Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-04-05

Mr.. sOULE. rise to question Of order. Has Their,
been any estimate for this
Mr. HUNTER The appropriation itself must be to carry
The PRESIDENT. Certainly
M HUNTER There isno existing lawIequiring the eI
ira compensation. -
The Senate decided not receive the amendment by
of ayes l9, noes 81.
Mr.. YULEE. have some amendments to offer TO the
bill from the naval committee. and will the Senate
that they have been already engossed that no delay
be occasoned by their adoption. The first amendment Of
fer involves additional appropriation. II is to add the
for the repair OF vessels in ordinary the following
proviso 49E 1tfss
" Provided That $50 200 of the said appropriation shall
be applied for renewing the steam sate Princetonhe
be all respects adapted for testing in fullest manner the
merits Of such plans of submerged propeer the Secretary
of the Navy may direct to be tried"
Mr.. WALKER. i should like to know from the Chair.
ofNhe Committee Naval Affairs how much the Gov.
eminent has already expended in nkeng with submerged
propeers am informed that the amount expended Is very
large, perhaps much as $50, 900. as'',.s f,ss
The amendment was rejected. 'ss,
Mr. YULEE. now propose to amend the naval bill by
simple amendmen which s change the title Of one cas.
of officers in the navy. 1t is to add:
nd further enacted That from and after the passage
& tie shall Be- l q Be
IMPAIR any way affect, the rank pay, priveges
bonds duties, liabilities Of any purser the service
respectively take rank from the Of their present
missions and all laws in way relating the grade Of
hereby extended to and be taken applicable
to paymasters in the navy" .a ttt8 -1
After some debate, the amendment was rejected.
Mr. YULEE. now offer an amendment Of the desire Of
the Secretary Of Navy enable him saghten the boun-
daries Of the Brooklyn navy yard
Mr. CLAY. Will the Senator who is at the head of the
Committee Naval Affairs allow suggest to him and
to the Senate, that the mepecs Of the Senate tells US tina.
further amendments to this br ought be offered Be-
Sides this amendment relates the acquisition of land and
who understand il now hope the Senator will with
draw it.
Mr.. YULEE Under the direction Of the committee il
my duty of course to offer these amendments for the
judgment and action of the Senate have however,
suited with the other members of the committee and as the
hour adjournment is fast approaching, they have authorized
to suspend the offering Of any further amendments for the
purpose Of saving the bill will withdraw this amendment
though think we had better pass il.
Mr.. PEARCE. beg the attention Of the Senate for
few moments while offer amendment, which assure
them is in my opinion, strictly necessary any amend
men which the obligations Of law and Of contract can re-
quire to pass will state to the Senate frankly that there
was an appropriation for the purpose contained in the
civil and diplomatic appropriation BILL but that it was disa
greed to by the committee of conference of the House, and
the committee Of the Senate agreed to ecede from it without
being, as think, fully aware Of all the circumstances
In 1912 Congress passed law directing the Joint Commit
tee on the Library to contract for the preparation and pubca
ton Of the works of the Exploring Expedition In pursuance
Of that law they have contracted for the publication Of
Der Of these works They have this time number of per-
engaged upon the contract do certain portions 6 the
work-earned men, such as DR.. Gray and pr. Torrey.
also other things which they bound to take care
Of according law There contracts outstanding TO nav
for paper printing and binding, and one Of them can be-
performed if this appropriation be refused If Congress is
disposed to put end to this let them at the session
pass act repeating the act Of 1912 but while that law
continues trust they will permit appropriations to be made
carry out contracts which gentlemen here consider
be sacred when they reduced to writing
These contracts not only in writing but the execution Of
them is in progress
Mr.. YULEE. have only to say that the amendments Of
the Naval Committee Withdrawn because Of the dispo.
sion all sides allow any further delay lest the pas
of the bill might be hazsrded II is very strange that
member Of the Finance Committee should the face Of all
this, not only offer amendment, but preface it with
speech.
Mr.. PEARCE. would not have offered it if were not
to save the national faith and public honor.
Mr. BERRIEE. Ihope that in the little time left to us
we will adopt this amendment and redeem the public faith.
Contracts have been entered into under the authority Of law
which cannot be fulfilled unless this appropriation il made
The amendment offered BY Mr.. PEARcE il:
works ofthe Exploring Eapsdou including the pay Of the
paper and other law Of 1884 authorizing
the preparation and publication Of said works. OOO
Mr.. DAVIS, Of Mississippi. was very much surprised
when heard that the committee Of conference gave up that
item We have persons in employ writing and pub
fishing these works under the contract Some Of them are
half and others perhaps three fourhs finished for which
the money be paid II is not in the power Of the com
mee, any body else absove themselves from the
tract far it has been executed This appropriation is
persons for labor performed under made in
pursuance Of law hope the amendment will be adopted.
Mr.. BRADBURY. suppose we now making appro
patons for the next fiscal year. that the individuals
fered to will any have their pay for the present fiscal
year. think it is high time this book-makng should be
stopped.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. HALE The Senate have already refused to put the
lieutenant who has charge Of preparing the Nautical Almanac
on the footing with regard pay as post captain
There is n this BILL stands provision putting the
officer who is charged with experiments in gunnery at the
navy yard at Washington the pay that of
mander at think the proposition is such exaordi-
nary that it will relieve from tho necessity Of making
a speech move to strike out this proviso:
"Prouided That the officer charged with experiments in
gunnery in the navy yard at Washington shall hereafter
ceive the compensation Of commander at sea-"
MI. YULEE think it proper to say that it would be
doing the height of injustice to strike out this provision II
inserted by the House upon the recommendation Of the
Navy Department After examination Of the facts there
be doubt that the officers labors such as to ene
him to this compensation, and that it would be unjust to
change the provision of the House. @
Mr.. BADGER. rise simply to concur with the Chair
Of the Committee that this amendment ought not to
prevail.
Mr. HALE. It is not my fault that bill is here 50 late
The Senate vote Of three to two, have refused to make
this distinction in favor Of the officer experimenting the na
teal almanac. Now, here 10 lieutenant in the navy en-
Poyed at particular navy yard in making experiments in
gunney, and you propose to give him three thousand five
hundred dollars year. You propose pay him very extra
vaganty above other euenans If there single thing
that can break down your navy and destroy the spirit Of your
officers It is this favoritismhis picking out Of one man
here and putting him In your national observatory, and pick
ing out another there and putting him in your navy yard
to supernend Of the petes sp0rts in the