The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-03-20
The Navy DEPARTMENT.

1hc New 4 ork journal Of Commerce in re-
viewing the history of the Navy Department
for the last four years, pays high compliment
to the ability with which Mr.. Secretary Dobbin
has discharged his nrduons duties. Great i'm
provements have been made in the departments
of ordnance and gunnery; judicious measures
have been adopted for training scamen in the
exercics of heavy ordnance, a gunnery prac-
tce ship hns been put in commission at Wash
ington; the superior utility Of large shell.guns
for first class vessels hos been established, and
it only remains to equip our men of war
with the latest improvements in small arms
20 render this arm Of the service cminently
efficient It is to be regretted that the proposl.
tion of the Secretary. to construct additional
sloops of war, of light draught, with auxil-
iary steam power, and which might be service
able on shallow coasts, has met with little
legislative favor. We cxtract tho concluding
portion of the article:
Perhaps the best features of Mr. Dobbin's
administration of the Navy department has
been his constant and unremitting care for sea-
men. The system Of honorable discharges for
good conduct, md the law for increased pay
of seanen, adopted by Congress under his rec
ommendation,-the system of inspecting sup
plies more closely at tho several naval stations,
according to the suggestions of the Chief Of
Bureau of Provisions and Clothing-that of
manufacturing the medicines required for ships
use by our Navy Surgeons under the advices
of the Chief Of the Medical Bureau-and the
careful! steps which have been taken TO have
the companies of ship more comfortably berth
ed on bosrd-each and all have had tendency
to render the seamen of our Navy not only
contented and healthy, but ever willing for the
most perilous services.
Not the least of the monuments with which,
Mr.. Dobbin will leave his Secretaryship.
are the magnificent "six frigntes," and the gov
ernment fouudries at tho Navy yards of New
York, Boston, Washington and Norfolk.
These will ever be associated with the recollec-
ton of his efficient naval administration.
1t has been too frequently the case that new
Secretary Of the Navy, instead of taking up
the servic at the points of reform and pro-
gress at which their predecessors had arrived,
nave preferred to begin anew aud reconstruct
the entire work for which they are, of course
responsible to the country. While we would
not be obnoxious 10 the charge of making i'm.
pertinent suggestions we must express O hope
that the successor Of Mr.. Dobbin will com.
mence where his predecessor has left off,-.that
the apprentice system, Which has thus far work.
ed so well and promises so much of substa ntial
Improvement may Oe encouraged, aad q few
OF the best of the youths thus appreciated by
the government annually admitted to the priv.
ilege, Of THO .Anapolis Academy. y.--that the cru.
!ses Of: our$ships Of war may be limited to two
instead Of three years: and that they shall
not Pc detained in service on foreign stations
over sIldsbeyepd the period of their enlistment.
q WStargs#eH nssured form the statements Of
Ethe ?incoming PRESIDENT already expressed,
that he will not fail TO- care for the Navy as the
guardian Of our foreign eopnerce,-snd we
trust that the new seerstary, whoever he may
oe, VIII IN must yresRees carry out the work