Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-26
co N G 4 E S. S.
nc USE OF RrPREsEN IA TIyES.
'IuEz D4r, Deeensbsf 8.

DEBATEG

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[ccsTIsprDs
.ouse took up for consideration the
Tor building gun boats, yesterday reported
sly the com naittee Of the whole,
Mr.. DalreH said, as there sppeareel to be a
considerable diversity Of opinion on this gun
boat business, and as al number of gentlemen
from she north cid net readily fail into the
scheme of the southern gentlemen, and as ne
WIS sfrcrlthe north,she would state sons rea-s
sons Why this bill should rot pass fie thonsat
Z as every gentlemon appeared to inns, en nd,
this was crisis which called tor uIAon and
great exeltions: the great object was 70 arm
the nation 10 meet an event " hlch they would
3 be called to meet ere long. The question was
now on one species OF this arnling, on whlc a
there were different opinions. He could have
8 wished that the whole subject Of defence
s srn,,ld have been before the house at the same
time, and that it could baYs been SO eonsi-
ed itappeared to be concededon all hanas
that Notifications were necessary, ana gun
boats mi be useful to certain extent but
something more than gun boats were neces-
sarv. to Wit ships of war of some magni-
t,,de.s This doctrine 8rnight be considered he
resy. IN that body for ought he Knew, but ne
fslt is duty to express his opinion the
suhiecs. 81
Ii appeared that IN addition to fortlhcatloIls
the nrecise number Of lss gun hoats was
called for !: a. question had been asked why
thai number Was exactly calculated as beng
necessary, the chairman ofthe committee VINO
re,,orted tie bill states that this number was
THOUGHT necessary by the executive depart
s,ent. 1t was not to the system OF gun boats
that he had an Oh iccdon, for he believed that
to certain extent they might be useful but
s4he did not believe that gun boats in connec-
zion with fortifcations, would attain the end
for which thew we're acknowledged tobe pro-
nosed In casting his eye. over the documents
before him, he perceived that gun boats were
ass;o,ea 10 certain plgcaS Wllcf0
- ,.It rcys could never BE of use.
81 ffe was positive Of this fact. Foui. gun boats
were assigned to the. port Of Portsmouth,. N.
III. He would appeal to gentlemen In the
house acQxainted with the situation of that
port, x<klher they seriously believed that 81
e,n bosfs Of that 90 wouldbe of any service
there Itwas impossible that they should
the situation of the port, the strength and re-
pidity Of the tide were such that they could
.notbe used. e he, same observation would
& apply. to a number of ports east of that I; it
Was general conceded that gun boats were
not calculated for deep or tuibulent waters
the northern shores were not sand banks, and
gentlemen seemed to think these were sneces.
8 sary to allow gun boats to defend even them
selves.
He saw that for the ports OF Norfolk s New
York a large number OF gun boats were as
stoned: he was inclined TO believe that num-
s Der Of rigates to the amount of tie expence
>of these sguf. boats, would be more csnsonant
Z with the wishes of the people In the mouth of
the Hudson, than so many gun boats.
It had beed statedin the course OF debate
on this subject, that these boats were cheap
defence, and easily attainable, Mr. D. SAID he
had iakcn the trouble to make a comparative
estimation of their expence; twas not to be
SIRE from official documents before aim; but
awas sufficient to iconyince hin, that they
were atleast equally expensive with ships OF
heavier metal. The house had beforethem
. statement, in which the cost of gun boats
was exactly stated, and it would be found that
the expence Of building and supporting at sea
.is gun boats forone year would amount TO
more than 2so,eos dollars. he found BY re
curing. to documents in his hand, the ex-
i penceof British ships of war estimated at
loool, sterling per gum. Taking that calcu-
lation for the expenditure here, he found that
a 40 gun ship would amount 10 2ds, oeo3 and
rather more; which Was less than building
and supporting at sea for one year 10 gun
boats. He would appeal to any gentleman
(who had experience in naval affairs If any
such were within the walls ofthe house, whe-.
Their A. gun ship, notwithstanding it belong
d to the navy, and that this navy such as it
was, had betn denounced as a disgrace to the
country--whether AZ gun slip would not be