The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-02
CONGRESSIONAL.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
THURSDAY, February 25, I84I.
EUening Session.

7
some length He should vote against all those propo-
suohs 10 incur expenses the country He relied
more On the estimates made by the Department and
.c proper committees, chan by any gentlemen, when
they came m and, their individual pro-
pose to made additional appropriations
Aie shoulu vote against the amendment for another
reason lie wished To cut of every possible excuse at
me present Tune for called session Of Congress- and
o,e'oie would vote TO keep down the appropriations
within the estimates and make the expenses only there
calculated on.
Mr. MASON, Of Ohio, dwell at length in reply to
M, JONES, and other gentlemen who had preceded
The Naval branch Of our service was one of pecul-
az interest," and one that had been cherished by the
Western people as faithfully and ardently by any
portion OF the Union. He should for the amend
ment offered by the gentleman from Mass moi beIev-
ing but knowing that appropriation was rcqur-
ed than proposed by the bill He desired farther APP
preparation for that great of national defence,
ina, mas been paraiyzed and neglected by favoritism
Mt M A. COOPER, Of Ga opposed the amend
ment on the ground of a present deficiency in the
treasury; and, consequently, appropriations should
not be made 10 the creation Of a national debt.
/ Mr.. WISE would vote against the amendment as a
matter of indifference now
When the call for appropriation is made for its
defence, by the next Secretary of the Treasury, he
should expect him to make large and liberal call,
and prepare he might say magnificent appropriation.
Even to have our Navy respectable among the nations
Of the earth, the appropriations must be quadrupe
And whilst we have such demand for the necessary
service, for public ends, he hoped we should hear
more talk about giving away the public lands, any
thing else. You be Just before you are generous
= just to your creditors, before you bankrupt Gov
eminent, talk about giving away your property.
We might expend millions millions on our Navy,
and there is danger Of appropriations in that
service. Increase your steamships especially, and
floating batteries, stcam-batteries if you please, for
coast and river defence.
] improvements in the Navy comport not only with
the spirit of the age, but actually necessary in
these times. This was rational object of expendi-
TUE, and no political oneno stock for politicians
trade on: AT the proper time when general reform
in the Navy should be entered into he would for
increase Of appropriations; but should for this
Mr.. MALLORY of Va, sent to te Chair an
amendment to the amendment of the gentleman from
| Massachusetts,, providing that $500 900 of this
should be expended in building war steamers of me-
dunn size.
On former occasion he had expressed his views
somewhat at large, and especially with reference
to the Board of Navy Commissioners. He should vote
for this appropriation, with infinitely pleasure If
he had guarantee that the money thus appropriated
would be expended and properly Tor the benefit of the
public service He did not charge on any party or
Executive want of attention to the naval service of
| the country. Congress had met every call and been
liberal in its appropriations; and two years ago.
than two millions of dollars appropriated for this
service, but the Navy Commissioners did do their
duty in expendngit The fault was not with Con-
gress, it with the Commissioners. In 1916, the
attention of the country had been called the subject
of steamers la 1921, the subject again
/ upin the House. and call was made the Depart
ment. And what has been the result At the present
time we have not single ship worth three our-pence
| alfpennys. Those who have had the management
of constructing these ships have gone for larger ships
/ We do not want vessels Of this kind. What we want
is vessels ofa size convenient for cooperation with
forts and large ships and with view OF directing the
Department, in building them, he had offered this
| amendment. He compared the state of the country
with England and France-England has thirty four
steam ships in commission, and France twenty nine,
and we but And he told pretty good
thory, that the steam vessels now the stocks
at Philadelphia, and one at New York, likely to
| prove magnificent failures. He asked what we could
| expect from Government thus organized We could
| expect nothing but failure after failure.
He intended to offer amendment, to reorganize
the Navy Department and on which, he proposed to
make some further remarks in continuation Of the
subject
/ MIR. HOFFMAN said it seemed to be contended
from all parties that something should be done for the
| Navy but the particular amendment was opposed on
various grounds Some had opposed it because il
be inconsistent with the political that
the Wing party has heretofore adopted. The Chair
man of Ways and Means, instead Of answering il
with objections, thought it was unnecessary and
called Tor, and opposed it because il inconsistent
with the professions the Wing party had made. He
says that during the late canvass reform lived the
tongue of every Wing throughout the land
4 The Wing party warred agrinst unnecessary
penditures Of Government-those that ayished
party favoritcsbut against liberal appropra
tons TO benefit the country and above all to put it in
| proper state of defence.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Cooper opposed
it because it is a lavish expenditure of money-be
cause we have not money in Treasury TO pay for
| it; and asks, who would act so in his case q
And should the trustee of the people with the peoples
money, do what no man would do in his own case
Let me ask him. if the honor and character of our
country is assaed if the gentleman would let the
country BIO triumphed over, because we had not the
necessary in the Treasury to meet the expense
of war;
Mr. COOPER said we had not got to that point yet.
Mr. HOFFMAN said he was going to ask the gen
tleman how that principle would have been sustained
in the commencement of our own revolution The
gentlemen SAYS have not arrived at that point yet
| The other day when the Chairman of Foreign fairs
brought in report in this House intended, he says,
to be pacific, but breathing and defiance through
| out almost every line-honorabte war and defiance.
And when some raised their voice against il,
citing and asked may not with this language urge
reckless populace to iname their passions and take
| summary vengeance the unfortunate man now
awaiting the trial Of the law When the peaceable
gentlemen on this floor opposed the printing Of this
! port" Mop MOI" the response from every
patriot in this Houseet us dare to tell the truth
we will tell Great Britain what we think and IT she
dares to 90 TO war we will meet her. DO gentlemen
who approve the report believe if the war is to come
it will irords-that their Committee on Foreign
Affairs will prepare report in answer ana tne ony
bullets that will be exchanged, will be paper? The
time was before nation went 10 war; they prepared
for war-before they talked boldly they ready to
act boldly But we reverse tive talk boldly, and
] when we are asked how we will act, we are told we
must not borrow money to go to war Let us be pou,
and do boldly, or let us give up this vain gorluus
boasting-if we mean fight let us be ready TO tghi
and if do not to fight let us behave like lambs,
we do not act the part of the lion.
He wished if war was to come we might be prepar-
| cd for -
We are told that our Navy is dilapidacd He de-
MED that our Navy had fallen off in character; that
our Navy as far that which constitutes the strength