The southern press., 1850-09-04

iHS having Ieft the department, q want Ol
knowledge Of the objects Of the department and
Of the true relations existing between the memoir
aist and the Government. The inspection at
Charlestown seems, from experience, TO be an
unfavorable one for American water-rotted hemp.
In his late annual report, the present Secretary of
the Navy says that, finding by short experience
that TO insist on the inspection at Charleso,rn as
heretofore practised, would be injurious to the reser
planter, he proposes that the annual purchases of
that article, when not provided otherwise by con-
tracts already made shall 4" be delivered and finally
inspected al Louisville and St. Louis.
| =. That the consequences Of the rejection OF
the hemp were most disastrous to the memorulist,
causing total destruction of his credit; deprva-
tlon Of all the benefits intended by the extension
OF his contract, which, 1t is believed, would 9TH
erwse have been highly profitable; and the sacri-
fce OF all his property, alleged and believed, from
the evidence, To be from thirty to forty odd thou
sand dollars, leaving him largely in debt, and d
bankrupt.
60 That all the benefits cont emplated by the
Government when the experiment was undertaken
have been fully realized by the exertons and sac.
rifces, and entirely at the expense of the memo
rast and that, mainly through these, there is
now an abundant supply Of American water-rotted
hemp for the use of the navy and merchant vessels
Of the United States, leaving, they are informed
and believe, considerable quantity for eXporta-
ton; thus rendering these States Independent of
other nations for article most essential both
|
war, vitality necessary to the defence Of the coun-
try.
"The memorialist has established, by the strong
est evidence, derived from the public press, and
from the opinions and statements of great numbers
Of the best informed and most respectable public
men and private citizens of the hemp-growing
States, the entire success Of the experiment under
taken by him, and the introduction of the process,
and the present supply of the American article, as
the consequence Of that success. In the report OF
the pesent Secretary of the Navy, above alluded
to, he says: '.N6thing but american hemp has been
received under any contract made since into the
department.
In letter Of the late Mr. Secretary Paulding,
addressed to the memoralist, and laid before the
committee-after stating that his object in making
the contract with him icas not The patry one of OBJ
tanning two hundred tons Of hemp, but the prac-
ticability ofproducing American water-roted hemp
and to encourage it's production, with view to
render our country Independent Of all others for
the supply Of an article equally indispensable TO
our navy and to our commerce. and, after setting
forth the previous experiments that had been made
and their complete failure, that according to his
belief, not a pound Of water-rotted hemp was
produced at the time the memorialist undertook
his experiments and after stating that, 10 hi
knowledge, the memoriast had succeeded in de-
monstrating the practicability Of producing water
rotted hemp, he says:
90 If, as appears to be the case, the production
to the domestic supply, but too large expectations
Of that article, have no hesitation to express my
entire conviction that this result is in great mea
sure, if not altogether, owing to your having sci
the first successful example,
" In the same letter he further says:
60 In my opinion, setting aside all lille technoa
points and nice distinctions, the country yo,
the price of great benefit and is under strong obH
cations to your enterprise, your perseverance, ant
your sacrif fees, to make you amends
4. In conclusion, the committee believe
therefore, that whatey er doubts may be entertaine,
as to the strict legal right of the memoriast t,
the relief which he prays, founded upon the breacl
OF his contract by the rejection Of his hemp in vi
olation OF the promises and inducements held ou
to MIN by the Secretary Of the Navy, he has
well founded claim, both in justice and equity, 70
his losses and sacrifices in behalf of the Govern
ment and country and that independent of this, HI
has strong claims upon that country as publ,
benefactor which ought not to be dsregarded ant
which entitle him to relief out Of the common
treasury Of the nation, whose commerce, agricul
ture and manufactures have been equally benefit
ted by his exertions and individual sacrifices
sacrifices which ought TO be borne by all thos
benefited thereby, rather than by the indivdua
who made and has been ruined by them. Th
committee, therefore, believe that this is case il
which full and even liberal measure of relief il
required, both by public justice and sound public
policy. They therefore report bill. -
sustained by the evidence, and to that extent YOU
committee adopt it us part Of their report II is
clearly proven that said Nd yerle gave up proita.
BILE and extensive business, in which he had large
sum Of money invested, to enter upon this expert.
ment; that he did at the strong solicitation OF
the Secretary Of the Navy, "who rendered to
him the patronage of the Government, and made
the most liberal promises Of encouragement and in
demniiy against loss, and ifsuccesstuI, The most gen.
erous re,rard from, The Government" Ifthere were
other evidence Of this fact, it is sufficiently pro-
ven by the letter of Mr.. PauIdng himself, who
was then the Secretary Of the Navy. Speaking
of the report Of Mr.. Holiness in which this state
ment occurs, he says, it " comedies with my re
collections as well as my intentions while in tht
department." In his letter of March 8, Is49, h,
also says: Had not been prevented by po
litical revolution, | would have fulfilled ever,
pledge made you to the very letter. and at leas
saved you from any loss, after all the labor ant
risk you incurred" He further says: "Tha
Myerle devoted himself to the work industriously
end energeticaIly, and did sustain heavy loss
from the undertaking, without any fault of his
own" Your committee are of opinion, from the
evidence, that the experiment in its public aspect
(and it was undertaken almost entirely for the
public good) has been entirely successful.
At the time that Myere engaged in it, there
was scarcely pound of American hemp water.
roted in the United States, and the strongest pre-
judice prevailed against the process That preju
has been established practicable, and introduced
into common use in the West. So completely has
the American hemp taken possession OF the mar
J ket, that the annual importation OF the Russian
hemp has fallen from about 6 900 tons in 1889 to
l, 200 in 1874. This important change, so bene
fetal to the interests Of our own country, is pri,
marily attributable 10 the persevering efforts Of
Mr. Myerle.
The Committee on Naval A fairs Of the Senate
in n report made by them on this claim at the Isl
session Of the 30th Congress, not only sustain il
on this ground, but also on the further ground
,ha, the hemp delivered by Myerle, under his
contract Of $780, improperly rejected, and
he improperly subjected to loss by that means
That committee say further: "That the induce
menis and promises held out to the memoralist ir
case of success, impose clear and unquestiona
BILE obligation upon the United States to indemn
fy him for his losses, and grant him proper re
muneration for his services" "They further
I concur with the Committee OF the House of Rep
resentatives in the opinion that the rejection o.
the memorialists s hemp was groundess, and vir