Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-02-28

The subjoined bill, to amend an act entitled
An act to promote the efficiency OF the navy"
was reported to the Senate on Tuesday by Hon.
Mr.. Mallory, of Florida, from....the Committee
on Naval Affairs. 1t was read and passed to
q second reading:
BE ii enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives Of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, That, upon the written
request, made within thirty days after the pas
sage thereof, by any officer of the navy who
was dropped by the operation of the act of the
twenty eighth of February, eighteen hundred
and Gfty-fye, entitled An act to promote the
efficiency of the navy the Secretary Of the
Navy shall cause the physical, mental, profes,
sional, and moral fitness of such officer for the
naval service to be investigated by court Of
inquiry, which shall be governed by the laws
and regulations which now govern courts of
inquiry and the Secretary Of the Navy shall
present the facts and the opinion of the court
in each case to the President Of the United
States for his consideration and such action as
he shall deem consistent with justice and the
interests of the public service.
SEC. 2. And be 1t further enacted, That the
operation of the present law limiting the num-
Der Of officers of the navy shall be suspended
bO ldF DIS W dutuOIlZt the rcStOr0tlOn, WltQl0
six months from the passage Of this act, by the
President, by and with the advice and consent
Of the Senate, of officers reserved or dropped
under the operation Of the act of the twenty
eighth of February, eighteen hundred and
6fty-6ve, entitled An act to promote the eff
cheney of the navy" Procided, That there
shall be no further promotions or appointments
in any grade after said reservations shall have
been made thereto, until such grade in the
active service shall be reduced to the limit now
prescribed by law.
SEC. g. And De 1t further enacted, That Off
GERS who were dropped as aforesaid, and who
shall not be restored to the naval service within
six months from the passage hereof, shall be
entitled to receive one years duty pay of their
grades respectively and the President shall
be, and he is hereby, authorized, with the ad-
vice and consent of the Senate, to transfer any
officer from the furlough to the reserved pay
list; and that so much of the act Of February
twenty-eighth, eighteen hundred and ifty-fve
entitled :" An act to promote the efficiency of
the navy" as renders reserved officers inelig-
BILE to promotions, be- and the same is hereby,
repealed.
SEC. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That re-
served officers may be promoted on the reserved
list, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate; but no such promotion shall entitle
them to any pay beyond that to which they
were entitled when SO reserved, nor shall they,
by such promotion, take any higher rank than
they would have taken had they been retained
in the active service of the navy; and the
President shall be, and he is hereby, authorized
to transfer any officer, at his own request,
from the active list to the reserved list when
In his Judgment, the public interests require
aud 18th q
which this is an amendment, shall be so con.
strued as to preclude officers on the reserved
list from wearing the uniform Of their grades
respectively.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That cap.
tains in command Of squadrons shall be de-
nominated flag officers
Sec. 6. And be ii further enacted, That the
grade of admiral in the naval service be, and
the same is hereby, revived and that it. in the
Judgment OF the President, the past eminent
services OF any naval captain shall entitle him
to such distinction, he shall be authorized, by
and with the advice and consent Of the Senate,
TO commission such officer as admiral of the
navy.
SEC. Z. And be ii further enacted, That there
shall be established corps, to be called The
Scientific Corps Of the Nary" to which shall
be assigned all duties pertaining to the Naval
Observatory, the preparation of the Nautical
Almanac, and such duties pertaining to the
photographed department, and such other
scientific duties connected with the naval SER
vice as the Secretary of the Navy may, from
time to time, prescribe, or as may be prescribed
by law.
The Scientific Corps shall consist Of
One captain, two commanders ten lieuten-
ants, and seven masters, who shall be taken
from the active and reserved lists of the navy
and who shall be commissioned as belonging
TO said corps, and who SHALL in all respects, as
officers of the navy, be subject to the rules and
regulations Of the navy and to the orders of the
Navy Department. They shall rank with Off
GERS OF similar grades in the active service of
the navy but shall not be entitled to military
command. Promotion shall be within the
corps, and shall be regulated by the rules
which govern promotion in the active service
and the captain Of the corps shall, by virtue
OF his office, be Superintendent of the Naval
Observatory: ProUided, That after the orga
nzation of said corps, as aforesaid, appoint
ments thereto shall be made only from the
graduates Of the Naval Academy.
The FRENCH IMPERIAL CRADLE-A Paris
letter in the Independence, of Brussels, states
that the municipal authorities Of Paris have
already given orders for magnificent cradle to
be got ready for the expected infant Of the
Emperor and Empress. 1t will surpass, it is
said, in taste and exquisite workmanship, the
famous one presented to the King Of Rome.
The following is brief description of the
work in question:
I" II viii be in the form Of boat-tbe princi-
pal emblem is the arms Of the city Of Paris.
At the prov will be silver eagle with out
spread wings, and the curtains at the head will
be supported by an imperial crown, also in
silver, held up by two children, one wearing
helmet and the other bearing round its head
an olive branch, emblematical Of peace. The
body Of the cradle stands on two columns, one
at the head and the other at the foot and
united by a rail beneath. The columns will
be rosewood, beautifully carved and ornament
ed with foliage in silver. The upper edge Of
the cradle will have border Of silver flagree
work, having on either side, about the middle,
small escutcheons in silver bearing the initials