Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-04-20

The bill was advocated by Messrs.
Wright. Johnson, of Ky. Comstnck aud
Pickering, in support (Which various de-
curpen,s were iead, and further opposed
by Mr.. Root; after which. the question n
engrossing tn bill for third rcadi-g, was
ca. red bv largt majority.
INCREASE OF THE NAVY.
The House, in the committee OF the
whole, on the bill! providing for the gcadu-
al increase of the Navy,
Mr.. Peasants Chairman of the Naval
Comnittee.) entered into n detailed state
ment Of the considerations on VIII ch the
committee had formed tie bill, and their
reasons for deviating from precise adhc-
renee to the Secretary's re~ommenda-
tons. 1t was, he said, within the recol-
lection of the committee, that in a report
made to the S.nate in the carrier pare OF
the session of Congress, the Secretary of
the Navy recommended an annual addi-
ton TO the present navy, OF one ship OF ~
guns, two of IA, and two slooEs of war of
the heaviest class. The committee, Mr..
nleasants said, had bestowed much consi-
Iteration on the subject, and atter obt IN
ing all the i { rmauon they could. iron
the sources calculated in their judgments
to furnish the best. they had determined
to recommend to the II use the provisions
would have been some diff ,ulty in fra
ming law in such way as to have pro-
vided fOr = certain annual addition to the
navy. The timbers and other Necessary
! materials could not nave been procured in
such a wy as 10 ensure puA tual com
pliance with the law. The committee,
therefore, determined to recommend an
| annual appropriation of one million of dol
lars for eight years this would make IN
addition to our present naval force OF nne
"A gun slips, IL Of A guns, and three
steam batteries, two IF The latter to be APP
piled to the defence of the waters of the
Chesapeake. and one to the defence OF \.
Orleans. The Secretary's plan IF add nsone
"A. two AS, and two sloops, annually,
| would have required an appropriation for
that term of upwards of million of dol
lars. Mr. peasants observed, that it was
the opinion of the best Informed of our ma
val officers, that our fnatls had better be
applied towards procuring heavy ships i'm
| mcdiately That slo. ps OF war, though
| Of greet use in time of war, might cas- ly
he procured in very short time by tie
government, either by having them built
at our own yards, or by contract. Indeed,
| it was the opinion of one at Least, very IN
telligeut officer. that sloops of war Dug
| not to form permanent part of cur navy
| at all but when ii was found neCe ssary
| to use them in time ofwar, they should be
| sold on the return Of peace. According TO
an estimate, said Mr.P. made in the
| beginning Of the session to the Senate by
| the Secretary Of the \ w, and which is
| on the files of this House, it will be seen
| thatto bu Id "A gunship, viii c,st $751;
| 862-th:s sum, multiplied by nine, the
number of 74's proposed to be bulls in
A l. - -
| building and equppmg q Al gun frgate
| will cost PCS, 400 doilars-which sum, null
| tipi-d w twelve, the number of fcigates
! proposed 70 he built in 8 years, will make
the sum SIS, 22O800. The three steam
batteries they had allowed to take one
| million Of dollars more. Thus the whole
sum estimated BY the COMMITTEE, for build
I ing the proposed ships Of the line. heavy
fgigatss and steam batteries, is 7,6S+,55S
dollars. The committee took some pains
% ascertain, as faras such thing could
be ascer;ained with any thing ike certain
/ ~, the capfcity of the United States to
maa a fleet of such description as the
proposed addition will give us. From in
. Formation received from the most inteli-
| gent sources, thcy have no doubt that such
fl or may beeasily manned. The pye-
sent number of seamen belonging 10 the
/ DinlCu s1LateS, Is not dSCcTtdilSi Will
! precision it is probably little or moth
| ing short Of seventy, perhaps eighty thou
! S nd Onc fourth If this number my be
calculated on for pubic service. The
number of prime scsnen all wed to "a,
. i 200 ordinary Sc amen and boys 500 ; IL
| ~ then viii require 2,400 prime, am s.
| 600 0rd'uary amen an boys 6 900 III
| The whole-and 50 in proportion for fri
| gates, sloops Of war. SI-. 1t WIS well
| known also. that If ;he ordinary seamea
and boys, landsmen may make up part,
| men who can be taught to handle the guns.
| The whole oxpence OF keeping a ~ in
service for ore year, s estimat at $780,
| 74O d cl's.--ofa II, 1920 dolls. The est
| mates hsre ref II, to, sid Mr.. Peasants,
| are tax from th- report of the Secreta-
! ~ of tn Navy, before referred to made
| cut in detailed and minute statements. by
| the PISS stance Of tn Commissioners Of
the Navy, and my. it is believed, be con-
| Gdently reli,d on. Il VS. a remark able
fact, said Mr.. p. that from the COM
mencement of our revolutionary war, this
ration he'd never been engaged in war,
but A navy had been popular. The reyo-
lutionary Congress. ut a very early period
OF the war, authorized the building, c
quipping and commissioning Of l3 ships
of war, 5 of them friGates. This, for their
limited means, was great deal. MIR.
Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, writ
ten during the war, MI. p believed, tho'
not published till some time after, with
full cXpcrisnc If the immense dsadvan-
tages to which we were subjected in