New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-06


time for that now-we must trust our
Committees-it is only an aggregation of
all the Post Routes we have severally ap-
piled for throughout the Session. &c. &c.
So the bill went through like Eclipse or
Boston. After Congress had adjourned
we met Mr.. Josiah Snow on Pennsylvania
Avenue, and he informed Us that he had
obtained in that Post-ROute bill a grant
of the Right Of Way and an Appropriation
Of $780, from The Treasury to aid him
in constructing line Of Telegraph from
Missouri 10 California; Now be it far
from US to object to any such grant and ap-
preparation in themselves. We think the
construction of such Telegraph highly de-
sirable and just object Of National con-
Germ. We hope it will be built, even at
cost of S35O,OOO to the Treasury, if it can
not be effected without. But we do object
to S35O,OOO being voted out of the Treas
ury while those who voted it had not the
renotest suspicion of the fact. and such,
we are confident, was the case in this IN
stance. 1t is not within the credible
bounds of human inconsistency that those
who so determinedly fought the River and
Harbor bill, and were ready to throw the
Government into chaos rather than permit
its passage, would have allowed this grant
to be made by a unanimous vote and with
out whisper of objection, if they had sus-
pected its existelce. And any half-dozen
determined opponents could have killed it.
The Lighthouse bill went through
of course. We know not what its contents
are; no more did those who passed 1t; bat
probably some Committee was wiser. So
in the main with the great Appropriation
bills, so far as the Senate was concerned.
But when the Naval Appropriation bill
involving some Ten or Twelve Millions of
Dollars-came up, about 8 o'clock in the
morning-all the others having gone
through after fashion-Mr. HALE of n.
II. asked that the bill be read. A general
time now'-'must trust the Committee
you have the printed bill before you &C.
No said Mr.. Hale, | have not there
is no printed bill have the bill as orig
inally reported to the House; but it was
'cut down here and increased there in ever
so many places, and to the extent of mil
lions of dollars, in passing that branch. L
cannot allow this bill to pass until have
heard what there is in it.'-So, as any one
Member can have bill read if be desires it,
the process was undergone in sullen impa-
thence, by men who few hours before had
been reading old Messages, Engineers Re-
ports, sc. expressly to consume the time
of the Senate but if Mr.. Hale had called
for the reading of the Book of Job he could
| hardly have been deemed more unreasOn-
able.
On this Naval Appropriation bill there
was tho usual debate about Dry Docks.
II seems, from the documents read, that
the Secretary of the Navy, in pursuance
of vote of this Congress at its former
Session, had made a verbal contract, or
agreement, or something of the sort, with
certain parties to build Dry Dock at San
Francisco. The House Committee had re-
commended a cutting down of the cost Of
this Dock some forty or fifty per cent. by
dispensing with a Basin and Railway
and this was agreed to on all hands. Two
or three Provisoes were added in the House,
intended to reduce cost, &c. the last of
which Provisoes ignored the alleged con-
tract, and ordered the Secretary to make a
! ro,v one with the lowest 5Si1der, after sd-
vertising sixty days. The Senate Commit
tee had struck out all these Provisoes, sub
shutting a new clause or section of some
kind. The Senate demurred to this, dis
cussed the whole subject quite searchingly,
and finally rejected the Committees substi-
tute and retained the House section, but
struck out the final Proviso, expressly on
the assumption that it contemplated dis
honorable reputation by the Government
of an existing contract. This view of the
matter was finally acquiesced in by all but
a very few Senators, and the bill was en-
crossed and passed accordingly. But, after
it had been finally enacted, it was discOv-
cred on inquiry that this amendment of the
Senate had never, in the rough and-tumble
of the mornings dOings, been submitted to
the House; whereupon Mr.. Speaker Cobb,
in signing the bill, took the responsibility
oF ,rr;g;no sofo IL. a, o~rosesJ c,J ..oot.J