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I invite attention to a report from the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography on the subject of the delays and difficulties encountered in procuring, under contract, as required by existing laws, ordnance and gunpowder. The operation of the proviso to the Act of the 3rd March, 1843, which requires that all supplies for the navy, when time will permit, shall be procured by contract with the lowest bidder after advertisement, has not promoted the public interest, nor secured to the public, in all cases, the advantage of a full and fair competition. To the head of the department, and the officers making purchases, it is a great safeguard against reproaches or imputations of improper preferences. But experience has demonstrated that the public interest is not promoted in procuring many of the most important and necessary supplies for the navy in this mode. Some of these are ordnance, gunpowder, and medicines. The law gives no discretion, but the lowest bidder is to have the contract, whatever may be his means, his experience, or skill. If he declines, (which he may do without penalty,) it is to be offered to the next; and so on until, not unfrequently, injurious delays occur, and well-founded complaints are made, that, by combination among bidders, the prices paid are higher than the articles would have cost in open market.

I deem it to be my duty to ask that the provisions of this law, applying only to this department, may be revised and modified.

The building for a depôt of charts is completed, and a substantial wall constructed around the square. The grading has been partially made, and to complete it, and to construct a house for the superintendent, an estimate is submitted and an appropriation recommended. The instruments purchased have been received and placed in the depôt. They are well selected, and may be advantageously employed in the necessary observations with a view to calculate nautical almanacks. For these we are now indebted to foreign nations. This work may be done by our own naval officers, without injury to the service, and at a very small expense. It is confidently believed that in the process of time a most perfect set of charts may be supplied from the depôt to the navy and to the commercial marine, entirely to be relied on for accuracy, at the mere cost of publication.

The operation of the system of supplying the navy with clothing, established by the Act of 26th August, 1842, has been highly satisfactory. An appropriation of 100,000 dollars is required to meet existing and future liabilities which will call for payment before the returns from the pay of the men will enable the department to continue the supplies. It is believed that after this appropriation, the addition of 10 per cent. on the prime cost will cover all losses, and the receipts meet the disbursements, while the system possesses the great merit of furnishing to the seamen the best clothes at moderate prices.

The Navy Hospital Fund on the 1st day of November, 1844, consisted of 230,434 dollars. The number of aged and disabled seamen who have sought a home at the asylum near Philadelphia has so increased that it was found necessary to their comfort to provide for withdrawing the governor and surgeon from the rooms occupied by them in the building. Two houses, according to the original plan, have been erected and are nearly completed to be occupied by these officers. A small slip of ground adjoining the site of the asylum has been purchased at a reasonable price. These are believed to be very important additions to the establishment.

If it shall be the pleasure of Congress to authorize the investment of the fund in securities of The United States, it would add considerably to its income. The money is now unproductive in the Treasury, and I earnestly recommend that authority be given to make the investment.

The condition of the Navy Pension Fund, and the claims on it, are stated in the report of the Commissioner of Pensions, herewith transmitted.

Great anxiety is felt by many of the surgeons and assistantsurgeons, and of the pursers in the navy, to have allowed them an assimilated rank; the corresponding officers in the army enjoy it, without detriment to the service. I respectfully recommend the subject to consideration.

Pursuant to the Act of the 17th of June last, the naval storekeepers at Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Mahon, the Cape de Verdes, and the Sandwich Islands, were discontinued; and with as little delay as practicable, officers of the navy were ordered to perform those duties. As these officers were required to give bond before they entered on the execution of their orders, some delay occurred in making the selection. The compensation allowed to each is 1,500 dollars per annum, and to each is allowed a clerk at 600 dollars per

annum.

The experimental examinations of coals, of iron, and of copper, in which Professor Walter R. Johnson was engaged, and on which he reported at the last session of Congress, have been suspended, the appropriations being exhausted. If it shall be the pleasure of Congress to have them continued, an appropriation will be necessary.

In pursuance of the directions of the Act of June 17th, orders were given for the discharge of all persons in the navy appointed as masters' mates, to do duty as midshipmen, since the 4th day of August, 1842, and who were not at the time of their appointment seamen of the first class. These orders have been executed as to all persons thus situated who were in The United States, or who have returned from foreign stations.

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The 3rd section of the Act repealed so much of previous Acts of Congress as provided that officers temporarily performing the duties belonging to those of a higher grade should receive the compensation of such higher grade while actually so employed.

I respectfully suggest that the operation of this repealing Act on those officers who are thus employed on foreign stations will probably involve them in very serious embarrassments. Uninformed of its passage, they will regulate their expenditures by the rate of compensation which they supposed that the law accords to them, and in some of the squadrons may not be advised of their mistake until they have received the higher pay, and expended it to so large an amount as to leave them without any income from their pay for a long time. It is not desirable that the officers should be indebted to the Government; and to many, the regular receipt of their pay is necessary to their support.

I would respectfully suggest that the operation of the law, as to them, should be postponed until information of its passage shall be received on board the vessel to which the officer so situated may be attached; and I would recommend that it should not embrace the case of passed midshipmen performing the duty of master. The expenses necessarily incurred by this class of officers in the performance of these duties, are beyond the pay of their own grade.

Their services as master are highly advantageous, and, with the present limited number of warranted masters, many of whom are unable to go to sea, from age or infirmity, indispensable.

The report of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, on the necessity of an increase of the numbers in that branch of the service, is respectfully recommended to consideration.

I respectfully repeat the recommendation of the last annual report, that an additional number of permanent clerks be allowed to this department and the several bureaus. The force now allowed by law, except for a limited time, and for temporary purposes, is not sufficient to perform the duties which the present arrangement of the business in the department requires. The appropriation now made for temporary purposes, and the 2 clerks allowed for the current year, with an addition of 2 or 3 book-keepers in the bureaus, would procure a sufficient number of permanent clerks.

The division of the duties of this department, made by the Act of Reorganization of 31st of August, 1842, has produced much system and order in its operations, and promises to be yet more beneficial in its results, under regulations suggested by experience. The duties of the chiefs of the bureaus are very laborious; and advantage would result from a division of the duties of the Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and Repair, and the establishment of another bureau,

The estimates from the several bureaus, and from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, of the sums which will be required for the proposed service of the ensuing year, are transmitted with this report. Respectfully submitted: J. Y. MASON.

The President of The United States.

(ANNEX 1.)—Statement of the Vessels belonging to the Navy which were in Commission on the 1st November, 1844.

Three ships of the line (as receiving ships).-Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina.

Nine frigates.-Constitution, Potomac, Brandywine, Columbia, Congress, Cumberland, Savannah, Raritan, Macedonian.

Sixteen sloops of war.-Saratoga, Boston, Warren, Falmouth, Fairfield, Vandalia, Preble, Jamestown, St. Louis, Levant, Portsmouth, Plymouth, St. Mary's Decatur, Yorktown, Ontorio (receiving vessel). Seven brigs.-Porpoise, Truxtun, Perry, Lawrence, Somers, Bainbridge, Oregon (packet service).

Three schooners.-Shark, Wave, Experiment (receiving vessel). Three store ships.-Relief, Lexington, Erie.

Seven steamers.-Union, Michigan, General Taylor, Engineer, Princeton, Colonel Harney, Poinsett.

Recapitulation.-3 ships-of-the-line, for receiving vessels; 9 frigates; 16 sloops of war; 7 brigs; 3 schooners; 3 store-ships; 7 steamers.

(ANNEX 2.)-Statement of the Vessels on the Stocks at the several
Navy Yards, or building at other places, November 1, 1844.
Near PORTSMOUTH, N. H.-The Alabama, a ship-of-the-line; the
Santee, a frigate.

At CHARLESTOWN, MASS.-The Virginia a ship-of-the-line; the Vermont, a ship-of-the-line.

At BROOKLYN, N. Y.-The Sabine, a frigate; the Albany, a sloop-of-war.

At PHILADELPHIA, PENN.-The Germantown, a sloop-of-war. At WASHINGTON, D. C.-A small iron steamer, for a water-tank and tow-boat (building).

At GOSPORT, VA.-The New York, a ship-of-the-line; the St. Lawrence, a frigate; the, for a store-ship (building).

At PITTSBURG, PENN.-An iron steamer, building under contract. Recapitulation.-4 ships-of-the-line; 2 sloops-of-war; 2 steamers; 3 frigates; 1 store-ship.

(ANNEX 3.)-Statement of the Vessels belonging to the Navy, which were in ordinary November 1, 1844.

Three ships-of-the-line.-Columbus, at the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Delaware, at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.; Franklin, at the Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass.

Three frigates.-Independence (razee), at the Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass,; United States, at the Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass.; Constellation, at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.

Five sloops-of-war.-John Adams, at the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Cyane, at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.; Vincennes, at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. (under repair); Marion, at the Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass.; Dale, at the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Two brigs.-Dolphin, at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. (under repair); Pioneer (store vessel), at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.

Four schooners.-Flirt, at Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.; Phœnix, at Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.; On-ka-hy-e, at Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.; Boxer, at Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass.

Two steamers.-Mississippi, at the Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass.; Fulton, at the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Store-brig.-Pioneer, at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.

C. MORRIS.

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TREATY of Delineation between Lucca, Modena, Tuscany, Austria, and Sardinia.-Signed at Florence, November 28, 1844.

(Translation.)

In the Name of the Most Holy and Indivisible Trinity. His Royal Highness the Infante of Spain, present Duke of Lucca, and prospective Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla ;

His Royal Highness the Archduke of Austria, Duke of Modena ; His Imperial and Royal Highness the Archduke of Austria, Grand Duke of Tuscany;

Having unanimously recognized that the frontier line of a part of their respective States is intricate and susceptible of changes, which changes are easily effected on both sides, at the epoch fixed by the Treaty of Vienna, when such permutations are to take place;

That it is impossible otherwise to remedy the defects of this frontier than by exchanging small portions of their territory, which are now isolated; that the power of effecting such an exchange in an amicable way is expressly reserved to the interested party by Article

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