The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-12-17

II :
Treasury than wasnecessarv for this purpose,
and because nc wished 20 retain a little mo-
ney for other modes of defenoe
Mr.. Bur7ceU said he should vote against
the amendment proposed, and in favor of
the number reported by the committee of ag
gresSiors as contained in the bin from the Sc
nate now under discussion. 1t appeared to
Mr.. b. that the gentleman from Penasyiva-
MA had taken very incorrect view OF the
subject. That gentlemen has objected &c this
law because it did not make provision for
ships oi war to serve asa defence to our COM
mercc, and because he supposed the commit
tee had takenup thiS mode Of defence to the
exclusion Of any other. Mr.. B. said it must
be obvious to every gentleman that it was
almost impossible TO have crouded into the bill
all the measures of defence which might be-
come necessary thus it contained no pro-
vision for aiming the militia, for raising
standing army, building or repairing fri
gates, &c. The only question now was, on
building number of gun boats for defence "a
gainst the attack OF a foreign nation He
thought sufficient rumbcr should at once be
authorised: for il the number were ins,riTc-
ent 10 answer the intended purpose, the mo-
ney expended i'll their purchase would b. so
much thrown away, so much expended from
which the public would derive no benefit
he opinions OF those men best acquainted
with the force which might be necessary
which had been communicated 70 the COM
Imttee OF aSgressions, had stated this as the
competent number. rr
With respect to the eXpence of building
gun boats, it would be found that the cost of
building a frigatc would be much greater
than a nu Der Of gun boats equal to the num-
Der of guns carried b. a frgate. The Score
tary OF the Navy, had estimated the annual
eHpcnce Of gun boats at S GOO. Mr.. B.
admitted that the sum appeared enormous :;
| and 1t remained for the consideration of the
House whether they would expend SO large a
sum for that purpose. The estimate Of the
secretary ofthc Navy went upon the ground
that during the whole of the year, forty men
would be required to man each of these boats.
MIR b. thought that regulations might be d
dopted, that would render 8 or 20 men suffi-
cient to be regularly employed on board these
boats; sufficient force fully to man md use
them upon occasion might be organised from
| the different ports or seaport towns; and it
would be found by recurring to the President S
message that the same idea had been enter
| tanned by the Executive. And he did believe
that although the Secretary of the Navy Rad
estimated . II COO as the'sum necessary ior
| the annual cXpence, he had done it OH the sup
| position that forty meu would be employed
| during the whole wear in each gun boat At
were at peace, 1t would ECt be necessary that
more than small portion these boats should
be aiioat; they might be kept in ordinary,
relying on the seauea Of the port for any SID
den emergency.
With respect to the propriety Of building
gun-boats, he would observe that they were
not mere experiment; they were sanction
eddy the practice Of Europe, and were very
be9eiicial Tor the defence olPorts against sud-
den attack. The French, spanish, Dutch,
and other nations in the vicinage OF the Br-
tish Navy, had combined their boats with land
batteries for the purpose of defence against
the assaults Of that formic ole navy. These
boats were also Part OF d system heretofore
| practSed in other countries, and proposed to
be further pursued here.
1t was at this time peculiarly important to
make preparations. Whether they advert
edto the preparations in the British prov inces
adjacent to this country, to the armament said
to be preparing in England for foreign ex-
petition, CT the principles which she had "a
vowed in regard to neutral trade !; in any case
/ they should be prepared for the attack she
might think at at any time to make upon the
country.
If any gentleman in the House could sug-
gcst mode Of defence more efficient than
that now proposed, no member in the House
would be more willing to adopt it than him
self. He felt no particular prediction for
this mode, he should vote for the number of
gun-boats 70 be erected as it now stood, on
the ground thai it was not more than sulfici-
cnt; and that if a less number than sufiici-
cnt was erected, the money expended would
be thrown away. He should Tor THIS reason
vote against the amendment, and in favor of
the bill
Mr.. 61il1or observed, the gentleman last
up had said that he should be opposed to the
striking cut, because he though, the present
number was absolutely necessary, and that a
smaller number would be insufficient. Had
Mr.. M thought this, he would not have NOV
ed the amendment; but it was well known
to many gentlemen of the committee, that a
number of our ports and harbors were so ST.
tuated, that gun-boats could not act in them
efficiently. Wherever the water was deep,
wherever it was rough, these vessels were
perfectly useless; and no where could be
used to effect but in smooth and shallow wa
ter. If they were to construct few large
ships OF large force, capable Of acting in those
ports where gun-boats would be inefficient
it wOlld give greater satisfaction TO the neigh
borhood of those ports than gtn-boats which
could be of no use to them. In the southern
pcits he believed gun-boats would be efiec-
tive; but northward and eastward they
world be OF no effect. In the port of New
York they would not be an efficient force to
go below the city, and act in the bay /; and in
progressing eastward from New York, thev