Year: 1873

the PRESIDENT, says Iuefe AI6 uOH III
the navy 165 vessels. A general en-
umeration of these vessels present
So steamers other than iron-elads .
and tugs, carrying S26 guns, 20 sail
ing vessels, 121 guns, and % tugs
used for navy yard and freight pur-
poses. Of this number there are at
present in commission for sea service
! distributed on the several foreign
stations and on our own coast, 46
vessels, carrying 407 guns. The
cruising or acting force Of the navy,
as these may be called, and which is
controlled by appropriation made,
and seamen authorized by law, is
about the same as last year.


Six of our live oak cruising ships
are now in various stages Of forward
ness at the several navy yards. These
are all of moderate size, and none of
them sufficiently advanced to be of
present use, but they are adapted to
to the wants of our cruising navy,
and will in a few months add mater
tally to its strength and efficiency.


The eight sloops-of-WarauthOriZed
by the last Congress are all in pro-
cess Of building.


The Secretary, in speaking Of the
Polaris, says her cruise has been de
cidedly the most successful of Arctic
expeditions; the geographical knoEl
edge of the Arctic regions has been
largely advanced. A very particular
questioning of every one Of the eff
GERS and crew Of the Polaris, and Of
the scientific corps except the three
persons as yet unexamined, bas
completely satisfied his associates
and himself that Captain Halls
death occurred from purely natural
causes; that his medical treatment
was judieiously adapted to his case,
and that he was tenderly nursed and
cared for to the last. The evidence
has also been made manifest that
Captain Hall was always faithful to
the trust reposed in him in assigning
him the command of the expiditiOn;
that he was kind, firm and human in
the exercise of his authority; that be
was earnest IA his desire and in his
attempts to reach e high northern
latitude, and, if practicable, the pole
itself, and that his untimely death
was an irreparable loss to the expe-
dition. 1t is also apparent that Cap
tain Buddington, who succeeded to
the chief command on the death of
Captain Hall, proved himself to be 3
good seaman, and that in all danger
Gus positions in which the Polaris
was placed his conduct as her com
mander was skillful and judicious,
the natural result OF long experience
at sea and in command in North
thern latitudes.


The estimates for the next fiscal
year are $19,252, ,235, and to this is
added $S64, $50 for current repairs,
building doeks,an incidental expen-
ses in navy yards, etc. These esti-
mates are less than those oflast year
by rather more than 100000, but
they do not include any ex5gaordi-
nary expenditures for permanent i'm
provement of the navy, nor amounts
necessary either for repairs Of our
iron-clad fleet, or for the continued
prosecution of some of the great
works necessary to the proper con
ditiOn of our naval establishments.


Since the commencement Of the
present month events have taken
place which made It proper that the
navy should be put at once upon a
footing for active service. 1t is by
no means the province Of this De
partment, as such to take part in the
conduct or discussion of any diplo-
matte question, nor should its stti-
tude at time when serious intorna-
tional difficulties are possible, be
held to indicate anything more than
a determination on the part ofa mil
itary department Of the Government
to be prepared for action should ne
cessity for the action arise.


A respectable force of war vessels
and monitors is already on the sea
concentrating at the station nearest
the scene of our possible difficulties.
Our whole available ironclad feet
is in hand, and every wooden war yes
sci that will float is in active prepar-
alton at the various naval stations.
These will be ready for sea, fully fit
ted, as fast as proper crews can be
provided for them, and if necessity
for action should come before the
time for it arrives, all there is of the
American navy which can be hoated
on the Atlantic Ocean will be in con
dition and position to take its pro
per part.


The Secretary concludes as fol-
lows: SIN taking the action above
referred to, the Navy Department
has already incurred considerable
expense, and hss been forced to as
sumo responsibilities unusual in
time Of peace; but convinced of the
wisdom of prompt and decided &C
ton, have not shrank from these
responsibilities, nor hesitated to
make War-like preparations in the in
teresJs Of peace and of humanity. I
confde2tially rely for support in this
attitude upon patriotism and good
sense Of the American people and
their representatives, who cannot
fsil to remember that our naval con
dition is the result Of causes which
have been constantly pressed upon
their consideration, but which have
| failed to receive full attention, doubt
less on account Of more pressing re-
qurements and obligations, and who
will clearly realize that duties cor
stantly postponed are certain to be
more difficult and much more expen-
siYe when performed in haste under
pressure Of lmperiOus necessity.
The Department had no necessity to
overstep its appropriations, even ifit
were lawful to do so; but the press
ing demands Of the present will cor
sumo now what was provided for the
service Of 4 year in several of the
working bureaus. These must be
promptly relieved if their work is to
go on. The occasion has clearly
shown, think, that our navy as it
exists should at least be put in con
dition for active service; in any event
a moderate appropriation for this
purpose ought at once to be made,
and if war should by any possibility