Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-06-10

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,,.,s,es an every sea. But while he was willing
10 vote the money that was necessary Tor the pro
lection OF our cilizeps engaged IN iore'gh com
MERGE and for the defence OF the Atlantic sea ooaiu
he could not forget tina, the commerce or
ern country had been shamefully neglected ny TIM
| Government and that appropriations Toe seNsra
| wears past had been made Ter internal improve
| ments Of any kind. The rade oil the west hs'
| sustained immense losses for the want o, s"a" an-
nu,I appro priations to remove distractions IN our
| rivers and improve the hsrbors on the lakes lie
reioiced that voice would soon come up from inc
| mighty West that would be heard and respected IN
| that Hall when il demanded participation IN the
| benefits conferred by the General government
Ru, he wound not dieress further from The immediate
question before the committee; that question invov-
ed the poliey of proceeding at once TO make large
additions TO our naval establishment.
Was there any thing IN the aspect oil our suaHs
AT home or abroad that gave warning OF the APP
proach of war from any quarter IL was the cast
/ est thing in the world TO create war panic tie
had witnessed the rise, progress, and termination OF
so many such panics since he had been memoe'
of that body that he had ceased 70 DC egl'e'eu ~
the alarms felt or feigned, on such occasions oy
Others. The points in controversy between 'nis
Government and foreign Powers were, he was nap
py to believe, IN a train OF amicaole adjustments
and he supposed, there was now no JUST g'ou'u W
apprehend hostile collision with any foreign naton
Rat il would be recollected that Congress had, by
recent legislation authorized the building OF Two
war steamers and other vessels TO be employed rs
home squadron for the protection oil our own coast
Whether the legislature had acted wisely or ho, ~
thus conserving to enlarge the basis oil our na's.
Establishment at this particular lunciure, he would
not stop to INQUIRE for he presumed that Congress
intended TO grant the supplies required TO complete
! what had been commenced bv It's own authority.
Sill he thought Il was not IN the contemplation
OF Congress as certainly he had never entertainer
the idea himself that rapid increase oil the navy
was TO be prosecuted till II shoum reach the unit
suggested by the Secretary, namely, one-han .ne
/ size of the greatest naval Power IN Europe. ne
would attain that limit II II was ever 10 be reacheo,
by a gradual, not by hol-housc process. Let
grow with the growth and strengthen with the
strength of the country, Of winch II was the pt'ue
and ornament. lie regarded the navy as the sillen'
power in our military establishment IL would new
er want the consideration and encouragement uue
TO the right arm of our national defence.
In regard TO the particular item OF the bill then
| under consideration, Mir NJ. said the Committee OF
| WAYS and Means had thought there was pr aeu-
cal officially in the way OF their recommending any
reduction, arising out Of the fact that the money
was required. rs the committee understood, Tor the
payment Of officers and men then IN the employmen
Of the Government. IL the amendment offered oy
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr Merlweiher)
should prevail this item would be reduced by the
amount of more than eight hundred thousand dol
lars. Could this be done without injury TO the pub,
lie service and injustice 10 those who had accepted
employments under the Government
Mr. MASON here yielded the hoor tor eNplana
on which he had offered his amendment were these;
The increase proposed in this item over the amount
appropriated for the service IN lSll was SS6o,
OOO The cause assigned for it was chiefly that II
was required for the support OF the home squadron
! Now the fund for the home squadron had oeen
provided by Congress IN the act o, the 4th August
| ISL and was still on hand. The Secretary of the
Navy in his report OF May 5, 1912, stated that,
during lS4l, there had been expended but 4e,OOO
out OF the $3.50 900 Appropriated for this purpose;
/ n 81. fka oFcf aud dino
January, 1912, was S742, $40. Ii they added TO
this 1921 900 the balance OF appropriations on hand,
the item for pay and subsistence would be greater
than the sum he proposed TO strike out.
MIR MASON replied that the amount heretofore
appropriated Tor the home squadron had, and as he
thought very properly, been merged IN the estimates
OF the Secretary for the service of lS42.
MIR MERIWETHER said that 1t was 10 this
merging that he objected. IL had been stated that
by reducing this appropriation we withheld pay
ment for the services OF officers and men IN the
service. greater mistake never did eXist-it was
only a refusal 10 appropriate twice Tor the same 90.
ject in the same year. The Secretary OF the Navy
had on hand LIST January, 1912, the funds for the
support and maintenance OF what IS called the home
squadron; and yet he asked Congress to appro-
pirate the same money over again. This was what
he objected TO. and It was TO provide remedy for
this that ne had made the motion.
Mr. MASON continued. Suppose the Secretary
OF the Navy, instead of keeping a separste account
with the home squadron, hau, for greater ease and
simplicity 10 keeping the accounts IN his Depart
ment, included the home squadron IN his estimates
for the general service Of the year, and had at The
same time accounted ia Y and fairly, 10 fact he
had DONE for the balances OF tormet appropriations
/ for the home sqadron remaining uneTpended on the
lst OF January iasi, what wrong, MIR NJ. would ASK,
/ had been done by sucha course None, that Nj
! NJ. could perceive. he would DO MIR Upshur the
justice say that in his annual report to Congress
and IN his subsequent communications to the Com.
mutee Of Ways and Msans, there was no want of
spersp!cuy OF completeness IN his statements re.
specUng the condition Of the service eonhded 10 MS
charge.
The question returned wins; were we TO do with
those nov actually engaged in the public serviee7
Was II desirable, IT could he lawfully done, TO
dismiss them at once from all further employ
ment2
MIR ADAMS (Mr Mason yielding the floor for
explanatory said that tins item No. !, from which
the gentleman from G,Orsil now proposed to make
reduction, for the simple article OF pay for
the officers and seamen. The appropriation made
al the session for the home squadron included
he presumed, oil chnrees and expenses required 10
put IN commission, officer and man that squadron.
Now was the gentleman from Georgia correct anJ
did he proceed on information derived from docu-
ments, when he assumed that the addition made 10
this EN- OF eight or nine hundred thousand dol
lars was for the home squadron ? Had the home
squadron bean the cause Of oil the additional amount
now asked for under the head OF pay of officers and
seamen Had there been no increase OF officers
and seamen, independent Of the home squadron ?
The gentleman from Georgia, he presumed, did not
mesn to intimate that the Secretary Of the Navy
had sent IN estimates eptousy or c'andestine-
ly, 10 geta double appropriation; and was il not
equally absurd to suppose that the Secretary had
made mistake, and formed his estimates without
reference to the appropriations heretofore NADER IL
seemed TO Mr. A. to be a most extraordinary posi-
ton, that this increase simply in the article Of pay,
was owing TO the home squadron, for which provi.
sion had been before made.
MIR SPRIoG here referred 10 document in eIpla.
nation Of this subject; but what he said was no,
heard at the Reporters desk.
MIR MAsoH continued. lie did not perceive that
the gentleman from Massachusetts, (Mr Adans)
and himself held different opinions IN relation 70 the
point IN dispute between him and the gentleman
from Georgia, (Mr Mcuweiher) The error, No II
appeared 70 Mr. NJ, into which sfriend from Cfeor.
gia had fallen consisted IN his supposing that the
Secretary 10 submitting his estimates Tor the service
OF the navy, had kept out Of view the balances Of
appropriations that on hand the Ist Of Janua.
ry, 1912, and had, consequently, estimated for the
same amount he would have done Il no such ba,en.
ces existed Whereas the Secretary eHprssslv states
that "the sum Of SS,2l3,2S7 % is in addition 10 any
\ balance that might remain in the Treasury on The
let Of January, 1872" and the amount OF that bal
ance is given al page 80 Of House document No. 10
this session Of Congress. The Secretary. there
fore, could not be justly charged with an attennpt
at concealment. There was large increase. XII
Mr. M. had discovered no intention on die r3,t n,
the Secretary TO disguise the fact On the contrarv
it had been frankly avowed, and arguments emnioy
ed, whether successfully or not, % Justify d.
Mr. TRrLEIT (Mr Mason yielding the floor for
explanatory said that, Of the appropriation Of SIZE
400 fgr the hume ruuadron the amount .vr.nd..t