Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1844-05-25

! IT the honor and dignity Of the country was - ha s
II must be preserved here Gentlemen need no, ash NJ ri
10 hand out the a. his constituents to enable h r.
ecutive to send fleet to.veta Cruz army 10 ,b
bine so long that eas ihe which the publ;c me-
to be applied, he for one, should keep tight hand No.
the He would tell the President that he had
yet TO get his first dollar for such purpose by the yo, %
Mr.. II. He had sympathy with who were so WON
derfuy valoous towards Mexico, and who yet would a.
tame with their hands crossed while large portion Of onr
own undpu,ed territory was openly taken possession by
the British power. While the lion of Great Britain was ha
king his Pacific boundary, and trying and i'm
prisoning citizens their SOIL he did not think
very highly Of the bravery Of who wanted beard the
feeble Government OF Mexico To be nsoen to the weak
and cowardy TO the strong the spirit bastard Let
us defend soil first before quxoting against
the domnions Of another Power If go 10 war; let
| us AT least have
10 foemen worthy OF their sfeel.'
The gentleman from South Carolina had advanced the
novel doctrine that the House ought act on amend
ments TO an appropriation bill that might he proposed simply
BY an individual member, but only such reported
from committee How did this comport with the theory of
our Government which authorized each Representative to
speak the will and wish OF his constituents Why was
the amendment of individual member read received at
all II II was not to be acted on The admission Of such
doctrine would amount 10 the abngation only Of the
rules OF ORDER but Of the constitution Of the National Legis
are Once admit such notions, and committees already
most powerful here, would aogaie themselves all
powe and become supreme subjects entrusted
to thcm
Mr. H. called the attention of the committee to certain
items OF disbursement particularly those connected with the
navy yards He referred by way of instance those Of
the Portsmouth navy yard which he read, and from which
appeared that wenysiI officers employed
nua expense of S2s 000 employ and superntend egh-
teen seamen. This the way the public money went.
The captain received $500 for doing nothing and tho
Lieutenant almost much for helping him. He expressed
disgust at the recital andnssed that with loud professions
OF reenchment Congress had been in at
tempting il. The coruptons in our service went beyond
those the old monarches Europe II was time gentle
men showed their hands if they really for reforming
the sys'em now let hemshow it. For one, he would
vote another dollar for the navy until reformed and
brought under law He had rather it founder than
remain IN lis present condition. He could not look hard
workings economical constituency the face if he had voted
away their money pay host of iders who waiting
ORDERS When his people wated for orders they waited
Tor pay We had got rid of odous feature The Bri-
fish astocacy had abolished the prerogaves Of pri
mogenitue but the worst sinecure features still remained
among part Of the nation had labor support
another part who merely moths upon the treasury An
officer whose pay to be down in great rep
daton to member Of Congress and exclaimed Why, my
God sir, if this bill passes cannot keep my college,
The reply, cool and laconic Then let your
home and go TO poughng."
The question put the amendment to the
amendment, viz Provided That part of this be APP
piled the pay since LIST January 1872 &C. las inserted
above j and was agreed to.
The question then recurring the amendment moved by
Mr. PARMENTER, that the whole number of officers shall not
exceed 1900
Mr.. MCKAY supported the amendment by few remarks
very imperfecty heard He understood suggest that
would be best to appoint committee who should be charged
with the duty of nqung what changes ought made
IN The administration of the navy. MIR. Nick. had Of
opinion that in service, in that Of Great Britain
the number OF officers sesmen on board
our ships might be less in time Of peace, and gentleman
from S Sf appv The
requisite. The pesent 50 mucn as those
believed be unnecessarily large, and woud sssKs
duce il, as proposed by the amendment to 800
The question being put the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. HALE offered amendment the substance of
which that officers performing duty of higher grade
should not receive higher pay.
Mr. PARMENTER said that this charge was approved
Ivy all the officers also by the Secretary Of the Navy who
thought il would operate check favoism. In this
opinion the naval and the committee on retrench-
concued he hoped the amendment would adopted
The question put aud agreed to--when il sug-
gested that the amendment had deferred for the pre-
sent, that il might in the close Of the bill
Mr.. HALE therefore withdrew il for the present.
Mr.. PARMENTER proposed amendment which sub
sted for the general clause Of the bill appropaing
for the expenses Of navy yards long list Of specific
out Of the power OF the Department show paraty
favor Of certain navy yards at the expense of others
Mr. MCKAY briefly supported the amendment
Mr. JOHNSON moved amend the amendment by
striking from it all appropriations for The Nary Yard al
Washington He considered navy yard here entirely
useless the service and he hoped would be transferable
some point in the valley of the Mississippi
This amendment discussed by Messrs. PARMEN-
TER, DAVIS, Of Indiana, HOLMES, MCKAY, EDw. ].
BLACK, SCHENCk, CAVE JOHNSON, and DICKlN-
SON, up to the usual hour of adjournment; when
The committee reese and reported progress the Navy bill
and action on the Post Office bill
And the House adjourned,