1805 Thomas Jefferson - Peacetime Navy

In 1801, Congress passed a bill to establish a peacetime Navy.   Section 2 authorized the president to retain six of the frigates in constant service during a time of peace, but limited the number of seamen allowed on the ships to 2/3 of a full crew.  Section 4 specified the number of captains, lieutenants and midshipmen that could be retained during a time of peace.  In 1805, Thomas Jefferson pointed out to Congress some limitations of this act.   First it fixed the number of frigates which should be kept in constant service during times of peace, and second it put a fixed limit on the number of seamen on the ship regardless of the nature of it's service.  These strict rules put the safety of the ship and her men at risk.   In 1805, Jefferson urged congress to consider modifying the act by removing the  restrictions on the number of frigates and the men aboard, but leave in place a limit on the total number of captains, lieutenants and midshipmen.   This would give the President much more flexibility in how the peacetime navy is used.   Jefferson explained that more often than not there was a need for a smaller vessel rather than larger vessel.  By modifying the rules, the Navy could not only reduce the risk of sending poorly manned ships out, but also reduce the cost of peacetime missions. 

Here are the words President Thomas Jefferson shared with Congress in 1805.

"The law providing for a naval peace establishment fixes the number of frigates which shall be kept in constant service in time of peace, and prescribes that they shall be manned by not more than two-third of their complement of sea men and ordinary sea men. Whether a frigate may be trusted to two-third only of her proper complement of men must depend on the nature of the service on which she is ordered; that may sometimes, for her safety as well as to insure her object, require her fullest complement. In adverting to this subject Congress will perhaps consider whether the best limitation on the Executive discretion in this case would not be by the # of sea men which may be employed in the whole service rather than by the # of vessels. Occasions oftener arise for the employment of small than of large vessels, and it would lessen risk as well as expense to be authorized to employ them of preference. The limitation suggested by the # of sea men would admit a selection of vessels best adapted to the service."

Just a few months later, in April of 1806, Congress repealed the second and fourth sections of the Peacetime Navy act and replaced it with more flexible rules.   The 1806 Naval Peace Establishment act  provided the President of the Untied states "to keep in actual service, in time of peace, so many of the frigates and other public armed vessels of the United States, as in his judgment the nature of the service may require".  It also limited the navy to 13 captains, 9 masters commandment, 72 lieutenants, and 150 midshipmen, and 925 seaman in total.  

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29447
https://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/usnavy/05/05o.htm
https://www.navycs.com/public-law/naval-peace-1806.html
https://www.navy.com/about/mission.html