerce, and rendering assistance
TO our distressed merchantmen those inland been
employed in six different squadrons.
The home squadron, Commodore Parker commanding,
whose field Of operations extends from the Banks Of New
oundaid to the mouth Of the Amazon rver has comprised
the fgate Rartan Captain Page, the soopowar Albany,
Commander Randolph the sloop-of.war Germantown, Com
mander Lowndes the steamer ViIen Lieutenant Command
ing Smith, the steamer Waierwitch Lieut. Commanding
To,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 the vessels of this
squadron, together with the gste Congress and hs steamer
Saranac preventing violation of national obligations
in an 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 the lives
and liberation Of our misguided felowczens who had Joined
in that expedition and had been captured made known
to Congress in communication from the late President in
the month of June last The gae Rartan being required
for distant service withdrawn from this sauadron
IN the month Of May, and, after being re6ed dispatch
ed under the command of Captain Gaunt the South Pa
cic Ocean The steamers Waterwitch and Vixen stand
ing in need Of REPAIRS brought for that purpose the
navy yard at Washington, and expected be again
ready for The soop Germantown having been infected
with yellow fever during her cruise in the West Indies
taken early in the present autumn the port Of New York.
and being now thoroughly ceansed and reted preparing
TO join the squadron the coast Of Africa. The steamer
Saranac Capt. Tana has been lately added to this SQUAD
rom and bears the broad pennant Of Commodore Parker
The Pacific squadron continued under the command Of
Commodore 1. Ap G. Jones until the month of June last
when ne was relieved and succeeded by Commodore Nc
Cauley consists of the figa,e Savannah Captain Page
bearing the broad pennant Of the commander the squadron
the rgate Raran Captain Gaunt, the soops Vandalia
Commander Gardner, Vincennes. Commsnder Hudson
Falmouth, Commander Pearson, ST. Mary's, Commander
Masuder Warren (unseawor!hy and used storeship)
Lieut. Pickering, the Massachusetts, Lieut. Knox
and the storeship Supply Lieut. Kennedy. The soop Pre-
ble Commander Glynn, and the soreshp Fedonia Lieut.
Neville, are now their homeward voyage from this sta
tion, and the shp-ofhene Ohio, Commander striblng
returned thereom in April and placed in ordinary at
the navy yard in Charesown is intended that the fri
gate Raan and sloop st. Mary which have been recently
dispatched to this squadron together with third vessel to
be BY the commodore, shall cruise between Cape
Horn and Panama, and westward the ls0th degree Of
longitude, visiting the Marquesas and Friendly Islands and
making their depot of supplies Valparaiso while the resi-
due Of the squadron will be generally employed in that ocean
north Of the equator The advantage indeed the necessity
Of efficient feet in the Pacific for the protection of an
tended territory and sudden and wonderful commerce in
that hitherto unoccupied region of the world cannot be
too highly estimated, and will be again adverted to in the
sequel of this communication.
The squadron the coast Of Brazil, Commodore Nc.
keever commanding, Is composed Of the gate Congress
captain Mcintosh, bearing the broad pennant of the
dore, the sloop ST. Louis Commander Cooke the brig Balm
bridge, Lieut. Manning and the storeship Relief Lieut.
TotteD. The figate Brandywne Captain Boarman, the
Gag ship Of Commodore sorer who was recently relieved
from the command Of this station is expected to arrive
athe Of New York The cruise squadron extending
from the mouth of the river Amazon to Cape Horn and
slonay eastward to the coast Of Africa its attention has been
especially directed to the suppression, by legitimate ntepos
ton, Of the African slave trade, still carried consider
able extent between Brazil and the Of Africa the
protection Of our 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 COM
merce and amy with the Governments and people Of the
veral nations along the Of its cruising ground
The Mediterranean squadron, under the command Of Com
modore Morgan, consists Of his ship the Razee nde
Pendence Capt Jameson, the fgae Cumberland, Captain
Laumer, the steamer Mississippi Captain Long, and the
ssoeshp Lexington, Lieutenant Mitchell The course of
political events in Europe appearing require the
nuance OF The large force which had been assembled in that
sea- IN consequence Of the unsettled aspect of affairs the
date Of the last annual report from this Department the fri
gate St Lawrence Captain Paudng attached to this squad
rom was ordered to proceed to The Baltic on short cruise
and thence to return to the United Sates She arrived at
Sew OK IN the present month The fgae Constitution
Captain Conove also Of this squadron has been ordered
nome and may be expected daily Under orders from the
department Commodore Morgan, with his flagship Inde-
Penoence and the steamer Mississippi visited Lisbon in the
month OF June and received board our CharaS dAaes
on the occasion Of his retirement from that court and convey
ed him to Naples This squadron has been actively
IN visiting the various ports of the Mediterranean the Adr
ac and the Archipelago, and has maintained discipline
and efficiency highly commendable. ,l
The squadron on the Of Africa under the command
OF Commodore Gregory embraces his flagship the soop-o
gar Portsmouth, Commander Peck the seop-of.war John
Adams, Commander POWELL the sloop.of-war Dale Com
mander Pearson, the brig Porpose Lieutenant Iaper and
the brig Perry, Lieutenant Foote Orders were issued for the
return OF the soop-ofwar Yorktown Commander Marstop
lately attached to this squadron but before their recent she
was wrecked on coral reef the northern extremity Of the
Island Of Mayo, of the Cape de Verdes An the officers
and crew were saved and have been sent home in the oou
John Adams they arrived at Norfolk on the 9Th instant
the vessel total loss Under the vigilance and Of
the officers Of this force the slave traffic has been broken mn
on the west coast Of Africa hut still prevails on the south
coast in vessels bearing the flag Of United sa,es IN spe
OF the efforts OF cruisers, which have been from time 10
time dispatched from the squadron TO suppress il Within
the present month brig called the Chawor,b cantured a.
prize the latter coast by Lieut. Fooe in the brio Perry
for being concerned the slave trade has arrived n be por
Of Baltimore for trial. -
The amount stated for the year ending June 30 1851 IA
that OF the appropriations only which we're based unon ,u
posed increase of the army of fifteen hundred n soO
stead OF three thousand, 3oo0l provided by law II j,
believed therefore, that the expenditures m exceed The
appropriations though they will equal those Of the wear
cessary nervened after the the act June iss0
before the augmentation authorized by could be Elected