The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-18


execute the act of 1907, but they do anything,
was proper do it, which the present coast survey
gagged in over and beyond that act They can do any
thing that the British officers do and the British
val officers conduct the coast survey OF that great EN-
pire We have many that do anything that Rear Adj
mira Beaufort do and he has conducted the British
survey for twenty years, and has stood examna
tons before select committees OF the British House OF
Commons which have showed that no civil superntend-
ent was necessary to guide him.
MIR President, we have large and almost an idle
navy at present, We have home squadron like the
subject TO a descent, like England from Spain in the
time of the invincibe Armada from the Baltic in the
times of Canute and Hard Canute Our home squadron
has nothing do unless it be put the coast
vey. We have Mediterranean squadron but there
no longer pirates in the Mediterranean to be kept in.
check. We have Pacific squadron, and i has no
enemy TO watch in the Pacific ocean. Give these
squadrons employment--a part of them at least: Put
them on the coast survey many possible and have
for postery. We have been forty years about il;
and the way we go may be forty more The present
age wants the benefit OF these surveys, and let acce
crate them by turning the navy upon them-as much OF
it as can be properly employed Let us put the whole
work in the hands of the navy, and try the question
Mr. PEAReE sy oy he senator from
Missouri believe that the coast survey, now organ
lied, is not irregular that il is carried and has
eve is in strict conformity with the original of
Congress, authorizing the coast survey and with the
o LAC, aet 10 provae 1r Its The
and the laws authorizing it, and strictly in conformity
with the special object which left by those laws
within the discretion of the President strictly in con-
ormy, not only with the interests of SCIENCE but with
the great interests of and navigation. Sir,
this work was due not only to science but 10 ourselves,
and that commerce which pours into your treasury nine
enhs of all that wealth received, which you distribute
in thousand channels throughout the land II was due
to the navigation which conducts that commerce, which
furnishes you with the very best defence the country
can have against foreign aggression. We know. sir.
that the security OF our commerce and navigation de-
ponds upon the accurate performance OF this work. and
know that the lives OF our Mariners who are con-
stantly engaged in the perlous of all occupations,
depends upon the accuracy OF that work.
believe il has been conducted, that while it has
been in strict conformity to the law it has advanced
the very highest degree The interests of commerce and
is very limited the honorable supposed
The act provides n substance) that the President of the
United States shall be- and s hereby authorized and
qnested to survey to he made of the of the
United States In which shall be designated the islands,
shoals roads, and places of anchorage within twenty
leagues of any part of the shore of the United States
Also the respective and distances between the
principal capes and headlands. together with such other
matters as he may deem proper for completing
rate chart OF every part OF the coast, &c There is the
general designation OF the objects of this survey II is
not limited to pointing out islands, shoals, &C., which
may exist within twenty leagues of the 1t is
confined to the mere ascsrtaning the principal capes and
headands 1t embraces all such other matters the
President in his large discretion may think within
the proper scope OF such survey as this.
would observe that the President OF the United States
directed, by the third section of the of 1907
cause proper and intelligent persons to be employed He
not restricted to the number professional char
acter OF the individuals, whether they should be asrono
mers or otherwise. but was simply to proper and
intelligent persons to be employed. .
Now, sir let look at the act of 1884, which revves
the act of 1907 and authorizes the President of the
United States in and about the execution of the said OBJ
jects, to all MAPS charts, books instruments and
apparatus which now or hereafter may belong to the
United States and to employ all such persons he may
deem proper, who in the land naval service OF the
United States and such astronomers he
may deem proper Sir this discretion was the very largest,
and il was rightly So woud not have been competent for
QIlody MA nfc
complicated and delicate the survey OF the coast
Of the United States requires They wisely left it to the
exercise of that discretion he Immediately instructed the
Secretary of the Treasury, then Mr. Gallaiin to acquire
the necessary information consult the scientific
individuals III the country as to plan upon which these
great objects should be pursued The Secretary of the
Treasury did So and believe we all know that inthe
very FIRST by which the President established the coast
survey, he designated the individual employed to
duct the work as the superintendent He departed from
act of Congress, either in the letter the spirit He
apprehended that if the coast survey should be conducted
in any manner at all, it could be conducted safely,
and much less properly unless it should be placed under
the supervision OF one intelligent head; and that head
must necessarily be In fact, if not in name superin-
tendent.
Congress- has recognised the proprety of this desgna-
by legislation The term superintendent Of the
coast survey" has not stolen into the language OF your
statute book brought in necessarily, properly and
integenily; and it would have been great omission
that word had not been used in your legislation The
senator from Missouri to suppose that the sole OBJ
jec of all this coast survey what may be termed
peculiarly the province of the navy Sir, do not un;
derstand it, apprehend that Congress which passed
this law must have understood The general prin-
cipes upon which great work like this has always
been regulated in other countries The letter of Mr..
Galatn TO the individuals whom he consulted shows
that he knew perfectly what the language of science
was upon this subject. In framing this plan. which
has been only carried out and departed from to the
present time he only adopting those rules which had
been determined by scientific men to be the best to con-
duct operation of this kind The primary object of
the coast survey is TO make an accurate map upon
which shall be delneaed the whole of the United
Statesmen the principal capes and headlands merely,
but the whole coast, with all its indentations and snu-
oses. Everything is to be given, the shore or off
the shore, which would be OF any value to naviga
ton. It is not work allied either ordinary land
survey or to ordinary oH-shore survey 1t is work
of the highest scientific order which requires operators
of the most complete and refined training; which re-
incest astronomical much requires the incest geo.
detic observations and calculations.
The process by which you calculate the latitude
and longitude Of the places upon the EARTH of the very
incest character Perhaps they not perfect at
this day. AT any rate they have been much improved.
only during the time of Mr. Hassler but also by Mr..
Bache, who have not merely kept pace with the inn
povemens of science in other countries, but have gone
beyond hem and operators have made discoveries of
their own--have invented new instruments, and con-
trived new formulas They have invented processes
by which precise results reached Now sir, if
be the object to deneate accurately the of the
United States necessary according to the opinion of
all scientific and all practical men, have the very
best qualified persons engaged in it, This business
not plain as the senator assumes 1t bust