Date. Contingent expenses of War Department, &c.-Continued. To whom paid. Washington Gas Company. Hy. C. Griffith Daniel Ford.... Oct. 30 Addison Webster H. C. Griffith Jan. 31 Jan. 31 Feb. 9 J. H. Brown Amount appropriated, (contingencies, $8,000; deficiency, $1,661.20).. $9.661 9,661 2). A copy of the report of the board of officers organized under the provisions of the act of Congress, approved June 30, 1876, to examine and determine whether, in their opinion, any of the navy-yards can be dispensed with and abandoned, &c. DECEMBER 12, 1876.-Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs and ordered to be printed. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 11, 1876. SIR: The act of Congress making appropriations for the naval service for the year ending June 30, 1877, and for other purposes, approved June 30, 1876, directed the Secretary of the Navy "to organize a naval board of five commissioned officers of the Navy, as soon as practicable, three of whom shall be the senior officers of the active-list of the Navy, whose duty it shall be to examine fully and determine whether in their opinion any of the navy-yards can be dispensed with and abandoned, and if so, to report the best manner of making disposition of the same; and further, to inquire as to the propriety of establishing a naval rendezvous at Tybee Island or at Cockspur Island, in the State of Georgia, or at any other point on the coast of Georgia or South Carolina; and whether any Government property at said islands can be made available and is suitable for such purpose; and said board shall, through the Secretary of the Navy, report to Congress at the commencement of the next session the result of their inquiry." The board was appointed as directed, and I have the honor to transmit a copy of their report, and also a copy of the proceedings of the board. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, The Hon. SAMUEL J. RANDALL, GEO. M. ROBESON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. |