The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-12-10
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.

- 80 onousahd TONS IN the aggregate, and
not more than one bundled thousand tons in
| foreign trade ~OnSHeiy III
e. Fourth, that the board shall receive proposas
nnrone obstruction of those steamers to be ap-
portlonea nifty thousand tons upon tbe Atlsp-
eic anu 1ult coast, twenty five thous,,,J -,
uii.; uioI 'no great lakes and the Ohio and the
misslsslppi rivers, and TWENTY-FIVE thonsond
n'is ol ene aacnllc coast and to be constructed
the government having the RIGHT td nnrcbesa'
or charter them upon appraisal and the SecTo-
tary of the Navy, upon certain Conditions 10
detail of officers of the Navy to serve as
of such vessels
Fifth, that there shall be paid twelve dollars
per ton upon first-cass sailing vessels of not less
tian three hundred tons, to be engaged princi-
pally III the foreign trade.
Zen vessels of fifteen hundred tons each can
be built under this bin at a cost to the govern
ment of S225,000. They would he ADDING to
the wealth OF the country in time of peace
and we have the authority of Admiral Porter
and other naval officers that they would be as
eIncieht ior war purposes, with very little al
teration as vessels built for naval purposes ex-
clusively. FFO9o %
Admiral Porter, in his testimony before the
committee on the decline of commerce. said
IF the United States possessed the stean,shjns
plying between New York and Europe the Goyern
ment would have better NAVY thin Il ever had
IheTe was not ship in the American Navy that
eouid compare with the best ships the English and
french lines in point of speed stability or or ca1ry
ing guns All those vessels could be fitted with mass
IN m very short time and rigged completely III the
United States had possessed half the number Of
steamships now engaged in the European trade with
New York, he did not think the rebels w0uld ever
d LAY g gos 0ut oale OF cotton from southern port,
Page 1e3. 40 '0''-' '-''' uiA'
And again, in reply to the question
i understand you to say that If at the commence
ment OF the late war we had had thirty steamers like
those running to New York from Europe thev wonId
have been as efficient as our entire Navy
the Admiral answers:
Twice as efficient. | say that Titho5t hesitation
Ihe ships we had could catch nethng We meyer
had vessel that could run down blocl ade rI,,re
during the whole war except The Vanderiil, ond ,
others. Our iron-clads only surable fer barhor
defense In case OF war with Great Britain or France
our power would be in cutting up their commerce.
Great Britain could not stand war six months with
fleet OF vessels that we would send out after her
vessels They would break her up root and branch:
and that kind Of warfare would be more likely 10
bring about peace than fighting with iron-clads or
heavy war-yessels."
This testimony corresponds with that given
by naval officers in Great Britain before COM
mittees of Parliament
The economysof thus providing for our Navy
IN connection with the merchant shippino Of
the country is apparent at glance. Here we
are called upon TO provide for the building of
ten vessels for the Navy at a cost of 81 O0O 900
and at an annual expense thereafter of 81. .OOO.-
000, when under the bill of the Committee of
Commerce, to which l have referred, ten YES
se.s, equally valuable in all respects, with
slight alteration, can be built at a cost to tbe
government of $3.50 000 and be kept in readi-
ness for the use of the Government when re-
CURED without any additional expense. If we
build nine instead of ten naval vessels. and
grant the bounty at the came time for bniidino
ten merchant vessels, we shall get nineteen
vessels at cost OF S150,000 less than the ten
naval vessels will cost
Now, sir, am not offering this as an argu-
ment why these ten vessels should not be built.
hnvy ob<Yrl h. I...IG
that in providing for the building of naval yes-
sells and approprating for them, we should con-
nect herewith some measure for the building
up OF our mercantile marine, upon which our
Navy must depend in time of war for its m,,in-
tenance and support
NOW, suppose we couple with this bill which
has the sanction of the Committee on Naval
Affairs, and 1 hope will have the sanction of
the House, the bill of She Committee on Com
merce, to which have referred. there would
be built probably twenty of these merchant
steamers during the coming year Those
twenty steamers would cost the Government
under this bill not over $5000O0. We should
then have appropriated $4,500,OO0 and 5000
of that amount would be appropriated for NOR
chant ships, which in case of war would treble
our force.
am in favor of the bill of the Committee
on Naval Affairs, because it is necessary to
keep up our naval establishment in time of
peace in order to protect our commerce and be
prepared for war; but we can get along with
very small Navy in time of peace If we have
the wisdom to provide, as other nations do, for
the maintenance OF a commercial marine
which will reinforce it in time of war
At the breaking out of the Crimean war a
commission was appointed in Great Britain to
examine iato the effic ency for war purposes of
all the sea-going steamers of the kingdom.
That commission reported that at an evnansa
of thousand pounds each all the LARGO sea-
going steamers could readily be converted into
war steamers. am very glad that the Secre-
tary of the Navy has commenced the reor0an-
ization OF the Navy by selling Off. the old yes-
sells and building those which viii be effective
in time of war, but L do insist that it would be
wisdom on the part Of this Honse to defer
action on this bill until more comprehensiye
measure can be introduced, or else to amend
by coupling with it the Bill reported from the
Committee on Commerce.
One word more, If my colleague will allow
me. l shall feel compelled to oppose the
amendment of my colleague. making it oblioa-
portion OF these vessels in private wards. for the
reason that the private yards of the country to-
day are in no condition to build the vessels and
the building OF five vessels will offer no induce
ment to put them in condition. 1t requires
seasoned timber and large amount of ma
chinery to build vessels of this class and while
these could be got together during the war
when thsre was prospect that large number
OF vessels would have to be built and when we
had large ship-yards in operation, TODAY the
Whoie condition OF affairs in this regard Is
changed.
These large ship-yards are now closed. and
the grass has overgrown them; the machinery
and tools which were used in them have been
broken up or scattered and put to other uses
10 call them again into existence and make
them alive with the busy hum of Industry will
require something more substantial and per-
manent than contract for five vessels. II we
make 1t obligatory upon the Secretary to have
hve OF these vessels built in private yards YOU
may drive him into unfavorable contract
with some one or two large contractors who
alone could afford to provide the means to
build them, and who could only afford to do so
by taking the whole contract
think another Objection to building in nri-
vate yards will be found to be the want of
proper seasoned ship timber at such wards
while in the navy yard l understand there is
sufficient quantity of such timber for these ten
vessels ~
l am therefore in favor of leaving this matter
OF building to the discretion of the Secretary
giving him authority to build in private Yards IL
he can do so advantageously, but not making it
obligatory for him to do so. But in any event
let us unite the two bills, and while we begin to
rebuild our Navy, let MS at the same time start
up the private ship-yards of the country by
means that will insure them permanent pros
perlty, and at the same time build up establish
ments that can respond to the demands of the
Government whenever an exgency arises which
requires their aid