The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-09

anything to be paid to him upon that ground must in
sls that IT does seem to me that Mortmullin and Corn
wall have a claim for Il share.
Mr. WEBSTER The gentleman has stated the case
very fairly and put i upon the alternative s Wpsr
for undertaking and going through course oil expert
ments. in which course OF experiments ne was called
upon sacrifice, and did sacrifice, good dear Oh ume,
and was called upon pay out and did pay out good
deal of money! for OF experiments upon the water
rot,ng OF hemp That | understand TO be the founda.
Mr.. BERRIEN. That is the claim set forth in the me-
Mr. WEBSTER My honorable friend submits that
that were the true of the claim then these per-
have right 10 participate in It, Now, il he will
look at the memorial, am greatly mistaken II he does
not find that the claim is founded upon that and that
alone. This quantum for the work and services
rendered, exactly the foundation of the bill and that
being the case, il he gets the money, creditor has
just as much right TO it as another.
SEVERAL SENATORS. 'QuesIon," question"
The question being then taken upon agreeing to the
amendment, i was decided in the negative
MIR BRADBURY moved to strike out ficenty and m
sert ten that the bill would read ten thousand dollars
instead of tCsn,y thousand dollars lie said have ex
amned the report and the evidence with some care and
OF hemp that rejected by the government officers The
report appears proceed upon the ground that Nyee IL
entitled to damages arising from the improper reJecon
of hemp that offered under his contract. The
quantity thus rejected is nowhere definitely shown.
find in one letter the files that some thirteen tons were
rejected. In another. smal! amount more The report
speaks of two shipments having been forwarded and re-
ected, but does not throw any further light upon the
quantity have felt distrus in regard to The ac-
rests parte Of character not entirely sat
sfacory to my mind The report sets forth, for in
stance, that Myerle was possessed Of between for
making the experiment under his contract with the
government | have found in the evidence only
his affidavit to that effect We told by senators in
statement Of Myerle is not founded in truth and that
far from his having this large amount OF property to
lose in this enterprise he was utterly destitute OF proper
~ when he commenced it. The report appears to take
his statement for proof, and that establishes OF the
facts upon which to act. II this was sufficient
the absence of other evidence cannot be so regarded
now H
Another idea has been urged. II is, that Myere
solicited by the Navy Department to enter upon this ex.
pertinent of waterroting hemp and that he was induced
to go forward in the undertaking by this solicitation and
thus incurred the loss enterprise encouraged by
government and that Congress is therefore Bound to
that he shall suffer damages. understand the hon
orable senator from Massachusetts, Mr.. WEBsrER] to
place the bill upon this ground Now we have been in
formed by senators here that far from its being true
that the department solicited Myerle to enter upon the
contract the contrary, he went about the city
Letting letters to the department. that he might be able
to present himself as an applicant for. and obtain
the contract If this information be correct, then it
takes away the ground upon which the honorable sena
from Massachusetts has placed the claim embraced
in the bill Ii simpoani then. this view of this
that we should know what the facts upon this point
Mr.. WEBSTER. What difference will that make }
Will the honorable senator state
IT,. Il. NuycTle
solicited the contract out OF which the loss arose. he
would present himself in very different aspect in asking
relief from what he would If he had been induced by
officer of the government at the head of the Navy De-
partmen TO enter upon undertaking OF this character,
and thus involve himself He might well expect. in the
latter that the government would not him suffer
in consequence OF entering upon enterprise at the in
stance OF its officers ask the committee, and any
Of the honorable who support this BILL to show
evidence upon which the sum Of was inserted
Il is said that quantity OF hemp which was rendered.
was improperly reieceds How much, has not been
nA We have not sought the
from the department, where it may be found We
there learn in the report that was undoubtedly made by
the commissioners appointed to examine the hemp, the
Tor their rejecting it, We have now the state
ment of OF the secretaries OF the navy, that if he
had been in Office at the time he should probably have
accepted the article. He states nothing regard the
quality of it from his own knowledge Why, then, has
application been made tor the report of the grounds
of rejection BY application to the department, i might
be obtaned; yet the Senate has refused to recomm The
bill with instructions to make the application. That evil
dence might be very material it might satisfy every
atOr that the commissioners acted correctly makn
the rejection and yet we refuse to send TO the other end
of the avenue for it. submit that the Senate not
prepared to pass bills without having the facts before
them upon which they are to act.
The question being then taken upon the amendment, it
No further amendment being offered, the bill was re-
ported to the Senate, with the amendment.
The question being stated upon concurring in the
amendment
Mr.. HALF before the queSuOn lS put, want 10 ask
a single question, as wish understandngly upon
the subject | wish 10 inquire Of the senator from
Maine if this of $4,000 is the result of any exam-
nation, of any investigation he has made, sat
jsfy himself that $40 900 right aud 100000 wrong
or it from the impression that the whole bill is
wrong and that is better not 10 do great wrong by
900 the bill proposes! II there has been any
yesgaon that has satisfied the senator that $40 900
right while 900 is wrong should like to hear the
results of that investigation. ~ f
| Mr. BRADBURY. will answer the Senator from
New HAMPSHIRE noticed that the of $4,000 was
named in the bill, but was unable to find anything in
the report showing why that amount fixed upon |
then looked into the evidence and found nothing sasfac
tory there Shipments of hemp that rejected appear
TO the quantity, far was able to learn from hasy
examination. The amount might have been small
Although there might be damage if the rejection
was improper the difficulty in my mind is, that $40, 900
| is TOO much.
MI HALE. will occupy the attention Of the Sem
dcstand the bill to be founded upon the rejection of the
hemp would ask the senator from North Carolina il |
am correct. }stt
Mr. BADGER. The bill was reported in the House of
Representatives, passed, and sent here, and not
founded upon any estimate OF the of hemp delv-
cred and rejected Not at all The bill is based upon
the principle of making a just and reasonable al
in his endeavos 10 carry out the arrangements made
with the Navy Department for making experiments
in this process of water roting hemp The Committee
on Naval Affairs in the Senate to which this subject
referred had agreed to report bill to allow this appl-
cant $500 but in the time, the bill having pass
ed the House of Representatives giving him $4,000, it
was thought better to take up that bill which had passed
tention of the Senate the bill had agreed report
The committee thought, though the claimant reason