Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-01

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etgn stations and on our own cossl
~ vessels, carrying 407 guns, the cruising 0
eciuiys eii ioIce oi tbe navy az tnese may y, 2
| tions made and seamen authorized BY law, !
about the same as last year. Six Of our live
OAK cruising ships are now ~ various stage
/. These are all of moderate size, and more thai
sufficiently advanced TO be of present use, bu
they are adapted to the wants OF oir crtiisin
navy, snd win In a few months add much .
| Its strength and efficiency. The eight slOop
of war authorized by the last cen
gress are all in process of building
The valuable work thus begun should moi b
discontinued, bat the department should b
PROVIDED with a moderate amount of funds
e and authorized 70 commence each year I
build 8 certain number of tons to supply reg
uiarly every year the expenditures of the ma
val force which will OF necessity occur. Tn
work OF putting our ironclad force in an Ell
cient condition-referred TO in the secretary
last report-has been proceeded with as fast a
The means necessary for the extraor
| current appropriations for the suppor
of the naYy. The wisdom OF this &C
tlon needs no Illustration from him al TN
; time; withoutit we would have been not only
powerless to assert our own rights, but almos
defenseless against arrogance or aggression
The secretary says that the naval force on the
North Atlantic station was reduced in tht
spring and summer by Ordering north, as q
necessity, some vessels which were VerS
crews needed change, having been long in
the tropics. The expeditions for the survey o.
the Darien and Nicaragua inter-oceauic cana
have completed their duties and submitted
the Polaris, says that her cruise h8sbeen de,
cidedly The most successful of all the Arctic
expeditions. The geographical knowledge oi
the Arctic regions has been largely advanced
| A very particular questioning Of every one oi
the officers and crew of the Polaris, and OF the
scientific corps, except the three persons as
yet unexamined, has completely salts
| he'd his associates and himself that
Captain EHalls death occurred from purely
natural causes. That snis medical treatment
! was iadicicnsly adapted 10 his case, and that
! he was tnndeffy nufsed snd cared for 70 the
last. The evidence has also made it manifest
that Daptain Hall was always nithfui to the
trust repoSed in him IN assigning him the
command of the expedition; that he was
1 kind, firm and humane in the exercise OF his
authority; that he was earnest in his desire,
and in his attempts to reach the high northern
latitude, ana If practicable the pole itself, and
mat his nntimeIy death was an irreparable
loss othe expedition. II Is also apparent that
| Captain Buddington, who succeeded the CHIEF
command on the death of Captain Hall proved
htmselt.to be good seaman, and that in all
/ the dangerous positions in which the Polaris
/ was placed mis- conduct as her commander
| was skilIful and judicious-the natural re-
mand in northern lstitHses The esecrefary re-
news his recommendation that the resources
Of the nayy-yards be increased and devei-
oped, so as to be prepared for all energen-
| be abandoned, and new buildings erected at
League island; that the New York yard be
4 BEcctINcQ On iD6 pICS6ub slUc, anu. tlAL tQt
| Pensacola yard be in a measure rebuilt.
The secretary earnestly recommends that
| ample provision be made for the support
| of the ordnance bureau, in order tnat nothing
may interfere with its ability TO supply our
| ships with the most powerful guns. The esti-
mates for the next fiscal year are Sl9,252 2s35,
| and TO this is added the sum of 1864 $50 for
current repairs, buildings, docks, and incl
dental expenses in the nRvyyards, etc. These
estimates are less than those OF last year by
rather more than S2D00,O00, but they do not in
clude any extraordinary expenditures for the
permanent improvement OF the navy, nor the
amounts necessary either for the repairs of
cution of some of the great works
necessary to The proper condition OF our naval
establishment. Since the commence
ment of the present month events
have taken place which made II
proper that the navy should be put at
once upon footing for active service. 1t is
by no III means the province OF this department,
as such, to take part in the conduct or discus
sion of any diplomatic question, nor should
its attitude, at time when serious interna-
tional difficulties are possible, be held to indi-
cate anything more than determination on
the part of the military department of the
government TO be prepared for action, should
the necessity for action arise. A respectable
force of war-veSsels and monitors is already
on the sea, and are concentrating at the sta
ton nearest the scene of our possible
difficulties. Our whole available iron
clad fleet is in hand, and every
wooden War-vesSel that will float is in
active preparation at the various naval
fitted as fast as proper crews can be provided
for them, and, If necessity. for action shou Id
come before time for it arrives, all there is OF
the American navy which can be put afoat
on the Atlantic ocean, will De in condition
and position to take its proper part. made
aIate says the secretary, as this force NAV be
deemed to the responsibilities and preteDsions
OF government like ours, and greatly at dis
advantage as we certainly will be in respect
TO the number and character of our vessels ia
contest with the fleets OF any respectable
naval power, believe that the activity, skill
science and experience of our navy will be
found equal to any difficulty which courage
to concur. The secretary concludes as fol-
lows: Sin taking action on the above referred
TO, the navy department has already incurred
considerable expense, and has been forced to
assume some responsibilities unusual in times
of peace, but convinced Of the wisdom OF
prompt and decided action, nave not shrank
fronn these RESPONSIBILITIES nor hesitattd with
the approval of the President, to make war
ike preparations in the interests of peace
and Of humanity. / confidently rely for sup
port in this attitude upon the patriotism and
good sense OF the American people and their
representatives, who cannot fail TO remem Der
that our naval condition is the result of causes
which have been constantly pressed upon
their consideration, but which have failed
TO receive fnIl attention, doubtless
on account of more pressing present
requirements aud obligations, and VINO will
clearly realize that the duties constantly post
poned are certain 10 be more dif1cult and
much more expensive when performed in
haste, under the pressure Of imperious ne
ceSsity. The department has had no necessity
10 overstep its appropriations, even 1T were
lawful to do so, but The pressing demands of
the present Will consume now what was pro-
vided for the service of the year in several OF
the working bureaus. These must be prompt
ly relieved If their work is to 20 on. The oc-
casion has clearly shown, / think, that our
navy as IL exists should at least be put in con-
dition for active service, and in any event a
moderate appropriation for this purpose
ought at once to be made, and if war should
by any possibility come, we must be literally
10
provide these to meet the emergency.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISING ARCHI-
TECT.
WASHINGTON, d. C., November SO.-Super
vising Architect Mullet in his report, after
enumerating sites purchased for public build
ings, recommends an appropriation for the
purchase of additional property to enlarge the
Site occupied by the cuStomhouse at ST. Paul
In reference to the public buildings at Chi
cago, Mullet says "I desire 10 call the atten-
tion of the department to the importance OF
erecting an Adams street front, for which
no appropriation has yet been made
II is of great Importance that this
front should be erected simultaneously with
the remainder, and as the building win be re-
Quired, would strongly recommend that an
appropriation be obtained for the commence
ment of that wing Should this be done a
considerable saving in cost, as well as time,
viii be made, and the entire building can be
placed under roof at an early day. Progress
ON the public buildings at st. Louis has been
very unsatisfactory, but it is trusted
that the obstacles in the way of It's
rapid prosecution will soon be
renewed. The postoffice and .customhouse
at Pittsburgs lar too small, and he recon-
mends an app opriation TO commence build
ing in that city at an early day. He also
thinks il desirable that a new building should
be erected at Toledo, OHIO. Appropriations for
the erection of proposed new buildings at
Nashville, ovington, Kentucky; Evansville
cient, and it is impossible to COM
ply with the restrictions on their
inadequate in size and unsuitable for the puf-
poses Intended, and the architect suggests that
In cases where it is not considered desirable to
appropriate the amount necessary to erect
suitable and permanent buildings, it would be
more advantageous to defer action and rent
accommodations until such time
as the finances of the government may
warrant the appropriation of the necessary
amount" He reviews the recommendations TO
sell the marine hospital property at
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and also at Detroit,
Michigan. He thinks il indispensably neees-
sary that the east front of the treasury de-
partment be rebuilt, and recommends the
erection of a building for the accommodation
of the new printing bureau, and for the re-
cords of departments; ;also that steps be taken
to secure from the city of New York the who G |
or portion of the battery Tor the erection OF
a new customhOuse, and that suitable ap-
praiser'S offices be built in the same locality. |
He recommends the extension of the Detroit |
In conclusion Mullet |
calls attention to the eight-hou |
law as Injurious 70 the best in |
hcfc>tS VI iIS sOfti anu 70 WOTkmGu
and he says If this rule is to be the
permanent policy OF The government, and its |
mechanics and laborers are TO be compensated |
al the rate of twenty per cent above the |
highest market rates, al see no reason why |
officers, clerks, and other employees of the |
government should not be paid by the same |
rule. Under the present system, gentlemen of |
education who occupy positions of trust and |
great pecuniary responsibility in the different |
bureausaetually receive less than mechanics |
wages, and are Disseminated against in favor |
of men who, as rule, exhibit little interest in
the performance of their duties, and have |
no responsibility whatever. 1t is also a fact |
that many mechanics receive, under the |
present system, not only more than the fore
man and master mechanics, but more than |
the superintendent OF the work on which |
they are engaged. The latter glasses being |
allowed no compensation for extra labor per- |
formed.
The sndden death of an old rnuoln-