Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-06-17
DISCIPLINE IN THE NAVY.
HOUSE OF REpREsENTArIvEs-Jusr IA. !,

The House being in Committee Of the Whole the state
of the Union the bill making appropriations for the naya
service for the year ending June 80, ls49-
| Mr.. ROCKWELL, Of Connecticut, moved amend
providing for the abolition Of the spirit aIons In the
navy and in the marine service, and for the payment OF six
in lieu thereof each person entitled 10 receive the
He considered matter OF very great importance that
the spirit ratons should be abolished in the navy In no
other department of the Government they retained they
had been abolished in the army and in addition, IN the mer
chant service where there there
than quarter of the vessels which spirits were
furnished In the coaspg trade ALSO where there
20 900 employed, very small portion OF them
ceved spirits and, testified by the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. GRISNELL last year, and gene
rally known, in the whaling business not more than tenth
of the 800 employed furnished spirits The
number in the navy only some SOC 5000 men, TO
whom old and young except boys these raons were egu-
lay furnished every day unless the individuals chose TO give
them up He referred the testimony the subject fur
nhing abundant evidence the furnishing of liquor the
the of large proportion of the shpwrecks
offences which required punishment by whipping and vari-
disasters which happened board vessels at and
read particularly from Dr. Folz and other physicians the
navy sustaining this opinion and the recognition of this
fact by business insuring vessels which carried
liquor less rate than others In these views he but
pressed the opinion of the chairman of the Committee
Naval Affairs and Of the majority OF that committee, who
hoped the spirit ration would be given up de hoped the
amendment would be adopted.
Mr. MURPHY moved to add to the amendment provision
that officer other board should have or take
board ship any wine or other liquor.
He said ne friend of temperance. He believed the
greatest the human famysalors and all classes
the Of gog but he believed also that this evil
be eradated not by law, but by moral suason In different
of the country, his State for efforts had
been made by abolish the drinking of liquor but they
had been failure and in his State they had been compelled
repeal the law He would give Jack the liberty of
choice, TO drink not that he would to any other man. He
had objection provide that he might commute he chose
but if he did choose commute he should be at liberty
drink. The only difficulty perhaps that the Government
furnished bad liquor Alaugh He had visited several ships
within few days he had conversed with the officers IN rela
ton this matter all of whom sad give the sailor liberty to
drink not he chooses but do not
you value the navy abolish it altogether There
who habituated it, who expected have it and
his opinion, there many able bodied whom had
in the navy under the regulation, whom we could not
keep the ration abolished We take they
with their present habits, and give them the liberty Of
choice.
The amendment of Mr.. MURPHY to the amendment
agreed othe being taken by eersAyes so, not
counted.
The question REQUIRED on the amendment as amended
Mr.. BAYLY (upon an amendment moved Tor the purpose
and withdrawn said that in his opinion the effect Of The
amendment stood drinking sailors
He would tell them how The spirit ration cost about two
cents for each sailors they proposed him six IN lieu OF
il that he would get money enough to buy three drinks in
stead OF onet would enable him to drink more liquor and
have sugar in il without any expense TO him.
Mr. MCKAY Speaking in like manner said this same sab
ec before the House the last session the motion OF
the gentleman from Kentucky, and provision then adopt
ed, and the law of the land by which every
authorized to commute his spirit raons and was allowed
three cents This House agreed allow cents but the
matter settled by compromise between the two Houses
The gentleman from Virginia said the ration
cost the Government two cents that was one hundred per
cent too much cost less than cent any body could see
from reckoning whiskey being purchased SO gallon
His friend from Virginia had well observed that far from
the provision, adopted having tendency to reform our
would actually give them larger fund when they
got ashore TO drink upon would give them SIX times as
spend for liquor they had Let the House abo
h the ration if they pleased and make equivalent IN money
but he trusted they not prepared 10 allow SIX times
much as il cost.
In conclusion he moved new amendment to the amend
men,, providing that officer the navy marine corps
should receive the commutaon, and reducing the conmua-
ton to two cents.
Mr. ROCKWELL accepted the frs, branch of the amend
70 the amendment, and modified his proposition
cordingly
The question being taken the last branch of Mr. Nc
KArs amendment, reduce the Communication to two
cents, 1t rejected.
Mr. DUER (upon an amendment moved and subsequently
whdrawn) said the argument OF his colleague mr. MrRr
might be sound one but appeared 10 him he did not apply
correctly this He understood the gentleman TO say
that legislation this subject improper and that should
be Jeff moral suasion that he opposed TO laws pro-
hibing persons from drinking He asked his colleague then,
he equally opposed 10 laws encouraging drinking,
ard whether this not proposition to repeal law which
encouraged drinking by furnishing the sailors liquor lie
thought the genemans principle would equally hold him 10
oppose species Of Legislation the ohetne legislation
that prohibited, that encouraged dnkng The question
whether this Government should tempt Jack TO drink
all knew his disposition, his habits that way; the question
whether the Government would furnish raon endorsing
the habit He did not believe sailors would drink even
they commued with them cents. They might get drunk
occasionally when they went shore, but their habits were
such that they would procure liquor in large quantities
and carry board the ships, (eyen II they were slowed
and the habits Of temperance they would acquire by being
without liquor would indspose them to drink shore He
believed this proposition important and hoped would
be adopted.
Mr.. MURPHY moved another amendment, land subse-
queny withdrew it. He glad the House had adopted
his amendment the amendment He thought they had de-
cared by their vote that in their opinion quite i'm
poran have temperate officers temperate in
his opinion j,
But ne wished to his colleague. He (Mr. said
that by leaving the provision STOOD allowing the
their giog not they left him free agent but when
they abolished the ration altogether they took from him free
voilon and restricted him to living without dnk-hey took
from board and said he should have IT, Therefore
he reiterated his position that they left him voluntary agent
open moral suason, under the provision il stood
Mr.. SAWYER moved amendment TO the amendment
declare that corporal punishment by whipping IS abolished
in the navy Of the United States.
Mr.. VlNT0N raised question Of order against the amend
men the ground that proposed legislation in an sppro
priaiion bill.
The CHAIRMAN stat d that bis individual opinion was
that the amendment not IN order for The stated
but iDasmuch there various presidents the contrary
(seve,s Of which he read he felt constrained to override the