The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-24


Tho WORLD joins in the almost universal
condemnation Of the Medical Bureau, and says
that the present Surgeon General is wro,cAodly
incompetent to discharge the duties Of his OF
tice. The wait Of hospital stores and apparatus
at Port Royal is mentioned as an instance o.
his neglect. In relation TO Senator Wilson,
plan for romodoiing tho sutlor system, il,
Washington correspondent says thai the Sona'
tor has modified the original bill, and now pro,
pos
Fira-That a list Of articles, which alone
suffers shall bo permitted to vond, sh III DO filled
out by military commission, and made por-
tion of the army regulations.
SecOnd-That every kind of intoxicating IL
auor sh III be excluded from said list.
WiTd-That the schec ule OF prices which each
sutler shall be allowed 10 charge shall he arang-
ed-not, as at present, by the field officers of the
regimont-but by the brigade General, Adju-
tant, Qunrtermaster and Inspector; and that
this tariff shall then DO submitted to tho Diyi-
sion General for revision and approval.
FOtrth-That a sutl sr shall he elocted-not by
the field officers of a regiment, as at pre- sent
but by all the commissioned officers, captains
aed lieutenants included.
Ftfth-1hat a sullos violating the conditions
under which he holds Office shall not only suffer
lose Of the position, but coniiscation OF all hia
wares and merchandise contained within the
army lines. ru
The JOURNAL or COMMERCE. has the follow
ing interesting details OF plan, now under con-
sderation by the Government, for connecting
all the military positions on the southern coast
by a series of submarine telegraphic cables
From the nearest point in Virginia, no held
by Union troops, TO Fortress Monroe the dis
tAnce is about eig ghteen miles. Should future
events render that route untenable, IL Is evident
that a cable could be safely laid, AMI protected,
between Annapolis al d the Fortress. from the
Fortress to Ilat'eras lnet, there Is the fret long
stretch of l50 miles; and thence to Port
ROyal 3i5 miles. For s BsAureg ARD and W ak
CT on opposite sides Of PorG Royal entrance
could be connected by lile about 8 miles in
length. A short lard lne would be requiCed for
the island Of Hilton Head, at the southern
most point of which the submarine cable could
be resumed AS follows To Tyoee Island, cOm-
manding the entrance to Savannah . miles to
Fernandina, Florida (when that town sh,li have
fallen into tho hands Of the Union tro0os) 80
miles. With the expected capture Of Fernan-
dina, railroad and line of telegraph running
across the peninsula TO Cedar Keys, will come
uLder the control of the Federal Government,
and may be- used as a link in this long chain OF
telegraphs. From Codar Keys (assuming that
point also to be captured by our naval and
land forcss) to Fort Pickons, is 265
miles and from Fort Pickens to Ship
Island, oil Mississippi, 100 miles. The aggre-
gate leng h OF those lines-according TO the
proximately correct measurements given above
lis 076 miles. The actual length OF the wires
will, of course, be a little more, making due
allowance for unavoidable curves and the selec-
tion Of deep soundings. As fas. as other points
on the coast are taken, they can DO brought in
10 communication with the main line by short
branches. The forts at Key Wost and the Tor
tugas can also be added to the circuit by brauch
linos-fof the former about 800 miles long, and
the latter 60.
The feasibility of working these lines through
their whole extent is concusively established
by the continued successful operation OF the
great submarine cables in Europe. The line
from England to Holland is 40 miles long ;
from England to Hanover 300 miles from
England to D3nmrk $50 milesi from
Toulon to Algier5 800 miles from Nal
ia 10 Alexandria, Egypt, 1850 miles.
But the longest separate cable in this pro.
pOsod American military telegraph is only 3ij
miles The coast survey reports show that the
water is sufficiently deep between all the in
sulated points TO ensure the safety Of the cable
from dragging anchor. The cost OF the cable
will vary according to size. The Government
will undoubtedly decide TO procure large and
well made one, which will answer, for either
public or private uses, for an indefinite period
after the termination Of the war. II is estimated
that the cable can he made In about 60 day.
after tho signing Of the contract, and laid dowr
withAn two weeks more; 60 that II the proposes
] plan 10 adopted By the Goyetpment We shau b