Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1842-12-20
TWENTY.SEvENTH CONGRESS.
THIRD SESSION
HAssLER's COAST SURVEY.


Of the coast of the United States, including compensation
OF superintendent and assistants. $4,000.
MI MALLORY said would be recollected that. the
last session OF Congress- the House appointed Select
Committee 10 examine this subject. The committee
engaged IN their investigations several months their duties
arduous, and large information was OBJ
tanned In consequence however, Of the absence Of
tain information deemed material by the committee, and
from other causes. they unable report during the
session. The result of their examination, however,
that although they satisfied of the importance Of this
work, majority Of them the conclusion that the
individual placed ut the head Of both physically and
mentally incapable OF carrying il They, therefore,
came to the determination when they should make report
TO onng In bill to correct the abuses which they believed
to exist While however he said this much, he would also
say that lac opposed striking the appropriation
| for the work must still go on
| Mr. AYCRIGG asked if the appropriation of the las,
year exhausted.
Mr. MALLORY would answer the gentleman ms far as
he could BY saying that the superintendent still in the
impossible to state how much OF the appropriation
hand He repeated, that he could propriey in
withholding the appropriation, for in the power OF
congress To correct the abuses thatmght found
Mr. WISE ssisd If he unaeroood his colleague
y, IA saying mat majority of the Committee the
conclusion that the superintendent physically and men,
tally incapable Of carrying the work
Mr.. MALLORY replied in the Affirmative
Mr. WISE would ask his colleague II Their, was any vote
! in the committee this head
MI MALLORY said that when the majority of the CON-
mlee came to that conclusion and determined to make
report 10 that effect his colleague and the gentleman from,
South Carolina (Mr. Holmes) were not present
Mr. WISE expressed his astonishment at what his col
had
ever heard II said that Mr. Hasser mentally and phy-
sically incapable. - r'
Mr.. MALLORY said il was not hi, f,ut ~ hi. col,.ar,
| was not present.
MIR. WISE in vndca,ion Of the expediencv Of the
appropriation II it fact that three of the com
mee Were prepared report that Mr. Hsser was both
mentally and physically incompetent on this survey
IN proper manner, the first he had ever heard of
lie asserted that majority OF the committee never had come
to any such determination They would not dare 10 p
9caiiom that they believed the celebrated matthews can
hasser mentally incompetent perform the duties Of this
survey True It might be, that in making disbursements
IN tne mere mechanical operations Mr. Hassler might an
nnht person; but IN the manipulation of there
was no one who could compare with him The tssnonv
EUROPE was recorded in his favor of scisnce
oeed ne Mr w y vennred thst testimony could
be adduced TO show and conclusvey prove that this
w had been better and cheapy conducted than any
other work In the world.
Here Mr. MALLORY inter7,nted NJ, w ,,d d.,;.a
inc positions which the latter gentleman had assumed He
referred to sp engraved from chart of Mr. Haser by
order Of the House. and appealed 70 the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Aycrgg) that chart had beer
executed.
Mr. WISE. desire him 10 state vha, he knows. Here
MI AYcRoS left the hall, and library TO get the
chart and map referred to In the absence of the e.ne
man he would state the facts he had them from Capt
rahey whose statements in respect 10 be re-
led on The map autographed here in Washington
and Mr. HAssLER had nothing do with it, The scale of
e map was iaid down incorrectly by the person who
pea from Hassiers chart. He mfr. w had inquired of
capt Gedney whether the original chart was correct and
was answered that it Thus gentlemen would sec thai
gricvous fault. - -
Here Mr. ArcKIsG and exhibited several charts and
maps obtained from the library and understood to say
that the scale of the maps faied and a, CHARGE s
erai incorrectness upon them
Mr. WISE enquired whether Capt, Gedney had not in
formed the gentleman from NJ Jersey that the error in the
maps was not Mr. HALERs, but occurred in copyine and
llthographng $3.50
Mr. AYCRIGG answered the negative, and stated that
he held the original chart in his hand
Mr. WISE. Is 1.-THE orgin.ll
Mr.. AYCRIGG. Yes
Mr. WISE. Ii Unjust be a copy
MI AfCRlGG reiterated his statement
Mr. WISE resumed. He thought the S,,,e nj n 10,
sey oy It's representative the last section in the Union
,ha' had any reason 10 complain of the survey Ii had so
happened mat the survey nearly complete along the De-
iawgre The whole coast of New Jersey was complete
r. SkGG here rose, and understood to contest
) system on which it had been conducted.
Mr. WISE replied, and remarked that If the gentleman
proper 70 come to matters OF scence-to introduce
echcaltes into this dcbate-hc Mr. w must stand off
lie did not presume TO think himself enou
TO overlook the celebrated Hasser He knew not if Mr.
hhSd verified his work. but he knew that the next base 10
oe taken would be upon the Chesapeake and then the
work would be verified from Long Island to Cape Charles
lie mad been told by all the young officers the survey
of New Jersey accurate that the lines of man, hun
, dred miles met within few feet.
lie was unquahedy OF the opinion that the chart of the
appropriation.
Mr.. MALLORY here rose and incurred whether III.
ehaTt OF the new channel the port OF New
fork had ever been published and why mott
Mr. WISE remarked that Mr. Hasser was Jealous of his
could determine its positive ver6cation. IL was withheld
until the matter could be made completes and this was made
SUBJECT OF complaint by many gentlemen opposed 10 the
ohhusnee OF me survey Acting upon this complaint the
select committee had determined that the chart shoud he
published. In six weeks IL would he An, ed 49, a..
public ~
There another class Of enemies to this APPROXIMATION
or hassers survey. There a certain number of gen.
uemen, headed by clique the Navy who had made the
discovery that surveying by chronomerc astronomy was TO
DC revived Such would not meet the object de-
sired by the country and would in nine cases ont of ten
avesse upon the shoals.
The next class Of enemies this Appropriation were
those who thought that Mr. Hasser held lucrative Office
$4,000 per annum being allowed him az a salary and
SSuOO more to pay his expenses. He Mr. W. was of
opinion that the expenses Of Mr. H. could not be less than
Sl,OOO: There were Others, too, who wanted Mr. Hass
ONCE ana they also were opposed this appropriation
lie would state a circumstance which had happened in
New jersey and which, for augh he knew might have had
some influence upon the of the gentleman from that
State Mr. Aycrgg) Mr. Hasser had in the course of his
survey, seucd down upon portion of the territory Of that
State deeming himself entitled encamp where he might
as officer Of Uncle Sam and not knowing ANYTHING anon,
the laws OF property IN this country In this state of the
case he was notified that he pay rent or remove: and
upon ms refusal process issued against him by some
Petuiogglng lawyer IN New Jersey and he was actually
sent to prison. where he remained two DAYS incaeeated
among fcons, because he could made 20
that he had 10 pay lie (Nr. W. undertook to say
that his colleague, Mr. Mallory the gentleman from New
jersey, MI Ayengg) and the gentleman from Massachu.
scts (Nr CushngD whose reputation for scientific attain
ments greater than either OF the other two might sit
down at the feet OF Has-c and be taught By that phoso
Phor
Mr.. AYcRIGG in,crpOsed and said. II the gentleman
would look in the library, he would find pamphlet contain
ing 800 which had been committed in work Of opl,
200 pages by Mr. Haser These were errors by his own
acknowledgment
Mr. WISE remarked that he could not wish a better
proof OF the accuracy OF the man. Laugherl The &C.