The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-24

am anxious TO have done and hence object 10 this
basin and railway which il will take some i've or six
years TO construct Now, will follow that assertion
with The proof and u he is very anxious 10 have cock
constr neled and our commerce sustained upon the Pa
chc, he will go with and adopt the bill which have
prepared substitute for the under considera-
tlon have modified tins bill, and have prepared in
compliance with the Recommendation OF The Navy De.
paflment establishing pier which will cost
$4,000. Notwithstanding what the senator from Cali
lorna has said in place OF basin and railway which
will cost al least million of dollars This pier be
constructed IN few monhs, and The will thus
be protected and aided Immediately, while that which the
senator from California proposes Will not be completed
| for several Years.
Al the last session call made upon the Navy De-
parlmen to say which poper-a basin and railway,
ora pier. such was in in the commercial marine
The Secretary OF the Navy responded as follows
"Iu reply to so much of the resolution as inquiries
whoiher in the Judgment oil the head OF this department.
The navy much less expense government than
the con'enpated by this act Aforesaid have
addition Of basin and railway. but with pier 10 secure
IT, would answer every demand Of the navy the
recently raised the Steamship ohio belonging Mesrs
Law Co.. in the hatbo Of New York which ship i
: The oi The dock alone would certainly be much
@ 20 be pnd nd % ha" wo 81
hercinsated. The addition ofa pier IT,
These be completed and rca,y ior in years.
nos and may be ~ fifteen o. twenty month"; while the
1--WE Yeas TO complete them"
The gentleman says that this basin and railway has
been recommended Well, SIR although il may have
been recommended by MIR. Henshaw---who BY the way,
confirmed by the Senate, and only kept his
place there little whc-lhe weight Of authority is
against it, did look at his report. | examined
those Of Secretary Mason and OF the lae Secretary Of the
Navy, and as far as can ascertain Secretary OF the
Navy has undertaken to recommend this, but the
ay, all OF them have been opposed it, And only
they opposed 10 II, but well satisfied Con-
gress at the last session that this structure was not
proper, that alleged contract for this basin and rail-
way escnded as can be seen in the navy appropr
alton bill And yet the honorable senator, nowilhstand
ing the opinion OF The Navy Department and decision OF
Congress the last session. here with this basin
and railway again, and yet complains Of delay. Whose
fault il that there is delay put the question to the
honorable did not oppose the whole bill, but
only this particular item of the bill, and yet the
ions and the and depot upon the OF Cali
fornia That not the fact directed my opposition TO
the basin and railway and based il upon The facts and
figures showing The enormous sum II would cost and
that il would be both unnecessary and useless
The honorable senator says that The pier will be eaten
up with worms. Well, would like to know whether
this floating drydock will not also be eaten up with
worms t aI
/ Mr.. BRODHEAD, Can't you copper the pier
| Mr. BRODHEAD. Why mott
i Mr. HAMLIN. The piles cannot driven.
\ Mr.. BRODHEAD. II this sectional floating dry-dock
can be preserved against worms, the pier also be
preserved, that there Is perec, 10 The argu
ment of the honorable senator az alnst this pier
But he says it is be erected until the lest is
made in Philadelphia Well that is Jus, the way these
docks have been going on OF The Atlantic side. The
gentleman says we have great many. AT whose in.
stance have we great many AT the instance oil those
who have obtained patent That is the way this thing
is managed. They have put little responsibility upon
; Congress and litte upon the Navy Department We
order contract here for particular kind of dock
without any proof; and il we should ,hem would we
be able 10 judge! Is this the proper tribunal 10 make
conracts II contracts to be made. they ought TO
be made by the executive branches OF the government,
and with the lowest bidders We order a contract to be
made. and with thus excluding
petition competition is excluded when we order
a contract TO be made with certain gentlemen who have
got patent for particular thing.
But the gentleman says that il is not to be erected until
III is tested in Philadelphia Ktery. Well. how long
is this thing be delayed This dry dock, basin and
railway be completed according contract, tested
and taken OF the contractors hands, last June Well
though it may not have been taken OF their hands,
they have got he'r money and no test has ever YET been
other House, item upon this subject TO show how these
things run up. Ii IS a little curious:
For the required pay the reserved per cent
age under contract for dock PHILADELPHIA s59ss s.
For amount required 10 for dredging the river In
lroni Of dock al Philadelphia navy-ysrd, $4,000"
This basin and railway TO be taken off their hands
last June according to contract A vessel taken
thereof course they could not get on the money was
paid the expense goes tor dredging and 10
pay fot The work is taken oil their hands before is
tested We gave these gentlemen s3,o7sooo for these
upon Them al least to my knowledge. The honorable
senator may correct me in this statement am in
No government vessel has been placed upon ono
these docks and yet they TO be finished and tested
/ with ship-of.the-l las. June.
Il Now, II we are going to build docks, let do il IN
full, and not have little responsibility upon the Navy
Department and little upon Congress will show you.
before get through little OF the history OF these docks,
and how the money has gone from the treasury. We
have bad these docks, basins, and railways before Con-
gress about eight years That is about long enough.
am opposed TO monopoes, These gentlemen have OBJ
tanned three millions OF dollars for building docks
and that when they alone had the paents and proper
competition excluded. That ia enough, 10 my opin
ion, for one ol | will state 10 the Senate how
much they obtained. and then will show by their own
memorials how much they proposed 10 build The docks
io and thea the honorable senator from California can
whether this proposed structure IN California wi not
cost a millioa and halt oil dollars.
Up 10 ls42 or is43 this government had expended
youilon and OF 1912, and up to 1884, with that amount
of money expended
| MIR DAWSON Up TO what time
1 Mr. BRODBEAD. Up to The time Of the commence
nent OF the stone e.dock in New York, which was,
think in 1S42 or lsi3.
i Mr. BADGER That was in is4l.
/ Mr. BRODHEAD. Then up 10 1911 we paid the sum
have mentioned We then paid S2l4s,255 for stone
dock at New York after which these gentlemen came
with their proposons-ono set claiming patent Tor
particular kind nj balance dock and another set for sec
lional-dock. WE'LL they contested the matter some ime
before Congress, as end by the memorials and hoay
they ogelher according TO the reports IRON ihe ds
parlment After quaueing before Congress iof TWO or
three years. find their names all together ior hese con-
tracts
No they ba We received for the sectional floating dock
In Philadeohia 500 653 for basin and two railways
!, ,ha 900 ,l,ee gtitO5o making Ssf97l2 And