Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-04-24

covers between seven and eight hundred solid
pages Of closely written folio, besides large
mass OF original testimony, all of which has
o Do thoroughly examined by the Department,
the seat OF government In order that equal
ana exact justice may be done, We convey bui
An inadequate idea Of the labors Of this
branch OF the service, which holds jurisdic-
Ion and is required to pass upon the immense
landed interests under titles derived from the
United States, and from the authorities OF
Great Britain, France, Spain and Mexico, to
lands falling within the limits of the Union.
The q 9. East indies squadron.-Y esterday
We announced the arrival of the q. s. steam
frigate Mississippi at New York on Monday
afternoon last She left Rio de Janeiro on the
24th of March, and hes bnen absent from the
United States since November, 1852. The fol.
lowing is . list CT her officers: Commander
Sidney Smith Lee; lieutenants, William l.
Maury, Edmund Lsnier J. NJ. B. Gifts, Som
erville Nicholson, VIM. A. Webb surgeon
Daniel s. Green purser, William Speiden
chaplain, George Jones; acting master, John
Kell marine officer, Brevet Captain Robert
Tansill; passed midshipman, s. C. Mish
bOatswain, Amos Cotton; gunner, John Caulk
carpenter, Fl. M. Loury; saiImaker, jacob
stephens; enginesrs-ohief, Jesse Gay; frs,
assistants, Robert Dandy, William Holland
second assistants, G. T. W. Logan, G. W Ruth.
erford; third assistants, E. D. ROBBIE, ]. d.
Mercer.
United States Ship Macedontan-The
United States ship Macedonian was at Wham.
poa on the 4th of February Commodore Alb.
bolt writes that he would stop at Guam, on his
way to Shanghai, about the first of April
United States Ship Vandaiia.-The United
States sloop-of war Vandaiia, Commander
John Pope, was at Shanghai on the 22d of
April. All we'll.
United States Steamer John Hancock
The United States steamer John Hancock,
Lieutenant Commanding H. K. Stevens, of the
North Pacific surveying squadron, was at
Shanghai the 10th of January.
Calm and Storm Signals. American
Code of Signals, by Henry ]. Rogers, has been
adopted for the use of the navy. Copies Ct
Rogers's book and the flags are to be distrib
uted among vessels of the navy; and com
manding officers Of the navy are instructed
to embrace every opportunity to familiarise
the service with the use of these signals.
A Deserved Compliment to the Staff Organ
ization Of the American Army-We have
seen letter in which is mentioned the 70.
ceipt, by the last steamer, of a pamphlet by a
distinguished English General, pointing out
the sad defective condition of the staff organ.
izatioD Of the British Army, (now as hereto
fore,) and recommending q reform. His 70.
marks point to the adoption of a system some
thing like ours. He also attributes much of
tho inefioiency of the British Army to tho in
adequacy Of the pay and allowances given to
the soldier, and contrasts it with that given to
our men, showing tho salutary effect produced
in eur Army by the late increase of pay.
Fish Guano.-The agricultural branch Of
the Patent ONCE has recently received q lot
Of interesting manuscripts and other papers
upon the preparation of "Fish Cake" az
it is termed in France, for which, blythe
BY, mandatory has recently been com
msnced in Rhode Island. The heads and
entrails Of fish caught in shoals are subjected
- process by which two or three per centum
Of oil Is extracted, and arc then greatly
pressed and dried in ovens; afterwards, this
eako is mixed with gypsum, charcoal, peat,
and other fertilisers, and sold. Though i. Is
inodorous, It is maintained that the valuable
results Of this preparation greatly exceed
those Of Peruvian guano.
An Army 0hlcer De ad 1.-The War depart.
ment have sdvices of the death of First Lieut.
Alfred Croget, of the 8:h infantry, U. S. Ar.
my, which occurred yesterday morning at Gin.
cinnati.
Dispatches.-It is understood that G. W.
Lippitt, Esq, United States Consul at Vienna
who reached Washington this morning, coming
over in the Nashville, brings interesting dis
patches from our Legation at the Austrian
capital, and from other quarters of the CONT.
hSnts liz AoU al lutcIVlcW dt tuo state Uo-
partmsnt this morning.
A Decision.-The Commissioner of Pensions
decides that persons who were in the United
States service during the Florida and Mexican
wars, who were not in Florida OF on its coasts,
or in Mexico or on tho Gulf, during those wars
respectively, are not entitled to bounty lands
under the act of March 8, 1855.
A Revenue Marine 0hacer Detailed-Cap.
tain John Farmee, U. s. r. NJ, having been
detached from the cutter Joseph Lane, has
been ordered to the special duty of superin-
tending the hfe-bost stations on the coasts of
Long Island and New Jersey.
The Rev Revenue Cutters to be Built -
The specifications are being prepared with all
possible speed, for the construction Of the four
Revenue Cutters ordered by Congress at tho