The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-20

| =.
as IL is unequal to the commercial marine which 1t
/ is designed to protect. Our officers wanted but
the opportunity, to develope qualities both gallant
and useful. The record Of their achievements in
science, would be read in the armament when the
petty triumphs Of naval conflicts would be forgot
/ ten. He-was opposed to reducing appropriations
for the g National Observatory" or the naval
school at Annapolis, The naval school should
| equal in all respects the academy at West Point.
We should educate our midshipmen at the public
expense. But other reductions might be made, and
the naval efficiency increased. The enormous
amount OF naval expenditures was greatly owing
TO the defective organization of the navy. He
should, at the proper time, propose an amendment
to that bill, which, together with the bill he had
reported from the Committee on Naval Affairs, to
establish line of mail steamers to the Coast of
Africa, would in his opinion, remedy its defects,
and establish its efficiency.
| The system of keeping the squadrons we had
now located in different parts OF the world was
expensive and injurious both TO the personal and
the materiel of the navy. In the Mediterranean
the Commodore, live on shore in the enjoyment of
Italian Injuries, never seeing their ships for
months, while the men were kept confined on
board nc anchor with occasional privilege of
| getting drunk on shore. Such had been their IN
action that their cables had sometimes parted from
rust, and they found themselves hard and fast on
a shoal of beef bones from the ships
In his opinion there should be but four squadrons
|
be confined severaly 10 the Northern and South
ern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, continually coast
ing the shores and seas of each. lie would re-
duce the number OF sailing ships IN the navy and
reduce the number of men IN the service from
! 800 to 5000, and increase the steam ships. He
thought the efficiency of the navy would be thus
increased and reduction of two or three millions
| of naval expenditure effected.
! Mr.. GREEN, of Mo-, followed in opposition to
the system of appropriations for mail steamers
The gentleman from Tennessee, he sad, had pro-
tessed disposition to retrench our naval expenses,
and he wished he would make beginning by de-
cling to enter any further into these ocean steam
enterprises, and limit our appropriations Tor those
| IN which we had become involved to that extent
winch justice ana our pledged iallh s,lpulates.-
oul ooi,'' aI's WIN .nese ocean steaisp y" n''
| imposed heavy TAX on me people without a; Z
compromising return " the"' co''i''e"Sui"e WIN
| tHu ,oss
ne in,o'a''on 'eoeiseu 'r9". .'e "a
reply 30 .e resouuon oi the , ue 10,
lnlouuceu, unSa.is'actory DIS !. VAS uiso'oSeu '1
TACT tnat THESE steamers now cost us upwards OF
naval men, by whom they were ofiicered Hsbe-
neVea tnat the wnoie cost had not peeh .o,o. nc
Navy department accounts were so KEPT that tney
couiu hol state the ehtire cosi. ne h"a pee', 'o'u
inht the government Paid Tor repaifs' ana ye'
the ownership or these vessels was heid oy Pri-
vate individuals. True, our contracts stipulate
that the government snou'a nave the r,sht 70
| 49,, -, 80. H. -. IT,, 49, ,,,,.ch,sar al
nav that which mioht he asked for them. There
| was no price named in the contract. Neither was
| III ere any thing which would prevent them from
| being sold TO foreign governments. They were
under the control of the contractors, and were in
some cases assUned from one set of contractors
to another. Thev m;oht be ASSIGNED to foreign
ers and being in The hands Of those owing allesi-
ance to a government with whom we should be-
4
them. Naturally. the commercial classes among
our own citizens were always opposed to naval
wars. Besides he areued that these steamers be-
/ ing constructed for speed were not suitable for
war steamers, from want OF s'rehs'h.
Mr.. WHITE, OF New York, moved that the
| Committee RISE Agreed to.
/ The SPEAh Elk took the CHAR.
| MT. AfLf, OF virginia, SAID that as IL was
| expected Important amendments would DE onered
which could not be discussed IN hve minute s.
speeches, ne con'd not propose TO terminate the
debate so soon as some desired. lie moved tina.
All Ieoate on the haVa Dill cease TOMORROW Ut
CLOCK, p, m;
Mr, FEA iHERS ION, OF mississippi moved
tnat the tihe DC nNed Ut o CLOCK 'o-horrow. re
said ihe questions were 100 impof'aht 70 De
PssSeo over Wi'hout uepa,e' ,
/ me previous question: having oeeh ordered 'he
amendment was TeJecteu' anu l,,e resoiu'loh yer
| mi"at"S INC uepa'e az one cioch eo-"o'lo"'
adoP'ed.
MILEAGE.
| Mr. RAYIY reported that the Commute e of
| Conference with the Senate, in reference to the
mileage for the Pacific members in the deficiency
bill. could not agree. He moved that the House
recede from its disagreement to the Senate 8
amendment.
After some debate the House agreed to recede
| from its amendment, and the bill as passed pro-
vdes that the California members shall be allowed
mileage computed by the usually travelled route
within the limits of the United States.
| The House again resolved itself into Committee
! of the Whole on the
.nn.on,,,-,o, M,
| Mr.. VENABLE, of North Carolina, addressed
the committee. he was opposed to extending the
connexion of the Government IL these mercantile
steamers. The advantage derived by tie Gov
eminent from the sytem, was by no means COM
mensurate with the tax incurred. These YES
sels--for the construction OF which the Govern
ment paid one-thrd the cos-could not be readily
converted into war steamers, as was represented,
and when so fitted out, they would be found un-
| sulltu W tue hitet vi eiSHt VI