Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-04-15
TABLE H-DoMESTIC EXPORTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
FROM 1919 TO lS4l.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

taking up with view to its final passage the bill
ported yesterday from the Committee of the Whole on
the state the Union, providing for the construction
for harbor defence) Of an
IRON WAR STEAMER.
Mr. GOODE of Ohio objected that quorum was
present. and requested the Speaker to ascertain The
fact
The SPEAKER having counted the House, an.
nounced that there was no quorum present.
Mr. FILLMORE moved call Of the House.
Mr. YORKE called the yeus and nays on that mo-
ton
The SPEAKER, in the mean time, suggested that
quorum now present.
So the motion for call OF the House not pressed
And no further objection having been made thereto
The bill providing for the construction of an iron
war steamer for harbor defence read third time
And the question being on the passage thereof
Mr.. COWEN asked the yeas aud nays; which were
ordered.
Mr. HUDSON thought, he said that bill of this
kind ought not pass without some explanation. He
had hostility TO the BILL
Mr. WISE observed that if the gentleman would al
low him. he would briefly explain all that neces
sary for a perfect understanding of this BILL Every
gentleman of information knew the extent of the coast
Of the U. S. the lakes the Atlantic, and the Gulf
of Mexico, and if they would read the report of The
Committee of Naval Affairs they would see that the
naval force of Great Britain was no less than two
hundred and fifty ships Of war, and that they had no
less than eight steamers on our coast, who had un-
der their decks preparations by which they could be
Immediately converted into vessels Of IT was alb
souely necessary the present posture of affairs,
tina, we should have the OF defending coasts
and harhors from the danger that threatened them
| The plan of this ship submitted by one Of the
oblest engineers in this any country, MIR. Stevens,
and had been tried and found fully 10 the pur
pose intended, by board of army and navy officers
This ship by of her subaqueous propeers, would
have a velocity xampled and from her construction,
would he invulnerable She 10 be constructed of
sheet iron plates rvetted together in such manner as
10 be mpregnabe either to the Paixhan round shot
Indeed the experiments Of the board Of officers had
demonstrated that the plates, put together in the man
ner intended for this ship, resisted sIty.four pound
shot fired at distance of thirty feet
The ship would also have all that ghtness md buoy
ancy of wooden ships, and velocity equal to any
other steam vessel either for escape attack. These
were not her only merits all her machinery would be
below water and out of the reach of enemy shot
Her means of annoyance would be a shot invented by
this same Mr.. Stevens, which the Government had
been possession Of these twenty years, and which
as much superior to the Paxhan shot that supe-
ror 10 all others-a shot that would explode immediate
" on striking the object-that had fuse, and wns
perfectly safe in every respect. He would mention
one fact to show lis great superiority Out OF twenty
of these shot that had been kept hand for ten
years nineteen Of them poded in striking the object
fred at The whole ship, with her armament and
of propulsion, from of the abes engineers in
the country. Ee proposed plan of propeng ves-
sells similar to that Of Mr. Ericcson-and, blythe bye
Mr. Ericcsons plan was hs-by which the wheel would
| he below the water, and we'll out of the way oil
the enemy's shot as the roughness of the sea- Mr.
w. concluded by saying that every thing relating
70 the ship had been proved by actual experiment and
that it was the best mode of defending and
harbors now mmnently threatened by the English pow
err He moved the previous question on the passage oil
the bill
Mr.. BRONSON inquired Of Mr.. Wise what the ship
would cost.
MIR. WISE said there was a limit to the cost in the
bill itself Some gentlemen supposed that this ship
would cost as much the Mississippi and Missouri
both had cost. These two ships had cost, in round
sums eleven hundred thousand dollars 1t pro-
posed that this ship should mol cost than $3.50 900
including (Mr w. was understood TO say) armament
and every thing else.
/ Mr. MORGAN wished to offer an amendment pro
vidinp. "that the ship should be built Of American
iron"
Mr. COOPER of Georgia desired to offer the follow
ing amendment
Add The following proviso:
prorided That the contracts for the same shall no
be let GU, until there shall be adequate surplus une
in the Treasury, after providing for the public debt ant
the payment Of the ordinary annual revenue.
Objected to.
The question: "Sball this bill pass'" then taken
and decided in the affirmative, yeas l2o, nays3l
GENERAL APPROPRIATION BILL
The committee resumed the consideration of the bill
making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic ex
penses of Government for the year1S42
The following item being under consideration:
s.No. 300 For survey Of The coast Of the U. s. in
GLIDING compensation to superntendents and assist
ants, 100000"
Mr. N. A. COOPER moved that it be stricken out
Rejected. ana
Mr.. COOPER moved TO strike out Slooooo ana IN
sert 100000.
The CHAIRMAN decided that the motion was no
in order being motion 10 strike out and insert after
motion had been made TO strike ont the whole item
Item No l0l For The continuation of the survey o
the Northern and Southern lakes Of the United States
MIR. M. A. COOPER moved to strike it out.
: Which motion rejected without division.
Mr. FILLMORE moved to insert The following
the 203d item:
ITO enable the President Of the U. s. TO cause 10 b
made and completed exploration and survey of tina
part Of the Northeastern boundary line of the U.
and the adjacent country which separates the State
LII t.~k pyD~