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seemed to have endowed him for the profession that he 
had chosen. His attention to the performance of his pro- 
fessional duties amounted to a devotion. 
“ Whilst steadily adhering. to what had been well settled 
by experience, and withstanding the ill-directed efforts of that 
class of men, of whom some are to be found in all bodies, who 
seize upon every novelty and press it into the service of their 
own crude notions, he was far from rejecting well-reasoned 
projects of improvement, and encouraged, as his own im- 
mediate works show, every step towards real progress. Al- 
though not belonging to the class of mere inventors, he had 
that invaluable faculty to one holding a position of so great 
public responsibility, of detecting the fallacies with which 
this class too frequently deceive themselves as well as 
others.” ~ ; 
In 1863, under the law uniting into one the two Corps of 
Engineers and Topographical” Engineers, General Totten 
was advanced to the full grade of Brigadier-General. A 
few days before his death the Senate unanimously confirmed 
his nomination by the President to be “ Major-General by 
brevet, for long, faithful, and eminent services.” Never 
_ were such distinction and such commendation more fitly 
bestowed. 
Giving the precedence in order to duties most intimately 
connected with his profession, I now turn to General Totten’s 
important labors in establishing and maintaining our present 
lighthouse system. 
The attention of Congress having been called to the pres*” 
ing necessity for introducing certain reforms, administrative 
and executive, into the lighthouse system of the United 
States, that body, after full discussion of the subject, passed 
an act (approved March 3, 1851) stipulating that, from and 
