The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-12-25
Abstract oS the Kepor, of the secretary
Oh ihe tagE.


The annual report Of Secretary DoBBts Is
unusually loug, ard certainly one Of the abiest
ever elniaaiing rom iiat Department d The
federal government.
sQcApEoSs
The nes steam irigate Wabash, Capt. The
odJre Eagle, flag sap the Scoops Of war Sar-
/ aiosa,, Commander i,ii,os,, and UsyaDe, Com
maDder Il. q. Roth. from the home squadron
winch is stil un1er the command OF Goniio-
/ dJfe Padding. Tho operations u tbis SQUAD
ron are detailed, bet arc Of 10 interest.
The Brazil squadron, Commander French
( fofps., consists OF tie tag ship ST. Lawrence,
| Caps iiah, and the sloopol war Germantown,
/ Commander Lynch, Tor who's return orders
were issued on the 3ist Of October last. The
| Falmouth wiil Join The squadro, N VERT Jew
weeks.
! The Mediterranean Squadron, Commodore
, Breeze, consists OF the tag ship, the irigate
/ Congress Capt. Craven tie sioop2 q var Con-
stellaion, Capt. Bell, aHd the steamship -us.
I queaanna, Capt sands The store ihip Sup
ply, Lieut. commanding Porter, is in the Msdr
4 tefranean on special seryic; under ,he War
Department.
/ Tie African Squadron, Commodore CrabOe,
/ Il composed Of the flag ship, the sloop Of war
jamestown, Commander Ward, the oloop Of
war -. Louis Commander Livingston, .aud the
| Dopuia, Commander Thompson. The squad.
/ ron were all vel az las. advice.
/ The la. India Squadron, Commodore Arm
strong, Is composed OF the flag ship, the san
JacialO, Commodore Bel, aud the sloops OF war
1 icvang and Portsmouth. The operations of
this squadron are uuliDportant and un,nicr.
esting.
I Ine Pacific Squadron, Commodore Meryiuc,
consists OF the lag ship IDdependeDcc Com.
nIsrder Hoh, and the s,oops OF war John
Adams, st. Marys, Decatur, and the steame,
Massachusetts. The Secretary regrets that
| Commodore Meryiue ialied 10 make 4 personal
examination Of the Supposed guano island, and
recommends that another small steamer Resent
"a visit the islauds. Reference is mad- 10 the
protection Of our citizens ut Panama by this
I squadron. An additional Pacific squadron is
! recommended Our growing commerce. and
/ the inc reasing importance OF the Central Amer
sa}R Siri-s, Te,desi II fc'i.ie ,c 3yat,'c ear
| Pacific squadron US soon Us vessels eau be as
setnbled IN that ocean.
The BcEr.uy Straits expedition having com
| lLetei ia work, has retained.
/ DEF SEA souSDINCs.
y large portion oi the report 10 devoted
/ 10 the survey which has been made OF the hot.
tom OF the sea aud the scientific discoveries ~
| the explorations Of the great deep, viii he
| lDand deeply interesting. Specimens have
been prOcurta from the bed OF the ocean, aud
beautiful charts made mapping out il= depth,
at distances at thirty forty, sixty and one nun
drcd miles. The greatest depth obtained was
iva thousand aud seventy iathouis Two and It
halfmiic,.
ORDNANCE ouSSERY.
Under tins head the Secretary recommends
the establishment ui practice ship IN which
gunuery alone shall be taught. Great atten-
tent,on Is now paid 10 gunuery at SEA. but mcu
should be- able To man the guns before the vcs.
St! leaves her moorlbgs. Considerable space il
devoted to ordinance, and the various improve.
nUnts considered.
SEg FRiGATss---PRoposrD ADDITIONAL sLoops
The great beauty and superiority OF the new
SIC am frlgatog are alluded - with much pride
and the Secretary says that their introduction
constitutes a new era ia the history of The
/ United states Navy. lie repeats his recon
IUuHdatJn 81 ,ast year about the binding OF
scyeral additional sloops Of war
sEANEN.
The uh,tl' ut enlistment and tie good i,ili
/ oi the government towards tie sailors is elAno
rated a length, aud the policy oi ID" depart
ment docnded and explained. This, bowcyc-
Is OF 10 interest TO the general reader
MISCELLANEOUS.
mere are three vacancies in the grade 0i
Capt and fourteen IN tina. Of Lieutenant, some
al which occurred several months since Mr.
! DOabiu rs not unmindiui Of the Cuuses which
prompted IL suspension Of executive actioubut
the interests OF the service required that they
should be filled either by promotion IN the reg
Mar way al by noinimtioh Tor restoration 10
The active lIst some Of the reserved oF ,lronpd
officers.
The report al the bureaus present many usp-
tdi suggestion. Much progress hes been made
IN completing the navy yard at California ---
Tie dock. basin and railway are finished. he
concufs M the recommendation # the chi,i
al the ordnance bgTeau A. To the policy 81
Keeping on abapdant supply ct powdc. on
hand 10 meet any emergency ~ n favor 81
a small corps ct assistant pursers, with modcr.
ate compensation considers Gu" policy Df "A
small annual appropriation Tor keeping thr
yards suppiitd win ship timber s0gnd recon-.
IN Iijs the rcstJraiiGu oi the hospital flni ~
the land. conveyed Ia tie Iru>Hry Depart
mcnt for the purpnso ol the Marine Hospital
ut Chelsea recommends the cfeuticu ct So al
ditional office m the Navy Department, ior
;hr management OF ~! matters connected with
court martial and courts OF inquiry aod The
Apo hitting ct a Judqe Advocate Tor le ~.
partmcnt
The Resoute Commodore Hart, en-. saiied
from New York. in November. Her command.
ing officer has Instructions and hcits despatch
Is iJr carrying iHto execution the RESOLUTION Of
Congress rendering ,hr ship % her Mliesty's
Government.
Toe bark Relief Lieut. &. G. Simms, saIcd
from New York IN November for Georgetown
lDemanra,l anI LaguayFa. iNeuegueln hav
ing been placed temporarily under the Sccrce
tary OF the Interior, ior the purpose II btiae-
10. sugar cane cuttings 10 the Unite, Slat,4
The Nautical Almanac Is required by
law 20 be under the charge OF M officer Of the
Navy 20: below the grade If iientensnt.--
Commander DAVIS, who was peculiarly fitted
Tor u, having hcen ordered 10 sea the Matt !
cal Almanac ha. b,s placed temporarily un-
der The chief II The Rlrcaa OF oriaaucc and /
HyGrogJapby. The SECRETARY ue0mu,eud. 4
that the law b. moliied IA or,iar hat the TX
ecu,lyc may de- suthoriDd NJ hts discretion 10 I
place the "Nautica Almanac under charge 4
Of oue % ~. Naval Professors ol Nalhcmlt. !
ics.
The Nary Academy continues 10 prospgr. I
ADD ,gcuIoas,rates its usefulness. be Sccrets. 1
Is recommends that, IA aaditlon to tine Naval 4
Board OF ESahners, a board o; visitors. cou- 4