The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-06

Hated
Ma. j. c, Smith fnggehed tina, the mott CORE q
and u!nat courle was for the Houle and nor :, fe
ieet committee TO Gail OH the orrlieas for ;rfo.na
ton -
MIR. EARLY declared hinf,lf oblige,! to the zen
t!eman ior his fggeitiou, and withdrew his motion.
with the view Of moving in the Houfe the refoIu,iou
to the efelt lie had lated.
Friday, fasao,y 2f.
Mr.. EARLY. rife comply with the ponif.
lna9c yetterday have waited fon,etiu,e before Of
terng this reolusion, in hopes thar the peutlen,a,
from Virginia MIA. DAwsoN) MIGHT hive ,ak.,
ms leaf IN the Houfe regret thar h., has no. tak.
n''i eat; asl ihouid win him to be preient AZ the
time OF Offering the relolptions which now hold in
my hand, audwhich will read:
R5olUed, That the Prefidenr of the U;ted s,,+..
caue TO be laid before this Houfe any infor NJ alton
which may be i'll poiicion of the executive depar,
ment, relative to the tate aud condition Of the for
tiheations which may have been erected within the
eyera ports and harbors OF the United States. a,d
al'o the amount OF monies which has been expended
on each, as well the probable expenfe OF copIetper
'he iarAe and alto any Information of which G,d de-
partneit may be poiieed relative To the pr,aic,bil;
ty OF defending by land batteries uch ports and bar
nof Is i.ave b. any former law, been directed to be
fortified.
Es0fUl, That the Preiidens caufe to be laid before
this hous fatenent exhibiting the amount of n,o,e,
winch has been di!burfed account of the navy in
each year, nce its Establishments and fatipp particu.
larry the cot of each frigate.
Before offer thefe relolutions 7 will TALL. ~. \;
oerty OF making few obervatiors in EXPLANATION of
'o'ie things lad by me ye1erday, and the r.pI;,s
made to them by leveral gentlemen oblerved thar
we We're not Po!leiled of that kind of information
OH ue iubIed matter of the refolution then urd.r
enumeration, that would enable to form corre4
ana udicous decilion it that we had no data 81,
winch to Ultimate the expenoe of the propo(ed ,s,
lures, or their efficacy, if adopted When took
tne hoerty o' Intinating doubt of their efficacy
ad not mean to be under0ood As doubling the nhv
cat poilby of 70 terrifying our ports and barbours
ny land batteries as 10 .ord them an eff e6fua protec
t'on. But meant to FAY that fuch was their phvii
1H' ''uat'on rs to require quanum of revenue be-
you'd the reiourees Of the nation. ! have no doubt
put that It Is completely in power to defend New
ork and eur other habors, If we only pofels the pe
cunary means. have no doub. that we mipI,r with
eais make Cronltsdt of it, but doubt whether apy
gentleman OF the Honie would be prepared to adop,
the principle which has prevailed at Cronaadt and
other places, and TO the extent to which it would
ry us. doubt whether any gentleman would h..
prepared to adopt the coprle purified bv t,e Frencb
government, with regard to Cherbourg, and along
her coat; courfe which, after the treaty Of An;ens
eney were obliged fupsai from the iladequacy of
their tefcurces. -
] beg leave to nate one or two other ada,ioral
Things When fuggehed the proprety of obtaining
Information; 1t was laid, that my Object was evi
us"iy Procraitnation; that it unbecomng in the
Fta!e' after 10 much zine had been ALREADY confirm
ed' to attempt further generalization for the fenti
fhsnt OIL the nation was before us; it Dictated orr
Gcurie, and II we heGtated purfue the public in
oS'aUoh would light upon In my opinion all that
can De deduced from what has been deron,iuaed the
sentiment OF the nation, in this aud other cafes i
eis- hat IN this country, where the government
ana the nation are the fame, the nation will repof.
Us confidence in the governments and pledge them,
ieVes to iupport thoie meaiIres which the govern
hei'' may adopt All then that follows is, that III
nation VIII repoie its confidence on this as ON other
trying oecaiions, i'll the government. But does il
follow that, becauie the nation repofes unlimited COLI
uence IN TINS governments that the latter is TO run
on'uoihiy INTO meaiures without a mature couEdera-
'ol VI mem on the contrary apprehend, in pro-
portion to this confidence, there's refponGbilty in
che government not TO abufe it and notwithnand.
ng the high degree oil confidence repofed in this in.
lance IN the government, ought not to doubt, be-
caue the experience of former times proves tina,
when this confidence ihall be abuled, the people will
revoke IT. In my opinion, at this time we are more
pound to be cautious in exercifng the powers repoC
co III us, tban thoie who in former t;,nes held the
'ens OF government; becaufe they had not the expe-
renee we have and becaufe the lefon exhibited ON
that occaiis hows, that confidence improperlv uCd
VIII bs withdrawn by the people. Do gentlemen
mean to be underltood as iDtimang that it is our d-
ty without enquirng into the extent or the grounds
on which we proceed, to embark headlong into any
neafures which the PRECEDENT may recommend, and
which they may eonder the confidence Of the reonl
pledged to GupPortl
With regard to the fecond refolution, will add
word or two The report on which this dfcufion.
isiounded, although believe not 70 intended is cal
culdted to be, as lapprshend decoy. If we adopt
1t, we hall ira begin with Gmall appropriation,
and we mall afterwards be called upon to 20 the whole
length that iall be deemed neceary to carry the
lures we mall have takeH into full and complete efs
< we iha be told, unleis appropriate enough mo.
ney to carry them into this fell aud com pete ee all
that we have done will be lot Sir, we have fone
warning monuments againa purifying fuch a policy.
II am not naken, this very houfe in which we le-
glate is one of thefe warning monuments the for
tifeation of ports and harbours is another and
uneis much mftnke, the appropriations which we
have heretofore made for our naval arrnamens is aCo
an awful warning 1t is to guard againi fneh fyflen
Il Is to guard againa being deeoyed into fIrh con-
dut9 hat NM mfr boCs