The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-01-08
CHARLOTTE. N. C.JANUARY s. 1851.

( ano S'o'eshIps.
vi these there are IN Commission, | razee
fi'gs,es; ID sloop- of.sar; 4 brig.
.chooucts; (coasi surrey J rs eam frIga,es
steamer of The lst class 5 steamers les
'hao lst class; 3 sh,Ps.CE thr.i line, as rece,v
'oe sbips, sesmer do and l sIoop do.
There are also on the stocks and ia PIC
g'ess Of construction 4 sbips Of The line and .
figates.
10 the foregoing may be added as q con
t'oeens naval force, the various mail s,es ne =,
which are liable 10 On emergency TO be con
sefied INTO vessels Of var, VIZ: 5 steamers Of
the lN class, already cons,fuc ed | COO
suucted but not YET rece we'd I; and 4 coutfsc.
ted tof, but not Yet constructed.
Permanent stone ducks have been many
yrs's since erected a, tho ysfds in Cha,lss
town aud Norfolk, AID third is nearly con.
pls'ed IN thsta Bn okiyn. Fioa,n, balance
docks, With stone bs,ins and railway. are ex.
Psc'ed TO be completed for u.e al Porismou b
and Pensacola N the course Of tho eusu q.
year, and Il 'ai,nR sectional dock, also with
s'cne BASIN and railway, q, Puiiadeiph,o
within The same period. Proposals have heen
invited ior The construction OF sectional or
floating dry dock. BASIN. and railway on the
coast o. the Psc,hc.
The personnel VI the navy comprises 6s
captains, 81 commanders, 1928 Iieu'ensn,s, Gs
surgeons, 81 passed assistant surgeons, 43 as.
s'stani surgeons, "a pursers. "a cbaplain-, IL
pr. fessors OF Wathe natics, IL masters IN the
line OF Prom"tions, snt 46i passed and other
mIdsh pmen; 10 which 10 TO be added, be.,d,s
other ~arran. officers, according to the annual
appropriation, for pay and subsis ence : 500
petty officers, seamen, ordinary sesmen, lsuds
mrn nnd boys,
Tho capacity Of the country to enlarge
this force Whenever dssirsble may be read.
ly PERCEIVED by stating that we have nov IL
tho ueicanue marine, 3 900 900 uf l. ns OF
shipping, an amount greater than that OF any
other na ion Of the world /; and according to
the ord,uary es innate OF sir men TO every one
hundIed tons. there are IN our marc hant ser
vice ls0. 900 .esDen.
Al obvious fault Of the preseu, o, gan .rion
Of the psfsonnel Of tho navy. as sbove sei
forth, is the dypsrty b,t~e.n the head and
the sub ,fdins,s parts. Il - believed that the
list Of supe'numefsry officers. st least 10 /
the three higher grades, IS greater than is |
demanded for an effective naval rs'abl,, hment. !
II 10, therefore, rrcomne nded that the nun. |
be- be reduced to 60 captains, 50 CO nmsnd.
IRE, 300 lIeu,en,n,s, with corresponding mod.
Sea lions IN the inferior grades. The .lz of,he
navy being thus determined, It 10 Further rt.
commended ,hl:, fon time 10 tine, a.
fii;ers may decline IN capacity FOR useful
tke, h. fro nths
list on Term, bIih jusl aud liberal.
The Secretary proposes ths, in al ioturr .
promotions to csyscity or TO a hIg her tsnk,
4 -uch sh all he established, seniority snail, not
be regarded, END meu shall he esteemed the /
only crIterpu Of selection. This ~l'l appetr
10 be more enaently just and proper, nee,
under the present system, no bt~vet rank IS
professional superiority.
Another t~ct In the present establish. !
nent is the d,sparry beta,en tho ages ul
.ub .I,ern filters aud their grades, proc, ed. |,
l0g from ,be ived nuu befs 10 each rank and
the failure 20 provide for any promotion. ex.
cep, IN cases OF vacancy. The senior passed
midshipmen now IN the service. are Older Than
we're Perry, Decatur ard McDonough when
they achieved ihcir victories.
10 remedy this defect two methods have
be-a .everal'y suggested by offi:ers OF great
meri. and inteirgence
l,t. To reduce the number Of nid,hipmen,
so as 10 furnish only 90 many az may be r..
qufed to supply the higher grades as vacao.
cles NAY occur.
~ IA ,taS ttaEi
now established, and 10 fix an age in every
grade, upun the attainment Of which, It no
vacancy exist for promotion, they may DO re
tired from the navy to employm 10 the
merchant service, and supply a reserve corps,
IN case OF "ar, OF the most fIicIen, character.
This whole suhjac, i. submitted for the de
liberation Of Congress.
Another recommendation Of Tho Secretary
10, tha, the office Of commodore, "a title now
gwen merely by courtesy to oilice,s ~ao have
commanded .quadrous, be recognised by as,
and that at lesst i~o officers be created o! the
rank Of rear admiral Th,sn considered i'm.
poftab, IN order to place he hig hes, 9th ers oI
our navy en an equrllty with those OF other
uaions hon they are accustomed 10 meet on
10 put them On eqIsl,iy, AZ to rank, with
the higher officers OF the army. BY the es
iahllshed rule Of relative rank, a captain, the
highes. officer IN our navy, rank, ouy with
colonel. No good reason can be perceived
Why the highest officer Of one service should
no, be equal 10 rank with the highes, officer
Of tho other. A rear admiral 10 the correls
live rank to major general. If Congress
shall hereafter add the rank Of lieutenant gen.
era to the army, il may be accompanied by
It's correlatve Of wee admiral in the navy.
OF the two rear admirals proposed. ons
might be mos, useiully employ ed a, the De.
psrt,nent Itself, when not on moro active du.
,y, IN connexion similar TO that Of the Gen
eral.in chief and the Adjuinnt General with
the npn,rtmn1t nf War Tha othar Ahen