The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-12

ooA IN supposing that any other invention had been
| substituted Tor the snag boat of Captain Shreeve
lhe present superintendent Captain Russell had
gwen IL as his opinion that the boat Of the
greatest Importance and was article OF ndlspcnsa-
bic necessity.
Mr.. CRffTENDEN knew nothing about the in
venton, but he had understood that Captain Shreeve
had had money placed In his hands to construct boats
ior the removal OF distractions. The boats were
built and furnished with the necessary machinery
and they were the property of the Government Cap
tam ShreeVe employed our boats for and had we
not a right To them2 And would any body say that
we should not the boats He had heard il stated
That there was no new principle in these boas--no
invention that was not familiar and long in use
Therefore, under no circumstances could Captain
Shreeve be entitled TO compensation He stated this
not his own know edge bat rom what he had
heard, SO that the Committee might their a,ien-
ton TO the subject and ascertain whether the infor-
nation was or was not correct.
Mr.. ARCHER said that, some years ago, on the
OHIO river, when the boat stopped, he asked to
look at this invention. He consented and after he
had walked short distance he saw two batteaux,
connected at the PROV. He nothing in their APP
pearance different iom that of similar boats in his
own country What ingenuity was DISPLAYED and
what was the worth of the patent, he could say,
as he was not conversant with such things; but as
TO the value OF the boats he thought that thousand
dollars sufficient.
Mr., CRlTTENDEN. The boats are ours
Mr.. LINN observed that the Senator had spok en-
OF the Invention as simple thing. The feat perform
ed by Columbus with the egg was also simple
thing. Nobody could make 1t stand upon Its
end but the navigator did it by breaking that
part OF the shell All who wi messed the perform
ance could then perform the same act, which
until that time, was unexplained. This the first
boat OF the kind ever invented, and an efficient
was. IL was simple, 1t was true and il useful
from ITS simplicity, as almost all simple inventions
were; and there was stream of testimony as to lis
usefulness. Look at the subject RoltOn
and Watt received the need of praise for their
Ton, out Fulton applied steam power to boats, and
all mankind had given to him the credit which he SO
richly deserved.
Mr. SEWER said that there was some merit in
this case, although the appropriation might be too
large In 1929 or 1890 he recolected that appro-
pration was made for removing snags in the Red
| river Captain Shreeve was here at the time He
had previously been employed in removing snags IN
| the Ohio and he Mr. SEWER procured his appoint
| ment to superntend the work An appropriation
he repeated, was made to construct boats and they
were built on the plan proposed by Captain Shreeve
and were used by him so long as he had control OF
the work Some time ago, he was superseded by
another gentleman. But Captain Shreeve obtained Z
| patent for his boat and the question now arose
whether they could the boat on Red river. Con
gress had made an appropriation to build boats hi
! model and 1t had been tackled to the Army bill
They could not proceed to construct the boats with
out coming in conflict with the patent. The boat
/
and OF no at all The patent right could be of
service to aptShreeve because he had not pecuniar
means to build boats and if he did, they would b,
OF no use to him. He had lost his office he hat
been removed by the Administration and had beef
turned out of Office. 1t was now proposed to buiIt
boats for the purposes of the Government and il wa
right and proper to pay him for his invention. He
(Mr Sevier,) thought that twenty thousand dollar
would be enough.
| The bill was then laid upon the table.
| Ia, n. n NO
relgnhelations were discharged from the further
| slderaloA of the memorials which had been referred
to them on the subject of the claims of citizens o
| the United States on the Republic Of Mexico, on thu
ground assumed in the report that the subject should
be more properly left to the action of the Executive
Department of the Government.
variety of bills of private nature were dispos
ed OF during the day and the act for the relief o
the president, directors and company, of the Agri
cultural Bank of Mississippi, and the bill to reguat,
| the pay of pursers and other officers in the ma
! Wy of the United States were severay read thIrt
time and passed
The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill
providing for the augmentation of the marine corps
| Mr.. ARCHER submitted few remarks in ex
| PLANTATION when
| message received from the President Of the
United States informing the Senate that he had this
day approved and signed certain private bills and
| also communicating message in writing.
The treaty." the treaty." was whispered in
every direction.
| MIR. RlVES arose and said that the paper was one
| oil confidential nature and he moved that the bill
under consideration be laid aside with a view to &c
| into an Executive session.
The motion prevailed, unanimously, and the gale
res were ordered to be cleared and the doors closed
which was performed with the greatest possible ex-
petition.
In the House. Thursday, the Journal announced
that the Select Committee the Veto Message con-
slsts OF the following gentlemen Messrs. Adams
Morrow, Granger Truman Smith, Bolts, Pearce
kayner, J. Cooper, T. J. Campbell, Gilmer, w. w
Irwin, Roosevelt, and C. J. Ingersoll.
Mr.. ADAMS moved correction of the Journal
which represented him moving the reference of the
objections of the President to a Select Committee
He had said Message not objections. The Journal was
amended accordingly.
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Tennessee, submitted reso-
luton, which, as amended on the proposition OF
Messrs. Roosevelt and Stanly is as follows
Resolued That the Secretary of War report to this
House, at the next session, the number of resigna-
tons in the Army since the lst of January 1894 and
the causes of resignation as far as known how many
of the officers who resigned were educated at West
Point; and whether any Of them have been restored
to the Army and to what stations giving the names
of the officers, the dates of the resignation, and the
amount of money paid to each for any time any
after the resignation and before their Iestora-
ton and which of said officers edu ated at
West Point.
Objection was made; but the motion to suspend
the rules was successful, and the resolution was
adopted.
Mr.. BARNARD asked the House to take up the
bill fixing the circuits of the courts Of the United
States. 1t was accordingly taken up.
Mr.. JONES proposed an amendment giving ano-
Their arrangement to the circuits, and advocated his
proposition at some length.
Mr.. BARNARD replied, and moved the previous
question the passage of the bill. On the passage
the yeas and nays ordered. The vote Stood
yeas rs, nays 50.
Mr.. PROFIT moved to take up the Tariff bill.
The People are anxiousy awaiting, he said, the es-