The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-23

who enlisted into the public service. can
inform the Senator and the Senate that we
had at the time that resolution was passed
q law which authorized an advance Of three
months pay.
This report says that this last provision
that in regard to advance pay-''is be-
lieved to be eminently wise, and well cal
culated to aid in filling up the Navy with
just that class Of seamen that are now wan.
ten in the service" II is barely possible
that il the distinguished author Of this re-
port had known that that section of the
Joint resolution was adopted at my instance
he would not have spoken so favorably or
it in the report rs he has done.
. Mr.. President, if il be intended TO he as
serted that any Senator assured the Senate
In the debate that was had on the introduce
tion Of the bill, upon which the report pur-
ports TO be made, that nothing was meant
but q repeal cf that Part of the resolution
which related TO the transfer Of men, it as
serts what is not true. / have taken the
trouble to read that entire debate again to-
day, and no Senator who spoke upon the
subject made any such assertion. What
were the facts? introduced bill to re-
peal the whole resolution and the hequestion
before the Senate was not whether the bill
should pass, not whether it should then be
but whether il should be consid-
cred or not. i had the joint resolution
sought to be repealed lying before me. /
intel led to read and expound it 10 the Sen.
ate If they concluded to consider the bill !;
and then intended to satisfy the Senate il
could, and think l could have satisfied
them, that both sections ought TO be re-
pealed, the one which was adopted at my
instance as well as the one proposed by the
Senator from California, because / found
that it was creating confusion IT the Navy
Department and confusion among the men
who wished to be transferred and wished
to enlist into the naval service. Here was
IN old law which allowed three months adj
vance pay, and here was q new law which
allowed three months advance pay, but to
be returned to the Federal Treasury out of
any prize money that the sailors might be
entitled to; and the idea had been propa-
gated by men in New >rk and Philadel-
phia, aud was being received as true by
sailors, that these two provisions were in
tended 70 cover the same advance. and
would onl entitle ethem to one three months
advance pay. which would have to be re-
turned out OF the prize money as well ss
out Of their legitimate pay; and thought
il was better to incorporate all the legisla-
ton on this subject in some other bill, SO as
to make it perfectly clear and patent to the
dullest comprehension.
II is true that the resolution Of the Sena-
tor from California, tNr. Conness,l which
be passed merely for temporary purpose.
No other design was expressed by him !;
but in order to facilitate the matter at the
time, and as ] thought 1t might possibly
stimulate recruiting at the different naval
rendezvous, proposed to add the section
which / offered as an amendment. When
! found that il was not answering the pur-
pose which was contemplated, and when !
found what has been shown by the expert
ov,~x, of tho 1oat tom h0v0 that in cnnao.
quence Of the enrolment bill, which allows
every locality along our Atlantic coast to
be credited with the seamen who may en-
list into the naval service upon their mill.
tary quotas, sailors were beginning to come
in, ! did not think IL was necessary that
additional, ikreA months advance pay
should be continued on the statute book.
bill, should have attempted to convince
them OF that fact, and / have no doubt
should have succeeded in doing so.
This report asserts that:
.The very suggestion OF reference TO the
Committee on Naval Affairs was seized up.
on bv one member of the committee for .
severe reprimand to his colleagues on the
committee for the manner in which they
performed, or rather neglected, their du'
ties"
Why, Mr.. President, ! never had the mos
remote idea Of reprimanding the Nava
Committee. | knew too well by three
wears experience how the business OF thu
Naval Committee is conducted. i KNOW
that the Senator from New Hampshire con
siders himself the Naval Committee.
] know that lie calls up bills whenever ~
chooses, and disposes OF them about as h
chooses; and was perfectly well aware, a
| is evidenced by the fact in connection witt
this report, which has been submitted Z
| the Senate without having been submitted
| to single member Of the committee, tina
he was the man who was solely responsibi
for the conduct Of naval affairs.
Let me say here one word in connection
with my service on the Committee on Ma
val Affairs have been for three years
member ofthat committee. j never sough
TO be placed upon it. Every member OF IN
party of which am member VINO ma
been on the committee to designate mem
bers Of the committees OF this BODY WI
bear testimony that ut every session nav
sought to be detached from that COMMITTED
II was unpleasant for me to he on that con
mittee. never asked for any position
any committee, and simply desired that
might he detached from that cominittee.-
Wbv did / not desire to serve on 1t? Ft
the reason ] have stated, that it was VI
pleasant to me. The Senator from Ne
Hampshire seemed to imagine that becaui
ne was chairman of the committee, he ha
, the entire control OF 1t. he told the 6ena
here in his place, that at the commence
: lment of this session he went to the Senate
T from New York tMr. Morgan] and propo
led to him to make him the Chairman OF Il
q Naval Committee. Why, sir, eighteen hui
dred years ago there was case somewh
= similar. when the Saviour of men was tai
= en- upon the Mount and offered all that
: beheld II he would only fall down and wo
ship. There was just about the same pow
. to bestow the gift in the one case as in Il
: other; and am happy to say that in ea'
!. csse both the tempter and the template
|, were spurned. t
\ Mr.. President, have no desire to ser
J. on this committee, because believe To
) the senator from New Hampshire,
= chairman Of the committee, is the me
8 unrelenting, determined, persistent enen
Of the Secretary Of the Navy, and Of I
Navy Departmen., that .a ther. IL oI,ort IN =
8 nitv when he could assail the Departme
t and thereby the public service, either
n public conversation or In private, ana !.
i has not availed himself of it, l should II
! to know when it was. He has been