The position for the Navy Yard, Mare Island, was selected and located by a board of officers charged with that duty, in 1850. The first appropriation, $200,000, was made by Congress for founding the yard in August, 1854. The subsequent appropriations made, have been in 1855, $345,000; in 1856, $322,000; in 1857, $399,880; in 1858, $493,921. Total appropriations to the close of the fiscal year, June, 1859, $1,760,801.† Operations were commenced October 1st, 1854, and all the temporarily necessary workshops and buildings constructed, beside temporary wooden wharves for landing stores and materials. About thirty acres of ground, requiring heavy grading and filling in, have been brought to the established grade of the yard. A smithery, one story in hight and six hundred and fifty-eight feet frontage, by fiftyfive feet in width, designed to contain sixty-seven forges, a steam engine, and all the necessary appliances of such a structure, with a chimney one hundred and twenty-seven feet high, and its funnel nine feet in diameter; a store-house, four hundred feet long by fifty-five feet wide, two stories high; the Commandant's house, forty-two feet square and three stories high; four blocks (eight houses) of officers' quarters, also three stories in hight; a joiners' shop and timber shed, four hundred feet long by sixty-five feet wide, two stories high, have been completed. There are in the course of construction two additional buildings, four hundred feet in length, for the storage of timber etc., and for use as a cooperage; two blocks (four houses) for officers' quarters, similar to those already finished, and a two-story building, two hundred feet in length by fifty-five feet in width, for a plumbers' and coppersmith's shop. These buildings are all of brick, are built in the most substantial manner and of the best materials. A stone quay-wall, five hundred and fifty feet in length, has been built, and the foundation for two hundred feet more made ready. The magazine, now in the course of completion, is one hundred and thirty-six feet in length by sixty-five feet in width, and will cost, when finished, one hundred and twenty thousand dollars; a shellhouse, and three cisterns of a capacity of one hundred and forty thousand gallons each, have been finished, and preparations made for the commencement of a building, eleven hundred and sixty feet long, to be used for a machine shop. A sectional dry-dock and a basin and railway have been completed by contract at a cost of $1,400,000. The sectional dry-dock, by order of the Navy Department, is now placed at the service of the commercial marine of the Pacific Coast at rates of dockage barely covering repairs and expenses of operating it, whenever it can be shown that any private works of the kind are incompetent for the purpose. * For List of Officers, Clerks, etc., see p. 58. + Exclusive of the cost of Sectional Dock, Basin and Railway, one million four hundred thousand dollars. This Navy Yard is the only one on the west coast of America, and must grow in importance, as it will in size and usefulness, every year. Its facilities and appliances have been, and will be from this time forward, equal to all the demands made upon them, as not only all the vessels of the Pacific squadron needing them, have undergone repairs at this yard, but a large number of merchant ships have been docked and repaired. It is designed and expected that this Navy Yard shall increase in size and facilities, more rapidly than the requirements of the Pacific squadron will demand, in anticipation of the future necessities of our naval marine, when it shall have increased in proportion to our national greatness. If the original plans be carried out, and the works to be constructed shall be commensurate with those already built, many years will be required to complete them, and probably an expenditure of some $15,000,000 or $20,000,000; as among the many works marked out on the plan of the yard, yet to be constructed, are eight stone dry-docks. It is hoped and believed that, when finished according to the extensive scale adopted, the Navy Yard at Mare Island will be the largest, most complete and best dock-yard in the world. 2. VESSELS OF WAR OF THE UNITED STATES, NOV. 1857. The officers marked thus (*), have the rank of Commanders; thus (†) Lieutenants; the rest are Captains. Name and Rate-Guns. Where and when Built. SHIPS OF THE LINE-10. .120 Philadelphia .......1837 John R. Tucker...... Rec'ing ship, Norfolk .80 Washington ........1819 In ordinary................... Norfolk .84 New York........ ..1820 Samuel F. Hazard... Rec'ing ship, Boston. .84 Philadelphia.......1820* James F. Schenck. Rec'ing ship, N. York .84 Norfolk, Va.........1820 In ordinary... .84 On the stocks...... .84 On the stocks... .84 Boston..... ..1848 In ordinary. .84 On the stocks...... New Orleans............84 On the stocks.. FRIGATES-13. Independence...........56 Boston....... Norfolk.. Boston Norfolk Sackett's Harbor. .1814 Archib'ld B. Fairfax R'g ship, S. Francisco United States............50 Philadelphia.......1797 In ordinary... .1797 In ordinary.. Norfolk 50 Washington ........1821 In ordinary............ Norfolk.... New York......... Brandywine............50 Washington ........1825 In ordinary. .50 Washington ........1836 In ordinary .50 Portsmouth.... ..1841 Thomas T. Craven... Mediterranean. .50 Boston.... .1842 John S. Misroon... Coast of Africa..... SLOOPS OF WAR-19. Macedonian .......... Jamestown.... 50 New York...... .50 Norfolk.. ...... New York...... New York.. .22 Rebuilt, Norfolk..1854 Charles H. Bell...... Mediterranean......... Name and Rate-Guns. Where and when Built. Saratoga Vincennes Falmouth Vandalia * .20 Portsmouth........1842 Frederick Chatard. Home Squadron .20 Philadelphia .20 Washington.. ...16 Philadelphia.. ..4 New York SCHOONER. Fenimore Cooper.. ..3 Purchased..........1852 In ordinary .......................... For Survey STEAMERS. .6 Boston.............. .1842 In ordinary ..1836 In ordinary Norfolk. Brazil Station Niagara............... ..40 New York..........1856 William L. Hudson... Special service.... Screw, 2d Class-1. San Jacinto........... ..13 New York ..........1850* Henry H. Bell...... East Indies... Massachusetts............9 Transf'd from W. D. In ordinary .... San Francisco ......... Princeton ................10 Rebuilt, Norfolk...1851 Receiving ship......... Philadelphia.... Susquehanna... .10 Philadelphia.......1841 Wm. C. Nicholson... East Indies...... ....15 Philadelphia .......1850 Joshua R. Sands...... Home Squadron..... .....9 Norfolk .........1850 George F. Pearson... East Indies Side-Wheel, 2d Class-1 .6 Portsmouth.........1848 John Kelly.............. Pacific....................................... Side-Wheel, 3d Class-5. Water-Witch John Hancock.... .1 Erie, Pa..............1844 C. H. McBlair......... Northern Lakes........ ......5 New York..........1837 † John J. Almy....... Home Squadron Receiving ship, Balti STEAM TENDERS-2. Despatch... .10 Pittsburg, Pa......1847 * R. F. Pinckney...{ Purchased..........1855 In ordinary Purchased ..6 Philadelphia. Supply ....1826 In ordinary Warren Release...... .4 Purchased Boston......... ..4 Purchased .2 Purchased PERM'T REC'G SHIPS-1. .1836 In ordinary ..1846+ William H. Ball.... Valparaiso, Chile..... .....1855 In ordinary Norfolk ..............1842* William S. Young... Philadelphia.......... NOTE. In addition to the vessels enumerated in this table, there are six steamers connected with the Revenue and Coast Survey Service; also, the five screw frigates now building, viz: The Brooklyn, Hartford, Richmond, Lancaster and Pensacola, each of two thousand tuns. These vessels, when in service, together with the seven screw sloops of war and the side-wheel steamer authorized to be constructed by the Thirty-Fifth Congress, will form an important addition to the navy of the United States. XIII-POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, CAL.* Number of post-offices in California, 315; length of routes, 3,084 miles; cost of transportation for fiscal year, ending June 30, 1857, $143,797; expenses, same period, $359,854; receipts, same period, $256,974. RATES OF POSTAGE-DOMESTIC. Letters for each half-ounce, under three thousand miles, prepaid, three cents; over three thousand miles, pre-paid, ten cents. All letters must be pre-paid by stamps, or inclosed in stamp-envelopes, or they will not be forwarded. Transient Newspapers, Periodicals, Circulars, etc.,-to any part of the United States, not weighing over three ounces, one cent-and one cent for each additional ounce. Books-pre-paid, not weighing over four pounds, two cents per ounce. All fractions over the ounce being counted as an additional ounce. Newspapers and Periodicals-not exceeding one and one-half ounces in weight, when paid quarterly in advance-daily, per quarter, twenty-two and three-quarter cents; six times per week, nineteen and one-half cents; triweekly, nine and three-quarter cents; semi-weekly, six and one-half cents; weekly, three and one-quarter cents; semi-monthly, one and one-half cents; monthly, three-quarter cents. When sent out of the State these rates are doubled. Small newspapers, published monthly, or oftener, and pamphlets not containing more than sixteen octavo pages, in packages of eight ounces or over, one-half cent per ounce. Weekly newspapers, within the county where published, free. Quarterly payments, in advance, may be made either where published or received. RATES OF POSTAGE-FOREIGN. NOTE. The figures following the name of each country, are intended to represent: first, the postage in cents, on letters weighing one-half ounce or under; and second, the postage on single newspapers. North America.-British Possessions, Pacific Coast, 3, 1. Canada, 15, 1. Mexico, 10, 2. Central America, 44, 8. South America.-Bolivia, Chili or Ecuador, 34, 6. New Grenada, 18, 6— except Panama and Aspinwall, which are, 20, 6. Peru, 22, 6. Europe.-Belgium, 26, 6. Denmark, 35, 6. France, 15 per one-quarter ounce, 2. German States, 30, 6. Great Britain, 29, 2. Greece, 42, 6. Holland, 26, 6. Norway, 46, 6. Portugal, 73, 6. Russia, 37, 6. Sardinia, 38, 6. Spain, 78, 6. Sweden, 42, 6. Switzerland, 35, 6. Turkey, 30, 6. Tuscany, 35, 6. East Indies and Islands of the Pacific.-Australia, Sandwich Islands, Manila, China, Java, New South Wales, New Zealand, Victoria, etc., etc. (by sailing vessels) 1, 1. * For List of Post-Offices, Officers and Clerks, see pp. 58-63. West Indies.—British, 20, 6. Cuba, 20, 2. Danish, 44, 6. Dutch, 44, 6. French, 44, 6. Spanish-except Cuba-44, 6. Pamphlets or bound books, not to exceed four ounces in weight, may be forwarded by mail to foreign countries at the rate of four cents per ounce. INSTRUCTIONS TO POSTMASTERS-TRANSIENT PRINTED MATTER, ETC. Books, not weighing over four pounds, may be sent in the mail pre-paid by postage stamps, at one cent an ounce, any distance in the United States, under three thousand miles; and at two cents an ounce over three thousand miles, provided they are put up without a cover, or wrapper, or in a cover or wrapper open at the ends or sides, so that their character may be determined without removing the wrapper. Small newspapers and periodicals, published monthly or oftener, and pamphlets containing not more than sixteen octavo pages each, when put up in single packages weighing at least eight ounces, to one address, and prepaid by postage stamps, may be sent to any part of the United States, at onehalf cent an ounce, or fraction of an ounce. Unsealed circulars, advertisements, business cards, transient newspapers, and every other article of transient printed matter (except books and packages of small publications as above,) not weighing over three ounces, sent in the mail to any part of the United States, are chargeable with one cent postage each, to be prepaid by postage stamps. Where more than one circular is printed on a sheet, or a circular and letter, each must be charged with a single rate. This applies to lottery and other kindred sheets assuming the form and name of newspapers, and the miscellaneous matter in such sheets must also be charged with one rate. A business card on an unsealed envelop of a circular, subjects the entire package to letter postage. Any transient matter, like a circular or handbill, inclosed in or with a periodical or newspaper sent to a subscriber, or to any other person, subjects the whole package to letter postage; and whenever subject to letter postage from being sealed or from any cause whatever, all printed matter, without exception, must be prepaid or excluded from the mail. It is the duty of the postmaster at the mailing office, as well as at the cffice of delivery, carefully to examine all printed matter, in order to see that it is charged with the proper rate of postage and to detect fraud. At offices where postage stamps can not be procured, postmasters are authorized to receive money in pre-payment of postage on transient matter, but they should be careful to keep a supply of stamps on hand. It is no part of the duty of a postmaster to receive and deliver to subscribers any other newspapers than those which come in the mail, or to put the address on newspapers sent to clubs, or to deliver them from a furnished list; nor should he do either, even through courtesy, unless it may be done without interfering with the legitimate business of his office. A postmaster, whose compensation for the last preceding fiscal year did not exceed two hundred dollars, can send through the mail, free of postage, all letters written by himself, and receive letters addressed to himself, on his own private business, the weight of each letter not to exceed half an ounce. He cannot receive free nor frank printed matter of a private nature; nor letters addressed to his wife or any other member of his family; nor can he frank letters to editors or publishers containing money in payment of subscription. But every postmaster, whatever may have been his annual compensation, can send and receive, free, communications, whether written or printed, relating exclusively to the business of his office, or of the Post-Office Depart ment. |