The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-14
CONGRESS SIONAL.
REMARKS
MIR. CUSHING, OF MASSACHUSETTS,
NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
fcoNTISUED.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, MAY IL, 1912.
The House being in the Committee of the Whole
on the Naval appropriation BILL and the question be-
ing on the motion of MIR. Meriwether to amend the
clause for pay of commission warrant and petty Off
and seamen, by striking out S3 1885, 432 %" and
inserting s2,335,OOO-
Mr. c. apologized to the Committee for occupying
their attention with these dry details He then passed
to different topic, namely, the comparative expense
Of building. equiPpng, manning, and sailing vessels
in the American and British Navy. This subject he
should not go into unless other gentlemen should rem
der this necessary--but item OF comparative
expense he would say few words.
From document submitted to the Senate IT would
appear that the pay of the lower grades OF oftcers
and also of the sailors in Navy, higher than
in that of England.
As to the officers it must be considered that the
American officer had no splendid career of successive
honors presented to his ambition, was the case in
the British navy. After forty or fifty years expo
sure to and to battles, he found HIMSELF with
his gray locks upon him, post captain higher he
could not rise and this grade seldom at
tanned till late in ife Gin illustration of which he
cited the Of Captain Perciva who had now just
attained to be such) But in the navy of Great Bri
tain there stars, garters peerages which, how
ever we might smile at such distinctions, were, under
that form of Government and of national sentiment
substantial and most desired honors and every one
knew that, especially in military life, whether in the
naval land service, the love OF honor was the AMI
mating soul of whatever valuable and burnt with
inexnguishable ardor in the breast of the bravest
men.
Lord Nelson lost his life because he insisted on
wearing his orders his breast in the heat of action,
which rendered him conspicuous mark to the sharp
shooters Of the enemy.
But besides the prospect Of additional honors which
the English officer might look forward to, he had
further prospect of additional money. While the pay
Of their lower grade of officers inferior to ours,
that of their higher grades was far greater. Bri-
fish naval officer, who had distinguished himself in
the service had the prospect, when he was old and
nrm and had his body perhaps rddled by the shot of
many hard engagement, Of retiring on pension for
life, enjoying as an admiral the honor Of SERVICE
with all the actual of retirement. The expec-
aton of these honOrs and emOluments before the
eyes of younger officers, and reconciled them to their
slender pay. Besides their occupation for life,
and to Judge of their reward average must be
through all the grades of service.
As to the pay of our sailors being twelve dollars
per month, it undoubtedly better than in the
British navy ; and who complained of this the rea-
sons for it were obvious. Labor is dearer in the
United Stateswe did not get our sailors by impress
ment, England did large portion of hers-we OBJ
tain them by voluntary enlistment-and as the mcr-
chant service is open to them the pay of the latter
TO- ms the standard by which the former is regulated.
In addition to great foreign tonnage, we have a
fourshing coastng trade which Is alone sufficient to
keep up wages in our commercial marlne-Our mill
tary marine must follow, or get no men-then to
crown ALL in the English navy the sailor knew that,
if disabled the service, he retired for the rest of
his days to magnificent palace, built by the graft
tude of the nation there to be honored and cherished
in his declining age as one of the defenders of his
country.
MIR. c. said there were a number of other points
belonging to the subject which he could have desired
to discuss but he would spare the time and patience
of the committee and now resume his seat.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, May 20, 1912.
The House being in the Committee of the Whole
the Naval Appropriation bill, and the question be-
ing the motion of Mr.. Mcclellan, of New York. te
reduce the number of officers in the navy to the mum
Der in service on the lst of January, l84l:
Mr.. CUSHING said that the committee had stricken
off 100000 from the amount appropriated for tn,
pay of officers and seamen after five months servic.
had already been rendered. Now it was proposed
in addition to this reduction to provide for reducing
the number of officers to be employed, not by sum
mary act of dsmssion but by refusing to fill the va
cances that might be occasioned by their dismissal
resignation, death. These but different parts
Of the isame general poicy-the policy of the redtc
ton of the nary. That was the meaning of these mea
sures. The policy reduction. 1t contemplated
not merely that there should be no gradual increase
of the navy, as provided by existing law, but tina
there should be sudden reduction of the navy.
Mr. c. felt it his duty to oppose this policy, and he
should proceed to present some views on the
other side. He should do this without entering at all
into any party views feelings. He spoke in sor-
row, rather than in anger, in contemplation of the
feeling which seemed to have taken possession of the
body.
Mr. c., in replying to the argument of MIR. Nc
KAY took up, in the first place, the charge advanced
by him against the late Secretary of the Navy of hav
ing deceived Congress in his estimates for the expen-
ses of home squadron This question, indeed
which did otappertan to the present Administration
but still ex planaton due in justice to gentleman
of whom all the personal recolections he retained
were ecolections of respect and esteem; particu-
lar specification of untairness charged by the gentle
man from North Carolina, consisted in the razee
Independence having being employed in the Home
Squadron. 1t is said that Mr.. Badger, having en-
poyed rgate and one when authorized by the
act of Congress to employ two frgates, has violated
the law, and not acted in good faith towards Con
gress. This Mr.. G. denied. What Is a razee2 1t il
defined to be ship which to remedy defect in
the construction, or to improve her sailing qualities
by taking off the upper deck In others words, it is
vessel cut down razec, larger vessel reduced to
smaller size now this process might produce vessels OF
differ, sizes and different classes. Ii IA raced
by the removal OF her upper deck she might become
frigate if frigate was raced in like manner she
might become corvette, or sloop Of wal. In proof
of this PLANTATION of the application of the word
zee to frigae, Mr. G. quoted from Miles Epiome of
the Naval Service of England the following words
son the principle the conversion of the IA to
n razee frgate the corvette obtained from
frgate reduced" In illustration of the ndefneness
of the word azee and that it might well imply a
vessel smaller than frigate, Mr. C. referred to the
razee John Adams, of the American Navy, which had
been reduced from a frigale and to the Cuiracean
mounting "a guns only in the British Navy. And
though the Independence carried fifty odd guns yet he
doubted whether she superior ship some fri
gates in our Navy. Mr.. G. had heard it said, that
the rgate Congress full match for the Indepen-
dence
MIR. KcKAY inquired of Mr. c. whether in the
official lists of the of different vessels there was
no difference recognized between and fri
gate2
Mr.. CUSHING seemed to admit this but reminded
Mr. Mex that in our Navy there were vessels of all