Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-06-18
Short Speech Of MIR. Washbur,s.

During the discussion of the Naval Appro-
patton Bill. in the House of Representatives
week before last Hon. Isruel Washburn, Jr. of
Maine.delivered the following short,pi,hy and
pointed speech, closing with very keen and
clever retort upon the "Premier," Mr.. John
Clancy Jones Of Pennsylvania
Mr.. Chairman, move to substitute the
word "tour' for '.ive,' in the two hundred
and twentieth line, and to strike out the words
"three hundred" in the two hundred and
twenty-frst line offer this amendment for
the purpose of enabling me to ask a question
Of the chairman of the Committee of Ways
and Means. l wish to inquire what he and
the Administration, whose organ upon this
floor he is, proposed to do with these five new
steam sloops, when they shall have been con-
structed Does not he know how nearly
impossible it now is and for a long time has
been, to ill the crews of our ships of war
already ahoat and in other respects prepared
for service and is he ignorant of the fact
that the party to which he belongs has pro-
cured the passage of a btll in the other branch
of the Legislature, and which IS now on the
table of the Speaker ofthis House. calculated
ifnot intended, to destroy our chief source of
supply of native amen Sir, it is Il fact,
we'll known and indisputable, that more than
two thirds of the men who compose the crews
of our Navy are foreigners. AMI that not less
than three fourths OF the sailors in our mer-
chant marine are also of foreign BIRTH and
even with this resource it is with the greatest
difficulty, and only after The most injurious
delays and cmbarrassments, in many cases.
that these branches of service can be supplied
with adequate crews. l speak, not against
foreigners, but Of the difficulty of procuring
seamcn. Add to the number of vessels in the
Navy. and this difficulty will be increased and
the disproportion between native and foreign
born seamen enlarged. l think may say
with resafety that a majority Of our native
sal ors commenced going to sea as fishermen
There are hundreds of bays, rivers, and creeks
in Maine snd New England whose banks are
populated by hardy, vigorous, and enterpris-
ing race Of men. who employ a few months
every year on fishing cruises; and from their
ranks large numbers go annually iEto the
merchant and naval service of the country
Repeal the fishing bounty, as you propose to
do, and you strike every fishing smack from
the ocean at a single blow; for nothing Is
better established than the fact, that, with
the odds which exist against us since the
reciprocity treaty, the fishing business can
not be sustained for week without the boun-
ty.
am no advocate for bountics of this KIND
when they look only to fostering a branch of
industry for its sake; but when by them
you can secure strength to an important arm
of the national defense, and accomplish a
great national object, not otherwise to be
accomplished. l hold it to be within the
scope of our power, and in the direct inc of
wisdom and duty, to grant them. In this
case, your ability TO man the ships of war yol
already possess, to say nothing of those you
contemplate building. depends upon the
preservation of our fisheries. Yet you are
prepared to destroy them at the same time
that you call for more ships. To build ships
when you have not sailors to make up their
crews, would be as wise as to build barns
where there are no harvests, school house.
where there are no scholars, churches where
there are no people. TO buy lamps when you
have no oil, Before we spend millions of
dollars in constructing sloops and frigates, !
think it would be wise to learn whether our
oulv school for sailors is to be broken up. 1t
may be policy ofthe Administration TO provide
for these vast expenditures without knowing
or inquiring whether they can be any service
to the country; it may desire authority to
make contracts. involving the outlay of mil
lions, as a basis of reserves and contributions.
to be used for the purpose of increasing its
power and prolon.ing its existence. But that
such a use Of the peoples money by the Ad-
ministraton will be approved by the country,
when it is seen to be the tendency Of part
of its policy to impair the efficiency of the
nations defenscs, if not wholly to destroy the
PRESTIGE of Its flag, may be more than doub-
ted,
MIR. J. CLANCY JONES. Mr.. Chair
man. 1 should not have responded TO the
gentl nman from Maine, if re had hot made an
inquiry of me- l have always understood
that it was the duty of the Government to
raise money to buy ships; but never knew,
until the gentleman from Name put his
query to me, that it was part of the business
of the Government to buy men, or to furnish
money to buy men.
Mr. WASHBURN of Maine. Will the gen.
tleman allow me
MIR. J. CLANCY JONES No. sir; the gen.
leman refused to yield to me.
Mr. WASIiBURN, of Maine. | waniel
to know what the Administration has been
doing all this session but buying men -
Laughter
fCries of "Question - 'Question ~
Mr.. WASHBURN, of Maine. withdraw
che amendment