The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-12
-rHE DISPATCH.
aITERDAY MORNING, .......s DECEMBER ". 1877
Faepcrs orshe Secretary ofthe Navy

SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER ~ isst'
Repcrt Of che sec~etary efthe Navy
IN. ssere,arv iator@s the President that the
naval forcs employed during the past year mas
been suisicient for the persons, properly, sau
commerce OF American citizens az nome anu
gbroai. ,a.,~ar,u,,.
ns ma san.drons on the Home, Pacine, Meditef-
raaean brazil. African, East INDIA, ana cnInese
stations fhey are OF varied interests. Inc move
ments Of the wabash kganan 49,. ~" aos,an. ~ The
Sse~r.gu.n army are outlined, and the interven-
fas, "a the United States ia Central American At"
fairs expiAines.
Msr,,ny aax-oaacer Of the Pacific force, TO give
On. Walker. aud such OF his men, citizens OF the
United States, as might accept It, an opportunity
10 retreat from Nicaragua. Previous 20 receiving
sh.s. iu,tsuetions, Commodore Meryine bad sent
Cemmaader Davis with the sloop sc. Marys TO san
Juan del Sur with instructions to protect the per-
sous aud property Of American citizens with
tni. authority oaiy," says Secretary Toneey' ~,
's.Comsn nader Davis negotiated With ten. war
ker terms OF cspitaiation. under whieh ne SUI
rendered with his men, and was eonveysd 70 .a""-
ma whence he proceeded 70 the toitea s
Commander Davis alsJ received ffom Gen wake.
the surrender of a small schooner which ne nan
detained, called the ursnsds. ana ue''e,ca ne,
70 the Nicaraguan authorities. ine aSaou Vi
Commander Davis, 80 Tar as ne a,aeu uea "~'se'
and TIA men by the Of the 81. Marys, TO re-
fv,.af fruna Nicaragua and return to the United
states. was approved by the Department. but his
Interference With the Granada, and her transfer
te abe Nicaraguan authorities, by his inetsention
WIS 40, approved. The whole namber of men sur
rendered aud carried to Panama was about 3o@."
Commodore Merviue sent them by railway TO
Aspiawall. end drew on the Department in favor
Of .e railway for $40 for their transportation at
the usual rates. The bill has neither been paid,
accepted, nor protested. The Secretary recon
n nds reasonable provision to meet 1t.
.-che brazilian aud Mediterranean squsdrons are
a.. -. cf.Afs NAlN mad hR
respective duties, and aided IN creating good IN
terna;iosiai feeling which Is always important 10
commerce.. The force on the African Coast has, III
the words OF the report, fully accomplished its
msia bjeet. by dischsrging the obligations of the
treaty OF August " Is4, for the suppression OF the
silvs trade" The duties of the East India squad
ron have been arduous, land the officers and men
disttus pushed themselves o. memorable occa-
sion.'
The open hostilites existing between the Eng
lish ANA the Chinese, the consequent embarrass-
nient of trade, and the prospective opportunity OF
obtaining better commercial arrangements with
China, rendered an increase OF our naval force III
the-e seas a prudential, il not necessitous mea
sure. The steam frigates Minnesota and Mississip-
pi, aud the soop-ofwar Germantown we're order
cd To that station.
The retura OF the barque Resouts to Great Bri-
tain, aud the reception OF Commander Hartstene
by the Queen and people, Is decorousy Photographed
3 The action of the Niagara (Ca.t Hudson.l and
the susquehauna. Capt. Sands.) in conformity
graphic communication for the uses of The Govern
meut in its foreign intercourss, and in conJnnc-
ton with vessels designated for the same purpose
by the English Government, aud the taiIurc there-
Of is recorded
The result of Commander Dahigrens operations,
In the cruise of the ordnance-ship Plymouth,
seems TO dispel all remaining doubt whether the
heavy cannon which she carried would be manage
hlt aud not only to justify the previous adoption
of such ordnance in the stean-frigdtes recently
built, but also TO render it expedient to extend
this plan OF armament. The Secretary OF the
Navy earnestly recommends renewal "a Tie SD
preparation, and ths permanent employment Vi
ship this duty.
The Secretary has convened q board of officers
10 prepare code of regulations conforming TO the
requirements of the act March s. 1851 directing
him to have prepared, aud report to Congress, a
code for the government Of the navy
Measures being taken for the survey of the
Atrato and Turando rivers, and for tee complete
exploration Of the Parana and the tn nsaries of
tire Parasnay As the Government ii Paraguay
has prohibited the navigation by foC,i vessels of
war OF that part the river Paraguay which lies
witaia Il, jurisdiction, difficulty may possibly arise
in completing that portion OF the survey but there
are many rivers embraced within the scope of the
act the exploration and navigation of which will
probably develop great commercial advantages
Congress, at its last session, authorized the en-
lslmenI of $500 men for the navy. An increase
OF prvates in the Marine corps is recommended
two thousand men being deemed necessary for the
OBITUARY detail of the service. Proposals for the
Brooklyn marine paFrAckS nave not YET been luVlt-
ell. 4 contract has been entered upon tor the Pen
saeela hrracks. Those at Boston, Philadelphia,
aud Ssp Tx are represented as unfit for
A s,ie % naval depot on blythe Island deor-
IA has Gu parni,-ei for Sl.}U.000.
The Naval 4 pleuy 1t Annapolis is ia 4 flourish
itS alaitinu There attached to il, toi
the ~ p >e of instruction, lT6 acting midshipmen
ytt-st academic year 10 graduated, aud 50 have
since been admitted.
-ihere vas Que nasa! court of inquiry under the
act Of January 10, 1851 when the secretary enter
cd on rbe duties of his office. desire TO shorten
the period oi aggregate investigation led the Secre
tary To institute two additional courts. The re-
salt many has been presented to the Presi-
deaf. .Uuwillng," says the secretary ofthe Navy
Ito be drawn into any allegation against those T.
ficers who bad been affected 10y the action of the
Retiring Board l examined the act of Congress to
See if any such duty had been imposed upon me.
fund that it admitted no latitude of construc-
ti,n. 1t drected.a definite inquiry Ii prescribed
the exact limits of the investigation. 1t left in
the Drpartui-ut no power to enlarge, or to modify
IL directed lie physical mental, professional. ana
moral fitness of the ricr for the naval service to
be iuvestigat ed byn uyt ofinquiry. Accordingly,
the prrcept {" HE court i'll every case directed
that precise Inquiry.
ih, t."jl, ul shortening the period of cruises in
"a re- -e.-ets has been adopted, as more coudu
,+s. +, e III, aud making the service more &C
81 lable 10 seanIen. by allowing then to visit
their homes frequently. At the same time
the propJtioH of landsmen and boys allotted to II
national ship has been increased. There is often
great difficulty in obtaining seameA-especially
Aneri, an seamen-tor the United States service.
The employment of landsm-n and boys contri
butes 10 remedy the Inconvenience. They become
traiaed and fit to take the place of searnen: and
in~tead of being starving supenumeraries in thu
population of the larger cities become efficient and
useful members Of u valuable class, without which
neither naval nor mercantile marine can be sus-
tanned.
The estimates for the support of the navy and
mariue corps, and all other objects under the con
rial of he DaDartmeQt far
ending June 80. 1889 are
For the support of the navy and
marine corps S9,74o SIS OIL
For special objects 4,S66.7S3 %
Making sl4,6l6,29s %
The aggregate estimates for the fiscal year end.
Ing June 1858. were Sl3 SOB il2 Il, being SSl30S5
less than the present estimates This difference is
principally caused by estimating S250.000 for the
armament of the five new sloops $3.50 600 more
than last year for building the sloops, and by es
tintting for provisions aud pay for one thousand
additional men authorized by the act of March g.
1857.
The expenditures for the year ending June So
1851 for all purposes under the control of the De-
partment were Sl2, $50 696 81. OF which S4343-
6JS IA being for special objects, the legitimate ex-
perses OF the navy ana marine corps for that De-
ROD were S. -99s CT.
THE French FuNps.-A letter from Paris under
date Of the 10Th, says:
''lt is y remarkable fact that during all the ex-
eitemeut that has thus far attended the crisis the
fre1oh funds have deprecated only two francs
That lie To say, the three per cents, which were
found at the com meDcemeut Of the crisis at 6S So
have not gone lower than $3.50. All other than
State funds on the contrary, have suffered fear
full depreciation. The Credit Mobilier stock which
had fallen by disasters proper 3, itself from 1000
10 lo00 at the commencement of ghe crisis, sudden
~ went down 70 7o9. aud is now ut 1855 The stock
Is not destined however, to long this figure
ttswii1 go up. lyons, one of the best railroad
SOCKS, which was at 1909 only a few months ago,