Building of Frigates. ring in procuring proper vessels to transport the which is worked agreeable to the moulds, and timber, several of those which had made one voy-many of the frames are together, and bolted, and age having encountered such hardships and sick-ready to put into the ship; two-thirds of the plank ness as to be deterred from making a second. for outside and ceiling, are received, and about Nevertheless, under all these embarrassments, one-third for the wales; the remainder is nearly the work is continued, and with the well grounded ready. The beams for the orlop deck are all proexpectation, before expressed, that all the live oak cured and worked, and many of the upper deck timber will be cut and transported to the different beams are likewise worked, and the remainder are ship yards, at furthest, by the next midsummer. expected to arrive daily; a large quantity of live Details of the quantities of timber and other oak knees have arrived for the security of the materials already provided, and of the progress in decks, and pieces for combings for the hatchways, building, will appear in the annexed schedules. partners for the masts and several other purposes The live oak and white oak timber mentioned, are ready. The masts, bowsprit, yards, and the are generally or wholly moulded and dressed, and other spars are procured, several of which are reready for raising. ceived. The copper necessary for securing the Since draughting the foregoing report, a letter various parts of the ship, and for sheathing the has been received from the chief carpenter em- bottom, is in the public stores. The iron work is ployed in procuring timber in Georgia, presenting now preparing and ready for delivery as fast as a very favorable account of his progress. Two it is wanted. The boiler for boiling the white vessels laden with live oak had recently sailed for oak plank in salt water, to render it durable in the two yards of Philadelphia and Baltimore, and the greatest possible proportion to live oak, is the rest of the timber to complete the frames of completed. All the anchors are procured, and the frigates building at those places, was cut, and the hemp for the cables and materials is now spinready to be shipped. These were the two fri-ning and preparing. All the canvass necessary gates, which, as before mentioned, it was proposed first to finish. The chief carpenter adds that if he is furnished with vessels fit for the service, he will have all the timber in the six yards in the month of May next, excepting the knees, all of which he thinks cannot be got of live oak. The agent who engages the vessels for transporting the timber has no doubt of procuring timely all that will be wanted for the service. Sail cloth has been provided for one suit of sails for each of the frigates. It was contracted for and manufactured in the United States in the year 1794. It has been proposed to procure one kind of foreign cloth, of a superior quality, for the second suit; but the purchase has been suspended to avoid an expenditure of money until it could be ascertained at what time the cloth would actually be wanted to equip the frigates. For the like reason, no more hemp has been purchased than will be required for the cordage of the two frigates, the building of which it was intended to advance in preference to the others, and which it was then hoped would be constructed by the close of the next Spring. For the same cause the number of anchors which will eventually be required, remains incomplete. All which is respectfully submitted to the House of Representatives of the United States. TIMOTHY PICKERING. DEPARTMENT OF WAR, Dec. 12, 1795. Statement of the progress made in building a frigate at of Mr. Joshua Humphreys, Naval Constructor, and The keel is completed and laid on the blocks; the pieces are scarphed and bolted to each other in the best manner. The stern frame is complete and ready for raising; about two-thirds of the live oak for the frame is received, nearly all of for one suit of sails is in the public stores. The blocks for the rigging are manufacturing, and a great part are ready for delivery. Kentledge for ballast is all cast and delivered. A contract for the trennails has been made, and next month appointed for delivery. Bunting for the colors is on hand, and a great number of smaller articles for the hull, rigging, and equipping the ship, are stored in the public stores. Statement of the progress made in building a frigate to carry 44 guns, at New York, under the direction of Mr. Foreman Cheeseman, Naval Constructor, and Captain Silas Talbot, Superintendent. The keel is completed and laid on the blocks; the pieces are scarphed and bolted to each other in the best manner. The stern frame is not yet complete; several transoms are wanting; about one quarter of the live oak timbers for the frame of the ship are arrived, all of which are worked to the moulds. Timber for the gun deck and lower deck beams are received, and the plank for those decks is ready. The copper and trennails are all in the public stores. The plank for the outside of the ship as well as the ceiling, are nearly all cut; great part are put into the sea water to draw out the sap and to season them. The carlings, ledges, combings for the hatchways and bits, are sawing in the yards. The masts, bowsprit. yards, and spars, are procured and ready for finishing. The kentledge for ballast is all cast and terials is now in hand, and the articles, when findelivered, and the iron work for the hull and maished, are placed in the public stores. All the necessary contracts are entered into by the agent, and the articles are daily arriving. N. B. A large schooner with live oak, bound to New York, was unfortunately lost on Cape Hatteras, and every part of the cargo lost. On board of this schooner were many of the principal pieces of timber necessary for the frame. Mint of the United States. Statement of the progress made in building a frigate to The keel is completed and laid on the blocks; the pieces are scarphed and bolted to each other in the best manner. The stern frame is now completing, and will be soon ready to raise. The stem is also putting together, every part being worked to the moulds. About two thirds of the live oak timbers have been received, and are all worked agreeable to the moulds; great part of those timbers are bolted together in frames, and are ready to put into the ship; but some of the principal pieces for the frame have not yet arrived. All the gun deck and lower deck beams are procured and are ready for delivery, and the plank for those decks are received into the yard. The plank for outside and ceiling are also received and are now seasoning. The copper is all in the public stores. The masts, bowsprit, yards, and other spars, are all ready for working. The bits for the cables, combings for the hatchways, partners for the masts, are all ready. The caboose with a forge, hearth, armorer's tools, spare coppers, boilers, &c., are all complete; most of the iron work is in great forwardness; all the necessary contracts are entered into by the agent, and the articles contracted for are daily arriving. Statement of the progress made in building a frigate to the pieces are scarphed and bolted to each other The keel is completed and laid on the blocks; the pieces are scarphed and bolted to each other in the best manner. The stern frame is nearly ready for raising; the principal framing of the body of the ship is not yet complete. About twothirds of the live oak timber have been delivered The keel is completed and laid on the blocks; into the yard, which is nearly all worked to the the pieces are scarphed and bolted to each other moulds; great part of the timbers are bolted toin the best manner. The stern frame is complete gether in frames, and are ready to go into their and ready for raising; more than two-thirds of proper places. The beams for the gun deck and the live oak for the frame is arrived, which is lower deck are ready, as well as the carlings and worked to the various moulds; great part of the ledges for framing the decks; and the plank for timbers are bolted together in frames, and are those decks are also procured, and great part are ready for raising. The gun deck and lower deck in the yard. The outside plank and the wales beams are all finished and are ready to put into are all cut, and will be ready in a few weeks, as the ship; the plank for the decks is not yet ar- is the ceiling; great part of the plank is already rived. The outside plank, as likewise the ceil- received into the yard, and is now seasoning. ing, are preparing, and some parts have been de- All the copper necessary for securing the various livered; all the copper necessary for securing the parts of the ship together, and for sheathing the various parts of the ship together, and for sheath-bottom, is in the public stores. The masts, bowing the bottom, is in the public stores. The keel-sprit, yards, and the other spars, are delivered by sons, and midship deadwoods, are complete. The the contractors. The bits for the cables, combings masts, bowsprit, yards, and all the other spars, are for the hatchways, partners for the masts, are all cut, and several of them are received at the yard. received and trimmed. Most of the iron work is The carlings, ledges, combings for the hatchways, in great forwardness; and all the necessary conand the partners for the masts, are now in hand. tracts are entered into by the agent, and the artiThe iron work for the hull and materials is nearly cles contracted for are daily arriving. ready. The caboose, with a forge, hearth, armorer's tools, spare coppers, boilers, &c., are complete. All the necessary contracts are entered into by the agent, and the articles contracted for are daily arriving. Statement of the progress made in building a frigate MINT OF THE UNITED STATES. Department of State, SIR: By the direction of the President of the United States, I have the honor to enclose, to be laid before the House of Representatives, the reports of the late and present Director of the Mint, Mint of the United States. exhibiting the state of that establishment, and showing the necessity of some further Legislative provisions to render it more efficient and secure. I am, most respectfully, sir, your obedient ser TIMOTHY PICKERING. vant, The SPEAKER of the House of Reps. of the United States. Henry William de Saussure's report on the Mint. MINT OFFICE, October 27, 1795. has been brought to the Mint for coinage has been below our standard, and required the tedious operation of refining; or the precious metals have been brought melted up together, and required the more tedious operation of separation-operations which I understand are never performed at any other Mint, and which the diminutive scale on which ours is formed but illy qualified it to perform. These are some of the difficulties which occurred. Most of them had been vanquished by the judgment of my able and very respectable predecessor, whose mechanical genius and powers of DEAR SIR: The law establishing this office hav-calculation seem to have been essential to the oring placed it more immediately under your gui-ganization of the establishment. The remainder dance, I deem it a duty to lay a state of its past I have endeavored to subdue; and I am now free operations and actual situation before you at the to say that the Mint, even on its present conmoment of my resigning its direction. The en-tracted scale, if regularly supplied with the preclosed document, marked A, will show the quantity cious metals, of the legal standard, will be adequate of copper which has been coined and sent into to the coinage of $1,500,000 annually in silver, and circulation from the Mint. The whole of this as much in gold; and that a small increase of the coinage was accomplished by my predecessor, Mr. labor and expense will produce an addition of as Rittenhouse. The enclosed documents, marked much of the copper coinage as will be requisite for B and C, will show the quantity of the precious the use of this country. I venture this assurance metals which have been worked up and coined, upon my view of its operations upon a late depopartly under the direction of Mr. Rittenhouse, and site of silver, vigorously urged for a few weeks. partly under mine—the gold wholly under mine. The gold coinage was carried on at the same time, to a small amount, and might have been to a much larger, if there had been any bullion in a state fit for coinage. All the gold, and almost all the silver, within a mere trifle, in a state actually fit for im mediate coinage, has been coined and delivered. It may possibly appear to those who have not taken pains to inform themselves of the difficulties to be encountered in the formation of new establishments, that little has been done; but a short review of the embarrassments which occurred, will show that as much has been done as could It will be proper for me to state to you what reasonably be expected in the infancy of this esta- I have before stated to the late Secretary of State blishment. In the first instance, it was exceed- and the present Secretary of the Treasury, that ingly difficult to procure workmen, in any degree there is no copper in the Mint fit for coinage. acquainted with the various kinds of work to be There are, indeed, considerable quantities of clipperformed. Indeed, most of the workmen have pings of the copper which are reducible into ingots, been formed in the Mint, and have only recently andwould, when rolled, be fit for use; but the Mint attained that skill and facility in their several walks is so illy prepared for these operations on that mewhich practice alone can give, but which is essen- tal, whilst occupied in the coinage of the precious tial to the despatch of business. Much difficulty metals, that it would be advisable for the Governoccurred in obtaining the very tools and imple- ment to apply these clippings,and some other masses ments necessary for the operations of the Mint; of copper in possession of the Mint, to some other and most of them have been prepared under the purposes, and to exchange therefor some of the immediate direction of the officers, and particu-sheet-copper it possesses, or to purchase sheet-coplarly Mr. Voight, the Coiner. Great delays were incurred in obtaining the heavy iron work, particularly the rollers; and these were not always fit for use, when obtained. Those which are now in use being almost worn out, I have been striving in vain to replace them with the fine Andover iron. One unsuccessful attempt has been made for us at an air furnace; and it yet remains to be tried, if it can be accomplished without recurring to the tedious and expensive method of making them of wrought iron, converted into steel. More than once, as I have been informed, the operations have been suspended for want of dies, which the industry of the engraver could not supply fast enough for the presses. A happier selection of steel, aided by more skill in hardening the dies, has remedied this evil, and the engraver is now enabled to supply the Mint with dies of every kind in advance. To these causes of delay must be added, that the greatest part of the bullion which per for the coinage. The price of copper having risen considerably, from causes which it is said will be operative for some length of time, if not permanently, it has been suggested that it would be useful to diminish the weight of the cent as the copper would thereby be brought nearer to its proportionate value to silver, and might prevent its being worked up by the coppersmiths. The law seems to have contemplated the possibility of such an arrangement being proper, by giving you the power to make the alteration. It is important to inform you of what I have before mentioned to the Heads of Departments above-named, that the standard of silver coin. in use at the Mint, differs from the standard fixed by law. The law establishing the Mint, fixes that the silver coinage should contain 1,485 parts of fine silver to 179 parts alloy; or ten ounces, fourteen pennyweights, five grains, of fine silver, to one ounce, five penny weights, nineteen grains, altoy. Before any operations commenced under this Mint of the United States. the Assayer, if that measure should become necessary. The time of his engagement with Mr. Pinckney has almost expired, and he is forming works, in connexion with other persons, for carrying on business on his private account. Probably he may not choose to remain in the public service at the expiration of that time. Possibly it might be inexpedient to allow the Assayer of the Mint to be connected in the works which bear some relation to the coinage, or to the preparation of the metals for coinage-at least some check should be provided. law, it was supposed, by the best informed men, that this standard was too low-would debase the coin too much-and was inconvenient in other respects; and it was presumed that an alteration would be made, which was recommended by its propriety and correctness. The alteration contemplated went to the establishment of a standard which required that nine parts in ten should be fine silver, the other tenth alloy; or ten ounces, sixteen pennyweights fine, to one ounce, four pennyweights alloy, in the pound troy. Upon the presumption of such an alteration, I understand the coinage was commenced in October, 1794, and the Permit me to suggest that it might be useful to matter was submitted in the winter to a commit-publish a short statement of the operations of the tee of Congress, who reported on the propriety of Mint, and of its actual prepared state to carry on the alteration. By some means, that part of the the coinage of the precious metals to a considerreport on the Mint which related to the standard, able amount. It might satisfy the public mind, after passing one branch of the Legislature, did not and might also lead to the production of considerpass the other. Still, however, the coinage was able quantities of bullion, which are said to be in continued on the principle it was commenced. the hands of individuals in the United States, who It being represented to me, when, soon after my are unadvised of the facility and certainty with coming into office, I observed the fact, that some which they may now have bullion coined. mistake alone had prevented the change by the Legislature, I did not feel myself qualified to alter the standard which I found in use in the Mint, under the weighty sanctions of Mr. Rittenhouse's authority, and the report of a committee of the Legislature. I am thus particular in stating this business, as it is of high importance that the law should be altered, or that the standard should be accommodated to the law. I must intreat your pardon for intruding so long on your time. It appeared to me important to lay this information before you. I am now prepared to deliver up the direction of the Mint to my successor. It only remains for me to thank you, in all sincerity, for your confidence in the unsolicited bestowal of this office on me, and to assure you that I have endeavored to deserve it. Allow me to hope that you will be persuaded that I am, sir, with the truest and most affectionate attachment and respect, your obedient servant, HENRY WM. DE SAUSSURE. The PRESIDENT of the United States. The DIRECTOR OF THE MINT, in obedience to the President's commands, makes the following Report relative to the Mint of the United States, hoping that the short time of one month which he has had to make himself acquainted with the present state of it, will apologize for any inaccuracies that appear therein: Permit me, sir, to suggest the necessity of protecting the laws for the coinage. I understand that none of the laws of Congress have provided any penalties for the various offences which may be committed against the coinage. In most countries strict laws are enacted, prohibiting the interference of individuals in this attribute of sovereignty; and in some, the very possession of dies or presses, or other implements essential in the coinage, is made criminal. In this country, Mints are said to be boldly erected in Baltimore and elsewhere, professedly to imitate the coins of foreign countries, and to furnish a debased gold coin for the West India markets; and much of the gold On entering on this service, the Director found bullion which would be brought to the National that the united exertions of the several officers had Mint is carried to these private establishments, been engaged to complete as many coins of the which degrade our national character. Encour-precious metals as circumstances would permit, aged by this negligence of Government, men have by which the state of their accounts relative to carried their ideas further; and there is but too deposites had been delayed. It became a prudent much reason to fear that a recent attempt on the measure, on the part of the new Director, and one dies and other implements was made with nefari- absolutely necessary to the future conducting the ous views. department with propriety, to insist on an immediate close of all accounts relative to the precious metals, from the first establishment of the Mint. Amongst the unpleasant circumstances which attend the contracted scale on which the Mint has been erected, there is one of very serious import. The owner of a small lot adjoining the Mint has a right of passage through the interior of the lots of the Mint. This exposes the works to improper intrusion, and prevents that complete control over the workmen which is essential to the well-ordering of the business. A small sum of money would have purchased that lot some time ago. I believe it may still be had reasonably. The many difficulties attending this process put a stop to any further coinage, excepting as to what was then in hand. The accounts of those metals are now nearly brought up, and in a few days will be finished. Every previous step was preparing for a vigorous and systematic renewal of the coinage, when the sudden and unexpected death of the Assayer, (Mr. Albion Cox,) on Friday last, by an apoplectic I feel it a duty to warn the Government of the fit, deprived the Mint of an intelligent officer, essenpropriety of putting itself in a situation to replace | tially necessary to the future progress in the coin Mint of the United States. age of the precious metals. Until this officer is replaced, the business at the Mint must be confined to striking cents only. the Mint being allowed, by himself or in company with others, to be concerned, directly or indirectly, in the works of a similar nature on their private account, or in any such works wherein metals are melted, refined, rolled, or otherwise prepared, so as to be fit for coining. The Director has endeavored to avail himself of the temporary cessation of full business to prepare a system of rules for conducting the Mint in future, in all its branches, which shall be reported To remedy some of these evils, it would be a to the President in a few days, and which will be measure highly advantageous to the United States, hereafter carried into execution, if it should meet and very beneficial to depositors, if some proper with the President's approbation. Future experi- person was authorized to purchase, on public acence will improve it, by such additions and alter-count, all small quantities of silver and gold brought ations as practice will discover to be necessary. to the Mint, at the best market price, to be coined The issues of the Mint, from its first establish- for the public Treasury. ment to this day, as collected from the Register kept for that purpose, consist of There are not, to the knowledge of the Director, any protecting laws yet enacted, securing the coinage by proper penalties against those (other than persons concerned in the Mint) who may counterfeit, debase, clip, or otherwise lessen the value thereof, with intent to defraud. The interference of individuals with so necessary a branch of the Executive Government as that of coining money, by setting up coining-presses for imitating foreign coins, should be prevented by law, if either the national honor or the success of the Mint are to be objects of public attention. The one is injured in foreigners being imposed upon by an imitation of foreign coins of a reduced weight, and perhaps wanting in standard purity; the other may be deprived of all the bullion thus wrought up at these irregular presses. The stealing of the dies, hubs, milling-stamps, screws, presses, or other instruments used in the coinage, as well as the taking, receiving, adulterating, or secreting the metals kept in or belonging to the Mint, call for special provision from the Legislature of the United States. The Director is sorry to say that these observations are justified by facts that have already happened at the Mint. The laws of the several States are not particularly adapted to these objects, so as to guard against these evils-a Mint never having been taken into their contemplation. This opportunity ought not to be lost, of urging the propriety of prohibitory laws against any persons concerned in the Mint, either us an officer or workman, being engaged directly or indirectly in buying or selling of bullion, gold, or silver, or a mixture of either with other metals, on his or their private account. The checks provided for security against imposition will be in vain, if the property of the precious metals assayed and coined at the Mint may be vested in the persons who have the charge thereof, in its passage through the Mint. The same reasoning will equally show the impropriety of any officer or workman engaged in It has been the opinion of former officers of the Mint that the legal standard for silver should be reconsidered; and the Director, on coming into office, found that, for some special reasons, the standard of coins heretofore completed varied in a small degree from that established by law. Whatever force those reasons may have with the Legislature, the Director did not think himself justifiable in permitting so important a measure to be continued without the Legislative sanction. He has therefore issued orders that, in future, the precise terms of the act of Congress in this respect should be observed; but as the coinage is at present in a state of suspense, it may be a proper time to review the alloy directed by law, as the alteration, if found necessary, could now be adopted without injury to any one: The act of Congress directs that the alloy of gold shall be of silver and copper, not exceeding half silver. The practice at the Mint has been to form the alloy of copper, with the smallest portion of silver, so as barely to comply with the words of the law. The silver contained in the alloy is an entire loss to everybody, without answering the least valuable purpose. It is said not to mix so intimately and freely with gold as copper does, neither will it equally add to the hardness of the coin; at the same time it is a heavy increase of the annual expenses of the Mint. This regulation of part silver in the alloy of gold, it is said, may be repealed with great propriety. These appear to the Director to be the principal points relative to the Mint, demanding the President's immediate attention. As to the practice in detail, whatever has been found by experience to need checks or alterations, and has come to the Director's knowledge, and which he could remedy without troubling the President, he has endeavored to incorporate into the system of rules hereinbefore referred to. All which are respectfully submitted. |