Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

March 3, 1849.

Chap. CIII. — An Act making Appropriations for the Naval Service for the Year ending the thirtieth of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, and they are hereby, appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the naval service, for the year ending the thirtieth of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty:

Pay of officers and seamen, $2,462,500.

For pay of commission, warrant, and petty officers and seamen, including the engineer corps of the navy, two million four hundred and sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars.

Superintendents, constructers, &c., $73,960.

For pay of superintendents, naval constructors, and all the civil establishments at the several navy-yards and stations, seventy-three thousand nine hundred and sixty dollars.

Provisions, $686,200.

For provisions for commission, warrant, and petty officers and seamen, including engineers and marines, attached to vessels for sea service, six hundred and eighty-six thousand two hundred dollars.

Surgeons' necessaries, &c., $38,500.

For surgeons' necessaries and appliances for the sick and hurt of the navy, including marine corps, thirty-eight thousand five hundred dollars.

Repair. $1,436,000.

For repair of vessels in ordinary, and for wear and tear of vessels in commission, including fuel for steamers, and the purchase of hemp, one million four hundred and thirty-six thousand dollars.

Construction of magnetic clock, $10,000.

For the construction at the national observatory of a magnetic clock, under the superintendence of Dr. Locke, and to pay him for the free use by the United States of his invention of said clock, and of all improvements that he may make thereto, ten thousand dollars.

<Page 2>

Surveys on coast of Gulf of Mexico, $4070.

1841, ch. 35.

For paying the unsatisfied demands upon the fund for continuing the survey of the coast on the Gulf of Mexico, from Apalachicola Bay to the Mississippi, four thousand and seventy dollars, to be taken out of the balance of the fund appropriated for that purpose by act of the third of March, eighteen hundred and forty-one, and which has been carried to the credit of the surplus fund.

Surveys on coasts of South Florida, $30,000.

For the survey of the reefs, shoals, keys, and coasts of South Florida by the Superintendent of the "Coast Survey," and for which the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to provide the requisite officers, vessels, and crews to said "Coast Survey," the sum of thirty thousand dollars.

Ordnance and ordnance stores, $257,000.

For ordnance and ordnance stores, and small arms, including incidental expenses, two hundred and fifty-seven thousand dollars.

Books, maps, charts, &c., $58,260.

Proviso as to preparation of the Nautical Almanac.

Books may be sold at cost of publication.

For nautical books, maps, charts, instruments, and all other expenses of the hydrographical office, fifty-eight thousand two hundred and sixty dollars: Provided, That a competent officer of the navy, not below the grade of lieutenant, be charged with the duty of preparing the Nautical Almanac for publication, and that the Secretary of the Navy may, when, in his opinion, the interests of navigation would be promoted thereby, cause any nautical works that may, from time to time, be published by the hydrographical office, to be sold at cost, and the proceeds arising therefrom to be placed in the treasury of the United States.

Miscellaneous expenses, $508,000.

For contingent expenses that may accrue for the following purposes, viz. : freight and transportation; printing and stationery; advertising in newspapers; books, maps, models, and drawings; purchase and repair of fire engines and machinery; repair of and attending on steam engines in yards; purchase and maintenance of horses and oxen and driving teams; carts, timber wheels, and the purchase and repair of workmen's tools; postage of public letters; furniture for government houses; fuel, oil, and candles for navy-yards and shore stations; cleaning and clearing up yards; watchmen and incidental labor not chargeable to any other appropriation; labor attending the delivery of stores and supplies on foreign stations; wharfage, dockage, and rent; travelling expenses of officers; funeral expenses; store and office rent; stationery and fuel to navy agents and storekeepers; flags, awnings, and packing boxes; premiums and other expenses of recruiting; apprehending deserters; per diem pay to persons attending courts martial and courts of inquiry, or other service authorized by law; pay to judge advocates; pilotage and towage of vessels, and assistance rendered to vessels in distress, five hundred and eight thousand dollars.

Naval school at Annapolis, $28,200.

For support of the naval school at Annapolis, Maryland, twenty-eight thousand two hundred dollars.

Transportation of U. S. mail in steamers, $874,600.

For transportation of the United States mail between New York and Liverpool, between New York and New Orleans, Havana and Chagres, and between Panama and some point in the Territory of Oregon, eight hundred and seventy-four thousand six hundred dollars.

Purchase of right to use Bishop's patent boom derrick, $10,000.

Proviso.

For the purchase of the right to use A. D. Bishop's patent portable boom derrick for all government purposes, ten thousand dollars: Provided, The said Bishop shall, within fifteen days from the passage of this act, notify the Secretary of the Navy, in writing, of his acceptance of said sum in full compensation for said patent right, and all improvements which he may, hereafter, make upon the same; and shall furnish full working plans and explanations for the construction of said boom derrick.

Testing capacity and usefulness of electromagnetic power, &c., $20,000.

For testing the capacity and usefulness of the electro-magnetic power as a mechanical agent for the purposes of navigation and locomotion, and the probable cost of using the same according to the invention of Professor Page, the sum of twenty thousand dollars, to be expended

<Page 3>
under the supervision of the Secretary of the Navy in making a practicable experiment of said invention according to the plan to be proposed and conducted by Professor Page.

Construction, &c., and current expenses at navy-yards:

For the construction, extension, and completion of the following objects, and for the current repairs at the several navy-yards, viz. :

Portsmouth, $54,620 53.

At Portsmouth. — For completing powder magazine and smithery I; for constructing commander's quarters, timber shed number twenty-eight, store-house number thirty, dock wall west of timber sheds; for paving timber shed number twenty-seven, wharf, and filling in rear of number four; for pitch house, engine house, and filling in low grounds; and for repairs of all kinds, fifty-four thousand six hundred and twenty dollars and fifty-three cents.

Boston, $132,221 50.

At Boston. — Towards construction of sail loft and cordage store; for stone wall and filling in south-west of ship house H; for coal house near blacksmith shop, grading and paving avenue sixty-three; for anchor hoys and water tank; and for repairs of all kinds, one hundred and thirty-two thousand two hundred and twenty-one dollars and fifty cents.

New York, $95,000.

At New York. — For two officers' houses, cob dock, dredging channels, filling in land purchased between navy-yard and hospital, fence on Flushing avenue, filling in timber pond, paving and gutters to avenue, and for repairs of all kinds, ninety-five thousand dollars.

Philadelphia, $76,627.

At Philadelphia. — For two houses for officers; for foundation and slip of ship house G; extension of wharves number one, two, and three, to port warden's line; for timber shed D; for raising smith's shop, and for repairs of all kinds, seventy-six thousand and twenty-seven dollars.

Washington, $44,530.

At Washington. — For boiler and furnace for small steam hammer, and boilers for steam engines, numbers one and three; for building stone wharf; for large slide lathes, planing machines, shafting, drums, boring, slotting, and drilling machines, and small lathes; and repairs of all kinds, forty-four thousand five hundred and thirty dollars.

Norfolk, $105,844.

At Norfolk. — For slip number forty-eight; continuation of quay walls, digging out timber dock, grading, paving, gutters, filling low grounds, brick stables, water cisterns, engine house to smithery, coal house, and repairs of all kinds, one hundred and five thousand eight hundred and forty-four dollars.

Pensacola, $200,013 55.

At Pensacola. — For completing permanent wharf, smith, and machine shop, timber shed and mould loft, water tank, lime house, paint shop, dredging machine and lighters, and yard boats; for brick kitchen to officers' houses, (eleven,) six first class, and six second class houses, and repairs of all kinds, two hundred thousand and thirteen dollars and fifty-five cents.

Memphis, $136,554.

At Memphis. — For saw mill, one wing of store house; to complete building for officers, blacksmith's shop, and joiner's shop; for fire engine, excavation, and embankment, piling on river bank, wall to enclose yard, guard house, and enclosure to commandant's house, pavements, drains, and gutters, and repairs of all kinds, one hundred and thirty-six thousand five hundred and fifty-four dollars.

Sackett's Harbor, $1500.

At Sackett's Harbor. — For stables and fencing, and repairs of all kinds, one thousand five hundred dollars.

Hospitals, viz.:

For Hospitals, viz.: —

Boston, $1500.

At Boston. — For repairs to road, fences, wall, white-washing, and general repairs, one thousand five hundred dollars.

New York, $11,300.

At New York. — For completing small-pox building, finishing sewer, dead-house, grading, brick barn, and stable, and general repairs, eleven thousand three hundred dollars.

Washington, $150.

At Washington. — For general repairs, one hundred and fifty dollars.

<Page 4>

Norfolk, $1000.

At Norfolk. — For general repairs, one thousand dollars.

Penasacola, $1750.

At Penasacola. — For repairs of hospital buildings, medical officers' quarters, out-buildings, fences, and general repairs, one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars.

Magazines, viz.:

For Magazines, viz. —

Boston, $150.

At Boston, one hundred and fifty dollars.

New York, $200.

At New York, two hundred dollars.

Washington, $150.

At Washington, one hundred and fifty dollars.

Norfolk, $150.

At Norfolk, one hundred and fifty dollars.

Stone and dry docks, viz. :

New York, $490,000.

For stone and floating Dry Docks, viz. — For completing the stone dry dock building at New York, four hundred and ninety thousand dollars.

Kittery, $200,000.

For the construction of the floating dry dock to be built at Kittery, two hundred thousand dollars.

Philadelphia, $200,000.

For the construction of the floating dry dock to be built at Philadelphia, two hundred thousand dollars.

Penasacola, $250,000.

For the construction of the floating dry dock to be built at Pensacola, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

New Orleans, $1750.

For improvements and superintendence at naval depot near New Orleans, the sum of one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars.

Marine Corps. Pay of officers, marines, &c. $209,012.

Proviso, marines may be substituted for landsmen in the navy.

Marine Corps. — For pay of officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians, privates, and servants, serving on shore, subsistence of officers, and pay for undrawn clothing, two hundred and nine thousand and twelve dollars: Provided, That the President of the United States may substitute marines for landsmen in the navy, as far as he may deem it expedient to promote the efficiency of the service.

Certain officers of the marine corps disbanded by the act of March 2d, 1847, ch. 40, restored.

1848, ch. 104.

And that the officers of the marine corps affected by the 4th section of the act of Congress approved March 2, 1847, entitled "An Act for the increase of the Marine Corps of the United States," shall be provided for in the same manner that the officers of the old army, who received appointments in the additional regiments raised for the war with Mexico, were under the 4th section of the act of Congress, approved July nineteen, eighteen hundred and forty-eight, entitled "An Act supplementary to an act entitled 'An Act providing for the prosecution of the existing war between the United States and the republic of Mexico, and for other purposes.'"

Provisions, $30,674 80.

For provisions for marines serving on shore, thirty thousand six hundred and seventy four dollars and eighty cents.

Clothing, $42,948.

For clothing, forty-two thousand nine hundred and forty-eight dollars.

Fuel, &c. $13,158.

For fuel, thirteen thousand one hundred and fifty-eight dollars.

Military stores, $6000.

For military stores, repair of arms, pay of armorers, accoutrements, ordnance stores, flags, drums, fifes, and musical instruments, six thousand dollars.

Transportation, $8000.

For transportation of officers and troops, and expenses of recruiting, eight thousand dollars.

Repairs of barracks, &c., $6000.

For repairs of barracks, and rent of temporary barracks and offices for commanding officers, six thousand dollars.

Contingencies, $18,184.

For contingencies, viz. :

Freight, ferriage, cartage, wharfage, compensation to judges advocate per diem, for attending courts martial, courts of inquiry, and for constant labor, house rent in lieu of quarters, burial of deceased marines, printing, stationery, forage, portage, pursuit of deserters, candles, oil, straw, furniture, bed sacks, spades, axes, shovels, picks, carpenter's tools, keep of a horse for the messenger, pay of matron, washerwoman, and porter at the hospital head-quarters, eighteen thousand one hundred and eighty-four dollars.

Deficiency in appropriation for buoy-boats, $205 53. 1847, ch. 48.

To supply a deficiency in the appropriation of the third of March, eighteen hundred and forty-seven, for two buoy-boats, one on the eastern

<Page 5>
end of Tuckernuck Shoal, and the other on the end of Great or Sandy Rip Shoal, two hundred and five dollars and fifty-three cents.

Meteorological observations, $2000.

For meteorological observations, to be conducted under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy, two thousand dollars.

Secretary of the Navy to detail three vessels in testing new routes, &c.

Proviso.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to detail three suitable vessels of the navy in testing new routes and perfecting the discoveries made by Lieutenant Maury in the course of his investigations of the winds and currents of the ocean; and to cause the vessels of the navy to coöperate in procuring materials for such investigations, in so far as said coöperation may not be incompatible with the public interests: Provided, That the same can be accomplished without any additional expense.

Secretary of War to transfer certain vessels to Navy Dept.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed, in conformity with the recommendation contained in his annual report, to transfer to the Navy Department such vessels now belonging to the War Department as, in his judgment, will promote the public interests.

Pay of purser at naval station in California.

Proviso.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in lieu of the pay allowed by law, a purser, when, by order of the Secretary of the Navy, attached to and doing duty at the naval station of California, shall receive the same pay as if attached to a frigate in commission for sea service: Provided, That not more than one purser shall, at the same time, be attached to the said station on general or special duty.

Retention from pay of musicians and privates extended.

1833, ch. 68.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the retention of one dollar per month from the pay of the musicians and privates of the Marine Corps, directed by the act of second March, eighteen hundred and thirty-three, be extended, as in the case of the musicians and privates of the army, to the whole term of their enlistment.

Pay of engineers in the navy established.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the engineers in the navy shall hereafter receive the following pay, viz. :

$1500.

Chief Engineers on duty, first five years, fifteen hundred dollars.

$2000.

Chief Engineers on duty, after five years, two thousand dollars.

$1200.

Chief Engineers on leave, after five years, fourteen hundred dollars.

$1400.

First Assistant Engineers, on duty, one thousand dollars.

$1000.

First Assistant Engineers, on leave, eight hundred and fifty dollars.

$850.

Second Assistant Engineers, on duty, eight hundred dollars.

$800.

Second Assistant Engineers, on leave, six hundred dollars.

$600.

Third Assistant Engineers, on duty, six hundred dollars.

$400.

Third Assistant Engineers, on leave, four hundred dollars.

Commencement of the mail contract with E. K. Collins postponed to 1st June, 1850.

1847, ch. 62.

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Navy be, and hereby is, authorized so to modify the contract entered into by him with E. K. Collins and his associates for the transportation of the mail between New York and Liverpool, under direction of the act of Congress approved March third, eighteen hundred and forty-seven, as to postpone the commencement of the mail service stipulated to be performed until the first day of June, eighteen hundred and fifty, without, in other respects, impairing the condition or obligations of the said contract.

Prize money to be hereafter deposited in the treasury.

How the same shall be distributed.

No prize agents to be appointed.

Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act, all prize money, arising from captures made by the vessels of the navy of the United States, received by the marshal who shall make sale of such prizes, shall, within sixty days after such sale, deposit the net proceeds, after paying all charges, as now provided by law, into the treasury of the United States; and all money now in the hands of prize agents shall also be deposited in the treasury, to be distributed as now provided by law; such part thereof as may belong to

<Page 6>
the officers and crews of the vessels of the navy shall be paid to them under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy, and the law authorizing the appointment of prize agents is hereby repealed.

Approved, March 3, 1849.