Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-10


TO the difhcnlties of defending our own Terri.
4 tory. as above mentioned, are superaddet, in
defending that Of Mexico those that arise from
ITS rennteness; from the fact that we have No
right 10 station our troops within her limits and
tnat there Is no military force on the Mexican
side So long as this shall continue 10 be the
case, the number and activity Of her troops W I'M
rather increase than diminish the evil as the
INDIANS VIII naturally turn towards that conn.
lry Where they encounter the least resistance
! et these troops are necessary to subdue them
and compel them to make and observe treaties
untll ,nis shai' nave been done, neither coun
try VIII enjoy any security from their attacks
Inc Indians in California who had preyi,us.
~ appeared of a peaceable character. and ds.
posed to cultivate the friendship of the wb;tes
have recently committed several acts az host;I''
ity. AS large portion of the reinforcement.
sent {" the Mexican frontier were drawn from
the Pacific, the military force now stot;onoJ
there, is entirely inadequate to its defense r.
cannot be increased, however. without nm =,
crease Of the army and again recommend that
measure as indispensable to the protection If
J the frontier ro" Vi
invite your attention to The suggestion nm
ms SUBJECT and on Others connected with his
department, in the report of the Secretarv nf
War. The appropriations for t he support 81 ,ha
Army during the current fiscal wear ENDING ,ho
3Uth OF Juue next, were reduced far below ~,
estimates submitted by the depar,mep TIL
| consequence of thi. reduction is cons;der.hi,
deficiency, 10 which invite your early ,,.an
ton The expenditures Of tina, department for
the year ending the 30th of June last we've
S9,O62,6 The estimates for the wear com.
mencing the lst Of July next, and ending June
3Oth 1852, are 81 ,e9S, IT'S 50, showing a reduc-
ton of 81 1923 81
The Board of Commissioners, to whom the
management Of the affairs Of the Military Asy-
lum, created by the act of March Sd last wSs
| entrusted sol tod f,,r IL
ment OF an asylum in the vicinity of this city,
which has been approved by me, subject to the
production OF satisfactory title
| ne report OF the Secretary of the NAVY will
EXHIBIT the condition of the public service un-
ger the supervision OF that department Our
naval forces afioat during the present year, has
been actively and usefully employed, in giving
protection to our widely extended and increa
| sing commerce and interests i'm the yar;ous
quarters of the globe; and our flag has every
where afforded a security, and received the re-.
spect, inspired by the justice and liberality of
our intercourse, and the dignity and power Of
| the nation.
The expedition commanded by Lieut. De Ha.
ven, dispatched in search of the Britt Ii com
| mander, Sir John franklin, and his compun
| ions, on the Arctic seas. returned to New York
| IN the month of October, after having under-
gone great peril and suffering, from an un-
known and dangerous navigation and the re-
| u,
isiactory information of the object Of their
| search, but with new contributions to science
and navi CATION. The officers and men of the,
expedition having been all volunteers in The
| service. and having socpnducted it as too meet
the entire appreciation of the Government. it is
suggested as an act OF grace and generosity,
| that the same allowances and emolumcnts be
| extended to them that was made to the officers
and men OF like rating, in the late exploring
| expedition to the South Seas. / earnestly re.
| commend to you the necessity Of reoreanizinp
the naval establishment, apportioning and fix
ing the number of officers in each grade provi-
| ding some mode of promotion to the higher
grades in the navy, having reference to merit
and capacity, rather than seniority or date of
| entry in the service: and for retiring from the
! effective list, upon reduced pay those who NAV
be incompetent TO the performance of active
| duty. As measure OF economy As well as Of
| efficiency in this arm of the service, the pro-
vision last mentioned, is eminently worthy of
| your considerations
The determination of thequestion Of relative
rank between the sea officers and civil officers
Of the navy, and between officers of the army
and navy, in the various grades of each, will
also merit your attention. The failure to pro-
vide any subtitutc. when corporel punishment
| was abolished, for offenses in the navy, has
| oceasioned the converting of numerous courts
| martial upon the arrival of vessels in port and
is believed to have had an injurious effect upon
the discipline and efficiency Of the service To
moderate punishment from grade to anoth-
| err is among the humane reforms cf govern
meht; to abolish one of severity, which appll-
| ed so generally to offences shpboard and
| provide nothing in its stead is to suppose n
| progress of Improvement i'll every individual
| among seamen, which Is not assumed by the
legis allure in respect to any other class of men.
| 1t is hoped that Congress, in the ample oppor-
! tunity afforded by the present session, will
| thOrpiirhIy
and establish such modes of determining guilt
| and such gradations of punishment as are con-
sistant with humanity, and the personal rights
of individuals, and at the same time shall in
sure the most energetic and efficient perfor-
nance of duty, and the suppression of crimes
on our ships of war.
The stone dock in the navy yard at New
York, which was ten years in process of con-
| struction, has been far finished a. to DC sur
| rendered up To the authorities of the yard -
| The dry dock ut Phi adelphia, is reported as
completed, and is expected soon to be es ed,
and delivered over to the agents of the govern
ment. That at Portsmouth, New hampshire,
is also nearly ready for delivery and a contract
has been concluded, agreeably to the act of
| Congress at its last session. for floating Sec
tional dock in the bay of San Francisco
invite your attention to the recommended
ton of the department, touching the establish
mcnt of navy yard in conjunction with this
cessary to the convenience of our fleets in that
ocean, which must be expected to increase with
| the growth of Commerce and the repaid extern
sion of our whale fisheries, in its waters.
The Navel Academy at Annapolis, under a
revised and improved system of regulations,
now afford opportunities of education and in
struction to the pupils quite equal, it Is beicv-
ed, for professional improvement, to those en-
Joyed by the Cadets in the Military Academy.
A large class of midshipmen was received at
the commencement of the last academical term,
and the practice-ship has been attached to the
institution. to afford the amplest means for
regular instruction in seamanship, as well for
4 cruises, curing the vocation, of three or four
months in the year. The advantage Of science
in nautical affairs have rarely been more strk-
lngly illustrated than in the facts stated in the
~report of the Navy department, that by means
/ of the wind and current charts projected and
proposed by Lieut.. MAuRY, the superintendent
| Of the naAal observatory, the passage of the
Atlantic and Pacific ports of our country has
been shortened by about forty days
The estimate for the support of the Navy and
Marine corps, the ensuing fiscal year, will be
found to be 5,S56,472 l9-the estimates for
the current year being S5,9O0,62l The esti
mates for special objects under the control Of
| this department amount to S2,6S4 ,220 ~,
| against S2,2l0,9 $50 for the last year-the in
crease being for additional mail service on the
| Pacific Coast, and the construction of the dock
| in California, authorized by the last session of
| Congress, and some slight additions under the
head Of improvements and repairs in Navy
| Yard buildings and machinery.
| deem it of much importance to good eco