The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-23
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.


SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1870.
Mr.. EpaUNDs. (rep.) Of W., moved to take up the
resolutions submitted by him ON the 7th inst.
declaring the thirteenth. fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the constitution of the United States
valid.
Mr.. BLAINE. (rep.) Of Me-, said the Naval Appro-
priation bill would como up at hafpast one p NJ.
the unfinished business having been postponed
from Yesterday at his request that he might submit
some remarks in regard to the amendments he then
submitted. He hoped the Senator from Vermont
(dr. Edmunds) would withdraw his motion.
Mr.. THURMAN, (dem.) Of Ohio said if the Senator
from Vermont desired to make speech on his reso-
1utions Of course there would be reply from tho
democratic side of the chamber. IT, on the other
hand, the Senator did not desire to speak those on
the democratic side Of the chamber would determine
for themselves whether they would silently vote, or
whether they would give their reasons.
Mr.. CoNKLING. (rep) of n. Y, said he had heard no
reason assigned why the Senator from Maine Mr..
Blanc) should not proceed with his remarks to-day,
and therefore, he would vote against the motion of
the Senator from Vermont. 1t was a custom of the
Senate, when Senator had given notice that he de-
sired to address the body to permit him to do so at
the time named by him. 1t would not be proper
to displacc the Senator from Maine, especially by
matter not requiring haste.
Mr.. EDMuSps said he stated to the Senator from
Maine yesterday when he gave notice that he would
speak to-day, that he (Mr. Edmunds) would call ND
the resolutions indicated by him.
The motion Of Mr.. Edmunds to take up the resolu-
tons lost. and at halfpast p. NJ the Senate
resumed consideration of the Naval Appropriation
bill.
Mr.. DAWES. trep.) of Mass. submitted an amend
ment providing that if the amount appropriated for
any item OF pay of tho Quartermaster' Department
of the Marine Corps for the present fiscal year shall
prove insufficient ii may be made up from the excess
in any other appropriation Of the BILL upon the writ
ten consent 1.-THE Secretary of the Navy. Discussed
and then laid aside for the present
REORGANIZATION NAVY.
Mr.. BLAINE then had read the amendments, Of
which he gave notice yesterday. and then
pointmcnt Of board OF three naval officers
to inquire as to the number Of officers
qurcd for navy of 1900 men, and also whether any
providing 4urthcr that from aud after July l. 1881
only such number OF graduates of the United States
Natal Academy shall be entitled to appointment as
nlshipnien required to fill vacancies OF that
grade existing the LIST of July in such year. those
entitled TO appointment TO be determined by the
Academic Board on the basis of their standing in the
graduating class.
Mr.. EDMuSps reserved the right to object to the
amendments. ON the ground that they proposed new
legislation He would not ask to have the point de-
cided he did not want to cut of the remarks
Of the senator from Maine (Mr. Blaine
Mr.. BLAINE.
Mr. BLAINE said he desired to say in advance that
in the remarks he might make no did not intend to
crtcisc amy administration of the Navy Department
either present or past and still less by the rcmotcst
implication. to reflect upon the gallant corps Of
officers Of the navy. Should he reflect upon any
department OF the government il would be upon that
Of which he had had the honor to be a member for a
considerable number of years. II was the duty OF
Congress to make reforms and correct errors and
not leave the matter to the Secretary of the Navy
bureau officers At the same time he would speak
his mind freely about the present condition OF the
navy, and especially the large number Of officers.
Congress had limited the number of men of the navy
at 1904. aud for those 1900 men We had total of
200 officers. or one officer to little three men.
COMPARISON WITH OTHER NAvEs.
We had 81 vessels and ~ in commission. The Drift
ish navy which has $50 steam vessels and a total of
ly4 vessels, had 1870 officers, with something over
GJMD men. That government had in cunn1ssion
about 2s3 vessels and available for service quite i've
times many we have. IL hal nine or ten times
a many sailors and five times many ships. but
have The French navy had $40 line officers and in
point OF number Of vessels that navy was almost as
large the British navy. Or course all knew il was
not So effective These facts were worthy of attention.
For the great navy of Great Britain the largest and
most effective in tho world. there were two great
navy yards and two subordinate France had
three great yards and two subordinate ones while
we. on six degrees OF coast latitude, had navy
yards. The one ut Pensacola necessary for Gulf
and certainly the one on the Pacific was a
necessity. not his intention to make any par
tisan accusations. The pay of the officers Of our
navy ON the active list amounted 10 over sssscm0
annually: for those the retired list $6.5.p while
the pay of petty officers and scaincn amounted 10
tophcavy condition of tho service. Prom the Naval
Academy were now turning out annually an aver
age Of nifty officers. Now ne asked that from and
after 1854 the graduates from tho Naval Academy
should not be entitled TO commissions except upon
merit and to I'LL any vacancy which may at time
exist. Pass the law anil every cadet upon enter
ing the academy would understand that his entering
into tho service depended upon his standing the
graduation. No matter how many should graduate
let those only enter tho service who stand highest
upon the list By dispensing with surplus oiiiccrs
and useless navy yards could largely reduce the
expenses Of the navy We are trying the experiment
OF building navy from the top.
Mr.. EAroS, (dcn) of Conn.-And the result; will BE-
that II will 60 down.
Mr.. BLAINE, rcsuniing argued that 10 was impos-
sblc 10 make navy by graduating cadets from the
Naval Academy. You could not iniprovise a sailor
any than you could improvise y mountain.
He has TO grow. Unless there was a commercial
There was navy which did not grow out OF a
commercial marine. and in that respect We were
sadly deficient
WHAT WE PAY ron fnFsoHr
The commerce of the world had entirely changed
within the past twenty years. and might well
arm soldiers with bows aud Is rebuild
the mercantile marine with sailing vessels We stood
two countries OF the world aud gaining nothing from
H. or little that u only served to point the moral
We paid In year $s5.OU0.tUO gold, for freight
and nc mir Bainc) said TO the Chairman OF the Com
mittcc on Finance tMr. Morril that II would be
possible thing for this country to maintain specie
resumption with that draught upon is resources. He
spoke of the resumption OF specie payments in 1851
and said resumed upon freight money which laid
10 the credit OF American commerce in Europe In
the last ten years had sent and brought between
81 CO., 90 and s2O0v 600 worth OF products
cad the freight with the passengers sttsched thereto