The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-21

anu nc bcHesed the lUlh OF rebIuhty Was tho day
assigned 10 themi that he thought sufficient reason
why they should not bring up another important
bill on that day.
Mr.. ALLEN again arose TO make e " remarks
in reply TO the sopator from Indiana. He was not
at all offended with his remarks-regarding them
merely the effect OF strong excitement. But his
friend from Indiana had unfortunately altogether
overlooked the fact, that the safety OF the Oregon
territory perilled by making The measures dis
iinct and uneonneeted He wanted no additional
strength 10 the Oregon question by connecting il
with others. He knew that, ia all humsn proba-
bility-nay, he would say It was impossible-the
question OF appropriation would not effect Oregon.
He wanted them TO go together, because he wanted
the Oregon question TO succeed. Before they voted
that appropriation, they should have in view some
great object 10 accomplish, and that object ought to
be the extension Of their territory the shores Of
the Pacific With that object in view, they should
vote the appropriation, not dat il must necessarily
superinduce state Of war, but that il might do so
His friend from Indiana had forgot his tMr A. ~
statement, that he was not opposed 10 the apnro-
prauon, but wanted II to be fixed for that day on
which The Oregon notice came up. The Oregon
notice the senator would hardly characterize as a
'barren measure" He thought il had cutie as
much substance in il any other, because il would
have all the effect of the law Of the land So with
The bill extending the jurisdiction Of the laws III the
United States over the Oregon territory. These
measures were not absraeiions; they substan-
1
appropriation; for on that he though would mainly
depend the passage Of these measures. Asto the
question OF war or peace, il TO be viewed in the
ordinary way. There might be war or their might
not One thing he Was sure of-in this question
there could be no cause Of war But what construe.
uon The British government might put ON il was a
question for their consideration, and one upon which
senator's might very properly entertain very oppo-
site opinions. The senator then, he would say
dih HIM wrong IN saying he Mr.. AZ did not want
the appropriation. He did want il; aud he wanted
also togiEe the notice. and Ia extend the laws OF the
United States over the whole territory of the United
States. IL had always been Of advantage to the
country 10 put the seabosrd in state Of defence;
u had always been Of advantage to exhaust the
treasury 10y proper expenditures. He wanted to
take advantage OF the feeling prevalent throug bout
me land on the Oregon question. All he wanted
wa, that before they began making appropriations,
they should contemplate those measures. He had
been forced to speak candidly. There was no diff.
ference between the senator and himself but in IN
mode OF doing the thing. He (Mr. A wanted 10
do 4 so as TO pass those measuref the senator from
Indiana wanted TO do II in such manner as TO ex.
cludc them.
| Mr. wESTCoTT said he thanked hi. honor-
abe friend from Indiana for his views on the
question. He thought he could follow him
IN the course he had marked out for himself m
those remarks. With the senator from Ohio he
could not agree. The honorable senator from Ohio
said that he wanted the two questons-yiz: the
question OF appropriation for the defence Of the sea
board, and the Oregon question, discussed together
or rather that the Oregon question should be settled
hrst. That was his candid explanation to the SEN
ate. With equal cnndor, he (Mr. w. y would tell
the senator that his vote for any measure that would
probably lead to war would not be given till he saw
this bill pass both houses Of Congress, and the
country put in state Of defence. The honorable
senator from Indiana had urged all the arguments
IN favor OF this bill necessary proper 10 he ad-
yanced on this motion; he would not reiterate
them. In reply to the candid avowa of the senator
from Ohio that he would not vote for this bill i'll
the Oregon notice had passed, he would, with equal
candor, declare that he desired the subject of the
defence Of the Atlantic and gulf to be first set
Ted; and he would never vote for the notice (ayow-
edly, as II now was, to be measure probably lead
ing to war; until that coast was placed in proper
state Of defence by the passage of this bill, and the
erection of necessary Notifications.
! The difference between them as to which aues-
ton should be decided first, was one made more
important by the avowei of the senator from Ohio,
and induced him INF w TO adhere more firmly to
his opinion, that this bill should be passed at an
| Mr.. YULEE did not wish to see the favorable
action OF the Senate on the bill jeopardzed by any
unnecessary connexion of it with other measures,
the result OF which wasas yetatogether nrobema,i-
cai. lie begged those gentlemen who ~were dis
posed to connect this with question of war; to re-
serve the display oftheir bellcose propenses for
Great Britain, and not to allow them 10 interfere
| with this little domestic measure. He protested
against the application of the principle of 'mastery
inactivity" TO this measure. He did not mean to
| discuss the question of war or of notice. He lef
that entirely for the mastery spirits of tina, body
But he did desire that the favorable attention Of the
| Senate-that the favorable and hearty considera-
ton of the Senate might be given to this measure
| not as war measurement connected with
| the Oregon measure--but simply as it stood upon
Its M N
with the interests and security of the country Gen.
tlemen were mistaken when they SUPP osed that the
bull provided for an appropriation Of FIVE or six mil
lions, 1t provided simply for an augmentation of
the steam marine Of the country, at an expense OF
one two millions of dollars and although il was
not advisable for him to advert to proceedings
which took place in committee, he begged leave to
to say TO the hon. chairman OF the Naval Commit
tee, IN reply to SO much as he had thought proper
to aude to, that he (Mr. Y for his own part at
least, was governed in his advocacy Of this bill by
regard to principles Of economy. He had taken
some pains to examine the naval statistics OF the
country for6ic last ten or twenty years. and to his
utter astonishmcn he had found, by tables prepared
from official reports, that in list Of all the vessels
built for the navy within the last twenty years ard
IN another list of all vessels built within the last ten
years, the cost ofrepars actually amounted to within
few hundred thousand dollars Of a sum equal TO
the original expenditure for their construction To
his utter abatement he had found that within three
years after the completion of vessel of war, the
sum OF $4,000 over the original cost has been ex
pended for repairs-repairs rendered necessary in
consequence Of the defective, although extravagant
manner in which the vessel had been bull, under the
present bad system at the public yards, OF by the
liability of the materials to decay. Now, the bill
proposed two points, addressing themselves only to
the economical .propensities Of gentlemen, which
were, he trusted, quite as strong their warlike
propensities. Ii proposed that these vessels should
be built by contract, in order that the mechanics of
the country who hepto sustain the public defenccs
should have fair chance Of entering into successful
competition for the execution Of this department OF
the public work; and in order that the cost may be
as reasonable as good materials and good workman
ship will allow. By such system millions would
be annually saved, instead of being squnndsred UNI
der the present system, which actually gave pre-
MUM to sovenly and lazy execution of the work
Again: II was proposed by the bill to add a class Of
vessels 10 the navy which could be put into service,
or not, iusf as circumstances demanded. But he
would not ask for favorable consideration of the
bill, were il not that the necessity of the case called