Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-18
COL. BEN WILSON.
His speech Upon the Naval Appropia- |
tion Bill, Delivered in Congress, July |

His speech Upon the Naval Appropia-
tion Bill, Delivered in Congress, July
5.
The House having under considera-
ton the naval appropriation bill, Mr..
Wilson said:
Mr.. Chairman, no expression of Opin-
ion by any gentleman on this floor could
more fully inform this House of the
condition of our Navy than the reports
ofthe Committee on Naval Affairs of the
Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth Congresses,
of which the honorable gentleman from
Tennessee Mr.. Whitthornel was chair
man.
| clip the following from the report of
his committee, Porty-fifth Congress:
In comparison with the leading naval
powers of the world We occupy very
humiliating and unsatisfactory condi-
ton: but we had better know and ap-
preeiate it now, and, if possible, provide
the remedy, than be startled by the
revelation at period of impending
danger.
1T is for Congress to say, with she
evidence before it, what measures shall
be taken to place the country in con-
dition for defense, and to provide the
means for carrying the flag of the coun-
try in honor aud safety upon the sea.
The people of the United States will
not long consent to this present condi-
ton of weakness and possible danger"
And also clip the following extract
from the report of his committee in the
Forty-sixth Congress:
In comparison with the navies OF
Great Britain, France, Italy, and eyea
Spain, the American Navy is immense
IN inferior in ships and armament. And
vet these nations hive in the cOnStruc-
ton of theirnaviCs but followed out and
improved upon American examples and
models.
ain view of these facts the committee
believe it to be our duly to begin at
once to prepare for the work Of building
up navy adequate to the national de-
Tense and TO the preservation of the ne
tional honor We cannov expect at
once to build up a navy powerful
enough to meet in mid-Ocean aud sue
cesslully contend with the monster
iron-clads of England, France, and
Italy, nor DO we desire that the attempt
should be made.
1--WE have nO'colonial dependencies to
hold in unwilling subsection, nor jeal-
Gus rival nations upon our bo@rders to
overawe by any exhibition Of power.
We have no temptation to make agrees
i've war for conquest upon any trans
oceanic nation. We have an empire
equal to our ambition, not too large, let
Us hope, to be successfully governed as
one nation upon Republican princi-
pies.
I'VE want navy capable of protect
ing our commerce in all seas, of defend
ing our own borders from invaSiOnS, and
of destroying the commerce and se..-go-
ing cruisers of any nation which may
make war on u.s."
From these reports we see that in
comparison with the leading powers of
the world our Navy occupies humiliat-
ing and unsatisfactory position.
hold in my hand, Mr.. Chairman,
pamphlet giving statistics i'll relation
to the navies of the world"
1t fully sustainS the views of the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs. II shows that
our sea-eOast everywhere is in an uu-
protected, defenselesS condition. ASan
illustration, take our State Pacific sta
ton. j read the following:
1.-THE United States Naval force on
this, the South Pacific station, consists
of four unaEmored wooden vessels,
namely, Pensacola, (lag-ship,) Alaska,
Lackawanna, and Adams. The PenSa-
cola can make eight knots per hour;
the Alaska, eleven knots; the Lacka-
wanna, eight knots: and the Adams
eleven knots. Not one of these YES
sells cOuldOvertake or run away from the
Almirante COchrane or the BlancO
EncIlada. The entire squadron is not
of sufficient force to compete success
fully with even one of these two
iron-clads, and not of sufficient speed to
aveid hopeless conflict"
Now look for q moment to the navy
Of Chill. The following extract will ex-
plain: