The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-16
CITY OF WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER

American citizens 70 he protected These
considerations have he'd the adoption of this change
and 1t will probably be pernanent unless experience shall
disproye ats uty.u loifruI aidI f3 7qosu 80 t5 aB s
AT the time the proportion Of landsmen and boys
allotted TO national ship has been increased There II
often great dicly in obtaining seaaen and still greater
In obtaining American seamenthe best In the world or
the United States service. The employment OF lands
men and boys contrbutes much 70 remedy the nconye-
nience. They become trained and 1T TO take the
place of and instead of being starving super
numeraries in the population Of the larger cities, they
become efficient and useful members Of an improving and
valuable class, without which neither naval nor mer-
camille marine can he sustained, snsii5gg3 sLs,
Congress having last session authorized the building
of five steam sloops and appropriated million OF dollars
towards the object have been taken for their i'm
mediate construction They win be built at Boston, New
York, Philadephia Norfolk and Pensacola at each
of those places That at New York will be built by con-
tract in the yard of Mr. Jacob Westeryelt The act
having expressly authorized their construction by con
tract otherwise it has been deemed expedient to com
NIT Of them wholly to private enterprise Pho object
is to open the way to Improvement, by s,mnonmg the
skill and genius of the country TO contest the palm of
peroty with the yards in the endeavor to give the
government the best soop that can be built But
as the government hasits own establishments
at immense cost and thoroughly organized and supplied
with the requisite materials it was Thought to be expedi-
ent and indeed necessary, to employ them in the con-
struction of the others The department, after having
advertised for the best model plan, and specifications
and received thirteen proposals. organized board com
posed of the most experienced naval officers, naval
strueto and chief engineers to aid In awarding the con-
tract according to the terms Of the advertisement am
confident that the result both to the ship built by the
private contractor and those built at the navy yards will
reach high point of excellence is at present attain
able. They will be constructed with water-tght com
partmentsan improvement In the mode of construction
which, in case of disaster will often the ship from
going to the bottom and ought generally to be intro
duced where many lives are at stake an 0GH @aa3agg
The act authorizing the five having speci
fed the class of vessels to be built did not admit of the
l..Sl,
are very much wanted in the public service For
years past the has had means Of supply
ing its Indispensable wants. except by hiring small steam
ers as occasion might require, AT this moment when
much needed we have no vessels which can penetrate
the rivers Of China We have few that enter most Of
the arbors south Of Norfolk Harbors which the re
cipens of hundreds of millions Of our commerce are not
accessible to most Of public ships This state of des
tuton remarkable that it should attract particular
attention especially Of greatest interests and
most vulnerable points thus left exposed Besides
this class Of Steamers of light daught great speed, and
heavy guns, would be formidable in coast defence.
They but little In construction and require but little
to keep them commission, and for most practical pur
poses in time Of peace effective as larger vessels
and often One or more OF them should be at
every point where we maintain squadron 1hree OF
four should be constantly employed ON the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. Economy, efficiency and utility combine
to recommend them almost indispensable Ten OF
them would be of inccuabe value to the naval service,
and would cost 81, SOC, 900. gN suH h-3 a52Esg@'f
proyements several trials have been made but the de-
partment feels itself crippled by the limited appropriation
The sum of thousand dollars is not adequate to do
Justice to improvements which promise public utility.
Men of inventive genius devoted to the one favor
te pursuit that they most frequently without the
means necessary test their inventions Were Congress
to appropriate tenod the allotted to this object
for naval purposes single successful result, after
hundred failures would reimburse the whole COST while
the influence of the in aiding the progress OF
improvement in the naval service could hardly be over
estimated '" ' h4 "gl#'f'"a za7s n' la.1HsnI .EE
1t is impossible without doing injustice, to give sum
mary of the reports of the chiefs Of bureaus of this de-
partment They have presented full and detailed state
ment of the condition of the service in the respective
branches committed TO their particular charge of public
works prosecuted of improvements introduced OF evils
remedied and many suggestions and recommendations
which deserve the consideration of Congress Their re-
ports exhibit detailed statements of the expenditures OF
the present and estimates for the ensuing fiscal year
commend them to particular attention, exhibiting
full view of the actual condition of the navy and it's
ary establishments, far as they are under the mme-
diate supervision Of the bureaus taf3st6na3 a@i5A
The estimates for the support of the navy and marine
CORDS and for all other objects under the control Of the
Navy Department, for the fiscal year ending june 80
1859, IRE Ets@4 tLE9 b&W Hth56i&E4s 9NL l4 3a ir
For the support of the navy and marine
-$9, I4y,olo vi
For special objects --- ---- ------- 4,S66,7s 22
au8 a1@s5 Ggioi cf fHa35ltDs IT
Making IA, GIG, 298 2s
''S '''' ''' |+''@0'' "' EA"'tfahA 3445 ios ----=