Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-19
TrxspAr, December
nERATE

3 fP'eps .- d gun boats. for fsf prcfecfios5
d sI. ar ports and and a ,.,s,ira
Grille said, the question was whether
". .osId appropriate certain sum Of mo, mo-
<hey vou'.' Ss,enee Of their ports and hsrbors:
pey ioI .,'s SsarS ii said, and he hoped It ne
i'au l,'S Re said, that they ought to defend
Fsr H0'' ..5 beyond their own shores, he
ae passsl that he was now called upon to give
o's 80 rpaa question, to the decision 81
8, .s's - was not. competent; but T pelnSnis
I'D. he should, in this as in other
y = Nth which he was not well acquaint-
F!osiss.s IA mon the opinions Of those who
llc believed many gentlemen N q ths 9
d we're in the same situation wasf hllfaseli'
4 s.ss hsyne acc TAINTED with naval affairs. e
.stse div of the executive 70 communicate M
rr CO.. answer TO any e:. 4airies " hicl
~. 49, n.rpssaty to make. They had per-
~ ssa,l heir duty, and the answers were IN.
S .as,e g,,n boats. Should he then pursue
av anieion Of his own in contraolctlon to
|h;s when. he had no evidence on SEtaseh 70
<nnport thai optimism Certainly not; ne
sbon,d depend upon these who possessed bet
&.r ;nforrnatioa than himself, except there
e something So absurd IN their opanio.s
I 81 he could not swallow It,
4 For his own part Mr.. 5. conceived that
ku;,aiae sf frigates was not the. proper mode
q d-fendins osr ports ard aaroors, and ne t
gonn NOT 81, iiFtkey were 70 build frigates,
4 by AZ egsr,.ss frigates drawing the same
5enth of wsterand being 50 much more nsl-
snero,,s than ours could be, could Rot GENE
$nto orr rivers, and capture than whilst
&unboa,s could retire itate shallow water
rom the pugsuit ofso Superior force. lie
hoped they shonld never go beyond their
koasts to contend with the nation with which
me- we're now al di66erence, SO as to have
Occasion for large ships ofwars; gun boats ly-
Inc in our waters would render services and
Ii pressed 81 a superior force, could re-
Rreat-
lie Acped that the sea was nst the theatre
on whichshey meant to defend themselves
bic would yeatlte TO prophesy, We're that to
BE the scene ofcontest that all their ships would
soon swell the navy of the enemy and he did
believe that tie sjstenl of defence proposed
Mas at least as suitable TO ansWerits intended
purpose. as any other.
f Mr. chead,s, said that when they had In
3brn,atiaa from actual examination, thats the
contemplated numser of gun boats would be
necessary. he did believe that the proposes
Sum should be appropriated to that object.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania who had
moved this amendment, protested himself as
wiling to protect our ports and harbsrs as any
gentleman but wishedto strike cut part ofthe
number of gun boats, in order TO adopt another
mode Of defence. Admitting that a frigate
could he builttsr the SUM which would cora
plete IS gun boats could he demonstrate thar
the forcoof a. guns would be equal to SO
Of heagier metal Anether thing he would
mention When they had constructed SO gun
boats, part sf then,night be renewed, and
thsy could increase or diminish the force at
any psxticu!ar place as occasion might require
ifthey hadone iligate in place Of them, they
soud not divide her strength, and it could be
Detained st enc poiat only.
Mr.. AeWtsa said it was not his intention to
fAks up the time of the committee in dis
QUESTION on the subject gun boats; though
|Eere he toattenpt it. he had no doubt but he
might be eqaally qualified with some gentle
fnen ;sho had displayed their eloqaencc on
mus occasion He thought they should now
Fake INTO consideration the situation of this
country In relation to Great-Britain. Why
were they now talking of defence, of fortii-
Fations, and of gun boats Because they had
frfalyed at a periloHs crisis ]; the nation had
ePeen attacked; the blood of its citizens had
Ieen spit, and they must have war if repara-
ion we're not made. They heard by the pa
Pers that minister was to be sent to negoci-
r'e OF this subject; but when that minister
! here, wonld any gentlsm say that
fhey would receive that PREPARATION which he
Mas prepared TO offer Hesbclicyed not
|"hsn oar affairs were thus situated, and as
Fne gentleman from North Carolina MIR. Ma
sonl saba few days ago, when they were ac-
10,