Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-15

imlgnt DC DeCcSsaIyt WHICH uau uScu Comt
lmuricz,ed 10 the committee efaggressions
had stated this as the competens nun,
her.
With reepec, 10 the expence of building
1 cpn boats, ii would be found that the coss
Of building lriga,e would be much grea,.
Ter than nun.ber Of gun boats equal to
The uumber guns carried by frigase--
The SECRETARY Of .he navy, had esiimatsd
the annual rxpence of gun boats az II 900
Idol!ars. Mr. Badmilsed that this sum sp.
speared enormous and itremalned 10 the.
consideration ol The house whether thty
would expend so large a sum tor ,hs! por
pose. The estimate OF The secretary 81
the navv went upon The grouad that dur,
irg The whole of the year forty meo would
be re aui, ato man eseh. IT these boats.
Mr. 3 though, that regulations night bs
adopted 10 render eight or ten men srtE.
Gent 10 be regularly employed en- beard
these boats suh Glen, force fully tc man
ADD use them upon occasion might be O..
ganizec from the diffcren, ports or seapor;
towns and it would be found by reculs.
ing 10 the presidents message thas The sams
Idea had been entertained by the execa.
tive. And he did believe that although
the secretary 10 the navy had estimated
II 600 dollars as the sum necessary fer
the annual -spepce, he had done i. on the
spppositiou that 40 men would be employ.
ed during the whole year on board ssch
gun boat, Al times when Europe and ,ss
u. S. were ct peace it would NOT be De.
cessary .ha. more than small. portion OF
shese boats should be aAoat they nigh,
be keps in ordinary relying 90 .he ~
of the por. fer any sudden emergency.
With respect to the propriety o. build,
leg gun boals, he would observe that they
were not msre experiment; they wsra
sanctioned by the practice Of Europe, md
were yely beneficial for the defence Of
ports sgaius, suddeo attack. The French,
Spanish, Dutch, and other nations 10 the
vieinage of the British navy, had combin.
ed their boats with land batteries TOR the
prrpoae of defence against the assaals OF
that formidable navy. These boats were
also part Of syste N heretofore psae'lstd
10 other corasries, land proposed to be iaF,
Their pursued here.
l. was at .his time peculiarly imPor'm
TO make preparations. Whether they ad'
verted 20 the preparations In the b'i'isn
provinces adjacent to this country, 20 the
armament said 20 be preparing 10 England
for foreign expedition. or shS principles
which she had avowed insrs gard 10 'h'
neu.r al stadc; ir any case they should BE-
prepared for the attack she might think
st al any time to uiake upon ths coaa
try.
any gentleman 10 the house could sug
gssl mode of defence more efficient than
tia. now proposed, 20 member ia me house
would be mose willing 70 adopt t!,au him.
self. He fel. 20 particular predel'clou
for this mode, he should vote for ahc rnn.
Der of gun boats 20 be erected as il oow
stood. on The ground that j, was not more
Than sufficient; and tina: if less plumber
than suf6ceu, was erected, she money eS'
pended would be thrown away. lie should
for this reason vote against the amendments
zsd ia favor CT the bill.
Mr.. d1ilnor obsc we'd. the gell!emauia s'
up had said that he should be opposed 10
the striking out. because hs thought the
present number Yves absolutely rseessaFy' e
and that a smaller rumber wcu'd cot Dc
sufficient. Had Mr.. M. ,hought this, az
would not have ncved the amendment IS
bus /. waa we'll known to many gentiemeh
Of the committee, thar q number OF OUT 81
ports and harbors were SO situated toa k
guu-boass could not act 10 them efficiently AAs
Wherever t1e aa,er was deep, wherever W
i. was rough, .hese vessels were perfectly M
useless; a2d 90 where could be Used u L,
Effect BIZ, in smooth and shallow water. j IN
thew were 10 construct few large ships G! Ief