Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-05-18
rwENrY-sEvE>rH CONGRESS
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES.
FHipsr, May -, lSi2.
NAVN mil


NAVY BILL.
Me FILLMORE obtained permission to state 4
the House that he had received letters from IN
Secretaries OF the Navy and OF War, stating that III
appropriations Tor both those departments were eS
hausted, aud their drafts were protested; undo
these circumstances lac felt bound To ASK the House
To take up the army and navy appropriation bills
and Tor that purpose, he moved that the House re
solve nselfintoa Committee of the Whole.
Mr COOPER OF Georgia inquired what was Tho
Order of the day.
The SPEAKER replied that it was private bill
day.
day.
the letter OF the Secretary OF the Navy To the Clerks
desk TO be read and having done that, he was salts
ned that he had done his duty, and he lei for the
decision of the House.
Aher some further conversation, the motion was
agreed to; and the House resolved itself into Com
inlttee OF the Whole, (Mr Clifford IN the Chair.)
The committee took mp the navy appropriation
bill. which was read through Ivy the Clerk.
The bill having been read through was taken up
ty sections.
lion, No heinz under consideration, in the
words following: For pay OF commissioned. war
rant and petty officers aud seimen, -, lbs, i32 IT,
MIR NERfwETIlER moved to amend the
item by striking out SS,l95,iS2 %, and inserting
S2S35,OO
Mr. VI. said he had moved this amendment for the
purpose of introducing an explanation al the IN
creased appropriation now asked. This amount m
Isil was 80 ,355 600, ana there was now asked for
similar services in Is42, So 1876 43s-an increase OF
more than ss00O00 in one year. Why was this :
The Secretary OF the Navy had greatly Increased
the number of officers within the last two years,
and within the last year number o: midsh'pmen
had been appointed, and leutenanis and captains
had been promoted. The number OF officers within
the last one or two years had been increased $40.
Did this increase require increased appropriation
OF SsOO,O0c7 lie was satisfied that II the Depart
ment went on as II had commenced, II would re-
oure all the Treasury Of the United States, and
$50 600 600 would not support II. lie not
prepared 10 vote for this extraordinary increase
without hearing the reasons for II. II this nppro-
priation was proper TO be made, he would withdraw
his amendment
Mr. POPE said he inclined to favor the
views of the gentleman from Georgia, (Mr Merri
wether) but he suggested. the chairman OF the
Naval Committee (Nir Wse) was not present, that,
10y general consent, the bill be laid over. lCries
of"No, no."l
MIR FILLMORE regretted that the chairman OF
the COMMITTEE on Naval Affairs was not here. al
though this hill was reported from the Committee
of WAYS and Means. IL had no relation 10 the
reorganization of the navy. This was a mere np-
preparation for the purpose OF carrying into effect
existing laws providing for the navya as now Orsani
zed, and not with n view OF making any change IN
the organic laws of that Department
lie was not astonshed OF the surprise OF the gen
,eman from Georgia (Mr Merriweiherl at the ex.
traordinary increase OF this department of the pub
lc service; but the gentlemen was not more SUR
prsed. perhaps than the Committee of Ways and
Means were. Ii the gentleman would look TO the
document accompanying the Presidents message
ot the present session, page 377, he would ind n
full explanation OF the cause OF this Increase and
had the case been within the control of the Com
mntee OF Ways and Means, they would perhaps
have been disposed 10 reduce 1t.
Gentlemen would discover, by reference 10 this
document, statement in detail Of the sources OF
L. Il
innate tor this branch OF the service for lSil was
Sl,6S7 $780, and for this year s., 296, PSI, making
difference OF s6Os 933. |, was due TO the De
pariment that he should say that they had found no
estimates from any Department Of this Govern
meni full IN their details and so explicit, from
that Department. Mr. +. further read from the
document stating that the first cause of this increase
arose from the provision made for the home squad
ION. They all knew that at the extra session they
provided Tor the home 50 uadron, the annual cost
81 which, II was estimated, would be about $500.
uJ0 The next cause OF increase was THAT there
had been some change in the force TO be employed"
The third cause was, that there had been increase
on some OF our foreign stations.
II would appear from a careful Investigation OF
this document that We had ifteen more vessels m
commission this year than last. The manner in
which these vessels were distributed would appear
from communication from the Navy Board, con-
tanned Ia the report Of the Committee of Ways and
Means plnyug this bill, which showed the
changes OF the force employed foreign stations
from lSil 10 1872, with the increased cost thereof
from which MIR F. read statement OF the increase
IN the numNer OF vessels, and the increased cost
thereof, amounting 10 S4l3,sl5.
One cause OF the increase Of the pay OF officers
nrOse from the number OF promotions that had been
made within short time. IL appeared to him that
the appointments had been more numerous within
the past year than during any previous year for
some years. He believed that there no limiia-
lion on the appointing power with reference 10 the
number Of officers, the grade given them, so far
fixed by law. OF course, there was very little
responsibility on this Department. II was pretty
much at large. The committee had felt bound 10
report appropriation for the pay Of those officers
and seamen actually in the service. That was ali
the explanation considered necessary.
MIR. TORRANCE was glad that the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr Merwether) had moved to n
mend the bill. He (Mr FL had been among those
who were willing not only to talk about retrenchment
and reform, but to reform wherever II could he done
They had been told that this Government could
be administered under the present Administration
for Sl3,OOO,OOO per year. In examining this bill,
in connexiOn with the army appropriation bill, he
found that the appropriations for the army and ma.
w amounted TO about Sl4 geo, 600, exclusive of ap-
preparations for the Indian Department and Of the
appropriations already passed this House, being one
million more than we were told would be the whole
expenses under this Administration. He was not
willing TO for such appropriations without the
reasons for them. five were to have a war before
another session Of Congress, he was willing TO vote
Tor The amount nske1 for. The mission OF Lord
AshJurton would soon he brought TO a close, and
should then have a certainty whether we were
10 have a or not; II we were, he was willing tn
appropra' $50 100000, Unnecessary, to this branch
Of the Government; but II peace was 10 he cOnti-
nued, they should Teltench in the expenses Of Co
vernment and here was the proper place to begin
they might reduce the appropriation Of S14, OOO,-
400 for the army and navy TO $4,000, making re-
duction of six millions The people OF the country
would beaI to be taxed, in order TO protect them
selves from injury and insult, but not to keep up
standing army, OF extensive navy N time of
peace. What did we want with such navy as that
ri Eng land, such an army as those Of France and
Russia, which cost millions every year TO support
them, and more than their inhabitants were able TO
pay.
lie knew they we're told in time Of peace 10 pre-
pare for war; and he was sorry that they were told
so; not that they ought not to prepare Tor war; but
because that advice had been misunderstood. II
never his design, who gave II that the People
OF thg country should be toNed SlJ,OOO,OOO or 600.
900 900 every year 10 keep up standing army.
lie IN favor Of preparing for war; and that was
most effectuny done when they so administered
the Government as TO bring the People to love the
Government.
TIo was in favor OF preparing for WARRIOR ut.
tacks not only Of foreign but Of internal enemies
but was unwilling togo for this oXtravogont appro.
pultion OF this time, lor which there was no ne
cesslty. They had commenced u extravagant er- |
pcndtures when the Treasury was full II was
now time for them 70 return TO the expenditures Of
$780, 81, and -, when the appropriation for the
navy wns not more Than half that now proposed |
The revenue was declining fast. The income this |
year from customs, was estimated, would not eI. /
coed sl2 100000, yet slf 900 600 were TO be an /