The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-12-09
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON, December 6.-An informal
interchange OF opinion OF the members OF
the National Executive Democratic Com
mittee took place to-day. Mr.. Schell,
Cairman OF the National Democratic Com
mit;ee, and also Chairman of the Eyecu-
tive Committee, was authorized to use hIs
discretion in calling the former committee
together, with view to designate time
and place for holding the next National
Democratic Convention, for the nomination
OF candidates for President and Vice-P resi-
dent of the l.. S.
Secretary Robeson's report Of the naval
service, for the year, shows that the num-
Der OF vessels, OF every class and descrip-
ton now borne on the navy register. is l47,
carrying l,l9o guns and 15.2, 1872 tons meas
urement. A part of these are sailing YES
sells, and are OF little or no value as . part
OF an efficient force, for either cruising or
lighting purposes, at the present dzy.
Steam vessels, Is distinguished from iron
clads and torpedo ships, number ninety
i've, of which twenty-five are tugs. Of the
remainder, thirty eight s.e ready for Use
when Sequired. Our iron-clads consist OF
twenty-six vessels, twenty-one of the Mont
tor type, two torpedo ships, and three that
have never been launched. All the ves-
sells, eighty in number, are available, in
Guiding sixteen iron-clads and two torpedo
boats. Details are given of the operations
of the fleets At each Of the six stations.
The Secretary has the following, in re-
gard TO the Navy: 1t is gratifying to be
able TO say the navy is now in a stronger
and more efficient condition than II has
ever been, at any time, since your admins
tration. 1t is not very strong in numbers,
nor in the classes of its ships, but what
there are of them are in As good condition
as it is practicable to keep such material
of war under the various and stringent con-
diiions to which they are naturally and con-
SANITY exposed. A larger proportion than
usual of our wooden ships are ready for SER
vice; our iron-clad feet is Efficient
our store houses are fairly stocked with ord
nance equipments and supplies, and We
have on hand fair supply Of the best ms
terial for the building and repairing OF
ships. The service has been placed in q
stale OF efficiency com pared with that which
existed few years ago, by utilizing, eI-
cept in the case of the eight sloops built
under Especial appropriation, what could
be spared from current appropriations, and
from appropriations made during the Cuban
and applying these means prac-
tically and steadily towards putting what
was worth saving OF the navy, as it existed,
in as good condition as the state of
the ships and the means at command
permitted. The wisdom of this policy is
illustrated by the strength Of our position
to-day. 1t would also be well, think, if
Congress would afford means to furnish, at
once, all repairs on the five double turreted
monitors, since, when they are finished, ac-
cording 10 the present design, our iron
clads will be much more powerful, and
they are, while undergoing repairs, useless
for any present purpose, and the process oil
them out of what can be spared
from the current appropriations, not only
cripples the Department in all its other OPP
erations, but il, of course, very slow. With
these added to it, our iron-clad force would,
for purposes OF defense, present a very sub
barrier to anything which would
cross the seas and attempt to enter our
ports.