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

the difference In the amoanf OF money and Of copensa
hon The senator from Massachusetts has well ex
planned that difference Mr Hassler man OF pro
found science and OF simplicity of character He ha.
well answered for him when he has represented hun a;
taxing up this subject from The beginning having no
only the whole subject to examine from the beginning, sa
beng obliged to 60 Europe prepare himself for the
work. aud 10 attend the construction Of the
Instruments He had done more, SIR He has touched
another point that Is vital TO the comparison between The
two gentlemen II comparison there must be. lie has
mentioned The small number OF persons employed by Mr.
iassler, and the small number of vessels which be bad
An examination OF The details shows that from the sinai
appropriations made to MIR, Hassler the OF Sos 00l
in four years respsed into The treasury, back into
the sinking fund, account OF remaining years
used by him. | mention this to show that he had moi
force enough TO use up the small of money which
Were appropriated $4,000 went into the Surplus fund
~ Inc space OF four years. because he had toce
enough 10 up And sur the amount OF his
work TO be put into comparison with the amount Cd
Work done now with appropriations OF double the
amount with the number oil vessels quadTUplec nearly
and with a very much larger number OF assistants,
believe the largest number OF assistants MIR. HasseT
had was ioar, and the superintendent has thirteen
II not seventeen eighteen Certainly, sir, dad not
compare tae two did not look the question in that
/ hight looked al nothing that personal IN MIR.
Hassler or Mr. Bache, Bat the COMPARISON between
the two has been Dir. Hassler dead and his
Mr. DAVIS OF Mississippi Will the senator allow
me TO explain my position very sorry have been
misunderstood. did not intend TO cast any reIgoach
upon Mr.. Hassler Tor any difference time, money,
work On the contrary, # was not complimentary to
him. intended 10 De II did not state the reason oil
Tue the winch ne subjected,
and The difficulty OF Organizing new work under
a system OF which he was the inventor, tailed OF
doing what intended TO do II was my intention 10 draw
no invidious comparison ! was comparing-no apPro-
priaiions--the misook thers-but expendi-
lures; the money appropriated but the money
ally expended-dollars, Years, and work Mr Hassler
organized tins work The present superintendent took II
as be found II.
Mr. BENTON. ! only supply. Mr. President, mate
rial fact that MIR Hassler had only about fourth the
number OF vessels employed by the present supernle
eni, and that will aeooQn. for the difference But Mr.
President, taken entirely by surprise seeing that
subject treated personal affair affair personal
the present superintendent and his labors Gentlemen
come forward 10 vndlcate bis character 10 esa his
character and TO make the question OF The in
which yon shall carry this coast survey to depend
hereafter upon what personal 10 The present supern
tendent ST, never try national measures OF national
legislation such way. utterly disclaIm all such
things, and conscious OF having uttered one sin
gle ior putng this survey the hands OF the
navy, which had personal reference TO any
nsct4d with that navy. | have not done
But, Mr. President, looked al the great fact that
have navy, costing eight or nine millions OF dollars, and
doing nothing looked 10 the great TACT that England
mas navy infinitely greater than which Is engaged
IN the coast survey, at home and abroad; for all
returns upon the subject entered under the great
heads Of home and abroad Eag and has surveys gong
the four quarters OF the globe She the
whole by her navy They conducted by hydroSra-
pher under the Lords OF the Admiralty who is himself
an able In this way the survey is carried on
In thai great empire, whose commerce and whose naval
and military establishments so Tar transcend own.
and spread the OF the globe The whole of
their Surveys carried by her naval Ii Is
sufficient for her ntfus the work to her ships-ofwar
Are not naval men able as those OF Eagandl II
1t sufficiently safe for her ships OF cannot
provide Tor the safety OF in the same man
ner Sir these surveys OF the coast conducted By the
naval officers of Great Britain. such, that that country
IS willing TO trust the safety OF her commercial aai heT
military marine upon them apprehend sir, that the
ton does not exist, and never will exist, which
careful OF her marine, both commercial and military,
than Great Britain.
Gentlemen entirely mistake Mr. President, the whole
object of my notion though endeayored to Ii
10 stop The surveys Of the coast Far from IT, SIR
the of it precisely II is to accelerate it.
carry il 1t is to bring II to conclusion; concur
SION for The living generation as well as Tor the unborn
generation Forty years we have been al IL No
sunes say that shall finish in forty years
We going We took - vessels from the navy
last year. We want 30 40 this year Weiake all that
fit for the purpose-the smaller vessels; great many
are not fit for it. Why not turn upon this work the
whole force of the navy Thai is my notion sr, In
stead Of stopping the progress OF the work my OBJ
eci TO accelerate IT, that gh be brought a conclu-
SION in the living age, and benefit them.
Mr.. President, | male the nation for the purpose OF
bringing up the question: and OF knowing VIII al IL the
reason that the navy of the United States could be
employed upon these coast surveys The great lect
question, and get il answered What the that
navy do this work, when the navy of Great
Britain do not only Tor herself but all over tn
WORLD What the reason Ia IT for of numbers
Nobody that il for that Oar naval
tahlishm contains think eight thousand
Is Il for wan, of ships of war: No sir we have seventy
]
or nice millions OF money navy. What, then, IS
the reason, sr' No pirates object for your
navy engage What them the reason, with tn AZ
large naval establishment whether there j.
that s navy cannot do the work done Tor Great Britain,
only for her island, but Sa the world
What Is the reason, SIR
We have found the reason. II is incompetence.
have brought up the and VIII 90 10 the
navy and TO the American people The only that
be given tor keeping up establishment OF this
kind, upon which SlS6 900 TO be voted this year
the ony reason given for II is the thai has been
given-incompeierce, incompetence in the navy | do
not admit the validity of that Viewing our
naval officers and men being many qualified
for the work, believe there nearly three thou
sand mena OF American peope-sei ASIDE, and d.
vided from the rest by ne qualified for the work And
will there body OF Americans. 900 OF ihelsy
them competent to do everything that is done by men,
whether of the head Of the hand, whether OF the
heart OF the body You will find every section, IN
every OF 5000 men, the whole extent OF the
country, divide them of where you will competent
for everything in the power OF do not believe al
all. SIR in this thing OF exclusive possession by any
one man, by any of OF all the knowledge IN
the world. do not believe any ssch thing | believe
mind is distributed believe the great Author Of our
being has been kind enough to distribute mind, and
believe he has distributed far the larger portion OF II II
the white viii 60 further. and that believe
the American people the NEST Ingenious, the mos;
inventive and the Intelligent people upon the face
Of Gods earth that they develop than any other
people upon The face of the earth resulting, perhaps
Mr. President, from the nature of the institutions and
from the freedom which tends exai this intelligence
/ in every possible form.
do not admit the incompetence oil the American navy
! to do this work What Is the work be done The
work tia, intended be done was a work tangible
and visible, work upon the earth and upon the
work for the benefit and safety of navigation and