Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-01-16

~ final portion Oh tho -, defences o1 |
,ois,' ooHe, tarr;torv. tits argued that ..a
!, - tbe Pacific is indispensapic'e tI,roy-
= ~ that Il viii be the only means % ns,. of
'.ai;af into the Pacific country, III - II onr
onu;s;on with maritime poWel' 90" - the
80 inadeauate to the convoy VI ,.oa,1
~ number of storeships "A So
CcsS ,t..s,,;,ation is not only likely 10 pq Of
IN =, aatornrisc. but it will have the ttact,s
= Tho Western coast agaliis' cs','r Of
Nm .hroad. No stronger grooiu " ,,artv not
pacific road has been taken py any iy,,ior than
rectIy concerned in the sp,. Davis.
at which is assumed by Secrc'"'
n,,,,rvyxr.-Th report OF oecfe,"
n.,,iin is an extremely interesting u al,
I,,,, II misrepresents in the iaclS M.
f,,rn;shes solely, for it is eXcessNe1IS NJ n,nsi
,ng-snun. and slovenly wrltten' 4bn l1 Navy
ssen.ial nart Of it is the defence ol poard /.
nt;rinc Board The defence OF i ,ne p~ IL i
II narticularly forcible, ana an its t;mnrtaj
Su,t;vcd by the admission tha1 III p01nA
stai,ns had been made, injustice neeu.
1 v.ortbv officers, and that necessity "a
sHs"rrcctinr the errors the Board iiau iIe
Tbe Secretary calls the action Iker
he of''r,n S though 40 reforms wi ~
:" led orriyed nj or effected, and " Tndi-
HF3 Deen raciscIy the same defcctiySscm
tioT J. ~ .ol in before the retiring Boan nplish-
Bed = Tbo only thing the Board a3nd nut
cd W. 80 INF certain officers off dYho. in a
certain other officers in their placfF fFeason to
| fearful number Of instances, we u Missed.
believe are no better than tiosc by Capt.
! The fr"mc Squadron, commaTtomac, the
| Pauldina consists of the trigaY the steamer
sloops E2,aSs and Saratoga, 4 St, Thomas.
Fulton. Ths he Columbia was III II the missing
has b4'.sn H. To-
sloop Albany, which has bcf Of the frigatc
The Brazil Squadron COZ sIoop German
Savannah, Captain Sal;erfn. the Secretary
| town, and the brig Bainlf,a hon s.indus-
remarks, that these TeSY pin dc Janeiro and
triousiy'' cruising bctR mo 80 ". no cspccal
Moutcvdeo bat, as til "S pGca nv tLs ,,ast
necessity for. tor Squa5 "GIi nothing but cruise
! The African Srln, on, under the command
! Of Can't Crabbe. cssiSts Of the sloops-oi wal
| Jamestown. Dale. tI-ouis, and brig DolphlH
! The sloop Marie recently attached 10 ln'
African Suuadros,hts Icen condsmncu rs uh
! seaworfhy. Tfk %avc trade South OF 'l'
! Fouator has be n br en- up.
The Mcdite rancan Squadron, commanue'
| hv Captain ReeZc, consists of the irlgate toi,
| cross tbc ST amer SaraTic, the sloop Constei
iation, and the storesh& Supply. Nolnlh
i,as I,,'.n lac in the Mediterranean.
Thn F, India SquadroIs under the com
m,nI If japtain Abbot, consists of the sloo
| Wac,do, an, thc steamer POWhatten, the sloo
| VonJ,I,, and the StorcShip J.P. Kennedy
| ,TGa nflTwar in China has Afforded some en-
LIZ, Mt for our vessels in the East. ii
/ Secr-Iry recommends sending ono or ~
,i;;egrs Of light draft TO navigate the Chlne
frol7 New York, ir October, to relieve t.
| VI N;elonian, whose time abroad has expire
! TjssurYcy of Behring's Straits and the y or
| peifc. under command of Commander 10
| Il has been .sed on with satisfactory r
aEi +nc account Of this expedition is Il
nos interesting part of the Message.
The Pacific Squadron is composed of Il
irgate Independence, the slOops St. Mar
John Adams, and Decatur, and the steam
haSsachusettS, the sioop Warren, and the sh
ErcdoniI. The Squadron is under the col
inand Of Captain Mervine.
The Michigan steamer has been useful
employed in the upper lakes.
Like all his predecessors, the Srcrcta
earnestly recommends an increase of the y
W. and particularly an addition OF STEAMSHIP
OF 4 light draft Of water. ! great Naval fore
the Secretary hints, cannot be improved |
the tap OF the drum, like a great army. j
considers our Navy too diminutyC to confer
with that of any respectable power, and Il
feeble TO protect even our own harbOrs. tt
aggregate tonnage OF the U. s. in 1912, was l
27 ,997 tons. During the fiscal year it was )
2l2 900 l0-9J, and our sea coast. is now grea
ly increased in extent, and the damage cfTec
ed by respectable enemy in six months wouI
greatly exceed the cost Of a Navy sufficient [
protect our commerce sufficiently. The que
tiOri' of an increase of the Navy, the Sccretar
regards one of peace rather than war.
The Secretary enlarges at great length upO
the apprenticeship system which he has adop
ed as means for furnishing Il reliable body {
seamen for the Navy, and gives the testim on
Of officers in its favor. But we look in vai
for an original idea or suggestion in Mr.. Dol
bins reports it entirely destitute of anythin
of the sort. and exhibits no special llnowledg
Of the service beyond the figures which al
furnished by the heads Of bureaus. The oil
lristocratic plan which has resulted in til
state Of affairs which rendered the action Of tn
Navy Retiring Board necessary, is to be cor
tinued, and the Secretary adopts the old pla
Of educating men to be common sailors, Will
out the hope or prospect of bettering thei
condition by good behaviour.
The estimated expenses Of the DepartmcI
FOR the ensuing year are S13 ,524 ,505 81, whic
is less, by nearly $4,000, 700, than the est
mate of the fiscal year.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.-The following
IN abstract of the report Of the U. s. Secrcta
~ of the Treasury, for the fiscal year cndin
June 80, 1S55:-The tables on foreign trad
show the increase of dutiahle goods IMPORTS
Turing the year ending June so, 1855, owe
the year ending June so, 1854, is S126,1 ,1S5,
200 do. of free goods, SIS 1852, 1926; decreas
Of specie and bullion, S411 ,430; showing a to
al Increase of S144 OPS 1906 in favor of 1855
Fhe increase last year over 1850 is given thus
Dutiable goods, 500, 744,GsS; Of free goods
Sl6, ,3iS ,934 decrease of specie and bullion
s96S, ,SS0--total increase, SS3 ,144 ,6I2.
The foreign imports at all the ports of th
United States (inclGding, of course, Califor
lia and Oregon) for the fiscal year endinj
Tune so, 1855, were S26l, ,3S2 $50, againS
'30J. .780 ,253 for the preceding year, showin
decline Of Sli ,397 1888. The total expoft
rom the United States to foreign ports forF
iscal year ending June 80, 1855, were SE !.
80, ,8i6, against S27S, ,24l ,G64 for the preH e
no wear ShoWinp, decline of only ~ "