Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-14
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Mr. Honklin1,a Tahnanfanaa T...-

nails which are insisting that the President
sent into the Senate the Conkling (Tehuante-
pec) Treaty with that negotiated by Mr.. Gads
den, are, probably, very wide of the mark.
Indeed, if we are not greatly mistaken, yester-
DAY, In executive session, call was made on
| the Executive for that convention-or, rather,
| for full information concerning it. The Presi-
dent may, at his option, communicate such
papers or not. 1t is his constitutional province
| to withhold or to offer them for ratification as
he may Judge best for the public interest. If
that particular treaty pledges this Govern
ment, even indirectly, to become guarator.
either for Mexico's obligations to Mr.. Sloo and
his associates, or for those of Sloo Co. to
Mexico, we apprehend that it cannot receive
! the appreciation of the present administration
A day or two since we explained at some
| length tho labarynth of embarrassment
likely to result in these internationaD troub-
lous times, from the rise and progress of any
such new system as part of the foreign policy
Of the Government of the United States
The Africanization Of Cuba-We have just
received from Cuba the following letter from a
friend temporarily sojourning there in whose
source of information we have the creates
confidence:
HAVANA, January 81, 1854
Information has been brought to me this
night-an hour since-by gentleman of high
| standing, that it is the intention of the Can
| tain General to issue an order, that all slaves
| hired out shall only pay their master eight
dollars per month; the surplus is to be retained
by the slave; and no master of a slave shall
hold his or her value exceeding the sum of five
| hundred dollars, when the slave desires to buy
| their freedom, no matter how valuable they
| may be. And further, that an old SLAYER called
upon this gentleman yesterday, to tell him of
| the interview he had just lad with the Capital n
| General, who had sent for him to encourage
him to send out more vessels, and to assure
| him of his perfect safety in so doing and that
if he met any British cruizers, he had only to
report them as apprentices, and he would be
| all right -.-.-
| Now, for the truth of all this, stand pledged;
and if you want any more to establish African
| ization, think you will have it full by its re-
| alization and rapid progress. -
How to make an Interesting Newspaper
The New York HeraId's plan, is to copy its
| Washington news by the column, from the
| Star, acithout credit. wide that paper Of
| yesterday.
The Navy.-The following communication
from an unknown source, is evidently from
some one who knows what he is about, and
| writes with view to protect the public inter
| est
desire to unite with those who are Justly
putting forth their hands to protect the G ov-
| eminent against the frauds which may be
practised by those who begin to congreg ate
I about the hotels and Capitol. to obtain the
building of the new steamers that are recon-
mended by Secretary Dobbin. That our Gov
I eminent needs the steamers, and even more
| no one pretends to deny, that have hear.!
speak of the subject. But, at the same time
only those who expect to make something by
| the operation, wish to have these steamers
built by contract.
For many years past there has been univer.
sal complaint of the ineficiency of our Navy
| vessels. That the sailing vessels were dull
sailers, and made long voyages from port tc
port; that the steamers were poor, dull
| things, not able to carry coal enough to eros:
the Atlantic; and if they conLa carry a supply
OF coal, their engines would break down the
moment they got into sea and many others
! all Of which are supposed to be true. because
| them otherwise.
LIE. us look at the history of the sailing YES
sells of the Navy for the last forty years, and
compare them with the same number of mer.
| chant vessels, performing the same amount o.
sea service, and see which of the two shall have
the preference.
The manner of loading the two, first claim:
our attention. The freight of merchant YES
sells is slowed according to the capacity keep.
| ing the heaviest articles in the bottom, and
the lighter at the top; leaving no space be-
tween the two, and in most cases the vessel i.
slowed full-the freight pressing against the
sides, protecting them against the pressure OF
the water on the outside
Inc number OF Government vessels constant
ly employed for the last forty years, NAV have
been th1rty-hve, as an average, and some Of
them have lived through the whole period
having been repaired from time to time, a
their timbers and plank became deceived b,
exposure in hot climates
The manner of loading these vessels is quit,
different from that of loading those in the mcr
chant service. The provisions water. shot
powder, stores and spare gear, are put in be
low the birth deck and the guns above; Leaving
the birth deck an entirely open space. Here
then, the two great weights comprising thu
iading of the ship, are placed in the extremes
with the pressure of the water outside in the
II
seen must strain the ship as she is tossed to and
fro by the rolling waves. We thus see that by
the manner of loading, the merchant vesse
has most decidedly the advantage But let II.
see the result. Not one of our Nayv yssssk
bmslt at the Gorernment yards, las teen
hnown to fonndeT at sea not one las teen
abandoned on tile ocean not one has lee,
unmanageabte at sea, in all the gales and hur
ricanes of forty years This remarkable secu.
! rity should be borne in mind would it were
80 with the merchant vessels; but alas, how
different. Not one Of the number having lived
through the period. One seventh of the num-
Der have been abandoned at sea- and all have
been condemned as unseaworthy within thu
| nrst twenty-five years with slight exception
| OF vessels built at our northern ports 7..-.
| The number Of deaths caused by the founder.
ing OF merchant vessels, has been great. and
yet contractors would persuade members Of
Congress that vessels would be built better and
cheaper by them than at the Navy Yards. Ii
- gratifying to know that the Secretary Of the
| Navy understands these matters; and which
are shown by the reports Of surveys on the las
batch OF worthless vessels built by ontractor,
Tor the Government, which reports should b.
examined by every member of Congress, a.
they show how the Government has been de.
frauded in times past ..
The steamers Of our Navy so far as Their
bulls are concerned are good and strong q
mean those built Of wooden frames y but the
engines, which have been built by contract
have tailed to meet the expectations Of Govern.
ment, and the public too; and by which the
bulls were condemned by the inefficiency Of
| those engines. One of the most striking cases
on record, is that OF the Princeton, lately 70