The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-01


looked INTO the matter, and call upon senator's, il
they doubt ~ to and look al the pay OF the officers in
me royal navy OF Great Britain. and OF the nayiss o.
france or Russia They will ind that TO officers OF the
same grade higher compensation is paid 10 officers in
The American navy than is paid 10 the officers OF either
the French, Russian, English naves or OF any navy
on earth. Therefore. there necessity for these extra
allowances Tor compensation-none whatever
lhen,f we have this Naval Observatory and il we
have corps there OF twenty -four twenty five scientific
men, III we are paying them liberal compensation, where
~ the name oil Heaven, is the necessity, when wish
Nautical Almanac calculated, OF detailing another officer
and sending him off TO Cambridge College TO do IN That il
he question which the senator from North Carolina does
mol answer. and says he answer II there is
necessity Ter it, SIR impeachment OF these officers
Is regarding Our observatory as useless, our professors
as ounces, and officers incompetent perform the
duty which they ought to perform. We paying
twenty-fonr OF them salary and yet when want
some work done, we have to detail another man and
done.
will not enter into any of the questions which have
been brought into this discussion except those which
late TO this claim; but let here correct the senator
from Alabama [Mr CLEMENsl with regard to the officer
who would not pay this claim. II was not the Fourth
Auditor, but the Second Comptroller, Governor Paris,
faithful honest, and intelligent officers we ever had
He was too honest and too intelligent and faith
full, TO stay in his place He had TO 60 of because
such claims az this could not be got through while he
was there. That is the he is not there now.
Well, SIR. when Governor Paris there, you could
not get this claim allowed. II brought TO him, and
said J; the House OF Representatives and the Sen
ate, both OF them, said No." The senator from North
Carolina is altogether mistaken in his recollection OF
what took place upon this amendment TO the deficiency
bill OF the last Congress II he will look at that bill
II was reported by the Committee on Finance, he will
md that this amendment proposing 70 raise Lieutenant
Davis's salary TO three thousand dollars year
OF the amendments reported by the Committee Finance,
and was in the bill as il came from them.
Mr. BADGER Certainly; but if reported by The
Committee Finance, it upon bill from the House
OF Representatives; and every amendment though re-
ported by the committee. had TO 60 the House, and be
acted upon there and The more amendments there were,
the more the bill would be embarrassed.
Mr. HALE. Then am right in that; il was an
amendment reported BY committee printed amend
ment. There were other amendments adopted and if
this had been adopted, would not have embarrassed
the bill more than others. The facts are that the comp
uoller would not pay 1t it went to the House, and they
would not pay i came here, and the Senate would
not pay IT, Then Lieutenant Davis got ai1avits from
various persons, and submitted them to the who
perseded Governor Parriswho too honest 10 grant
such caims-and il was allowed. And now, when
Congress finds it out, what do you do' You want TO
pass an act with proviso that nobody else shall do
the same thing but inasmuch this man has done it,
he shall be permitted TO receive the three thousand dol
lars year. II IS only sort OF premium upon the adrot
with which money be taken out of the treasury
You have enacted that nobody else shall do ittha
no other estimate or appropriation should ever warrant
the only man in whose behalf this has been done
shall continue TO receive this pay! is mockery upon
legslaton--a mockery upon the amendment you have
has been discovered the recipient shall be permitted TO
enjoy the fruits OF il. and nobody else shall For
his reason hope the proyiso will not be conquered in
or from North Carolina Mr.. BADGERl has told us, with
great deal OF confidence, that he would hazard all the
reputation he possesses as a lawyer, that any lawyer
would put the inerpre aton upon this law that
put upon il by himself and the Comptroller. Now. sir
beg leave say 10 that that think he has put
very valuable article IN jeopardy very lightly The
ror into which he has fallen is very common one 1t is
he of not having read the law itself, but of hav
ng taken the Comptrollers say-so 10 what the law
vas Il you take what the Comptroller tells you
ruth, and the whole truth, then by possibility il may
'ear the construction which he has put upon it, But sir,
have the law before me, and propose to read the
senate the law by which this payment is made;
For nautical books, ma ps charts instruments and all
'her expenses of the TYPOGRAPHICAL office, sos 200 Pro
'ded. That competent officer OF the navy below the
he Nautical Almanac for publication and that the Secre-
AIRY of the Navy may when in his opinion the interests Of
works that may from time be published by the
office be sold cost and the proceeds
TO be placed :" the treasury Of the United
Mr. BADGER. What law is that.
Mr. CLEMENS. Ii is section OF The act OF March
ID, lS49, by which this payment made
Now, Mr. President, there is not in that act one soil.
airy word about The payment oil an officer as superin-
endent OF this Nautical Almanac The only thing in
that the proceeds arising from the sales OF certain
works shall be paid into the treasury OF the United States
There is construction--no honest consruction-by
which il can be conended that the officer is authorized 10
eceve one dollar over the compensation allowed by law
Why, sir, he is salared officer OF this government,
md he already owes 1t his services The government
educated him. Whatever he is the government made
lin. The government supports him, and has supported
him ever since his boyhood. To the government his
services due, and Congress never intended that he
should be paid double for performing work that he
would much rather have performed than to have gone 10
sel.
The senator might have saved himself the trouble OF
defending the Secretary of the Navy have made no
assault upon that officer insist that this Comptroller
IF the Treasury has acted in conformity with law, but
n direct violation OF law say that he did II with his
Eyes open--that he knew.
MIR. BADGER The senator will allow me to say
hat did not understand him having made any assault
upon the Secretary OF the Navy; but mentioned the
and that that opinion has whatever weight he could give
10 II, as 10 its propTiey.
MIR CLEMENS The senator is mistaken in another
1arcular-widely He supposes that the vote OF the
Senate in striking out this appropriation during the last
session OF Congress test and assigns reason
Tor IL that certain gentlemen were anxious TO avoid any
and he mentions partc uary the distant
a,or whose illness now keeps him from among us "
he from North Carolina bad examined the Jour
nal he would have found that he mistaken in that par
icuar
"On motion by Mr. CLEMENS, tho proviso was stricken
nut which provided officers in charge Of said work
hal receive the same compensation officers In charge
,f the National Observatory"
And among those who voted in favor OF striking out
hat endment ia the senator from Kentucky, TO whom
he has alluded The senator says that the senator from
Kentucky opposed TO inserting that amendment, be
he did want cucumber the bill with amend.
nents Why, sir in fifteen minutes afterwards he voted
% cucumber IL with the Collins line of steamers
Mr.. BADGER. That was a special case.
II. d.. a -. al III.