The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-18

Thus, Sir, the navy does good DEAL and pays good
that it does not do the whole and nav the whole and oct
the credit due to their work, instead of being as thew
now are unseen and unnotced-eclipsed and cast into
the shade by the civil superintendent and his civil assist
ants.
have shown you that in Great Britain the bureau of
Ordnance and photography is charged with the coast
fact; but that bureau has only divided and believe
subordinate part of the coast survey We have the ex.
pense that expense should be added 10 the
of the survey Great Britain has no civil superin
enden for this business We have her law but not her
practice, and my motion is to come to her practice We
pratons saving and excepting the small appropriations
for the extra expense which it would bring upon the
navy The men and officers are under pay, and would
be glad 10 have the work to do Our naval establish
ment is very large, and but little to do The ships
suppose, are about seventy the men and officers some
es bewesa na nS Of e whole establish
year. we are IN state OF profound peace, and no
way to employ this large naval force. Why not pu,
it-that they feel Inundated at being supposed in
competent TO it-and if found 10 be SO, are willing TO
pay the penalty by being dismissed the service ncom-
petence is the only ground upon which civil supern-
endent and list of civil assistants can be placed over
them. And is that objection well founded Look to
Maury, whose name is the synonym Of nautical and
astronomical science. Look TO tina; Dr. Locke once on
the medical staff OF the navy, and now pursuing career
of science in the West from which has resulted that dis
covery of the magnetic clock and telegraph register which
the coast survey now uses, and which an officer of the
navy Captain Wikes) the first to apply to the pur
poses for which it is now used Sir, feel bound to
pause at the name OF Dr. Locke, and to quote from
Cincinnati paper notice of his scientific labors pursued
not in public Office, and under government patronage
and in the enjoyment OF city life but at his own expense
in the remote woods and wids and amidst dangers and
privaions. 1t is thus the paper speaks of him:
"Dr Locke has, for years. devoted much time and men,
tai and physical labor the investigation mag
netsm-he has traversed the wild regions the apper
lakes resouey hazarding the exposures dangers OF
navigating those stormy inland seas, in open boat for
she has, for weeks and months, scampcd out on the
ground frequently rain-drenched and deserted in
the woods by caprcious Indian assistants, and not UNI
frequently conspred against and maltreated while making
his way through tangled and trackess all times
furnishing his own instruments and paying his
penses.
Sew men would perform the same day labor and
night study, endure the same hadships, and embrace
the same dangers in the pursuit OF scientific discoveries
and Inventions Tor ten times the Pecunary compensation
which Dr. Locke will receive by the proposed appropria
ton
Since writing the above, and appropriate the case
annex the following, which have found the re
marks OF Col Sabine wee president of the Royal Society
"Col Sabine introduces Professor Lockes observations
with the following predatory remarks;
.'From Dr. Locke of Cincinnati, have received the re-
suit of very extensive of observations of the nc
and Force, which he has been engaged for eight
years. s3S TO lSl6 inclusive) comprehe ndnK deter
both elements, 100 stations distributed
longitude from the seaboad of the United States to the
Mississippi river and in latitude from 80 4S degrees
IS in fact, magnetcal survey of the inclination and
Force of the northwestern and northeastern States Of the
Unon conducted by individual his DION ,naid,d re-
and Of the notable instances of private
research ELECTED by the impulse systematic Direction
which have been Of late the study mag
netsm to 1sestrai Nagneiisp Part vii
1886"
And are 10 presume naval officers incompetent
TO- the conduct OF this survey when has produced
such men these-when it may contain in it's bosom
know not how many more such! In 1907 we had no
navy-we may say none, for it was small, and going
down TO nothing Then. might be justtable to employ
astronomer In 1882 the navy had fought itself into
iavor but Mr. Hassler, the father of the coast survey
was still alive, and it was usilable to employ hun
as astronomer. But now there is no need for
civil astronomer, much less for civil superintend-
ent; and the whole work should go to the navy
We have naval schools for the instruction OF
officers; we have officers with the audable ambition TO
instruct themselves The American character ardent in
everything is pre- emnenty ardent in the pursuit OF
know ledge In every walk of life, from the highest to
the lowest, from the most humble mechanical to the
highest professional employment. knowledge is pursuit
and Iaudable object OF ambition with great number
We are ardent IN the pursuit of weath-equaly so in
pursuit of science The navy par,akes OF this auda
bic ambition You will see an immense number Of the
naval officers OF all ages and of all ranks devotng them
selves. with all the ardor of young students TO The ac-
QUESTION OF knowledge: and all these--the whole
naval proessonto be told that none of them are able
to conduct the coast surveynone of them able
cute the acto lsO7none of them able to find shoals and