The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-28
TIL L r L PU BLIC.
Further Documents Accompanying Firth
Auditors Report on Lighthouses.
TREAsURY DEPARTMENT,

TREAsuRy DEPARTMENr.
FIFTH AUDiToR's OFFICE, January, lS47.
SIR: The Secretary of the Treasury having
thought proper, in June, ls45 to despatch two navy
officers, Licutenants Richard Bache and Thornton
A. jenkins, to Europe, t. obtain information upon
the subject of lighthouses, did, on the 5th of Au
gust last, communicate their report to the Senate
of the United States OF this report have only
lately obtained copy. Had these gentlemen con
fined their report to such information they had
received abroad although every essential part of It
was in my possession, and much o! II had been
communicated by me to Congress heretofore, !
should have taken notice of il; but, they have
made broad declaration "that our (ghts) are far
inferior to any and all during uisit 10
Europe" consider it due to myself as well as to
our lighthouse establishment, which have had in
charge for the last twenty six years, to show that
such an allegation is totally unfounded, by proof
that no candid man can Disregard Similar charges
have been nude from time to time, since 1887, by
men who had no interest in commerce navigation,
and in so imposing manner, in 1872 that the
House OF Represf Mat tiyes were induced to direct
the Committee OF Commerce to inquire into the
whole subject, and also 'tchether The lighthouse
fabishnsnt ought not to be placed under the charge Of
the Typographical B,Tedu,' and this seemed 10
be the chef object If the complainants The re-
port Of the Committee of Commerce, of the I'd
sion 9th Congress, No 81, ia before the country
In which they not only contrast our lights and the
expenses attending them, favoraby with those of
Europe, but are decidedly ayerse to transferring
the lighthouse establishment to the Typographical
Bureau. In this report that beat lights
arc seen as far as those of France or England; and
that the number of our small lights bears pro-
portion TO those in either of those countries. !. is
also seen by this report that the maintenance Of
our lights annually cost about one. third OF those
Of England, including repairs, and less than those
Of France, exclusive of their repairs; nd that, cut
OF appropriations for building about two hundred
lighthouses and light vessels, amounting in the
former, to s PAS ,70S: the sum of 1924 2l6 was
saved and carried to the surplus fund; and in the
latter, out OF an appropriation of 1859 600, S59, ,l2
were, IN like manner, carried TO the surplus fund.
might have rested for my justification in
able report, both it regards the efficiency of the
lights and the economy used in building and main
tanipg them; but, in order TO remove all doubt
upon the subject, If any existed, as TO the excel
lencc OF our lights directed the sevcral superin
tendents the Atlantic coest, from Maine 10 Lou
isiana TO open books ut their respect We custom
houses and invite all captains Of ships and other
vessels, when they called to enter their vessels, TO
enter in those books their several opinions to the
character OF the lights on our ooaet. This was
done. and report of tire same was laid before
the House of Repre- cen tatives in January, 1874,
lst session of he 2sih Congress, document No. G2.
II comprised the names OF nearly 900 captains of
ships and other vessels, many Of whom en-
gagged in foreign trade, and well acquainted with
the lights in Europe; and OF this number, it will be
that at least nine tenths bore testimony The
excellence of our lights | extract a few of their
observations, as well as those made by the Marine
Society, at Portland, Maine, showing that
lights were as good as those in Europe; that they
were sufficiently distinguished from each other;
and that it not desirable that any change
should be made in the manner Of Constructing and
lighting them.