The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-02

II not worth while To know whether you can save that
sidering any tims and especially this time when we
are gong TO the edge OF the precpce IN our financial
present this question under double aspect Of ouss
ton between the navy and civil superntendencc. and
as involving ths IN competency OF the navy; and i the
senator from Mississippi did not mean that when he
replied TO the other day, when speaking upon
the subject OF the Louisville and - canal. will
accept from him whatever he says in explanation OF the
words then uttered "
Mr. DAVIS. OF mississippi | meant that the navy
were not incompetent in any branch Of their profession
did not hesitate to say | thought them incompetent,
however well hey can sail vessel a sea- to sail il over
this survey which belongs TO science alone. Topogaph
cal surveys which belong to the land alone the navy,
MT. BENTON Wsii, will grant that il is some what
difficult for them sail their ships to the summit of the
Sierra Neyada-a Thousand feet high. But think 1t a
you mountain $50 miles in the interior, and 1900 feet
high understand that chart applies to the coasttha
gives you the water and the land contiguous and as
much OF the land gave you TO understand the ap-
proach the land And by the acts under which the
survey is now going the direction is to ascertain the
uonts chart snnIe6snd consists Of + an exhibition
of the land and water where they join together at the
coast and there is necessity for going into the interior
involved in question Of the superiority Of depart
ment over another in conducting this business That is
precisely the question we want 70 get at Nor is 1t alb
soIutely necessary 10 run parallel Of superiority Can
the navy do il well enough for the business OF the
merce and the navy Of the country That the ques
ton Can they do it well enough And if they can,
hold that economy and the honor of the navy require
that they should be put upon it.
What does our navy cost US now Seven or eight
millions o. 9f dollars per annum ns What is their employ
were pirates in the Mediterranean sea, and sent
few small vessels, never larger than frgae, 10 protect
the property and lives OF citizens in that Even
then, when the Mediterranean was lined by piracal
powers, when captivity the fate Of our citizens and
The plunder of their property consequences OF that cap
tivity--even then we had nothing but some small
sells there and they were sufficient 70 protect it. And
now. when the commerce Of the Mediterranean is
safe in the Chesapeake bay and the whole Archi
peago and Black safe the Potomac river
there necessity Tor the employment OF the navy sucI
business When there was atime that the West Indies
infested by pirates, we sent some small vessels
there TO protect citizens from the pirates but there
pirates in the West Indies than in the Dis
uict OF Columbia. Still, we mus, have home squad
ron, as if we were living on an island like Great Brit
and were liable to descent from foreign power
in nature like the Spanish Armada. Our navy so estab-
lshed has grown up to be a large body, and people
are beginning to inquire the use TO which i, is put
Where is il necessary 10 go now 10 protect commerce
and defend it from pirates Our naval establishment has
become arge-iti is costing some seven or eight mil
lions of dollars per annum Here is vast work for the
navy TO doand the proper business Of the navy; and
still have to hire the work done at the rate of
100000 per annum. This is question which comes
before the country and one which will concern the
for after paying them $7000,000 $S00o0o0 per
annum to protect commerce that needs no protection we
then have TO hire people at the rate of 100000 year
.:As. .-h..A.. r---iI. .h-y lhA
work, | stand up for the navy-I stand up for our
officers and declare here my opinion in their entire
capacity TO do whatever is necessary TO be done in car
ryng this coast survey The fact 49, that they are
doing now as "a, as they yn are s%hpoysd h to 40 aha h
whole and that the $500 900 year should be saved that
now paid another establishment which has grown up
almost into department ask the yeas and nays upon
the passage of the resolution
The question being taken upon the call for the yeas and
| nays, they were ordered.
tor winds in circle with his argument. He begins BY
making an issue which nobody has accepted but he
locates class Of persons, and says it is theirs
plain dealing man, who should come in and find him IN
the middle OF his speech, would suppose he had offered
resolution OF inquiry, and great opposition had been gra
tuously made TO it on the part OF other senator's
Now. the senator will recolect that what said when
addressed the Chair and the Senate in reply 10 the
senator from Missouri from notes taken while he spoke
II was brief reply a long address And yet, from the
remarks of The senator from Missouri one would infer
tha, had sprung this debate this resolution, and
forced him into defensive attitude And this he calls
a senator can offer a resolution and make vehement
speech on it, and nobody can reply But enough OF this
| for the present
answered of his arguments in the FIRST place, and
propose 10 answer some more OF them now lie crles
aloud for economy and says that 800 900 are paid Tor
people TO do the work OF the navy Can he not conceive
that topography not the proper department Of the navy
that the survey of the shore the running OF line perhaps
far interior as one hundred and fifty miles from he
coast may be the proper basis of accurate survey OF
the tse' IL requires but very little exploration ~
the scientific abors OF the coast survey TO understand all
this The senator knows IL well. Why, then, VIII he
| not be answered
What is the work OF the navy Sha | stale again, as
have stated often, that II IL the photographed part
of the survey The navy cannot perform every part OF
the work Ia 1t any portion OF the work OF the navy 10
compute scientific problems in land surveys Would an
officer of the navy be advanced in his profession by such
nts would he not become mere saUdnt, and
so far cease TO be salori Go 10 any practical officer
of the navy and ask him the question: and he VIII an
swer YOU airmatvey, and tell you that he wants no Of
fcer OF the navy converted INTO meIe sGuan by being
coistered scientific pursuits.
But as TO this argument of economy. How s the sen.
alo gong to this expenditure OF 100000 lie VIII
certainly reooec that this great increase oi expenditure
arises lion the survey Of the coast OF California Why
then does he DIV ell upon this augmentation OF expendl
tue He cannot certainly have forgotten The cause ol
this increase OF expenditure He speaks OF ships OF war
no longer necessary for the protection OF commerce
Does he believe those ehps can be made available ioi
| the wants OF the survey Does he no, know that they
will be wholly ussuiied for the work Does he not
know that the navy would require the same class OF yes
sells that required for the survey and that Their
vessels if Withdrawn from the protection OF commerce,
would not be applicable 10 this work. lhen The add
onal expenditure, 40 far as any would exist II this sur
vey was under the administration oi the Navy Depart
ment would be for exactly the same labor which rs now
performed.
You would have q employ Typographical enginsers just
az YOU employ them for yoar survey OF The inteof
npon which the survey oi the coast should rest your
Topography would have 10 be done then exactly as u IS
now The photography would be then done by the navy
as If is now The engraving and printing wond be done
then as now. What would he ganedf You would
Al. 1aItlI ms