Washington sentinel., 1854-04-06
Masbingtun gentinsl.
INCREASE OF THE NAVY.
SPEECH OF HON. T. $. BOCoCk,
or VIRGINIA,

being under consideration
MIR. BOCOCk said:
Mr.. CHA!RMAS know that perform an un-
gracious task when ! call back the attention of
The House from the exciting debates of the last
few days 10 the consideration OF matter of plain
and practcalimportancc But Imust be pardoned
Il prefer for my discussion subjects of util-
ly rather than subjects of feeling, and il direct
my efforts rather 10 accomplishing good than 10
creating sensation. i shall employ The most OF
he time allowed mo under tho rules of the House
n assigning some Of the reasons which induced
tke Committee on Naval Affairs, at an early day
al the session, 10 report this bill and which, IN my
Judgment render il highly important that il should
promptly become law.
Before proceed, however, TO enforce the prln-
cipal object of the bill, must ask the indulgence
Of The House while explain one of lis features,
which may call mere matter of detail
il is provided in the bill that the six steam pro-
pellers authorized 10 be constructed shall be built
by contract, or IN the navy yards OF the govern
:nent, as The Secretary OF the Navy shall think
most advisable for the public interest.
There was difference of opinion in the Com
niiee Naval Affairs, and of course il will be
more serious IN the House OF Representatives, IN
reg ard 10 the relative merits of the two modes of
construction. II either plan should be adopted,
the friends OF the other might, from the moridca-
as 3 q ssa 6 Is as i aS
Of al! friends 10 an Increased navy. Indeed, the
provision seems 10 me 10 be good one in itself
! apprehend that few members OF the House of
nave suiiclent ACC quaintance with the science and
history OF naval construction in our country 10
1ave formed avery positive and confident opinion
on the question. Arguments on both sides sug-
sest themselves to my mind, and confess that
nave had some dIticulty IN striking the balance,
and determining the preponderance between them.
he vessels IN our mercantile marine, built of
course by private enterprise, are admitted 10 be
equal 10 any in the world either for beauty or for
service. Can We procure good work 10 be
he Ne
That Is not so sure. He who builds for himself
looks 10 the usefulness of his work, but he who
builds under contract with the government
looks 10 the amount of his profits and, with the
beat supervision on the part of a government
agent, how ample will be the opportunities for
Incney-saving devices. Can every piece oftmber
e Inspected or every bolt of iron tried before il
employed!
against ship-buders. They are, doubtless, as
honest as other classes but, sir il is too much
tie case with all classes that the United States
government is considered in state of outlawry.
and fairly liable TO be pucked and robbed by every
person sgho passes. We have all heard suggested
sort of distinction between private and political
F.. honesty Well, here is a practical exemplitcation
oft.
There are, alas too many who interpolate upon
The Bible, and, when the commandment says "thou
shalt not steal, add in their reading, except from
the United States government"
We are not quite sure, then that we can. by
government work which employed in building
merchantmen. ......
On the other hand, we have had as fine ships
built in The government yards as have been found
in the world. The excellence and beauty of
American men of-war once proverbia. II
we have good constructors and engineers why
should they rot always be well built 2 There is
not likely TO be any fraudulent shifts in the execu-
lion of the work
EMPLOYEES who work for the government upon
m n
inducement 10 dcfraud as those who build by con-
tract. They may also want the same inducement
10 industry and skill. There lies the Gresiisn.
We have in a few years had lame ntabe failures
in the working OF certain STEAMSHIPS built by the
government / alude more particularly to the
san Jacinto, the Allegheny, and the Princeton.
But have we not also seen failures in vessels
built by private enterprise? Where the four
-evenue-cuters built by contract under a recent
net OF Congress? Their names may stand on the
register but names are practically the greatest
part Of them. The Erebus and Terror still stand
on the British navy list; but with the gallant Sir
John, their captains and crews, they have long
ago, doubtless, gone 10 the bottom Of the deep sea
These revenue-cuters. if ! correctly in
formed, might for all useful purposes, almost as.
well be there also
Again Almost every man who inspected the
late ill-taicd San Francisco bears testimony that
us defective construction was principally the
cause of lis loss. Other cases might be named
but forbear. The application of steam 10 the
"
ern design, and all great mechanical inventions
pass from their inception 10 full success, through
temporary disasters and partial failures.
The ERglish had many and great failures in this
matter, bnt they passed through them TO brilliant
success, and shall we be less bold and enterpris
ing?
il may be that we have, by our failures, ac-
CURED already all the knowledge necessary for
future success. The members ofthis House have
doubtless observed from the printed report of the
investigation Of the of the failures men
toned that they grew in every case but out Of
defects in the steam machinery, and not in the
vessels themselves
The ships, excepting the Allegheny, were well
built. The steam machinery, wherein the defect
lay, was in every other case prepared and fur
nished under contract. II is needless 10 inquire
whether the fault lay in The plan or specification,
or in The execution. think il lay in both.
The contractor was in either case, however,
5lamable; for If The plan furnished was impracti-
cable, il was his duty, before carrying it into
costly failure, 10 have exposed its defects. At
any rate the difficulty in the way Of the contract
plan could not on that pretext be obviated, be-
cause the government must continue 10 furnish
me plans for its vessels of war.
Building war steamers is very different thing
from building merchantmen mail steamers.
The plans Of the vessels in the two cases are very
widely different; and though we have private
ship-buiIders skilled in the kind Of construc-
tion y IS BY no means certain that they would be
equally expert al the other ..
There would be no propretv in runnino the
hazard. The gentleman at the head of the
Bureau OF Construction in the Navy Department
is not only thoroughly educated and trained in his
profession, but lie enjoys high reputation for
skill and success. We can more safely confde in
his skill. with The aids which he will enov. than
20 the plans Of any whose experience extends no
further than TO the planning Of merchant vessels
In all probability, however, the steam machine.
~ for the vessels which propose to build mus,
in any case be furnished BY contract. If so dis.
posed and vested with sufficient authority. The
department may not be able make arrange
nents in time 10 have them prepared in our nav,
yards. The question then naturally arises how
will you avoid like disasters in future? | an
awer that you may do so, think. by adopting III,
form Of contract lately used by the present Secre
tnry of the Navy in bargaining for new stean
machinery for the San Jacinto. BY the terms o
that contract the Secretary is to pay nothing unit
the work is finished, Then, if it serves well, b,
Is TO pay one-haf OF the contract price, but III,
other half he reserves until six-months' tria
aha have pretty lhoronnhlv tested tha nnal;..- Z,