The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-10

classes heretofore have been furnished out of thi
corps, in addition to the annual nominations
when this resource 10 exhausted and the school il
dependent on the yearly nominations alone, the
defect to which have referred will be fully seen
and felt 1t will then be manifest that the whole
number mt the school cannot exceed, at any time
the number of promotions added to the occasional
vacancies occurring in the corps Of midshpmen
and passed midshipmen in four years.
IL ia to remedy this defect and to give the school
an inherent power necessary to it's own perpetual
ton, and to make il what ! am sure the count,
desires to zee it, vigorous and healthful insttu-
ton, completely adapted 10 the useful ends for
which II wac ordained, that propose, with your
appreciation, to submit to Congress the following
change in its fundamental structure:
The academy should he composed exclusively of
cadets, or young men who are received as candi-
dates for admission to the navy. Its design should
candidates for appointments, and they should only
be in condition to be selected for midshipmen
when they had successfully passed through this
II this principle be adopted as the ground work
OF the PLAN then the whole number Of cadets to be
nominated for the school may be established by
law For the present, suggest that this number
may be fixed At two hundred and forty. eight. 1t
may be altered as future experience may require.
OF this number of two hundred and forty eight who
are to be furnished to the academy every four years
one fourth, or sixty two, should be nominated for
admission at the commencement 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 twenty eight might
be allotted to the nomination of members of Con-
gress, apportioning them to each State according
to the ratio OF representation, and requiring the
nomination to the vacancies to be made, by the
representative sngly, but by the united counsel
including Senators and Representatives The re.
naming twenty Of the two hundred and forty
eight may be given with advantage to the Presi-
dent.
By this arrangement Congress would be called
on to nominate fifty seven cadets every year, and
the President five.
The classes would thus commence their career
with sixty-two members, and this number, or 30
many OF them as are not dropped in the progress
of the four years, would represent the annual
number Of graduates. Provision, of course,
should be made for the gradual absorption Of ali
those acting miashipmen who, under the present
system, are not yet disposed Of In few years
they must disappear, after which the organization
OF the cadets would be undisturbed. a, ....-
In addition to this number of sixty-two nomi
nations to be made in each year, Congress md
the President would also have the appointment to
such vacancies in the new class as might arise out
of the failure OF the first candidates TO pass the
preliminary examinations required at their admis-
sion. The vacancies occasioned by subsequent
examinations, and by the other causes operating
during the progress Of the classes through the
term of the four years, ] propose should not be
filled; but the classes, after their commencement,
should advance to the end of the term of study,
may reduce their numbers The propriety of ttis
provision will be recognised when it ia observed
that vacancy occurring in any class after it has
become advanced in its studies could not be sup
piled, at that advanced stage, by new appoint
ment to the school. The class would still GO in
its reduced state, whilst the supply of a vacancy
occurring in it could only operate to the undue
increase of the lowest class of beginners, and
would thus produce periodical and inconvenie
increase OF graduates for whom no allotment could
be made in the navy. ..s.... ~. .t. ......F
Assuming sixty two the number which shall
always be supplied TO the lowest class or beginners
of the school, have reason to believe, from the
data afforded by the experience of West Point,
that the annual number Of graduates would not
exceed some twenty five or thirty, it being found /,
IN the general operation. OF the system, that the
graduates do not bear greater average proportion
to the admiesions than forty per cent. Upon this
basis il may be estimated that these twenty five
thirty may be locked to as the ordinary yearly
source for the supply of young officers to the
navy. .. ,... -..' -.... .... .--.r.
propose, in the next place, that the law should
establish the corps of midshipmen for the service
at two hundred and fifty. These should be recog-
Missed as midshipmen only, and be subject to all
the understood and appropriate duties OF that class
Of officers. They should then be consigned to SER
vice on board OF ships of war, and, after six
months employ ment at sea, should, upon exam
inaton and approval by competent board, be en-,
titled to tho midshipman's warrant, bearing the
date OF the graduation at the school; aud after
three years. service at sea md another eaamina-
ton, they should be noted for promotion to high
er grade, which l propose should be created by
law, and dcnominated masters. The grade Of
passed mdshipmun should be abolished as coon as
the gradual promotion of the corps may allow Ii
ia anomaly in the naval service. presenting
class of officers to whom duty ia specifically
signed, aud constantly engendering discomfort
when the duties OF ordinary midshipmen are re
quired of it This class perform the duty OF
masters, and think it but proper that the duty
and the rank should be associated by law. The
change would require no increase of pay, and
would, have 40 doubt, be productive OF good ef-
fects.
The grade of masters might be established at one
hundred, and might at once be filled by appoint
ing to it that number Of passed midshipmen. The
ultimate result of this plan would give, when all
the present passed mdshicmen shall have been
absorbed in the regular course Of promotion, two
hundred and fifty midshipmen and one hundred
masters to occupy the space now filled by the corps
of four hundred and sixty- four otiicers-a reduc-
ton of one hundred and fourteen. This reduction
of course would increase the ratio of promotion to
the corps of lieuenants, and would leave sufi-
cient complement for all the demands of the ser
vice, estimated by the present size of the navy.
future increase of the navy would suggest n pro-
portionate increase OF officers OF every grade.
The promotions incident to this organization of
the ps-that is to say, of two hundred and fifty
midshipmen and one hundred masters would sup.
ply about twenty-five vacancies n year. The
present number Of higher officers furnish some
thing near this yearly average, and there is no
reason to suppose that it will be reduced in futurc
the mere active service Of the navy, even on the
present establishment, may rather increase it.
The school, therefore, may be regarded subject
TO annual deman nd for this number of it's gradu
ites to be advanced into tine regular line of service.
the number Of graduates at twenty
1--WE, the whole OF them would thus find position
and employment; an increase to thirty would of
course give remainder Of five, which may also
be disposed of ....n
| propose, in further organization of this system,
10 construct scientific corps in the navy, to be
abiishod as the Autographed corps this corps to
be designed, in its first upon basis which
shall provide for thiry masters thirty lieutenant
and five captains-making
eighty in all, 1t should he especially educated for
that scientific professional service in which some
portion of the navy is constantly employed. lis
chief duties should be connected with hydrogra-
pbical surveys, astronomical observ atoms. con-
structioa of charts, preparation and improvement
Of ordnance, the supervision of naval architecture
and machinery, and the direction of civil eng-
neering in the construction Of docks and other
requiring scientific knowledge and skill
The corps should be entirely Sc ,arate from and
independent Of the regular naval service. Its line
Of promotion should be oopfned to its own organi
cation, and its government should be under its own
proper officers. In addition to the duties assigned
10 il on shore and in Autographed surveys, come
portion Of it might be appropriated to service at
sea- and one more officers Of The corps might be |
Tn he ia nj IN