Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-04-18
tsA,sio dollars. The estimates
here referred to. said Mr.. Pleasanls


Secretary Of the Navy, before re-,
ferred to /; made out 10 dstaileo
aud minute statements, by tho as
sistanes of the Commissioners OF.
the Navy, and may, it is believes
be confidently relied on. II was q
remarkable fact. said MIR. T. thai
from the commencement of our re-
evolutionary war, this nation had ne
YER been engaged war, bat q nav.
had been popular. The revoln
Congress, ct a very earl.
period of the WAT, authorized the
building, equipping, and eommis-
sioning of ls ships ofwar. 5 ofthem
frigates, This, for their limited
means, WAS great deal. Mr.. Jef
ferson, in his Notes on Virginia
written during the war, Mr.. +. be-
lieved, tho not published I'LL some
time after. With full experience OF
the immense disadvantages TO whlch
we we're subjected in contest with
a nation possessing a maritime su
gives it as his opinion that
virgieia nught TO bend her exertlons
towards equipping a naval force.
The amount of that force is not no"
particularly reeol!ec'ed. the passage
lin the Notes not having been lately
read Int it was believed that The
amount recommended b, him would
have cost the state OF Virginia as
much at that time, as her pro
portion Of the proposed increase
would now But, said MIR + If any
evidence were wanting to convince
this nation of the great Importance
Of navy as part offer national
defensive means, that evidence has
been amply furnished by the events
ef the late war: events. thanks to
the gallan;ry OF those who achieved
them, whicb have made an inpres
sion on the public m'nd SO deep
that he hoped they would never be
erased. Sir, said MIR. p. You have
your 20 or $4,000 seamen uHiess
you have heavy ships, this force,
consisting of some of the iaost ga
liant men in tile W ord, is Loss 10 tie
public defence, they are not on you'
militia rolls: they will not eniis;
in your armies, they may be en-
gagged in a predatory warfare az
priyateersmen !; but, 1 say again. a:
part Of your defensive force with
out heavy ships, they are lost to
your service. Sir. great deal
might be said on this subject. Mr.
p said he had made notes to say
much more, out from the advanced
period of the session, not to mention
the late hour of the day, & believing
the public mind to be made up upon
this subject, he could not consent to
tax the patience OF the House, by
progressing in his remarks ; but
would with pleasure give any infor
nation he might possess, to any gen
tleman who required it, or answer,
as far as he could, any objection
which should be made to the dstaisls
of the bill.
Mr. Clay proposed that the bill be SO
amended as t, vest in the President a
discretionary power to cause the steam
batteries to be bailt as soon as he should
deem necessary without waiting any par
ticular emergency. He referred to some
correspondence between the Governor
of Louisiana, the general government.
and the state of Kentucky, to shew the
great anxiety felt on the subject Of Great.
ing at once proper defence for the i'm.
portant city of New-0rleanss The G.
rection of the batteries could not be ex-
ecuted at that point, in case of any
tbrea ening circumstance, with as much
|promptiture, as in the Chesapeake, (which
was in the vicinity ofall the great resour.
ces OF the country: and it was impru
dent therefore to delay the building until
an emergency should demand them, &c,
The motion was agreed to. ?
Mr.. Middleton moved to increase the
number of steam batteries from three 10
tour, with the view of placing one Of
them at Charleston, S. Carolina.
MIR. Peasants had no'objection to the
amendment. The commissioners of the
navy believed those batteries could be e.
rscted at much less expense than the one
built at New-York and it was probable,
Inc th0upht. that the augmentation would