The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-12-17

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qualities. The navy at present consists Of
i6S vessels, with 1884 guns. OF iron clad
or armored vessels, Is are OF class and In
condition for actual and efficient service.
Four others of the class of powerful double
turreted monitors are actually on hand under
going repairs, and fifth is well worth the
same attention.; but the remainder may be
counted as really useless for any active ana
efficient purpose. One-half OF the steam
navy adapted to cruising is in commission,
and i'm actual service. This number OF YES
sells can not be prudently diminished, but II
it Is to be maintained there must be gradual
and constant addition TO the navy to sup
ply the places of those which are each year
found to be worn out and unit for further
service, and for this purpose fixed amount
of tonnage should be built every year. This
amount may be small, but II should be con-
slant and unfailing. To this end the Depart
ment has accumulated large amount of
live oak timber in the various navy yards,
where it will yearly improve in condition
and be available as the very best material
for the frames of any ships IL may at any
time be necessary or desirable to build. The
rapid and almost complete disappearance of
this most valuable ship timber from our
shOres-la-ge quantities being sent abroad
should arrest the attention of Congress, and
measures should be taken to secure what re-
mains.
The Secretary recites the facts in the Vir-
ginius affair, and refers to the yellow-fever
| epidemic at Pensacola, and the great naval
drill off the coast of Florida. He recon-
mends that il the Icelandic Committee sent
out in Government vessel to examine sew.
eral points on the Alaska coast, with view
to settlement by their cOuntrymen, shall find
ut any point on the Pacific coast satisfac.
tory location, that whatever assistance the
Government is competent to extend toward
establishing an Icelandic colony there, be
promptly offered, as the Icelanders would be
| a valuable and fruitful source of supply to
| the naval service of trained American sea-
men in the time of need. The Secretary
calls attention to the importance of the hy-
geographic Office. He thinks special atten.
ton should be given the surveys of the
North Pacific Ocean, and argues the pro-
priety of increasing the development and
resources of the navy yards. The appropri-
atoms applicable to the fiscal year ending
June 30th, 1874, including the unexpended
balance of appropriations for the building
of the new sloops, and the special appropri.
ations to reimburse the bureaus for their
extraordinary expenditures during the
threatened complications with Spain,
amounted in the aggregate to $27 ,147 1867,
and the actual expenditures for the same
period from these appropriations amounted
to $50, 254, 155, or about 5000 900 less then the
whole amount The appropriations made
available for the current year, commencing
July l, 1874, amounts IN the aggregate to
$19,273,731.
The amount of these appropriations fol
the current year, drawn for the five months
since July LIST up to December LIST, 1874, il
81 1854, 446, which reduced by the amount
refunded during the period, and the amount
remaining in the hands of paymasters anC
| agents of the Government will leave q little
less than $4,000, 900 as the sum actually ex
pended from the current appropriation
during the five working summer months o.
! this wear.