Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-01-31


DOT, Iwilltake the liberty of s;aslngthe mo-
;iiyestha. governed them.
The committee had No p srieu!ar prede-
lictionfor the sum stated IN the report i.r
they knew it was in the discretion OF the
house to.modi!y it as they saw 1T. Inc
committee had conversation with sile Sc
cretafy of war on the subject. s.
4 de was pleased to say lhas there were
some ports as well fortified as could be
expected in the present situation OF ths
country but that in o.her places the
for,i6cations were defective and made.
saouate. He stated that at New Orleans, the
Notifications were very inadequate ) that
thew had gone out OF repair, and It was
Question whether it were not'best to change
their scites. He represented thas'at ga
wanna there were no works, adding that
Georgia had made no cession OF land TO
The u. S. on which to erect them. He stat
edIthat at Charlie ,.he works had suffered
considerably in consequence OF torEadoes.
He said there were some works at Norfolk;
and likewise stated the situation OF New.
York. From his statement 1t appeared
thu, but little had been done towards the
sfftc.ual protection Of that harbour and
tina, 81 was extremely difficult TO do any
thing to protect it against any considerable
force that mightbe brought against IT,
lie stated that there was some. protection
at Newport, aud that in d1e ,Chssapeak
much was net required; and at Boston the
harbour was nearly as well secured as 1t
need b.. In addition 10 Ibis conversation,
the secretary gaye an estimate OF The sun
necessary ,obe appropria ed TO- repair the
works which were going to decay. ms.
estimate was from the mouSh OF the secre.,
tarv. consldes this sum as lnads quate,
and it is my wish that weshonld not rest
ON the opinion of the secretary OF war, but
-decidesfor ourselves. believe that great
attention ought to be palu 10 our ports and
harbors. / cannot but thick it peculiarly
proper to protect place where ore third
of our revenue is collected, and which
believe now nigh be laid under centr'bu.
ton by single "a gun ship. How this IS
10 be done, | cannot pretend to say. The
thing alarms me in the present sta'eof our
AFFAIRS, and think we are called upon to
he prepared for immediate defence. On
this point.here can be no diversity OF op'ni.
on. hope, therefore, that gentlemen,
who have taken full view of the subject,
will come forward with an efficient plan.
M. Dawion. The ohjea is to ffiks out
100000 dollars TO introduce aFgeFiuF. 1
am forty this motion has been made. IL IS
known 10 you, Mr.. Chairman, that more ;hs'
Que million of dollars has already been applied
70 the defence OF New Yc'k, provided tha'
fate agrees to appropriate the money. Il Is
| known to you alto, that many millions have been
applied TO the defence Of cur potts and lIafbors.
It is known to you, by The neaage Of the preti-
dent, that the mcG important asticlcs OF defence
are already in resdipeis; and that this aPproPr'a,
ton is only in aid of another appropriation CT
zse, 600 dollars for gan boats bath being parts
Of the {ame fyitem for the protection o. our
potts ard hatbors. This climate comes from
the teere,ary Of wzr, who believe is betterin
formed and more c,hntereaed on this ius1cet
than any member on this a'or.f
NJ. E4rly. ! rifesto crqalre whether mo-
ton tor he committee 70 RE Will not iuperieoc
the morton noa under cond,ers;inn If 70, !
will make it, and will briefly detail my reaiols
tberef r.
1t sp ears to me on view Of the iu Jet en-
brased by the report that We are not poiiiiisd OF
iuficent detailed information OF u hlch TO founa
eerreet deciGon. The repar; embraces three
diaina ohi.as, contsmp'a ed as 70 mary P r's
of one general fyasm 1t is tue there is but
enc ,ef50tion now before the committee, and TO
that / will direct my atsenticn. o., that point
the committee are pr, fed Of roo little intom7.
tor, in my opinion, to fcEm corrccf Ju'g.
ncnt. They have no Information OF what bar
bofs in the United States arc laltepsbe OF tofti
Ecatran, 40 data on which TO decide. LII noe
preE.mable that every port end halbor on oul ex-
teGve line IS uiceptible Of this pecles Of tetsa1e.
!; un,erftapi that it is the opinion OF iome vey
erintni tsi!i,ay characters that the port OF New