The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-21

Of Enstaod, t.thss o! which powers he sai4)
had now ak tunes as many steam war chips as
we had He knew his colleague (Mr. Joyss)
and the gentleman from North Carolins, (Mr. !
NENABLE,) wete constantly struggling for re-
trenchment and economy in disposng Of the peo- |
Pile IS money. They seemed To think that the coat
which fitted the boy was of ample size for the |
man. But we now have thirty-one instead OF
thirteen States, We were now too big for the \
garments that formerly covered And he
wanted TO see our powers expanded and enlarged !
accordng y-stretched to any point short Of burst
ing, If necessary.
As to the African steam line proposed by his |
colleague, (Mr. SrANToN,) for transporting and
colonzing free blacks, he was in favor OF it.
Mr.. JONES asked IL the gentlemen would
send our naval officers and citizens to battle in
ships which had been used for Transporting cur
goes of negroes'
Mr.. EWING said certainly he would As
Southern man he had no squeamish dislike to the
odor negro left behind him. And he thought if
our naval men could not endure that they were
not exactly the men TO brave the battle and the
storm. BY these lines he hoped we should be re-
leve slaves of the dangerous contiguity Of the
free blacks, and send them TO their fatherland.
Mr.. VENABLE asked where the Government
obtained the Constitutional right to tax the peo-
pile to transport, subsist, and colonize the black
population 7
Mr.. EWING replied under the power to regu-
late commerce, and establish post offices and
roads
Mr.. VENABLE said he presumed then the
gentleman would find no difficulty in using that
power TO build canals aud railroads, or to work
u cotton plantation and export the cotton
Mr.. EWING was understood to reply that the
power to establish pest Offices and post roads
would not authorize that. He was in favor of
this project also, because many Southern slave
holders would emancpate their slaves if they
could have them taken from the States, and be-
cause 1t would be the means of civiliZing At
rica.
Mr.. SCIIENCK, of Ohio, said it was not his
purpose TO enter into discussion of the propre-
ty of carrying out these lines OF mail steamers,
proposed in amendments to the bill. He did not
feel disposed to add to anything that had been
said by the Hon. Chairman of the Committee on
Naval Affairs, (Mr. SrANroN,) or by his col
league (Mr. EwNG) who had just reviewed the
whole subject so far as the newly proposed line
was concerned, in SO able and eloquent a manner.
He would vote for the scheme as am amendment,
or as separate BILL But he did not intend to
commit himself now by such vote to any parti-
cuar details, to do nything to disturb the APP
preparations for the existing lines He wished
to speak on the bill itself in reference its gen
eral features. He then proceeded in defence Of
rhe items of the appropriation in this bill gener-
ally. AS reason why the amount in the bill
was great he said that it contained appropria-
tons of S3,OO0,0J0 for the Naval school. for
docks, for the mail SERVICE and other objects
WHICH ulu uol Dclou9 W Tue navy proper, ana
which was grouped in this bill instead of being
placed in separate bills.
Mr.. FEATHERSTON, of Miss, obtained the
floor about ten minutes before the expiration of
the time for closing the debate. He would not,
he said, at this late hour go into the discussion of
the details of the naval appropriation bill, as he
would have done at an earlier period OF the debate. |
Nor was 1t his intention now to remark upon the
ways and means by which the right to speak on
that floor was dispensed. He intended to occupy
the few minutes now left for debate in giving his
reasons for opposing this line Of Ebony steamships,
though he had hoped that matter of this import
ance would have been passed over at this time
The gentleman from Tennessee, favored this pro-
lect as means for getting rid of the free blacks.
Did not the gentleman think that its tendency
would be to make blacks freei Did he not see
that it would inevitably increase the practice of
abducting and freeing slaves whenever the Gov
eminent should undertake to provide for them -
He thought no one could be blind to such results.
AS to the idea Of sanctionng the establishment of
this monstrous project, under cover OF providing
Tor mail service IN quarter where not hat full |
of letters would be carried in one trip-it was too
shallow and absurd to be sustained on such pre-
text. Hitherto we had made the Post Office De-
partment sustain itself. But now that conserva-
tive policy had been abandoned, and we had that
Department as fixed tax on the Federal treasury
Millions were now annually appropriated for car
rying these foreign mails, the benefits of which
and not to the mass of the people.
MIR. BAYLl, of Virginia, concluded the debate
by a few remarks, in which he said thai dspo-
stlon had been felt by the Committee OF Ways
and Means to cut down the expenses Of the navy.
But It's members knew but very little, ifanything,
about naval matters, and consequently they did
not know where to strike to commence Topping
off excrescences. They sent for the Secretary,
and after some days consultation with him, he,
and he believed most Of his colleagues on the COM
mttee, became convinced that Congress could do
nothing in that respect for the want Of the ener-
getic and cordial corporation of the Executive
branch of the Government
Mr.. STANTON, of Tennessee asked il the
amendment he proposed for the reorganization of
the navy would not, in the opinion Of the chair
man of the Committee of Ways and Means, have
the effect, if adopted, of retrenching our naval ex-
penses.
Mr.. BAYLY said he did not know. He had
not had time 10 read, much less to consider, the
proposition of the Hon. chairman of the Naval
Committee. But if it was judicious, he had his
doubts about this being the proper time to adopt
il.
Mr.. STANTON. Will the proper time ever
come,
Mr. BAYLY. Perhaps so. When the gen.
tleman s speech shall have walked up the people |
to consider and demand its adoption. There had
been a variety of amendments proposed to the
Committee of Ways and Means--other than those
proposed 10 tne COmnllttee OF the whole by the |
gentleman from Tennessee-and he anticipated |
that they would be again renewed now, and also
in the House. He hoped however, that they |
would vote them all down.
Mr.. STANTON Withdrew his amendments
Mr.. PHELPS, of Missouri, moved to reduce |
the appropriation for the pay of the naval officers,
and supported it by some remarks.
Mr.. MORSE, of Louisiana, opposed it. He |
said he had desired to reply to remarks which had
been cast against the naval arm of our service
with some asperity. But he had not time TO do
so in a five minutes speech. He opposed to
the reduction Of our naval appropriations just at
the time when they should be increased. From
some propositions and remarks TINT had been
made here, one would suppose that our naval off
GERS were never to touch their feet to land, but
were to be kept constantly going like the "hying
dutchman."
The amendment was withdrawn
Mr.. WHITE of New York, IN wed to amend
by providing for the payment " to VIM. J. Nc
Alpine and VIM. P. S. Sawyer, the same salary
lhat was paid TO their predecessors engineers
n-chef, during the time they severally performed
such duties at the navy yard, Brooklyn New