The Potter Journal

League Island Navy Yard,
It should afford every Pennsylvanian pride to know that the legislation necessary to locate the great National Navy Yard at League Island has passed the body in which it originated, and that there is great reason to hope it will be adopted in the Senate. We are gratified that Congress is likely to come to this decision, because the location of these immense public works at League Island will result in practical good to the Government. The location, in an economical point of view, will be worth thousands of dollars to the Government, in the operation of the works. Iron and coal, the two great sources of supply for such an establishment, may be literally said to exist at its very doors provided Congress decide finally to locate this navy yard at League Island. But aside from these considerations, and as an indulgence of our local pride, we rejoice at the probability of this location, because it will be a benefit to our great commercial metropolis. Philadelphia has been less benefitted by national governmental patronage than any city in the Union. For every dollar the Government has heretofore disbursed in or near that city, it has derived the value of two dollars in return. While New York city has been gormandizing to the amount of millions—while her steamships have been literally sustained by the national authorities—while the sub-treasury has been a means of floating the bankers of New York through more than one financial crisis, the business men of Philadelphia have been sustaining themselves, and at the same time doing more than their share in maintaining the credit of the country. Hence we repeat, that the location of the Navy Yard affords us infinite pleasure. In one sense, the location of this national work in any other part of the country would not have affected the iron or coal interests of Pennsylvania. However near or distant from them the works may be located, they will be dependent for operation on Pennsylvania coal. But their location in the vicinity of Philadelphia will be a benefit to a community which has already performed large service for the Government. While it will add nothing to the energy or the security of business in Philadelphia, it will enable our friends in that city to enlarge their enterprise and extend their means of still further contributing to national greatness. We sincerely hope, for these reasons, that the location of the Navy Yard at League Island may finally prove successful.-Telegraph.