The daily republic., 1853-08-27
Naval Reform.

There has much been said and written concern
ng the reorganization Of the naval service, much
by men wholly unacquainted with its wants, and
much by men who, though they should be ac-
quanted with that service, have been swayed by
private interest, or, taking it political subject,
cared little whether the naval service were bene-
fited or otherwise as long as their ends were ac-
complshed.
| There can be no doubt but there is necessity
for reorganization; first, the navy has been Grip
pied by the adjustment of many of the laws for
its government without the substitution of any to
fill their place. The old laws wero compiled at
the time our navy first sprang into existence, and
are by no means adapted to the wants of the pre-
sent day. The abolition of corporal punishment
as facts themselves plainly demonstrate has in
jured the efficiency of our vessels-ofwar, and is
at the present time one cause of the difficulty ex-
perienced in shipping men to man our national
vessels, for the best seamen will not serve where
they are not only obliged to do their own work,
but in addition that of set of skulkng vagabonds,
always found in a man-of-war,) who fear nothing
but the lash, and prefer confinement to exposure
and work.
There are many officers of the navy who are
incapactated from service, but having done good
service to the country should be honoraby re.
tired, making room for those able to perform ac-
tive service There are also those whose standing
is such as to disqualify them from receiving com
mands Means should be devised for placing such
men at least out of the line of the service and
supplying their places with officers of character
and standing; and no officer, whose standing is
not good on the records of the Navy Department,
should ever be promoted to the higher grades.
For all purposes of detailing and ordering Off
GERS, navy officer, as adjutant, should be at
tached to the Navy Department, who, besides
relieving the Secretary from this care, would, by
his knowledge of the personnel of the navy, be
better able to assign duties in accordance with the
aptness of officers for certain duties.
The Secretary of the Navy should convene a
board, carefully selected from the three higher
grades of the navy, to form plan of reorgani-
zation, naval laws, &C., and submit such to Con-
gress.
Congress should put stop to this system of re-
pairs expended on old vessels--vessels in every
manner behind the age, and frequently requiring
the same amount of expenditure to render them
seaworthy as it would require to build an entirely
new vessel, superior (from the improvements in
naval Architectural in every respect A $ soon as
these old-fashioned craft require above certain
amount in repairs, they should be sold or broken
up, and new vessels bearing the same name con-
structed to fill their place, and new vessels to be
built with white instead of live oak frames, run
until extensive repairs required, then sold OF
broken up and new vessels built. Would not this
be saving of expense, with the advantage. Of
keeping pace with the latest improvements?
" M L l. e.
and efficient service propellers, not to exceed four
teen hundred tons; and to guarantee exemption
from continued accidents which have occurred
to the machinery of our steamers made by con
tractors, there is urgent necessity of nationa
foundry sufficiently extensive to furnish tho requi
stions of the naval service, and from which worl
could be turned out which did not require thes,
continued repairs, which probably in very shor
time amount to as much the cost of the ma
chinery, not to speak of the vessels being SO con
stantIy ncapactatcd from performing their servic'
through these accidents.
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