Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-11

necessary to regular course Of
The obvious nsufciency Of this mode Of study sug
gesed the necessity for methodca arrangement
plan accordingly devised in 1850 to take effect at
the Of the term OF October 1851, by
which All the acting midshpmeu Of the date OF that and
subsequent years should be indicted into the school In
its lowest class aud proceed III Cue order through pre-
scribed Of naval education which is specifically
adapted a term of four years The series Of studies
appropriate to each year defined the practice OF gun
merry and seamanshp established and the whole organ
zaton 1t now exists completed The classes were SO
conrived also TO receive according to an appointed
succession the acting midshpmen Of dates prior to lSo
who by this provision will in the space Of the next three
years, have had the opportunity of graduating In the
school.
The admissions Of acting midshpmen to the navy, and
consequently the academy have been regulated and
limited by several laws of which the combiaedimport now
give each State and Territory tsrelatve proportion
Of appointments determined by the ratio OF representa-
ton in Congress and its relation to the whole number OF
acting and passed midshipmen allowed to the navy To
this determination Of the quota Of appointments appro
prated State and Territory there has been added
allotment of fractional share to each Congressional
district and the nomination for each district has been
conferred upon the member representing 1t.
The whole number Of midshipmen, including passed
midshpmen allowed to the navy is four hundred and
sxyour The number Of representatives and delegates,
according to the last census, is two hundred and thirty
nine Each representative therefore, is entitled by the
existing law to the nomination Of candidate and
| fraction equal to 225-239.
No provision has been made for the disposition Of these
fractions and have therefore thought myself bound in
absence Of any other regulation consult the wishes
of at least majority of the representatives entitled to
the fractional part In receiving nomination to supply
the vacancy.
the midshipmen belonging the navy, and the
in the number Of students dependant altogether
upon the promotions to the grade Of and
the designations, dsmissals and deaths in each year in
the corps Of mdshipmen the annual nominations to the
school must when the entire complement of midshipmen
is regularly filed. be comparatively but few in number
The present condition Of the service supplies but small
ratio of promoons and if it not for the operation
of the designations, dsmissals and Deaths it manifest
that the yearly recruits to be added to the school would
nconsderabe in numbers as to forbid any hope Of
extensive usefulness whilst the uctuang character Of
these which produce the vacancies tends to
suit scarcely less injurious
1t is, indeed the most obvious defect in the present
organization of the academy that its supply of students
is liable to these contingencies for while the classes
advancing by regular steps, through the Of
four years study to the which they must leave
school and enter into the field of active seryice the
vacancies which they create dependant upon such
limited fund of supply must ultimately reduce the
number of pupils below the quota which is essential to
i the administration of the system
That this defect has not already been visible in the
career Of the academy is to be ascrbed only to the fact
that up to the present time, the members Of the nsttu
ton have been recruited from the grade of midshipmen
who have been employed at previous to the new
rangements, adopted and commenced with the class Of
1851 The classes heretofore have been furnished out
of this corps, in addition to the annual nominations
When this is and the school depend
ant the yearly nominations alone the defect to which
have referred will be fully and felt 1t will then
be manifest that the whole number at the school cannot
exceed at any time the number Of promotions added to
the occasional vacancies occurring in the corps of mid
shpmen and passed midshipmen in four years
is to remedy this defect, and to give the school
inherent power necessary to its perpeuaton and to
make it what the country desires to it, q
vigorous and heahful institution completely adapted to
the useful ends for which it ordained that propose
IN hnIff
ing change in its fundamental structure.
The academy should be composed exclusively Of cadets
young men who are received as candidates for adms
sion to the navy Its design should be that Of
ratory school qualify these candidates for appoint
ments and they should only be in condition to be selected
for midshipmen when they had successfully passed
1 through this probation.
II this principle be adopted the ground work of the
pan then the whole number Of cadets be nominated
for the school may be established by law For the pre-
sent suggest that this number may be fixed at two
hundred and fortyeight 1t may be altered future
experience may require OF this number of two hun
dred and forty-eight who to be furnished to the
academy every four years. one-fourth, sixty two
should be nominated for admission at the
OF each yearly term to constitute the first lowest class
Of the school. Of this whole number of two hundred
and forty eight two hundred and twentyeght might be
allotted to the nomination of members of Congress- APP
poronng them to each State according to the ratio OF
representation, and requiring the nomination to the
cances to be made, not by the representatives sngy
but by the united counsel and action of the whole
Vi each senators ana REPRE-
sentatres. The remaining twenty of the two hundred
and forty may DO given with advanageto the Pre-
| sident
BY this arrangement Congress would be called on to
nominate yseven cadets every year. and the President
i FIVE.
The classes would thus commence their career with
sixty members, and this number many of them
not dropped in the progress Of the four years.
would represent the annual number of graduates Pro-
vision, of course should be made for the gradual alb
sorpton Of all those acting mdshipmen who under the
present system, not yet disposed Of In few years
they must disappear after which the organization Of the
cadets would be undisturbed.
In addition to this number Of sixy-two nominations
made in each year. Congress and the President would
also have the appointment such vacancies in the new
class as might arise out of the failure Of the first csnd
dates to pass the preliminary examinations required
their admission The vacancies occasoned by subsequent
examinations and by the other operating during
the progress Of the classes through the of the four
years. propose should be filed but the casses after
their commencement should advance the end of the
term Of study subject to all the incidents of their
career which may reduce their numbers The propriety
Of this provision will be recognised when it is observed
that vacancy occurring in any class after has become
advanced in its studies could not be supplied at that ad
vanced stage, by appointment TO the school The
class would still go in its reduced state, whilst the
supply Of vacancy occurring in it could only operate to
the undue increase Of the lowest class Of beginners
would thus produce periodical and nconv increase
of graduates for whom allotment could be made in the
navy.
Assuming sixty two the number which shall always
be supplied to the lowest class beginners Of the school
we have to believe from the data afforded by the
experience of West Point that the annual number of
graduates would not exceed twenty-five thirty 1t