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

rdr~s 10 lake observations OF ths currents and tides
and those things which belong to the shPs-o inc
graphical the nautical part OF the survey or omces OF
ne army could be Justly employ the coast or on shoIe
and requires the highest kind OF talents 70 combine inc
twoto direct ,hem and to direct and use me m
observations so that the work can be completed In the
manner that it was originally designed TO be done
need only REFER sir to the original law 10 show that TINS
The senator from Missouri has stated that here is
departure from the original design Of the law. sit
was contemplated that the navy should be employed,
and here civilians employed " Why, sir nothing
be general than the terms OF that law which revves
the law of 1907 and, what the practice under
Mr. Hassler. who has been referred with much APP
probation by the senator from Missouri 1t was to en-
ploy civilians together with the officers OF the army and
80 general in its terms passed. Mr.. Hassler was
sent for and sir he went to Europe, and was detained
S ae
was not photography alone that contemplated, but
there the contemplation of geodec survey also
to obtain, were the instruments that would be re-
CURED for geodetc survey-for survey shore and
coast as well the bay and the shore; and,
sir this will appear from the nsrucOns-from the cir
cula letter OF Albert Gaatin. dated Treasury Depart
ment March 25, 1907, from which read the following
extract:
vations, OF tho true position Of few remarkable POINTS on
Sipal cape'' or at the entrance OF the principal mar
4 trigononlcucal survey of the between those
acerained in the execution Of which survey the posi-
ton Of every dsngui'hsh'e perman'n, object should be
nautical survey of the shoals and soundings of the
self and the ascerainea position of the light houses and
other distnyushable objects, would be the basis
Now, 1t seems to that the senator from Missouri,
one part and that the part which was mentioned BY
Mr.. Galatn. But, sir, further than this, Mr. Hasser
returned after the lapse OF few years. from Europe and
was employed TO proceed in this survey.
understood the senator from Missouri to intimate that
the term "superinienden had crept into the appropa-
ton bill-that the original word was astronomer"
authorized in the revived law of 1907 and the inference
was drawn that an appointment OF superintendent OF
coast survey was without any foundation in law 1t ap-
Mr. Dallas, proceed having charge of this coast
vev he was called the superintendent of the survey
will read letter from Mr.. Dallas to Mr.. Hasser, which
will show this fact:
ssTRxAsuRY DEPARTMENT, August 8, 49,
"SrR The correspondence and documents relative to
your being employed superintendent of tho of
have been subnred to the Presidents and your services
arsengaged on the following erms'
Now this is tho employment authorized by Mr. Dallas
signed by the Secretary OF the Treasury in 1916, when
the act Of 1907 carried into effect, because Mr. Hass
er having been detained in Europe in the purchase of
instruments, did not proceed in the business OF the
coast survey till after this letter OF 1916 Herein he is
called superintendent of the coast survey"
Well, air, this coast survey went but short time be-
fore there was some uneasiness sprngng up about it.
Probably the difficulties of the operation not well
rate there uneasness about it, and there
law Passed in 1915 which will read Now sir what
that aw' 1t was not to place this coast survey under
the navy alone but it to place it under the superin
tendcnce OF the army well The navy The law was
as follows: THAT much Of the third section of the
act passed the tenth day February thousand eight
hundred and seven, entitled AN for surveying the
coasts OF the United States authorizes the employment
of other in the execution of the said act than the
is hereby repealed" Affirmed April ii. 1918
That act repealed the law OF 1907 so far as it author
except those belonging to the army or navy. Well.
sir, what the result? From 1919 1884, the coast
survey went under the law repeating the act of 1907
under the direction Of the army and navy and the
rence OF that navy in which this survey conducted
under the officers the army and navy caused Congress
the of 1907 What the which
induced them to do this! They are stated as follows
"n 1897, the survey of the coast after lapse of
years. again excited popular attention The Secretary Of
which had been made by naval officers Tor especial plr
pose, stated in his annual report the time within which
the granted by the appropriation did moi permit
them be made furnish perfect and charts
of those arbors such survey, be made without
the aid of the contemplated by the OF 10th Feb
1907 to provide for surveying the coast OF the United
.'In 1923. the Committee Naval Affair, addressed
information in reference the survey of the coast,
whether ought to be made the best plan for making IT,
he proceeds say. after referring lis, of maps ani
charts of the whole OF the map. and charts in possession
of the government may be remarked, that they do not
furnish satisfactory survey of the coast Tor the following
reasons:
.'I They exhibit detached parts, unconncct.d with
each other.
$50 Are generally eonfncd to the shore, and do
tend sufficiently far into the
''3 Were many of them made by incompetent men,
with incompetent means.
- They governed by no fixed and certain prnci
pies or guides in acerainng he latitude and longitude
OF the principal points and positions.
"'5 They do not embrace the whole coast
''For these and other they unsafe and in
many instances, useless and pernicious"
That was the information Mr. President, furnished by
Mr. Souhard-that those charts made by the officers of
the army and navythe former organization OF the coast
survey having been repeaed-were not only useless but
in great degree also pernicieus lwasin consequence
of 1sO7-" provided that the said is hereby re.
vved " and it also provided in addition to the authority
given by that act to the President employ such intell
gent he should choose the survey and
that he should employ all persons in the land and naval
service of the United States and also that he should
ploy such astronomers and other persons he might
deem proper.
Now ii seems to me nothing can be more general than
the terms OF this But, sir this not all the legs
lation upon this subject The senator from Missouri
complains that the term superintendent has crept into
the appropriation bill He ntimates that the extension OF
the coast survey has crept into the appropriation bill
that upon examination of the acs the entirely diff
feren seems to that the clauses in the appropra-
ton bills have been clauses of limitation OF the power
originally granted in 1907 and in the act revived, and not
clauses OF extension OF the powers of the coast
vey II was for limiting and regulating the powers
ercised under those acts, that the appropriation bill
OF March, Si2 appropriated for surveying the coast of
the United States, including the compensation OF the
perintenden and assistants Oo and Iso provided
n ~. II L.,xL -