Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-02-19
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


Among the petitions presented this
morning, was one by Mr.. Sergeant,
from Cathsrine Gale, wife Of Anthony
Gale, late Lieutenant Colonel Conn
mandant of the Marine Corps, stating
that. in consequence ofmsntal derange.
ment her husband was dismissed from
his command in September last, and is
now confirmed maniac, confined In
the Pennsylvania Hospital, and pray
ing to be allowed q pension out OF the
Navy Pension Fund, for the support Of
herself and the children Of Col. Gale !;
which petition was referred to the CON-
mittee on Naval Affairs.
The Speaker laid before the House
a letter from Col. Decius Wadsworth,
of the Ordnance Department, exPiana-
tory uf the circumstances attending the
loans of powder, lead. &c. belonging
to the Y. States, to private individu-
ais, and which have been made the
subject of enquiry in this House, as al.
so containing defence Of his conduct
in those transactions. Some cenversa-
ton took place as to the mode of dis
posing of this paper. IL was hna'iy
ordered to lie on the table.
The Speaker also laid before the
House the follosing letter from the
Secretary of War:
Department ef War. lath Feb. 1921.
Str In compliance with the resolution Of
the house Of representatives Of the 9th inst.
directing &c that the secretary Of war report
to that house the progress which has been
made by the board Of Engineers in deter
mining the sites and places OF Notifications
Of the coast of the United States; the sites
which may have been selected; the esti-
mates of the expense in completing the Sc
veral works; the number Of troops neces-
sary to garrison them in peace, and in war;
the progress made in erecting the forti6ca-
tons, the advantages resulting from the sys-
tenn, when completed, particularly in re-.
ducing the expence of defending the Allan
tic frontier" have the honor TO enclose a
report Of the Board of Engineers, marked
A. and a report of the Engineer Depart
ment, marked B, which give the informa.
ton required by the resolution.
1t may be proper TO observe, that the pro-
jected Notifications have been distributed
into three classes, according to their rela'
tive importan &c, and that it is determined
to erect those OF the lst class previous to
the commencement Oft the I'd and Sd classe.
with the exception of the works at Mobile
Point and Dauphine Island. These works
were commenced in preference to those
projected at Bayou Bienvenue and Fort St
Philip; for, although the latter are placed
in the first class, it was not, however, deem
ed proper to commence with them, as they
were much less extensive than the two for
mer, and could be completed in a shor
time, should the state of our relations with
other powers render it necessary.
The contractors for the works at Rego'
lets were, by the arrangements with them
to have erected those contemplated at Che
Menteur, but so many impediments hav.
been encountered that it has been necessary
! for them to con6ne their operations wholly
10 the former.
have the honor to be. your obedien
servant,
J. c. CALHOUN.
Honora BILE John w. Tayler,
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The letter and accompanying docu.
ments were ordered to lie on the ta'
bic.
[ Mr.. Smith Of Md. from the commit.
tee of Ways and Means, reported a
bill making appropriations for the ma
val service of the United States, for
the year 1921; which was twice read
and committed.
MIR. Bloomfield, from the committee
OH Revolutionary Pensions, made un.
favorable reports on the petitions oil
forty.oHe applicants for revolutionary
pensions all which were concurred in.
Mr.. Meigs, of New York, rose for
the purpose Of calling the attention OF
the house to certain resolutions which
he had the honor Of submitting to its
consideration at the last session of c on.
gress. These resolutions related to
the subject of slavery. he had, he
SAID, somewhat modified the resolutions
offered at the last session. and would
| nnw rand them In the hoa.a hnforo h.,