Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-02
VOL. XIII. mo. Sc.

Had we then any gentlemen in our Ens;peer;nv
Department of great aud distinguished talent5 The
very reason why that fort stands as rnonumen, ,s
ignorance, IS. that, then had no such men as we
now have in the service. The system is now matt.
red-the science is fully understood, Sc
Mr. McIane observed, the gentleman from
tennessee had been INDUCED with his remarks he
hoped to be allowed to call the attention of the
committee 10 some observations in reply lie pro-
ceeded, then, TO trace the origin, and review a,
some extent, the history, of the system of for,f
e"'"hS now IN the course oil execution, and for the
prosecution oil which this bill proposes to provide.
The authority under which these Notifications arr,
constructed, he Showed is the anthori,v az ,bo .I
preparation acts and the system itself has g,o,y,
up under the auspices of these acts-havinr. Inv
these acts, received the repeated sanction of Con-
giess. There were 70 particular laws of Compress
making OFT the details OF the system. These were
lett to the Engineer Corps, who. after making a.,
me necessary serveys, reported general plan Ia
the War Department, where it was fled. and
where 1t now remains; and upon which, in the ex
pehdlture moneys appropriated, for Notifications
that Department has acted. The gentleman from
Georgia, MIR. Mel. said, was under mistake if
ne supposed the House was not in possession @.
that report and that plan. They had been in -os-
session oil 1t for several years; and, at the COM
menceIDent OF every Session. estimates had been
snomittedt to Congress, in detailed FORM founded
upon thai plan.
Mr. Mel. here asked Tie attention of the com.
miiiee 10 the manner in which that plan had been
formed. HE board of Engineers, in projecting
and founding these works, had divided them into
three classes. The first class consisted of ,bos,
works which were TO be commenced immediate,y
as soon as the means of the Government you'd
authorize their commencement, because they were
deemed mos: Immediately necessary. They were
designed 10 protect those points which proved To
nave been the most assailable curing tha last
lr, 10
o! the country. Those works were placed in tb;.
second class which could be dispensed with fora
Jew years longer, and were 10 be commenced as
The works In the first class should be comnleted.
The third class embraced works not proposed TO he
commenced III both the othcr classes should be
completed.
Mr. McLane said he held in his hand the Renort
containing the details of these classes and il vonl;
De found that all the works recommended in hi.
o'ii' are WORKS comprised in the first class And
a. connected with this Report was another, which
ue'"'eH 'he expenses necessary TO begin those
worNs, 70 carry them on, ard to complete them.
MIR Mel asked if there were any Objections IN bo
naae to those works being carried into execn,ion
was not the proper time 10 have made them th.
time when that report was submitted 10 Conrres,
ny the war department, and male the foundation
OF the Legislation of that year. Why was this
REPORT submitted 10 Congress? To procure their
sanction 10 II 10 show what had been done and
''"N 80 W "a department Contemplated in
uhuer this general authority. Then was the time
Tor Congress to act, either rejecting the plan or
sancuonnS Ii; and they did sanction it. They
auopted II IN tie only mode in which they coulI
nave done 1T, by passing an act, appropriating the
money necessary to commence end carry on the
works proposed by the Board OF Engineers. Nj
Hicl4. argued, therefore, that this was now no lon
ger plan OF the War Department, but of Congress
Iseii 1t was brought here by the War Denar,
meh, ADOPTED by Congress, and carried into execu-
sol ny them 20 ~ as the previous appropriations
mad gone And why were they now 10 stops
MIR. Mel then adverted TO the alleged fact Of
the srnount oil eA Pendtlres on these works baving
exceeded the estimates. There were a few ins,ano
ces, he said, in which those works which had hes,
completed, cost mora than it was supposed tIev
would have done. And he admitted il TO he r,ro,
baole that the works which were vet in state
OF progression, might exceed the estimate of
'"eh cost out, he would ask, il any man in his
senses could suppose that, in a great fori6cation
or system OF orihcations, like that which had been
projected, 1t was possible for a man TO set down
and estImaIs the expense within few dollars more,
or less?
It would be impossible FOR any man. however
accurate lie might be- TO oresee the changes yvlich
might take place in the value of labor and
materials during the progress of system like thi.
Tor II was not 10 be completed in year. or in fv.
years bat was to be in rosress for 10 or Is YEAR
Ihe variations IA the price o. Rbor and materials
were TO be allowed for, and all the accidents which
were likely TO occur in D years work of this kind
How hen, was it pc, sibe TO form preci,eIv ac
cmate estimate OF the expense? Yet the commute.
were now called on TO say, that because this svs
TEN VIII coat more than ii Originally supno.e{
II woild DO, every thing that had been already ex
pended was to be lost. This argument he dbl r,
think entitled to much weight
MIR. Mel here answered the Objections yyLj,b
had Deen made to this bill, the ground Of inc
want of information. Ii the gentleman yvouIl ~
anime the files Of this House. he would find th,t
Ia reports made at former sessions Inc information
which lac desired or which the House could ,os
siDIy e9uire, to act upoI the subject Of this b.U
was In their possession. He objected TO Iva,i,,
Tor the answer To the resolution adouted m ,h
motion OF Mir. Fainali, on the ground that The in
formation which it would furnish would not bo,r
on the present bill. Tie estimates on which ,b;s
phl was founded, Mr. Mel said were here. ~
lac asked u 1t was necessary, TO authorize this conn
mi''ee TO make an appropriation for Fortress Mon.
roe' 70 Wat liii Information could be obtained on
an We bef lofiihea'ioas OF the Union, not EN-
braced by this bil2 If the committee ,ve,e NJ,
pared TO FOLLOW up the parts OF this system.
already Tar advanced, then they would grant an
proprisiions for those Notifications which ven,
begun; bot, II they prepared IN abandon all
these, and submit TO the loss cf what had been al
ready expended on them, then they would accele
10 The proposition Oi the gentleman, and stop
the further progress Of this bill.
Mr. orsyth SAID, in reply, that lie had not yet
mode any motion in relation this bill lie had said
that he hoped this til would be laid upon The table
There appeared 10 be curious contradiction Lc-
tween the statements OF the Chairman OF The Com
miitee of Ways and Means and the Chairman Of
the Military COMMITTEE One Of these gentlemen