The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-02

4 "pPSsii S,- W DS CptiFeHcQ TOW TO OeClUc Of
this alone. 1t was well known that he wa
not ayersc to the proposition for constructing
a number OF, gun-boats that he had last ses
sion given bis vote in favor, of them, and wa,
now IN favor of increasing the number, be
| heving that in some situations they might be
eminently useful but when he found THAT Sc
large sum had been apriIppiiatedi almost
to the exclusion of any othefriisodeo of defence,
he deemed it his duty to give his vote in ia
yor OF, proposition tending more equally to
apportion the modes of defence
IT had been moved to strike out of the bill
certain number of gun-boats, and insert 4
certain number of ships of war. That navy
was necessary for the protection of our com
merce was the opinion of President Wash
'ngton, expressed at a time when our COM
merce was comparatively small. Mr.. G..
here read an extract from an address to Con
gress from President Washington. Mr.. G.
acknowledged that he had not experimental
knowledge on this subject; but lie appealed
to the candor of those gentlemen who acivo-
Gated this mode of defence, to accord to him
that hberality which he would exercise to-
wards them. He meant to impeach the mo-
tives of no man. He conceived that every
gentleman would act according to the dictates
of his conscience, and he claimed their indul-
gence to do the same.
political name through the union differed more
on this subject than on any other whatever
III was natural TO suppose that gentlemen
whose property was atloat or the ocean should
wish to adopt those means Of defence which
should appear to be most useful, efficient, and
necessary for that purpose. Three iourths,
II not seven eights, OF themercantile interest
OF whatever political opinions from South to
North, of the shiphoiders, commanders Of
shlps, and officers on beard OF them, those
persons woose property was at stake on the
ocean, were in favor of the protection ofcom-
MERGE by ships of war, and did not feel that
respect for gun-boats which had hoen attri-
buted to them. He felt confident that he now
spoke the sentiments of t. = mercantile inter
est generally; and that part of it which he
nad the honor to represent, being in favor of
the present administration, were almost u
UNANIMOUSLY in favor of the protection of com
mercc by ships of war Gun-boats were
merely an aid for rcpeliing invasion he con-
tended that they were not calculated for deep
waters, or for the protection of commerce in
tlme OF war, whcnthe enterprise of cur cti-
zens should induce them to venture out. He
hao III his hands late newspaper which he
begged permission to read, from which it APP
pcared that twenty gun-boats had been entire
~ defeated by one single frigate and another
small vessel
MIR. {. said he was in favor Of g7,n-boats
generally, but wished them to be somewhat
limited In their number. 1t had been said
that some able naval commanders had been
IN favor OF gun-boats. He was as we'll ac-.
qualnted with commodore Prcble (whose
opinion had been stated in favor of them) as
any gentleman in the House that officer was
OF opinion that they might be useful in some
circumstances, as in the waters of Tripoli
an o1-orN cod
bic to take command of an armament of gun
boats, he would have shrunk from the offer
When an offer was lately made to commo-
core - to take command of the e1,n-
boats, ne accepted it, and said he would do
any thing tor the service his country might
require ). but addressing himself to the gen
deman who made him the offer, he begged
II any larger ships were to be constructed
that he might not be confined to boats. Mr..
Z. thought, however, that the opinion of
commander OF squadron should not go fur
tier than that of any other officer, neither
was he disposed to receive the dicta of anv
OF the heads OF departments on the subject
ne was sent here by his constituents to leeis
late and not to rely upon their opinions in hi.
vote en- any subject. He felt astonished when
he heard gentlemen say they must do this or
mat, because 1t was agreeable to the opinion
OF the Secretary of the Navy. When he ask
cd these officers for information. he was will
ling to receive it /; but lie did not want TN cir
opinions. The House had the opinion of the
Secretary of war at the last session he re-
ported an opinion that 3 10000 was nccessa-
ny tor Notifications the ensuing year. Did
the Bousc concur in this opinion No: they
appropriated S 10000 for that object. Mr.
Z. did not conceive the opinion of any person
to be entitled to reconsideration by the House
1t was their duty TO act as they conceived to
be correct, and to be guided by calculations
from whatever quarter, when supported by
reason.
The u. States had formerly had navy
1T grew up under the first administration.
increased under the second, and had not de-
creased under the third. What was the
cause why navy was unpopular Was
1T because of its utility ? Was it because it
was degraded on the ocean, Neither; nor
was the prejudice against navy warranted
by experience for navies had been found
useful and adopted by every nation under
heaven. The true reason was, that the navy
was augmented to serve Extensively against
France, when large majority of the peoplc
of the U. s. believed (and with whom he
himself though) that the war then waged
against that power was a war against rea-
son. The heightened measures adopted on
that occasion caused the diversion of the
pubic sentiment the increase of the navy
as an abstract MA ure, was never disap-