The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-20

I pnp&r fI1
They intended 10 bear hard upon The former
tendeni Of this work deceased bat too ana hon
oGaDc bers OF the Senate have m In he conr.S m
her oossTs ATOMS TO compare the work OF the late Mr.
Hasslef with The work of the present su,erinle odepi
When yoa come 10 compare dollars and cent. and IN,
amount OF work winch has been accomplished for dolan
and oels The baaEce seems TO make against Mr. Hasse
and ms operations Now, SIR there are very obyous rea
sons Tor ths and that do no Injustice 10 the rep
ton Of thai distinguished mathemacIan He came a.
Justly observed BY The honorable senator from Mssisspp
lhio this wofk when II green"-I think that " a.
The eNpfesssoa-xhen there was IN this country sir nc
knowledge OF uangulaton, or OF The instruments The
instruments Were not 10 Be found in the country which
were used Tor that purpose One Of the hrst acrs OF M
gentleman was 10 abroad into Europe 10 obtain The ne
eessaTy instruments 10 prosecute the survey Well, the
men, sir, who were taken into the oy under thai ind
vidual when he organized the work and put ope-
rauon, We're men without any acquaintance whatever
with the subject
They entered upon the work SIR under all the dsai-
vantages incident To this OF things He hal 10
train, discipline, and educate the Nnen who served with
hln Well slr, this force under him greatly inie-
nor to thai nov employed for those PURPOSES. Under
these circumstances reflects dlshonor upon the men,
DRY OF Mr. Has-le that h. able under these car
eumslances, 10 accomplish for given of money as
much work has been accomplished by the present
penntendenl Sir, has been employed by
this government who devoted greater energies to the bu
sness which he engaged. than that amenied indi-
vldual hazard Lutte, sur when say that there are
few men who equal him in the great attainment of knowl
edge with which his mind was stored He has prosecu-
ted, sr with eminent success both the department OF
weights and measures and that OF the coast survey
Now, sir, one word in relation 10 the surveys
and | leave the subject to the Senate | intend no
reflection upoa the presen, Incumbent | am willing
that he should have The full benefit OF all the remarks
and observations which have been made in regard
to him, and regard his high qualifications but sif
what does the country want ia the coast survey
They want a very useful work done; very important
work Goae; ,and they want II done in the best man
ner. IL Is not, SIR question purely OF science II
Is not mere matter OF honor and reputation 10 the
country II Is Thing u which the business Of the
try the great interests OF the country deeply involved
We wish SIR, 10 obtain knowledge Of the coast OF
the United States We wish 10 diminish the hazards OF
navigation, wish 10 diminish the expenses OF trans
portaon; we wish 10 place IN the hands of nav
gators, winch viii save human life from the perls which
now surround II
That is what we wish to do, sir Now, SIR, are there
any means appeal TO the honorable senator from
Missouri, whether there any SO eAectua tor
TN, purpose the traagQlaion OF the coasi Why sir
X rs not only the most accurate, every man knows
but II Is altogether the permanent and useful Ii Is
admit, slr, very expensive and very slow perform
ance-and necessarily But those are difficulties sir
which surrounded Mr. Hassler in very pre- nnent de-
gree. The country unacquained with the subject
pnacqaalnted with the OF the slow progress and
therefore they thought he Inefficient AMI that is the
reason sr, thai he Was dismissed from that was the
reason thai the law changed. He was recalled how
weEer, by those who knew and understood lis arts
Now, sir, there not many who are aware how few
days there in which you make observations In tia
course OF The 355. Why, Sir, know something about this
business AT the time this committed the hands Of
Mr. Hassler, we were carrying triaugulaiion in the
Stale oil Massachusetts vie " TO get an accurate
map OF that State, and found, for reasons which
need not here explain, that il was necessary to dis
mass the Individual who had the superintendent OF that
survey OF The Com nonwealth OF Massachusetts, Ii was
about This time Dir Htssier assumed the survey A
iue subsequent TO this he found utterly impossible 10
hnd Instruments in the coaairy--.o iai an Individual
except this same Dir. Hassler, whom they deemed
proper to carry The work. NOBODY sir; ana they
finally inirus,ed il in that State to the hanls of a
self-eiucaei individual, who has accomplished II
very well, IN very satisfactory manner-in a
ner 10 do credit TO himself. He was taken out OF
the mechanics shop for that purpose. That shows
SIR, the great dihculties with which he had To con
tend not only IN these particulars, but with regard
TO public sentiment, which uniformed upon The
subject They could not comprehend the difficulty OF
the undertaking. They could not conceive that there
were but few days IN the year when observation.
could be relied upon They could not understand thai
there was not an individual IN Massachusetts competent
10 repair one OF these instruments These difficulties
surrounded Mr. Hassler at every step which he took
and they are apology enough If he has failed to accom-
man who has followed him, and has not had much
difficulty in has way.
Bur, sir, | drawn from the remarks which was
about to make upon this subject unntenionally was
about to say that wanted know the topography OF
the bottom OF he sea that the mariner may know where
the heaiands are, what his latiiu lie and longitude
understand this, SIR, by knowing exactly what the char
acier OF the bottom OF the as soon he upon
the soundings. These are the only guides which sailors
have when they get upon the coast; and if there be
the latitude on-u of any light or anything
which may be marked upoa The char, If their reckoning
has been correct al the luences sir BE-
disastrous; II the hight house Is degree or half degree
or quarter OF degree, few miles out OF the
Way, the consequence oiiehumes is necessarily dsas-
ho1si AMI let me say, sr. what IS well known to be
true that disasters have often agreed upon this case in
consequence OF erroneous statements of latitude and lon
gltuie OF lighthouses upon the charts Some OF them
known now, sir, be placed in an erroneous posi-
ton. friend OF m from Alabama, TO whom was in
trusted the duty OF procuring lights of description
went INTO the bureau Francein Paris think il was
and they were accldcnally-raher singular coinci-
tence-eNan ming chart OF the seacoasi OF Alabama.
They found Impossible from the da,a which they pos
sessed TO reconcile the latitude and longitude OF light
house with The charts They made it, recolect rg
some eight or ten miles IN the interior We to get
charts OF The coast 10 E with great accuracy and precision
the latitude an longitude OF al the light houses and all the
hsa1ands II Is Indispensable, the safety of
gation not only, the safety OF public ships, but
The safety OF all your CIVIL marine. tdminshes greatly
the dangers OF the seas and is OF the last Importance
that work OF this should be thoroughly and well
executed, If done AZ all
Now, SIR, il is perfectly evident that the course now
followed IS altogether the best that the highest degree OF
accuracy - attalnabe BY II. All scientific know
this all who have attended this subject very well
understand IT. Now cased upon, under these
crcu having goas through series of years
make change in the Appropriation ball Why, sir, for
one have desire 10 stop the progress of this work
end that charts should be obtained for the
Far from am DESTROYS that II should be prosecuted 10
great purposes OF navigation
Well, SIR whether this work carried on in the most
economical and bes, manner Is question which shall
undertake to discuss here upon motion OF this de-
scrPon; but whether there be this ground of complaint
this work TO very clear that IL is not the
place 10 discuss them IN appropra bill. They
should be made the subject OF debera. investigation and
sour. any other member thinks that this is mat
ter which ought Ia be inquired sto and ought be