Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-10

as fully setlforth in the letter OF General
Hitchcock. 4th, operations under the
act for enrolling and calling out the ma
tional forces detailed i'm the report of
the Provost Martial General 9th the
organization of the invalid corps 18th
the operators of the several departments
of the Quartermaster General, Commisa-
ry General, Paymaster General, Chief of
Engineers, Chief of Ordinance and Sur
geon General. Ithas appeared impossible
to make valuable summaryo this report
except such as would betoo, extended for
this place, and hence / content myself
with. referring your attention to the. re-
port itself The duties devolving onsthe
naval branch of heeservice during the
year, and Throughout the whole of this
unhappy contest, have BEEN discharged
with fidelity and eminent success. 3 =
The extensive blockade has been con-"
stantly increasing in efficiency as the:
navy has expanded Yet on so long aiine.
it has, so fars been impossible to entirely.
suppress illicit trade. From thereturns;
received at tho Navy Depaftmept, it APP.
pears that more than I 900 vessels. have.
been captured since the blockade was ins,
stituted, and yiiat the value Of the prizes
already sent In for adjudication amounts.
to over $l3, O0O, 900 = e. =
The naval force Of the. United States
consists at this time of 5Ss vessels, com
pleted and in coursesof construction, and
of these IS areiron elad, armored steam
ers =
The events. of the war gave an in
creased interest and Importance to the
Navy which win probably extend beyond
the war itself
The armed vessels in our navy com
pleted and in service, or under contract
and approaching completion, are behev-
ed to exceed in number thosesof any
other power. ,While,they may be relied
upon for harbor defence and seacoast
service, others of greater strength and
capacity will be necessary for cruising
purposes and to maintain ourrightful pos
ition on the ocean. The change that has
taken place in naval warfare since the in
PRODUCTION of steam as q motive power
| for ships, of war, demands either CORES
ponding change in some of our existing
navy yards, orsthe establishment of new
ones, for the CONSTRUCTION and necessary
lrepai- of modern war vessels. No I'M.
considerable enbarrassment,. delay and
public injury have been experienced from
the want of such Government establish
meuts. The necessity of such a navy
| yard, so furnished, at some suitableplace
upon Che Atlantic seabosrd, has, ohlre-
peated occasions, been brought to the at
tention Of Congress by the Navy Depart
ment, and is again presented in the re-
! port ofthe Secretary (which accompanies
| this communication think it my duty
to invite your special attention to this
subject and also thalof the establishment
of a u ard and Depot, for naval purposes,
upon one of.lthei WesteFa riveFs.A Aina.
val force has been created on these in
terror waters, and under many, disad Ivan
tages, within little more than two wears,
exceeding IN numbers the whole naval
force of the country at the commence
ment of the present administration Sat
isfactery and important as have
been the performances of the heroic men
] of the navy at this period, they are
scarcely more wonderful than the servi
ces Of our mechanics and citizens in the
production ofsgar vessels, which has ere
ated a new form of naval power. Oul
4 country has advantages superior to any
4 other nation, lin our resources of iror
and timber with inexhaustible quaint
ties of fuel in the Immediate vicin
ity of both, and all accessible
and in close proximity to navigable
waters without the disadvantage Of pub
4 lie risks. The resources of the nation
have been developed and its power displa,
ed u tsseqassEsss0n Of asy VT ses
4. cd of its creation rendered signal service
to the Union. The increase of the mum
her of seamen in the public service from
$4,000 men in the Spring Of 1861, t.
about $4,000 at the present time, has beer
accomplished without special Legislation
or extraordinary bounties to promot,
that increase. It has been found, howev
er, that the operations of the draft will
high bounties paid for army recruits, i
beginning to effect, inlurioasly) the naval
service and win, ifnot corrected, belize
ly to impair its efficiency BY detachin,
seamen from their proper vocation anC
inducing them to enter the army. ]
therefore, respectfully suggest that Con
gress might aid both the army and ma
i val service by adequate provision on thi
I subject which would at the same time b.
equitable to the communities more es
II pecially interested
| Icommend togyour consideration tn,
: suggestions of the Secretary of the Navy
in regard to the policy of fostering anc
training seamen for naval servSee TIL,
/ Naval Academy is rendering signal ser
vice in preparing midshipmen for hight
responsible duties, which in after lif,
they will be required to perform. In or
der that the country, should not be de
Prived of the proper quota of educated
officers for which legal provision ha.
been made at the naval school, the va
cancies caused by the neglect or omis
sion to make nominations from thu
States in instruction, have been filler
by the Secretary of the Navy. The schoo
| is now more full and complete than a
any previous period, and in every respec
entitled to the favorable consideration O
Congress.
During the past year the financial con
Fdition of the Post Office Department
udS DSCu OHc Vi AuCESdS6Q pTOSperlCy,2n NJ
! am gratiIed to be able to state that
accounts of Postal Revenue has nearl,
e9ualed the entire expenditure, the latte
amounting TO $I1 ,314, 000,S4, !. and tn,
| former to ST., 1879. SO, leaving a de
fciency Of but $50, AZ. IS. IN 1860. III,
! / year Immediately preceding the rebel
lion, the deficiency amounted to 1856,
4 705. a. The postal receipts ofthat yea
were 81, 645, 72219 less than those 3
1862. The decrease, since 1860, in th
annud amount Of trans portation, ha
been only about 25 per cent, but the ANN
al expenditures. on account of the same
have been reduced IS per cent 1t. i
manifest, therefore, that the Post Ofic
Department may become selfsustainin,
in few years, even with the restoration
6 of the whole service.
The International conference of posta
] delegates from the principal countrie
of Europe and America which was calle
at the suggestion o.. the Post Maste
General, met at Paris on the. 1lth @
May last and concluded its deliberation