The daily union., 1852-09-15

quality and description specified ia he law passed az this
session of Congress" M %
ent very pertinent 10 this bill but LEI me say 10
the Senate thai by The bill regulating the public printing
which passed Congress few days since. II IS provided
that the superintendent shall give sixty days notice be-
fore he shall make purchase OF any paper Therefore,
il this amendment be not adopted, we can have no pub
lie printing for sixty days 10 come. therefore propose
TO authorize the public printer TO purchase his own paper
for sixty days, and 10 furnish II at cost.
The amendment was agreed TO.
Mr.. RUSK. have amendment TO offer as an ad
dtonal section, which admit is not very appropriate
but hope 1t will be adopted:
SEQ And be Il farther enacted, That the Postmaster
General be, and he is hereby, authorized IN aopon ~
with the Washington and Fredericksburg Steamboat Com
pany Tor eicen ce-boat or ice'poas osns AP up o
rovidrd The additional expense 10 be Incurred by the
department for keeping such ice-boat or shall
not exceed $50 900 per annam :
This amendment Is in precise conformity with the joint
resolution introduced by the honorable senator from Viz
gnia [Mr HUNTERl at an early day IN the session The
General desires 70 nave ias h aa.aO my ,vs ana
is blocked up with ice daring the WINTER oil gel'ng our
mails regularly.
the Of the s,eamboa, company. will agree to it
Mr.. RUSK. This company has the contract for carry
ing the mails and Of course il is the only one which can
The question being then taken upon the amendment,
upon division il was not agreed to- as follows-ayes
Is, noes not counted ~
+ Mr. HALE, l nave an amendment 10 Ouer, winch Ia
singular to offer here, is to save money instead
Of spending il. am afraid that such an amendment
will not commend itself 10 the favor of the Senate but
will offer il: sH#
SEC. And be IL farther enacted, That estimate
appropriation OF money n any bill making appropriations
for the naval service shall authorize the payment OF
whatever beyond he amount prscribed by law in any
case ur the shall be specific direction for such extra
payment shall be made, either prior law in
law making the appropriation"
If can have the attention Of the Senate for single
moment will explain the necessity for this amend
ment In the deficiency bill which passed both houses
at the present session a more stringent provision
than this was incorporated providing that extra pay
should not be allowed without prior specific d-
recuon The frs, comptroller of the treasury con
strued that TO mean that although the law making
the appropriation directed the payment TO an officer
he could not receive ii unless there had been some
prior law making provision for il. On account OF that
construction OF his the Senate concurred in repeating that
clause now propose to reenac the same thing IN re-
aton to naval appropriations but to make the provision
less stringent so as TO authorize the extra payment, If
there is any provision for either in prior law or IN the
law making the appropriation The necessity for the
adoption OF such prohibition grew out OF the naval ap
preparations, and the construction of the second comp
roer, who considered that such payment might be made
Notwithstanding there no law TO authorize it, bat he
took the simple fact OF the appropriation and the estI-
mates 10 authorize the payment
| Mr.. WELLER do not think it is worth while 10
attempt by our Legislation TO suit the tastdous taste OF
the first comptroller. The first comptroller seems TO
s.der himself the special attorney employed by the
ernment of the United States From the moment claim
Is presented he racks his brain for the purpose OF dis
covering whether. BY hook or crook, by some device
other, the government can avoid the payment OF IT. In
stead OF considering himself Judge, who is 10 pass upon
the validity OF claims presented he seems 10 regard him
sell as an attorney under obligation TO bis client 10 ex-
culpaie him from the difficulty il he only desired
to say this much, for have had experience in the
settlement of accounts with the hrs, comptroller OF the
treasury
Mr.. HALE. concur to some extent in what the sen.
aior says, but we have humored the whm OF the hrs
inserted in the deficiency bill We repealed il because the
comptroller, IN applying Il, gave wnqt consider Alb
snId construction Now, as We have repealed that clause,
do not want to leave the door altogether open and in
asmueh as by the decision OF the second comptroller
money has been paid without any direction By law, but
simply upon estimate, want 10 put this provision into
this bill.
| Mr. BADGER | would ask the senator from New
Hampshire whether his amendment was drawn BY The
first comptroller
| Mr.. HALE. 1t was not
| Mr.. BADGER. Then, would suggest TO the senator
that he had better withdraw il, and let the stand
until The next session. because very probably il will be
found 10 be labor thrown away Al the session the
senator can apply TO the comptroller, and get him 10 say
what kind of provision he will consider as producing
certain result otherwise this will be time entirely thrown
away
Mr. HUNTER think the senator from New Hamp-
shire bad better withdraw his amendment until there is
time Tor more examination. This is question OF gem
era legislation, and perhaps ought properly 10 be
placed on an Appropriation bill.
! Mr. HALE think the amendment is right and as
do not want the treasury 10 be plundered, from
now until the next session OF Congress- must insist
j the amendment
The question being taken on the amendment il was
not agreed to-
/ Mr.. HALE. have another amendment 10 offer |
will not say word about ii, but will simply ask the
yeas and nays:
"Ssc. :. dnd BE- tsr,her enacted, Tdat all appoint.
mens in the navy OF the Unted any o 70 shall be
Tor the term OF ten years and that all the
navy hereafter conferred shall conform this povsion
| The yeas and nays not ordered.
| The question being taken on the amendment, ii was
| not agreed to-
| MIR. HALE. | have another amendment 10 offer |
must discharge my duty The Senate vote my amend
menis down II they please. The amendment is
SIC. = And BE- IL further emactsd. That all acts and
ibe navy than allowed by The act Of March ST. 1875 be.
and the same are hereby, repealed"
The amendment was not agreed to.
| hr. PEakCE. move 10 amend the bill By striking
out the third section, which is in these words
"SKc dnd further eracfsd, Tnat II shsl be law.
fn Tor the President Of the United States appoint
nanders IN the navy well captains for chiefs OF the
biography, and Of construction, equipment, and repair"
Mr. President, II II were admitted that the number Of
captains in The navy small their incompeency
great and so notorious that proper selections from
these officers could not be made. should make this
motion but we know that there sixty-eght cap
iains ln the navy, and surely that is field OF selection
quite large enough TO furnish three competent officers for
these bureaus II that IS 40, then the whole system
had better be abolished and the navy too. But we know
very well that among these sixty eight captains
have got score OF who have great gaaniry great
reputation, and much professional skill know very
well that among the commanders IN the navy there are
he had x,,h.1