Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-01


few remarks Our Notifications up this date had th
Government S2O 0OO This large expenditure of money
was necessary to complete the important of the ofca
tons and to show the committee how much more money
was estimated would take to complete them he read
muncatioh from the Department of War; stating the
Of money which had already been expended upon each o
caton, and The amount necessary complete them From
this statement the committee could see that Of these fortified
tons nearly the whole OF them completed except the
fertilization at soerss Point Baltimore barbor the
tica'ions upon Key West and Garden Kew All three
these appropriations for Notifications which it was estimated
large future expenditures would have to be made to com
ee had been authorized since he had been member Of
House, and he recoected well the debate upon them The
Committee on Military Aas recommended in the strongest
terms the erection Of Notifications Key West and the Flo
da REEFS and they satisfied this House, almost without dissent
that Tor the protection OF the Of the Gulf of Mexico
through which such proportion of produce
ed, these Notifications indispensable. Gentlemen great
msconceved the object The object was
deter enemy time Of from attacking those places the
OF which would give them great advantage
monstated the necessity Of Notifications in sheiepg our ship
ping from the of enemy stated il as the opn-
ion Of the most scientific military that the introduction
Of steam increased the necessity for Notifications rather than
diminished it.
Mr. GIDDNGS opposed to the BILL and to this entire
system The expense Of these forts had been by
the chairman of the Committee Of Ways and Means amount
to more than twenty millions Of dollars and be asked in all
candor any TO point out The benefits which this
expenditure had conferred upon this nation 1t throwing
away every dollar appropriated for this purpose much
il it had been into the Atlantic the Potomac Al
though this system should be continued for years. be
necessarily changed Such had been the progress Of SCIENCE
art intelligence and civilization that the whole system is now
regarded exploded one the former castles Of noble
men were but of the ignorance existing in bar
barous Our Notifications would follow in their foot
steps, When but three millions Of people, and had
Notifications, carried successful with Of
the most powerful nations of the earth and he conended that
now when by the facilities afforded by railroads, troops
could be carried in short time any point threatened by
enemy this whole system unnecessary.
Mr.. HARRIS Of Illinois, then obtained the floor, and
proceeding to reply the remarks of Mr. HAMPTON made
some time since, the tariff, when
Mr.. VAN DYKE called him to ORDER the ground that
the remarks Of Mr. HARRIs irrelevant.
The Chair sustained the point of ORDER and ruled the
gentleman out of ORDER
Mr.. McLANE CT Maryland then submitted an argument
TO show the necessity for Notifications at Soerss Point for
below the present fort He referred to the vast amounts
pended for the defence of other Cities and claimed proper
Tomato share for the third city Of this Union.
Mr.. TOOMBS said that if forts necessary they had
means to ascertain where they should be- The radical
difficulty was that they had rely the board Of engineers
for all information They who could tell what the works would
cost were not safe advisers TO what should be done.
This board should be abolished it did nothing but mischief
They resorted to them for estimates and their object was to
increase expenditures The British Parliament raised
mtees, and heard both sides of the question: and thus they
had The advantage Of hearing the testimony Of friends and OPP
ponens Here they sent to the head of the Department
who sent to the head Of bureau who transmitted estimates
for work. and those estimates appropriations based
He believed the general system Of certifying the country to be
wrong and referred to the refusal of the British Parliament
to act avoraby upon the recommendation Of the Duke Of
Wellington TO fofy the Of England stating that that
country would stand the expense We had forts in 1872
and their only ec to make the British another
road He thought that this system of useless extravaganza
should be arrested.
Mr. SACKETT then made few remarks in opposition to
the bill
Mr. ROWTE ms onnosod ;, .h,r Jo,;n ,h;s mellow NTH
out adequate investigation would be truly precipae le
gislation to take such STEP The system of Notifications
was not system adopted yesterdays it had been adopted
upon the most mature deberaon and after full inquiry upon
the recommends of Of the wsest and most experience
ed engineers not only Of America but Of Europehe refer
red to Gen. Bernard He contended that the Government
should protect our large commercial emporiums liable to in
vason
Mr. HOUSTON then advocated the system Of Notifications
proposed in the bill.
Mr. BOWLIN then addressed the House in opposition to
the bill, and
Mr.. JOHN A. KING argued in its favor.
Mr. BROWN Of Mississippi, gave notice that at the pro.
per time he would amendment making appropri-
alton for the fertilization Of Ship Island the southern coast
OF Mississippi He then commented severely upon the remarks
OF Senator Ewing upon the investigating committee OF which
ings paper.
Mr. BAYLY then closed the debate on the fertilization
bill, and replied to the objections urged agant it.
Mr. TUCK moved the following substitute for the bill:
nat sum not exceeding $lOOOUO be appropriated out
of money in the not otherwise appropriated to
be expended under the direction Of the Secretary Of War; for
the protection and preservation OF the Notifications OF the
country for the year ending 30th June, 1852.
Before taking the question the substitute, sundy amend
ments to strike from the bill various items offered and
negatived, and much discussion ensued.
The question then taken the substitute, and it
agreed to.
On motion Of Mr. BAYLY, the committee then rose and
reported their action to the House.
The question then taken the motion to lay the bill
the table, and decided in the affirmative by the fol-
lowing vote
Bell Bowlin, Boyd, Cable, George A. Caldwell, Joseph
P. Caldwell Campbell, Carter Cngman w. X. w. Cobb,
Cocock, Conger, Corwin Danner Deberry Doty Dunham
Durkee Edmundson, N Evans, Fitch Giddings, Gilbert
Gorman Gott, Gould Green, Haralson s. w. Harris Hay
mond Henry Howe Hunter Andrew Johnson Jones' Julian
McGaughey, McLanahan, McMullen, Mcqueen Melville,
Meade, Morehead Norris Morrison, Orr, Outlaw, Phelps
Pitman, Potter Reed Reynolds Rcharon Robbins Robin
sacket Savage, schoolcra Strong, Sweetser Thomas
Jacob Thompson, Toombs, Walden, Waldo, Watkins,
WellborD, Whttlesey. and Young--79.
NAYS-Messrs Alexander, Aston. Bokee, Bowie, Breck
Bsyly Brooks Buard Burrows Butler Darlington Cabe
Chandler Clarke, Cole Dixon Duncan Eliot, Ewing Freed
ley Fuller, Gentry, Grinne Holloway, Hay, Hbbard Hill
lard, Holmes Houston Howard Joseph W. Jackson, Kerr
Mcdowell, McKissock, r. M McLane, Moore, Nelson,
Newell, Otis, Parker Putnam, Risley, Rose, Ross, Rumey
Schermerhorn Shepperd Sylvester Spaulding Spague Tay
lo John g. Thompson Thurman, Tuck, Van DYKE Vinton
White-6l.
The House adjourned.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY "a, 1851.
The SPEAKER stated that the first business in order was
he consideration Of the motion made by the gentleman from