Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Mr. SWANWICK said a new view of the subject seemed to be brought forward
at present. Before, they had determined to finish the frigates; but now,
they were not to finish them, lest they should be manned, but to finish
them in part only. A gentleman yesterday said, when speaking on the
subject of the PRESIDENT's Message, that he could not suppose they would
have refused to pay the soldiers, though there might be some deficiency
in the expression of the act; and might he not suppose, said Mr. S., if
the frigates were so nearly finished, he might go on to finish them, and
trust to the Legislature to furnish the money? These frigates, he said,
were a very extraordinary concern. It seemed as if it was only when it
was to be made a present of to Algiers, that a frigate could be
finished, and not when it was for the protection of our own commerce. He
trusted, however, that there would not be a majority found in that House
who would vote against finishing the frigates: as to manning them, that
would remain for a future consideration.
Mr. PARKER said, it would require all the money which had been named for
finishing the frigates, without rigging, though there would be a
considerable quantity of materials left on hand. There need be no
apprehension of their being manned, whilst seamen's wages remained at
the price they were, because men could not be got on the terms
stipulated in the law for this purpose. If a smaller sum than was
mentioned were to be granted, they might as well give nothing.
Mr. SITGREAVES supposed the blank was now proposed to be filled with the
same sum which had been agreed upon on a former occasion. If this were
the case, it ought to dissipate the fears of the gentleman from
Virginia, (Mr. NICHOLAS,) as it was well known that the sum was
predicated upon a supposition that the frigates were not to be manned.
If they were to be manned, a further appropriation would certainly be
necessary.
Mr. NICHOLAS said, it appeared to him that if all gentlemen were agreed
that this business should go no further than the building of the
frigates, they could have no hesitation to leave undone some of the
internal finishing work of the vessels; if they did not wish to put them
into such a situation as that they might force them into service upon
the spur of an alarm, they could have no objection to their being left
in such a situation as to be perfectly secure, but not finished fit for
sea.
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