The morning times., 1895-12-02

| impossible to obtain a regular supply Of
| powder for either the I2-inch or 13-inch
| guns which will give the desired muzzle
| velocity to the proiectiles without exceed
| ing the prescribed limit of pressure in the
! bore.
Since the date of the last report sire
| tons OF armor have been delivered, OF which
| 4,S62 tons were harveyed-
| Considering the constantly recurring emer-
gencies OF the service. and the number Of
| vessels soon to be completed and put into
| comrnissuD, the Department will undoubt-
| edly require more men, ami it is therefore
recommended that Congress authorize the
| enlistment of 900 additional men. which,
with those already authorized, will make
| the full number recommended.
| The construction of two battleships and
at least twelve torpedo boats is recon-
mended.
Under the able superintcndency OF Capt.
| II. Z. Taylor, Z. ). n, this institution has
distinctively forward step. 1t can no
| longer in any quarter be regarded as n
| postgraduate school TO carry Officers for
| ward in the theoretical studies pursued in
! the academy at Annapolis, but it now
| stands out clearly an undena bly, prao-
| teal institution for the study of war as
| science evolved from historical resear rch
and OF war as an art applied to problems
arising out of hypothetical and possible
| cases OF attacks upon and defenses of our
own country, its coasts and cities.
NAVAL OBSERVATORY LANDS.
BY act OF Congress approved August l.
1894, 1t was provided that nu street, ave-
| nue.. or public thurou ghfare in the neigh
borhuod OF the buildings erected upon the
United states Naval Observatory grounds
Georgetuwn Heights. District OF Columbia
shall extend within tie area OF circle de-
scribed with a radius or 900 feet fr,iu the
center OF the clock room of the Observatory
This law further authorized the Secretary
or the Navy Ia grant the right of way for
the extension uf Ma assachusettS avenue
through the limits Of the Observatory
grounds exterior to said circle. TO sell
certain portions OF the Observatory lands
lying without the limits IF the circle, and
to purchase, by condemnation or other W Use.
certain lands OF private parties lying within
the circle
Under the provisions of this law these
lands could not be sold at less than their
appraised prices. One OF the tracts, con-
tainlnS l4.45 acres, was appra ised at
S141, ,154.5T, fraction less than % 1-2
cents per square foot. The other tract.
containing LIS acres, was appraised ut
SlS, ,569.63.
Aside from one proposal. which related
TO subdivision only OF one of the tracts.
aud could not therefore be accepted no Of
ters to purchase the tracts in question at
or boye the appraised prices were received.
NO sale was therefore cousunmated, and
the department has not, therefore, been
ahle 10 purchase the la nds necessary TO COM
plete the governments ownership OF the
observat tory circle.
Thedepart mel mt, having waitedformonths
for other bids, by its order under date of
October 20, 1885, recoDveDed the board
or appraisers to consider whether or not
IL Wouiu Ee advantageous To tEe interests
OF the government to reduce the price
at which the lands had been appraised.
and II so, to what extent. This question
IS now under consideration by the board.
MISCELLANEOUS.
1t is recommended that Congress au-
thorfze the taking OF the depositions of
witnesses residing beyond the limits of the
State, Territory or District in which any
naval court ma y be ordered.
The recommendation OF last year Is re-
newed that the work of the Coast and Geo.
Getic Survey be transferred, u part TO the
Hydrog raphic Office OF the Maybe
partment and the rest 10 the Geological
Survey OF the Interior Department
The increasing interest in the naval
militia movement in the lake and seaboard
States gives such promise that the depart
ment recommends that steps be now Ia ken
to establish this arm OF the ma tional defense
on a definite footing.
The estimates for 1897 are $50 .3I1.-
l66.2O. as against $50. .334,025.36 for
the current year
Sugar Rect Eanforv Incnrnnraf oil