Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-07-06

threshold, in the &c discharge of an impe.
Irious public duty" Anxious to be &c clear.
ly understood" he observes &C that in the
year 1900, in which our expences amour.
ted to S.448 900, we had three A gun
trigates, six frigates from ~ to So two of
80, of large size four of 50 smaller |;
eight from 80 to 20 /; three sioops of war
and four brigs, from 10 20 Is, and Ave
briggs and schooners, from IL TO ~ guns,
employing a total of 1926 seamen," which
number he Immediately after augments to
5000. de goes on to observe sc This adj.
min stration lMr. Adams's1 too, it should
De recoiiecsed, not only bu,lt every frigate.
every vessel of respectable force, which
the United States now have, but rnany o.
Tiers, which have been since sold, and the
proceeds OF which have gone toto the Trea.
sury. III,
From these obsery atoms il would be ia.
terred that in the year 1890, we employ,
ed 5000 scamen at an expence Of 3,44S. 600
--apd that no vessel Of respectable force
was ouIit under the administration of Mr..
Jefferson. How stand the factsl Whv.
thus In the year 1900 we employed.
including marines, ,446 men in.our navy,
lsee printed report, p. s3. of this mum
Der 1923 were marines, [see same reportl
winch number deducted from the whole
number above stated, viz. 7,446, leaves
{, $685. or 647 less than the number sta >
TED by the honorable member and under
the administration of Mr.. Jefferson the
following vessels of war were built, viz.
} Inc snip Washington carrying Is
uns.
Ihe brig Hornet carrying 10 guas.
lne brig Argus carrying IL guns.
Ihe brig Sy en- carrying 1S.
! The Nesuvius -.
The Elna 10.
Inc Oneida 16, and ITO gsn-boats.
MT. Randolph may attempt to shelter
n msslf from the effects of these mistate-
ments. by observing that he did not know
the difference between seamen and ma.
rlnes that he thought them one and the
same thing, and that as TO the vessels of
war and gun boats built under the last
administration he does not consider them
" OF respectable force !" but as a state
man and legislator, 1T was his duty to in
form himself as to the obvious distinction
between seamen and mar,nes, and he
knew that whether ne considered the YES.
sells of war and gun boats built under the
last administered on as of respectable
force" or not, they cost not much short of
two millions OF dollars, and therefore ought
fairly to be taken into the comparative
estimate which he so reluctantly undertook
to make.
Upon the incorrect statements thus
made, Mr.. Randolph proceeds to remark,
that in tha year 1900, each seaman cost
about 472 dollars annually and then con-.
.rasting the expences of that year with
the, year 1909, ne observes that, in the
year 1909, there were 2,723 seamen en-
pioyed, which cost the nation 2,427 900
dollars-for each man employed within a
trifae of 900 dollars ~ and thence infers
that grossly extravagant as the admins.
tration of Mr.. Adams was, if tried by the
criterion OF the succeeding one, it was a
pattern of retrenchment and economy" /
cannot find oui whence Mr.. Randolph de-
rived his knowledge of the facts assumed
oy him as to there being 2,723 seamen
employed in the year 1909, which cost
2,421 600 but, on referring to the esti-
mate Of the Secretary of the Navy, dated
10ti February, 1909, C;he estimate upon
which the appropriation law was passed.
fiad that the number of navy officers and
seamen estimated or that year was 7,4jI
exclusively OF marines. I shall here, /
hope, be permitted TO indulge IN a "lit..
tie comparative. political anatomy" and /
viii fairy contrast the estimate of the
years 1900 and 1909.
An he est mate for the year 1900, rsee
printed report, p 93,1 it was stated u at
there was required
For pay and subsistence
OF officers and pay of sea.
men. M 1,28O65S 40
The number of officers
ind men then required aud
estimated Tor, was 353. ,
In tie estimate for the
year 1909, rsee report,
Ion Fso. 1909 il was sta.
ted iaat there was requlr.
I'd
For pay and subsistence
of officers and pay OF sea-.
Uen, f.323,O77
The number of officers
and men tfeH requ red &
estimated for, was 7,45f.
In this | can discover no inconsis
tency which cannot he Immediately re-
conciled. At first view it does In
deed appear that the sum stated as re-
quired for the support of z ,45t M
is contrasted with the sum stated as
necessary for the support of 6, 1853 men,
insufficient; for according to arithme-
teal rule, if $3.50 give 1906 dol
lars, 7,451 ought to give sol, 996,
which is s 1899 more than the sum
| reuiiired IN the eattuate Hence a