Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-02


timber. Whereas, the real fact was, thu more
had been done to further that policy by those
lately in control of the Navy Departments, tnan
had ever been done under any preceding Ad-
| ininiStration IN the same time. During the wear
1881, from 80 to 40 900 dollars had been OK
pended with view to preserve that timber and
to ascertain where supply of it could be OBJ
| tanned. He admitted, and he was proud to
ADMIT, that money had not been spared in pro-
scouting that object. Five or six additional
| uSehtS had been employed, besides two or three
'esscis IN that service. and what had been the
result! The gentleman from Florida well knew
"hae inc result was. He knew that vi hin the
| s1ace OF i0o miles from the mouth of the
m'ssnsiPpii' (and so much only had yet been
| eNa"'tco,j there was indefinite supply of
i've oak, more than would be needed for a CEN
Jury Between the Achafalaya aud the Sabine
| thcrc were ample stores of It without the neces
shy OF culiiva'lng tract of poor sterile land
which Member Of Congress might have sold
to the Government. lion this subject he should
DC found to be IN error. and the fact should turn
out to be otherwise, then MIR. B. would he no
willing as any other gentleman to go into the
artificial cultivation. He should then be willmp
| to purchase the land necessary for the planta,
| tons from individual landowners at whatever
advances then he would be ready to go all lenp,bs
IN obtaining an article SO valuable But, first,
let 1t be seen, whether there was not an abund-
| ant supply without rcsorting to any such means.
| TINS was all he wanted.
The gentleman had said that agents had been
| employed at salaries of $4,000. This had bcer
| roundly asserted tor fact. lie denied it io be
| TACT. He said it was not true. The AGENTS en-
ployed now, had the same DIEM allowance
as those employed under previous Administra
ton Agents he had found in employ when he
| came into ONCE were receiving an allowance
OF 50 per day. Those now employed received
| inc same. Yet, the gentleman had had the har-
uihood 10 represent their salary as q public abuse
lie appealed ts the House, to say whether the
assertion was warranted. He trusted they would
| excuse him, if he BETRAYED some warmth on this
| SUBJECT arralgned as re had been by that gentle
| man and his associates, as puilty of imnroner
| conduct In oihcc.-He was willing to he emf
down that inst ant, and to forfeit tie regard of
all honorable and virtuous men, If he could be
convicted OF single act, or the smallest abuse
OF power, when he had been at the head of the
Navy Department. No doubt he might have
oiten erred Bat the error was one Of the head
alone. He repeated the assertions that he was
ready to be cut down, fhe had ever been guilty.
OF Intentional abuses: and he declared before
that House, that such abuse had ever hap
pened Gs the gentleman asserted TIE number
OF agents had indeed been increased; but their
per diem allowance was the same as he had
found 1t: he had also allowed something for their
| expenses. Yet, the House were told he WINS
| guilty of an abuse of power
| The Resolution was not of IL nature calcu
lated to elicit the remarks which had been made
nor had he when he offered it, ant.cipatcd the
smallest opposition. 1t merely asked ques
ton respecting the timber to be found on our
public lands. The agents employed to investi-
gate the subject, had made report, from which,
| although but so miles of coast had been sur.
veyed, it would appear that indefinite supply
| OF live oak had been discovered. His purpose
had been to stimulate the Government to search
Tor such supply. If the gentleman believed
that the resolution had been offered from anv
intention to make an attack upon the present
| mead OF the Navy Department. he was greatly
mistaken: he had no such purpose. The gentle
man at the head of that Department stood well
with the nation, and Mr.. b. entertained to-
wards him much personal respect. He did not
| doubt that the gentleman would administer
the affairs of the Department well: far be it
from him to call in question the qualities
| elther OF his head or his heart But If it
should be found, that there was an album
dant supply of live oak timber both upon
the Atlantic and the Gulfof Mexico, could there
be any necessity for a system of artificial cult
walton! But, if the fact were not so, he again
repeated that he was ready TO advocate the
system of plantation
The House had heard his conduct misrepresent
ed by those who knew better. He never had op
posed the policy of preserving supply of this
. lm On the contrary re thought that 80, 40
oo or lo0,OOO dollars would be well laid out in dis
covering the existence ofsuch n supply He was
not Tor spending money in purchasing poor lands
from members Of that house, who mi ght have an
| interest in making speculations out the Cavern
| Hent but IN discovering the most eligible sites
where the timber mil GIT be procured: when this was
done' he was ready to expend $780, 600 upon the OBJ
Ject. VIZ
Mr.. b. concluded by requesting the House 10
excuse any warmth he might have betraved-hc
| had been SO repeatedly assailed on this subject
| and IN such dastardly manner, that he felt him
sell called upon to yindicate the course he had
pursued What he had asserted he was ready to
| MAINTAIN either there elsewhere.
Mr. WHITE said, that it had not been his in
le a TO go INTO any examination of the history
OF the plantation of live oak timber, nor should
he now do so, but for the attack which had
In most unJustiiiablo manner, been made upon
hin. In consequence OF statement which had
been made to the Government respecting the ran
I'd disappearance of the live oak timber from tho
lahds OF the United States, it had been PROPOSED
TO establish plantation of that valuable timber
| LOT inc future use OF the navy. After Mr. w had
come 10 washington, the former Secretary ofthe
Navy lhr. SoUTHARD) had decided to adopt the
pan, " without consulting him, had determined on
purchasing site tor the establishment near
Tensacola. 1T happened that he and his friend,
Juuge Breckenbridgc, owned tract of land in
mat quarter The Government was dcsirous Of
purchasing 1000 acres of it. The Government IT,
sell applied to them, and proposed the terms The
contract was submitted to the House, and by it. D.
proved. The Department acted on the report Of
Commodores Warrington and Bainbridgc; and what
they did was sanctioned by special act
OF appropriation, which passed both Houses
shortly afterwards the administration pass.
ed into other hands--a new Secretary of the
Navy was appointed, and in thinking upon various
projects of reform, the Secretary fell upon tlat
transaction, and he introduced into his report the
suggestion, that his predecessor had made the pur
chase under an erroneous construction of the acts
LOT inc gradual increase Of the navy. He referred
the House to the section of the law which had
mus oecn misconstrucd, and when the section was
examined, 1T was found to have relation to dry
Il had /