UNITED STATES NAVAL AND MAIL STEAMSHIPS.

The following is an authentic copy of an act providing for the building and equipment of four naval Steamships, which passed both Houses of Congress, and was approved by the President of the United States, on the 3d of March, 1847:

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT OF FOUR NAVAL STEAMSHIPS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled—

That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause to be built and equipped four first class sea-going Steamships, to be attached to the Navy of the United States, and that one million of dollars be, and is hereby appropriated for that purpose, to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and immediately after the passage of this Act, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Navy to accept, on the part of the Government of the United States, the proposals of E. K. Collins and his associates, of the city of New York, submitted to the Postmaster-General, and dated Washington, March sixth, eighteen hundred and forty-six, for the transportation of the United States mail between New York and Liverpool, and to contract with the said E. K. Collins and his associates, for the faithful fulfilment of the stipulations therein contained, and in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Steamships to be employed by the said E. K. Collins and his associates, in the transportation of the United States mail between New York and Liverpool, shall be constructed under the inspection of a Naval Constructor in the employ of the Navy Department, and shall be so constructed as to render them convertible, at the least possible cost, into war steamers of the first class; and that each of said Steamers shall receive on board four passed Midshipmen of the United States Navy, who shall serve as watch officers, and be suitably accommodated without charge to the Government; and the said Steamers shall also receive on board and accommodate, without charge to the Government, one agent, to be appointed by the Postmaster-General, who shall have charge of the mails to be transported in the said Steamships.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and immediately after the passage of this Act, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Navy to contract, on the part of the Government of the United States, with A. G. Sloo, of Cincinnati, for the transportation of the United States mail from New York to New Orleans, twice a month and back, touching at Charleston, (if practicable,) Savannah and Havana; and from Havana to Chagres and back, twice a month; the said mail to be transported in Steamships of not less than fifteen hundred tons burthen, and propelled by engines of not less than one thousand horse power each, to be constructed under the superintendence and direction of a Naval Constructor in the employ of the Navy Department, and to be so constructed as to render them convertible, at the least possible expense, into war Steamers of the first class; and that the said Steamships shall be commanded by officers of the United States Navy not below the grade of Lieutenant, who shall be selected by the contractor, with the approval and consent of the Secretary of the Navy, and who shall be suitably accommodated without charge to the Government. Each of said Steamers shall receive on board four passed Midshipmen of the United States Navy, who shall serve as watch officers, and be suitably accommodated without charge to the Government; and each of the said Steamers shall also receive on board and accommodate, without charge to the Government, one agent, to be appointed by the Postmaster-General, who shall have charge of the mail to be transported in said Steamers: Provided, The Secretary of the Navy may, at his discretion, permit a Steamer of not less than six hundred tons burthen, and engines in proportion, to be employed in the mail service herein provided for between Havana and Chagres: Provided, further, That the compensation for said service shall not exceed the sum of two hundred and ninety thousand dollars, and that good and sufficient security shall be given for the faithful fulfilment of the stipulations of the contract.

SEC. 5. Officers, troops, freight, &c. of the United States, to be received on board at onehalf the ordinary charge.

SEC. 6. The Secretary of the Navy may advance $500,000 for the construction of the vessels.

SEC. 7. Mr. Sloo is to receive $280,000 for mail transportation.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Navy to contract, on behalf of the Government of the United States, for the transportation of the mail from Panama to such port as he may select in the Territory of Oregon, once a month each way, so as to connect with the mail from Havana to Chagres across the

Isthmus said mail to be transported in either steam or sailing vessels, as shall be deemed most practicable and expedient.

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Navy to provide, in the contracts authorized by this Act, that the Navy Department shall at all times exercise control over said Steamships, and at any time have the right to take them for the exclusive use and services of the United States, and to direct such changes in their machinery and internal arrangements as the Secretary of the Navy may require; due provisions being made in the said contracts for the mode of ascertaining the proper compensation to the contractors therefor.

CANALS AND OTHER PUBLIC WORKS OF OHIO.

We publish below an authentic statement of cost, revenue, deficits, &c., of the canals and other public works of Ohio, for 1846:

Ohio Canal and branches.......
Muskingum Improvement.....
Walhonding Canal.......
Hocking Canal.........

Miami and Warren Canal....
Miami Extension Canal...
Wabash and Erie Canal.

Totals.......

Gross

Cost Length. Total cost. per mile. receipts. Interest. Deficit. 337 $4,695,203 $15,933 $336,339 $281,712 $14,743 91 1,627,318 17,882 35,104 97,639 97,840 25 607,268 24,290

1,190

36,436 36,620

810 15,368,964 18,755 612,303 922,137 501,126

The nett proceeds of the canals fall a fraction short of 3 per cent on the cost. Interest has been computed at 6 per cent, which would be about the average-the first loan at 5, and the last at 7 per cent-balance at 6.

The Ohio canal has 25 miles of navigable side-cuts and feeders, to wit:-Trenton feeder, 3; Walhonding, 13; Dresden side-cut, 2; Granville feeder, 6; Columbus, 12— which are included in the estimate. The Miami Extension Canal includes the Sidney feeder, 13 miles; St. Mary's and Reservoir, 11. The Wabash and Erie has a side-cut to Maumee, 2 miles; one to Toledo, 1 mile. The first is included in the estimate, the other escaping attention.

'PACIFIC LINE OF STEAMERS:

FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF PASSENGERS, LETTERS AND MERCHANDISE. Recent advices from Panama state that the arrangements of the Pacific line of steamers are now complete for the transmission of passengers, letters and merchandise, to and from the Pacific. Steamers leave England on the 3d of every month, and arrive at Cha. gres about the 19th. Here all and everything for the Pacific is carried over the isthmus on mules, in from six to ten hours. On the other side a steamer is in readiness for conveyance to Peru, Ecuador or Chili. These steamers leave Panama on the 25th, arrive at Callao, Peru, on the 7th, and Valparaiso on the 24th, stopping at fourteen intermediate ports along the coast. The distance between Panama and Valparaiso is 3,250 miles, and is accomplished by three steamers in thirty days, including all the stoppages, which occupy from six to eight hours at each place. The prices of passage are as follows :--From Panama to Guayaquil......

$100

150

200

For the commencement and establish

Letters are charged 25 cents every half ounce. ment of this great undertaking, the world is indebted to Mr. Wheelwright, a Yankee. He has labored for this object during the last twelve years, and is now reaping the profits of his untiring industry. Two engineers, employed by the Republic of New Grenada, are now surveying a road from Porto Bello to Panama, in order to facilitate the transportation of goods to the Pacific.

JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES.

THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY AT COLD SPRING.

"THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY" was originally established by the association of that name, in 1817. Since the expiration of their charter, it has been leased by GOUVERNEUR KEMBLE, Esq., by whom it is now conducted on his own account. The capital originally invested, was $100,000. The establishment consists of 2 moulding-houses, compre. hending together an area of 300 feet in length, by 45 feet in breadth, with 3 air furnaces and 3 cupola furnaces, with 12 cranes of various power, from 4 to 15 tons. The boringmill contains 10 beds for boring guns and mortars, and 1 for cylinders, with 15 lathes, 4 planing machines, 1 slitting, and various drilling machines. The blacksmith shop contains 3 trip-hammers, 1 for large shafts of 8 tons weight; 2 heating furnaces, and about 20 smiths' fires, with 1 crane of 20 tons power, and others of less strength. The principal fitting shop is about 100 by 50 feet, and contains 3 cranes; the second shop, 30 by 50 feet, with 1 crane. The boiler shop is 100 by 40 feet. There is besides, a brass foundry, pattern shop, and various works connected with the business, and a blast furnace 42 feet high. The wages and materials vary according to the demand-the wages, from $140,000 to $180,000 per annum; the materials, from $250,000 to $350,000 per annum; the finished work, from $450,000 to $650,000 per annum; the number of hands employed, from 300 to 500, the present number being about 400, with an average wages of about $1 50 per diem.

THE UNION WHITE LEAD COMPANY.

The works of this company are located in the city of Brooklyn, on Long Island, and cover about eighteen lots of ground, embracing both corners of Bridge and Front, and Bridge and Water-streets. This manufactory consumes about 3,000,000 pounds of pig lead, and 45,000 gallons of linseed oil per annum. The cost of these materials fluctuates with the market, which varies considerably; but taking as an average 3 cents per pound for lead, and 70 cents per gallon for oil, the annual cost would be $136,500. The company employ about 70 men as laborers, coopers, and engineers, their wages amounting to about $25,000 per annum. The men employed in the factory work ten hours per day. The lead manufactured by this company is of an excellent quality. The office and place of business of the corporation, is at 175 Front-street, New York.

CORNWALL AND SWANSEA MINES.

The "West Britain and Cornwall Advertiser," for January 15, 1847, furnishes a list of the mines whose produce has been sold at the Copper Ore Ticketings in Cornwall and Swansea, in ore, for the year ending December 30th, 1846. From this table it appears that there were sold, at Cornwall, 150,413 tons, amounting to £796,182. This return shows a falling off in the staple product of the country, in the past year, of not less than 12,126 tons of copper ore, and a decrease in the amount of sales of £123,751 19s. 6d. The produce of mines, sold at the Ticketings at Swansea, for the year ending December 31, 1846, was 58,456 tons ore, for £668,267 1s. This account exhibits a decrease in the quantity of ore sold at Swansea, in 1846, as compared with 1845, of 8,748 tons of ore, and, in the amount of money, of £109,594 18s. 6d., which, added to the deficiency in Cornwall, makes a total of 20,924 tons of ore, and, in money, £233,346 16s.