Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-04-27


tose batteries cH,id be erected at much less
ez e,ce than the one built at n York and il was
probable, he thought, that the appropriation
would detray the cost of four
Mr.. Forsyth doubted the propriety of adopting
TINS amendment with the very little experience
Shch had been acquired on the subject. A steam
irigale could guard but one point and fone was
vo'ed to Charleston every town on the sea board
might ask the same; nd he was unwilling to in
established.
Mr. III ddleton added some remarks to sbew
the necessity of one of the seam batteries a.
Charieston 1T being kind of defence parlicu.
lariv adapted to the waters of that citv. and
much preferable to land batteries.
MR. Ue6ster wished, instead of fixing the sta
ions oil the steam trigates by law, that the bill
was SO amended as to allow Them to be moved
ircm one place TO another, as the service might
require. Hepresumed they might be so made
rs 20 make their removal on the coast practicable
and hoped the bill would be modified as he sup.
gested. s
MT. Loscndes said he had no further interest in
tle motion, than any other gentleman in the
tiouSe but hoped he amendment would prevail
1SC'"Se ne i'ad no doubt, in addition to giving
def0nce to the city of Charleston, il would tend
to economist the public money. The waters of
Inarleston, he sad, we're peculiarly favorable for
aoei nee or IN s kind, and would there sIper
cede me necessity of additional defences. which
were almost Intellectual as an out post against
strong naval force, every one knew with how
ii.'ie hazard ship OF war may, al certain favora
oic moments pass stationary fort. A steam
| battery would save the public money becsuse
some OF the works were in ruins he repar,np, Of
whch would DE great expense. Mr. l.. had no
uouoe that the protection of Charleston a. ell as
other cities would receive all reasonable az emit,
On rom government but the alternative be
tween repairing works requiring six or seven
hundred men 10 defend them and a les eyoer.
sive yet more etfectual defence. the latter
ought TO be adopted lie agreed however, with
hr' Webster, that the Secretary of he Nav
ought to be free to apply the public naval force
to any point deemed by him most proper
Mr. Forsyth repeated, that if the report OF the
committee were departed from, by adding a steam
irigaie tor Charleston, any other mari line town
might demand the same. He was against adopt
ing TO greater extent at present, the steam bat
terry system in which we had no experience and
was averse to abandoning the old system, in which
the experience was ample. He understood that
tile steam trgate at N York cost nearly as much
as a II and he would prefer 4 ~ until he was
convinced OF the superiority of the other engine
MI f. sad the arguments ofthe gentlemen who
advocated floating instead of land defencgs. went
to support his opinions, as he preferred the ma
val defence, but OF that kind, whose utility and
management we were well acquainted with.
MI. .afIddEeto'is motion TO insert four instead
OF three steam frigates, was negatived by a large
majority %
Mr.. Webster then moved to amend the bill bv
riRihg out the words directing two of the bat
terles to be stationed in the Chesapeake and
the other at New Orleans, SO as to leave their
application to the direction of the President
Mr.. RobertsOH could not consent to the amend
ment. The great distance of Newt Orleans from
.ne seat OF government AMI from other parts of
the United States, required a constant defence
there-it ought not to De left to uncertain pro
'ection. From the Chesapeake and other parts |
lhey could make known their wants immediately. |
and OBJ ain in case of emergency pronot aid from
the government, backed also by numerous re. |
presentation here A steam frgate might DOS |
sioy move from New York TO Ph,ladelphia. but |
n believed it impracticable to navigate the coas
WIN them TO New-Orleans, voyage TO which |
rom any OF the other cities was as difficult and |
dangerous as one across the Atlantic II was |
therefore necessary to have one built and station |
ID there The President might not deem .rg
te so necessary for the Mississippi as he w |
" did, and he wished 10 legislale on it TO an |
ms OBJECT yond accident or any hing else TIE
leg Stature of Louisiana had cpns dsred it SO n. |
''r'aht that they had ins, rucfed heir
yves IN Congress to use their best eyey,ioos (. , |
Oh an one Tor the wa;ers of that state He r.. |
Gated that place SD important SD weak and ; |
. sIah'' ought 10 have q certain and assured pr, |
ecuoh. However much NAV have been stated .
: eorytha steam vessels could navigate he ocea
still 1t remained un;ried and QUESTIONABLE n |
wanted no confidence in the executive bu- -. . |
neSt way, he sad, 10 get business done IS 20 do
ourselves and he wiohed, therefore, TO seem. |
the defence of New-Orleans by a legislative NJ |
VISION -
Mr. Clay fel5 the same desire for the define IF, |
New-orie,ns. - hi, friend from Louisiana b,,.
he must surely be strucR said VI 2 Wi, the !
improperly OF direc ing one steam frra-e. to be |
sIatloned at ms place and at another &c We
may confidently rely, re sad, on die prcsiden; oil
ne united States tor he prudent application ofl
9 he public force a contrary course would o,ni,,
suspicion OF an improper employment of the |
force by he Executive, which he was certain the |
naval committee did NOT mean.
Mr. Pickeffng mad no objection to the amend !
ment The President Of the United States Ii,yir,-
mere near nm board OF experienced naval Off |
GERS, would be alway ready to act on the business
with the best advice. He agreed " IN Mr.. For. |
Stl' mat instead of add onal steam batteries, |
we had better have more seven,y-fous, which |
can move with clity from one point Tn anntber
steam trigates might be peculiarly proper for
COarieslon and New-Orleans, aud he was willing
not approve. 'O"''
Mr.. Pieasmts said, that the naval committee
mad taken advice ofthose bestqualified to afford
II, ana they mad sanctioned the course reported
IN the bill. He thought there was no improDrie.
yin expressing by law where certain engines OIL
defence should be employed They were floating
batteries and it was no less proper to say they
snoiu DC placed at particular points, than to d.
rect by law the erection of land battery AT tbi
or mat place. Mr. p. adverted 10 the course
pursued 10y tie late enemy, whose first ATTEMPTS
were IN the Chesapeake, which he took possession
OF, and OF course Of all It's extensive waters Nj
r also referred TO the wide scope which the
chesapeake afforded TO the operations of an enc
my the immense trouble and expense required
TO defend tie gbnrpr arI thc,, RI =