Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-03-12

and in Reduction of the fund for the general
increase of the Navy. What would be l,ii
for the purpose. contemplated by the foun-
ders of thar fiind, 1t was easy 10 imagine
IL was said by the gentleman from Ken
lucky (Mr. Hardip) that the country could
not afford an expense beyond 100000 for
the increase of the Navy. To this pro-
position he could not assent He could
not agree that this nation was iucompe.
tent 60 provide funds for the protection Of its
commerce and independence. Whilst this coun-
try was enjoying the blessings of peace-its
fields and harvests smiling under the culture
Of the h,Isbandman--its canvass Whitening the
bosom of every seats advrnturous sons
penetrating the forest, and the people parNci
patng in all the buunties that "A kind Provi-
dcnce ever showered upon any nation on fhe
earth, it was vain 10 contend that onr resour-
ces were inadequate to our protection. For
these. reasons Mr.. G.. was oppnsed Co d.
version OF cay lsfrS uf tic fund - osi'eF OBJ
ects than those TO which was originally APP
proprialed. Mr.. e. was willing tn make q
suitable provision for the suppression ofpiracy,
hat he thought il would be madness In do il
at the expense ola permanent fund for a per-
nlancnt object, in which the honor and cha
| ractcr of the nation We're essentially involved.
Mr.. HARDIN remarked that the argument
of the gentleman last up would lead To the
| conclusion that twas madness Ia divert from
a large naval fund sum for the building
| smaller vessels in leu Of those OLA larger des
cription. He had understood that there were
a variety of objects 10 be attained in the naval
service, and for the attainment Of those objects
vessels ofvarIous descriptions were necessary.
| Regular pitched battles, Dir. H. said, in which
74's were desirable, were not the occasions in
which smaller vessels were wanted, nor were
al e ~.
annoy the commerce of an enemy was pri-
mary object in war, and to protect our own
in peace. If we could appropriate tie nrccs-
sary money fort purpose without resort
Ing to loans ortaxes, it would not BIZ IN ob-
ject of so much importance. Eut this he con
| tended could not he done and the smaller
vessels that were contemplated by the resO-
luton would he useful, not only la the sup
preston of piracy now, hut i'm the prosecl-
lion of war hereafter. 1.-THE resolution was
not adopted, he feared the smaller veascls pro-
posed would rot he built, nor oar commerce
protected. II had been said that the fund for
the increase Of the navy had been reduced
one half, hut he read from The laws of the O.
niied States TO shew, that the fund had not
been broken in unon but only prolonged, and
that instead Of an appropriation of one million
per annum, for the three years remaining o
the eight, it had been separated into six an
nual appropriations OF 100000 each, which
was equivalenttoth the aggregate.
Mr.. BAssETr did not know hut it might b
one of the effects of age that all changes were
unpleasant, but he felt great repugnanre a
departing from the line of policy that had bre'
heretofore established on this subject. II
was opposed to the resolution. We are nov
told, he said, that all classcs of vessels wrr
wanted in time ofwar. This was propose
ton that no person could iouht. 1t was a
we'll understood at the time when thr fun
for the increase Of the navy was established
as it could he now. But tive question then wa
what gradual increase of your navy will yn
make in time ofpeace TO meet the exigrnri,
OF WARP And in view OF this question it w;
= then determined TO build such vessels in tim
: ofpeace AS might be ready in time Of war, an
= which intime of war could not nc built fo m
. swei the purpose of the government. 9th
!. description were 7i's,and other large vcsse
y of war. IL one or two sloops were wanted {
>. attack the pirates, that was one thing hut
= | seemed to he brought forward as a plan t0 |
. incorporated into the general system of OF
naval establishment. Ii was said. indeed, III;
. this resolution only proposed inquiry b.
y he could not consent to ii ever in that shap
:, He objected 70 the principle. lie believed
" 10 b. wrong He thought so eight years az
" and had found no reason 70 chnnge ri or
Mon. He was unwilling, in this casr. 10 81
>, implicitly to committee the mower ofre-co
~ sidpring a system oCnaval policy thai had he
- deliberately, and, IN his opicinu, wisely d
cided upon. There was then. he woull a
j." NIT, as there is now. y difference of opno
- and evcn,the Naval Commissioners at FIRST =
~ ported in favor Of bull ling, pqri pqSsu, ~
~ frigates and slnops of war. But further r
- Election had induced them and Congress
~ resolve upOn building, in time of pCarr, s,l
only as could not br buiit in tIn1c .of war. +
-, perienCe bad slcwn that sloop Of war cos
~ he built in % days and where was the ncc'
-, sity of building, perhaps 90 years before "
:. broke ont, q description Of vesscls thar cor
-, he built in 90 days. Mr. y. referred 70
49, able paper on the subject. written hy Co
~ modOre Stewart, in which it was clearly
he yinced that, ON princIplrS OF economy,
H., would he expedicnt. in ratin OF four to u
- rs TO efficiency, 10 hnild large vessels ratl
- than small. He vas satisfrd. also. That la
-. vessels contributed moro as h1A been st1i
~ by the gentleman from New York, MIR G
80 denl to the advancement Of discipline
10 nautical silence than smaller vessels.
~ could perceive no object, of beneficial RI
ad ractcr, 10 be produred by II, unless It was
cv make more births for young naval officers,
that, he thought, was not sufficient rca
ain. for adopting dangerous political cxpcrim'
lily Mr.. TRAcT Thought the subject was +
led per me for inquiry, and not so papa
,elf wrong rs gentlemen seemed tn apprehend
,cn Fit were so, there could be little danger il
for DOPING Il. a proposition so very abs
hat would at least he harmIess--and probably
i'm Naval Committee, ifthey adopted the So
ust tncnts of his colleague. (Mr. Coldrul wc
,f report decidedly against it, to avoid the
If pulation ofmadness. and the bouse, with
div dual zeal. and for the same reason, would