280 SPEECH OF 



should so far yield to their wishes, as not to interpose any strenu- 

 ous opposition to the views of the Naval Committee. If a majority 

 of the house were disposed to adopt it in this shape, he would not 

 insist upon the original proposition. 



"He was the more inclined to yield to this amendment, because 

 he believed the effect would be precisely the same. The expedi- 

 tion would be sent out, under either provision. The last seven 

 years had shown, that under no previous administration had mari- 

 time interests been more kindly cherished and thoroughly pro- 

 tected than they had been under the care of the enlightened and 

 patriotic chief who now presided over the executive department 

 of our government. He, who had been always alive to the in- 

 terest and honour of his country, would be neither insensible to 

 the advantages of this expedition, nor slow in the execution of a 

 trust reposed in his discretion. 



" This measure had been objected to, as novel and extraordinary 

 in its character. Gentlemen had not examined the subject, he 

 thought, who made these objections. Almost every nation in 

 Europe had, at one time or other, sent out similar expeditions. 

 France, England, Russia, and Prussia, as well as several of the 

 secondary nations of Europe, had authorized such expeditions. 

 He would go no further back than the voyage of Christopher 

 Columbus, who had three hundred years ago discovered a new 

 world, and conferred such important benefits upon the whole 

 human race. His was by no means the first voyage of the kind ; 

 but from that day down to the present, similar expeditions for dis- 

 covery, exploration, and survey, both by sea and land, had been 

 set on foot, by the civilized nations of the old world, and had, in 

 almost every instance, resulted most beneficially, not only to the. 

 authors, but to the whole family of nations. The information thus 

 acquired was thrown into the common stock. It was published 

 for the benefit of all ; and no nation was more ready to seize upon 

 the results of these discoveries, and turn them to its own advan- 



