Newspapers / The Lincoln Republican (Lincolnton, … / Feb. 16, 1842, edition 1 / Page 1
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BY ROBERT WILLIAMSONS. NEW .TERMS OF THE LINCOLN REPUBLICAN TERMS OF PUBLICATION. Tar LixcaiT T?kcblica: is oublisheu4 every' Wednesday at 2 50, if pnid in advance, or $3 if payment tc delayed three months. . .Vi subscription received for a less term than twelve months. No piper will he discontinued hut at the optiuo ft!ie Editor, until all arrearages are paid. A failure to order a discontinuance, wili be con iiiei a new engagement. TBIZ.W3 or apvertisixo. . AprtfiTtSKMRSTS will be inserted conspicuous fy for $ 00 per square for the first insertion, and ecnts for each continuance. Court and Judicial advertisements will be charged 23 per cent, more than the above prices. A deduction of .?3 per cent, from the regular prices will be made to yearly advertisers. The number of insertions must be noted on the manuscript, or they will be charged until a discon tinuance is ordered. TO CORRESPONDENTS. To insure prompt attention to Letters addressed to the Editor, the postage should in all cases be paid Remains of Mr. CALSSOU' OF SOUTH CAROLINA, In Seriate, January 25, 1842 On the bill authorizing an issue of rive millions of Treasury Notes. Mr. Calhoun said: There was no meas ure that required greater caution, or more severe scrutiny, than one to impose taxes or raise. a loan, be the form what it may. I hold that (invernrnent has no riht to do either, except when i lie public service makes it imperiously necessary, ami ihen only to the extent that it requires. I also Iioltl that the expenditures can otrly he limited by limiting the supplies' If mo ney is granted, it is sure to be expended. Thus thinking, it is a fundamental rule vith me not to vote for a loan or tax hill till I am satisfied it is wcessary for the public service, and then not if the deficien cy can be avoided by lopping off unneces sary objects of expenditure, or the enforce ment of an exact mid judicious economy in i the public disbursements. Entertaining these opinion.-, it was in vxin that the chairman of the Finance Committee point ed at the estimates ol the year, as a suffi cient reason for trie pas-ae of this bill as amended. Estimates are too muc h a mat ter of course lo satisfy me in a case like this. I have some practical know ledge of I the subject, and know too well how readi ly old items are put do n, from year lo year, without much inquiry, whether they can le dispensed with or reduced, and new ones inserted, without much more reflec tion, to put much reliance on them. To satisfy ine, the chairman must do what he has not even attempted; he must slate sat isfactorily the reasons for every new item, ami the increase of every old one, and how that the dc -ticiency to meet the reve nue, cannot be avoided by retrenchment and economy. Until he docs that, be has 11 o rii-hi to call on us to vole this heavy ad ditional charge of five millions of dollars on the people, especially at a period of such unexampled pecuniary enbairass nient. Having omitted to petfinn this duty, I have been constrained to examine for 'myself the estimates in a vcr)' hasty manner, with imperfect documents, ami no opportunity of deriving information from the respective Departments. Hut, with all these disadvantages. I have satisfied my self thai this loan is unnecessary that its place may be supplied, and more than sup plied, by retrenchment and economy, and ihe. command of resources in the power of the Coveriiu.eui. without materially im pairing the eili;ien-y of ths puhlic service, my reasons for w!ne:i 1 shail now proceed to Stall. The estimates of the Secretary of the Treasury for ihe expenditures of the year, is 832,997, 25S, or, in round numhers, thirty three million-, embraced under the following hea Is: the civil list, including foreign intercourse had miscellaneous, a inounttpg to S4.000.SS7 37; military, in all lt branches, SI 1.727.791 83; navy, $8, 705. ,579 83; permanent appropriat'ons, applicable to the service of the year, Sl, 572.906, and Treasury notes lo be redeem ed, $7,000,000. Annmg the objects of retrenchment, li place al the head the great increase that is proposed to be made lo the expenditures nf tlte navy, compared with, that of last year, li is no less ihan 82.503,032 13, taking the expenditures of last year from the annual report of the Secretary. 1 see sufficient reason, at this time, and in the present embarrassed condition of the Treasury, for this great increase. 1 have looked over the report of ihe Secretary hastily, and find none assigned, except general reasons, for nn increased navy, which I Htn noi disposed to controvert. But I am decidedly of the opinion, that the ' commencement ought to be postponed till some systematic pln is matured, both as to the ratio of increase and the description of force of which the addition should con sist, and till ihe Department is properly organized, and in a condition to enforce exact responsibility and economy in its disbursements. That ihe Department is not now properly organized, and in that condition, we have the authority of the Secretary himself, in which 1 concur. I am satisfied that its administration cannot be made effective under ihe present organ ization, particularly as it regards its ex penditures. I have very great respeel for the head of the department, and confidence in his ability and integrity. If he would hear the voice of one who wishes him well, and who takes the deepest interest in the I branch of ervice of which he is the chief, my advice would be, to take time; to look aboui; in rn.iwuuiit; itic Deparuoeill 111 the! most elncient manner, on the stall princi ple, and to establish the most rigid ac countability am! economy in the disburse ments, before the great work of a system atic increase is commenced. Till that is done, add not a dollar to the expenditure. .Make sure of the foundation before you begin to rear the superstructure. I am a ware that there will he a considerable in crease this year in the navy, compared with the expenditure of last year, in con sequence of the acts of the extraordinary session. This may deduct several hun dred thousand dollars from the amount I propose to retrench; but I cannot doubt lhat an improved administration of the mo neyed affairs of the Department, with the very great reduction in prices and wages, a saving may he made more than sufficient to make up for that deduction. In speak ing of improved administration, I compre hend the marine corps. And here I deem it my duty to remark, that the estimates, for lhat branch of the service appear to me to be very large. The corps is estimated at one thousand privates, and its aggregate expense at $502,292. This strikes me to be fir too large for so small a corps, of long standing, stationed at convenient and cheap points, and at a period when the price of provisions, clothing, and all other articles of supply is low. A large portion, I observe, is for barracks, which, if prop er at all, surely may he postponed till the finances are placed in better condition. 1 shall now pnsg from the naval to the military department ami here I find an es. timate of 81.5 )8.032 13, for harbors, creeks, -and the like. I must say that I am surprised at this estimate. All who have been meitbers of the Senate for the last eight or ten years, must be familiar with the history of this item of expenditure. It is one of the branches of the old. explo ded American system, nu! almost the only one which remains. It has never been ac quiesced in, and was scarcely tolerated when the Treasury was full to overflowing with the surplus revenue. Of all the ex travagant and lawless appropriations of the worst of times, I have ever regarded il as the most objectionable unconstitutional, local in its characer, and unequal anr4 un just in is opera'ion. Little did I antici pate tint such an item, and rf so large an amount, would at this tinie be found in the estimates, when the Treasury is deeply embarrassed, the credit of the Oovernment impaired, and the revenue from the lands surrendered to the States and Territories. Such an item, at such a period, looks like infatuation; and I hope ihe Committee on , Finance, when it comes to take up ths es timates, will strike it out. Il certainly ought to he expunged; and I shall accord ingly place it among the items that ought to be retrenched. I'a-sing l- the Treasury Department,! ob serve an csti nate ol 13.932. for surveys of public lands; and under the head of "ba'-tiice of appropriation on the 3 1st December. 181!, required to he expended in 1842," $200X00 for the same object, making, together, 8213,032, which ought either not be in Ihe estimates, or, if pu'.'theic, ought to be credited in the receipts of ihe year. Trio reason will he apparent, when it is stated that the Distribution act deducts the expenses incident to the administration of the public lands, and, among others, lhat for surveying, and. of course, it must be deducted from ibe revenue from the lands, before it is distributed among the Slates, and brought to the credit of the Treasury. It is, in fact, but an advance out nf the land fund, to be deducted from it before it is distributed. -The-e are feveral other items in ihe estimates connected with ihe expen ses incident to ihe administration of ibe public lands, to which the same remarks are applicable, and wlrcli would make an additional deduction of many thousand loIli,?s, but the exact amount of which 1 have nt had time to ascertain. These several items, taken together, make ihe sum of $4,317,322 25, lhat may fairly he struck from the estimates. To these there are doubtless many others of conside rable amount that might he added, had I the time and means for full investigation. Among them, I would call the attention of the chairman to an item of $158,627 17, under ihe name of "patent fund," and com prised among the balances of appropria tions on the 31st of December last, and which will be required for this year. I have not had time to investiaate it. and am uninformed of its tin' lire. 1 must ask the chairman to explain. Does it mean re ceipts of money derived from payments for patents? If so, it Vnght to be passed to the Treasury, and. classed under the re f iSCOIT'OV ceipts of the year, and not the appropria lions, unless, indeed, there be some act of Congress which has ordered otherwise If it be an appropriation, 1 would ask to what is il appropriated, and to what par ticular objects is it io be applied this year? j ne cuairman wn nnu it in page 40, ol ihe document containing the estimates. 1 would ask the chairman, also, whether the interest on the trust funds, including both tfie Smithsonian and Indian, which may not be applied to ihe object of the irusis during the year, have been com pre-: bended in the receipts of the year? We pay interest them, aiuj JoJ-iAjlht of ! course to tneir ue. Till required to oc "p-rnr over. "The interest must tie considerable. That of the former, alone, is about $30,000 annually. 1 would, also, call his attention to the pension l:st. I observe ihe diminution or ihe number of pensioners for the last year is very considerable, and from ihe extreme age of die revolutionary portion, there must he a rapid dimunitioii till ihe list is finally closed. I have not had time lo in vestigate the subject sufficiently io say to what amount the Treasury may be relieved from thai source; but I am informed by a friend who is familiar with the subject, that a very great reduction of expenditure, say $300,000 annually, fur some years, may be expected under that head. Under these various heads, and others, which a careful examination might designate, I feel confident that a reduction might be made by retrenchment in the estimates to the a mount of the sum proposed lo be borrowed by this bill, as amended, without material ly impairing the elEciency of the Govern ment. I shall next proceed to examine what reduction may be made oy strict economy in the public disbursement?; by winch 1 mean, not parsimony, but lhat careful anil tfficwnt administration of lite moneyed af fairs of the Ciuveino ent, which guards a ainst all abuse and waste, and applies ev ery dollar to the object of appropriations, and lhat in the manner best calculated to produce the greatest result. This high duty properly appertains lo the functions of the Executive, and Congress can do but little mure than to utge on and sustain that Department of tlte Government in dis charging it, to which it belongs, and which must lake the lead in the worK of economy and reform. My object is to show, that there is ample room for the work, and that great reduction may be made in ihe ex penditures by such an administration of the moneyed affairs of the Government as I have described. lut how is litis to be made apparent? Can il bo done by minute examination of the various items of the es timates and expenditures? Can a general state of looseness, of abuses, or extrava gance in the disbursements be detected and exposed by such examination? All at tempts of the kind have failed, and must continue to do so. It would be impracti cable to extend such an inquiry through' the various heuis of expenditures. A sin gle account might be selected, liial would occupy a committee a large portion ol a session; and after all their labor, it would be more than an even chance that lliey would fail io detect abuses and mismanage ment, if they abounded ever so much. They lie beyond the accounts; and can on-J y be reached by the searching and scruti zmg eyes of faithful and vigilant officers charged with the administrative supervis ion. There is but one way in which Con gress can act with effect in testing whether the public funds have been judiciously and economically applied to me objects for which they were appropriated; and if not, of holding those charged with their admin istration responsible, and lhat is, by com paring the present expenditures with those of past periods of acknowledged economy, or foreig i cotemporar.eous service of like kind. If,. on such comparison, the diffjr ence should he much greater than they should be, after making due allowance, those who have the control stiould be held responsible to reduce them to a proper level, or to give satisfactory reasons tor not doing it; and lhat is ihe course which 1 intend to pursue. Tiiey who now have the control, both of Congress and ihe Executive De partment, came into power on a solemn pledge of reform; and it is but fair that they should be held responsible for the refor mation of the abuses and mismanagement which they declared lo exist, and the gieat reduction of expenses which they pledged themselves to make, if the people should raise them to power. lint I am not so unreasonable as to ex pect that reform can be the work of a day. I knw too well the labor and the lime it requires to entertain any such opinion. All 1 ask is, that the work shall be early, seriously, and systematically - commenced. It is to be regretted lhat it has not alreaJy commenced, and that there is so little ap parent inclination to begin. We had a right to expect that the chairman of ihe Committee on Finance, in bringing for ward a new loan of $5,000,000, would have at least undertaken to inform us, after a full 6urvev of the tslimaies and expendi tures, whether any reduction could be made. and, if any, to what amount, before lie C, FJK13flUARr 16, 1842. asked for a vote, adding so great an addi tion io itie puuiic debt. 1 cannot but re gard the omission as a bad omen. Il looks like repudiation of solemn pledges. But vhat he has failed to do I shall attempt, but in a much less full and satisfactory manner than he might have done, with all his advantages as the head of the commit tee. For the purpose of comparing. I shall select the years 1823 and 1840. I select the former, because it is one of the years of the second term of Mr. Monroe's admin istration, nnd which it is admitted now, 3,l;..;.i,.i it i -i RasprliCaeiCititli a rfnsoiwM" rcganl u, economv;1mt at that time it was thocght by all 'o ba liberal in its expendimres, and by sole even profuse, as several Senators who I low see, arid who were then mem bers of Congress", will bear witness. Cut I select it for a still stronger reason. Il is the ycaf which immediately preceded the first actj professedly passed on ibe princi ples of ,he piotecsive policy. The inter vening time between the two periods wn pieheius the two acts of 18 24 and 1823, by which that policy was carried to such great extremes. To those acts, connected with t'e banking system, and the connec tion of the banks with'the Governrnen is to he attributed that train of events which has invo'ved the country and the Govern ment ii so many difficulties; and, among others, that vast increase of expenditures which has taken place since 1823, as will be s'io.vh by the comparison I am about to ; make. The disbursements of the Government are conprised. under three great heads: the civil lit, including foreign intercourse and miscellaneous; the military, and the navy. I propose to begin with the first, and take them i the or ler in which they stand. The expenditures under the fir-it head have increised since 1823. when ihcy were $2,022,093, to $5,192,030 93, the amount in 184(1; showing an increase, in seventeen years, pf2 7-10 to 1, while the population has increased only about 3-4 to 1, that is, about 75 per cent. making the increase of expenditures, compared to the increase of population, about 3. 6-10 to 1. This enoruicus increase has taken place although a large portion of the expenditures under this head, consisting of salaries to officers and the pay of members of Congress, have remained unchanged. The next year, in 1811, the expenditure rose to S3 i96,5!0. I am, however, happy to peiceive a con siderable reduction in the estimates for this yea-, compared with the last and several preceding years; but still leaving room for great additional reduction to bring the in crease of expenditures io the same ratio with the increase f popula'ion, as liberal as that standard of increase would be. That ihe Senate may form some coneep tion, in detail, of this enormous increase, I propose to go more into particulars in re ference to two items: the contingent ex-p-nse of the two Houses of Congress, and that of collecting t he duties on import. The latter, though of a character belonging to the civil list, is not included ?n it, or cither of ihe other heads; as the. expenses incident to collecting the customs, are de ducted from the receipts, before liic money is paid into the Treasury. The contingent expense? (they exclude the pay and mileage of members) of the Senate in 1823 was S12.8 1 1 07. of which the printing cost $3,319 55, and stationery 31.631 51; and lhat ol Ihe Douse, 637, 81d 95, of which the printing cost S22. 314 41, and the stationery $3,877 71. In 18 40, the contingent expfliis-s of the Senate was $77,447 22. of which trie printing cost $31,285 32, and the sta tionery S7,06l 77; and that of ihe House 6193,219 57. ol which the printinr c i-t jSOS.Odft 46, and the stationery $33,352 99. The aggregate expanses ol the two Houses together rose from $5'.), 69 J 02 to S276,653; b-ing an actual increase of 5 4-10 to I. an 1 a;i increase, in proportion to population, of anon! 7 2-10 to one. Hut as enorui us as this increase is, the fact that the number of members had in creased not more than about leu per cent, fio n 1823 to 1840, is calculated" to make it still more strikingly so. Had the increase kept pace with the increase of members, (and there is no good reason why it should greatly exceed it,) the expenditures would have risen from $53,693 to $55,759 only making an increase of but $5,039; but, instead of that, it roe to $276,633, making an mcreas3 of $225,970. To plice the subject in a still more striking view the contingent expenses in 1823 were at the rale of $144 per member, which one would suppose was ample, and in 1840. 942. This vast increase took place under the im mediate eyes of Congress; and yet we were told-ai the extra session, bf the present chairnnn of ihe Finance Committee, mat there was no room for economy, and that no reduction could be made; and even in this di.-cussion he has intimated that little can be done. As enormous xs are the con tingent expenses of ihe two Houses, I infer from me ver)' great increase of expendi tures under the bead of civil list generally, when so large a portion is for fixed salaries, which have noi been materially increased fjr the last seventeen yeais, tlr.it they are tZbUimeitt cf thtir pctr." ot much Itss so throughout the whole range of this branch of tha publi- ser vice. I shall now proceed to the other item, which I have selected f.r more particular examination, the increased expenses of collecting the duties on imports. In 1823 it was $733,699, equal in 3 83-100 per cent, on ihe amount collected, and 98-100 on the aggregale amount of imports: and in lS40it had increased to $1,542,319 24. equal to 14 13-100 percent. n the amount collected, and to 1 53-100 on ihe aggregate ftflfWJlfa ribfrrj-'nooris, being an actual rably more than doum'tUlua.. and cnnsiilf In 1839 it rose to $1,714,515. From these facts, there can be little dount lhat more than a million annuadv may be saved under ihe two items of con tingent expenses of Congress, and the collection of Hie customs, without touching the other great items comprised under the civil list, trie exeeuave and judicial depart ments, ihe foreign intercourse, light-houses. and miscellaneous. Il would be safe lo put down a saving of at leal a half million for them. I shail now pass to the military, with which I am more familiar. I propose lo confine' my remarks'alaiost entirely to the army proper, including the Military Academy, in" reference to which the information is more full and minute. I exclude the expenses incident to the Florida war. and the expenditures for the Ordnance, the Engineer, the Topographical, the Indian, arid the Pension Bureaus. Instead of 1823, for which there is no official and exact statement ol 'the expenses of the army, I shall lake 1821, lor which there is one made by myself, as Secretary of War, and for the minute correctness of which, I can vouch. It is contained in a report made under a call of the House of Representatives, and comprise a comparative statement of the expense of the army proper, for rhe years 1818, '19, '20, and '21, respectively, and an estimate of tha expense of 1822. It may be proper to add, which I can with confidence, lhat the comparative expense of 1823, if it could be ascertained, would be found to be noi less favorable than 1S21. "l would probably bo something more so. With these remarks I shall begin with a comparison, in ihe first place, between 1821 and ihe estimates for the army pro per for this year. The average aggre gate strength of the army in the year 1821, including officers, professors, cadets, and s.-.l hers, was 8,109. and the proportion of 'nricrs, including the professors of the Military Academy, lo the soldiers, inclu ding cadets, wa 1 to 12 18-100 and the -vpendilure $2,180,093 53. equal to $263 91 for each individual. The estimate for the arm v proper Tor 1842: including the Military Academy, is 84.453,370 16. The actual strength of tht army, according to the return accompanying the message at the opening of the session, was 11,169 Assuming this to be the average strength for ibis year, and adding for ibe average number of the Academy, professors and cadets, 300. it will give, within a very small fraction, $390 for each individual. making a difference of $136 in favor of 1821. How far the increase of pay, and the additional expense of two regiments of dragoon, pom par! to other descripiions, of troops, would justify this increase, I am not prepared to sav. In other respects, I h'uld suppose, there ought to be a de crease rather than an increase, as the price of clothing, provisions, forage, and other articles of supply, as well a transportation, ar", I presume, cheaper than in 1821 The proportion of officers to soldiers I would suppose to be less in 1842, than 1 82 1 , and. of course, as far as lhat ba in fluence, the expense of the f irmsr ought to h ! per man than ihe latter. With this brief ami imp"rfjct comparison be- t veen the expense of 1821 and ibeestimates for thi year. I shall proceed to a more 'iiinute and full comparison between the former and the year 1837. I select that year, because l h strength of the army, and the proportion of officer to men (a vry material p int a il rehtes to the expen diture) is almost exactly tb ame. On turning to document 165 (11. R. 2d ses. 23ih Con.) a letter will He f mnd fro-n the then Secretary of War (Mr. 1'oinspu) riving a comparative statement, in !etd, of the expanse of the army proper, inclu ding the Military cademv for the year 1837. '38 '39 and "40. The strength of the army for the first of these years, inclu ding officer, professors, cadets, and sol diers, was 8,107, being fro less ihan in 1821. The proportion of officers and pro fessors, to the cadets and soldiers, 11 48 100 being 72 100 more than 1821. The exp-nditurfT for 1837, $3,303,011, being $1. 127,918 more than 1821. The cost per man, including officers, professors, cadets, and soldiers was in 1837 3408 03, exee-ding thai nf 1821 $144 12 per man. It appears by the letter of the Secretary, that ibe expense per man rose in 1838 to S464 35; but it is due to the head of the Department, at the time, lo say, that it declined under bis administration, the next year, to 331 dollars and 65 cents, and in the subsequent, to 330 dollars and 63 cents. VOLUME V, NO. 38. There is no statement for the Tear 1841; but as there has been a falling of! in prices. I. there ought to be a proportionate reduction in the cost, especially during the present year, when there is a prospect of so great a decline in almost every article wuicn enters into the consumption of the army Assuming that the average strength of tha army will be kept equal to the return ac companying the President's message, .and lhat the expenditure of the year should 'be reduced to the standard of 1S21, the expense of the army would not exceed 2,895,688 dollars, making a difference, 1 Iih th climate, nf 1.657.684 and the greater expense of the dragoons cannot be expected. Having no certain information bow much the expenses are necessarily increased from those causes. I am not prepared to say what ought to be, the actual reductions, but, unless the in crease of pay, and the increased cost be cause of the dragoons are very great, it ought to be very considerable. 1 found the expense of the army io 1818, including ihe Military Academy, to ' be 3,702,495 dollars, at a cost of 451 dollars 57 cent per man, including officers, profes sors, cadets, and soldiers, and reduced it in 1821 to 2.180,098 dollars, at a cost of 263 dollars 91 cent, and making a differ ence between the two years, in the aggre gate expenses of ihe army, of 1,522.397 dollars, and 185 dollars 66 cent per man. There was, it is true, a great fall in ptices in the interval; but allowing, for lhat, by adding to the price of every article, enter ing into the supplies of the army a sunt sullicient to raise it to the price of 1818, there was still a difference in the cost per man of 8163 95. This great reduction was effected without stinting the service or diminishing the supplies, cither in quanti ty or quality. They were, on the contra ry, increased in both, especially the latter. It was effected through an efficient organi zation of the staff, and the co-operation of the able officers placed at the head of each of its divisions. The cause of the great expense at the former period, was found to be principally in the neglect of public pro perly, and the application of it to uses not warranted by law. There is less seope, doubtless, for reformation in the army now. 1 cannot doubt, however, but lhat the uni versal extravagance which pervaded the country for so many years, and which in creased so greatly the expenses both of Government and individuals, has left much room for reform in this, as well as other branches of the service. In addition to the army, there are many other and heavy branches of expenditure embraced under the military head fortifi cations, ordnance, Indians, and pensions the expenditures f which, taken, in the aggregate, greatly exceed the army: the expense of all of which, for the reason to which I have alluded, may, doubtless, be much reduced. On turning to the navy, I have not been able to obtain information which would enable me to make a similar comparison between the two periods, in reference lr thai important arm; but 1 hope, when ihe information is received which has been called for by the Senator from Maine, fMr. Williams ample data will be obtained to enable me to do so on some future occasion. In place of it, I propose to give a compara tive statement of the expense of the Hritish navy and ours for the year 1840. The information in refererce to the former is taken from a work of authority, the Fenny Cyclopedic, under the head of 'Na vy." The aggregate expense of the British navy jn the year 1840 amounted to ' 4,: 930,353 pounds sterling, deducting the . expense of transport for troops and con victs, which does not properly belong to the navy. That sum, at 4 dollars 80 cent to the pound sterling, is equal to 23,905, 694 dollars 46 cent. The navy was com posed of 392 vessels of war of all descrip tions, leaving out 36 steam vessels in the packet service, and 23 sloops fitted for foreign packets. Oflhe 3S2, 98 were line f battle ships, of which 19 were buildings; 1 16 frigates, of which 14 were building; 63 sloops, of which 13 were building; 44 steam vessel, of which 16 were building; and 65 gnn hrigs schooners, aud cutlets, of which 12 were building. The effective force of the year that which was in actual service, consiste'd ol 3.400 officers, 3.938 petty officers, 12, 846 seamen, and 9,000 marines, making an aggregate of 29,244. The number of vessels in actual service were 175, of which 24 were line of battle ships, SI frigates.' 30 steam vessels, and 45 gun brigs, schooners, and cutters, not including tha 30 steamers and 24 sloops in tha packet service, at a3 average expenditure . of 573 for each individual, including officers, petty officers, seaman, and marine". Our navy is composed, at present, accor ding to the report oflhe Secretary accom panying the President's message, of 67 vegs'els.of which 11 are line of battle ships. 17 frigites. 18 sloops of war, 2 brigs, 4 schooners, 4 steamers, 3 stora ships, 3 ' t-v t r n s sT
The Lincoln Republican (Lincolnton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 16, 1842, edition 1
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