The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-26

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the wrong should be visited upon thai ih ha
He expressed great apprehension les, TINS SHOULD DC
bad precedent and ohceTs woaa 1 sanc,;n ,he
payment Of this money. What ohcer, ar resident
who has got to Congress whenever he has VIOLA
ted law would have taken step oil thai KIND hs indi
vidua has been for three four years abodng to get
back some money due to him as part OF his pay. Is
not this sufficient penalty for bis departure from the
Mr., ALLEN Mr. President. was going to remark
that there having been new feature introduced into
marks to those submitted when up before. When, sir
there appeared TO to be earthly hope of this
none whatever when the infraclon of the law per
iectly palpable TO everybodyihen ii that great
State secret reason was introduced for the appoint
of this Office. do not doubt sir, that the state
Inent made by the senator from Florida Mr. YULEEl is
believed by him to be true, and by him truly stated but
think will show from facts in this case that The Sc
of this cruise originated after the cruise was over
Now, sir, what is the case! 1t IS this; the govern
ment stands still, and does not know her own Sc
crets The naval captain conceves great political dea
plans cruise carry it out and then comes and gets
government to adopt his secret ana initiates Inc resaenl
secrets of so much Importance TO justify the admins
tralion in predicatlng naval expedition upon IT, Why
post captains Sir thought that State secrets were con-
fined within very narrow circles
We are in the habit sometimes, of abiding TO English
practices for precedents will give you one. 1t was
the custom OF the great Chatham, when he conceived
State secret, and planned naval expedition to send
sealed orders to his admiral not to De opened I'LL they had
got to a particular latitude, and that is the custom OF all
Europe But ii his custom to take greater security
than that against the divuging of State secrets When
Sir. he wrote an order he aid sheet OF blank paper
over what he had written, and made the chle OF the
board of the admiralty sign It without knowing any
thing about it. though that chief was member OF the
cabinet But we in this government know nothing
about State secrets until post captain originates them
He decides political questions which is the business OF
the TO decide and then comes and gets per-
the thing answers itself The fact Is, that this gentle
man, Captain Percva is the first mover IN this business
That man is a friend Of Captain Perciva's whom he
wants TO take on board his ship, 10 go free to Rio
Mr. YULEE That being one OF the great OBJECTS OF
the expedition Captain Percval, to whom intrnsed
the command knowing the facts surprising shI his &C.
might have suggested hmself IN order to carry out
what was one Of the great purposes OF thus expedition
Mr. ALLEN. Now, sir, l will appeal to this Senate,
a, body of reasoning men, whether the government of
The United States has planned expedition to cross the
globe oput down the British and for that purpose alone
without having provided itself with scientific men to send
because the government is not the moving agent here
Is the captain. Why, sir, you may Justly suppose that
when the government sent Captain Wilkes round the
world, they would not have ordered the expedition with
out having taken to place board his squadron one
solitary with scientific knowledge necessary to reap
the advantages OF the expedition. Why sir, the thing is
peposerous; truly absurd If it the object of the
expedition to make geological examination in the island
in which these coal mines exist take it for granted that
the very first idea that would have occurred would
be to get geoogst. Instead OF its being the last
in ths case it would have been the first Yes, sir
after the whole matter is agreed upon determined upon,
pretended that Tor the first time, the thought occurred to
the captan--no to the government-that it heces-
sy TO send some person along to attend TO the business
sudden it flashed upon them that might perhaps
be well to send man along who knew something
about it, Captain Percval conceived the happy thought
first OF ALL and he communicated it to the government
Why, sir. is absurd upon its face. And what the
answer to all that This gentleman, il seems, brought
like TO inquire Of my scientific friends, the object of the
expedition was the gathering up OF seeds Would they
up and employ him to scratch the bosom OF the earth to
get seeds, or TO search for coal!
Now. sir. it is all humbug; made up-whoy made
acting man in it. These things which are called orders, are
nlcknamei when they are called So Captain Percival
himself calls no order at all but he says a accordance
with permission from the President of the United States
take this on board and order you to pay him. u
Now, sir. TO test the question of This being an or
der not suppose that Captain Percva had not taken
this board would he have been tried for mnliny
characterization! Suppose that he had afterwards
changed his mind and refused TO take this board
wonld he have violated any public order No man can
between the order and the permission. Gentlemen say
he had permission which amounted to order / say
predicate no order upon anything but law They had
law, cir. Captain Eerciva knew they had no law. The
Secretary tells him in his order there none that he
and the President had consulted about it, and there
difficulty arising from the fact of there being no
law, they had contriyed to get round il by smuggling
the board and then report him after they had got
The senator from Massachusetts MIR. DAvisl re.
CARDS this though it the consideration of
matter of law between the Auditor and Captain Percva
There is no such thing here, sir--no law about it. II
the absence of all law and the Auditor did what he
bound to do under the instructions of the Secretary
of the Navy The purser did what he was bound to do
will read them again. They all knew this regulation
The President knew it the Secretary of the Navy knew
it; Captain Perciva knew ii the purser knew it the
Auditor knew it and the Senate know this regulation.
But il is not pretended that there any authority for
this other appointment or any permission from the Psesi
dent One of these gentlemen, Mr. Chandler, stoppe
the road, and had more connexion with the ship.
The captain appointed another We required to
confirm the appointment OF these officers, and the
of officer recognised by law who had done extra duty
and was here for extra pay corresponding to that
duty. No such thngno such thing. There is nothing
connected with the public service in this mans whole
conduct; a single thing II he gathered Seeds then
it is his affair 1t is not pretended that this ship
sent round the world TO gather seeds II was sent
round inquire about the bodies of coal Are there any
boxes" except, perhaps, some seeds.
No, cir, ii is made up That is the whole amount
OF it it is than this There-s getting round
it, and there shall be getting round it for the of
exposure of the facts. A gentleman commanding a
national vessel wishes TO take his friend scientific
man, free to particular point He applies to the Presi-
dent assist him. and to the Secretary of the Navy, and
they give him the authority TO do it. and to put him on
the pay roll, against law. That is the whole amount Of
it. 1t nothing in the world but Transporting private
friend in public vessel paying his expenses, and giving
him salary for going With regard to confirming it
here sir, that what you asked to DO And for
raising the question here about the purser for trying
10 throw the blame the purser. he has authority for
what ne dId IN the positive regulations of the Navy De-