The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-05
ANNUAL NAVY ESTIMATES
For Coming Year Larger
Than Usual.
FOR INCREASE OF The NAVY

the Fiuy-four Warship. Under Con-
struction-Treasury Ssascment-vol-
unseer Onieer. for shi. state appoint
ed-To Appoint Officer. for Proposed
Negro Resfment-Repert OF the Com.
missioner OF Pensions.
Washington. August 31.-The secre-
tary OF the navy has directed that all
estimates for the requirements OF the
naval service text year shall be sub
mitted by tomorrow, September LIST.
thus giving him three months for co-or-
dinating them for submission { con-
gress- Accordingly the several naval
bureaus have been active OF late pre-
pairing their final figures, and all the es-
tiates, with the exception of those re-
lating TO armor and ordnance, will be
in hand tomorrow.
They show in general a considerable
increase all along the line, owing to
the rapid development of the navy,
h unprecedented amount OF naval
shlpbuilding now in progress and the
enlarged demands growing out Of war
and the acquisition of new territory.
The largest item is SIS, 600, 900 under
n mead of increase of the navy
which is So, 600, 900 more than airy pre-
vious estimate under this head. It is
due to the unusual number of war
ships now in course of construction. ag-
gregating fifty-four in all classes. q to-
| fQl mIInh i'm avnnc- ~ rhn n,,-A-- ."
der construction al any previous time
in the history of the navy. These in
clude eleven battleships, four monitors,
three armored cruisers, six protected
cruisers, thirty-three destroyers and
torpedo boats and several miscella-
neous craft, submarine boats, etc.
Admiral Melville will also make es-
Inmates for new engineering plants,
equipment, tools, buildings, etc., at
Norfolk. Port Royal, Port Orchard and
Mere Island These plants are old, and
the requirements now made on them
induce the chief engineer Il recon-
mend the most modern appliances and
such a remodelling of buildings as will
bring them up TO date.
Admiral Edincott, chief of the bureau
Of yards and docks, will recommend
two large dry docks on the At
lantic %seaboard, one at New York, and
the other at Norfolk. The estimates
will be about $3.50, 900 each.
TREASURY STATEMENT.
Today's treasury statement shows
that the amount of net gold on hand
was $247, $50, COL. This is the largest
amount on hand at one time in the his
tory of the department. The receipts
| tn6nu nvnnn1 tho n-nn-J:@-4- Lx-
S 1,460,66S, and for the north the ex-
| cess amounts to nearly 81. SOC, 900. Since
July 1st, however, a deficit is shown
of s4,036,65S s.
The naval officers here express no
concern over the failure of the Monon-
gahela to appear I'M Hampton Roads.
She sailed with the cadets aboard from
Funchal, Madeira en- July 22nd and be-
ing of antique type and unable to make
Roadway against adverse winds, she
cannot yet be regarded as overdue.
VOLUNTEER OFFICERS APP
! POINTED.
The following appointments i'm the
volunteer army are announced:
North Carolina-To be captain, VIII
liam r. Beavers, late captain, Com
pany K, First North Carolina infantry.
Forty-third regiment. To be first lieu
| tenants-Alfred v. Brown, late quar-
termaster sergeant, Company B, second
| North Carolina volunteers, Forty
| fourth regiment; B. J. Wootten, late
adjutant Second North Carolina vol
unteers, Twenty eighth regiment; John
| w. Gulick, late first lieutenant First
North Carolina volunteers, Forty-sev-
enth regiment. To be second ~lfeuten-
ant Daniel R. Johnson, late first lieu
tenant, First North Carolina, Thirty
! eighth regiment.
INTERNAL REVENUE DECISION.
Acting Commissioner Williams. Of
the internal revenue bureau today rem
, dered a decision to the effect that where
Leaf tobacco dealers transfer tobacco
to themselves as manufacturers UGH
transfer of tobacco Is no sale Within
the meaning Of the law, and, therefore,
! the quantity transferred is not TO be
taken into account in determining the
amount OF the special tax to be paid
as leaf dealers.
Adjutant General Corbin said today
that there were less than 100 appoint
ments of volunteer officers yet to be
! made and they belonged mainly to the
states Of Wisconsin, California and
Ohio The quotas Of the other states
| are practically full.
| THE NEGRO REGIMENT.
The governors of the states which
contributed colored troops to the volun-
teer army in the war with Spain have
been requested by the secretary of war
| to nominate officers for the colored
volunteer regiment to be organized for
| service in the Philippines. Colonel
| William P. Duval. of the Twenty
| sixth infantry, will most probably have
| command Of the proposed regiment.
| There is a general understanding that
most , il not all, the company officers
will be appointed from the colored reg
| iments which rendered such gallant
| and efficient service in the battles of
FL Caney and San Juan Hill in the
| Santiago campaign.
| REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF
PENSIONS.
| The forthcoming annual report of