The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-14
REMARKS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, MAY ~, 1917
The House being in the Committee of the Whole
on the Naval appropriation bil and the question be-
ing on the motion of Mr.. Meriwether to amend the
CLAUSE for pay of commission warrant and petty off,
GERS and seamen, by striking out ,432 23 and
inserting y, 1885, 900 s,
Mr.. CUSHING said, he well remembered at the
close of the last Congress, in both Houses the al
most unanimous expression of desire for the aug
mentatlon OF the Navy at least for the mainten-
ance OF on the same footing of strength and ecien-
cy as at that time patriotism, regard for the public ill.,
terests and honor, were then or the lips of every
member OF Congress, and when the present able
head of the Navy Department com nunicated his re-
port at the commencement of the present session of
Congress, his recommendations in favor of the Navy
were received throughout the country with senti-
ments Of congratulation and PRIDE Mr. G. little an
cipated that he should SO soon have to listen to re-
marks which, if they did directly call in question the
value and importance of the Navy, yet indirectly
have that tendency and still less that such serious re-
ductions would be proposed in the personnel and
terrell Of the naval service.
The Committee of Ways and Means proposed a
reduction OF more than million Of dollars from the
estimates for the building and equipment of vessels
A gentleman from Maryl land Mr.. Mason) had given
notice of his intention to move amendment provd-
ing Tor temporary appropriation instead of per-
manent The motion pending was for a reduc-
ton OF 500 900 dollars in the pay of officers and
men, These successive suggestions, in their spirit, if
not IN their ayowed purpose, struck fatal blow to
the efficiency and usefulness of the Navy He, MIR.
e., might IN the course of the debate, go into the
question whether the Navy should be maintained at
its present strength not but his object at present
was briefly to explain Of those points in the ex-
penditures and practical administration of the Navy
which had been made subjects of question or objec-
ton before the committee. III
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mason) had
said he against nrO FIR the
support of the Navy until there means to meet
it by tariff of duties. Mr. G. said it was not true
that means had been provided to meet the appro-
priations of this bill The House had already made
provision for the service of the current year by
means OF Treasury notes and the Loan bill. Gentle
men said, suppose the loan were not taken He would
not suppose this with regard to any part of it, and,
as to that part OF which the Government had
immediate need this had ceased to be thing of pro-
liability only and had become certainty; and of
what avail would new tariff act be with reference
to these appropriations 1t could not go into opera
ton and yield revenue for months 10 come and the
idea Of any necessity of waiting for the passage of
the tariff act, before passing the ordinary appropra-
ton bills, altogether fallacious, and founded on
conceptions of the condition of the Trea-
sury
But the gentleman from Maryland wants to look
into the expenditures of the Navy Department WE'LL
the information upon this subject, of general char
acter before the House already in the report of
the Secretary Of the Navy accompanying the Presi-
dents message, in the annual Treasury estimates,
and in other documents communicated to the Senate
or the House instead Of there being absence there
really extraordinary affluence of information
those subjects.
MIR. TRIPLETT here suggested to Mr. Gushing va
rious points upon which he desired information
Mr.. CUSHING was glad that the gentleman had pre-
scented these matters of inquiry for the House, he
took on himself to say that there nothing in the
documents relative to the naval service as to which
the Secretary of the Navy would not most cheer
fully give further information if desired and from
the paper before him, partly printed documents,
and partly manuscript matter he, Mr.. c., would en-
deavor, before he took his seat to answer all the
questions propounded by the gentleman from Ken
lucky, (Mr. Tripleu)
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mason) had
spoken OF the officers innumerable who out of
vice, unemployed and yet subjecting the Govern
ment to expense. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr
Reynolds) had alluded to supposed similar fact he
begs the gentlemen to understand the precise facts
concerning this he, Mr. c., should presently COM
muncate them to the House. The gentleman from
Maryland had alluded to the fact of court martial
sitting in Baltimore, and had said that this was
subject of exception to the service of the Navy Did
the gentleman desire that there should be no judicial
discipline in the Navy of the United States-that
there should be no court martial, investigation in
regard to the offences committed Did the gentle
desire that the Secretary of the Navy the Pre-
sdent should exercise arbitrary discretion of dis
nlissa of officers on their ipse drit? He had
doubt of the fact that when the proceedings of that
martial became officially known and laid before
the Secretary OF the Navy, and perhaps by him before
this House, it ud be found that most useful services
had been rendered by this investigation to the disci
pline and the interests of the Navy. He admitted
that court marals were expensive, and more expen-
sve than they ought to be but did the Secretary of
the Navy the President have jurisdiction over
them? They must use the means Congress had Civ
en- to them. There were better, more economical
and more useful means for the accomplishment OF
the ends of public justice and the discipline of the
Navy, than the system of temporary Judge advocates
by the establishment of permanent Judge advocate
recommended in the bill for the reorganization of the
Navy, which Congress alone could pass.
1t was said by gentlemen that here was vast
augmentation OF the proposed expenditures. The
Inmates of the Secretary of the Navy, he admitted,
greater than those Of last year. If it was ma
erial to go into that question, he should be able to
show ample reasons why they should be larger-why
additional force and vessels in commission
should be employ d-why our vessels should not be
left to rot in the yards the loss of which
serious than the and tear Of the vessels the
in the service of the United States But, in
fact, this particular question had been withdrawn
from before the House by means of the form in
which the Naval Appropriation bill now stood the
estimates of the Navy Department had been reduced
more than million of dollars by the Committee of
Ways and Means.
MIR MERIwETHER was understood to INQUIRE whe-
Their This item had been reduced by the Com nittee
Mr. J. w JONES Ia member OF the Committee OF
Ways and Means) said this item not reduced at
all by the Comminee.
Mr.. CUSHING had been speaking Of the sum total of
the estimates which SO ,2OO, O0O but in this bill
there was proposed reduction from that of 81
100000 Gentlemen had repeatedly spoken of the
augmentation of the total of the estimates of this
year, compared with last year. The original diff
ference in the estimates for the years was 81 400
OOO The Committee OF Ways and Means had pro-
posed reduction of 81 300 900, leaving difference
of but 81, 100000. From this there was to be de-
Quoted the appropriation for the home squodron which
stood on separate basis The gentleman from Vir-
ginia (M Mallory had referred to the fact that when
the bill providing for the home squadron was before