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-