Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-24

!, 6s;ens to cYses The works 10 the harbar q
/ New York, 10 case Of the assent q the
/ legislature.
named.
Mr.. .sgssers said that fnrsih atoms wrre
ore parr al our defence, and gon boats
we re another. Tbs select commitsee had
rrnofted both these modes 10 one bill, as
Intimately connscted together. he sum
For each object sould b. prep ,rs'onese,
according 10 the extent OF their utility.
! The fsS pun.boa,s which the bill p,osid.
Fed for. would cost 94c, 900 dollars, and
10 keen the rs, with those already built, in
actual servicefor one year, would cost the
nation the additional! sum OF three millions
Of dollars. The SUN of fifteen hundred
thousand dollars, which he had moved fer
forsl6ca,ions, bare no proportion 70 the
other appropriation, according To the I'M
porsaace of the objecs; il was to be re-
memosrrd that this sum was TO be applied
TO more than thirty d'flereu, places. He
wished therefore the bill for building gun
boats nigh, rot be hurried out Of their
hands, until he could have tine TO prepare
an amendmsrt io~reduce the number OF
gun boats and provide for building some
ships of war. unless the house would agree
To raise the sum intended for tortihcations.
30 enable the president 10 erect formlda.
bic fort on Flag SssF Hill, and battery
Oh The shoalopposite, atshe Narrows, 70
present eDemy's ships sailing into the hafs
/ bar of New York. He had been inform.
ed by captain, Williams, who was very
skilful engineer, that tort could be G.
rected at the Narrows, which would dis.
charge 1870 bsasy cannon IN q minute
The for,ifcatans Oh Governors island &
she con;emp plated works at The battery and
on Bedlow's island, were only intended
10 p,e,enl ships Of war laying against *
firing upon the gowns; no man 10 his ssnses
would contend that thess works with SO
gua boats 70 be assigned fer New York
were Sufficient defrncs for that import
ans cry. Those gentlemen whose favor,
lie system Of defence was gun boats, be
trusted would no. object 10 liberal ap
propria;;on fer his sysscm. He under
stood lie gen,lrmsa frcm Pennsylvania,
(Mr. Smlhe) TO say, tha. he objected 10
any defence by ffigstes, because where
one ffigate was. another cou.c come, ana
because gstn beats could run cut ct he
way THIS Argument amcrnss to this (said
Mr., M,) that frigasvs sill stave 70 6shs,
AUD quo boats 10 run Gu. ct the way TO
avoid Gghtlng; and for that very reason
he should prefer friga;es, which would
make a great addition to our ra:icns.
strength.
/. had been said, If they have fo.t;fca
,iors, they could no, proven. an enemy
from landing The consideration for the
house was, what places were most ,ulnera-
bic 10 stack, ard Upon such. places 20 erect
sor.iacaious. lfaa enemy could land near
city or town, proved that forts and bat
,erlrs were absolutely necessary for the de.
ience of such cities and towns. He dis.
cardsd hall way measures; if a anaTrcw
SELFISH policy prevailed, the nation would
egpssienee the fatal effects of is. Ii the
nasioa desponded, iswnnll cot be- for the
want Of men or Of email arms; it would
be from thsis treasures, aud he feared their
gor boas plans, would paradise the whole
system 81 naiional defence.
Nj. FISK said the gentleman las up hac
told Them The snfn was TOO small th- chair.
man Of he eo0mi.tee Of aggressions had
made the eoqui,s of the proper officer.
whose doiy twas 20 make Up The es''
mates, aud lie sesui. Of that enquiry was
rencr,ed 10 The house. 9hat cflcer had
,cld them what sum was necessary, aud
the hose would not tske The gsn;leman's
declaration thar iaere would be denc'eo-
cy; for he hsd pFoduced npthifg but as,