The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-06-14
own the coast, giving each section the proper

down the coast, giving each section the proper
supply.
is, whether or not this little navy yard at
Philadelphia with only twenty acres OF ground
shall be transferred from its present locality a
distance Of three miles down the river to
League Island. That | say, is the only ques-
| ton. Indeed, if the gentlemen from Penn
| sylvania think that this House, in determin-
ing this change of location, is governed by the
idea that by establishing at League Island
| their Philadelphia yard it pledges itself for
| years to come to devote a considerable share
of the surplus revenues OF the Government to
build up that as a rival to Portsmouth or
Cherbourg and the other European navy
yards, they are greatly mistaken. This Con-
| gress has no such idea, and the next Congress
will keep control of this matter as we have
during this Congress- They see no present
need of this great navy yard for iron-c lads. Ii
any man can cast the horoscope OF the future,
| he will see that for the next quarter OF CEN
| fury this Government will keep that yard
pretty much as it has done for years past
| simply for the purposes OF repair and minor
uses. It will be convenience for the city OF
| Philadelphia to transfer it. But for the next
| quarter of a century the strong probabilities
! are that we shall need but little development
of our Navy. Our resources for present uses
are ample. We have forty or fifty iron ves7
sells capable of protecting us against all for
eign assaults; and if anything can be more
ludicrous than any other one thing in the flu
ture, it is the idea that England or France or
Russia, singly or combined, will ever make
naval attack upon us.
And if they do not attack US, shall we go
and attack them? And if neither attack the
other, how is war coming? They will soon
see specimen of our ironclads in European
yuaf W fo,,If f1,oxv
antOnomoh with the most intelligent curiosity.
1t will by no means increase their desire to
make the attack. Her presence in the Eng
lish Channel will be worth more to us than
all Admiral GOldsboroughs, and large num-
Der OF Mr.. Stewards dispatches thrown in. I
am right in these views. What, then, do you
want of your great ironclad navy-yard? What
are you to have for it to do? Y.
Mr.. Wright would like to ask the gentle
man a single question: whether this bill says
single word about an ironclad navy-yard?
Mr.. Pike-Not single word; if there was
would not vote for it. The bill Is simply in
its effect a transfer of the navy-yard from
Philadelphia three miles down the river to
League Island, not costing the Government
copper. t.9A
1t stands then, in brief, in this way: wheth-
er or not we will sell the Philadelphia navy
yard and receive for it, it is said, million or
million and a half of dollars, and accept in
lieu of it from the city of Philadelphia, as a
free gift, some six hundred acres of land,
which has cost that city 100000, and with
the money received from the sale of the old
yard at Philadelphia build as large or as small
yard on League Island as may be necessary.
1 have no doubt forty acres of land high above
tide, capable of as good use for navy-yard as
any forty acres in this country, can be produc-
ed on League Island for sum not exceeding
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. l
have satisfied my mind that very considera-
bly, less sum would do it. We should then
have forty acres in place of twenty, and the
remainder of the island would be open for i'm
proyement. Can there be any doubt of the
wisdom of the bargain There is no one sim
gle advantage that the present yard has over
one established at League Island; while at
League Island, aside from the immense space,
great enough for all the possibilities of the fu-
ture, are the numerous advantages which have
already been pointed out. In my judgment
the House would be exceedingly unwise to re-
fuse this munifcent gift, and cannot believe
they will do it. 'rsss-