Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-04-27
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
SATURDAY. April Is.

w.
Mr.. P'eascws Chairman Of the nava, commit
tee) entered into detailed statement of the
considerations OH which the committee had
formed thebll, and their reasons for deviatny
from precise adherence to the Secretary's recon-.
mendatlons. II was, he said, within the recollec.
lion OF the committee, that in a report made to
we Senate IN the earlier part Of the session of
Congress. the Secretary of the navy recommend.
cd an annual addition to the present navy. of one
ship OF "a guns, two of44, and two sloops of war
OF the heaviest class. The committee, Mr. Plea.
SAINTS said, had bestowed much consideration on
the subj ect, and after obtaining all the informa.
ton they could, from the sources calculated in
their judgments to furnish the best, they had de.
termined 10 recommend to the house the provis-
ions contained i'll the present bill There would
nave been some difficulty in framing law in
such way as TO have provided for certain
annual addition to the navy. The timbers
and other necessary materials could not have been
procured in such way as to enable punctual
compliance with the law. The commit ee,
therefore determined TO recommend, an annual
appropriation of one million Of dollars for eigh,
years this would make an addition to our pre-
sent naval force ofnine - gnn ships twelve OF
A guns, and three steam batteries two of the
latter TO be applied 10 the defence of the waters
OF the Chesapeake and one 10 the defence of New
orleans The Secretary's plan of adding one "a,
TWO GAS and two sloops, annually, would have
required an appropriation for that term of UP.
wards OF million ofdollars. Mr.. Peasants OBJ
served, that it was the opinion of the best inform
Ell oiour naval officers, that our funds had bet
Ter be applied towards procuring heavy ships i'm.
Ihediately That sloops ofwar, though of great
use IN time OF war, might easily be procured i'm a
very short time by the government, either bv
having them built at our own yards or by con.
tract. Indeed it was the opinion of one az least,
very intelligent officer, that sloops of war ought
not 10 form permanent part of our ravy at all ;
out when 1t was necessary to use them in time of
war, they should be sold on the return of peace
according to an estimate, said Mr.. p. made in
The beg ming OF the session to the Senate by the
Secretary of the Navy, and which is on the files
or this House, it will be seen that to build and
and equip "a gun ship,will cost s 384, s62-this
sum- multiplied by nine the number of 7Ps pro-
posed to be built in eight years, will make 8 8,
4oS,I5o The building and equipping a a. gun
frigate will cost 1854 dollars-which sum
multiplied by twelve, The number offrigates pro-
posed To be built in eight years, will make the
sum OF o,2ZO, 800 dollars The three steam bat
terles they had allowed to take one million of
dollars more. Thus the whole sum estimated bv
the committee, for building the proposed ships
OF the line, heavy frigates and steam batteries is
1854 ,358 dollars The committee took some
pans to ascertain, as far such a thing could be
ascertained with any thing like certainty, the Ca
pacity OF the United States to man fleet of such
a description as the proposed addition will give
us. From Information received from the most
intelligent sourcess, theyhave no doubt that such
a heet may be easily manned. The present num-
Der OF seamen belonging to the United States. !,
not ascer' AIMED with precision IL is probably Ii,
We or nothing short of70 perhaps so thousand
onr fourth vt this number may ne calculated on for
pubic service. The number of prime seamen al
lowed to u, is 200; ordinary seamen and bows
500 IL AS then viii require 2,40O prime. and
3'oOo ORDINARY seamen and boys; 5000 in the
whoie-and 50 in proportion for fr,rates. sIoon.
of war, Secy,N 1t was well known also. that ofthe
ordinary seamen and boys, lantlsmeH NAV maxi
up part, men who can be taught 10 handle The
guns The Whole expense of keeping a N
service tor one wear. is estimated at 1870 d1i
"A, l34.@l0 dollars The estimates
mere referred 10, sad Mr.. Pleasants. are taken
t'"m herepcrt ofthe Secretary of tue Nary be-
ioie referred 20, made on; in detailed aud mi
'h's s'a' emeniS, BY the assistance of the con-,
mss "ners ofthe Navy, and. uay, At "a believed
oe confidently relied on II was remarlzabIs
TACT, sad Mr. p. mat from the commencement
81 our re'olu 1nary war, this nation had never
Deeh enSHSeu ~ war, but a navy had been ponu
lar. ne reVolutonary Congress, at a very earl
Deriod ot the war. authorized the building eouin
ing and commissioning Of thirteen ships of war,
'Ve OF them friSates This for their limited
means, was great deal MIR Jefferson in his
NOTES on Virginia, written during the war, Mr.
Z. believed, though not publ shed till some time
after, with full experience ofthe immense disad-
Vantages to which We were subjected in con-
est with nation possessing mari me superb
DrIty, gives It as his opinion that Virginia ought
TO bend her exertons towards euupnnp a naval
force. The amount of that force is not row Dar-
ticuiarly recoiiected, the passage in the Notes
not having been lately read but it was believed
that The amount recommended by him, would
have cost the State of Virginia as much at that
time, as her proportion of the prop sed encrease
would now But, sad Mr. r. if any evidence
were wanting 10 convince this nat on of the gre,
Importance oil navy as part of her national de-
tensive means, that evidence has been anplv
by the events of the late war-eTents.
thanks to the gallantry of those who achieved
them, which have made an impression upon the
public mind so deep, that he hoped they would
neveFbe erased. SIR, said Mr.. p. YOU have vour
70 or 10000 seamen; unless you have heavy ships.
this force, consisting of some of the most gallan
men in the world, is lost TO the public defence
they are not on your militia rols-they will not
enlist in your armies; they may be engaged in
predatory warfare, as privat eersmen but say
again, ms part ofyour defensive force, without
heavy sbi1s, they are lost to your service Sir.
a great deal might be sad on this subject. Mr.
y. said he had made moi es to say much more, but
rom the advanced period ofthe session, not TO
mention the late hour Of the day, and believing
the public mind to be made up on this subject,
Ice could not consent to tax the patience Of the
House, by progressing IN his remarks but would
with pleasure give any information he might pos
sess, to any gen, leman who required it, or an
swer far as he could any objection which
SHOULD be made 10 the details of the bill
Mr. C2dy proposed that the bill be so amended
as TO vest IN the President dscre iouary power
20 cause the steam batteries Ia be built as soon as
he should deem necessary without waiting any
particular emergency. He referred To some cor.
respondence between the governor of louisiana
the general government, and The state Of Kentuc