Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-02-27

anime the ;nc0ilyeR,eBce 20 Wta'lii t se'ss.
pass,no the draw will be subjected, ior 'ais
sa anne now 20 be the only remaining
ground Of Investigation. We nave oseu
Told nv gentlemen on this floor well &C,
oua,ated with the building of bridges ana
of their effects that littls or no deten M
is experienced in passing the draws I'd,
it frequently happens that vessels pass tnro,
wi,hau, lowering a sail or being detained
! single instant when they have fair WIND,
and that a, no time is it necessaryto detalu
them longer than from S TO I miou'es. =
this information is correct, land we cas'ho'
possibly doub, lit, where, let me ask "a the
sery great injury to the very Fey yessels
tha; will have 10 pass this draw: When
say very few Mr.. chairman, have fslsr'
ence 10 the statement made the other day
by my honorable colleague, the chairman OF
{ thu committee whose report - now 'he sue.
iect,af discussion. He then told Us that MS
statement was taken from absolute entries
made at the collectors office at George
Town for the last seven years, and In that
time only twenty. one ships, s'x~brlgs, one
hundred g. thirty.two schrs. and So sleoPs
had been entered there, making IN She
whele 2t1 vessels of all descriptions. My
colleague at that time omitted to mentlo on,
or was not appraised Of the fact, that OF tho
vessels entered at Georgetown, very
considerable proportion never went there,
but were destined for, and actually loaded
at the Eastern Branch. 1t is very well
known, that within the last sven years,
number Of large vessels were loaded at
the Eastern Branch by Mr. Barry alone,
who was at that time engaged in faakl ing
large shipments of -four and biscuit TO the
West Indies vet all these vessels. as well
as a great number employed in removing
from Philadelphia the furniture OF con.
grsss, of the president, and of the public
officers, together with those employed IN
bringing stores, &C. for the nayy-yard on
the Eastern Branch, were all entered at
Georgetowo, that being the only port OF
entry for George Town and the City OF
Washington thereby giving to George
town an appearance OF commerce which
she is not really entitled to. have ascer-
tanned that some years ago several foreign
vessels resorted to the port OF Georgetown
to carry away the tobacco OF that town and
Bladsnsburg, and that the ships used to
! lay in the Eastern Branch. to obtain their
careoes from both placea: that this trade
has declined cannot be denied, for It is an
incontrovertible fac. that the only ship des
tined for Georgetown las. year, called the
William Murdoch, capt. Tom, was loaded
at Barry's wharf ON the Eastern Branch,
because there was not sufficient water over
the bar below Georgetown to admit her
passage to and from thar place. Now, air,
from the whole number of vessels of all
descriptions entered at Georgetown for the
last seven years, we may fairly deduct one
fourth for those which never went there:
there will then remain 158 as having octat
ally passed up sheriver to thatPIa during
that time, which, divided by seven, will
be something less than rs vessela in each
year, and not quite one tor each fortnight;
Thus then, sir, this mighty obstacle, these
great delays by draw bridge, after iuves.
tigstion, become very Observation-Disclosures
deed The drst is proved Co be nothing, and
the last too trihlng to deserve serious con. |
sidera,ion. But, Mr.. Chairman, in order
TO remove every objection. or even doubs,
which can possibly exis, with any part OF
the committee, l am willing TO insert a
clausein the bill obhgipg the Bridge Com.
.pany 20 aeompensate for any loss by dsten,
ton at the draw.
! !. | have endeavored to shew thatthe cree
ton of this bridge cannot injtire the nstp' |
gatien of the river. nor subject to much |
ilat snvenience the very few vesseis which |
may pass it--Itis now proper that ] should
stale the advantages which will result 70
the community Mt large from its erection:
It is hardly necessary, presume, sir, to
state the difference in dispatch, in sal y, (
and in comfort, between a,hridge and fer |
~ ayap v,hera fhf n ,sranc,s ia the same /. !