The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-10

said lines Of steamers and deposited in the trea-
sqry to the credit Vi the appropriate for the an
nual compensation Tor the service rendered under
their contracts, which has been applied In pay
ment Of said annual compensation, pursuant to
section 10 Of the act Of Congress OF August 8, lS4s;
and whether said steamships, or any other steam
ships employed in the transportation OF our
foreign mails, in all respects suitable for imne-
date conversion into steamers for war purposes,
capable Of carrying the ammunition or battery up.
propriatc TO the class specified in the contracts and
il not suitable Tor such immediate CONVERSION,
whether they could be altered as to make them
efficient steamers; and il SO, what alterations
would DO necessary to be made and at what ex-
pensc to make them steamers OF the first class
Objection being made to the introduction, the
rules were suspended for that purposc--ayes 9o'
noes II.
MIR. JONES, Of Tennessee, suggested that in
stead Of the Secretary OF the Navy being "request
ed,'' he be "drcctcd" to communicate the inior-
nation. Such was the form provided by the rules
Mr.. PEASLEE accepted The proposed moditlca-
ton. fYt.Nl
MIR. STEPHENS, of Georgia, asked the gentle
men whether he would inform the House 81 the OBJ
ject OF tho call. lie wished to understand this be-
fore he voted upon the resolution, to answer which
would require time
Mr. PEASLEE said it seemed to him that in
view Of the large amount OF money already cx-
pended, and the applications which were made
during tho last Congress, and during this, and
those which may be made hereafter, the subject
was Of sufficient consequence to induce the House
to obtain all the ghtit can, from the most respon-
siblc aud reliable sources, that gentlemen may
act undcrstandingly. Thirteen hundred thousand
dollars have been appropriated annually ior the
support Of mail steamers, and already additional
compensation from the Government has been
asked for by these contractors. The amount OF
money which we shall be obliged to pay under the
present contracts, iii the contractors perform their
services required,) without any additional com
pensaton orpay or the estapiishnent OF new mes
will amount 10 millions before the present CON
tracts expire during the seven or eight years which
they have TO run. During the last session there
were applications. and no doubt there Will be at
this, asking for thirteen additional mail steamers
for the foreign mail service, involving an outlay,
in the first instance Of about six half millions OF
dollars, and two millions year afterwards. And
this, in addition to those already established, and
without augmented compensation. II we enter
into the contracts solicited for the length OF time
and at the prices asked, we will be involved in an
expense Of forty millions of dollars.
One of the principal arguments for the estab-
lishmcnt and extension Of lines Of mail steamers.
for which money has been appropriated, and more
asked for, is, that they are capable OF immediate
conversion into war steamers OF the hrs CLASS, and
that this Is the most economical means Tor sup
porting efficient navy; while, on the other
hand, 1t is said that these came steamers are not
capable of being converted into steamers OF the
first class that they cannot be converted into eff
cient steamers without the expenditure OF time
and money; and cannot be converted into ves-
sells for carrying batteries and armament
How the facts really arc he did not under
q reliable source, that he and others might act
with full understanding Of oil the facts. He
was not inclined to vote for contracts which may
involve millions OF dollars to extend still further
system Of doubtful expediency, when our com
lnercc has grown to Mt least the second grade In
the scale of nations; and considering its Inonopo
lzing tendency, he was unwilling to vote for such
system unlees he knew that II would inure to the
advantage of the Government. by having such vcs-
sele as could be Immediately converted into war
steamers OF the first class
MIR. OLDS Does your resolution call Tor copies
Mr. PEASLEE. 1t calls for all the facts in rela-
ton to the contracts.
Mr.. OLDS. 1t is very important, and hope the
gentleman will embrace this in the call.
MIR. PEASLEE said that he had no objection; his
only purpose was to obtain what light he could on
a subject important to the country, and which
would enable gentlemen to legislnte understand
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia, expressed himself
satisfied with the object of the gentleman, and said
that he should vote for the proposition.
The resolution was then adopted.
MoDIric ALTON THE TAnTr.
Mr.. WEIGH asked leave to offer the following
resolution, which was read for information, viz:
RssoIrod, That the Committee Of Ways and
Means be instructed to report bill modifying and
altering the tariff Of lS4G, by substituting, whcr-
ever practicable, specific for ad voIorem duties,
with such rates OF duty as will yield sufficient
revenue, and with so %s-'sAaa Mp lions in favor OF
iron and other articles Of done2t,S .rture
and production will afford adequate protection
10 the labor Of our own citiEcns against foreign
competition
Objection being made to the introduction OF the
resolution
Mr.. WEIGH moved suspension Of the rulcs,
aud thereupon called for the yeas and nays,
(Which were ordcred,) saying that he wished to
make this feet
The question was taken and decided in the mega
tive-yeas 90. nays 10s-as follows:
YEAS.-Mcssrs. Charles Allen, Allison. William
Appleton Barrere, Bell Bennett, Bbighaus, Bowie,
Boyd, Brcnton. Briggs, George ii. Brown. f. Car
rington Cabc, Lewis ID. Campbell, Chandler,
Fowler, Henry n Fuller, Gentry, Giddings, g God
cnow, Goodrich, Harper, Hascall. Haven. Hebard,
IIorsiord, John w. Howe, Thomas How, jr.,
George G. King, Mann. Martin, Mcacham, Miller,
Miner, Newton, Samuel w. Parker, Penniman,
Perkins Porter, Price, Scboolcraft, David L. Sey-
nlour, Origcn s. Seymour Stanly, Benjamin Stan
ton, s,ra,ton. strothsr, Taylor, Thurston, Wash
burn, jr;, Watkins, WEIGH, well', and Addison
NAYS.-Mossys. Abercrombic, Willis Allen.
Andrews, Avcret,, Bnbcock, David J. Bailey,
Thomas II. Bayly. Bcaic, Bocook, Albert G.
Brown, Buell.. Busby, Joseph Gable, Caldwell
Clark Clingman. Cobb, Daniel, John G.. Davis
Dawson, Dean, Dimnlick, Disney, Dockery, Fast
man, Edmundson, Ewing, Faulkner, Fictin,
Fitch, Floyd. Freeman, Gamble. Gaylord, Cor
man, Green, Grey, Grow, Hall, isham G. Harris,
sampson W. Harris, Hart, Hendricks, Hem, Hib.
bard, HoIladay, Houston. Howard, Ives, Andrew
yotnscn, lntucs JOnnsOnr JOnn JOnneOn, NsDffl
w. Johnson, George w. Jones, J. Clancy Jones,
kurtz, Lccher, ockbart, Mace, McCorkle, Nc
Lanshan, McMulen, McNair, Mcqueen. Millsop,
Molony, Morchead, Murphy, Murray, Nabcrs,
Ode, Orr, Outlaw, Pcnsleo, Penn, Polk, Powell,
Rantoul, IT., Riddle, Robbie, Robinson. Savage,
Scurry, stuNt. Smith, Frederick r. Stanton, Rich.
ard II. stanton, Abraham Y. Stevens, Alexander
H. Sscphcns Stone, ST. Martin, Stuart, Suiher-
land, Swectser, George w Thompson, Town.
ehcnd, vcpabie, w aIlscc, Ward, Alexander White,
Wilcor, Widrick, Williams and Woodvard-l0S.
SO the rules were no, suspended. --a-
ARMs TO Sxw STATES AID THE TERRITORIES.
On motion of MIR. HOWARD, IL was
Resofrsd Tia, the Committee ON Military Ar
fsirs be instructed 10 inquire into the cspedicncy
OF distributing arms TO the new States and the Ter.
itorics, Ms recommended in the annual report oil
the Secretary Of War
tgsLL REEr nsTwEEs pAurHS ISLAND AND CEDAR
POINT.
MIR. BROWN, Of Mississippi, under a suspension
OF tho rules offered the following resolution, which
WIS adopted 49,