Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-14

employ; aud say that in the establishment Of any sys
tenn which precludes the employment Of the best
any branch OF the service Is radically wrong and ought
t. be changed; care not by what process it No
appeal can be made 70 my sympathies feelings am
wiling 10 pay money 10 these officers If that is all that Is
required but not willing that they should be in the
way OF others and thus TO balance the with their
country by doing much harm good The Executive
has as haze before observed the power
OF the evils complained Of; bat he will not do it'll the pre-
sent system Is continued shall take proper
sion 70 recommend entirely organization of the
Navy Department You generally have Secretary OF the
Navy VINO knows nothing in the world abon naval mat
tiers Hell brought here from his profession and has
depend upon others for all the information he GETS and
those others IN nowise responsible for their advice His
WORD i the law If squadron to be fitted out he,
der the direction Of the President orders the ships and
their oincers without knowing any thing about them.
Dir, this oneman power will not do in such estab-
lishment think thar there is no living man that has
the intellectual physical power to perform the duties
OF the Navy Department rs they ought be performed
justice to the country Mr. President look the navy
as the buwark Of our honor if safety and tell you
sir that all your famous schemes in reference TO Cuba
will vanish like mist before the wind aud gentlemen will
regret the warke speeches which they have made if you
do not Look 10 your navy in time Look the threaten
ing aspect of France and England. 1t has amazed me
that We so indifferent about the only you
to defend your honor Suppose Europe should combine
against you, they would have done long ago if there
had been monarch there worth the gold in his
Every one of your ports would have been bockaded.
They would have forbidden you the They
would have declared that you had assumed this CONT
nent to be your You should leave the them
In such case how would you have fared twenty FIVE
years ago? 1t is very easy to bully and boast but
know the effect of thirty pound shot any
rate and know that mans heart cannot his head
in such case Let me assure Senator's, while am dis
eoursing upon this subject that speaking to the
important subject that can now occupy the attention
d Of American statesmen.
Mr. President repeat that the Secretary of the Navy
should have responsible advisers, and that in all the de
If tails he should have his VOTE and that is ALL He Ca
binet Minister The President has the power appoint
! ing him. would have it he may know all abou
e those duties. But would have him instructed in al
those branches in which he is defcient-not by
tneran teachers but by known responsible instructors
Sir would have board established would have that
board composed of the heads of all the bureaus. would
have them meet at given hour every day would have
the Secretary of the Navy o President of the board
and the 0duS opaRd would be this When the President
and Congress wanted feet to go the West Indies,
the East Indies any where else the order would be
presented to the board the ships and the officers would
be selected by them and So through the nsrumentay
Of this board the Government and people would have the
benefit they ought u have of the best experience and
the best knowledge in the navy upon every given ques-
ton As il stands you have several irresponsible
bureaus The officer at the head Of the Ordnance Bureau
know about construction, yet he has nothing TO
about he is look to the guns and to nothing
else The officer who has charge of the construction may
know about ordnance, yet he has nothing to say
about the ordnance Now, say that the whole power of
bureaus should be brought to bear upon every ques
tion only in regard the construction of ships but
the appointment of officers In my judgment, sir there
would be less probability Of injustice being done by this
process than in any other especially, you would have
some responsible look to-. Who is responsible
in the navy Who irresponsible for the present
don of the navy? Who is responsible for the building
or repairing of the vessels? | say word only
that matter ask who is responsible for the failure
Of the Princeton They took the name of the most etfec
tive and useful that foated in waters
the formidable man-of-war that put
mission in this country ship that could have defed tie
whole American Maryland gave ii 10 this abortion, of
which have heard much Of late They disregarded
! her model her construction and her engine and from
being the first ship in the country, she is the Of
: all seamen and al engineers.
And again ask, who is responsible? You may 60
and reform the officers But while the Secretary of the
Navy is allowed remain with his present honors and
powers and in perpetual ignorance, the reform of the
officers will much. Sir, want to reform
the Secretary do aude particularly to the present
Secretary But that win be done before long Then if
he cannot or will reform the navy hope Congress
viii take il in hand in good earnest But sir once more
y say thasit to me there is no responsibility any
Il where navy The other day they built dock il
Philadelphia and incurred the expense fitting ship il
W New York, other eastern port to be taken Il
O. Philadelphia and put in the dock. When she arrives
at there founinot before, but after her arrival
that there water enough permit her be take
st upon the dock Yet sir far have been informed
ng nobody is responsible and after this has tn
e navy Of the country been dsgaced time after time
al year after year.
BE- Mr. President my object as one Of the Naval Commit
tee has been and endeayor to perfect the whole
system BY beginning the head and making every bod
responsible that be made responsible and to insure
d. far as possible the people of the United States the
benefit Of all the experience and knowledge that may be
in the navy And now, sir ask my friend, the chairman
en- Of the Committee Military Affairs whether he will not
u trust the Committee Naval Affairs with this matter
and strike Of his bill that portion Of il which relates
ne 70 the navy aHd marine corps.
G. Mr.. SHIELDS. | wish 70 assure my honorable and
gallant friend the Senator from New Jersey that do
not want to interfere in any way with the prerogaves Of
the Naval Committee But former occasions some
IN difficulties in the Senate because the Military Com
mittee brought in bill and the Naval Committee
brought in another and hence the Military Committee
thought il would be better that should agree one
e bill and apply il both services We drew up the bill
precisely pursuance Of that undeystandng We draft.
ed IL in accordance with the bills that have been hereto.
fore reported but if the honorable Senator wishes to
have charge Of the subject and is satisfied with this
bin am FOR one heartily willing that he should take the
: whole subject into his charge.
n When the honorable Senator he said he did not
mean to discuss this BILL and think he has kept his
word do not believe he has discussed the measure
before the Senate although he has discussed the merits
and condition Of the navy to my delight and satisfaction
But, Mr.. President there Is thing in which cannot
follow the honorable Senator and that is in drawing
contrast between the navy and the army That honorable
and distinguished Senator says that the navy has done
great deal more than the army Now, believe that both
have done their duty tolerably well, and am satisfied
they viii do their duty again although the honorable
Senator says that the navy Is not worth thing now
am inclined to believe that perhaps il has suffered very
much since his retirement from the service His retire.
ment must be partly the for its decline.
agree with him in reference TO the necessity OF re-
formation Of the navy and nothing would give me more