The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-04
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
MONDAY, Jan. 25.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
MoNpAY, Jan. IS.
Mr.. Dawson. from the committee to whom
the resolution on the subject had been refer
red, reported abiil authorizing the President
toemploy an additional number of seamen, in
the service of the u. S. Read twice and re-
9erred to a committee of the whole.
Mr.. Dawson said, he need not impress up
on the House, the necessity of a speedy pas
sage Of this bill, as there were many seamen
row out of employ, and several gun-boats as
yet unnamed; b" therefore moved that it
be made the order Of the day for this day.
The motion was seconded by Mr.. Newton
Agreed tonen,. con.
"A letter was offered from the Secretary of
the Navy, * read, stating that the whole num-
Der of seamen authorized bv law, amounts
TO 1425 that 1872 are required in addition to
the present establishment.
The blank in the bill for the number to be
employed was then filed with 1872, without
a division. <.s
The bill was gone through, and the questi.-
ON putthat the committee rise and report it.
After some discussion on an amendment Of
Mr.. Macon's, which was rejected,
Mr.. Chandler moved to strike out the
words at the end of the bill and insert land
may be continued in service till the end of
the next session of Congress if the public
exigency may require the same"
MIR. Rieo {T.) called for division of the
question taking it first onsstriking ont.
The question being so taken, was mega
tived.
Mr.. Taylor asked the chairman of the
committee whether there were not in the sta
ute book regulations for the employment of
these seamen? He thought the government
should be authorised to employ these seamcn
not only or board gun-boats or other vessels,
but to aid in the erection of Notifications, or
in other business He believed, unless some
rule were now adopted, that they could only
be employed in the line of duty as seamen.
In some of the seaport towns the public au-
thorities had employed seeInen in other bu-
siness than the mere servS= Of the sea-
MIR. Dawson said these seamen were in
tended to be placed in the same situation as
other seamen Of the u. States. If the gem
tleman wished to render them liable to do
duty other than on board of ships, he might
bring IN bill for the purpose of amending
the present naval system.
The committee then rose and reported the
bill as amended.
The question beir- put on cohcurring with
the report of the co. nittee of the whole for
filling the blank with i272,
MIR. Bur-veN hoped the House would dis
agree to the number reported by the COM
mittee. He had heard nothing from the
chairman of the committee or the gentlemen
who had spoken on the subject, to preve to
his mind that this number was necessary.
The gentleman had talked about giving them
employment and subsistence, as they suffer
ed materially from the embargo Mr.. B.
said 1T was the same with every class of CT
tizens, and as the necessity of the case had
required tho adoption of the measure, it
ought to Affect all equally. They should not
M M tl,e>e ,l-a
employing them, because they could find oc-
Cupaticn in various other modes. The gen.
tleman from S. Carolina had mentioned that
these men should be employed in throwing
up Notifications. Mr.. B. said whoever knew
the life of a seaman, must know at once that
this was not the class OF men to be employed
in this way. IF it were necessary, one mil
lion of dollars had been already appropriat-
ed, and government would employ such men
III the Accomplishment of the end as would
be the most proper. He could not subscribe
to the doctrine that they were to relieve
this particular class of men, becaus. they
might suffer by the embargo. All must suf-
fer, but they not more than others. IF the
gentleman who had introduced the bill would
shew that this number of seamen were me-
cessary in addition to the present number,
he would vote for the bill but until the gun
boats were built he saw no reason for employ
ing SuCn all aQQlCOIldi number. With res
pcct to the employment of seamen, all the
corporations in the different seaport towns
had shewn disposition to provide for them,
and TO amelorate their condition. He did
not believe that in the five or six weeks since
the imposition of an e.. largo that so much
distress could prevail among this class of
people He knew from the nature Of their
habits that they were not generally prudent
men; but he thought it hardly possible that
they could already suffer so much inconve-
thence. It they were in this situation, why
could they not apply to the various dock
yards for employment VAST possible that
the public agents would not give employment
IN preference to this class of menu If they
did not, they would deserve public reproba-
ton. For these reasons he hoped the House
would not agree to the number reported by
the committee CT the whole.
Mr. DRgoSpn said, if his colleague had at
tended to the report from the Secretary of
the Navy, which had been read, ne would
have spared his observations. The Secre-
tary OF the Navy had stated that 30 gun boats
were prepared for service, except that thev
were manned, and that 1879 was the pre-
cIse number of seamen wanting for service.
They were wanted for the vessels now pre-
pared for the defence of our ports and har-
bors. II they were wanted, why should they
not be employed? They were told by the
proper authority that there were so many de-
hciept; 9et tiSal lie procured