The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-16

service No gentleman deny that Them you once
ascertain the fact that vacancy has existed you nave
closed the because the asceranment Of that faet
determines the power in this government when aone
has the right TO NIL the vacancy 50 created lou nae
said in the the President that when these oneefs
taken off the list he should consider that vaeahees
had occurred in the service and he approved nat la"
Those vacancies occurred during the recess ts
The President under the constitution had the power 70 APP
point by commissions which will only at the close OF
the session of the Senate You were not content
leave the President the discretion OF exercising TINS eA
ecuye power but you told him to fill the vacancies at
once You told him that be should NIL those vacancies o
promoting officers according TO their seniority Then,
putt to every intelligent gentlemen mere ~ wnal process
eeutt the right filling those vacancies, and putting ON
Gers back again into their places by legislative enactment
can see no difference IN me eonsu.uuona QUESTION De
who has been retired, in that respect II you once admit
that vacancy has exstedand you must admit because
YOU have declared by the terms OF your own law-you
have orecosed this question: far as legislative power
over il is concerned.
Mr. President suppose wrong in this view OF the
subject admit for the sake of the argument that we have
the power to undo all that we have done admit that il de-
ponds alone whether the navy shall be put back
just where ii before passed this law WISE Is 1t
prudent it discriminating craftsmanship to restore the
body of the evil because it has not been removed in
the satisfactory in the Judgment OF gentlemen
here present? What sir has 1t to this that in the
Congress Of the United States no man can be found with
ingenuity sufficient to devise remedy for correcting the
wrong done in the execution OF the law without entang
on the country the Of inefficient or incompetent
"A
dressing us on all sides Of the chamber threatening us
with with the first naval power in the world We the
legislators of the country to whom are conded the best
interests of the country and who are bound TO look TO Its
protection are called upon remedy the Inconvenience
which may attach particular mode Of executing the
law by restoring entire body OF incompetent and in
efficient officers to the public service
Sir there other and better remedies than this This
remedy is Objectionable in every point in which you can
view it. 1t unjust to the officers retired It is unjust TO
those who have been appointed ia their places Of the
number Of officers who have been ered NEARLY two hun
dred,) how many of them have made complaint The
Secretary Of the Senate at my request made for me this
morning list Of those complaining to u.s. and there are
sxtyeight who have made complaint by petition or me.
mortal do not rely this however, as the limit OF the
number, have no doubt that every one who has been
acted ON will comp bere and that your table will groan
beneath supplcatons, patitOns, and memorials. Whyf
Not because of the consciousness on the part OF those OIL
GERS that injustice or wrong has been done % 'hem
but because, yielding to clamor which now hills
the public in all parts of the country, men have
been ed to believe themselves dshonored and dsgaeed
eyes to the fact that they were really not benefited
and advanaged by the action of Congress Prior to this
law the President of the United aes had power what
these officers when inefficient but to dismiss them
from the public service Now look your Navy Register
and look at your reserved list find that thirty-one
captains have been reserved There is not of them
as far Judge from the length of the period they
have been in the public service who not years
Of age; of them over eighty, They have been
fifteen twenty twenty five thirty years out of the pub
lie service in point Of fact They have not been to for
long period of time, almost for generation. They
reserved from the navy already in point of fact ndpend
IDENTIFY your enactment but in consequence OF it. they
navy above that OF captain No. SIR Is great grew
ance these gentlemen who have gray in the pub
lie service that they out OF tbs line OF promotion TO
some contingent admrars appointment which at
future time be offered in the service of the country Well
SIR appoint them admrals, you please raise them in
seminal grade give them the additional tinsel OF an extra
epauet or stripe their coats but take them
of the navy list that the service of your country may
be efficiently done
These men have been forty or fifty years in the service
but have for the last twenty twenty-five years posi-
lively been retired fact but retired be in the
way of the service Of the navy and repeatedly
informed by the department. What did you do You
provided for them retirement for their old age You
to them the highest grade in the service You
reserved them their full leaveofabsence paythe pay
they getting before the Jaw passed Having thus
provided for them in their old age which many
VI them occupy with hearts filed with gratitude and
thankulness to their country what right have now,
what proprety would there be in deprvng them of
this retreat and Of this pension2 Allow them to remain
they shall leave them untormented by any idea
of being ordered sea- when they would be compelled to
refuse duty be subjected to DISMISSAL from the navy In
consequence Of neieency which Is not their fault Is
there any justice in deprving these officers Of their retire
menta retirement secured beyond the power Of the de-
partmenta retirement with which they satisfied
until this clamor raised Sir You will remember the
old story of the client who burst into when his
yer told the jury how badly he had been treated he
knew it before Laughter. ... Ska.
and content until number Of those who felt the sting
from the fact that they not retired in that grade Of
honor into which the best officers Of the service
tired made clunor until they filed the public with
their donuncaogs OF the board and OF the operations of
the law They have by degrees succeeded In mprcssng
their not yet on the American peo
pethe idea that they degraded by being retained in
tho public service with full pay and full grade but placed
OF the Of active and competent officers for the time
being say ia relation 10 these men, take up your list
of commanders who have been forty fifty years in
vce-some of them twenty twenty-five years without
having been TO seaand what you going to do with
them2 You have provided for them fairly, justly and
literally pension list such exists In other country
under heaven Now you asked TO repeal that provs-
ion. Why2 Can any just or good reason be given why
should do i'll None sir unless IL be absolutely impos-
sbe for the wisdom Of Congress to devise other
edy for any of injustice which may be proved
But sir there Is another class OF officers 10 whom de-
sire call the attention Of the Senate who would be af
ected by the repeal Of this law and ask senator's IL they
ready that class The naval board has
ported such of the officers Of the navy competent
Efficient active and honor your service You or
dered your President TO promote them. He has done H.
They have the pledged faith Of the country for that promo
ton You cannot, in honor, withdraw IT, You have or
dered the President of the United States promote
Just in the way he has done Hs has only promoted
them but they scattered the four quarters of the
earth. One Of them Is in command of your Bsazan
squadron another is the Aeeicapan in the Mediterranean
Fortyseven leutenants who have been promoted under
this law in active service scattered the world All
their domestic arrangements have been made everything
that required for change Of position in the service
has been accomplished They have been abroad with
promotion offered them under the law, and accepted by
them in the implicit confidence that Congress would not
afterwards degrade them back rank from which Con-
gress had of It's own volitop, promoted them.
Now because certain officers OF the navy remain out Of
active service but in full possession OF their grade their
emouments their official honors-because by the udg-
otoffb hav 50