National Republican., 1882-08-07
THE NAVY BILL
AS 1T PASSED CONGRESS- SATURDAY,
Few OF the Salient Points OF the Dill-Ap.
pointments OF Cadets -Commodores-
Staff Corps-Rotired List-Navy
Yards OF the Country.

The points of difference between the Senate and
House on the naval appropriation bill were finally
settled Saturday, and the bill as agreed to I'm
ference was passed by both houses, engrossed,
signed, and sent to the President. The following
Is the text Of the more important legislative fea-
lures. The provision in regard to cadet midship-
men reads: "That hereafter there shall be no
appointments of cadet midshipmen or cadet en-
gineer at the Nhval Academy, but In lieu thereof
naval cadets shall be appointed from each Con-
gressional district and at large, as now provided
by law for cadet midshpmen, and all the under
graduates at the Naval Academy shall hereafter
be designated and called naval cadets;' and from
those who successfully complete the six years
course appointments shall hereafter be made as
1t is necessary to fill vacaucies in the lower
| grades OF the line, and that no greater
| number of appointments into these grades shall
be made each year than shall equal the number Of
| during the preceding year; such appointments to
be made from the graduates of the year at the
conclusion of their six years course in the order
| of merit as determined by the academic board of
the Naval Academy the assignment TO the yari-
GUS corps TO be made by the Secretary OF the Navy
| But nothing herein contained shall reduce the
number of such appointments from such gradu-
ates below ten III each year, nor deprive of such
| appointment any graduate VINO may complete the
| six years course during the year 1882. And If
| there be surplus of graduates those who do not
| receive such appointment shall be given certii-
cate of graduation and an honorable discharge
and one years sea.pay as now now provided by law
/ tOr CADET slnluSnlplneI. lll0C any Cuuet WHOSE
position In his class entities him to be retained in
| the service may, upon his own application, be
honorably discharged at the end OF four years
course at the Naval Academy with proper certif-
cate of graduation" The provision Of the House
| bill
| IN REGARD TO coMMoDoREs
is replaced by the following which fixes the num-
Dor of officers in each grade of the line: Here
after only half OF tho vacancies in the various
grades IN the ilnc OF the Navy shall shall be filled by
| to the following numbers, namely Rear admiras,
| 6; commodorcS, 10; captains 40 commanders, So ;
masters, 75 ensigns, rs; and thereafter promo
tons TO all vacancies shall be made, but not to in
crease in either of said grades above the numbers
aforesaid"
THE NUMBERs oB THE STAFF CORPS
are fixed follows: That the active list of medi-
cal corps of the Navy shall hereafter consist of 10
medical directors, l5 medical inspectors, 80 sur
geons, and 30 assistant aud passed assistant sur
reons that the active list of the pay corps of the
Navy shall hereafter consist of lS pay directors, l3
pay a. 70 ~ b
active list of the engineer corps of the Navy shall
hereafter consist Of 10 chief engineers with the
| the relative rank of commander, As chief en-
gineers with the relative rank OF lieutenant com
mander or lieutenant, passed assistant .r, en-
the relative rank for each as now fixed
| by law; and alter the number of officers In said
| grades shall be reduced as above provided, the
| number in each grade shall not exceed the re-
duccd number which is fixed by the provisions OF
this act for the several grades that no officer now
in the service shall be reduced in rank deprived
| of his commission by reason OF any provision of
| this act reducing the number of officers III the
several staff corps: provided, that no further ap-
pointment of cadet engineers shall be made by the
Secretary Of the Navy under section Of the act OF
| 1874; that as vacancies may occur in any of the
the Navy, no promotion shall be made to fill the
same until the number in the said grade shall be
reduced below the number which is fixed by the
| provision of this act for such grade" The new
provision in relation to relieved officers is as fol-
lows: Thereafter there shall be no promotion or
increase of pay in the retired list of the Navy but
the rank and pay of officers on the retired list shall
| be the same as they are when such officers shall
| be retired" The Senate amendment giving the
Secretary discretionary power to loan guns to the
American Ordnance Company for experimental
purposes is stricken out. In regard to closing any
| OF the navy.yards the bill provides "That II the
| Secretary of the Navy shall find that
WORK AT ALL THE NAvY-YARDs
| now maintained cannot be carried on during the
current fiscal year with advantage to the service
and to nf m ih for the
any civil establishment at the navy yard. he shall
not make any deficiency for these purposes but he
it can best be dispensed with, and shall close such
| yards and transfer all perishable property and
stores therefrom to other yards for use therein
action TO the next session of Congress- and al the
| yards so closed only such officers and employees
shall be retained are necessary to preserve and
| take care OF the property of the Government, and
all other persons shall be transferred or discharged
provided further that the navy-yard a. Washing
ion, d. c., may at the discretion of the Secretary
| of the Navy, be maintained as manufacturing
yard for the Bureaus OF Equipmentaud Recruiting
| and Ordnance, and that work may lie continued
in the rope. walk in the Boston navy-yard: and
provided further, that nothing herein shall be
held to interfere with the permanent improvement
OF any navy yard rs now authorized by law, or the
expenditure for such purpose of any money NJ
| propriated by Congress therefor. 1t authorizes
the Secretary Of the Navy to ascertain a ana repor
the Norfolk yard can be obtained. That the Sec
retary of the Navy shall
APPOINT COMMISSION,
to consist of three persons ore of whom shall bI
appointed from the line officers and one from the
staff officers of the Navy, and one from civil life
which commission shall consider and report to The
next session of Congress upon the question wheth
er II is advisable TO sell any of the yards ant
If SO, which; and as to each of said yards sale
commission shall report as to its cost, its area III
present value, including in separate items tht
value of the land structures, machinery, and
other personal property the depth of water at the
main at such depth, or will require expense tc
keep open its water communication; its condition
as to being in worRng order or otherwise; tn,
condition and value Of its "plant" in the differ.
ent Departments; its advantages and disadvnn-
tages MS a naval station, and for the construction
case the yard is discontinued; whether there is
any demand for the yard for mercantile or other
purposes; whether IL can probably be sold, and a
what price, In case of disc ontinuance;
TIE ANNUAL COST
during each OF the past fifteen years of maintain
ing IL; the value of what it has produced during
Zach Of said years, so far as it can be ascertained
its value or necessity for purposes of defense OF
that part of the coast where it is situated or IL
general. and also regards any city in !s vicinity
and any other facts which such commission ma,
decide useful or advisable to report in regard Il
this question: 1t also provides that it shall be the
duty of the Secretary of the Navy, soon as ma,
be after the passage of tn Is act 10 cause an Rccoun
to be taken of the stock of stores and supplies per
tanning and belonging to the several bureaus Of th
Navy Department, &c, and elaborate provision IL
| made for the sale of glCl rs is euble.
shall also be the duty of the Secretary of the Navy
soon may be after the passage of this act, lc
cause to be examined by competent boards of OH
GERS of the Navy, to be designated by him for tha
duty, all vessels belongngto the Navy not in aetna
service at sea- and vessels at soon practic
able after they shall return to the United States
and hereafter all VESSELS on their return from for
eign stations aud all vessels of the United States
as often as once in three years when practicable
and said boards shall ascertain and report to III,
Secretary of the Navy, in writing, which of sal
vessels are unfit for further service. or, If the
are unfinished III any navy-yard those whicl
cannot be finished without great disprnportionht,
expense and shall in such report state fully tn
| md fnr thnir nd 1