Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-01-02
4ailg :Niraiaiau.
Report of tho Secretary ofthe Navy

The report OF the secretary oi the navy opens
with review of the Paraguay Expedition. The
relations of the United States and Paraguay have
been restored and placed upon the most cordial
| footing new commercial treaty and u special
convention was executed. and satisfactory apollo
| gios and indemniies made.
The expense of tho expedition was betrayed out
| of tho ordinary appropriations for the naval ser
vice, except the snm OF $3.50. 900 appropriated by
Congress on the 3d of March last, to pay for tho
charter or purchase OF the ak screw steamers and
| one side wheel steamer which, from the defcien-
cy Of light draught vessels in the navy capable Of
navigating tho pa,ana and Paraguay. it Ind be-
come necessary to charter for the occasion. They
were chartered accordingly for q months or longer,
with the privilege ofnn election ON the part Of the
United States to convert the charter into purchase
ut stirulnred priccs,nnd to apply oil payments for
the Of the vessels in part payment Of the pur-
chaso money.
The sums due for the usc of them amounted 10
$l37 ,693. and tho balance. $l5l,307, would effect
purchase OF these seyon vessels. Tho election
was made. and by tho payment of that sum tho
Department WINS released IRON its contract to re-
store thom to their former condition. and they be-
| came the property Of the government. They have
since been fitted for tho service in which they
now engaged Five of them employed on the
coasts of Africa ard Cuba; one between tho
| Washington and Gosport navy-yards In lieu OF the
| Water Witch" which has also been sent to the
coast of Cuba and tho other--the sidowheel
stcamcr-in the La Plata and its tributaries as
part Of tho Brazil squadron. Tho cost Of main
| tanning these seven vessels in commission Ia not
much creator than that Of maintaining n single
| stcam-frigate.
by the purchase Of these steamers tho govern
mcnt wns enabled to adopt moro efficient moas-
for tho suppression OF tho African slave trade
Being of light drnnght those on tho African slave
will enter harbors and rivers whore the slave
traffic originates, while those on the coast OF Gu
la will frequent its hnrbors. cruise in tho track of
the -lnve trader on both sides OF tho island, and
will be very sure to intercept such ms mny escape
tho vigilance Of tho former. Eight steamers have
been detailed to suppress this trade four to cruise
on the coast OF Guinea and an equal number ON
the canst Of Cuba-two on each side OF tho island
1t is intended to employ another steamer to cruise
between Now Orleans. Mobile. Pensacola, and Key
West, for that and other purposes as soon As she
eau be spared from other objects,
To enable tho African squadron, now consisting
If three sloopsofwar and four steamers, TO BIO
constantly in the noghborhood Of the places
where the traffic is carried on. tho depot Of naval
| supplies has been removed from Porto Praya, in
latitude north Is degrees. near Cape do Verde, to
| ST. Paul dc Loando, in latitude south degrees,
lnder tho former arraugmenlthe vessels Of tho
squadron, thon smiling vessels only in seas where
| cnms prevail were must of the tlmo employed in
making tho voyage from the proper cruising
ground to Porto Prnya for supplies and back
| again to tho cruising ground and the voyage was
scarcely performed before it became necessary to
repeat it; while under the present arrangement
it will seldom be necessary for them to be absent.
! and then for short limo only This constant
| presence of a squadron Of steam vessels on
| tho coast of Africa and similar provision ON
! the coast Of Cuba will render tho slave tranic
50 dangerous for American vessels that fow will
be willing to embark in it,
| Twenty steam vessels have been added to the
navy since tho announcement of this Administra-
| 8, tbirtoon lu mai nd aayp hv has n
Tho report gives the condition Of tho steamers
| now building.
Tho Secretary rencws his recommendation in
his last report TO increase the navy. Tho re.
trenchment whichC ongress has made in tho na-
vy-yards will indemnify tho treasury for tho OK
rcnse of constructing twenty more steam vessels.
Thus it mny be said that the treasury will be near
ly or quito indemncd for the cost ithis increase
| of twenty steam vessels in the navy 10y n cores
ponding retrenchment Of naval expenditure. But,
| Independently Of any consideration Of this kind,
the protection Of our coast and coasting trado on
| the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the continent Of
| five millions Of numerical tonnage. six hundred
millions of commercial tonnage, six hundred mil
lions Of foreign exports and imports, and Of Amer
| lean citizens and interests in all parts Of tho
world impcratively requires more efficient and
powerful naval force then we now have at COM
mand
The Secretary earnestly recommends tho ad
dtion of steamships to the navy, instead of expen
ding millions in building lew large ships. 'lt
| u.s." he says, "a source ot extreme regret and NOR
| tiicaion that we ARE now mt tunes Obliged to SIT
| by passively and see in some foreign countries
citizens Of the United States imprisoned. plunder
ed and murdered, because the Executive has not
! the moins to protect or redress them
! The Secretary rcnews his last recommendation
that the Marine Corps be increased
The Naval Academy continues to show tho
most gratifying evidence of tho proficiency Of the
pupils in all the branches Of their profession
| Twenty acting midshipmen graduated in June
ono hundred and thirty-tlreo have since been per-
| mitted to be examined for admission; and Of these
eghty-six were found qualified and admitted.
For the purpose Of increasing the efficiency of
the navy. without materially increasing the an
nual charge upon the treasury, the Secretary has
transferred the new members Of the fourth.class
of acting midshipmen to the sloop-of-wnr Plymouth
attached to the Academy. thereby en!arging the
accommodations provided there without the ex,
pense of new buildings and arrangements have
! been already made to accommodate eighty-hye pu-
pills and their instructors on board of that vessel
The measure is decided improvement. 1t has
been accomplished with great facility and at in
considerable expense. 1t subjects the pupils to
stricter discipline and closer supervision. At the
them to naval life, and makes every part of
ship-of-war, and their duties connected with It,
| as familiar as household words.
The board Of officers appointed to witness the
annual examinations, have made highly favora-
| BILE report of the general management, disciphne
and police Of the academy. They recommena
that no candidate be admitted under the age of io'
instead of IA, as the requirement now is; ths. the
t;mn of reportne for admission be the lst OF June
instead of the Goth of December; that the French
| and SPANISH languages enter into the final exami-
nation of midshipmen. and haye due weight in