and when on foot, the same pay and emoluments as are now allowed to the officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates of a regiment of infantry; and that the farrier and blacksmith be allowed the same pay and allowances as are allowed to an artificer of artillery. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said regiment of dragoons shall be liable to serve on horse, or foot, as the President may direct; shall be subject to the rules and articles of war, be recruited in the same mauner and with the same limitations; that the officers, non-commission ed officers, musicians, farriers and privates shall be entitled to the same provisions for wounds and disabilities, the same provisions for widows and children, and the same allowances and benefits in every respect, as are allowed the other troops constituting the present military peace establishment. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be authorized to carry into effect this act, as soon as he may deem it expedient, and to discharge the present battalion of mounted rangers, on their being relieved by the said regimeut of dragoons. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the sum required to carry into effect the provisions of this act, is hereby appropriated, in addition to the appropriations for the military establishment for the year 1833. An Act for the payment of horses and arms lost in the Military service of the United States against the Indians on the frontiers of the Illinois and Michigan Territory. [Approved February 19, 1833.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any mounted militiaman or volunteer whilst in the service of the United States, in the late expeditions against the Indians, on the frontiers of Illinois and the Territory of Michigan, who sustained damage by the loss of any horse which was killed in battle, or died in consequence of a wound received therein, or in consequence of a failure on the part of the United States, to furnish such horse sufficient forage whilst in the service, or in consequence of the owner being dismounted, or separated and detached from the same, by order of the cominanding officer, or in consequence of the rider being killed or wounded in battle, shall be allowed and paid the value of such horse at the time of going into service: Provided, Suchloss was not the result of negligence on the part of the owner; the time employed in going to the place of Rendezvous, and returning home after being discharged, to be taken and considered as actual service. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That any person in the aforesaid service of the United States, as a volunteer or drafted militia man, who furnished himself with arms and military accoutrements, and has sustained loss by the capture or destruction of the same, without fault or negligence on his part, shall be allowed and paid the value thereof. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all claims arising under this act shall be examined, allowed, and paid in the same manner by the Third Auditor that similar claims were under "an act to authorize the payment of property lost, captured or destroyed by the enemy, while in the military service of the United States, and for other purposes," passen April 9, 1816, and the act in amendment thereof, passed March 3, 1817, this act to be and remain in force three years from and after its passage, Statement Exhibiting, the amount expended from the 4th of March, 1789 to 31st Dec. 1791, and in each year, (ending 31st Dec ) from 1791 to 1831, under the following heads of the Military establishment of the U States; viz. 1. Pay of Officers, and Pay, Rations, and Clothing of Soldiers, and Recruiting II. Fortifications, Arsenals, Armories, and Buildings of all kinds relating to the Army. III. Cannon, Gun Carriages, Stores of all kinds, Arms, Ammuntion, Balls, &c IV. Invalid Pensions V. Revolutionary Pensions, Half Pay, and Pay per act of 18 March, 1828. 70,500 00 1,180 00 82,576 04 930 00 60,000 00 370 00 1,020 00 800 00 1,452 60 900 00 819,961 00 90,164 36 740 00 715 00 690 00 1,450 00 1807 1,164,285 91 225,000 00 1808 1,706,434 40 955,000 00 1809 1,910,772 171,275,000 00 1810 1,756,923 94 538,000 00 1811 1,683,828 19 95,000 00 1812 8.752,798 24 370 000 00 1813 17,241,927 72 761,046 30 1814 18,982,945 86 181513,830,356 22 20,000 00 1,038,338 00| 69,656 06 1816 14,438,248 55 530,000 00 1,218,848 25 188,804 15 1817 6,082,131 53 600,000 00 908,105 00 297,374 43 1818 4,194,715 10 746,000 00 682,000 00 590,719 90 301,418 33 1819 5,010,390 85 494,637 99 782 000 00 568,039 00 1,849,498 35 1820 2,208,452 30 405,362 01 116,650 00441,936 312,767,590 00 1821 3,194,247 22 602,000 00 805,250 00 242,817 25 1,300 00 |1822 2,509,140 46 425,592 61 1823 1,770,409 43 933,536 25 1824 2,073,855 06 966,506 11 [1825 1,838,045 731,165,186 86 1826 1,857,192 46 1,272,658 26 1827 1,827,239 891,269,285 54| 1828 1,772,394 33 1,418,556 52 1829 1.935,204 93 1,518,361 95 1830 1,828,253 05 1,564,732 94 1831 1,806,436 631,356,216 61 . 8,100 00 305.608 46 1,652,590 94 33,231 66 331,491 48 1,451,425 18 50,514 09 233,679 20 1,267,600 41 52,250 41 1,310,910 57 69.429 56 251,399 01 1,307,344 82 88,146 61 180,126 34 798,012 52 229 775 19 127,438 77 1,134,097 34 232 319 49 185,102 091,052.733 62 177.398 39 295,349 98/1,320,124 42 144,975 00 168,726 16/1,229,043 46 THE NAVY. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. NAVY DEPARTMENT, November 30, 1833. To the President of the United States. SIR: In submitting to your consideration a review of the operations of the naval branch of the public service during the past year, I would first invite attention to its administration in this place. The separate organization of the Navy Department in the manner originally established by Congress, and the change since made by the addition of a Navy Board, have, with the several clerks now allowed, furnished a sufficient number of persons for the suitable discharge of all ordinary duties immediately connected with this office. So far as my knowledge extends, those duties have generally been performed with promptitude and accuracy; but some changes in the present laws respecting them would probably prove beneficial. Though the number of clerks, and the aggregate amount of salary paid to them, are deemed sufficient, yet more substantial justice could be enforced if that amount was so appropriated as to permit the department to divide it in couformity to the usefulness of their respective services. It has happened that some of them receiving large salaries perform no greater or more difficult duties than those receiving less pay, and no power exists here to equalize their compensation, except by an occasional transfer of duties, not always convenient, appropriate, or useful. A different arrangement of the Navy Board has, for a few years, been a subject of consideration by Congress. The Board itself, and the head of this department, once united in recommending such a change as to apportion its ordinary business among the several members, with a view to greater convenience, despatch, and responsibility. This could be accomplished without any material increase of expense, and it seems, on many accounts, very desirable. The reasons for the change have been so fully detailed in former reports as not to need at this time further explanation. There might be some useful alterations connected with the administration of the naval branch of the service in the office of the Fourth Auditor, whose duties, though nominally belonging to the Treasury Department, are intimately a lied with, and very essential in most of, the operations of the navy. The great amount of property which is in charge of this department, and which is yearly increasing, seems to require that a regular account of it should be opened in that office, and kept in such manner as to ensure safety and responsibility. In another particular, impidvement could be made. The old balances on his books, due from defaulters who were once in the naval service, are large, and though few such balances have occurred lately, yet the collection of all of them would doubtless he promoted if it were devolved upoú him as the person who, from his official station, is best acquainted with the situation of the claims, and the means of payment possessed by the debtors, and who could act with the most promptitude in securing the public. Auxiliary to the central administration of the naval service, the in.] spection of our orduance was a few years since assigned to an officer of rank residing in this neighborhood, and authorized to receive the usual extra allowances while engaged in actual duty. His employment during the past season has been much extended, having embraced the inspection of all our ordnance and ordnance stores in depot at all the naval stations. The result it is hoped may prove highly beneficial in our future operations. Under a similar arrangement, the custody and correction, as well as occasionally the purchase of charts, chronometers, compasses, and Dautical instruments generally, were devolved on two intelligent officers tationed at this place. The system has worked favorably; and the small increase of expense attending it, has been amply paid in the better preservation and quality of those articles, and in the probable increase of safety to our vessels afloat, and to the lives of their gallant officers and crews. A specific estimate [$1,000] for the purchase and maintenance of a lithographic press is submitted as a means of saving, under charge of these officers, still more to the public in the procurement of charts, circulars, and blank forms, of such kinds as are employed, not only in this office, but at the several yards and on board vessels in com-j mission, Its various conveniences and usefulness in other respects, and especially in the drawings and plans connected with the survey of our coast, now in progress, are more particularly detailed in the reports annexed. To prevent any nominal or real increase of appropriations in consequence of the purchase of this press, it will be seen in the general estiinates that a corresponding, or, indeed, a larger reduction has been made in what is asked for the general contingent appropriations for this office and for the service, and out of which appropriations most of the above articles are now provided. It was formerly recommended to organize at this place a naval medical bureau, and a bill is now on the files of Congress reported for that purpose. As that bill was not finally disposed of, I did not deem it proper to adopt any different system for attaining in a different manner most of the benefits expected to be accomplished by that measure. But if nothing be done during the ensuing session of Congress, fegulating this subject, it is intended, under our present laws, that one of the older surgeons, in connexion with other services, either at the barracks or navy yard in this city, shall be detailed and employed in performing many of the duties contemplated for a surgeon general. The whole expeuses, the past year, for all persons situated here, and belonging to the administration of this department, as well as the expenses for the care and repair of our furniture, buildings, and the grounds appurtenant, were about $48,000. This amount, I trust, will be thought to bear a favorable comparison with the same class of expenses at former periods, or in other similar establishments, when the large increase and extent of duties at this place are duly considered. Passing from the central administration of this department, to that of persons connected with is operations elsewhere, I would next submit to your consideration a few remarks on the situation of such of those persons as fill official stations, but are not technically denominated naval fficers They are a large and useful class, belonging to what, may be considered our civil list, and consist of agents, storekeepers, constructors, builders, schoolmasters, secretaries to comman ers, clerks of yards, engi neers, live oak superintendents, and some others attached to stations and hospitals. In an establishment growing like the navy in a few years from so small a beginning to its comparatively great size at the close of the late war, and at the present moment, it was perhaps unavoidable that many measures and appointments, considered as incidental to other important ob jects expressly authorized, should be left to the discretion of the depart ment. In this way most of the above persons have been employed and paid, usually by virtue of estimates and general appropriations, without any specific provision in any act of Congress regulating the manner of their appointment, or the amount of their compensation. Indeed, a sys tem similar in some respects has been extended to others; as the only limit, which now exists, to the number of every class of naval officers is the same discretion, restrained solely by estimates and appropriations, and by the confirmation required from the Senate in the case of commissioned officers. These practices have not, in my opinion, been the safest; though the custom of this department to submit to Congress, through the Executive and otherwise, fuil communications of its doings in relation to most of these subjects, enables the Government to exercise any control deemed necessary over any supposed abuse. My own desire has been, whenever convenient and practicable, to impose still further limits on that discretion. With this view, on a former occasion, the estimates for the contingent appropriations were made by me more specific, and settled rules of allowances and compensation in most cases were established or collected, and then digested and published. The revision of our whole naval regulations by the Board heretofore appointed for that purpose, will, when finished and adopted, probably introduce greater system and certainty in relation to some of these matters. But it still deserves con sideration, whether additional legal provision might not judiciously be made concerning the appointment and wages of some of the classes before na med. All the persons on the civil list now under consideration are believed to have conducted, during the past year, with fidelity to their duties. The only essential changes in relation to them have been the fol lowing. There has been a discontinuance of two naval constructors, whose services were no longer needed; and new and more economical arrangements have been made as to the duties of some of our agents and storekeepers abroad. The few live oak agents, appointed for certain districts, who remained in office last December, have been dispensed with; and no salary is now paying on that account, except to one person, in temporary employ for a few months, in the examination of our unfinished district. In some cases in which we have had warranted officers, competent to perform the labors assigned to persons belonging to civil life, and hired at some of the yards, it has been deemed sound economy to order the former upon such duty, and to discontinue the services of the latter. It has not yet been found necessary to select a permanent engineer, as the superintendents of the dry docks and of the erection of the hospitals have been able, for the present, to perform such duties as would have been required of him. But the additional schoolmasters, authorized at the last session, have beeh employed, and it is hoped with increased benefit to the class of younger officers. A general order has recently been issued with a view to improve the education of these officers, by requiring |
