Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-31

rivers inaccessible TO ships OF larger
class.
The previous recommendation to re-
duce the number of officers in the grades
of captain. commander and lieutenant of
the navy Is renewed, at the same time that
the number of masters be increased to fif-
tv, and the grade of second lieutenant be
established 1t is also urged again that
the ranks of commodore and two rear adj
mirals be legalized, to be conferred on
surviving veterans who, more than third
of a century ago, illustrated our arms in
conflicts on the ocean 1t would be a
stimulant to others to emulate their exam
pies.
The establishment of retired list is
again pressed upon the attention of Con-
gress, as are also the disputed questions
of rank between the sea officers and civil
officers of the navy, and between the sey-
eral grades of officers ofthe army and navy.
The laws for the government of the ma
Wy, passed more than fifty years ago, have
been revised by board of officers, and
will be submitted for the action of Con-
gress. The great defect in the old laws
is the failure to provide any punishment
as to substitute for corporeal chastise-
ment, which has lately been abolished, to
the detriment of the service. A remedy
must be provided, or the consequences
will become serious. Nearly one hundred
trials of enlisted men, by courts martial,
have taken place since the passage of the
law in question. This law cannot be eff
fectually tried until Congress allprovide
some substitute. Whether this shall be
by the adoption of the system recommen-
ded by the board of officers above refer
red to, providing that courts martial may
be ordered by each officer in command Of
ship, and summarily held to determine
guilt, and then graduating punishments
as therein stated, as we'll as holding out
rewards, or by some other and more APP
proved method, is referred to the deter
mination of Congress.
The buildings at the Annapolis Naval
School are in progress of erection. and
the sloop- of-war Preble has been attached
to the academy as a practice ship for in
struction in practical seamanship. An
important change has been made in the
plan of education, SO as to require con-
tinued course of four years at the acade-
my, without going to sea, except that the
vacation of three months'in each year is
spent in a cruise in the practice ship, the
former course requiring two years at the
academy, three at sea, and then two more
at the academy. A class of fifty acting
midshipmen was admitted in October
last, and will constitute the first class to
which this new system will apply. 1t is
now believed that for all the purposes of
naval education the academy affords adj
vantages equal to those for military edu-
cation at West Point; and under the eff
cient command of the present superinten-
dent, Commodore Stribling, it is hoped
that these advantages will be fully realiz-
ed.
The expediency of appointing ten mid
shipmen to be made cat large" is again
urged,
The Naval Observatory and Hydro
graphical Office have been in active ope-
ration during the year A second vol
ume of Astronomical Observations has
been published. The wind and current
charts planned by lieutenant Maury, the
Superintendent of the Observatory, are
being extended to the Pacific and Indian
oceans. This work has materially short
ened the passage along the highways by
which our commerce passes into and
through the southern hemisphere, bring
ing the ports of those distant parts of the
world some ten days, and some several
weeks nearer to us than before. A letter
from the Superintendent of the Observa-
tory states the important fact that vcs-
sells sailing from the Atlantic to the Pa
citc ports of the United States, with the
instructions afforded by these charts,
make the voyage in forty days less, upon
an average, than those sailing without
them; and that there is reason to hope
that the time may be still further reduced.
The reports of st ellis, the Nautical
Almanack of Lit. Davis, and the expert
mcnts of Professors Page and Espy, are
referred to, as well as the success and
condition of our numerous mail steamers.
The sum required for the support of the
Navy and Marine corps for the year en-
ding June 80, 1858, is estimated at &c.
54O,69 O8, of which $2,684, 22O.89 is
for special objects. The sum estimated
for the Navy and Marine corps last year
was $5,9OO,621, and for special objects
$2,21O,98O. There is an excess, there
fore, in the present estimates of $473, 24o-
80, which is occasioned by the addition
of pay for increased service to the Pa
cifc Mail Steamship Company, directed
by the act of the last session of Congress,
the completion of the dry dock in Cali
fornia, and some additions under the head
of improvements in navy yards, buildings
and machinery.
The total expenditures of the Depart
ment during the year, have been SIS, o44-
597 II, of which So, 1897 81 was for
special objects.
The establishment of a Bakery in New
York, for the use of the Navy, is recon-
mended, as is also the repeal of the law