Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-04

leagues resolution had no special reference 10 Geo
and what has led the gentleman into this mistake.
was the reply to the gentleman from Massachusetts
lMr. dwight? made yesterday, who appeared
also 10 nave misunderstood it. beg the House
10 feeoilect that my colleague stated expressly Al,
he uihe ne offered the resolution that he did not
WISH 10 embarrass the service or 10 rctard the an
preparations which might be required; but he told
lpe Rouse, that he wanted the information in or
20 enable him to understand and to perform his
10y ne voted Tor two or three successive years
10. 'he appropriation bills as they were renorte6
relying on the government TO furnish the inform,.
non non afterwards Sir, we have voted two years ON
,a''h' and we are unwilling to vote on faith anv
longer. But let the gentleman from Delaware re-
ooec, 'hat the resolution calling for this informa
uon, though 1t had been offered by his colleague.
nad oeen adopted by the House; and il rvas there,
9e 'he resolution not OF his colleague but of this
House. Why was it passed. The pen,.m,n
'eiis US mat 1t was an unnecessary call; that the
plan 10 be pursued. with all the details rssnec,;n
~ IS already on the files of this House; that
portion OF the documents was kept secret. bur NAV
oe discovered If sought for with due dilis ence a
"o.S ue archives OF Congress. Sir, this is the
nrs' mint have heard of this fact; and il is Ger
tainly new to most of u.s. WIN was !, nsv.r
stated before! This would have been an excellent
reason against passing the resolution When nv
coheague charged the Government with withhold.
ing rom the House information which il was pro-
Per we should POSSESS, why were we not told that
.ie information was already on our files? WHY
soon furnshed9 N "
put, SIR, the honorable gentleman is mistaken
az liie information desirable this subject is not
peiore THIS House, including this secret documen,
as the published report of 1924 shows.
mr. Nlcl.ane here explained. He referred "a
e 'epor' Oh 1871, three years earlier than tina. OF
wnich the gentleman speaks
DIR. FORSYTH reniied ,b,.
contained list of Notifications of the general nIan
-out mat In 1924 proves, that that plan was de-
parted rom. mean not the general plan. bur az
a particular fort-Fort Monroe, land The .I,sss
uon OF IL cost the United States near $3.50. O0o.l
nui Is mere any reason why, since this alteration
~, information should not be communicated
ihese gentlemen appear to think that thev are a,
liberty to co as they plesse-they are sc;en,f.
gentlemen and all is at their discretion. provided
II De done Tor the general defence Sir. ao No,
Say 'hat these gentlemen have misappIed the nub
tic money; nor do say that the changes thew have
mace IN TIE plan are not advantageous and neces
ssry' out wish to know what they are, and whe-
lHe- ofher changes are not contempIated
he gentleman from Delaware bees the rJo,,.a
nor 10 DC mIsied by my insinuations Sir. / ha-
zafoed none advanced no charges against thesa
gentlemea; my sole object was 10 show Tho, -
passing This bill without further information. the
rouse Is acting indiscreely. l know perfecilv
weH' mat IL there is corruption in our officers r.
20" D proved, we nave the power to punish
them. Yes, sir. but will that remedy the ;n;,'s,,
winch The public service has sustained bv Their
maj cohdnct! have long been taught. and il iss
peculiarly applicable TO the business of Ieqisla,o
mat little prevention is better than great deal
OF cure e'oa' o1"A
e are told, however, that the bill does. mn,
csi' upon us to sanctions any system, but oinI to
provide definite sum for definite ob;ec, IS -,
w. 4 will uhr,;,
whether that ~ true statement of the onas,;on
before US. The gentleman says a great Man bas
oeen adopted, and that we began these works in
consequence Then, sir, we have begun the svs-
'e'' we are carrying on the system; and the o,ies
Wv" 'eNPectihg hese works is not question of
, ioca, ueiehce' out involves the system at
large The gentleman asks if we will ref,se 10
defend New York, or to defend the t,basa,o,,,as
oT' VINO wouldbe SO mad as to stand up and saw
ne WIZ refuse to protect the humbest VILLAGE in The
United States! or the humblest individual ybo -
habits it!-especally in an assembly III. ,h;.
composed OF the Repr esentatives of the PeopIa5
'u', sf' that u not the question 1t is impos ibe
In the nature of things. that we can place fort
before every village; the minor points mus, be a.
mitted; and we must confne ourselves tn tbos.
great ana prominent points, at which the country
can De Inc most easily assaiIed. Now this For
Eess Monroe and Fort Calhoun, are intended &c 7
understand what gentlemen assert, to defend ,le
eiiHd"ce Oh le chesapeake Bay. For this object
"ay are insufhc'ent- useless. Finish them as yo,,
"iii' ana the chesapeake is still open to the ves-
sells OF an enemy to enter withou, rpoIests,o,
1hey protect, properly speaking nothing more
than Lynnhaven Bay and the mouth of Ja,oss u;
yer; and, alter they shall be completed all the
shoIes OF the Chesapeake will be, as formerly
without defence, except what il receives from The
militia. York River, the Rappahannock with
the great Potomac, to be as defenceIess ss
ever; The shores of Maryland exposed 10 the ra-
wages OF PaFues 10 cock-boais, as during the late
war.
But sir, l wish TO ask the ge,,le,na, ., ,ho
head of the Committee OF WAYS and Means L.
theE that Committee has not deliberately INTRODUCED
into this bill, items of appropriation Tor nov
works, works never dreamed Of by The Board oe
Engineers. Va
MIR. McLane replied, that The Committee had
not done so.
Mr.. Forsyth said, he understood that there was
at ieas! ono such item, which had been introduced
at the suggestion OF an honorable member from n.
Carolina
Mr.. McLane said, tina, the gentleman had pu.
TINS question In express terms and he had answer
Ell 1t as 1t was put. 1t not true that the bill
contained any " works which the Engineers had
never dreamed Of" There is no work in the bill.
winch Is not 10 be found in one or other of the
classes OF works, designated IN the plan of the En-
g'neer Board. liebsd not said, as yet, any thing
about these items, because I've did not understand
that twas expected Of him TO discuss all the
points oil the bill at ouce II istrue that neither
the board OF Engineers, nor The Secretary OF War,
recommended the commencement OF the works in
North Carolina, az the present time, and therefore
the bill had, at last session, been reported without
them. The member from North Carolina. howe
yer, moved 10 amend the bill, by inserting an an
/ preparation for a fort al Beaufort This COZ, 80,