Great economy of fuel and oil, and we consider an engine is incomplete without them; so much so, that we put them on at our own expense to all engines we build, giving us the credit we desire. In quick working engines for the navy their value would be hard to calculate, as we deem them of such importance that we put them to the smallest engine, working at times with 150 pounds of steam, and making 130 revolutions, and everything perfectly cool. Respectfully, &c., REANEY, NEAFIE & CO. PHILADELPHIA, 9th month 19, 1857. To the inquiries in yours of the 28th ult. we reply as follows: Parry's anti-friction box has been applied by us to the steam-barge "Seymour," fitted with one non-condensing engine having a cylinder 20 inches stroke, 17 inches diameter. No other thrust having been applied to this boat, we cannot make a comparison, but we can say that it has been in use about a year, with satisfactory results. It has also been placed by us on the tug "Mariner," of Wilmington, N. C., having a condensing engine with a cylinder 30 inches diameter, 26 inches stroke. The thrust was originally taken by a broad collar bearing against a wide flange of after bearing. The engine was recently lined up, and the valves adjusted when the box was applied. Before its application, the average revolutions were 75 per minute, afterwards 83 per minute-an improvement of 8, one-half of which, or 5 per cent., is considered due to Parry's box. Her owners are so much satisfied with her better performance, that a box has been ordered and made for another of their tugs, the "Equator," at present fitted with broad collar thrust. The "Parry box," applied to the tug "America" of this port, has come under our supervision when making repairs to the engines. This boat has two condensing engines, with cylinders 40 inches diameter, 30 inches stroke. The thrust was originally a series of collars on main shaft, but was changed to the mode patented by Mr. Parry before we had any direct knowledge of its operation. Her engineer reported a gain of five revolutions per minute due to Parry's box. It works and looks well, no repairs of any consequence having been made since its first application. We consider the advantages of Parry's box to be, a minimum amount of friction, very little if any wear, and consequently a saving of repairs and lubrication. In common with some other engine builders, we have modified the shape of the rollers of Parry's box by cutting off the exterior frustrum and rounding the ends to a radius equal to their distance, when in place, from the centre of the shaft, and turning the exterior flanges of bed pieces to fit their curve; but from the want of an extended trial we are not prepared to say if it be any improvement upon the original form, but we think it quite as good. JESSE GAY, J. P. MORRIS & CO. Pres't of Board of Engineers, Washington, D. C. Upon a careful examination of the Parry anti-friction box, we find that it is admirably adapted for the purpose of receiving a heavy revolving pressure, such as the thrust of screw propellers, &c.; its freedom from dangers of heating or abrading, and the reduced friction which it involves under any pressure and speed, makes it one of the best known instruments for the purpose, while the collar thrust bear ing is one of the most unreliable, for the reason that in no instance which has come under our observation has it been used without more or less heat being generated; to destroy this heat water is run upon it, which increases the friction to an unknown extent, and at the times when the greatest power and speeds are required this danger is most imminent. The mechanical construction of the Parry box is simple. Receiving its pressure upon rollers in the form of a double cone, a small portion of which slides on the disks; hence but a small amount of oil is required for its lubrication. The collar thrust is constructed with a series of rings, presenting the surface of one side of these collars or rings to the stationary box; the whole of this side, therefore, rubs on the corresponding side of the box, to receive the thrust of the propeller, and hence its great friction and liability to heat. From the evidences embraced in this report of the economy of power, which is indicated by the trials made on board of the United States steam frigates Minnesota and Wabash, together with the opinions of the several gentlemen whose letters are given, we are of the opinion that this improvement is worthy of adoption on all the screw steamships of the navy, and that the use of it will effect a saving of not less than 5 or 6 per cent. of fuel, with a still greater economy in proportion to the power on the small steamers. This fact is established by the several trials made on board of the Wabash during her late cruise. Besides the saving of fuel, considerably less oil will be required for lubrication; which, according to the experience in our experiments, and also that of the trials made on board the Minnesota, will not fall short of two gallons for each day's steaming. We are of the opinion that this improvement is better adapted for the purpose of receiving the thrust of screw propellers than any other mode which we have considered, viz: the collars," which is the usual form of thrust; the "balls," or the "four-coned" English thrust; it possesses advantages over them all, being more reliable, involving less friction, less expense of repairs, and, finally, less danger of derangement. We are, respectfully, your obedient servants, Hon. ISAAC TOUCEY, Secretary of the Navy. Forwarded by L. KEARNEY, Commandant. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. JUNE 10, 1858.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. MALLORY Submitted the following REPORT. The Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom was referred the memorial of Reynall Coates, praying compensation for losses sustained and services rendered while with the scientific corps of the South Sea Exploring Expedition, have had the same under consideration, and report: This case was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs of the Senate during the 1st session of the 28th Congress, and as the report made therein on the 7th day of March, 1844, contains a full statement of the petitioner's claim, your committee adopt the following as a part of their report, and now present it to the consideration of the Senate: Mr. PEARCE made the following report: The Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom was referred the memorial of Reynall Coates and Walter R. Johnson, as also the petition of William B. McMurtrie, report: That, by the act of May 14, 1836, Congress authorized the President to send out a surveying and exploring expedition to the Pacific ocean and the south seas, and for that purpose to employ a sloop-ofwar, and to provide such other smaller vessels as might be necessary and proper to render the expedition efficient and useful. For this purpose, they appropriated $150,000, and, in addition thereto, authorized the President to use other means in the control of the Navy Department, not exceeding $150,000, for the objects required. The exploring expedition was organized under this law, and, as auxiliary to it, the President determined to employ a corps of scientific persons, to be attached to the expedition. Dr. Coates and Mr. Johnson were two of the persons selected for this corps. On the 28th December, 1836, the following letter was addressed to each of these gentlemen: "NAVY DEPARTMENT, December 28, 1836. "SIR: You are hereby appointed a member of the scientific corps, to be attached to the South Sea Surveying and Exploring Expedition, now being fitted out under an act of Congress of the 18th May last. Your compensation will be at the rate of $2,500 per year, and one ration per day, while on duty under the direction of this department. Your allowances for travelling will be the same as those made to officers of the navy. "I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, "MAHLON DICKERSON." These memorialists, in sundry communications to the Secretary of the Navy, speak of this letter as their "commission." They accepted it, they say," with a full understanding, on their part, that they were regarded as being on active duty from the date of the acceptance of said appointment; and that their time and labor were engaged to the government for the entire term necessary in preparing for and executing a voyage of at least three years. On the 30th June, 1837, the Secretary of the Navy, by letter, requested the memorialists to consider themselves on duty, as members of the scientific corps, from the 4th July then next, when their pay would commence. They acted as members of this corps, and received pay accordingly, from the 4th July, 1837, to the 13th August, 1838, when they were informed by the Secretary that the scientific corps had been reorganized and diminished in number, and that their services were no longer required. They now ask Congress to give them pay, at the promised rate, from the acceptance of their appointments till they were placed on pay. Dr. Coates claims, in addition to this, to be indemnified for losses. on his personal outfit and mess provision, and, also, for the loss of six months' time after his dismissal, before he could get into other business. Mr. Johnson claims, in addition to the compensation for six months prior to his being put on pay, to be indemnified for losses by the resignation of his former situation, for abandoning a valuable contract with a bookseller, and for personal outfit, which his dismissal rendered useless to him. The most of these the committee consider as unreasonable demands. The letter of appointment promises pay only while on duty under the direction of the department. It does not order the memorialists to report themselves for duty, or to consider themselves as in actual service. Indeed, at this time, their specific duties had not been assigned to any of the members of the scientific corps; Congress had made no appropriations for their pay, nor recognized in any way the validity of their appointments, and no estimates for their pay had ever been submitted. However the memorialists had mistaken the letter of the Secretary, it is certain that he intended, by that letter, to guard against such mistake. It was known at the department that their services would not be required for a long period, and it was altogether uncertain when the equipment of the expedition to which they were to be attached would be completed. It was a well established rule of the government that no officer could be entitled to pay, under his appointment, until his appropriate duties commenced. It is true, that before being put on pay, these gentlemen were occasionally consulted as to the books, apparatus, &c., to be provided for the expedition, and that they devoted some time to the consideration of these subjects; but this was nothing more than was done by learned societies and scientific individuals not connected with the expedition, and who had no other interest in it than as it might affect the cause of science and the national character. Upon the first intimation that they expected pay for this period, they were promptly informed by the Secretary that they were in error, and that the department would not have made the appointments if such were to have been the effect. The committee, therefore, cannot recommend the allowance of the pay asked for; neither do they think the government bound, in equity, to indemnify the memorialists for sacrifices consequent upon the acceptance of their commissions or appointments, and their dismissal from the corps. No officer of the government is ever considered so entitled, because such sacrifices are incidental to the acceptance of every appointment under government. They are among the constant and universal hazards of public employment, to be reckoned before accepting such employment, and set off against the advantages of honorable place and fixed liberal compensation. The memorialists were on shore duty, exposed to no perils, and performing none but agreeable labors, from the 4th July, 1837, to August, 1838, for which period Dr. Coates received $2,866 37, and Mr. Johnson, it is believed, the same. This was allowed by the department in the most liberal spirit, and not because their services were considered necessary to the expedition. In a report made to the House of Representatives, at the second session of the last Congress, the Committee of Claims assumed that the letter of appointment before referred to constituted a contract between the government and the persons to whom it was addressed, which neither party could rightfully violate, and for the violation of which, either would be entitled to damages. They said that there was no law creating such an office as member of the scientific corps, &c., or vesting the appointment of members of that corps in the President or the head of a department, and, therefore, these gentlemen must be held to have entered into the service of government under a contract, the terms of which, by necessary construction, were, that they should be employed in the expedition from the time of its embarkation until its return. This committee do not think so. The memorialists, in their various communications to the department, speak of the letter of appointment as their commission. They knew that Congress had forborne to designate the number of persons to be employed in this expedition, and to define the duties of their respective offices, because it was supposed (as a committee of the Senate had reported) that all this could be better arranged by the Executive. The law authorizing the expedition was intended to vest in the President ample power to make such appointments, and declare the duties of such officers as should be necessary to carry out the will of Congress in the matter. The persons who accepted these appointments were, therefore, officers of the expedition, though of an unusual character. But, if they be not considered as officers of the government, it is not perceived how the letter of appointment can be considered a contract, binding the United States to employ these gentlemen till the return of the expedition, or till any time certain, or to be made certain. The letter contains no |