The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-05-21

deed virtual as well as an actual abandonment BY those
competent tojudge and authorized 10 speak OF me whoe
roboTaon that was surely furnished by that admission
The senator IRON Texas Mr. RusEl made incidentally
to the senator from Florida. Mr. MALLoRfl .hai .hls
line has ga seeming, and only a seeming, cohhexloh
with the navy, To which have already alluded.
81 MIR. RUSK All that said was that the expenses
charged upon the books OF the treasury 10 this service
ought not 10 BIO charged either TO the Post Office or 10 the
Navy fund proper and estimated as appropriations Tor
either OF those departments That was all that said IN
relation that point But so FAR trom admitting that
these vessels not suitable Tor purposes, stated
at the time, if remember Alright that they had been ex-
amned by board OF respectable naval officers appointed
for that purpose that they had been pronounced sua
BILE, and had been accepted by the government.
Mr.. BoRLAND. remember very well that the sen
a,G, said SO a not eeahsf q. sI h HpaE m.o s@
fore, the senator made similar explanation to the be
has given He thought gave an erroneous inter
probation OF his remarks What he did say may not have
fairly represented what be meant but ! apprehend as
his remark reported in the papers, il would be under
stood by the country precisely as interpreted IT. The
other day. when made the aluson, did not have be-
fore me The senator's remarks. have since examined
them in print, and now have them before me.
In opposition to the amendment offered by the senator
from Florida, Mr. MLLoRY] and appealing TO INN, he
said
lis he willing separate the navy from seeming, and
only seeming connexon with This line, by throwing II
upon those who pay posageupon letters throughout The
countrylp
think my Interpretation of this the only one it
would naturally bear And think. further it derives
pTcpFlety, III needed, Tue eVl
IDENTIFY made his opinion then expressed that the whole
policy Of making the Post Office Department dependent
upon lis own revenues was wrong and that. as The pay
ment OF this mail service directly from the treasury was
pro anto a correction OF that wrong, he was for contnu
ing TO make it there. Nowhere in that connexions did
he even intimate that this service (maik, is mail SER
U6e) should be paid for out OF the general treasury upon
the ground that the line which performed II was part OF
the navy On the contrary, in special reference to this
very point he declared the connexion between this line
and the navy TO be seeming, and only seeming"
could draw other inference Than did But the
Tor says now it's his opinion that these steamers are suit
able Tor "war purposes, and may, in time of need, be
made useful as such For the senator's opinion have
great respect have entire confidence in his candor
he must excuse me- however, If cannot adopt his opn-
ion when do moi lind il sustained BY what my mind can
recognise as facts; and more especially when do find il
opposed by an incidental argument Of his own which
strikes me as Of great force and significance Bat be-
sides this general reason there special reasons
for denying that these ships are adapted TO war pur-
poses" ~
We have it from reliable authority, and was so sta.
ted here by the senator from FoIida MIR. MALLoRy,l
who is familiar with such things, and II has not been de-
MED that these ships are built OF unsuitable materials
for service that their outer walls made of spine
plank !, whereas those OF all vessels ofwar made OF
oakland that their "timbers and frames" are a :" mix
tuTe oil ye-oak, locust and pine )" whereas, the tim.
bers and frames OF all vesses-of-war made of live
oak Why was this VIII any one undertake TO say
that live OAK, aud all other kinds Of wood used in naval
acheclure-and that too IN abundance, and OF the best
quaycannot be had al any and all OF our yards Why,
them was this light unusual, and unsuitable material
made OF in the construction OF these ships Sir but
answer be given certainly, in view OF the facts
but one should be Ieeeyedand that ~ they were never
intended Tor war purposes, and therefore were not
built OF materials suited to those purposes.
Again II has been objected and upon what must re-
ceve as good authorly-cerianly az respectable Tor
character AID competency any which has been adj
duced the other side, and superior in number OF wit
nesses, and IN the directness point and force oil their
staiementsha,, besides their defective material, the
structure OF these ships units them Tor "war purposes
or for easy conversion TO such purposes
OF the persons who have been called IN TO sustain the
character of these shlpS COnVeTlIbty
ers, find Com. Perry, Captain Sklldy, and Mr. Fran
CHS Guce, naval construetorthc man II not the only
ones relied upon. This, | confess has struck me with
some surprise and al any rate, very significant CIR
cumstance. | can well understand how 1t 10 that the
testimony OF any great number OF naval officers has mol
been given presented here against the character
OF these ships. Being officers OF The government which
they find engaged IN enterprise OF seeming great i'm
porance and under the orders of administration that
they know to be favorable that enterprise, what
natural. If not actually becoming, Than for them 10
remain silent at least, and abstain from what might
be regarded BY their supenors as unwarraned and Off
ciousl And | can appreciate also the motive as well
as official dellcacy which would restrain them from
coming forward unasked with their opinions, espe-
ciay ii those obpnlons were uniavorabe TO the views
OF the administration, or 10 any private interests.
But, sir, some have been asked-how many do not
know--and ftw have given their opinions o. those,
as have said. the three whose names have meniloncd
seem 10 be all who have spoken favorabycertanly all
who have been relied upon authority 10 sustain the
naval character OF these ships repeat, SIR that, to
my mind, this is both surprising and sgnihcant-sur.
prsng that small foundation has been supplied for
large supersuncure has been attempted to build
upon ii--sgnhcan, of the general condemnation which
the officers OF navy have given 10 this new system
And OF these three witnesses who have been brought
forward for these ships Commodore Perry is the first in
rank, and perhaps the fret In authority And he is
summoned by both the prosecution and defence. The
senator iron Texas, Mr. RusE,l now the leading adj
vocate OF this lne quotes him to prove that these ships
have been properly constructed and may at no great ad
ditiona cost be adapted TO "war purposes" But, then
he is also quoted by the senator from Virginia, Mr.
HuSTER,l 10 show that the witnesses statement is
exceedingly indefinite and unsatisfactory. Ii is true be
does say quoted by the senator from Texas, in speak
ing OF the Baltic, land take her AS the BEST and this
The summary OF the best he has said OF heI:)
although in accordance with every particular stipu.
iaon OF the contract has already been made known
the department by the superintendent in charge she Is
structed Of suitable dimensions, build, and finish,
form with the for carrying the mails her destined
and with the preparations and additions OF suitable
appointments she could be easily convened into a
steamer Of the first class."-Nop1mbsr 2 1850
February Is, 1852, be says:
ccordng TO my calculations the cost OF the conversion
of either of the vessels exclusive o. anna
not, or certainly ought riot, exceed for OF the
class 900; and for those OF the second class Sl5
600; and Ii could be readily done for this any OF
navy.yards, provided that rsesa alterations
made.
The armaments Of the respective vessels would, OF
course, be separate and 70 arrange The guns "a
upper deck IL would only be required TO close up three
-four OF the matches skyghu to strengthen the deck by
additional beams and stanchonsj to cut ports and con
the pivot and carriages probably might be
desirable 70 shift The cnpstsn and cables"
But here, again, quoted the side by the senator
from Virginia, he says:
The msil.steapen Of the contact, Of Rowland u As