National Republican., 1883-01-17
THEY'LL HAVE TO GO TO SEA,
and Then They'll All be Old Men Before
They're Admirals.
A Full Abstract Of Mr., Robesons New
Naval Appropriation Bill,
II Provides for New Ships and Makes Promotions
Depend on Service at Sea,
NO Officers TO he Detailed for Shore Duty
Unless Absolutely Needed.

y
the house of representatives yesterday recon.
mends total appropriation Of $l5,20O,100
for the fiscal year ending juno 80 1854. Tho
amount of $3,939,lOO is appropriated for the
pay of an "actvo list" TO be composed as fol-
lows:
One admiral, ono vice admiral, eleven rear
admirals, eight chiefs Of bureau, twonty-four
commodores, forty-oight captains, ninety COM
manders, eighty lieutenant commanders, two
hundred and eighty licutcnants, one hundred
masters, one hundred ensgns, nnety-one
midshipmcn, fourteen medical directors, ff-
teen medical inspectors, fifty surgeons eighty
passed assistant surgeons, twelve assistant
surgeons, two assistant surgeons, not in the
line of promotion, who shall, nftcr fif-
teen years service, be entitled to re-
ceivo, rs annual pay, when Mt sea,
when on shore duty, Sls0O, and when on
leave or waiting orders, 81 600; thirteen pay
directors, twelve pay inspectors, fifty pay
masters, thirty passed assistant paymasters,
nineteen assistant paymastcrs, siNty-ninc
chief engineers, ninety-nine passed assistant
engineers, siXtv-two assistant engineers, sixty
two cadet engineers lgraduatcsl, twcnty-threc
chaplains, eleven professors of mathematics,
ten naval constructors six assistant naval
constructors, ten civil engineers, one hundred
and nincty-fivc warrant officers forty mates
On the subject of promotions the bill pro-
vides that no officer shall in time of peace, be
deemed or reported fit to be promoted to the
grade of lieutenant unless he shall have seen
four years service at sea no lieutenant, un-
less he shall have seen six years service at
sea rs a lieutenant; no lieutenant commander,
unless he shall have seen four years service
at sea as lieutenant commander; and no
commander, unless he shall have seen three
years service at sea in command Of United
States vessel or ycssls; provided also, that when
any commodore shall reach the age of 60 years,
any captain the age of 80 years, amy cOmman-
der the age of 81 years, any lieutenant com
mander the age of AZ years, or any lieutenant
the age of 10 years. he shall he retired by the
President from active service. and shall 20
upon the retired list of the navy MS of the
grade held by him at the date Of his retire
ment.
The bill also provides that hereafter none
of the vacancies that may occur in the various
grades of the line of the navy shall be filled
by promotion until such grade be reduced
below the numbers fixed by act of Aug. s. 1852.
The bill appropriatcs SOB, $50 for the pay of
the retired list and provides that hereafter
all promotions to the grade OF rear admiral on
the active list shall be made by selection from
the grades of commodore ana captain; aud no
more promotionsto the grade of commodore
shall be made that grade being hereby abol-
ished; PiOCidcd, hOccUCr, That no commodore
now in the service shall be reduced in rank or
deprived of his commission by reason of this
act And prOridcd FURTHER, That when
vacancy in the grade Of rear adj
miral shall occur, it shall be
the duty of the secretary of the navy 10 con-
venc a board of three officers, not below the
grade of rear admiral, who shall select the
names of five officers not below the grade of
captain, one of whom shall he nominated by
the President to fill the said vacancy and
provided further, that the senior commodore
over whom junior in rank is thus promoted,
may unon his own application, be placed
upon the retired llst Win inc rank ol rear
admiral,
The other principal items in the bill are as
follows.
For pay to petty officers, scamen, ordinary
seamen, landsmcn, and boys, including men
in the engineers force and for the coast sur
voy service, not exceeding $3.50 in all, S?,-
100000.
For secretaries to the admiral and vice ad-
miral, clerks to paymastcrs, clerks ut inspeC
tions, navy yards and stations, and extra pay
to men enlisted under honorable discharge,
transportation Of funds, mileage to officers
while travelling under orders in the United
States, and for actual personal expenses Of of
nccrs while travelling abroad under orders,
and for the payment of any such officers as
may be in service, either upon the active or
retired list during the year ending June 80
1854, in excess of the members Of each class
provided for in this act, and for any increase
of nav arising from different duty, rs the
needs of the service may require, 100000
And all officers of the navy shall be
credited with the actual time they may have
served us officers or enlisted men in the Tegu-
lar or volunteer army or navy, or both, and
shall receive all the benefits Of such actual
service in all respects in the same manner as
if all said service had been continuous and
in the regular navy in the lowest grade hav.
ing graduated pay held by such officer since
last entering service.
For contingent expenses of the navy
100000.
For foreign and local pilotago and various
purposes under the bureau Of navigation
$4,000.
For procuring, producing and preserving
ordnance material for the armament o
ships, $l50,00O, and any balance of the apprO
priation made for commencing the manutac
ture of steel rihed brecch-loading guns, will
carriages and ammunition, that may be uneX
pended during the fiscal year 1883, is hereby
appropriated.
For continuing tho manufacture of stee
rifed breech-loading guns, with carriages ant
ammunition, 100000
For the torpedo corps, $4,000.
For purchase, after full investigation and
experiment, of automobile torpedoes Of the
fastest and best construction, with appliances
for their use, 100000.
For equipment of vessels coal, &C., $s25000
For expenses of recruiting, $4,000.
For contingent expenses in the bureau o
equipment and recruiting $4,000.
For general maintenance Of yards ant
docks, 100000.
For contingent expenses that may arise a
navy yards and stations, $4,000.
For support Of the medical department
$4,000.
For the naval hospital fund, 100000; and i
the secretary of the navy shall not be able {,
maintain properly the whole number Of naya
hospitals now kept open, on the amounts
hereby appropriated for the maintenance of
and civil establishment at, naval hospitals, Ii,
shall close those which arc the least necessary
to the service, and provide for the patient
now cared for therein Mt such other naya
hospitals as may be most convenient.
For contingent expenses of the bureau o
medicine and surgery, $4,000,
For necessary repairs of naval laboratory
naval hospitals, and nppcndages, $4,000
For provisions for the scamon and marines
$1100,0OO.
For contingent expenses in tho bureau o
provisions and clothing, $4,000.
For preservation and completion of vessel
on the stocks and in ordinary purchase o
materials and stores of all kinds; labor il
navy yards and ON foreign stations; preserya
ton of materials; purchase of tools; wear
tear, and repair of vessels aHoat, and for gen
oral care increase aud protection of the nav,
in the line of construction and repair, an,
incidental expenses, 100000; provided, tina
no part of this sum shall bo applied To the II
pairs of any wooden ship when the estimate
cost Of such repairs shall exceed 80 per cen