Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-01-19
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aIR. RIEA(T,) said hcforeshe g1.s.
sien was tsken on The Pa.ssge OF fhss OH,
s he wished to make few obsersslo0s.
Had the bin been positive inifs provls'ons,
he should have doubled whether 30 have
giyeDi il the sddi,ionsl weight OF his vote;
but the bill being only 80 anthoriss given.
to.sbe executive to cree, particular means
cfGsieocs, add having full confidence ths.
soy money appropriated 10 this Eaannsr
would be employed for the Advantage ct
the na,ion IN general. he fslt i0cl'oed to
give his vote in favor Of il. The FIRST
quesios which prosecuted itself was. whe
ther protection was necessary or not; and
If ,his question had been properly ccnsl
Gcred, il would have rrmedied o great
many objections which had been made to
the b;ll. Itsesmed to be the general OPT.
nicn thar Something should be cone; enc
gentle man said they were at war, ore re.
presented them as on the ave OF war, 400
thsr .shaI they were neither at peacs or
war, bH evsry ope contenplatec our si,u-
alton as somewhat dsrgernus. IT shsn
they assumed the position thai protection
wa, necessary, ii was essy 90 discsve.
the u. S. and their possessions: and under
this general head could be brought into
view all thar need be considered onthe
presens OCCASION. a question new Rrose,
by whas ms.ns this protection wss TO be
afforded? The answer TO this would EN-.
brace every principle ofdefense which had
been proposed TO the hnsse by bill, rsso
lutioa, .or 10 any other g3y; and ID an.
swer to she objection thai every parlicpls.
part of defence was not brought into eview
at ouce, might BE answered that il woud
require considerable tiGac and long Cd.
cusSon to digest the whole grea, system of
defence, az parts OF which one gentleman
wished large army. one forsihcasions,
cne a navy, and one gun boats: bat the
measure proposed by she bill should be
nov Determined, ssi.wa prcpsr isanardl.
steIy 10 comuenc: the work OF defence.
a reason had been urged against shis bill,
that in contemplating any particular mode
of defence they should adaps It "a general
system. ADD to snch 40 eS2eas al would be
prspor,ionsblc TO the resources Of the %.
slon Mr.. X conceived that the resources
Of the country would be suticient 90 carry
toto sfTset nos onlythe measure proposed
by The bill, Blu, every other part of sys.
fem which il might be oeccsaasy TO q.
dept.
Mr.. r, would pcttrespsss on the simc
.cf the house as he oDly wished to connect
the reasons from which be should give bis
vote 10 favor Of the bill.
Mr. ,.Sosshard was 10 shoPss ,his bill
would hare Gles with very little oppositiss
especially whsn 1t Ras considered ,ss, it
was bat apart of q sysses, Of defrace. Of
which the o,heEparss wouldsbe decided 10
progression. Various objections bad bees
made to the bill. some genieneD suPeosed
that quo boats were altogs,her inssSicisnt
for the purposes of dsfencr, ,sod that the
scheme was merely ideal sud yisIsnary':
and some bad attempted 20 prove tsatgus
boats had never been used. "A gensleDaa
from Massachusetts bad yesterday a'sptos.
ed this by cireumsszutisl seeeunts ct two
engagements one 10 she rivesSt, Lssresee
and oae 10 me river Delaware. Ia the
last instance about twelve gun bosts hsd
,eugaeed two British ships of wsr. MY S.
.wouId sia,e from good authority that the.
reason SHY these vessels were net Uxde a
prize mas, tia, that the gcn boats we're
not suppiiei with > ss&e,rnr quantity of
powder aud an runirian. 4 his staiemeat
and fact would g tsr ss do away she iH-
pressions of ,hose gsuilemen Who snpPcsc
that gao boats were Of 90 e6cieucy as q
defence, or that their utility was idesi. IA
she progress towards she passass OF this
bill, every day usw difhcuitiea had been
discovered, srd new objeetioue raiseG 10
its passage: some gentiemen told then if
they passsd shis bill. SD appropriated