Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-12-10

d q 3 a
of I1ss4. will be shown in detail by the
ranoFt al the Secretary OF the Treasury
"a. which / invite yoar attention ~ y
sneieient 70 say here, that it's not .be lleSeai
that the actual results will exhibit . state
ftlle tinances less formidabl lie TO the coun.
try than the estimates of thAt officer mere
tofore submitted, while II 10 conndenty
expected that al the close Of the year DOM
disbursements aud debts will be found very
considerably less than has been anucipatea.
The report of the Secretary OF War, y
document OF great ipteFesti " CONSISTS OF
irst, the military operations OF the year
detailed In the report of the general-lns
chief; second, the organization OF coloEsq
persons into the war service tnlEat wy ts
exchange of prisoners 10 fully set toFtn 70
the letter of General Hitchoookj tonrIu,
the operations under the act, Tor snrolllng
and calling out the national forces, aelatl,
ed in the report of the Provost Aarsnal
General; fifth, the organization OF the lnr
valid corps.
The extensive blockade has been con-
.stantly increasing in efficiency as the navy
has expanded, yet on so long q line " mas
SO far been impossible to suppress ihcIt
trade. From the returns received az tue
Navy Department, 1t appears that more
than one thousand vessels have been cap
.tursd since the blockade was institutedi
and that the value Of the prizes already
sent in for adjudication, amount 10 over
$l3, 100000 The naval force of the United
States consists at this time of 5SS vessels
completed and in the course; of completion,
and of these IS are iron clad armed steam.
.ers. go
e Tue events of.the war give an increased
interest and importance to the navy, which
will probably extend beyond the war 1t
SELF The armored Yesasls ip our. ne q.
Cpmpleted and in service, or which are M
approaching completIou.'
are believed 70 exceed, ia numbers those u
any other power. But while these may 9s
relied upon fora harbor defence and sea-
coast sufvey, Others Of greater strength
and capacity will be necessary for cruising
purposes and TO maintain our rtghttul Pc
sition on the ocean, le ID -.
Satisfactory and important as has been
the performances of the heroic men OF the
navy at this period, they are scarcely more
wonderful than the services of our mechan-
les andsartsans in the production OF war
vessels, which has created new form OF
naval power. Our country has advantages
superior 70 any other nation, In our re-
sources ofirbn ndlumber, with inexhaust-
ible quantities of fuelin the immediate
vicinity OF. both, and all accessible and IN
close proximity to naVigable waters, withs
out the disadvantage of public risks.
Thechange that has taken placein naval
vessels and ,uavalawartarey since the intro
ductiOn of steam as motive power for
ships of war, demands either a,correspond-
Jog change'in, some of QUE existing navy
yards, or the establishment of new ones
for the construction and necessary repair
of modern war vessels. Noinconsidernbies
delay, and public injury
have been Experienced from the want Of
such government estab lishments m
The necessity of such q navy yard SO
at some suitable place upon the
Atlantic seabord, has on repeated occasions
been brought to thslattentiou of Congress
by the Navy Department., and Ia again pre-.
sented in she report of the Secretary, which
this communication. Think
it my duty toijnyite your special attention
to this subject, and also to that of estab
lishing yard and depot for naval purpo
ses upon one of the WeAterp rivers. A naval
force has been created ION these interior
waters and under many ttiisad vantages with
in little more than tWo years, exceeding In
the whole naval force. OF the cnun-
try at the commencement of the present
administration. j. -. 4
Tha resoareoS of the no tier ilsSer bVes',
developed and its power displayed IN the
Of a navy of such magnitude,
which has at the very. period of its creation
rendered signal service to the Union. The
increase of the number of seemen In the
public service from 1000 men in the spring
of 1861 to about "a, 600 at the present
time, has been accomplished without espe-
cialilegislation or extraordinary bounttes
TO promote that exercise.
1t has been found, however, that the OPP
eratiops of the draft, with high bounties
paid for army recruits, is beginning to Ell.
feet injuriousIy the naval service, and
will, If not corrected, be likely to impair
It's efficiency by attracting seameng from
their proper vocation aud inducing them
to enter the army. Therefore respectful
~ suggest that Congress might aid both
the army and naval service by an adequate
provision on this subject, which would at
the same time be equitable to the commus
mites more especially intended, !.
T7commend to your consideration the
suggestions of the Secretary Of the Navy in
regard to the policy of fostering and train
ing seamen. for naval service. The Naval
Academy is rendering signal service In
preparing midshipmen for highly respon-
sibie duties, which, in after life, they viii
be required 20 perform in order that the
country should not be deprived of the
proper quota of educated officers, for
which legal provision has been made Ut
the Naval School. The vacancies caused
by the neglect OF omission 20 make nomi-
nations from the Statss in insurrectioh
have been filled by the Secretary of the
Navy The school is now more full and
complete than at any previous period, and
in every respect entitled to the favorable.
consideration of Congress.
During the past 81 seal year, the financial
condition Of the POST ONCE Department.
has been one OF increasing prosperity, and
/ am grAtitied Ia being abletto state that
the accounts OF. postal revenue have nearly
mer to 81 i 1ss z g ss leSyiag ds6sitney