The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-05

I HcrW. Ihtfr ! HnIIaIIOn
Der only oher this suggestion. The senator
from Florida and the senator from New Jersey are bet
ter informed upon the subject than am, and, said
before am friendly 10 the general objects OF The bill.
| Mr. MALLORY. Mr. President, 1 only aim at what
is practical, and have not hazafded opinion as to
the number OF officers without due premeditalon.
But hTst let reply 10 the remarks Of the senator
from New Hampshire. [Mr HALE,l who perhaps has
created an impression upon the minds OF senator's that
is very unfayorable in regard 10 these officers who
are waiting orders. There will always appear in the
Navy Register large number of officers waiting
orders The country does not presuppose that a sea-
going officer is all the time Such institution
would preclude some of The dearest ties OF iie When
an officer returns from cruise he IS necessarily wait
ng orders until he is employed aganust The senator
from New Hampshire, when not in Congress, is not IN
the performance OF doly, or as Judge OF The Supreme
Court, when not holding circuit is unemployed.
| And as TO any remark that | may have made about
the opposition of the senator from New Hampshire to
the navy, | have only TO say that II ne has mol,
since have had the honor of seat here. eynced
a hostility 10 the navy, he has had most WIN
ming, seductive, nsinuatiDg and logical way OF I'M
pressing that conviction upon the minds OF senator's,
But take back all have said, and perfectly will
ing after he has suggested that the true policy OF
this government would be to dsbahd our navy and sell
ships and navy yards 10 take all back, and say that
he is in favor of navy from this time know he aims
practical legislation and will endeavor to satisfy
him upon what principle the number oil these officers -
increased and not designed TO be increased This
calculation is based upon the relative service OF the 9th
GERS and their ages and take basis that there will
/ be eighty retrements-twenty of captains, twenty OF
commanders, and forty OF euenants And proceed to
say that these officers retired, there remains still
reduction of by this bill that instead OF IN
ceasing The number OF officers, decreases il by
teen II senators will their eye line ninth Of
the first page OF the bill they will find that there were
three hundred and twenty-five lieulenants IN the navy,
and that this bill reduces them TO two hundred and seven
ly There is reduction at once. In the next line they
will find that there were originally two hundred and
/ five passed midshiPmen or second lieutenants mat
number is reduced to hundred, making dim
mutton of one hundred and five That shows you that
these officers be increased and The design OF the
bill and the amendment OF the committee OF the House
OF Representatives. goes 10 this extent and no morehal
The officers forming the retired, furoughed and active
| list OF the navy shall be made out OF the present
officers OF the navy, and still that the whole list is
diminished seventeen Therefore, the objection that the
officers OF the navy will be increased by this bill con-
ceive does not pertain We must have some calculation
and form estimate in regard TO the number OF the
retired and furloughed officers To obtain that we take
their relative ages and services and the amount OF sea-
going service, and make approximation. That ap-
proxsa,on have arrived at think, therefore, that
the objection of my friend from Virginia Mr. HUNrERl
does not pertain The number OF officers will not be
increased and if it is necessary to retire these officers TO
active service TO the navy, If the senator Will
agree retired list all, conceive that there can be
no objection 10 this
| The yeas and nays ordered.
The question beng taken on the amendment to insert
the word active" the result was-yeas 30 nays ID
as folows
YEAS-Messrs Atchison, Bayard. Bell, Brodhead But
le Cass Charlton Clarke Davis. Dawson, pesanssue'
Mangum, Miller. Norton Rusk Sebastian. Seward,
Shields smith, Spruance, Stockton, Toucty Walker, and
NAYs-Mes:rs Bradbury Chase Cooper. Dodge lodge, Of
Iowa. Pettil, Sumner, Underwood, and Wade--i4
| So the amendment was adopted.
/ Mr. GWIN. There evidently determination on
the part OF the Senate to take the amendments OF The
committee, and | hope the question will be put upon
the whole OF them together. II will great deal
OF time Let the vote be taken the whole OF them,
unless some senator wants TO reserve some particular
one.
i No objection being made, the question takea on
all the amendments OF the committee, and they were
! Mr.. HALE want to ask the senator from New
Jersey mir. STocKToNl question. In the discus.
sion that took place here the other day. IT said that
there was 10 be distinction made between officers that
had go the retired and fuToughed list for disa
bIlity incurred in honest service and that they were TO
have advantage the others who were disabled IN
some other way Is that distinction made in the bill
| Mr.. STOCKTON. Yes sir; there is a furoughed
list with retired officers on half pay. and others on full
Mr. HUNTER There is one thing should like in.
formation in regard TO- AZ understand, there now
325 first lieutenans and 405 passed mdshipmen, and
these together discharge the duties OF euenants in
the navy The amendment 10 the BILL as understand,
proposes to reduce the number of FIRST euenants from
325 TO 49, and the number e passed mldshpmen iron
205 10 100. This makes the greatest reduction 10 what
appears be the most efficient OF the service: II
duces the number Of men now capable of performing
the service OF ieutenans, and Increases the number oil
plains and commodofes.
i MIR STOCKTON That is the last objection | ex-
pscted 10 hear from the from ViIgniato fad
FAULT with reducing the number of officers thought the
senator's objection 10 increasing the number OF oi
GERS
Mr. HUNTER. | object 10 the place in which you
make your reduction.
! Mr. STOCKTON. The reason is this: The class OF
! midshpmen is increased every year IRON your naval
academy The class OF other officers is not and, besides
that class OF officers understand, is now well filled
up that there room for any more until the navy
shall be increased
] Mr. HUNTER. Do you not increase the number OF
midshpmen your amendment from 2o2 to $50, and also
the acting midshipmen OF The naval academy
| Mr. STOCKTON. No, sir; we have taken them away
from the number of passed midsbpmen, so as TO make
the aggregate the before. The present aggre-
gate OF passed mdshipmen, | think, is $50. Now the
passed mdshipmen second lieutenans and midshp-
men.
| Mr. HUNTER. Then, the dismissas OF the retired
list will fall mainly upon the corps OF passed midshp-
men who are amongst the best officers of the navy.
Mr.. STOCKTON No, sir; it has nothing TO do with
passed mdshipmen.
| Mr. HUNTER Ii reduces them.
i Mr.. STOCKTON. Ii reduces the number OF them only
about from fifteen 10 seventeen.
The bill then reported 10 the Senate as amended.
and the amendme nts made in committee concurred IN
The question was upon ordering the bill amended to
be engrossed for its third reading.
| Mr.. CHASE | know that senators who are
now absent desire 10 have opportunity OF looking at
this bill when perfected according to the wish OF the
Naval Committee. therefore ask that 1t may be printed
a al IL I..I. -. II