Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-04-11
sxcHMAsE o. THE NAVY.

IN Ho;s. of Representatives. hiarch Is. 1854.
The House being II the Committee OF the "no,e Um "
s,o,o of The Union, and the bill 10 authorize the constructor
of six frst.class steam-iflga'es oeine uoue' 'oA'
NJ, Cu.vnAs-I know that perform On uugracious tasA
when call back the attention OF !he hoose ,s1m 0,a ri ion Of a
mailer of plain and practical importance. But l must III ne
hardened il | prefer 70. my own discussion snHJecls W M, -
" ra,ber than subjects Of feeling, and il | dlrect my elio'''
,ha m ACCOMPLISHING good than TO creating q sensstion.-
! shall employ the most Of the time allowed me unlet Wv
rules Of the House in assigning some OF ms leaeono WV "m ~
induced the Committee on Naval Affairs, al an carry uas "
the session, to report this bill, and which, IN my ]unSneu',
render il highly important that it should promptly oeco"e d
law. ,h;ocr
of The bin, | mus, ask the indulgence Of the House while |
explain one Of lis features, which | may call a mere matter
II is provided in the bill that the six steam propelers au,
thorIzcd TO bc constructed shall be built by contract OF
in the navy yards Of the government, as me oecne.uly y
,he navy shall lhehk most advisable for the public interest.
Ths,e ~ q difference of opinion In the Committee on
Naval Affairs, and Of course it will os more seilous 10 'ns
House Of Representatives IN REGARD ~ INC .Ia' . .hnmti ha
,I, ~ modes of construction. Ii either plan shouu oe
adopted, the friends of the other miehI, from 'c 'oi.'ue
ton of defeat, become Iukewarm if not hosuiei ana IL was
our desIro IN enlist the cordial support OF oil friends 10 an In
r,a,sod navv Indeed, the provision seems 10 me 70 DC q
good one In itself. | upprehend that lew members Oh inc
House of representatives, however ao'e anu e1PeIeneeu
have sufficient acquaintance win Inc science aho hIsloly
m "r n.S,i Construction in our country 10 have formed a very
posi,ive ond confident opinion on the question. Arguments
an bo,h sides suggest themselves 10 my mind, and l confess
,bsI I have had some difficulty in striking the balance and
dsrerminInq The preponderance between them. The vessels In
our mercantile marine, built of course by private enterprise,
are admitted TO DO equal to any 10 the world, either Tor beau
y or for service Can wo procure as good work ~ be done
for the government by the same pcrsonsi
That is not 30 sure. He who builds for himself looks 10
tho usefulness of his work, but he who builds Under a con.
tract with the government looks TO the amount OF MIS- prohlsi
and, with the best supervision on the part OF q government
agent, how ample will be the opportunities iof money.savng
devices! Can every piece Of timber be inspected, or every
bolt Of iron tried, before il Is cmployedf
MIR. Chairman, l make no special imputation against snip
lttI Dk-.-- uk1no "a hnnpaf ~ 0thpF
but, sr, it Is too much the case with all classes mat the oni
ted States government IS considered lr a state OF ou'la"ly
and fairly liable to be p!aeked ana roooea oy every pensu
ton between private and political honesty. wei, mere Is
practical exemplihcatium of it. ~,
There are, alas, too many who interpolatc upon the Bible
and, when tho commandment says "lhou shalt not atesl,
add, in their reading, Except from The United States govern
mcnt."
cure the same skll and fidelity in the government ~ori
which are employed in building merchantmen.
On the other hand, we hav he'd as fine ships built In Iht
government yards as have been found in the world. Inc
excellence and beauty 81 American memo war was once
proycrbiul. IT We have good constructors ana engineers
why should they not always be well builti Ihete IS no'
likely 10 be my fraudulent shifts in the execution OIL Inc
work.
Employees who work for the government upon daily or
monthly pay have not the same motive or inducemenl 10 as.
fraUd az those who build by contract. They may also "an'
the came inducement 10 industry and skill. There lies Inc
question.
We have in a few wears had lamentable failures In the
working of certain steamships built by the government. ]
alude more particularly to the San jacinto, the Aheghany'
and the Princeton.
But have we not also seen failures in vessels built by pi-
vute enterprise Where are the four revenue cutters putt
by contract under a recent act OF Congress- Iher names
may stand on the register; but names are pracllcally Inc
greatest part OF Them. The Erebus and Terror Sill stano on
The British navy list; but, with The gallant Sir John, theiE
captains, and crews, they have long ago, douoIless, gone u
the bottom of the deep SEA.
These rcvenuo-cutters, if I am correctly Informed, might
for all useful purposes, almost as we'll be there also. ri 49,,
Again Almost every man who Inspected the lae li'la'eo
San Francisco bears testimony that its defective cohs'ruc'
ton was principally the cause Of is loss. Other eases migh'
be named, but i foIbear. The application OF steam TO The
propulsion Of war vessels ls comparatively a modern design,
and al great mechanical inventions, pass from Their lncep,
lion to lIl success, through temporary disaslera and Par'la
failures.
The English had many and great failures In this matter
but they passed through them TO brilliant success, aud shall
we be less bold and enterprising7
1t may be that we have, by our failures, acquired aHeaoy
all The knowledge necessary for future SUCCESS. The mem
bers of this Hnuss have doubtless observed from the printed
report OF the Investigation of the causes OF the failures men
toned that they grew in every case but one out oil defects
in the steam machinery, and not in The Teasels themselves:
The ships, excepting the Allegheny, were well built. INT
stelm machinery, wherein the deleclslay, was IN every ONE
case prepared and furnished under contract. II - needless
to inquire whether the fauli. lay in the plan or specification
The contractor was in ei il r case q - nS%51er. o,amso.s, a.
If the plan furnished was impracticabie' 1t was his duty, De DC
fore carrying il out into costly failure, to have exposed IL
defects. Al any rate, the difficulty in the way oil me con
tract plan could not on thut pretext be oo'laico' oecaus
the government must continue 10 lufhish wv F'a"s ~ ~
vessels of war. -,
Building war steamers is q very different thing from build
ing merchantmen or mail steamers. Inc pans Of me YES
sells In the two cases are very widely different; and though
we have private ship.builders skilled In the one KIND OIL con
s,ruction, IL 10 by no means certain that they wouia ou equal
j. expert at the Other. IT,
gentleman now a, tho head Of the Bureau OF CONSTRUCTOR
IN The Navy Department Is not only thoroughly eoucatss
and trimmed in his profession, but he euJoysn high teputn',ol
for skill and success. We can moro safely conhde IN nj
skill, with the aid, which he will enjoy, than 10 inc plans .
any whose experience extends no furtner IMAM ~ III pau"
ming OF merchant vessels. -,
In oil probability, however, The steam machinery for IN
vessels which VIC propose TO build must 10 any q 81 y In
nIshed by contract. If SO disposed, and vested win SUN
cien, authority. the department may not be able 10 make az
engagements in time 10 have them prepared ~ ~ uu "a a
Yards. The question then naturally arises; no" WIN W.
avoid like disasters in fulure7 l answer, that you may OF
go. | think, by adopting the form OF contract lately 9seo N
The present Secretary of the Navy in 6argsinlng LOT new
steam machinery for the San Jacinto; ny lG cru ~ n :, yi i
contract The Secretary lie to pay nothing unhl 'ns Woth u
finished. Then, il II pervcs we'll, he is 10 pay one.hal oil th
contract price, but the other half he reserves until a SIX
months trial shall have pretty thoroughly tested Inc quah''
= IF defects appeur in The course of this trial, they ore TO bt
rrmedied a, The cost Of the contractors; and 1t is only "hel
The WORK il found by such trial 10 be reliable and permanent
thai the final settlement is made with the contractor. I'M
Secretary takes, also, in the beginning, as additional surety
fnr The proper discharge Of his duty by the contractor,
bond, With good security, conditioned to be forfeited unlcs'
the work ia well done. In mentioning this as a form Of con
tract used by the present Secretary OF the Navy, | am WIN
Ing 10 nav a well. deserved compliment 10 his fine business
skill and practical talent; but ! do not, by any mcans, lntenS
to reHec; on his more immediate predecessors, several o
whom have known both presumably and officially, and heIt
III hIEh ~
from the very experience OF his predecessors, Mr.. Dobbin ia!
caught the light which has led him 10 this simple, but, 10 my
mind, admirable device.
The question here naturally arisos whether the same form
of contract will not be- equally efficient In securing fiiihlu
performance in tho execution OF the contracts for building
ships as welt as for furnishing steam machinery. fear mol
Defects in steam machinery will be ap, 10 show themselves
If they exist at oil, In a six months trial. Bat ship maj
look well and work we'll for not only six months, but for
few years, in the construction of which very defective ma
tcriaI has been used, and very iHpcrfect workmanship hat
hcnn endowed. Ships may not be thoroughly tried rnl aftcl
n service so long that few would agree TO wait for their mo
ney for so great a length OF time. Leave this question, then
IA YOU well may, In the hands Of 4 faithful and intelieen
Secretary of The navy. He will enjoy for its investigation
many advantages which we do not possess, and will bring
to It's decision all the aids which no can command. He Wi
probably Gull upon The leading ehip-builders in the U. States
upon Donald Mckay of Boston, the builder Of The celcbra
ted, but III .fated. Great Republic upon Webb Of New York
who has recently been employed by The Emperor of Russt
10 build ships for his navy; upon Steers, Vanderbilt ant
others, to furnish plans, specifications and prices. He vii
forthwith despatch TO Europe one of The best constructor
r in tho United States, TO investigate into the models, plans
DC of the best ships Of England, France and the o,hor Eu
ropean nations; he will cause csllmatcs Of the cost OF con
: struciion in our own yards; and when the most ample infor
nation has been obtained, he will be prepared 10 say who
Their il ia better TO build all these vessels by contract, all ii