OUR NEW NAVY YARD. THE OB EAT AMEBIC Aft DEPOT EOB IBON-CLAD,' Speeches onion. M.RusscV Thayer and Hon. Charles VNeill. ' eeterday we published t speeches of Hon. W. D. Kellcj and Hon., Leonard Myers In favor f League Island. To-day we present the peeches of Messrs. Thayer and O'Neill. srEEGH OP MR. THATER. The delegation from Philadelphia haa already cupicd a vary large, an unusually larce, share r the time or the House on this bill; but it shouM be resaero bored that this question excltas ery com-iderable Interest In the city of Phila delphia an Interest which has Its foundation not in any fordid or unworthy moflve, but dim ply in a desire to promote the geneial welfare. The people ol Philadelphia believe, as reaards the particular enterprise which is now the sub ject of consideration, the interests of Priiladd Thla arc coincident with those of the nation. Philadelphia does not come here for th purpose f asking a special lavor at the hands ol the na tional (Joveruuient. She Is not here, sir, to beg lor a measure which will conduce to her on aggrandizement. She ha offered this valuable f ropei ty to the Government under tU3 ronvlc ion that its acceptance by the government would promote the welfare of the eeneral Gov ernment. It is true that some incidental bene fits would result to the city oi Philadelphia from the adoption of this measure. By the removal t the existing navy yard It would very largely dd to the commercial dockage of the city. It would Incidentally conduce to the benefit f the city ot Philadelphia by eventually bring ing into existence a large amount of property, which would contribute to the payment of her local burdens by the taxation ol property which is now exempt from it. It would bo a benefit to Philadelphia by adding newsourcs of industry and thrift to those which already engage the labors and attention of the ceven hundred thousand souls that dwell within her happy COD tinea. But thoe motives are not selfish. No man ran characterize tho.e motives as unworthy. They are motives founded in the public welfare and benefit; and it the measure which is the subject of agitation is found to be, as it is Alleged by those who are m st conversant with the law, ol which will benetit the nation at large. It uppoBe that no man will deduce any Argument against the expediency of the adop tion of that measure from the lact that the city of Philadelphia may derive an incidental benefit from the establishment of this great work within hei borders. Mr, 1 disclaim, on the part of the city of Phila delphia, any motives less worth? than those to which I nave referred. She has never, either by her Representatives or in any other manner, Advocated any national measure upon the loot ing of her own private special benefit. Her devotion to the nations! interest is traditional. It commenced with the first inspiration of na tional lile, and it has continued with unabated viper and with unsullied purity through all the chances and changes which have characterized the period that has intervened between that day and the present. No, sir. I spurn the im putation ot any BelBsh purpose on tho part of the city of Philadelphia cr.ner citizens in advo '. eating the-passage ot this measure. What originally, I suppose, suggested the fea sibility ana the desirableness of this measure was the fact of the insufficient capacity of the existing navy yard at Philadelphia. The present navy yard occupies an area of some fllteen acres of ground, a space which for many years past, has been lound to be entirely Inadequate for the purposes of the yard. The city has grown com pactly down to the navy yard, whereas when it was originally established the yard was at a considerable distance from the city proper. The navy yard noTr, to a certmn extent, ob structs the growth ot our city on its southern line, for it cuts off the water front. Uoon the southern line of the city of Philadelphia this property upon which the old navy yard is situ ated bus in process of time, by the approach ot the city, which now completely envelopes it. become of great value, and it was supposed that it eould be made of interest to the national Gov ernment to remove the existing yard from its present site to League Island. The obvious advantage of such a removal would bo this: In the first place, the Govern ment ot the United States could sell the old Navy Yard property lor. a very large sum of money, prof ably for a sum ranging from a mil lion and a half to two millions of dollars, of suth great value has that property become. It was proposed to apply the proceeds of thst sale to the improvement of the new yard at League Island; and the city of Philadelphia, which would, ot course, be proud to have a great first class navy yard fixed at that point, and which saw in the natural advantages of League Island those features which are most requisite 'or such A purpose, purchased League Island at an ex pense of some three hundred thousand dollar, and offered it to the national Government as the fcite ct a ne w navy j ard. Kow. sir, I do not know whether the fact of the liberality of Philadelphia in this respect may not have led to some degree of suspicion In re- fiard to the measurt which is before us. Perhaps t League Island hud ben offered to the Govern ment at a prica. instead of having been pur chased by Philadelphia at an expense of $.100,000, And freely and voluntarily offered to the Govern ment, this opposition might not have existed to this bill. Suspicion, perhaps, may have arisen cut of the very fact of the liberality of Phila delphia. But, fir. the city of Philadelphia purchased Leugue-Island'at agreatexDense.and thev offered it, and still offer It, to the General Government as the site ol the new navy yard. The proceeds f the old yard, a million and a halt or two rati. V lion dollars, which will be derived from the sale wi iukt yiuycnjf, wiu uoBuwuieni is commence, at any rate, upon a sufficiently great scale the Improvement of the new site. And when these Advantages were combined with the natural ad vantages presented by the Island J Itself, it was opposed by the city of Philadelphia that the nterefcta of Hie nation in this respect were iden thai with those of Philadelphia; it was supposed tht the offer would be accepted with alacrity on the part of the general Government; that they would rot turn their backs upon a proposi tion obviously so advantageous to the general Govtrnment upon any suggestion of an inci . dentti benefit to the city of Philadelphia. . Now, sir, the question, as was said yesterday "by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Le Blond), who Is member ot the Committee on Naval Allairs, is principally whether you will transfer' the existing navy yard at Philadelphia from its resent site to the site at League Island. If you uild anew navy yard elsewhere you must go on with annual appropriations for the existing yard t Philadelphia. We have this year ap propriated 1150,000 to that yard, and we shall nave to continue to keen it up. Nobody sug gests that we shall abandon Philadelphia as one olthe naval stations of the United States. ' Well now, sir, if Vou establish a navy yard elsewhere there will be an additional burden upon the country, for you wilt have to appro priate tortwo navy yard instead of one; whereas, v,I?umf.ly Jraus'er tUo ""ting navy yard at Philadelphia from its pre-eut locat'on to League JfJ?,nd. you "imply keep up a naval statiou at Philadelphia; and we, who hold the purse-strings of the nation, may deal out our appro Driatlons for the new station as generously or as gtintedlv s we please In the future. . ' -1 wiU not detain the House by a dottllod enu meration of all the advantages which may be Presented in lavor k of this measure. But it would perhaps not be amiss for me to sum them up in a short way by a brief Allusion to them. b order, At any rate, that the Attention of the ?J,!?JJ Cftlled t0 tnm W tnouEh U be MJ WTSWJ MUvT, THE DAILY EVEtflKG TELEGRAPH. PniLADELjelllA, TUESDAY, In 'fats flrst place, these advantages have been set A)rth at great length, and dwelt upon with gVt emphasis, by the Sectctary of the Navy, bo I suppose sliould bo awarded at least the Tri1t l lmintfr..l nnl rintisnl UOOn this SUD- jct. He is not a citizen of Philadelphia, or of Pennsylvania? he is not In any way so situated As to be likely to be influenced by Pennsylvania interests. He has acted in this manner not only disintrrestedlv, but, as we all know, to some extent to his own disadvantage, inasmuch as the course which he has pursued has brought npon him the wrath of some of hts own people. But he has had, I have no doubt, a perfectly clear and disinterested Judgment throughout this whole inquiry. And the advantages of League Island, which so loudly call upon the Government for the adoption of this measure, are very tersely and satisfactorily summed up ty mm as louows; "1. It contains the requisite amount of land. Theie are on the Is and lour hundred and nine acres of what is called 'taut land.' being high, lrr, and tillable, snsoeptiole ol me without embankment or other preparation ; one lintidred anu fvntv-lour acres ot marb land east of Broad streot and "vent? eTn acres west ot Broad street, embracing In tne agnerate an area ol six hundred acres or mate tl an five times tho area of ihe lariret of our present Haw yards, and twice the sue of the largest ard in Europe? . . 2. Tbels'and possesses the necessary amount or frontsire npon tho water, which Is a mo t important consideration, and the want of which Is on ot the rreat delects ct all oui piwent yards, f he water liont of the Island will exti-nd six miles, turnislnng riom for mooring In saletyall the vol in our pitn nt navy and all we sliall bo likely to have for n ai.y years to come. The sum ot money to be saved In wtrpfi g vrtse sin and out ot slip wnen achanire in tlicir jo'ition may be necessary, and lu wharlatre ai dientof doc ks where private property is used, will le very gieat In ihe course of asinulo year, and, ol course, greater in tlie lapue ot time and the nece sary addition to our navy. Hy possessing an expan live lrotitaee, workmen, materials, and stores can be nlaot d on board at the a barf ins' end of being put on U am oi lenders and transported into che stream, as Is rifjiilred toleoone nt an ot our yards whore there is an insufficiency of fionlage, as thore is in a peculiar dogiee at tlie Philade.pbia yard at lbs pro sen' time. . ,. . "8 There Is an abundant depth of wster for all ot 1 he purposes ot Government. Along the outer shore ot the island, near to its edgo, and lor mors than three miles In lensih, there li a sulhYient deptb of water to fioat the larc est class ot war ve saols. "4 Ihe greatest advantage of this location, and that wbicn, taken In connection wuli the irontage and dep'h of water, place It far beyond any rival, is the lact that the ard would b In water wholly Iresh. it is a Weil-known f i ot tbat iron corrodes and decomposes in salt much moie tapidly than in lresb water, and hence that theenduruuee of au iron vessel, when either in service or laM np in ordinary, is much greater in frosh than in salt water. Nor Is this all. Iron yenseis, when exposed to the action of saltwater for a enumerable period ot time, and especially In warm climaics, beaome Ion! by the accn mulation of marine cnutacett, thus not only lessen ing their sreed ond tnjuringtke vessels bnl rsquiring them to be taken into dry-dock to be soraped. As an illustration of this fact, lie Iron blockading vessel tiouth Carolina, alter a service oi nine mouths in the tiuif ot Mexico, bad harsieod reduced by the accu mulation ol barnacies, set weed, and olher marine nuuances, from twe ve to six kno's aa hour, re- Juirlns her to be sent Merth to oe cleaned. Had the biladelphia navy tard knen in a condition to receive her, and complete her olher necessary r pa is, her passage through the t'eeb water of the Delaware river from Hew Castie, which is practioally the limit ot ihe alt water, would of itseli have cleaned her bottom of thoesimpeflinents, asperlectly as it could have been done by mechanical meat s. 'It Is hardly doub'ed by any one tbat iron vessels are Lerealter to conrtilute our principal reliance for barbot defense. Jt will unquestionably be the t olicy of the (iOverumen to keep those vessels, when not required lor active service, In some secure place, where they will bi as little lia: le to decay as may be, and where the laieent possible number can be put in ro sir, and dispnol ed to the thieatened points at the shortest notice. Experience may show the neces sity or econoniT of keeiung sueli vetsels in dry slips, in which case the capacity of this is and wnl by' no means ex&cd the necessities ot the Government, fchould it be otherwise, and should it bo deemed advisable to dsmantle and moor thorn in wet douKs in time ot paace, the value of League laiand lor naval sta'ioiimay be more corn oily estimated, when I ssy t'lat it is the opinion of naval ofliccra, and of scicn itJo experts, that an iron visso' will last more than ten fines longer in Iresh than in salt water. The United (states iron steamer Michigan was built in 1844 has been in continuous service in the treah water lakes ol the North eiphteen years, and has had no repair! to her hull, which Is apparently as periect as it ever was. In salt water her bottom wou.d pro bab y have teen aeatroyed ten veaiaaRO. ' 6. (Ibe pioximitv of the island to a large marl time and nianulactuting city is one oi its greatest advantagea tor a navai Btation.) Whenever an extra force ol mechanics or teamen are tequired, or an extra supply of naval stoiea needed, they can be pro cured at short notice and at no extra expense. It is well known that whenever auoh extra toro u re quired at (lie (Souther yaras, neither of which was near a larre industrial population accustomed to such labor, the cost oi procuring the necessary crafts men was much greater than at Cbarlcstown, Brook lyn, or Philadelphia. The men tad to be trans ported at tiovoi ument expense, extra wages were demanded, and ihe laborers in almost every instance were clamorous to be retained permanently, because of alleged loss ot situations at home A or could tailors be procured at those yards in an emertrensy, except by expeurive process, anu renerallv consum ing wieks ot time, the value of which eould not be computed in money, The ereat advantages ot a Government establishment Oi this kind in proximity to a large ineobanical populaiion, whose leading I ursuit i the mbneation ol iron in i's various forms and lor its numerous purposes, cannot be over esti mated." "6. Another consideration of the highest import ance Is the susceptibility of League Island for per fect deleni-e agaiuBt foreign invasion or domestic insurrection. The channel ot the Delaware, al Bough aflording a suthcieut depth of water at all limes, is to narrow and tortuous for a distance of one hun dred n ties alove its mouth, that a shm in the baud of any otler than an experienced pi.ot, especia'lv wiih the buoys removed, won d have tbe greatest difficulty in reaching 1'hiladelohta at all. If the present dtlenees should be considered insufficient, a single martelio tower on tbe edie of ihe channel, mounted with an iron turret like tbat of th moni tor, would command the approach to tho Hand from the sea more completely than f ortfe-s Monroe com mands Hampton Koads, or Fort ftumter the harbor of Charleston. A succession of such towers would cost lets than any one ot our lars-e coast fortiUca tions. So tar as stationary defenses may be ri lied on, ihere can hardly be any svs em more efficient than this The island is even more susceptible ol defense avaivst a domestic Insurrection, being cut offliom the Pent sylvama shore by a deep natural moat filty feet in width. Mo assault could be made upon it except bv vessels, in whioii, of course, the Government woold have such a superiority that no attempt to capture the yard would ever be hazarded, even it we suppose tl at the materials lor an insur rection of that kind woald ever be lound in the vicinity ot Philadelphia. "7. The accessibility of coal and iron commends League Island vert stiongly to our lavor. Situated at ihe junction of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, it Is the natural entrepot of the whole anthra cite ecal trade ol the United States. The steam power necessarv to the maintenance Of a modern navy is here obtainable at tue smallest cost. Penn sylvania, if not pioi-sessiBg tbe largest iron resources to be found in tho eonntry, certainly has thoso re sources m by far the highest state of development, and in o'ose proximity to the seaboard. Philadel phia is the great iron-niouperlng metropolis ol the country. Her furnaces and shops are numbered by hunorrds, her ariitioers by thousands, and hor capi tal invested in the production of iron by ml Pons. "8. ihe island i- below the bend on the Delaware, and bei ce mainlv out ot duuger from, ice gorpes, Irom which the present yard suffers to a consider able extent; and j et it should be remarked that the river Delaware is seldom closed by loe, the only point on 'ho Atlantic where Iresh water can be ob tained that la not closed two or three months in the year. ''9 It is to be observed, also, that thn tnmi'ar nnal. tion of the propped yard will eflec ually estop cor rupt tpeculatlons in real estate, so far as the Govern. ment property is concerned. It will be impossib.e for Joobers to besiege Congress, with an degree of filausibility or hope of success, to buy the adjoining ots at fabulous pi tees; and I can hardly oonceive of any oiuer man an insuiar position which wi.l debar the tribe ot spectators and lobbyists from ail chances of successful assault uuon ihe Treaanrv. "10. The selection of this sue lor a navv yard wl 1 save to the Government just the sum at which th present yara in i nuauo ptiia can be sold, tho esti' mated value of wh ch i- 1 800 000 " Now, sir, these are the substantial arguments in favor of the measure. These are tho points on which the authorities upon whom this House is accuptomed to rely have long since come to a definite ana eittisiuetory conclusion; and hence this measure hus been repeatedly recommended to this House bv the Secretary ol the Navy. It it now recommended by the Naval Committee of this House. Now. sir. allow me to fcuggest whether it would not be better that those fientlemen who hive given no particular exuniinanon to the mots upon which this que tion turns, should abide by the deliberate judg ment of the official persons upon whose respori sibillty these recommendations rest, than etiat they should act upon a mere sugirirttton of oWection on the part of gentlemen who have In view tbe benebt of some other locality. It strikes me, sir, that the House would not act with Its usual urlement and discretion If it should adopt the latter course. But, sir, a substitute Is proposed by the gentle man fiom Connecticut; and here let me say that upon its faro this substitute would appear to be a very fair and equitable proposition; and if this were bo entirely new question, and a question of an additional navy yard, instead of the change of the site of an existing yard, there would appear to be a great deal of fairness lu that substitute. But if gentlemen will but re flect a moment, they will see that the proposi tion or tbe gentleman ironi Connecticut is de lusive in Its character. It would result merely in an indefinite postponement of this question; tbat is all. It proposes a roving commission to examine all the waters of the United tUatcs tor an additional navy yard. That is not what the Secretary ot tbe Navy desired or recommended to this House. That is not what the Naval Com mittee of this House have recommended. They have recommended the acceptance of League Island, which is offered by the city of Philadel phia as a munificent gift to the Government, that the present navy yard at Philadelphia may be removed thither. They do not propose the creation ot an additional navy yard, but the substitution ol aanew one for an exitting one. Suppose, sir, that yon appoint your commis sion. You do not, by this substitute, give the commissioners any authority or power to act. You leave the matter all at loose ends as it ban been heretofore. A year or perhaps two years hence that commission will make a report. More probably they will make two reports or three reports, perhaps as many reports as there are members ot tne commission, men now much progress will you have made in reaching a decision upon this question? None what ever. Besides, sir. as time goes on, new sites not now thought of will be clamorously pressed for consideration. At first, sir, tne proposition to select League Island was met by an applica tion on behalf of New London, urged by tho gentleman from Connecticut, who so well re presents the interests of his constituents. How is it now? Whv, sir, rival interests have sprung up in all quarters. We have sugges tions for new navy yards all along the coast. Kvery member thinkstbat nis btate must bave "a finger in the pie." Our action .upon this question is made the occasion for a general scramble lor a new navy yard. 8ir, I hope this House will not give ita approval to any such measure. Very sure am I that the city of Philadelphia, it it had been supposed that her munificence would be met by such a general scramble, would have been too proud to make this offer to the general Gov ernment. 8FEBCH OF MB. O'NEILL. Talk to me about New London harbor ! Why the gentleman's substitute for the bill reported irom tne committee ana nis wnoie argument means New London, and nothing else. Sir, in the very entrance of the harbor there is a rock, winch one ot my Icllow-travellers, and i pre sume from his knowledge ol the locality one of mv friend's constituents, rointed out to me and told me was so bad that it would take all the powder in the country to blow it to pieces, and that it had always been cont-idered au obstacle to the commerce of the place. This, of course, mu't be removed, and many others, perhaps, if you would locate a navy yard there. -The-e pro jecting rocks and tbe hidden ones are indeed dangerous to navigation, ana 1 nun in a news- paper published only three or four weeks ago an account of an accident which happened to a vessel, either in coming in or going out. by run uirig on to this rock, and a steam vessel at that. It was one of the New London line ot sound steamers, the ktate of Maine. If one of your large and powerful steamers cannot avoid sucb an accident in a haibor to which it makes fre quent trips, how ean you expect naval vessels, occasionally coming into New London, to escape such dangers? , The members of this House who were mem bers ol the Thirty-eighth Congress will perhaps recoucct tne discussion mat men iook piace upon this subject. The gentleman from Con necticut now but repeats tbe same tenor or argu ment which he adduced then. He made the same attacks upon the commission which was appointed by the Secretary of the Navy; he made the same attacks even upon some members ot tbe committee of this House, which was ap pointed with a view to consider this as well as all other matters relating to naval affairs. He attempted to hold up to scorn and suspicion the motives of the commission of naval officers who examined the subject and reported npon it, and questioned, as he does now, the reliability of their acts, because they happen to have been born in certain portions of the country. Now. are these the arguments by which to convince tnis Mouse r I will read vou the names of this commission. and show you bow near to Philadelphia or League Island they were born, and bow much their local inclinations and i'eelimrs could be likely to affect their judgment. I find by the Wavy itegieter that commodore strlngbam, now rear admiral, was born in the State of New York; Commodore Gardner was born in Mary land; I think Commodore Van Brunt was born in the Btate of New York, but I have not had time to hnd bis name in. the Register; my friend from Nf' Ycik t"r Pcr.cu) informs me that he was Lorn in New Jersey. I am pleased to be corrected. It is not important to this argument where they were born, but it is one of the petty means used here to create a prejudice against tne minority ot tne commission. These are the gentlemen who signed the malority report, much to the delight of my friend from Connec ticut. Not one ot them, however, waa a Penn sylvanian. Engineer Banger was also with the majority. Massachusetts claims him as one of her sons. 1 will not stop to discuss him, my colleague (Mr. Kelley ) having already done that. And I assert boldly that it I had time to look over tbat report, I could prove trotn it, to the satiblaction of members ot the House that in every requisite for a naval station for tbe build ing of iron-clad vessels, lor their repair, for their armature, aud in all other necessary respects, the majority of tbat commission have given a report in favor of League Islaud. I do not mean to deny that the bottom of the Delaware river is muddy, as they bave said, but I mean to say that in all the requisites tor a naval Btation, and especially lor a navv of iron-clads propelled by Bteam, League Island n the Delaware river is the bett and safest point upon our coast. Sir, I And appended to the report of the mi nority ot the commission and I am sorry to go over this ground again, because I believe theBe reports were tully discussed in the last Con gressthe name of Commodore John Marston, a most worthy officer of the navy; an officer to whom the gravest responsibilities have been in trusted at various times; who has commanded ships and commanded fleets; who, it has been charged by the gentleman from Connectlcuts, is from Philadelphia, but who was born in Massa chusetts. Only one of those six gentlemen, mem bers ot that commission Professor Cache was a native ol tie city ot Philadelphia. But, sir, suppose they had all been born in the ciiy of Philadelphia; suppose that they had all been born within two miles ot League Islaud; is it to be imagined that thev, sworn officer of the Mavy, would cot perform their duty aright to the Government? Sir, it there are any men connected with the service to whom I would intrust a question as to what is right or wrong, what is suitable or unsuitable with reference to Ihe general good of tlie country, I would not hesitate to place confidence in the officers of our navv and our army.. It seems, to be the study of their lives to be governed by the best and noblest motives, and prejudice seldom enters into their decision when any matter is offloiaily submitted to them. , ' The gentleman speaks of this question having been before the House some four yr ars. Why, sir, of course il has been here four years. The natural consequence of the breaking out of the Jtebellion was to bring it up as a demonstration of the wants ot the Government in reference to a suitable naval station. And he is surprise-! that the members cannot tee that the harbor of New London is the place tor erecting a navy yard in which to build iron-clad vessels. Why, sir, the question of New London, fcas been here as long as League Island. I well recollect read- i ing the discussion in tne iiitrty-eventn Con- fress. Ji I rememoer rignny n catne Deiorc tne louse towards the close of the session by the report ot tbe Committee on naval Allairs. and then tbe relative merits of League Island and New Loudon vere considered. The superiority of New Loudon a a location for a naval station was then insisted upon, as it' has alwavs been insisted upon, by tbe gentlnnn from Connecti cut and others representing tbe interests of that State. During the last Congress he and others. members ana citizens, uigea its claims in every way. Sir. I am not surprised at this. 1 never believed that the citizens of this country had no right to impress their views upon their Repre sentatives, or that those Representatives, if con vinced, had no right to urge those views upon Congress. I think Ibe gentleman and his coad jutors performed no more than their duty by presenting the views of their constituents on a question in which they were interested. But, sir, tbe nlaims of League Island are not to be Ercludged by any such argument as that they ave been heard and presented tor years. Mr. Speaker, thtre is another attempt in mv estimation to make difficulty in this Ilotife or to create prejudice.. Tho geutlcman speaks of the .. AP , V. A 1.1.. A., V .. 1 A ,1,, 1... IDlUinUUU VI IUC VVUUII blCU Ull llBTItl niimiB, He speaks of it in this Congress, anrl he relers to it in the last Congress. No member from Pennsylvania has complained of the formation of the Committee on Naval Affairs in this Con- fress, the lat Congress, or the Thirty-seventh otigref s. Now, the Committee of the last Con giess repotted against League Island. They considered it and must have acted on their best udgmcnt. They considered it with the light which was then thrown on the (mention, we have now other information, and I refer to one strong point, tbe letter of Captain Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, In regard to tho back channel, ine is aval committee oi tnis session had tlrs point investigated, and it may have induced tbe repott ot this bill ana the recom n endation of its passage. Tbe gentleman from New London has cer tninly urged with great earnestness its, claims as the best place for this naval station. But he has told you nothing in reference to the indefensibility of New London. He endeavors to stigmatize League Inland as a mud-hole, but says nothing ot its periect delcnsibility. He endeavors to show tbat the distance of League Island from the sea is one hundred miles. For the sake of his argument, he makes it twenty miles more than it really is. He perhaps has never travelled along the Delaware river. He knows nothing about its distance Irom the ocean. 1 really nelteve he preitrs to remain in ignoranoe of everything connected with it. I can in no other way account tor nis well worded abuse and depreciation ot its countless merits and advantages. But, sir, let all that go. The gentleman does not tell you of tbe great defect of New London. I spok on this question as if the gentleman's substitute provided only for the establishment of a navy yard at New London. I look at it in that way and In no other. One great delect of his favorite place is the want of facilities in pro curirg labor. The site suggested is three or four miles from a city with a population which I will not say is insufficient to fill up a black smith shop with skilled workmen, out where you certainly cannot get a supply ot the me chanical labor requ'ied. It is a city which, from natural causes, cannot hold a population exceeding twelve thonsand. You cannot possi bly extend limits so as to provide for an in ci eased populaiion. it being so surrounded by high hills of hard rock that its growth must lorever be impeded, it is not, therefore, a fit ting place lor the great naval station lor such a navy as the United States will require. But, sir, one great advantage of League Island is that an .enemy's fleet could not reacn u. Aivnj on an a iiuc emu JUiii j lite iiuVOi tion of the gentleman from Connecticut is in effect a proposition to establish a navy yard at, New London, and nothing else. The gentleman cares nothing about the proper requisites for such a great yard. He knows that his locality is not the place for a naval station of the character desired, ins object is to place it in the harbor of New London, among the rocks. Sir, that is no place to build iron-clads; you cannot pet the material there out of which to build them without going to an enormous ex pense, and the Ealt water would corrode them when built. Now, a word as to the question of filling up League Island bo as to secure a proper founda tion for the necessary buildings. It will not cost much. Ihe gentleman says you must go to New Jersey for material. Yes, I say you can go to Red Bank. In New Jerscv. which is imme- diately opposite, only a mile or two off, and get a? mucn gravei as you want, ana onng it across the Delaware at a trifling cost. There is nlentv ot material coming from the iron works of rnuadfriDMa lor tolling up that part of it which the committee terms, I think, "marsh land." I know something about that island. It bannens to be in my district, and I bave been upon it . r . n,i i. i . ' . man; uuirp. xuere are nve or six trues: liirtns upon it; and there are buildings upon it which nave stood ior years. The gentleman speaks of it as being an un healthy location. Talk to me about League Island not being a healthv location 1 The gen tleman might as well tell me that one-half of ray dittrict is unhealthy. Sir, I am well acquainted with the immediate neighborhood of the Island, and I cim truly say tbat I am not mistaken in denying this charge of want of health. It U healthy, and inhabited by people who live to good old age, and who will be surprised to hear of it beirg sickly. I want a fair and proper consideration of the bill. I am anxious that a proper naval station should be selected, and desire the House to vote on this bill understandingly. Let us pass it, and start a great yard, one equal to all the require ments of the country. What is the use of having another commission appointed ? We have had commissions heretofore, and in spite of their reports Congress has never decided agaitBt League Island and never will upon such argu ments as have been presented by its enemies. Why should we diBtrust the Secretary of the Navy ? Has he any interest in League Island t 11 he felt as the gentleman from Connecticut does, being from Connecticut, he would esta blish this navy yard at New London; and it is because he will not do that that, my friend does not like the Secretary. Caption Fox.the Assistant Secretary, is, I believe, a citlzenj,of Massochii setts, and I think the hepds of nearly all the bureaus in the Departments are from New Eng land; yet I am not unwilling to take their views on this subject. I am not even unwilling to take the views of Rear Admiral Smith, to some ex tent. I know, Bir, that those officers of an older generation do not see the fitness ot the Delaware river lor a naval station; for when tbey held commands in the Navy Bailing ships only were used, and it did Lake some time to come up to Philadelphia. That is the secret of their oppo sition. Well, sir. they have done houor to their country in their time; but tbey are passing away, and it is too late in the day, alter this question has been so thoroughly discussed, not only in this House and in its Naval Committee,, but in tbe Navy Department, ior us to hesitate to esla bli.h a navy yard lor iron vessels in a river of fresh water, with ample depth of channel, near skilled labor, and near the coal and iron neces sary to be used in their construction, aud where ice, even in the coldest winters known, is no in surmountable obstacle. We have an ice bout which has always kept the channel open. ' The gentleman has referred to the relative dis tances of New London aud Philadelphia from New York. I do not know where he gets his geography or his scale ot distances. I believe New London is one hundred and fifty miles irom New York. I know it takes all night to get there from that city in tho steamboat; and by railroad tbe distance is about the same, lor it takes nearly the whole day to reach it. Does the gentleman know bow far it is from Phila delphia to New York? To be sure, going by steamboat down the Delaware the distance may be a little greater than from New Loudon to New York, but by railroad communication we are only ninety miles from the latter city. , ,Why, sir, the gentleman does uot know his map. Let him look at it, let him measure CHe distances as I have done for tho puijose ot -ing facts to this House, so as not'io dea imagination and eueug for the sake of succ ' JUKE 12, 1866. I ihoiild be ashamed of myself if I thought I was actuated in this matter bv mere local into- lests. 1 believe tbkt Lengue Island is the place for a navy vard. because It Is in every way ac cessible to everything which is needed to be uyd for bnlld'ng a navy such as we Bhould have. VV; bave a channel In front of league Island ol twenty-three feet and more In depth. It Is two and a quarter miles in extent upon the Delaware river. There is a channel of some eighteen or twenty feet in depth, and some Hve-cighths of a mile in extent on the Schuylkill, and also the bark channel, w hich la also two ana a quarter miles long, of some fourteen or sixteen fectdeop. which furnishes a great natural basin. I am speaking of the depth of the channels at hiuh water, of conrse. I believe that this is a place intended by nature lor some such purpose aa this. Now. the gentleman from Connecticut desires that we shall go to New London for this natty yard, where we would have to blast out thou sands and thousands of tons ot rock in order to obtain A basin. That, sir, could never be done, and yet the gentleman talks about it as the place most suitable tor building ships, but never mentioning us salt water. Besides, we all know that we want iron and coal ior building a navy; those are tho great materials to be used in the construction and for tbe motive power of iron vessels propelled by steam. And would you go to New Ixjndon to be near supplies ot coal and iron? Tbe gentle man cannot show me any line o railroad or canal, or any means of access to it, by which you could reach those articles wiihin one hun dred miles as near as they are to League Island. Ho cannot have the hardihood to attempt seriously to convince any one that the locution ne would select is la sucn close proxtmity to everything which enters into the completion of an Iron navy as tne point designated in tills bill. League Island lies at the mouth of the Schuyl kill, nt its confluence with tbe Delaware, both of which livers aie navieable by nature and by art. There is a canal all tbe way down the Schuylkill, from the Schuylkill coal regions to within live miles of League Island, and the Rending Railroad running along the side of the canai. mere ts the cenigii valley Kaitrouii, connecting at Bethlehem with the Nor.lh Penn sylvania, leading into the Lehigh coal'and iron regions. There are also means of access irom League Island into the same regions by canal ann tidewater navigation along tne uciaware and Lehigh rivers. And is timber any nearer to New London than it is to League Island? No, sir; the means of getting timber to the former place are not so great. For the live oak of the State ot Delaware and the yellow pine of the Carolinas, what are the means of communication with League Island? isesldes the 'Delaware bay and river, there is the Delaware Railroad, which now ex tends almost the entire length of that State, aid before long will be extended into Virginia along its eastern shore. And will it be argued ot League Island, possessing all these advan tages, that New London is still nearer to all these materials tnan it? wny, sir, anywhere, in any direction, bv any means of communica tion, canal, railroad, river, or bay, for any of the materials whicn are so necessary in tne con stiuction and repair of naval vessels, iron or wood, Lengue Island is many miles nearer than New London. Sir, I hope, I believe tbat .this House will decide the question upon principles of Justice aud right. We are acting lor the best interests of the whole country. And we are urging the passage of this bill because we believe that League island is tho best place tor this naval Btation. ' It seems that a great many naval officers who have looked into the matter within the last two or three years have changed their minds mate rially, l am under tne impression mat my con stitucnt, Commodore Turner, was not a warm advocate of League Island two years ago. Yet we have his letter Betting forth the reasons why it should be preferred, stating among, other things its heaitniuiness ana its easy approacn. So. too. with Commodore Stribliner. who. al though stationed at Philadelphia, was not atone time lavorable to League Island, yet be has si nee written a letter in its favor: That letter has been read by my colleague (Mr. Kellev). This is another illustration of the change wliich has taken place in the views of prominent naval otneers, one great reason being, no doubt, the importance ot tne basin afioroed by tne back channel, a baiin that ran be made three hun dred and filty yards wide, and deep enough to float the navies ol the world. The gentleman Irom Connecticut refers often to the mud of the river Delaware. Well, sir,' we do not pretend to Bay tbat the bottom ot the river Delaware is oi rocks, and we thank rrovi- deuce that it is not; tor if it were so, we could not urge the adoption of League Island as the location for the naval station. Sir. we have the advantage ot the mud, If you choose. At bigh tide we hnve twenty-three feet or more of water in the channel ot the river Delaware; and we have besides that six or eight Inches of yielding mud, which does not hinder the progress of a vessel. The largest vessels of the navy and ol tbe merchant service have come not only to League Island, but to the wharves of the city of Jr-nnaaeipma. i Know tnat in one instance, a lew years ago, tne ship vauitarai was unable to get into the port of New York became she could net get across the bar; but that ship was brought in eulety to our wharves. And 1 will state also that at one time a project was on icot ro nnng me wear eastern to l'hila dtlphin. a party agreeing to undertake to arrnm phsn it; but the protect was abandoned. I believe, in consequence of some hesitation on Ikvvvmu v va Auoui UUVt. ut IU ID (U (ftllljyia dt pth of water tor any vessel. The records of , the Navy Department show that those drawing ( tne most water, ana having the largest arma' ments, have not only been at the present l'hila dclpbia Navy Yard, .but many of them were ! built there, and have with ease gone out to sea j through the Delaware river and Day. Vessels J propelled by steam are not delayed. Six or sevennouts win take them to the Capes, aud even under the most adverse circumstances of wind and w eaifcer a sailing vessel cau make the distance in about double that time. Thiity-live or forty years ago the foreign com merce of (his coin. try was done at tbe wharves oi tbe city ot Philadelphia. At that time thev were crowded with shipping from all ports of tho world. Tbat was the emporium tor the China trade and the London trade. It was not until the sagacity of Governor De Witt Clinton suggested the construction of tbe Em Cunal thut that trade began to leave that city and go to New York. The Delaware liver now, as then, is of sufficient depth of channel for either mer chantmen or national vessels. Noae of either kind are constructed, or are likely to be con structed, whether of iron or wood, which c in not navigate hei waters. But, Mr. Speaker, to return to the question of dpfeusibility, which is, in taut, Ihe important question. You must locate your naval stations iu positions where they can be defended at alow cobt. Where is the location that can be as easily dclended as the city of Philadelphia and League Island adjaceut to it? An enemy's thip could not successfully make its way up that river. Its very length Is its defense. There are tbe two defensive works. Fort Delaware and Fort Mif flin. Besides, there aie numerous places along the shore of the river (not high bluffs or towel ing mountains) upon which batteries could be placed. It would be Impossible tor a foieigu eutmy to approach Philadelphia by sea. And, sir, ou could not blockade the city ol Philadel phia or Leap no Inland. It would tike the combined navle ot tho world for sucb a blockade as would prevent effectual access to or from them. The bottom ol Belli axe bay is composed ol fielding mini, so that you cannot anchor a blockading fleet there, and you all know its great width. A blockado ol Philadelphia and League Island to be com plete reuder a blockade not only on the Dela waie bav necesjury, but aUo a blockade of the Jersey coast and ol the Chesapeake bay. 1 You must also blockade New York. I repeat, it would luke the combined navies of the world to do this, . Suppose it was atiempted, vou can get fism League Island to New York through tho Delaware and Raritsn canal, which has a wiotn and depih sufficient to enable i to take a moni tor of five hundred tons in;o Hew York haibor. You can abo get tbeui through the Dela vare ard Cbef.apeuke tuai to Bait) meet. And I ap peal to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Newell) ibBt to make a blockade of tbat co ist effectual you must blockade it, entirely, fatlll we would nave access iu u vj me amaen ana Atlantic Railroad. Thus we would have means of outlet , for .ur monitors by these canals, and we would have the whole West to furnish us with Its pro ducts, thus rendering a threatened blockade, mi ue ana wunoiu result. League Island can be shown most tneontro vcrtibly. not only to be a place of safe tv fnr nnr iron-clnd vesjcls, but also the very best in which to build up a navy. Now, I Judge from what'I have seen In this House that iacts, and facta only, will be listened to. and they seem to mo, asiaras presented, to De au in favor of that location. I sav that on the question of defenslhtlit.v. on the question of Iresh water, on the question of ine oepm i wawr, ireeaom irom ice, and on the question of cheapness of living, aud the facility of procuring materials, vou can And no place to compare with it. It looks to me as if nature planted it there lor some great national use. New London Is out of the question on. uccuuni ui sail wmtr. All who have examined it state this th great and insurmountable objection as tar as iron vessels are com er ned. Salt water destrovs them. The gentleman from Connecticut seems trt suppose that a rocky point Is ihe best place for a navy varo. uca is noi our experience in tbe past. Look at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, most of w hich is made ground. We do not want to carry vessels up a steep hill or to cut deep 1 : . 1. . il i 1. t . i r utimus uiiuuKu ruuu ruin, n is not necessary, when we have otherplaces which do not require this enormous expenditure of money. Go to the Chnrlcetown Navy Yard, In the district of the Chairman ol the Committeo on Naval Affairs, and you will find that a grest portion of it is n ade ground. It is necessarily so, for you want a navy for water and not tor hind. At the outset ot ray remaiks I alluded to the fact that the gentleman from Connecticut made no argument of the delcnsibility of New Ion don against a foreign navy. He could not make uny such argument. The history of tho country points out some fncts In-reference to the de-. legibility of tbnt locaMon. It could not resist a foreign navy during the war of 1H12, which blockaded it, any more than during the revolu tionary war, when It wns burnt to ashes by the Butish, whose fleet and transports reached it in one night's sail. It is Just as easy of capture now as it was then. One woid about the expense. Why. sir, $1)00,000 was expended in repairing and lilting out one ship of our Navy. 1 refer to the Van derlM. Yet you talk about the cost of con structing a navy yard at League Island such as no other nation in the world will or can have. It is so clear tbat I do not think it needs argu ment. I do not tli ink this House would heel tute for one mtment in reference to the expense when the city of Philadelphia offers to give to the Government six hundred acres ot land. I; certainly would not it tbe land were adjoining tbe present navy yard. WerioLOtask for a new navy yard. We ex- fiect the present one to be transierred to League sliuid w hen completed. Tbe present yard is now surrounded by the city. It is almost in th centre of the city. Tne Government can sell it for probably f, 000,01.0, although it contain! but tiltccu or sixteen acres, and in its Btead yoi will have a navy jard ol some six hundred acres iu a much better locat'on. We are not asking for a new navy yard, but only desire that you will locate one, in lact, but as au extension of the old vard. These six hundred acres new oflered aa a gift wi 1 be worth in a lew yens millions of dollars to the Government. Cem merce is pressing down the river towards League Island. Wharves lor the accommodation ot private business are being built along the banks of the Delaware. 8ir, would you Belect for a naval station Netr London harbor, which is famous for nothing but its nearness to. the ocean? We do not want a new navy yard, much less do we want one located among rocks and ?alt marshes. It may have the proximity to the sea to recommend it as regards health, but a consumptive could not live there, and men working hard from morning until night in the shops would suffer from the climate, whereas in the neighborhood of Phila delphia they would be living where healtlt abounds. - One word as to the defcnsibility of League Island in comparison with New London. '. I tell you there is but one way of deciding this, ques tion, and that is upon the facts. With the natu ral and artificial defenses in the Delaware river iu the Revolutionary struggle, it took the British fleet eight long weeks to get up to Philadelphia. And I will appeal to my friend from Delaware if it is not true tbat in the war of 1812 time and again the British cruisers were driven off the Capes by our batteries, and jet Commodore De catur was ehut up by blockade of the enemy in the haibor of New London for week upon weeks with his ship alter he had captured the lacedontan. Sir, we need such a navy, as the lesson of the late Rebellion has taught us, a navy built of iron, and we need a naval station at a poiut where we cannot only build, but equip our iron-clad ves sels. Does this House know that during the late rebellion not one ship waa fully equipped in the navy yards oi the country? Now, sir, let ca have a yard where we can have & foundry, where we can makefour ordnance, and everything great or small which enters into the' completion of a man-of-war. Look at the losses we have suf tcrvd; millions of dollais claimed by contractors for extra work ou vessels and their machinery. In the midst ot the speech ol mv friend from Connecticut a bill for the relief of a contractor for less upon the Idaho is messaged from the Ren n to tn tliA TTnnau IV n will Hn.l ..l.,ima " " . If MUM lilllllUD amounting to twenty or thirty million dollars of this character, all occasioned by want of proper legislation on this subiect. In 1862 the Secretary of the Navy suggested in a report, and has made the same suggestion in every snceeeding report, the necessity of locating a navy yard lor iron-clads, and yet here alter nearly live years, with half a-dozen or more navy yards, we have none fitted for this purpose. We ongbt to have a navy worthy, ot such heroes as Farragut, Dnpont, Wiuslow, Cusbing, and others; but we can never have it until we select the place at which to build the vessels. Mr. Speaker, one word and I am done. As I said belore, 1 started out to state fects. and have endeavored to confine myself to sucn. I wisli to say, sir, for my colleagues of the Pennsylva nia (felegation and for mv own more immediate colleagues of Philadelphia, that we ate not urged to the support of tbis measure byny local interests or consideration". We endeavor t do our duty without the prejudice of locality. If a better site can be found for this purp se anywhere in the country, eelect it aud establish your naval Btation there. But let us, for rhe suke of those who have honored our flair in the navul service, take such nicauis as will place the navy upon a proper footiug lor all time to come. For this we ask you to pass the bill Just a it was reported from the Committee on Naval Affairs.. ESTABLISHED 179 5. A. S. ROBINSON, French Plate Lookliiff-Classes. ENGRAVINGS PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS ETC JUanuiacturor of all kinds of I.oolcins-GleB, Portrait, and Vict. ture Frames to Order. No. 910 CHE5NTJT STREET, " THIRD DOOR ABOVE THE CONTlNKlitAL, 'HILIDILPOIA. 8 16 WALL PAPERS AND WINDOW SHADES ..id Bllnd..-F1n .s,o,ta.,nt wa hV A so Preventive of Hemp Wal (in DweliUm. Paour Uanners stut to all parts of the country. p ' i 2 I7trp X. 1 U M.TOPttTH jjjjjjSSt,, -11TALL PAPill AND WINDOW MI AWN-
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