Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-02-07
THE GREELY R4LIEF BILL.
The Discussion OF Senator SauIs.
bury's Volunteer Amendment.


Following is au extended repor of the
| discussion of Senator Saule bury's volun-
teer amendment.
Mr.. Hale called mp The report cf the
, committee on conference of both houaes
relating to the Gresly relief expedition.
| The report recommends than the Senate
reeede from its amepdmentfrequiring that
| only persons who volunteer for the Ser.
vice shall be detailed for the expedition.
Mr.. Sherman stated that II he had
known that the bill when presented
authorized the Secretary of the Navy to
| order any man outside the line of his
duty to take his life in his hands, as
would be the case In such an expedition
| as this, he would not have voted for II.
No doubt there are many able and advsn-
turous men who would be willing to
volunteer for the service. The amend
ment of the Senator from Delaware (Mr.
Salisbury had relieved him (Mr. Shsr.
man) from some embarrassment and was
very proper provision.
Mr.. Salisbury stated that he had not
united with the other members of the
Senate conference committee on the sub
ect. He had done his duty in trying to
secure to the officers and men of the navy
exemption from compulsory participation
In service 80 extraordinary and 80 out
OF the line OF their duty. He was opposed
to giving any man whether the Secretary
Of the Navy or the President, authority
to order or assign men arbitrarily for
voyage 30 perilous, while there were
others who would gladly volunteer for
the purpose. He did not know that the
Secretary OF the Navy would assign any
man to the work who would not be per.
feotly willing to go, but If a secretary
wanted to punish any officer such an as-
signment would afford the opportunity.
Mr.. salisbury would always be
opposed to compulsory assignments in
matters of this outside character. He
remem bsred the fate of Lieutenant Hern-
don, whose explorations of the Amazon
reflected 30 much credit on his country,
and he remembered that that brave
offioer was assigned to the charge OF a
vessel against whose seaworthiness he
unavsilingly protested, and in conse-
quenos OF that assignment lost his life.
Mr.. Hale sent to the desk and the
clerk read dispatch from the Secretary
Of the Navy to the chairman OF the House
committee on appropriations, stating that
II seemed to him unwise to limit the
President to volunteers that the expe-
dition was not one of exploration but OF
the rescue of men deliberately sent out
by the government with promises of
rescue IT It became necessary, and who
are now, perhaps, starving or freezing
that without the limitation volunteers
could be accepted, but If none offered by
a1t raadu In aail
were the ships not to mover Or II there
were naval officers better qualified to 60
than those who might volunteer, were
the lives of the explorers, old and new,
to be trusted to inferior men 7
Mr.. Hale expressed his entire dissent
from the idea expressed by the Senator
from Delaware, Mr.. Salisbury. II such
rule were to be adopted, and II officers
even on service as dangerous as this were
not willing to follow the order OF the
President or Secretary Of the Navy, he
(Mr. Hsle) would give little for the
spiri: OF the navy. He did not deny that
1t was dangerous expedition. Com
panions and friends Of naval officers were
up in the Arctic regions, and If alive
were suffering and offering up prayers
for relief. They had right to expect
relief, and only naval expedition can
relieve them. Any officer who would de-
cline to render this service for the rescue
of his suffering comrades WAS unfit to re.
main in the navy of the United States,
What was the navy forf
Would there not always be times when
the dangers involved could not be meas
ured by the previous experience OF naval
officers 7 If this spirit Of permitting
naval officers to avoid or withdraw from
a service because of its danger, there
never would be naval establishment
which would reflect any honor on the
country. That was not the spirit that
gave the British navy its Rodman and its
Nelson 1t was not the spirit that gave
the American navy it's Paul Jones, its
Decatur and its Farragut.
Mr.. Hale had heard that well known,
indeed quite distinguished officer of the
navy, had been written to not by SEQ
retary that the command of this expedi-
tion might be given to him, and his reply
was that If ordered to that service he
| would by every means in his power, seek
to have the assignment annulled 30 that he
might remain at home. Wise and skill
ful officers are the ouly kind that should
Do sent Oh tnlb t4peuitiou' ni' haio
hoped the spirit of the navy would be
tested in this matter, aud that the Senate
would recede from its amendment.
MIR. Ingalls, hoped the Senate would
not reoede. He strenuously objected to
the unvarying course of committees on
conference on the part Of the Senate
coming in and reporting that they had
yielded to the committee Of the House Of
Representatives. The Senate might as
we'll at once abdicate its functions, and
let the Senate committees on appropria-
tions and naval affairs be- considered
"annexes" of the House Of Represents
tives The uniform course of the House
in these matters WAS an affront to the
Senate.
Mr.. Hale did not think the remarks Of
the senator from Kansas (Mr. lngalls)
we're going to infame the Senate. There
had been, and would be, conferences IN
which each house would insist on its OWL
way OF thinking That was not mattel
In which there had been any feeling, ont
way or the other, between the committee
of the House and that OF the Senate.
The Senate then goes to attend the
funeral OF Representative Mackey.
Kearney's Town Demolished.