Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-12-23

/ ~ -, y =
of Florida to Cuba and Nassau, presents so
many available ports for eluding the block
ade More than one hundred craft have been
| c apttlred DESTROYED.
The Western Gulf and the Mississippi
| Sauadrons assisted in some OF the greatest
victories obtained for our cause during the
year-the former aiding In reducing Port
hudson, and the latter in reducing Vicksburg.
Together they thus opened the navigation of
the Mississippi-one of the heaviest blows in
fiicted upon the rebels since the beginning
of the war Only one point of Importance
| for successfully Guiding the blockade was still
in the possession of the rebels-the mouth OF
the Rio Grande and this has now also been
closed by the successful expedition of Cen
Banks
The increase of the naval force during the
past year has again been very considerable.
| At the commencement of the Administration
ii consisted of 76 vessels, and Of these only
~ were in commission. In December, 1862,
the number of our vessels was 427 during
the current year it has increased to SIS.
The Secretary calls attention to the highly
important Improvements IN naval warfare TO
which war has led, and which have as
founded the entire civilized world-the in
PRODUCTION into naval service of iron shield
ing and of ordnance of a caliber, reach and
power heretofore regarded as impossible. He
urges upon the consideration of Congress the
adoption OF further measures for creating
powerful navy The establishment of a new
Navy Yard on large scale, he regards as an
Indispensable necessity, as our present facili-
ties for manufacturing and repairing steam
machinery entirely insufficient. Sugges-
tions are made to the establishment of
Naval Depot on the Mississippi the educa-
ton of engineers, the Naval Academy, the
enlistment of seamen and other important
subjects.
The number of vessels captured by the
sguadrons and reported to the Department on
the IsI of November is 1913 classified as
follows: Schooners, SAT; steamers, 179
sloops, l3l brigs. 30: banks. 20: ships
Is: yachts and small boats, 1T. This is
exclusive of large number destroyed on the
Mississippi and other rivers, and OIL the coast.
In the discharge of his arduous duties Mr..
Welles has g has been constantly cheered and
sustained by the assured conviction that the
Navy of the United States has achieved a
great and new historical renown that it has
expanded and is expanding in a measure com
mensurate with the eXigencies of the country
and of the times; that it has done and Is
doing heroic service in great and sacred
cause, and that its force is welded by body
Of officers and men who have established the
highest claim to the gratitude of the country"
GREAT GUNS IN THE MANY
The Report of the Ordnance Bureau gives
an interesting view of the enforced progress
of work in that important branch of service.
The naval ordnance at the beginning of 1861,
consisted of ,S72 thirty-twos, 575 eight-inch,
3o5 nine-inch Dahlgrens, IS ten-inch, old aud
new, % eleven-inch Dahlgrens making $50
heavy guns with % twenty-fours 10Y
twelves, and 80 boat howitzersE We have
now ! ,202 howitzers of all kinds, 1872 thir-
ty-twos, SO eight-inch, SOS nne-inch Dahl
grens, 56 ten-inch, old and new, 1913 eleven
inch DahlgrenS, 200 thirteen-inch mortars
PA twenty-pound PARROTS, 237 thirty-pound
PARROTS, $50 e-hundred-p0und PARROTS, so
one hundred-and-Gfty-p pound PARROTS, TWEEN
ty-pound rided PARROTS, and SO fifteen-inch
sm0otii-bores in all 5,777 pieces, against
1850 IN 1861. Over 200 more guns OF the
new sort VIII be done before the year closes.
Several new foundres have been started. and
the means are now equal to the demand
The enormous amount of proiectiles used may
be seen in the following figures: Shells made
and bought GIT; shot so, 1872; shrapnaI,
grape, and canister, 9,443,9 4S pounds. OF
gunYowder, 1850 tuus have been ordered
since March l, IS61-of which 2,67G tuns
were from foreign inter. The report details
operations in small-aTms, gun-carrages, fuses,
&c. All this appertains to the Navy alone
The report says The general efficiency of
the ordnance Of our Navy far excels that of
any other its superiority being due mainly, or
wholly, to the Improvements of the last two
years. Further extensive improvements are
in contemplation, and estimates IL accordance
are presented to Congress"
TIE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
is a clearand comprehensive document. Sec
rotary Usher reviews the operations of his Blu
reauIn the fullest detail, and, in general shows
very satisfactory results, accompanied by sensi-
bic suggestions. One Of these suggestions is
that a moderate tas be levied on the product
Of the gold mines, which are now uuburden-
ed in that respect. Indian affairs are re-
viewed at length, and the setting apart of
new and larger reservations is urged the
Pension Bureau Is rapidly increasing in its
number of pensioners, which now reach Is
Gag from the army and / 1872 from the navy,
requiring an outlay of fully 81 800 600
per aunum; the Patent Office has issued near
~ four thousand patents during the past year;
the Government Asylum for the Insane has
greatly enlarged its sphere of usefulness by
atfOrdIng refuge for many of the uniortu
mates Of the war, and the Institution for the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind has been managed
with great success good progress has been
made on the Capitol extension, and nearly all
the works of art designed to embelish the
Capitol building have been completed and
put in their places. In reference to the Afri-
can Slave trade, the Secretary saws not a sin
gle vessel Is known to have been fitted out
for that purpose in our own waters during the
past year. An iudisposition on the part of
the negroes TO colonize is noted and in view
of the new policy Of the Government toward
them it Is now questionable whether the eff
fort should be kept up. 1t is suggested that
thousands of free colored laborers NAV be
Proftably employed in the Instruction of the
Pacific Railroad. The establishment of Il
Bureau of National Statistics is earnestly
recommended, because it viii contribute to
the advancement of all the public interests
commerce, agriculture, finance, &c.-and
enable the Government 20 permanently pre-
serve the experience and statistical knowI-
edge il has gained. The rest of the report
treats mainly of affairs in the District of Co
lumbia, all of which are represented as in
commendable shape
Accompanying the report of the Secretary
of the Interior Is that OF the Commissioner of
the General Land Office The great struggle
i'm which the country is engaged still tends to
retard the purchase and settlement of the
public domain, and as a source of revenue
the public land sales cannot be depended on
at present But the operations of the Home
stead Law are encouraging. q million and a