1385 HISTORY OF CONGRESS. Arar, 1798.] Sick and Disabled Seamen. made to answer every purpose of an efficient mili | a. In proof of this it wasstated, that the militia | in the Hastern States was in perfect order and discipline, and that being the case im those States, it might also be the same in others, if like means | were taken. If the same laws were passed by the | United States for the regulation of the whole ilitia, as at present existed in the Eastern States, and if the militia officers were every where equally attentive to their duty, the militia might generally be in equally good order. That the plan proposed was only known in theory; that, though it might answer well in a thickly settled country, it would be attended with many and great inconveniences in spare settlements, as to get 100 young men together to exercise, would take in a cireuit of 20 miles; besides, that the sending out a large num- ber of young ‘men together, without persons of more advanced years, as a check upon them, Would have a bad effeet upon their morals 5 am to take young men away from their business, | | which they might be just commencing, for ten or twelve days at a time, would ruin them. Nor! was it believed that young men could be so well | disciplined, or kept together, as if they were inter- | spersed with persons of greater age and solidity. | ‘Mr. J. Wittiams stated the expense attending the present system as far beyond what it is gene~ rally thought to be, and considerably more than the system proposed would be. He supposes there are now about 600,000 men enrolled, who at least | spend six days of a year in the militia service, which, if reckoned ata dollar per day (including | expenses) amounts to $2,600,000 per annum. the bill now proposed, it is supposed the select corps will consist of about 150,000 men, who are | to be employed twelve days in'a year.” The re- | served corps, about 350,000 men, is to be called | | out only one day in the year—so tbat the differ- ence of expense in favor of the new system, would at least be $1,275,000. Besides, the present system exonerates one-fifth Of the peuple from the service, by exceptions in favor of officers of vari- ous kinds, which he deemed unequal and wojust. | In fine, that the present system is burdensome, at the same time that it ix inadequate to the defence of the country, wud, if not amended, would be the means of introducing into this country what is the | dane of all free Governments—a standing army. "The new system was supported by Messrs. S. Suith, “Suerann, Davron, Macon, BRooxe, Pinckney, and Harper, as affording at all times | an active, efficient militia, of at least 150,000 men, Which would place the country at all times in security, as no foreign Power would ever think of attacking a country which could call out this force; that the young men having been actively engaged in discipline from 18 to 84, would after that time to the age of 40, form a reserved corps, ready to be called upon in cases of emergeney: Thal-the disciplining of these young men would Keep the officers in exercise, and they would learn how to take care of men when they were out in service, which was a consideration of first import- ance; that young men would train much better together than if fathers and sons were in the came ranks, and being clothed in become ambitious of excellin ‘That this plan would be more economical than the present, and would make fewer exceptions from service; and it was a plan which had been warmly recommended by the first military man in this country, the late President of the United States, and would render a standing army in the country wholly unnecessary. ‘The motion for striking out the first section was lost—45 to 31; when the committee rose and had leave to sit again. SICK AND DISABLED SEAM! ‘The bill for the relief of sick and disabled sea~ mon (whieh provides that every seaman belong: ing tw the Uplted States shall pay twenty cente-a month out of his wages for the relief of sailors im distress, and for the erecting of hospitala) having: ‘boon read tho third time, and the question on pase ing being pe dr. Sear, said, he was unwilling to say any thing against this bill; but the passing of it would be attended with many inconveniences and Objece tions, which ought to be mentioned. He allowed the objections principally applied to the part of the Umon from whenee he came, where provision, already made for sick and. disabled persons of every description, sailors as welll az others, with Svhich every person in the community is changed. Beamen in that quarter, therefore, now pay their full. proportion of money for public charity; and they were again to be called upon by this act, they would be made to pay in two different ways far the same object, without any advantage to themselves, because’ they are already entitled t Feliof in case of sicknesy or disability. Bat this was hot the case, he doubted the propriety of taxing seamen only for the support of what ought to be considered a2 a public charity. He thought the laws of reason and charity called upon the publie ar large in support of unfortunate: mien of this description, and that the burden ought not exclusively to be laid upop them. We have no Sommon feeling with these men} the tax will fall Epon no member of this House, but will be ex- Shusively drawn from the carnings of a small part St the community, who, in all. probability, will Teceive no advantages from it for fifty. years to Some, as large and splendid buildings muct first be frected, in order to exhibit to the world a speci« Shen of public charity. Nothing of this kind was to be seen in his part of the country 3 but this Slass of persons nevertheless were provided for. Neither ative or foreigner was theresick without care and reliel being afforded him. It was difi- Suit, therefore, to conceive upon what reasonable $rotind the veamien of his State could be called Spon to contribute to a fond of this kind. ‘The Duly reason which had been assigned was, that the New lungland seamen frequently visited the Souther States, where, if they were taken sick, there was no provision for their relief. He hoped those States would provide relict for such uafor- tunate persons; if not, sailors ‘must go there as they go'inte foreign countries.‘Much reliance, Mr. S.said, had been laid on the example of England, where it was said simi- | lar establishments existed. But those establish- | ments were begun. by the grants of individuals, and a particular class of seamen— those employed in the navy merely contributed to their current expensés; so that the two cases were very differ ent. He hopet! therefore, the bill would not pass. | Mr. Pinckney Was sorry to differ from. his friend froin Massachusetts on this subject. Fle had hoped the objections which he nd. before | stated to the principle of this bill would, by this time, have been removed. ‘The gentleman had before stated, that his principal objection to this | Dill arose from there being -lready provision taade | in the Eastern States for the relief of sick and disabled seamen. It was then stated in reply, that provided the law did bent a litte hard upon that State, from their known federal disposition, it was hoped, as it would operate a general benefit to the | Union, it would not be objected to. But it was | then shown, and he would repeat it, that the law | could not bear hard upon them. If there is a pro- vision at presont made in Massachusetts for_per- sons of this description, it must be a burden ‘upon the people there; and if, after the passing of thie | law, that barden be removed, it would certainly be Beneficial to the citizens of that State in gene- | val, though it may bea tax upon the seamene Phe gentleman from Massachusetts had also gpokon against the general usility of the mensure, fe said it was taxing a particular description of | men for a general object. On the contrary, he | thought it only reasonable and equitable that these persons shoald pay for the benefit which they were themselves to receive, and that it would be neither | just not fair for other persons to pay it. But he | clieved if the subject was further looked into, it | would be found that the seamen would not fay the tax themselves, as it would cote to be cousi- dered as wages, and by that means become a gen. | eral tax, as the merchant who would have to pay it would lay it upon his merchandise But the gentleman says, this tax is to be appro- priated to the building of large and splendid hose pitals. As far as he had considered the bill, he | understood that the erection of hospitals was oly a secondary object. Relief to distress is the first | thing to be attended to, and if, after affording this relief, the tax produces'a sufficient surplus, tt is t0 | be employed in the erection of suitable—not large | and. splendid—buildings, as hospitals, ‘The gentleman had also. said, that the seamen | of the Eastern States must rely upon provisions | made for them by the Southern States in case of | sickness, &c.; or, if no such provision was made, | they must take the same chance as when they go into forcign countries. ‘This observation does not apply, as the United States have made provision | for their sick-and disabled seamen in foreign coun | tries by means of Consuls, whieh it is conten. plated ‘to make more efficiént than it has hereto. fore been; but this is not the ease. in Southern States, Seamen who are sick and digabled there | have only to rely upon pravate cliarity for snp | port; and surely the Eastern States, which fur-| HISTORY OF CONGRESS. Sick and Disabled Seamen. (Arnie, 1798. nishat least three-fifths of the seamen of the Uni- ted States, are interested in providing some more certain support for their unfortunate citizens. All those circumstances considered, he trasted the bill would pass. Mr, Livtwasron said, the objections to this bill had arisen from’ two sources: its inequality. as to different parts of the Union, and its inequality as to the persons upon whom it was to operate. On the first point, he thonght such satisfactory an- swers had been given as must have proved efffec- tual. He was sorry it had not had that effect; but notwithstanding the pertinacious opposition which this bill has received from the gentleman last up, he doubted not it would pass by a large majority. ‘The inequality aid to arise in its operation tn dif= ferent parts of the Union was owing to provision having already been made in come States for the relief Of sick and disabled seamen. But how, he asked, would this provision injure that part of the United States? Did not the gentleman sce that the President had the power to appropriate mouey for the temporary relief of seamen in the first in- stance ?. OF coutst, he would reimburse to the State of Massachusetts, or any other State, any sums of money expended for this purpose. "The Provision which the gentleman speaks of as being made for this description of persons, he suppos was the common town charities, whieh, if the were to be reimbursed, the inequality which had been spoken of would’ appear to be only imagi- nary. But if the inequality had existed, when the gentleman had seen the extreme utility of such a provision in other parts of the Union, he should have hoped he would have waived his objection, In the city which he represented, Mr. L. said, they had also a provision of this kind’ At Charles ton, and, he believed, at Philadelphia, similar sup- port.was afforded to persons of ‘this deseriprion. in New York, there were generally 300 sick and disabled seamen relieved in the course of a year, and he supposed an equal rimmber might receive support from the institutions of the two other cities he had mentioned. Besides, the persons upon, whom. this inequality was stated to fall, ought not to make any violent objection to it, as they were themselves in the habit of receiving some small advantages from the Union, which ought to revent a murmur at a provision like the present. Bhey receive, said he, $75,000 annually ih boun. ties on their fishing vessels, though the duty on the salt used in curing their fish, which this bounty was given to countervail, does not amount to more than $30,000. Indeed, he did not believe the people themselves would object to the tax in question. If he knew anything of the careless, honest nature of this elass of men, they would not object to so trifling a sum, as twenty cents a month for so valuable an object. A sailor, said he, is concerned only for the present, and is inea- ‘able of thinking of, or inattentive to, future wel- fare; he is, therefore, a proper object for the care of Government, and’ whilst he can provide. ain asylum for inflrmity or old age, by the sacrifices of a few gills of rum, he will not seruple to do it. But it was said this benefit could not accrue to