Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-02-05


Senate was brought forward as war measure twas
so intimaicd BY the Secretary Of the Navy; was So
advocated by the chairman Of the Committee on Naval
Aairs and It so appears on lne iaoe oi 'e g' ~ We
point when the Senate Of the United States were cali
ed present, in the face Of Europe ana the amer
lean people, their opinion Of approaching war ha'
was the question which we were now in present M the
lace of Europe and America. He apprehended that
they had not reached that question, and Tor himself ne
was ready to pronounce against H. gong an 1910
against the bill Trained IN accordance WIN me recon-
mendaiion Of the Secretary OF the Navy. what was
the bili The first section authorised the building nl
ten steamships or vcssesowar, three Of them oi the
class OF frghtcs. The second section gave an absolute
power 10 The President, authorizing him TO pot into
instant active service al the vessels now on the stocks
The contingency in which the President was TO exer-
else this discretion not even stated and therefore
the authority was absolute. The section authorised
the President to bring into active aud immediate ser
vice every slip the stocks and in ordinary without
stating the contingency which should take the author
ity from Congress Another section, the last pfopos-
ed abolish The limitation to the number ol men,
and the amount Of naval force IN be left without
limitation whnrevcr. For the purpose Of carrying out
the object Of the bill Eve millions and three-qusrters
To be appropriated. 10 addition to the ten steam
ships Of war, two millions were proposed to be added
BY the amendment Of the Senator from Indiana, Mr.
flanagan II was not, however, in the bill; and he
would not further alude 10 il. What were these ex-
penses now? They were six million three hundred
aud ninety thousand dollars; and il was proposed 10
twelve millions in year iof the navy Of the United
Siajesl Were we, after experience xix years ago,
when a great party overturned, and when the ar
guuent was used that the government should be at-
min-tcred iot thirteen millions, and that u should be
wasclul and cNiravagant TO go beyond that amount,
now 10 vote twelve millions for the navyf 49,
Bot did we stop hcfci We must have our armament,
our guns; and every gun required at least ten men,
aud every required two hundred and twcniy-six
dollars for his support. So that when vote for
certain number Of guns we vote Tor certain number
Of men, and ten men men for every gunl IT, then,
we vote 40 addition u navy to-day Of Eve hundred
guns, vote TOT the addition NJ five thousand men TO
the naval establishment With this there was 10 BE-
repeal Of the limit Of enlistment. The bill came ilr-
ward measure; Tor, he asked, could anybody
point to a naval peace establishment which required
Twelve millions per annum, without counting the uen
20 be enlisted afterwards, swelling the entire amount
10 5000 000 when the expenses Of the whole gov
eminent according 10 the estimates, were but twenty
one millions. II The bill reported by the Senator from
Maine Mr. Faffrld) should be adopted, leaving out
the proposition Of the Senator from Indiana (MG Han
negau) we should have this amount Of thirteen mill
ions, ou ri the iwcniy-one Millions Tor naval defence.
lie was opposed 10 the bill on account OF the enormi-
~ Of appropriation for any single Of national de-
ience--mofe than that, he opposed 10 il a
measure. lie was opposed 10 II, bernuse he was not
willing that the American Senate should, by passing il.
declare 10 the American people and To Europe, that
had idra Of war, and therefore deemed II
saTy to make warlike preparations. lie trusted that
he had some TAR perception Of what every nation
bound To do for itself lie had given some proof Of
TN, heretofore lie had voted for appropriations for
judcinus Increase Of the navy Of the United States
cofding 10 the maturrd policy which adopted; and
that was 10 appropriate about million q year for
gradual aud regular increase Of the navy, and its
ment, and equipment He would, and he expected TO
vote for this lie had then ia specific appropriations,
shown that he was not at all blind TO the propriely Of
defence We could al fecolleci that len wears ago we
had large surplus Of money, and that various plans
were presented for dsposing Of it. He at that time
presented one for the permanent defence Of the
Try, aPpropuatng the whole amount Tor this purpose;
but II was subsequently divided among the States. He
was not unmindlul Of the duty Of preparing, in times
OF peace, Tor war; and was now ready he already
had said, TO 60 with appropriation for the per-
naneui defence Of the country according 10 the matur
cd policy and system on which the government had
ted for thirty years. From the conclusion OF the late
war; down TO this time, the government had acted on
this policy, dolly matured and considered. This be was
ready TO carry forward, but he not willing de-
part Tom this policy, this system, and plunge into
war measure, when every thing around indicated
peace. II war should come, then he would vote ade-
qua,ely with no stinted hand everything which the
service Of The country required. lie was against in
cfeasing the navy, beyond the limit adverted to- in
time of peace. If war should come, he would be one
thing, not halfway; he was against any measure
which was questionable debaiabe on its face; and
lie hoped that his position, or peace would never
be questionable or debaiabr. We should, with re-
gard TO this subject, clearly, distinctly and deRni
lively, that the country may not be deceived. We
have not precisely naval peace establishment Since
ht uttu utIcs various nils ndu been brought
for this purpose, and the question discussed In Is4I
the Senator from Virginia, (Mr Archery reported
bl Tor the ugani2aiion Of u permanent peace estab
lshmen. Restriction after restriction had been pre-
scfibed by Congress. Then the whole number was
eight thousand men, and the estimates six millions of
dollars; but the administration Of that period run I'd
The number OF men and Officers, in the twnkling Of an
eye to eleven ot twelve thousand, at an expense of
eigh, millions Of dollarsi and a plan sent in by
which the number might be carried up In fifteen thou.
sand, by adding an additional number of guns to the
navy; and for what puTposei That Of putting squad
ron, consisting of two ships-of-ihe-ne aud eight small
Ter vesses-where: In the Mediterranean sea, and
Tor the purpose Of protection when there was moi The
vestige OF pirate to be found there! Subsequently,
however, the naval establishment was rrauired To fan
back 10 eight thousand by the expifation of the
period OF enlistment. Since that time some further
legislation had taken place. This part of Mr. BEN
lore he cannot venture TO give it, He asked the
"lrlends OF the navy" those called 50 bv way of pre
eminence-though he was himself a friend of the ma
vywhat they conceived would he the consequence of
keeping up 50 large naval establishment in the coun
try, VIVA; would be the effect of such a war esiRb
lshment, when our destiny, resulting from the laws OF
Tod, and from geographical position, as well as our
institutions, peace! Did gentlemen consider what
Would De the enect OF permanent naval war esiab.
shnent in time OF peace! Great Britain had no idra
OF such thing that she who keeps up a navy for
The purpose of offence as well us defence Even She
had no IDEA OF keeping up war establishment in time
oi peace. The ordinary expenses Of her navy were
from hve TO SIX millions sterling, less than oue-ihrd
lhe amount OF her war establishment. And were we
TO nave navy at the same expense in peace as in
war!-incTeased twice the amount Of what il wasi-
were we 10 double, and take one jump from six mill
ions to twelve! He was utterly opposed 10 H. and he
wished gentlemen To look TO the organization of ma
val peace establishment. Al the close of Gen Jack
sons administration, four thousand men and an expen
niure OF three or four millions for the navy wetecon-
sldered extravagant. But they had doubled since
q hia La md