Saturday, April 28.
Reduction of the Navy.
The House resumed the consideration of the bill for reducing the Naval Establishment of the United States.
Mr. Smilie's amendment was modified so as to fix the number of officers, &c., to be retained in service, as follows: thirteen captains, nine masters commandant, seventy-two lieutenants, ---- midshipmen and —— seamen, ordinary seamen and boys.
Mr. Mumford again moved to postpone the further consideration of the subject indefinitely—lost, yeas 40, nays 54.
Mr. Randolph moved to strike out the numbers thirteen, nine, and seventy-two, in the amendment, being desirous of reducing the officers, if any part of the establishment. Motion lost, ayes 40, noes 46.
Mr. N. R. Moore called for a division of the question on Mr. Smilie's amendment.
And the question was taken on that part of it which authorizes the President to keep in service so many of the armed vessels as he may think proper, and to lay up the rest in ordinary in convenient ports. This part of the amendment was agreed to—yeas 61, nays 38.
The second clause of Mr. Smilie's amendment being under consideration—
Mr. Smilie moved to fill the blank for the number of midshipmen with "one hundred and fifty" (about half the number at present in service)—Agreed to, ayes 51, noes 37.
The question was stated on filling the blank for the number of seamen to be retained with "two thousand seven hundred and twenty-three," as moved by Mr. Bassett, and rejected, yeas 46, nays 52; also the question was taken on filling with 2,000, and rejected, yeas 39, nays 56; also on filling with 1,400, which was carried; and the House then adjourned.