Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-12-09

who. after mertorous and even dist guish-
cd service, may have been rendered, by age
or lnfrmity, incapable Of performing active
euty, and whose advancement therefore,
would tend to impair the efficiency Of the
army.
Suitable provisions for this class Of off,
GERS, by the creation Of retired list, would
remedy the evil, without woundiDg the just
pride OF men who, by past services. have es.
tablishcd claim to high consideration. In
vorabla consideration Of Congress, would
suggest that the power Of placing officers
on the retired lisr, be limited to one year
The practical operation Of the measure
would re thus iestsd, aud if, after the lapse
Of years. there should be occasion to renew
the provision, it could be reproduced, with
any improvements which experience may in
dicate The service Of artillery is that of
batteries. and an organization Of batteries
into corps Of artillery. would be more
consistent with the nature of their duties
A large part Of the troops now called artil-
lery, are, and have been, on duty as infan-
try; the distinction between the two arms
being merely nominal.
This nominal artillery in our service is
entirely disproportionate Of the whole force
and greater than the wants Of the country
demand. I therefore recommend the dis
continunce Of distinction, which has no
foundation in either the arms used or the
character Of the service excepted to be per-
formed.
In connection with the proposition fol. the
increase Of the army, ] have presented
these suggestions with regard to certain
measures Of reform, as the complement of
a system, which would produce the happi.
est results from a given expenditure, and
which hope may attract the early attention
and be deemed worthy Of the approval Of
Congress.
The recommendation the Secretary OF
the Navy, having reference to more ample
provisions for the discipline and general i'm
provement in the character OF seamen, and
for the reorganization and gradual increase
of the Navy, deem it eminently worthy Of
your favorable consideration. The princi-
pies which have controlled our policy in re-
laton to the permanent military force, by
land and sc ., -are sound, consistent with the
theory of our system, and should by no
means be disregarded. But, limiting the
force to the objects particularly set forth in
the preceding part of this message, we
should rot overlook the present magnitude
and prospective extension afour commercial
marine, nor fail to give due weight to the
fact, that besides the two tn ousand miles
of Atlantic seaboard, we have now aeiic
coast stretching from Mexico to the British
possessions in the north, teeming with
wealth and enterprise, and demanding the
constant presence of ships. of-war. The
augmentation Of the Navy has not kept
peace with the duties properly and profita-
bly, assigned to it in time Of peace, and il
is inadequate for the large field of its opera
tons, not merely in the present but still in
the progressively increasing exigencies of
the wealth and commerce Of the United
States. ! cordially approve Of the propos-
ed apprentice system for our national ves-
eels, recommended by the Secretary Of the
Navy.
The occurrence, during the last few
months. Of marine disasters, of the most
tragic character Involving great loss Of hu
man life, has produced intense emotions of
sympathy and sorrow throughout the coun
try. II may well be doubted whether all
these calamitous events are wholly attribu-
table to the necessary and inevitable dan
gers of the sea. The merchants, mariners
and ship, builders of the United States. are,
it 10 true, unsurpassed in far-reaching enter
prise, skill, intelligence and courage, by any
Others in the world; but. with the increas-
ing amount of our commercial tonnage in
the aggregate, and the larger size and i'm
proved equipment Of the ships now con-
structed, u deficiency in the supply of reiia-
Bile seamen begins to be very seriously felt.
The Inconvenience may perhaps be met in
part by due regulation for the introduction
into our merchant ships OF indented appren-
tees which, while it would afford useful
and eligible occupation to numerous young
men, would have tendency to raise the
character Of seamen as class; and it is
deserving Of serious reflection, whether it
may not be desirable to revise the existing
laws for the maintenance Of discipline at
sea, upon which the security OF life and
property on the ocean must to so great an
extent depend. Although much attention
has already been given by Congress TO the
proper construction and arrangement of
steam vessels and all passenger ships, still
is believed that the achievements of SCI
ence and mechanical skill in this direction,
have not been exhausted.
No good reason exists for the marked
distinction which appears upon our statutes
between the laws for protecting life and
property at sea and those for protecting
them on land. In most Of the States, Sc
we're penalties are provided to punish the
conductors Of trains, engineers and others
employed in the transportation of persons
by railway, or by STEAMBOATS, on rivers.
WHY should not the same principle be ap-
piled to acts of INSTRUMENTATION, cowardice
or other misconduct on the part OF masters
or mariners, producing injury or death to
passengers on the high seas, beyond-ehe