Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-12-15

OF the Secretary OF the Treasury. 10 which
L invite your attention. 1t is euficient 40
say here that it is not believed that the A..
tual results will exhibit state. of the foaD.
ces less favorable to the country thsn tho
estimates OF that officer, heretofore submit.
ted; while it is confidently expected that.
ct the close of the year, both disbursements.
and debts will be found very considerable
less than has been anticipated.
THE WAR REPORT.
The report of the Secretary Of War e. =
document of great interest. 1t consists III
hrst, the military operations of the year'
detailed IN the report of the General in,
Ohlei; second, the organisation Of oolorea,
Per'ons into the war service; third tbe,
quesnon oil exchange Of prIsoaers, fuHy set.
iortn In the letter Of Gen, HitebSocL.
iourtn' operations under the actor erroH.
my and calling out the national foreas. d.,
tslieu IN the report OF the Provost Marshal
UsnsIa; ntth, the organization Of the In-f
the several department,-of the Quarte-.
master General, Commissary General. Prv.,
master General, Chief of Engineer. Chat
OF Ordnance, and Surgeon General.
Ii has appeared impossible to mako a,
valuable summary of this report. ezces1.
such as would DO too extended for ms
Ilace, and hence content myself with "a.
ferring your attention to the report it,
self.
TIE NAVY.
The duties devolving On the naval
branch ct the service during the year, and
throughout the whole Of this D3bspp5 san,
test have been discharged with "a eIity
ana eminent success. The extensive block,
aoe has been constantly increasing in eff,
cheney as the Navy has expanded. Y.t On
so long line, it has SO far been imposs;-
BILE to entirely supprese illicit trade
From the returns received at the NAVY
Department, it appears that more than l..
0OO vessels have been captured since the
blockade was instituted, and that the yalus
of the prizes already sent in for adSodi,
cation amount to over thirteen million dol
lars.
The naval force Of the United States
consists at this time of 558 vesseIs com.
pleted and in the course of completion: and
OF these seVenty-hve are iron clad, .armored
steamers.
The events Of the war give an Increased
interest and importance to the navy, which
will probably extend beyond the war H.
self.
The armored vessels in our navy, com
pleted ard N service, or which are under
contract and approaching completion, ara
believed to exceed in number those Of aoS.
other power; but, while these may be re,
he'd Upon for harbor defence and sea coast
service, others, of greater strength and ca.
pacity, will be necessary for cruising pur-
poses' and to maintain our rightful posi-
ton on the ocean.
Tho ahonno hat ao al, Il
vessels and naval warfare since the intro
duction Of steam as q motive mover for
ships-ofwar, demands either a corresnond..
ing change in some of our Navy Yards. q.
the establishment of new ones fer the eoo-,
struction and necessary repairs Of modern
war vessels.
No uncomfortable embarrassment. deIav
and public injury have been experienced
from the want OF such government estao-
lIfbTGents. The necessity Of such NAVY
Yard, so FURNISHED, at soma suitable place
upon the Atlantic seaboard, has. on re.
pessec occasions, been brought to the at
tention Of Congress by the Navy Depart.
ment, and is again presented in the report
OF the Secretary, which accompanies this
coHsU snicatiOn.
I think it my duty to. invite your spss
cial attention tetbis subject, and also 20
that OF establishing yard and depot for
naval purposes upon of the western
rivers. Il naval fOrce has been created
On these western waters, and under MANY
disadvantages, within little moro .han two
years, exceeding in numbers the whSle-
naval force of the country. -.
Satisfactory and important as have been
the performances Of The heroic ofthe navy.
at this interesting period, they are scayce.r
ly more wonderful than the services of
our mechanics and artisans in the pro-;
ducition of war vessels. which has created
q new form of naval power. Our country.
has advantages superior to any other nas.
ton IN our resources Of iron and timber.
with inexhaustible quantities of fuel in
the immediate. vicinity of both, and air
available, and in close proximity to nayi-
gable;waters. Without the advantage of
public works, the resources of the nation
have been developed and its power. dis.
played, IN the construction Of a navy Of.
such magnitude, which has, at the very
period of Its creation, rendered sig1al SER
vice to the Union
The increase of the number of seamen
in the public service from 900 men, in
the spring of 1861, to about 1890, at
the present time, has been ACCOMPLISHED
without especial legislation aud extraor.
binary bOunties to promote that increase.
II has been found however, that the ones
ration Of the draft, with the high bou mites
paid tor arn.y recruits is beginning TO
effect injuriously the naval service, and
will, if not conrrected, be likely to i'm.
pair its efficiency, by detaching seameu
from their proper yoostions. and inducing
them to enter the army, | therefore res~
pectfully suggest that Congress might aid
both the army and naval service By ade-
quate provision on this subjecf, which
would, at the same time, be equitable 70
the community more especially interess
ed.
recommend 10 your consideration the
suggestion of the Secretary of the NAVY
in regard t. the policy of fostering and
training semen for the naval service
The Naval Academy is rendering signal
service in preparing Midshipmen for the
highly responsible duties which In after -,
life they viii be required TO perform, in
order that the country should not be de-
prived Of educated officers for which legal
provision has been made.
At the naval School the vacancies csus.
ed by the neglect or omission to make
nominations from States 10 insurrecti %
have been filed by the Secretary of Navy.
The Schools now more full and complste
than at any previous period, and ia every
repect entitled to the favorable considera-
ton of Congress.
THE POST OFFICE DRHARTMESr.
During the past fiscal year, the fnau.
cial condition of the Post Office Depart.
ment has been one of increasing property
and am gratifed in being able to state
that the receipts of the postal reTsnue
have nearly equaled the expenditure the
latter amounting to Sll ,3l4, 000,s4 aud
the former 81 .062. 7s9 SO. leaving de-
6ciensy Of but $50, All, 25. In 1850. the
year Immediately precedin the rebslsjon,
tha deficiency amounted 20 s., Csc, 70s.49.