Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-12-08

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airy depot, where recruits in the cavalry arm
+ the service may be drilled. The Artillery
School at Fort Monroe is reported to fully
realize the most sanguine expectetions, and
the purchase Of al sdjoiuing piece of ground
is recommebd.d, 30 as to afford a sufficient
range tor practice wlthe heavy guns. The
appointment OF an additional Inspector Cen
ersl is recommended; as Is also the consoIl-
dation Of the Corps OF Engineers and Iup0.
graphical Corp; that staff officers, from the
heads of bureaus down, be r.qured to serve
period cally in the field; that three additional
Brig der Generals be appointed; that che
buildings atths Washington Arsenal be im-
proved, and that voluneer claims be settled.
On the ject Of expenditures, the Secre-
tary remarks that the disbursements through
this Department embrace mary subjects en-
tlrely dlscon nected with the Army proper,
such as for itications along the sea coast, lm-
provement of rivers and harbOrs, aud he
construction Of public buildings and other
works. The attempt has been made to cur
tail the disbursements as far as possible; and
the estimates for the next fiscal year are less
by 50 loo, 4S8 80 thao the appropriations,
anu by S2,135 HOB 50 than the estimates for
SlS,Ol0,090 %.
Report OF the Secretary Of tho Navy.
This document, which fills fifteen pages, ls
also highly Interesting. Il opens with an
account Of the arrest vf Walker ia Nicaragua,
ard follows this with u sketch Of the opera
tions to prevent the visitation aOd search OF
American vessels hy British war steamers,
md fnI. ha Ha M
Paraguay expedition. the Secretary re-
oommends tIe purchase Of the steamers now
chartered for that purpose, as the additional
cost. beyond that which will have to be paid
for their charters, will be only $40 200 fer
the six propellers, and S2l7 900 Tor the three
sidewheel steamers.
The fitting cut OF the expedition under
Lieut.. Brooke, to survey the routes across
the Pacific, from San Francisco to China.
aud to prepare charts thereof, is next noticed,
and then follows short notices OF the capture
of the SLAYER Echo, the laying of the Allan
tic cable, the capture Of the ketch or yacht
Brothers," the return to Africa Of the Echo
cargo Of slaves, &c.
The five steam sioops of-wsr authorized to
be built by the act OF March 3, 1851 it is
stated will soon be completed. Tney are all
Of the frs: elias Shops, and will be swift and
effective for the service. The seven steam
screw siuops-Jt-war and the side wheel steam
er, authorized by the act Of Ju6e, 1858, are
also 10 a state Of great torwarduess. Five of
them will be launched this month, and ready
fur sea IN May next, and the other two will
be launched next spring, and ready for trial
by June. The side wheel steamer will be
finished August next. The plan Of construc.
ti1n OF all these been with view 70 make
them most serviceable and oe highest spe ed.
The Secretary urges the importance of q
further increase OF the Navy, aid recon-
mends that authority be given for the con-
structioD of ut least ten more steamers Of
ligh. draft The enlargement and Improve
ment Of the Naval Academy at Annapolis r.
also recommended, ind TIE deficiency Of mid
shipneu and officers in the service urged as
an argument in its favor. Several other re-
commeDdauOns are made, amcng which may
be enumerated the addition Of 20 Surgeons
20 Assistant Surgeons, and ID or 20 PuG-
sers. and the Increase of the Marine Corps to
1000 privates from sos, the present number
After stating vslous other matters of inter
est, to nearly all Of which, however, illusions
have already been made 10 the newspapers,
the report concludes with an account Of the
expenditures of the Department. For the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1860, the esti-
mates are Sl3, 5OO,570 81, including S674,.
900 for completing the eight light draught
steamers, and not including the usual compen-
sstlou oil 1885, $50 for steamship usi service;
which is loss than the estimates for 1859 by
about 81 100000.