National Republican., 1873-12-02

THE NAVY.
ANNUAL REPORT OF tbs SECRETARY

" uuN uuF NnNy Sousfsts VI" utFb INC
ships Are and what They Are Doing
Tho Inter-Ocessic Canal PrsIect-Ths
Arctic Observation-Disclosures OF Re-
pcnses for the CsmisG Year.
WASHINGTON. Nov. %. 1873. 7
siR The following report OF the Navy De-
,artment and the naval service for the past |
year IL respectfully submitted;
There arc now In the navy 1855 vessels, car |
rying, exclusive Of howitzcrs, 1880 guns,
which Is 9 reduction, since my last annual
report, by sale and otherwise, Of 10 vessels. |
A general enumeration Of these vessels pre- |
scuts, 83 steamers, other than iron-clads and
tugs, carrying $40 guns; 30 sailing vessels, 500
guns; lron-clad vessels, 12i guns, and e5tugs,
used for navy yard and freight purposes.
Of this number there are at present In COM
mission for sca-service, distributed on tho
several foreign stations and on our own
coast, 10 vessels, carrying 407 guns. The
cruising or active force Of the navy, as these
may DO called, and which Is controlled by the
appropriations made and the seamcn au-
thorized by law, is about the same as last
year, the places Of those vessels which have
been put out Of commission within the past
twelve months, from expiration Of the cruises
or for other causes, having been supplied by
commissioning and sending TO sea 4 corro-
spending number Of others.
The list will show force slightly decreased
In numbers BY the sale Of como useless ves-
sells, which were, while we retained them,
only q source Of expense, and Il Is somc-
what weakened also In strength by the con-
dcmnatlon and laying up Of several OF our
whlte-oak cruisers which have reached the
limit Of their cruising-lifc and can no longer
bc used with safety on the seas.
Many Of the ships now on the navy list,
and which serve 10 swell the number TO the
figures above given, are far from being such
as are really needed, and theirt true condition,
which has been often officially represented to
Congress, can be fully understood and appro-
ciatcd by reference to the reports Of the bt-
reaus which are herewith submitted.
In the meanwhile, however, we have been
engaged In completely repairing six Of our
live oak cruising ships, which are now In
various stages Of iorwardness at tho several
navy-yards. These are all Of moderate size,
and none Of them sufficiently advanced to DO
Of present use, but they are adapted to the
wants Of our cruising navy, and will In few
months add materially TO Its strength and effi-
cheney.
The eight new sloops.of-war authorized by
thC iaet SohHttob nv uh III ptoCCrr VI Duilu-
ing-onc half at the various navy yards,
three under contract In private yards, and
tho remaining one under private contract in
the navy yard ut Klttery. The building Of
these ships, with thor engines and ina.
chincry, Is progressing rapidly, and the
work, widely distributed at more than q
dozen naval stations and private establish
employment Of several thousands Of work
mon, and TO the maintenance Of the very
large number Of persons dependent upon
their labor for support and education. Il Il
not without qualification that am able tc
report that, besides the great value and i'm.
portance Of this work TO the service, We have
also been able so to utilize the liberallty oi
Congress as to contribute materially to the
business intcrestsof the country and TO the
support and comfort Of many producing and
dependent people.
The valuable work thus begun should moi
be discontinued, but the Department should
be provided with q moderate amount OF
funds and authorized to commence each
year to build certain number of tons, to
supply regularly the regular yearly oxpcndi
turc Of naval force which will Of necessity
| occur
IRoN-CLADs.
The work Of putting our iron-clad fore,
In efficient condition, referred to In my las
| report, has been proceeded with as fast as
tic means necessary for the extraordinary
work could DO spared from the current ap-
preparations for the support Of the navy
The wisdom Of this action needs no illustra
tion from me at this time; without It W,
would have been left not only powerless Il
assert our own rights, but almost defence
| less against arrogance or aggression; but th,
expenditure required has crippled our work
Ing bureaus In their general work, and Il Il
necessary that this should be reimbursed /.
them u they are to proceed steadily ant
| CRUISING STATIONS.
The stations have been unchanged during
the year. As now established they are desli,
mated as the European, the Aslatlc, the Nortl
| Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the North Pa
cifc and the South Pacific. Over these, en-
bracing the frcquented waters Of the globe
arc scattered cruising force Of less thar
forty vessels, which by their presence arc TO
| lied on 10 encourage our citizens, and, IL re
quired, to protect them and their property IL
all lands to which, by their inclinations or In
tercsts, they arc drawn.
The European station-Rear Admiral A
Ludlow Case commands the naval force OF
the European station, having succeeded Rea
Admiral James Alden at villefranche June 2
when the latter transferred his flag from the
| Wabash to the Brooklyn and returned home
arriving at New York July 10.
The vessels have been actively cruising
during tho year. and have visited ports O
Great Britain, Holland, Germany, France
Portugal Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Tur
key, Syria, Egypt, Tunis, Tipoll, Algier,
and Africa, the Islands Of the Mediterranean
&c.
The disturbances In Spain which called .
part Of this force to that coast In July last
have continued to require the presence OF
two, or three vessels, which have given par.
tlcular attention to the ports where thcr,
were American citizeus and interests. The,
have been under instructions TO give full pro
lection to such, and TO carefully abstain frou
Interfering In any way with the affai rs Of th,
| country or Its people, except for the protec
tion OF our citizens aud their property. The
position Of our commanding officers In ths
quarter has at times been extremely delicate,
requiring, the exercise Of sound discretion
In the appendix which accompanies this
report will be found summary OF the move.
ments OF the vessels on this station and on
the others. ..H.
Tho AsiatIc statiou-Rear Admiral Thorn.
ton A. jenkins, who was at the date Of the
last report and Is still In command Of the
| force on this station, will soon be relieved by
Rear Admiral L. G. Psrrott who sailed In
the mail steamer Of the LIST Of November
from San Francisco.
Undisturbed friendly relations between our
| country and the great empires Of tho East
have made the duties Of our officers and YES.
sells on the Asiatic station peaceful and agree.
| able. At the same time an increasing COM
merce, the opening Of new avenues Of
trade, the surveying Of uncertain and
Intricate channels, and the determining
and hxing Of dangers to navigation have
| afforded them useful employment, and
given an Importance and Interest to The
station surpassed by no other. The vesseli
have repeatedly visited the ports Of China
and Japan, penetrated their rivers as far q
treaty stipulation and navigation would per.
init, and with scarcely an exception were re'
ceiyed everywhere with good feeling. They
have also extended their visits to Singapore
Bankok, Calcutta and Manila.
The Colorado arrived at New York In
March, aud the Alaska In February, from
this station, and their places were taken BY
the Hartford and Yantic.
The North Atlantic Statlon-Rear Admiral
@. II. Scott, who Is at present In command OF
the force on the North Atlantic station, re-
| lleved Rear Admiral Joseph y. Green at Key
West May 10, and the latter returned "a
Boston In the Powhatan, arriving May az,
and hauled down his flag.
The force on this station was reduced In
the spring and summer by ordering north, as
q necessity, some Of the vessels, which were
much In need Of repairs and whose crews
needed change, having been long In the
tropics. The Shawmut and Nipsic, two Of
tho smaller but active class Of vessels, came
north In June, and the Richmond was,