The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-29


tor from Illinois from the majority Of the committee Their
have been appropriations Of money paid from the treasury
because was necessary in those instances make
psation TO the owners of the vessels In this case tn
San Francisco chartered by the government for tn
purpose OF conveying the third regiment of the Untes
States infantry to California and the government hat
power without further legislation compensate the par
ties who owned the vessels for the losses which they
taned and the services which they rendered There
omoney have been appropriated from the treasury for thu
purpose OF rcwarding individuals and also for compen
pesating the owners Of vessels This case however il
not like any which has heretofore occurred In consder
onsof the of money which have already beer
paid to these parties and the unfcent in which
the government has paid the Of the vessels that
dcrcd the service it that the proper fo
us TO adopt Is to give testimonials In the way of medals
give gold silver and bronze medals subject to the dis
cretion OF the President of the United States.
There is provision which the from Illinois,
have doubt will accept at once whether proposition
prevails o. not y y TINT the commander o the Lucy
lief OF the barque Kby when she supposed TO be in
sinking condition. and took off all the soldiers who were
board of her. My only object is to establish pre-
cedent by which enormous may hereafter be drawn
from the treasury for services rendered in this form The
government Of the United States has already compensated
the of the vessels 1t has paid their accounts as
they presented them The people United States have
raised large Of money and distributed it among the
officers and seamen who rescued the survivors think,
then that should confne ourselves to what have pro-
posed in my amendment ta 4stt5& ksk
Mr.. SHIELDS Mr.. President, the honorable senator
from California right when he says that the people of the
warded to some extent the engaged in the rescue Of
those persons who board Of the San
Francisco at the time of the disaster He is also right
when he states that the government has Unidentified the
Of the vessels engaged in the for the sac
fees which they made But that does affect the object
of this resolution in any particular The San Francis
was chartered by and for the time being belonged to-
the government The men who board the vessel
were the troops of the government The who were
rescued the soldiers OF the The property
rescued belonged to the government The fact that owing
to the delay and rocrasnaton of the government ia act
ing the public forward and TO extent indemni
cd these men, only proves that in the public estimation
they deserved reward ndemniRcation some ac
acknowledgement on the part of the nation. l.sg
committee of fourteen appointed by the Senate
and House TO take the subject into consideration and they
brought forward this joint resolution which involves two
propositions proposes to gvea gold medal to the cap
tain Of the Three Bells who well deserves it, every
will admit to give gold medal to the captain Of the Ant
arctic who also deserves it, and third medal the cap
tain of the barque Klby of Boston Then it proposes
enable the President reward in such us he shall
deem best latter appointing perhaps commission for the
purpose of ascerainng the facts) all those who
gagged in rescuing the unfortunate board Of
the San Francisco whether the belonged
or to other vessels to the San Francisco herself
What the government has already paid has been paid
the Of the vessels but the object Of this resolution
to acknowledge and reward the services of the captains the
seamen the soldiers and the officers engaged in the
acknowledge and reward the services Of every man who
sked his life to rescue those poor unfortunate from
watery grave.
Now the senator from California says that the captain
the Lucy Thompson ought TO receive gold medal well
honorable senator considers the matter Alright he win
insist that The captain of the Lucy Thompson did his
duty He did all that required Of him He found thest
persons in Distress and he relieved them hut sir he made
sacrifice he incurred risk he haxarded neither him
self his vessel 1t not with these other
They hazarded verything that men can hazard here
On the 22d day of last December think the San Fran
cisco left the port of New York On the night of the 23d
in the very first storm which she encountered she
wreck floating at the mercy Of the waves the On
the next morning she struck by wave and about
hundred and fifty of those board swept into thu
ocean. Among them wns Colonel Washington and can
allow this occasion pass without saving word In
regard to that noble officer who is lying the bottom
OF the Atlantic ocean He deck with his command
when the storm came He took shelter in what was
called the saloonthat Is painted wood work erected
the deck which afforded but very little shelter. Some
his brother officers told him that he In danger
that he had better retire to the officers cabin His reply
and 1T should be remembered-was No; will retire
where viii seek shelter nowhere will endure the
fate that my poor men compelled to endure" Now
sir, he lies at the bottom Of the ocean.
This the condition OF the upon vessel I'm
I'll the Three Bells came up there help, rescue
no delverance for them The captain of that vessel
Bic Scotchman, brave and gallant man. at the hazard Of
his own life at the risk Of losing his vessel and verhiDe
which he had upon this earth lay by that wreck for six
days and six nights until he succeeded in the rescue
those poor unfortunate Sir win any man hesitate
had no claim upon that man. His vessel almost
in sinking condition when he in sight Of the wreck
Yet there he remained until he aided In rescung these poor
persons from board the wreck The barque Kilby, Of
Boston and the ship Antarctic also up, and assisted
in the noble work The captains Of those three vessels
the who saved FIVE hundred Of their felowbcngs
from the fate which overlook Colonel Washington
and his brave companions.
Now, sir think it is due from TO give recogni-
ton acknowledgment reward, 10 these men, who
percd everything to the soldiers Of the United
States and who did five hundred Of them by their
gallant conduct
So far the Lucy Thompson is concerned repeat her
captain found the barque kby very New York, and
the persons board Of that barque transferred the
Lucy Thompson, and she gave water and provisions 70
them. That was act for which think her commander
ought TO be highly respected but there was risk
hazard no extraordinary peril sacrifice in this and by
giving that captain medal you confound different
vices
II is the worth or the intrinsic value OF the medals
which makes them valued by the officers but il is because
they acknowledgment given 10 these men, esti-
nsnia from the nation for their gallant and heroic
duct That Is the object OF giving the medals Now, sir
let say that gallant aud heroic conduct has
been recorded than that performed by the COMMANDED
OF tho Three Bells His vessel in sinking con-
dton Of water caky her sails sbivcrcd by the
storm and yet there she lay six days and six nights
by this wreck her commander telling the unfortunate su
frcrs all the while TO hold TO keep the vessel aon
couraQing them with the ASSURANCE will stand by you
TO the last Sir medal TO such Is the least testi-
monial which you can give
Then, also propose TO give money; and will explain
tho object Of that Some OF the seimen OF the
soldiers and non-conmssioncd officers behaved gall
lany and the object Of approprntng the money is to
enable the President discriminate and reward tcm
cordingy. But by the amendment Of The senator from
California, you give medals in the FIRST section, you give
medals in the second section and You give nothing but
medals lie proposes to give gold medals and silver med
ais and bronze medals, and he ought 10 have added all
kinds Of medals That Il not the way to reward dstn-
gushes services; " Is turning the whole thing into bur
lcssue. DO you want the President 90 these