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

!. IL is impossible tor any person. 70 io ~
back on the injuries and lasuiis "nien we
have received. without feeling mulh ind2g-
nation & spirit for revenge Il IS imPoss,.
BILE 70 look forward without feeling much
I anxiety aud much awe. ! own TO you !
|haye experienced them; = nave noM 49,
icoasoled myself with the pleasing nope
thar when we came into committee Oh vac
whole, and took general view OF me
Estate of our country, spirit OF accoHmo'
dsrion would have discovered itself, that
Forgetting all party or local dinstincslon we.
ffshould have united our efforts In support OF
Tour violated rights, sof our Plunderedl pro,
.perty, of our degraded citizens--nor DAD
Fl doubt, nor do now, that with this dIs-
position The wisdom of congress was ade-
ouase 10 all their purposes; to support the
peace, interest and honor OF our cenn'
/ try.
MIR. Clinton. Thrust strike everY mem.
i.ber of the house that the,sum contemplated
to be appropriated by the resolution 10 the
| projection Of our ports and harbors, IS all
together inadequate. ! did net expect that
we should be called upon at this time TO
| take this subject into consideration, and |
am not, therefore, prepared to SO into the
necessary details upon ii; but believe the
proposed sum will go but small way to
I.lortify even the port of New York alene.
! / believe the for;ihcatioa of our ports and
hsfbors is an object of the very first ina.
postance, which has excited the sensiblsty
| of our country men from ore end soi the
continent TO the other. The attention OF
congress has been particularly called to she
defenceless & unprotected state OF the port
of n. York, on which 2 memorials have BEN
presented, one from the merchants OF the
civ of New York, and the other from the
corporation. | do not wish to be under.
stood ascasting any reflection onthe oPin'-
| on, of The secretary of war, or on the re
| spectacle committee who has made 'ilis
report. BUT before / give a vote on the
subject, j wish it could be enquired into
more particularly.
could wish that we had previous a
statement of the situation OF the ports and
| harbors, and of the sum necessary to,Pro--
tect each port. Before we have .hls state
ment it is impossible for us TO decide whe-
! Their the proposed sum ofone hundred and
ffty thousand dollars will be competent -
would rather not appropriate cent than
agree to sacha sum as would be bur-
lesque on The subject.
Mr.. Thomas said the un was Certainly
inadequate, aad The granting OF itappear-
ed nearly equivalens,o doing nothing.-------
He thought the course pursued in this
instance an unusual way Of making an
appropriation. The common way was to
leave sums blank until after principles were
decided and a bill! brought in TO carry them
into effect.
After the principle is settled that we will
for,ify our ports and harbors, that we viii
build Number Of gun boats or seventy.
fours or both, bill m gtt be brought In,
and it would be then time enough tohl up
the blanks. In order tina, this course might
be pursued, he would move TO strike out
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Mr.. N. Willisms.--!t may seem
strange that so small sum should be pro.
posed by the committee; but when The pre-.
else obiectsof the reportsis cons'dered,'it
would not appear 50 surprising. 1t was
not contemplated in thecomnlstee7that one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, would
be adequate to the erection OF fortlffcat'ons
for the defence of our numerous halbours.
1t was only consideredas adsquatesso the
repair of the present fort'hea;ions, and
Ri. fitting up of some additional guns. 4
am not unaware that the subject is OF the
highest importance. The fertilization OF
the ports and harbors Of SO extensive
country is deseryedly considered. OF the
6rs, conse quence. When We come TO take
the subject in this large poin. Of view, we
shall no, 6x our attention upon SO plsiiai a
sum as that under consideration.
IF this be the insention of nycolle ague. L
shall heartily concur in his motion, II on