The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-12

Dlneu powers Oh Eufopc. "a ucicoAvs ~
was in favor of putting the country in q
complete condition to enforce its power.
Mr.. Banks, of Mass, said he would vote
against this Navy Yard, the House
having refused to make appropriations
for the Charleston Navy Yard, Massa-
chusetts. Is this craftsmanship But
let us hear Mr.. hanks further. He
would vote against the Pensacola Yard
for the same reason that he voted against
the Norfolk Yard. He voted against
these Yards because the communities
were in an unsettled condition, and in
the event of having trouble with France
or England it might be possible that
these communities would be arrayed
against us, He repeated he would vote
against these Yards until these commu-
mites were in a settled condition. AS
soon as this was accomplished, and he
hoped it would be accomplished at tile
earliest moment, he would vote for Navy
Yards South as well as North, but lie
would not now vote money to go to the
support of the political sentiments of
these communities. Mr.. Blow, of Mis-
souri,, said that the appropriations We're
absolutely necessary to sustain the Yard
and IL were better to strike out the APP
preparation altogether, If the House had
no confidence in the Department. AT
this stage of the proceedings the chair
man of the committee on naval affairs
Mr.. Rice of Boston-rose to put stop to
the twaddle of the twaddlers. 1t may
be well to state that the billunder con.
sideration was not reported by the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs, but by the Com
mittee on Appropriations, who conse-
quently had it in charge; but when it
came to the items for the preservation
Of the ruined workshops at the Pensa-
cola yard, and they were opposed on
sectional as well as economical grounds,
Mr.. A. II. Rice, of Massachusetts, took
the floor and made the following speech:
lfr. Chairman hope the members
of this Committee the House being in
committee of the whole), will well con-
slider the action which they propose to
take on this bill, inasmuch as the action
which was taken yesterday, if it shall
be continued to-day, will materially
change the naval policy of this govern
ment and the position Of the United
States among the first class powers OF
the world. During the progress of the
war this government has assumed high
position among the nations of earth as
y naval power; and desire to state to
gentlemen that the war in which we
have been engaged on the ocean has
been an offensive war against an enemy
on our own coast or within our own
waters, and that the amount of money
which we have expended during the
last four years has been mainly expend-
ed in providing vessels and ordnance
suited to repel invasion, and to put our
selves in condition to carry on q defen.
siye war at home. The results which
we have attained In that direction have
been such as any American citizen may
be proud OF. They are such as have
commanded the respect and admiration
of mankind everywhere. They are thu
most gigantic achievements ON the face
of the earth in the same length of time
and If our territory were to be invaded
to-day, and we were to wage war al
home, we are pretty we'll provided for
with IRON ships and with heavy ord
nance to defend our territory. But thus
far our navy, is largely one-sided.. We
are very poorly prepared to go into
general war upon the ocean. with any
| a.. u. 10 INan
our attention had not been directed to
that subject. l desire to make this point
now, particularly, because my friend
from illinois tMr. Ingersoll) seems to
give the impression to the House that
we are. fully prepared to measure
strength to-day upon the ocean with
the governments of France and
England in general maritime war.
[ am not willing to sit here in 81.
lence holding the position j do by the
favor and courtesy of this House land
allow that statement to go out by my
sanction, ard upon my responsibility.
desire to say to my associates in this
body that we are now prepared for such
4 state of things, and any man who
takes that impression to his heart de-
ceives himself and misleads this gov
ernment in regard to the position in
which it will find itself, should we UNI
fortunately be drawn into foreign war,
Sir, great as are the navies of France and
Great Britain to-day, they have Navy
Yards, a single one of which is greater
than all ours combined. And yet to-
day, every hammer and every anvil in
those foreign yards is ringing out with
the strokes of laborers employed in fab.
ships and machinery to defend
tile flags of France and England upon
the ocean in case of a foreign war. And
are the members of the American Con-
gress prepared to sit here supinely and
ray that we are willing to take the risks
that may result from the political COM
plications of the world, without any
preparation whatever? Are they pre-
pared to say that we arc not to maintain,
and efficiently, the limited ma
val establishments that we now have :?
Are they prepared to say that when re-
bells and traitors have come in and de-
stroyed our property we..will let the ruins
forever stand as monuments of the pow
err of the rebellion against, and in the
face Of the only free republic on earth ?
Sir, we have nothing local-nor section
al-in respect to these navy yards, or in
the appropriations that are made for
them. For myself disclaim the impu-
tation that there is anywhere room for
Il feeling of sectional jealously in rela-
ton to one or the other of these navy
yards. Tney are the property of our
common country. They are your
property as we'll as mine. They are the
of men of the East, men of the
West, men of the Middle States-and l
hope there will be, if there are not now,