Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-06-10
DEBATE IN CONGRESS.
In THE HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES,, JusE 8, 1913.

The naval appropriation bill being under consideration
(Mr. ROCKWELL, of Connecticut in the chair) Mr.. STAN.
moved amend the item approprating $780, 900 for nau
teal books, maps, charts Instruments binding and repairing
the same and all the expenses OF the photographed office
by striking out $780, 600 and inserting the following in lieu
thereof: Thyfye thousand dollars, and the Secretary
the Navy hereby directed expend five thousand dollars
much thereof may be necessary, causing the
sevaons to be made which have recently recommend
ed to him by the American Philosophical society and the
Academy of Arts and Sciences"
I support of this motion Mr. STANTON addressed the
committee as follows:
Mr. Chairman This subject brought to the notice OF
the Committee Naval Affairs by letter from the Secretary
OF the Navy, transmitting highly interesting correspondence
between Lieut. Giiss OF the Navy and many distinguished
scientific in this country and Europe. The committee
by unanimous vote, directed this amendment be present
ed II accompanied by report in which all the cor
respondence alluded TO embodied, and that report has
been for weeks in the possession of the House The
proposition has been avoaby noticed in many of the leading
journals of the country without distinction of party.
II this report and these notices of il had received the at
enon of members of the House. il would be unnecessary
TOR me TO offer any remarks the subject But fear
the stirring political events and Of this part of the
session. these matters however interesting many have not
attracted general notice. and therefore propose to submit
bret explanation of the objects Of this amendment
commence by quoting The resolution Of the American
Academy OF Arts and Sciences" Boston and Cambridge
January IS, ls4s, in the following words
Resofed, That in the opinion of this Academy the en-
rise for determining the solar paraax the method pro-
posed in the correspondence between Lieut. Gss and DIR
Gerng is worthy be promoted BY the Government of the
United States by sending expedition TO Chloe both
count OF the great uncertainty which attends the adopted
value OF this fundamental basis OF astronomical measurement
and from the probability that this attempt will prove
full and thus rebound the honor OF the country by which
is undertaken"
The resolution of the American Philosophical Society is
the same elect The enterprise referred in these resou-
TONS and thus recommended the patronage Of the Govern
ment is simply expedition South America TO be con-
Quoted by of most accomplished naval officers in
order to make observations upon the planet Venus in
junction with similar observations be made at the Observa-
tory in this city, The ultimate object is to determine the
suns parallax more correctly than il now known
few words will explain the necessity for this
rate knowledge The present quantity Of the suns paraax
derived from observations Of the transit Of Venus 1869
II is admitted all hands that this great phenomeDon-the
transit Of Venusaiords the best OF ascerainng the
quantity in question. But it Of such rare occurrence and
short in It's duration that the observations Of single tran
sit during the last century have been far from inspiring per-
feet confidence in the result Another transit will take place
in 1874 hut the position Of the planet on the suns disc will
be less favorable and indeed said by astronomers that
Tor period OF something like thousand years there will
transit OF this planet under circumstances equally
vorable for this purpose that Of 1862 The demands of
science, however, will admit Of delay until the oc-
of the transit however favorable that might be
for observation The general voice Of and sci
entic TO establish the great probability that the
method proposed by Dr. Gerng will be productive Of
valuable results For the testimony Of distinguished astrono
this subject refer their respective letters in the
report will only quote short passage from the letter of
Professor Bache, whose high authority such question
will be acknowledged by all He says, page 81 Of the
report:
As doubt expected, the searching examination to
which your proposal has given rise has nearly exhausted
various bearings OF the problem The Importance OF the i'm
quiry proposed is generally admitted. In discussing the
question OF the probability Of obtaining new data for the solar
psax which shall diminish the probable Of the value
obtained from the transit OF Venus there different shades
of opinion expressed do see however, that the two
which strongly favor Dr. Gerlings method
by any opposing arguments.
number OF observations upon which results may
be founded and the independence of the method with
that formerly used arc indeed striking features in this me-
thod Independent methods give the confirmation
SUITS show beyond the accidental error deduced
from calculation OF observations which all made by the
same method"
propose say few words upon the importance Of the
information to be derived from the proposed observations and
to show in what they themselves with the
interests Of the Government might be sufficient for this
purpose in general point Of vew refer the fact stated
in the report that for the observation of the transit OF 1769
astronomers spread themselves the whole world much
expense and labor in order get the benefit Of the great
phenomenon. This In all probability would have been
the case, had there not been immense practical value
nected with the results Of this important labor.
But, to little more into particulars There are
irregularities in the moons orbit which our present
knowledge Of the solar system does not enable explain
Il is obvious therefore, in culating the position of the
for two three years 10 come, which always done
in the Nautical Almanac, there he an error greater or
less in the place assigned this umnay by the nautical
tables This has direct bearing upon the safety Of
navigation. Now there is to believe that different
distance assigned to the might entirely explain these ano
maous motions Of the 1t certain that If the cacu
lated distance Of the from the earth be changed the path
Of the will be different from that abu-
ted TO by the present tables Great practical good may
therefore, result from the investigation Of the solar
parallax.
know there gentlemen present who will proba-
bly, object to the appropriation upon constitutional grounds
For this reason have abstaned entirely from abiding
many other valuable and interesting results which likely
flow from the proposed expedition Many gentlemen believe
that this Government has power to do any thing for the
promotion Of science from the general utility Of in
crease Of knowledge. They probably right have
fined myself IN these remarks TO the direct and particular
utility Of this investigation in It's bearing upon the material
interests Of the Government II is indispensable the in
teests of navigation and is therefore, within the competen-
cy Of the Government because Its navy must be sent to all
parts Of the world
In reference to the important problem Of longitude and for
the purpose Of illustration, will read passage from Her
schels popular treatise Astronomy
IL there in the heavens clock furnished with dial
plate and hands, which always marked Greenwich me the
longitude Of any place would be determined
as The local time knownby comparing with this clock
"ln clock the marks the dapae uniformly dis
uoued all around circumference Of circle, whose centre