Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-03-26
R.m.rh. or Hon. Warren w,nslo,v,

Ia the House of Representatives, on The Sd inst.
The Joint Resolution authorizing the President to
restore the officers dropped retired under the act of
February 18, 1855, being under consideration:
Mr. wINsLOw Mr.. Speaker, think that if anybody is
entitled to courtesy for the floor it is myself who SO seldom
ntrude upon the attention of the House. gentlemen round
in this Hall will testify. desire to make few remarks
upon this resolution Happily for the House the remarks
prevent misunderstanding, will say that favor the
luton for it. Nevertheless, justice to the late
Secretary of the Navy the late board and to the courts
recently assembled demands that should say word in
their Defence far the transactions under
are involved The which prompt to vote for the
resolution are entirely different from those have heard ad
vanced in the arguments to which have listened have
not heard all the speeches which have been made and
may be that will ground which has been occupied
already.
needed in the Navy United States In twenty
years the successive Secretaries of the Navy have
brought the matter the attention of Congress and enrea
ed its action think my friend from Maryland Mr. Davs]
was error when said that the plan of reform which
The Secretary did urge upon Congress that impera
lively necessary there should be some reform in the Navy
but that proposed by him of different character from
that which Congress upon To show this necessity gen.
temen will bear with while refer to the then existing
condition of the Navy. There always power in the
hands the President to dismiss from the Navy any officer
who was deemed incompetent or an improper person for
Secretary also the power to fuough any officer whom
he thought ought to be furoughed But when man
duty he was not taken from the active list He remained
there block the for promotion for younger and eff
d
Navy when shown that he incompetent for the
discharge of his duty there power in the Secretary of
the Navy and the President to set him aside After he
aside his junior could not to his rank He would
have perform the duty of the superior rank without get
ting either the honor the emOluments attached to it.
regret have to state what really the condition of
the Navy the period of time of whch speaking
Gentlemen will be startled when tell them mat from lS4o
1854 period of fourteen years one hundred and four
teen officers cOurtmartaed for charges ranging from
service ard destructive OF good morals Onetenth OF the
post captains: Onetenth OF the commanders and one
upon their trials and of the one hundred and fourteen
accused, there were only eighteen acqutals The con
ion of the Navy at that time truly called for reform The
reform asked for by the late Secretary OF the Navy was that
Congress should inrus the President and himself with the
concurrence OF the Senate with power 10 DISMISS or 10 iur
efficient officers might be entitled to promotion That
the plan which ought to have been adopted Congress
tell upon another plan which led to the organization of the
naval retiring board had not the honor of seat here
when that bill under considerations 1t probable that
might have voted for it. would have voted for 1t with
great hesitation. board of prescription will always dis
have historical "reminiscences and remember to
have read OF board which met upon the Island Muna In
Italy. There Octavius Antony, and Lepidus There
much giving and takng-wha in backwood parlance
Lepius, your brother too must de-consent you Lepi-
he replied on the condition Publs shall not live who
amaby replies: " He shall not live; look, with spot
damn him.
Now sir do not mean to say that this board of fifteen
did anything of this kind believe they were gentlemen of
very high character. believe they selected by
pure man As God made-one to whom Nature had
been prodga of all those gifts which adorn naturethe
late Sc rotary of the Navy who believe, had but pur
pose during all his administrative career that
reform the Navy, and make indeed what ought to be
navy worthy the Republic But sir the fact that such
things might take place. owing fray and weakness
poor human nature gave occasion the captous and
maevoent to nsnuate bad motives and impure purposes
and the of the debate which took place in the Senate
year, which has taken place here to-day the clm
nation and rccrmnaon which have been INDUCED in show
that this seized upon and these insinuaons
udulged in.
Well sir, the board under the law. Two hundred and
persons removed entirely ordered from the
has produced great camor throughout the country Are
great retoers fall victims their reormations until the
uncrrng judgment of time does them tardy, but ultimate
many felt its keen edge, that camor raised through
mitted errors OF all men in the world the officers Of the
Navy are the least qualified to discharge judicial functions
There position in the world that contracts the mind
Nun mem cOmemt U law ahG lawyers E
and ormaes of the law the safeguard of the CITIZEN and
guide Had this thing been done by board composed
civilians probably not half the clamor would have been
ed it. thing done and not view of
arguments drawn from the conduct the board either good
bad that to upon the merits of this resOu
On When the bill to organize courts OF inquiry came before
the Naval Committee of the House last session. it OPP
posed by my colleague the distinguished chairman of the
Naval Committee, [Mr. Bocock and myself and we intro
duced substitute for it, which almost in the very words
of this resolution The Secretary of the Navy said there had
admitted all hands that there had been
nature of things there could not have been great
for of the two hundred and one cases upon which the board
passed. the judgments hundred fifty were unan-
mous, in tkirtythree the judgment passed by
ory of more than two thirds and in the residue by
ties ranging from plurality to two thirds But everybody
admitted that there had been thought then that
the best mode of settling the matter would be put
whole power in the hands of the President and the Secretary
the Navy and let them ascertain where injustice had been
done There had been twelve thirteen vacancies in the
Navy and the Administration had not filled these
because they prepared to nominate the Senate
reinstatement, gentlemen who had been dropped by the
board In order to show that such the of the
late Secretary of the Navyviews which conrmatory of
the propriey of the present 1esoution ask have
short extract from his letter to the Committee Naval
Affairs.
The Clerk read as follows:
The first is to let the vacancies occurring by Deaths
sgnaons dsmissas be filled by such of the reserved
dropped officers the Executive by and with the advice
consent of the Senate may deem just and proper
restore instead of making promotions from the active list
which have been very considerable under the law and
well be temporarily suspended by the Executive until such
retoraons made may be adudged just and for the
good of the service There vacancies No nominal
lions have been made to fill these and venture to
will be made for others that may until the Presi
dent has calmly considered the suggestions presented
gard to of the officers reserved and dropped By this
means unless the far than
pated they be corrected without disturbing the