The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-12

house, thVuSh not The Oldest metnOcf IN uy iohS
shot and charges Of corruption; and took pretty
active part in ferretng good many Of them out
(Laughter) And would give gentlemen this piece
Of advice not TO go of balfcocked Daughter, parti-
oulsrly by the ladies Ia the gallery as others have
too OF en- done about these abuses Continued
laughter) IL may be that Lieutenant Mclaughlin
has squandered great deal Of the public money In
Florida ! know nothing about II but can tell
gentlemen that this Is OF the very lightesi
charges have heard made against him augher)
And ! wish every ether gentleman when he makes
these general charges OF corruption, would specify
as he has done--tbe cypress canoe daughter y
Why, sir, can tell the gentleman Of four times The
amount Of abuses over that OF which he complains.
can ut him on track here he can detect ten
times the amount Of corruption he has already disco
yered. And then we'll join teams but neither you,
nor he, nor !, nor all combined prevent under
any human administration, these abuses existing ~
some extent Sir, The Navy is as pure as tar--as
| pure as the ingredients of which it is composed
compared TO some other branches of the government!
Look at the gross frauds and corruptions existing in
the cont acts IN your Indian Bureau-look at them IN
your Coectorsbips under the Treasury Department.
Look at them in your Land Offices! Sir, give me
General Jackson with all his power-giye me Mr.
Van Buren,, with all the compliments you choose 10
oestow on nun Tor diligence, activity, and buely-
give me John Tyler for whose honesty and purity OF
purpose, ! at least will vouch-giye me George
Washington risen and purified, from the grave, to
reborn. abuses, and will show him an Hetcuieap
| '"'n !" ihuidH aoo'S a"y ~"
man strength above The combined strength Of any
| administration TO reform Go, then, to your rope
walks and your navy yards, and you VIII hnd That
they are as pure as the rosin which Is used there IN
COMPARISON with your Indian Department, and your
ColIectorships. You talk of abuses in the Navy
Whose faul, is it, il there are anyi You left your
Navy without organization for over forty years, AMI
even to this hour you have left il without code
You have given II no rules or regulations by which to
govern itself or to correct abuses Congress meets
trnm lima IN Time ,IneS drau q
eight dollars day and mileage-tiey eat and drink
Of the fat Of the land--they meet here--they go to
sleep here-act d then Congress wakes up,
and turns half round in its sleep, and growls and
grumbles about abuses and corruptons. QLaughter)
But ii takes to do nothing itself but perplex and
harrass the Department by its eternal Idle and use
less calls on il for information which has been laid
before Congress years and years ago Why, sir look
at the almost countless number Of calls that has been
made the Department already this session, for
what has been termed " ipformaon." Why, sir,
nearly all the information tlat has been asked for
may already be found on the shelves Of your
document room and note 10 Of these
little pages carried there would give you all you
want [Laughter.] And thus the time of the Depart
ment is uselessly occupied in answering these rdicu
lous calls. And what do you do with the answers
when you get them They come in--thcy are print
ed-they make good fat job for your Printer-who
gets his pay they not even read They are ia
ken to your document room there 10 sleep for ever
Next year comes in batch OF members, and
with them new batch Of resolutions, which 20 the
same round. Why sir, you have not even fourth
sufficient amount OF civil and clerical force all your
Departments TO answer in full one fourth of the rid
culous and useless calls that made upon those De-
partments during long session. And yet gentlemen
talk about the expenses Of these clerks, aud the ex
travagance of the Departments. Now, sir, if gentle
men would but be little more industrious themselves
and search for this information where it is TO be
found, the expenses of these Departments would be
much less than they are. Why, what did we
see done in this House the other day, sir' resolu
ton was ofered-Q not in the House, sir) and it
was passed-by the gentleman from Tennessee, Gave
Johnson who has been ember longer than have
sir calling upon the Secretary for information about
masters mates and ordering the igaie Raran not 10
80 to sea, Bv vIRUE OF THE POWER OF THIS HOUSE
ALONE! Yes, sir, such resolution actually
passed by this House within the last few days. Will
1t be believed abroad SIR, that gentleman who has
been many years member of Congress could offer
such resoiutionto ord the frgate Raritan not TO
! sail on cruise till he got his information or an
| swer Now, sir, should like TO ask that member
from Tennessee where he got his authority power
from Laughter Either the beginning the end
OF it, Laughter Now, sir, how is il that such
plumbers as these can be committed by such old mem
bers Of this House' Is it from want of carols it
from want Of orders il from want Of attention in
ourselvesor want of sense that these things occur;
Sir, we are continually calling Others and blam-
ing others think II is high time that made call
| on ourselves-on our Judgment-on our common
sense on our industry. Do let us take little more
care about ourselves, and not commit such blunders
as ordering frigae not TO sail by resolution Of this
| House and let US exhibit such lamentable
specimen Of ignorance in such simple matters, n We
thus exhibit to our cons uents and TO the world al
| large The gentleman talks about prospective con-
tracts. Sir, all contracts when they are first
made are prospective. Laughter And some
| OF these very contracts were made five years ago
| Now, sir, II the rule contended for in this
case by some gentlemen be sustained. shall n,ver
make an appropriation for the Navy in Gods world.
And they talk about this bill being an additional an
preparation. Why, sir, with such reasonings as this,
! despair Of the Navy. Sir | contend tina, on the
principle Of economy you ought TO pass tlrs bill -
Sir, man cherishes than do the fame Of the
iulls, and the Decaurs, the Por,ers and The Perrys
OF the last bot with all the halo of their anne
still fresh in our memories, contend that there
not then, there is not now IN the wide world more
noble, more brave, more gallant, more generous more
high-mnded, more intelligent or a more moral set
/ Of young men than the young officers Of our
| Navy. Sir, there is no boy Of midshipman even,
in our Navy, that would laugh at the idea Of taking
a chronomeier to sea with him. There is twice the
science-twice the naval twice the mathematical
science among the passed midshipmen Of our Navy
now, that there was among the superior officers,
twenty year, ago ay, ten years ago. Although you
have done nothing for their education, whilst you
have freely layished hundreds Of thousands in erect
ing schools and educating the young officers Of your
Army Sir, you can nowhere show me young men
who are hitter 10 be monarchs OF the pcoped deck ;"
than these young men in our Navy, although we are
etcrnay pushing at them, and crampng them in every
possible way. Sir, In point Of social worth. mental
excellence, and moral cha aoter, they are even so
high as TO be compared members Of Congr,u =
! [Laughterl They are not very good accountants.
sir. lMucn laughter Their purse is open at every
call, and too often before there is a call But in ali
those qualities that combine to make thorough sal
or and the gallant officer, they are fl to compare
with the best TO be found earth the few can com
rare with hen Look at our ships aAoat, sir. Take
England's Warspites when they entei our harbors-
! the French races see how they have and do com
pare with ours. And IS Il not comparison to be
proud Of, sir. From the keelson 10 the main ,n,ck