The New York herald., 1876-03-02
Pruning tho Navy Estimates.

The War Department spends this year the
monstrous sum of over $40, 500 600, and asks
for next year over $4,000, ,0OO We have
shown in previous articles where Congress
ought to save at least S11, 100000 or
$12, 600, 900 Of this sum without decreasing
the army. If, however, it does diminish the
army, it ought to save still more; and
if the House works with care we do
not doubt it could save $50, 900, OO0
partment S37, 900, 900, which is by far too
much. It's whole cost should not be over
S25, 900, 900, and we expect, therefore, that
Secretary Belknap will be grateful to us for
our extreme liberality.
When we come to consider Mr.. Robeson's
SIS, SOC, 900, and asks for next year nearly
S23, ,000,00 He also, timid soul, cannot
sleep of nights without large naval force to
protect him against on enemy. He dreams
of invasions he lies awake to hear the
boom of Spanish guns as he consumes his
frugal dinner he stops to wonder whether a
Mexican or Canadian frigate is not about
to open fire on the Navy Department. Be-
fore we consider his estimates in detail we
wish to comfort him. The country is not
going to war we are not going to attack
anybody, and nobody is going to attack u.s.
We are at peace, and if we behave ourselves
we shall not have war for half century
because we are too strong, our neighbors
are too weak and our friends across the ocean
have other affairs on their hands. Hence
the excellent Secretary of the Navy need not
get nervous. Soft be his slumbers and sweet
his dreams his beloved Camden is safe.
So now to business The navy pay list
Robeson's fears of sudden invasion by n
Mexican fleet lead him to prudently increase
his demand under this head to 81, GOO, 000
He ought, we have reason to think, to be
content with S4, 200, 600 at the utmost Thus
Mr. Randall would save n triie of SO. 500, OOO
and nobody would be hurt His "contin-
gent" has crept up from 500, 900 to Sl25, ,000
Why? II the House gives him S75, 900 he
will have enough. Aside from its scientific
work, which ought not to be diminished
because science is sacred. and we are not too
poor to support our scientific men but
aside from this the Bureau of Navigation
asks for s119 500. But if we lay up good
many of our ships in ordinary, as we ought
to do, this sum can be decreased Proba-
bly, $4,000 is quite enough. The
Bureau of Ordnance demands, including
the torpedo business, S5O3, 600, and
this includes ordnance work at all the navy
yards. As we mean TO propose the sale of
several of these useless encumbrances it is
probable that S250,0O0 will be n handsome
sum for this bureau to spend. Then comes
special appropriation Of $500 to arm
certain monitors. On the whole this might
rs well wait. They are continually invent
ing new guns in Europe, and it is better to
wait until we see what they have perfected
over there. We advise the committee to
strike out this $50, ,OOO though it might give
the odd $4,000 to be spent in watching the
progress of marine gunnery.
For the Bureau of Equipment and Recruit
ing the Jealous and fearful Robeson demands
not less than S1,5OO,O0O with 100000 rs
contingent" But it is his boast that he
has almost the whole feet already on q war