Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-04-02

Tn motion OF Mr.. ALLEN. IT was laid on the table,
and ordered to be printed.
Mr.. WEBSTER then rose and said: | rise for the
purpose Of submitting an inquiry relative to a matter
referred 10 in the message, and not for the purpose of
making any commentary or remark whatever on the
message itself. We perceive, from the message Just
read, that il is the judgment Of the President that an
increase Of our means Of defence--bOth military and
naval-has become necessary by the circumstances Of
the country. The amount or extent of that necessary
increase is not stated in the message. But the Presi-
dent says that estimates showing the extent of the
necessary increase in our means OF defence, military
and naval, have been communicated from the appro-
pirate departments Of the Executive Government TO
the appropriate committees Of this and the other
House of Congress for their adyiscment and conside-
ration. will not complain. sir, at all, Of this mode
Of communicating to the Members of Congress the
judgment of the Executive upon such highly import
tant and vital questions; and | do not complain of il
because, as the President says, it is not unusual.
Recently it is not unusual but the practice is of
recent origin, and in my judgment, is not to be
encoura ged. / do not know whether the honorable
members of the Senate who are respectively at the
head Of these committees, have communicated these
estimates in any way to The body to which they be-
long and | rise therefore, for the purpose of inquir-
ing OF thenl-beglnnlng with the honorable member
from Missouri, Mr.. Benton, the head of the Mill
tary COMMITTEES, what that communication to which
reference has been made, is, and whether he cannot
suggest some form of bringing a knowledge of it TO
the whole body of the Senate; because it is stated in
the message that these estimates were made by the
sanction of the President himself; and of course it
seems to me that these estimates, thus sanctioned,
should have been brought before the Senate.
Mr.. BENTON, in reply, said The proper introduce
tion to the answer to the honorable Senator'S inquiry,
addressed TO me, will be the statement, in the first
instance, how il is that the departments, with the
sanction of the President, have communicated these
estimates TO the committees. The reason of that
procedure is, that at the beginning of the session. n
| reSolutiOn of this hOdv having heen adontod diractinr
certain committees, and amongst others the Military
Committee, to enquire whether any, and if any, what
additional defences and preparations are necessary in
the present state Of the country. As a matter of
course, the committee sent that inquiry to the proper
organ the Secretary of War. He returned an
answer to that inquiry, which is in the hands of the
COMMITTEEMAN parts of it being very proper to be
made public, others not. 1t is all in their hands; but
up to this time the committee have not deemed it
necessary to take any action upon IT.
Mr.. FAIRFIELD next rose and said 1 am also call
ed upon, and the statement ] have to make is simply
this In consequence of the passage of resolutions
offered by the Senator from Michigan, Mr.. Cass,l
directing the Military and Naval Committees to
inquire what measures were necessary for the defence
of the country, letters were written by direction of
the Committee on Naval Affairs to the Secretary of
the Navy and he, In answer to this and other inuui-
ries deemed pertinent TO the case, made a communica-
ton, which has been read to the. Senate, and been
published. In conformity with his recommendations
7 which were understood at the time to have the sanction
of the President of the United States, the bill was
reported BY the committee which is now before the
+ Senate, providing for the building of ten war steamers.
Mr.. ]. NJ. CLAYTON asked whether the Committee
on Naval Affairs had reported all the information
communicated by the Secretary of the Navy; or
whether any other communications had been made to
Il them by officers of the Navy Department which had
not been laid before the Senate?
Mr.. FAIRFIELD. The communication of the Secre-
tary was accompanied by a report made by chiefs of
the bureaus to the Secretary himself, and was trans
mittcd TO the committee by him, with the understand
ing that ii was to be returned. 1t was sent to the
committee in order to aid them in framing the bill,
and making the proper estimates. 1t was a large,
voluminous document, not submitted to the Senate,
because it was understood that it was to be returned
to the Secretary of the Navy. 1t was accordingly
returned.
Mr.. WEBSTER again rose and said | intend to
pursue this subject with a single remark only. |
desile TO put two inquiries to the honorable gentleman
at the head of the Naval Committee; first, whether
the Secretary of the Navy in communicating TO him
these estimates informed the committee that they had
received the sanction Of the President land second
" whether the communication which he says the COM
mittee made to the Senate contains the same informal
tiOn-tO wit: that the naval estimates proceeding
from the department had the sanction of the President,
and were made under his direction
Mr.. FAIRFIELD, in reply, said the communication
of the Secretary of the Navy. that it had received the
sanction of the President, was made to myself-it
was verbal merely, and therefore not communicated
to the Senate.
Mr.. WEBSTER. 1 understand the gentleman then
10 say that the only authority given HIM for consider
ING these estimates as made out under the direction
and sanction of the President, was a verbal commu-
nication to that effect to him as chairman of the
Committee on Naval Affairs by the Secretary of the
Navy and that not even that was submitted by him
to the Senate, on presenting the bill for the augment
alton of the navy, some days since. We see. then,
the posture of this affair. | have only further to saw
that | hope that as soon as 1t may be convenient to
2 the honorable member, who is chairman of the Com
: mittee on Military Affairs, and who, | presume has
t received information in the same way, that the esti-
1 mates from the War Department have had the sane
f ton, and are made under the direction of the Presi-
y dent-that he will as soon as Governmental that is
5 in his discretion-communlcate to the Senate as far
G as proper, and no farther, what those r~ecommenda-
: tiOns are. If there be a portion proper TO. be kept
J, private, it is quite safe in the discretion of that gen.
5 tleman and his associates in the committee, and there
e am quite content to leave it. But such portions of
e the Presidents recommendations for the augmentation
d of the military means of the country as are fit for
public communication, and public discussion here.
T and public information throughout the country, |
r should be very glad that the gentlemen, whenever it
t suits his convenience should communicate to the
S Senate.
Mr.. BENTON was understood to say that he had re-
: ceived no verbal communication but that in great
e matters of this kind, be always looked to the heads
e of departments as the organs of the President.
i MI. CAss. If [ understand the message Alright,
the President recommends still greater rmaments
e than were recommended by the Secretary of War. /
o desire to hear that portion of the message read again.
e MIR. WEBSTER. He says greater armament than
e recommended in the early part of the session-no
e greater than by the Secretary of War.
: The portion of the Message alluded to was then, at
r the request of Mr.. CAss, read.