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

made more or less according TO information but believed
to be enough all the persons and all the vessels To be
employed IN the already under pay, and moth
ing will be wanting but small TO meet extra ex.
penses. Far from stopping the work, the amendment
provides for It's continuance and by turning the unre-
srcted force OF the navy upon IT, 1t is expected to go
much faster.
The coast survey dates from the year 1907 when the
first act of Congress for that purpose passed it is
carried under act of 1892. That refers to
the act OF 1S07-revves it, and gives it effect The first
section OF II is in these words:
THAT Tor carrying into t6eet the entitled An
provide Tor surveying the of the United States, APP
proved the l0h day of February, 1907 shall be-
and hereby is appropriated exceeding twenty
thousand dollars to be paid of any money in the
sury Otherwise Appropriated and the said is hereby
revived, and shall be deemed provide survey
The coasts Of Florida, in the if the
mad been named therein"
The terms of this section are material and potential,
as showing that nothing added TO the act OF 1907
that the design was to revive it-ani enforce IT, 1t
declares the object OF the revival and the next section
shows the means by which the revived act to be
carried into effect It is in these words:
''SEc That President of the United States be- and
he is eeby authorized and about ihe execution of the
said act To all maps, charts, books, Instruments and
apparatus which now or hereafter may belong To The
United States, and employ all persons in the land naval
service of the United States and such asrononers and other
in this act hereby revived shall he construed
authorize the construction maintenance OF permanent
astronomical observatory"
These were the means for executing the revived act
authority vested in the President 10 turn TO the
coast survey all maps. charts books instruments and
~, to pIoy all persons in the land naval service of
the United States; third, TO employ astronomers other
PERSONS far he should deem proper; with proviso
against the establishment or maintenance, OF pera
nent observatory. These were the means Tor executing
the revived act of 1907; and will what thai
act was. 1t is in these words:
That President the United States shall be- and
he hereby is authorized and requested to survey
be taken OF the the UnHed States, in which shall
be designated the islands and shoals the roads
places OF anchorage within tweaty leagues of any OF
the shores Of the United States and, also, the respective
and ha rhnt,
lands together with such other matters as he may deem
proper for completing accurate chart OF part of
the coasts within the extent aforesaid.
SEC That IT shall be lawful for the President Of the
United States such examinations and observations
10 be made with ST Georges bank and other
bank shoa and the soundings and bsyond the
distance aiofesnu' 10 me gun sfeati as III ms opinion
Of the United States
Sec g. That the President of the United States shall be-
and he is hereby authorized and requested fo any
purposes aforesaid proper and intelligent
uia service, as he may judge expedenr and give such
Instructions for regulating their conduct to him
appear proper according the ths (nd up
propraies S5O,OO0)
This is the act of 1907, and the of executing it.
The object of it, survey OF the coasts and islands,
shoals and harbors capes and headands within twenty
leagues OF the coast for the safety of and
CATION; and the means to be the public vessels of the
United States o with their and such other
proper and intelligent persons the President should
think proper to employ.
The object is plain and obvious it is to provide for the
safety OF commerce, and rests upon the principle
coast survey authorized by the act OF 1907 and the
revvlng act OF 1882, is only OF internal improve ncn
and the law which ustes the survey of the coasts also
justiies the Improvement of the lakes and rivers
From this view of the acts OF 1907 and 1892, it is evil
dent that the intention survey the coasts for the
benefit of commerce and navigation-that the public
ships and naval officers to be employed in it-and
that other PERSONS characterized as intelligent in the act
OF 1907 and named astronomers in 1882, to be
employed over and above the military and naval forces
In the year 1918, act passed repeating much Of
the act OF 1907 authorized the employment of persons
from civil life in the survey, and combining that
work expressly to the army and navy. The act says:
IS That mnch of the of 1907 authorizes
poymentS other in the coast than the
belonging to the army and navy, shall be repealed
This repeating act remained in force until 1882, when
authority gwen to the President again to employ per-
sons from civil life, namely, astronomer and Others
with prohibition against observatory. This act
of 1882 authorized the President to employ all persons
in the army and navy in this survey, and then gave
them astronomer. We who were contemporary with
the act know that Mr. Hassler was the astronomer in
tended and he well deserved the honorable distinction
for his great science his long and close connexion with
the coast survey the order and system which he had
given it, and his own excellent character The astrono
mer to be Mr., Hasser, and the astronomer he
and on entering on his duties. entered into written con-
tract with the Secretary of the Treasury, which
revival of his contract under the act OF 1885, and be-
comes Of the highest moment here as being the cons,ruc
ton OF the of 1907 both before and after the evivng
act of 1882. will read some clauses from his contract,
and afterwards make application of them to show how
widely the present conduct of the survey has de-
parted from what the law made it
sMr Hassler engages bestow all this time labor and
attention the york OF the survey well to make himself
ations s1perintend and direct the establishment
the obsevaorie and the officers OF engineers, naval Of
hcers who will be engaged under his ORDERS in the detail
OF the work. and give them proper instructions to that
18th of May, 1916 1t understood that the work shall
be carried the form of bureau office; but that
Mr. Hasser him SELF we'll the officers under his direc
ton, shall such work devolves upon rm
ordered to them i'm the field" SIT is to be understood that
Mr. Hassler will continue his services in the construction
weights and for the customhonses, as far as
may compatible with his duties in the coast
without any other compensation than what allowed for
the coast survey
This is the contract signed both in 1916 and in 1892,
and il shows what the "meigent person under the act
of 1907 and the astronomer under the act of 1882,
do and what he not to do. In the first place, he
TO do the work OF astronomer IN the held he was
do the work personally, and was himself personally
to make the general large angulaon, and the conse
quen calculations Then he was to superntend and d.
temporary erectons the eld and to superln,end and
direct the officers of engineers, and the naval OIL
GERS, who should be placed under his orders, and
give them Instructions for the detail OF their work. In
the next place, he not to carry his work IN the
form of office bureau, but he and his officers were
to work in the field. And besides, Mr.. Hasser to
continue his the preparation OF the weights and
most material spuations and exactly agree with the
idea of the law in providing Tor astronomer to go
| with officers into the field, work with them,
| supenntend their work in the field, and then make
his own calculations This is the way the act was
understood and acted upon in Mr.. Hasslers time.
! How is it now presume we have bureau and an
office | presume have superintendent presiding,
system in office presume the present superintend-
n the nj asfrO n field.