The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-25

appointed 70 inspect the sdewheel ships the royal navy
during the past year pronounced them all totally unfit for
nghng naval actions The Mississippi consumes but about
Mshty-three tons OF coal per day, and the
Atlantic under steam sail.
While, in reviewing the condition of our own naval es-
apshenb we cannot but express the confident opinion
that with unequaed mechanical skill abundant material
and resources have within the means of ex
ceiling all nations in naval power we cannot but ackno-
edge at the same time that no branch of the public SER
vice has exhibited within the last twenty years more
aitess expenditure of these Forgetul that the
purpose and the only purpose of navy is protect
nerce and sustain the interests and honor of the country
upon the great deep, and that all expenditures not me
datey conducting to these important Objects should be
charged TO the navy have wasted millions upon ships
which have never made cruiseupon navy-yards and
stations and naval docks absolutely useless and upon
chimeriea discoveries involving hypothetical improve
mens and that after all we have not ship-ofthene in
commission. @ .@ uHts8 .5 aft
The exgences of naval warfare now seem to demand as
The perfection OF naval superiority the greatest known
speed with the greatest known armament. lu tso4#
The British screw ship Himalaya, of nearly 1900 TONS
has made knots and the battery of the Pennsy
Is l40 guns union them Of these requisites would pro-
duce the most formidable structure their conb
nation should be governed by the character Of
tined service The steamships Of home SQUADRON with
harbos workshops and coayards ever under their lee
may sacrifice power for speed while ships destined oper
ate in distant seas where coal and other supplies of
difficult attainment should sacrifice speed for power
The Personnel Of the Navy
is not little remarkable that the American seamen
who during the of 1872, fired rapidly,
and destrucvely than those of Great Britain France
now Denlnu tiem IN respect have ret
regarded but we TO that every sailor is born
cannonecr that artillery practice wave-ossed deck
at equally unsteady target comes by nature; and we
still permit every to sight his gun his unnstuct
ed Judgment dictates least the officer in command
may fancy While Great Britain and France have by the
establishment of schools of gunnery practice and by the
most assduous attention to the theoretical and practical
teaching of the art created thousands of thoroughly in
struced and practsed naval arerists for their service
we have paid little or no attention to this matter We
have no schoos--no such practce-no such skill
We may build and equip the finest ships in the world
and officer and them with the best of our
country but if do not instruct them in the skful use
Of their guns, the day will when their utmost efforts
IN naval contests will but to salute the triumph of
thir enemies Long practice only enables the marksman
TO bring down bird on the wing; how much prac-
tic. would be necessary bird and mrksman both
thu Ning2 And yet there not wanting in navy
who icrde the teachings of science in practical gunnery
and Who il they do not believe that sailors predesned
cannoneers to regard the art of rapid and
delivery of shot and shell of very little Importance
readily acquired Instances have occurred in which
naval vessels have sailed from the United States and
returned after two years cruise, without having
handled shot or fired gun. Can seamen, under such
circumstances their very rst artillery practice being per-
haps in the midst of engagement contend with skilfn
and practsed arerists equally brave and far cool
because doing only that with which they familiar
We think not and deem school for the education
of naval gunners essential to the service IL cannot be
concealed that most culpabe negligence needless
travagance and wasteul expenditure TO say the least
have characterized the service of late years and that at
temps to place the parties responsible for ii before the
country have failed 1t is needless to call attention spe
| cial instances &
The Secretary Of the Navy should in all such be held
responsible in the first instance He possesses ample power
protect the public interests confded TO him power to
compel every officer promptly to do his duty to suffer
dsreputable rlough power to enforce gunnery practice
at in port power to preserve just and fair dsri
button of the tolls and ndulgences of the service power
prescribe relative rank power in short breathe into
his noble profession life activity and zeal by teaching the
officer whose cruise is in the tropics the African coast
that his chances for just and honorable employment and
advancement equal to those whose cruise within the
| precincts of Washington. ..e.r
II is not the purpose of your committee in this report
to do more than advert of the prominent defects
OF the naval servicebose most urgently demanding and
susceptible Of reform and dscardng the considera
| ton Of minor evils, it comes at once TO the
Rank, Pay and Promotion Of he Nary.
II is evident all with the subject that
have commissioned and non-commssoncd officers Of
the several grades than necessary useful to the pres
naval service and that just regard for the public in
requires not only that many should be retired
frloughed but that the present manner disappointment to
the service for obvious reasons should be changed
We have endeayored to find employment for supernume-
raries in the coast survey and as assistants to the light
house board But such employmens which are more prop
ey those Of civilians cannot but regard as calculated
to impair the general usefulness OF an officer in his egit
mate vocation
His noblest aim should be 10 protect the honor and the
interest Of the country by his ships and guns upon his
culiar theatrehe Some Of the most accomplished
young officers in the service Mt this moment engaged
upon what Is termed the hydograpeal branch OF the sur
vey whose frequent duty is making those soundngs with
line pole with which all boamen familiar, and re-
ducng the upon maps Others appointed 10 do
the duty which our collectors Of the customs always per-
formed and performed wel until the lighthouse board
i was devised
What can be more foreign TO the tastes and pursuits
what more destructive the professional ambition Of
young officer, than travelling about in railroad
stages lighters from lighthouse TO lighthouse inspect
ing the cleanliness OF the and the Keepers premises
the kind and quality Of lamp oil, wicks, and buh-stins
used and reporting their keepers special qualification
The is Jealous mistress, whose honors are yielded
only the assduous and cannot but regard the la
aF her these calculated
wean them from and Unfit them for their first love,
tired and furoughed list win relieve the service for
while but the supply Of officers being greater than the de
mand should begin by restricting the appointment 10
the Naval Academy - about one-half the number now
1 made
Promotion in service is regulated exclusively by
niorty of commssiona system in the judgment OF your
committee preferable every other all officers be quail
fed to perform their duties in the best But with
ou, some provision the dsquafcaons of age and its
frequent mental and physical imbec and for other dis
qualifications exclusive regard TO seniority constituting
the date of commission the controlling element OF promo
i ton is "a mockery deusion and n snare
1t reyerses the experience and the daily practice OF pru
dence which ntruss not the ordinary affairs of life to
i agents whose powers on the decline.
If there any profession which than another de
mands from its votares all the energy power daring and
viii of our race is of the II demands all
the powers Of man, and great seaman within the last
century ever cxceled in any other profession The
rule should evidently be- that as the magnitude and i'm.
naval operation increase the chances oil
CONSIGNMENT the hands Of ability energy, and daring
should ncease but the very is practice The
older man Ia the more he entitled TO command and
Nelson himself alive and TO enter our service
regularly tomorrow he would find himself without rank
Ill 49, liza