Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-04-18
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eseived
CONGkssNJO.
H0UsE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Saturday, April IS.
r,nrprAsE or THE NAVY.

The House in committee OF the
Whole. on the bill providing for the
Gradual increase fthe Navy.
MIR. Pleasants Chairman OF 'he
Naval eommittee) entered into
detailed statement ofthe consioe'a,
lions on which the committee hau
formed the bill, and their reasons
for deviating from precise aaher
ence to the Seeretary's reccmmoo'
|dations. 1t was, he said, w'thin ,ne
RECOLLECTION Of the committee. 'na'
lin . report made to the Senate ! 10 inc
earlier part of the session OF Con
press. the Secretary Of the Navy
|reeommended an annual addition 10
the present navy, of one ship OF -
|rups, two of IL, aud two sioops OF
war Of the heaviest class. The com
Imi.see. MIR. Peasants said. had be
lstowed much consideration on the
subject. and after obtaining all the
information they could from the
lsourees calculated 10 their Judg
Iments 10 furnish the best, they b q
determined to recommend 10 the
| House the provisions contained III
The present bill There would have
| been some difficulty 10 framing q Law
lin sach a way az 10 have provided
II a.
| for q certain annual addition to the
navy. The timbers and other NO.
Icessary materials could not have
been procured. in such way as 70
ensure y punotual compliance with
1.-The law. The comaittee, therefore.
determined to recommend an annual
appropriation of one million OF dol
liars for eight years; this would make
Ian addition TO eur present naval
force of nine ~ gun ships, IL OF -
IguDs, and three steam batteries, two
| of the latter to be applied to the de-
fence of the waters of the Chesa
ipeake. and one TO the defence OF N.
Orleans. The Secretary's plan OF ad-
ding one "a. two 4l's and two sloops.
ANNUALLY, would have required an
appropriation for that term OF up
wards of a million of dollars. MIR.
IPleasants observed, that the opinion
lof the best iaformed Of our naval OF
Ulcers, that our funds had better be
lapplied towards procuring heavy
lships immediately That sloops of
Though great use in time OF war,
might easily be procured in very
lshort time BY the government, either
Iby having them built at our own
yards or by contract Indeed. it was
1.-The opinion of one at least, very in
ltelligeut officer, that sloops of war
leught not to form permanent part
lof our navy at all !; but when it was
found necessary to use them in time
Iof war, 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 Sc
nate by the Secretary Of the Navy,
I and which is on the 6les ofthis House
lie will be seen that to build and
equip a ~ gun ship. will cost SssA,
s62 this sum. multiplied by niue.
the number of 7s's proposed to be
built IN eight years. will make So,
lA6s,7bs. The building and equip
Iping a IA gun frigate will cost 26s
400 dollars which sum, multiplied
by AZ. the number of frigates pre-
sosed to be built in eight years. will
make the sum 3,22O,S00 dollars.
THE three steam batteries they had
allowed TO take one million of dol
liars more. Thus the whole sum
ESTIMATED by the committee, for
building the proposed ships of the
lime. heavy frigates and steam bat.
itsries, ia 7.6s4,5ss dollars. The
.Ioommittee took some pains to ascer
.ltain. as far as such q thing could
'lbc ascertained with any thing like
|sertainsy. the capacity of the United
States to man feet of such de.
|scription as the proposed addition
" iii give Ms. From Information re.
leeived from the most intelligent
lsources, they have no doubt that
,laaeh feet may be easily manned
1.-The present number OF seamen be
longing to the u. States, is not as.
Ieertained with precision, il is pro-
badly little or nothing short Of 20,
lperhaps so thousand Ope fourth Of