Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser 1807/07-1807/12 msa_sc3722_2_6_2-0594    Enlarge and print image (5M)

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Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser 1807/07-1807/12 msa_sc3722_2_6_2-0594    Enlarge and print image (5M)

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...... Mr. IIev/es; On the Hrh instant, yon published a j,j.?C(J v f£ irmcr," which rejects on the characters of certain commissioners ; yuu will please to publish the.wttl.iin to- morrow in the the Gazette, aria oblige A SUBSCRIBER. to the ruaue. t observed a pitce in trie Federal GawUe, of the 14th instant, signed " A Farmer," whkdi I believe was wrote bfitawm Keep, er- or the owner of one. It is addressed to the legislature*, and is done with a design to jfrjure the characters of five gentlemen who were appointed by an act of assembly, to view and report the course of a road from the Pennsylvania line to Tfw$on tavern, on the York turnpike road. That this subject may be understood, and those gentlemen acquitted of improper conduct, it will be ¦necessary to state the circumstances attend- ing it. From Tow-son's tavern, to Brittain's mitt, on the great falls of Gunpowder, is about six miles, as appears by actual measurement, and through almost all this distance was an old country road called the Overshot, which of late years has been so-turned and neglected as to be rendered nearly useless, but it was Still a county road, and in the month of October last, tlje proprietors of the land over •which it passed, petitioned Baltimore levy court to widen k straighten the same nearly all the distance aforesaid. Not one man opposed it. The proper notice having been given, the levy court granted their request and appointed men to view and report the game, as the law directs, to the levy court. In the month of November last, some weeks after the levy court sat, the commis- sioners appointed as aforwsaid, to wit, Mr. Jarret, Mr. Turner, of Harford, and Mr. Hatchir.s, Mr Sievenssn, and Mr. Johnson, of Baltimore county, ail gentlemen of pro- bity, integrity and property, well acquainted With that part of the country, and not in- terested in the lands through which the said loads passed,, pro eeded to execute their •work as directed by said law, and after tak- ing great pains and much labor, they first run a straight line from Towson Tavern to David Wiley's, at the Pennsylvania line ; they then run the old road, and by measure- ment it was about five miles more than the straight line. They then run the way they have reported, on the best ground and most convenient way, under all circumstances, having in general the consent of the people and economy in view, and it made one mile more than the straight line. As far as Brit- tain's mill there is no objection, the commis- sioners having laid the road on the same route that the Overshot road was intended to be laid, which will be a great saving to the county, accommodate a great neighbor- hood of farmers, and will give an easy com- munication from Brittain's mill to Baltimore. And let me premise that at Brittain's on the Great Falls, are one merchant mill, saw mill, fulling mill, oil mill, and there are erecting carding and spinning machinery. The falls are large'at this place, and it bids fair to be an usefnLand extensive,manufactory, to the great advantage of the neighborhood in particular and the state in general. From this place to the Harford line, is about seven miles, as is laid down on the best ground, considering the accommodation of the owners of the soil and economy, but the old route being entirely crooked at one place, say two miles, they had to leave out a tavern keeper, and from this circumstance arises one great cause of complaint. The moment it was discovered,that the road left his house, report says he started to get a petition signed against it, to which he procured a number of signers. In this part there is a very little opposition from the proprietors of the soil. From the Harford line to the Pennsyl- vania line is about nine miles, the length of the intended road in this state. These peo- ple are unanimous for it as their great inter- course to market; their petition will speak for itself. From David Wiley's the York county people are opening a road to Wright's ferry on Susquehannali, and some other ferries lower down the river, by which route much produce will come from that part of the county and from Lancaster, to the great advantage of the farming, manufacturing, and mercantile interests. It will aid and facilitate the intercourse of that part of the country, to the very great advantage of the city «f Baltimore. When we view this road as laid down to run twenty-two miles, to the great advan- tage of the farmers : and none clam uring ao-ainst it but publicans, and their frisnds, the legislature will say that the commissio- ners have done their duty by reconciling nearly all opposition ; but it seems by run- ning their road, it shortens the distance, and takes the custom from two small taverns near Meredith ford ; and although there is no intention to stop up this road, or in any manner to injure it, other than shortening the distance four miles, the commissioners are abused and vilified for not coming round ?hat way, that the way worn traveller may be regaled with their whisky. The com- missioners vera obliged to sometimes ran to the west or east of the straight course, for lliis reason they were obliged to vary and not through Favour or affection, as has been erroneously pretended. It is stated,^,-* *1"" "" ' hi,;h ferU at si. «—this is not. t Uncc from sail up the same hill which trie Overshot passed much hi:rher : It is the most convenient way tbt%- could run fr m Towson's to Bri- tain's ; and the best evidence of it is the unanimity of the proprietors of the raising no objections to it : however there is no tavern on his part of the rout where changed, or I suppose we should have noise enough. It is a great misfortune that these small partialities do very great mischief, an ! hills are turned into mountains, for the pur- pose of misinforming, t!ie legislature for such paltry considerations. This intended road, has long been a brne of contention ; one time they reported that poor w.idows anl orphans .were to be des- troyed ; at another time many small Farirts would be ruined—nay, it was probably said that the hills were so steep at Britain's mill that a fox could not run down. them. And to silence all these clamors the legisla- «Y-. ittee 'ipp leeve to add that I the several itei is of escfcss of expenditure i in of your committee were UN- ' ,\vom\Bv,K and NECESSARY for the accomplish- jects contemplated by the iking the appropriations for and that provision lie made for the ditures in the appropriation bill to be passed at the present session, the whole of I which is respectfully submitted; Hf.nky SrouFFEit. Jacob Swhi. Geo. F. Wxs.vvb.lo. Bait, 1.8th Feb. 1807." The councils were so.well satisfied with the propriety of these expenditures that to the usual appropriation bill, they added the following section ; " Sect. vt. '- nd be it enacted and ordain- ed. That there be and hereby is appropriated the amount of the several sums which have been expended during the last year, incom- pleting the different objects tor which inade- quate appropriations -were made, the said ture appointed commissioners to report their ; expenditures appearing to have been proper opinions on these subject}, and on a fair in- , and jrectSSARY.' vestigation, they have reported that a good road may be made easily the whole way, and within one mile of the distance of the straight course. It is fortunate 'hat one gentleman, a member of the house of de- legates, lives near the said rout and will state facts as they are. This contemplated road will be of im- mense importance to the city of Baltimore, especially the Old-Town ; and as a great part of Baltimore and Harford counties are interested, the delegates from the city and those counties will certainly use their endea- vors to confirm the commissioners plot, by which they will permit the farmers to locate their buildings and farms, which have been in jeopardy tor some years by not having this road settled. TAIR PLAY. Dec. in. We give publicity to the following article, in vindication of a gentleman, well known for his ability and integrity as an officer, and universally respected as a man. We at the same time knou it is the wish of Mr.CoALE, that no defence sh uld be un- dertaken in the newspapers; that how- ever bold, and often repeated, are the charges, yet he is willing to risk their ef- fect on the public mind, until a decision may be had from a jury of his country- men. We therefore, wish that nothing further may bs offered for the Gazette on this subject. To the Editor of the Federal Gazette. nances, Ap. rO, p. 230. i807 -Vide City Oidi- Debates in Congress. HOUSE OF1 REPRESENTATIVES. TiitRsnAY, December 10. Mr. Dana's Speech on the appropriation for GUNBOATS. (Continued.) What was the situation of the legislature at that time ? In respect to foreign relations, they had not the necessary information to enable them to judge so well as could be wished. That h use had not its possession any dispatches relative to the affair between the Chesapeake and Leopard. There had not been laid bef re them any general sys- tem of defence, nor had they been told the probable issue of the negociations with En- gland. In all points they were in the dark. It was a well known provision in the con- stitution, that the president should give to congress information >f the state of the uni- on and recommend to them the adoption of such measures as he deemed expeditnt ; and it must be well known to every mem- ber, that it was all in vain to think of at- tacking, when the chief did not direct the mode of attack. It would be perfectly in vain to provide means of defence which the executive would not think proper to use. What had the the president recommended ? He was known to them as commander in chief, and to him belonged the right of di- recting the publie (< rce. What, then, did the commander in chief require ? What was that force for which he was willing to pledge his responsibility ? No other than gun boats. At the last session, in a mes- sage to the house on that subject, he had explicitly recommended them. They were also understood to have been recommended to the present session, though not in such explicit terms. As president—as commander in chief of the natl nal force, he desires to be furnished with gun boats, as means of defending the nation. He,requires nothing more. Amid all the anxiety, agitation and alarm into which the country had been thrown, gun boats were asked for a* the principal means of defence. It was all. in point of f- rce. which the president required for taking satisfaction for the wrongs com- mitted against the country. In this situati- on, what wa6 the duty of the house? Con- sidering the president as highly responsible in regard to our foreign relations, would the house refuse to him the means of defence for which he applied ? If, in indeed a'l that had been said about the public danger was illusory—mere tales to sp^rt with the public feeling, there would be no need for any mode ot defence. But when these things were represented in earnest, w uld the house refuse totheexecutive such means of defence as he required for the public safe- ty, or would they press on him other modes of defence which he thought perfectly use- less ? It appeared to him the most correct course to vote for the bill, especially as it only gave a discretion to build, and was not a positive order to buitd. He would readily acknowledge that gun- boats would be of great use in defending certain portions of the territory. At the mouth of the Mississippi they might be pe- culiarly so ; for there no troops could be landed—no batteries erected, nor could ves- sels of heavy burthen pass up, there being no more than two and a half fathoms water on the bar at its mouth. They would also be useful in narrow rivers—at long shot, es- pecially where the shot could have the whole range of the vessels deck—-on coasts abound- ing in shoals, and in narrow passages. He therefore felt it his duty to vote for as great an amount of this kind of armament as was judged necessary for the defence of that por- tion of the country were they promised to be efficacious But when they passed north of the Hudson, did gentlemen then talk of pun-boats for defence ? They must have for requesting you to publish the following do- I gotten for what these things were intended. ctrrnents, which show incontestibty that nir. I To be useful, they mast be navigated by Coale has not forfeited the esteem and re- i skilful officers, and skilful seamen ; but no they feed upon opinions,, errors, dreams And make them truths.- r/ie_y draw a nourish- Out of deftimings \ grow upon disgracess [inent And when they see a virtue fortified Strnigly, a'tovc the battery of their tongues, Oh .' how they east to tint it. BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER Sir, If the editor of the " Whig" had been as solicitous to publish the truth as he ap- pears to be to lacerate the feelings and blast the reputation of a faithful officer and a werthy man, you would not have been trou- bled with this address. Mr. Coale has pro- perly refrained from newspaper altercation with his calumniator, but has appealed to the laws of his country to punish the libeller and protect himself. This is the duty of every citizen who respects himself and res- pects the government under which he lives. Newspapers were established for the purpose of disssminating important information : when they become the instruments of lals- hood, their end is perverted and their editors are traitors to the liberty of the press. By commencing a prosecution against the editor of the Whig, the Register has boldly challenged an investigation of his conduct. That scrutiny will be solemn, and decisive. A _Jury of his country will mark him out " a fit subject for the hand of Scorn to point her slow, unmoving finger at," or their verdict, like the spear of Ithuiiel, will show his cha- racter without a bl< rnish. His calumniator is enraged because the register will not descend into an altercation with him in his own paper: when mr.Coale so far forgets himself, he must Hot be sur- prised if his friends forget him. But altho' he cannot now come forward to refute these infamous calumnies, a friend may do that of- fice for him ; aud it shall be done briefly but, decisively. When the register published his annual account, he added that it had been examined by a committee, and was found to be sup ported by proper vouchers. To this the edi- tor of the Whig had the daring effrontery to add, '' there never was a bolder assertion" And since that time his pages have teemed with vile insinuations and falshoods. I shall not attempt to hunt him through all his kennel of filth, but content myself with speet which he has long and deservedly en- joyed, among those whose good opinion is worthy an honest man's regard. Dec. 23. I. fi, H, " The joint committee to whom was re- ferred the examination of the account of the register, city commissioners, and commissi skill was ever acquired on board of gun- boats. Men must go elsewhere to acquire skill. Their real use was as an auxiliry force of subordinate character; and in this character, with the aid of other naval asma- ments they would be useful. When your officers and soldiers behaved oners of health, beg leave to report, that ; s0 gallantly before inpoli, did these men they have performed the duty assigned them, i live in gun-boats, or did they reside on and find the several items supported with board vessels of larger force, and only act proper vouchers " Your committee beg leave further to ",""r,1 that certain expenditures for the last ave exceeded the appropriation, as in ore iippeavs from the annexed statement." re follows the statement in words a:id !-] occasionally on board gun boats ? Did gen- tlemen talk of that affair proving the utility of gun boats I Tripoli had gun boats, and why did they not defend the place ? Ask the superior skill and bravery of your officers and seamen. Gun b'jats vveic, useful in that affair, merely as they served to briti£ brave men in close conflict with their enemy. With respect to the use of gun boats, we I 'en remind','!.! of the result of a con test between the Russians aud the Turks in the year 1788. In that case, the victory of the Russians over the Twks did not princi pally arise from the superiority ot gun boats over ships of the line and frigates. It was a victory of science and refinement over ig- norance and bavbarlsm. What has been stvi- ed the Lyman Sea is a marshy hkemrar the mouth of the ancient Boris house, now called the Dnieper, :*s far as I have been able to ascertain the fact, that lake, in its greatest breadth, is not so broad as the nar- rowest part ot the Che=apeake Pay between the Capes and the Potomac. Below the confluence, with the.Nieper, of the river Bug, anciently called the Hyanis, there is a considerable expanse of water which is variously denominated. It is sometimes called the Liiiian, a Russian term, which de notes a marshy lake ; sometimes thli, who had distinguished himself a- gainst some revolting beys and mutnelnkes in Egypt, where impetuous valor decided the contest. But the Turkish commander although successful against the Egyptian re- volted, could not prevail .against the piince of Nassau, who commanded the Russians. One great object of the Turkish fleet Was the fortress of Kinburn which was parti- cularly important to the Russians for hold ing possession of the Crimea or TauricClier- soneses so much regarded by the Russian £0 vernment. There were three engagements betwsen the Turks and the Russians in the bay of Kinburn In the first instance, tlie Turk- ish commander employed his smallei vessels amounting to fifty seven, for attacking the prince of Nassau with twenty seven Sail. The Turkish assailants were repulsed. Afterwards Hassan Ali, impatient of de- feat, entered the Liman with his principal fleet, regardless of the shallowness of the navigation •, but in the mean time, the prince of Nassau had received a reinforcement of 22 vessels, with one gun each. A Turkish ship of the line was soon aground, assailed on all sides, and blew up. A similar fate attended the admiral ship of the captain Pa- cha. Ignorance of the navigation, inferiority in seamanship, want of skill in the manage- ment of artillery, exposed the Turks, with their impetuosity and ideas of fatalism, to be defeated by the superior skill and man agement on the part of the Russians. The next morning several more of the Turkish ships were found stranded ; and a battle ensued, which continued tor more than four hours. The Turks were defeated, and their commander, immediately after the action, abandoned the enterprize and sailed from the Nieper. In voting for the bill on the table, he would not be understood to say, that he thought other means of defence unnecessa- ry. He disclaimed the idea. Gunboats would be found altogether useless in the northern waters, and he could not for a mo ment suppose the people solicitous for a mode of defence which must, upon experi- ment, prove altogether nua,ator3r. As to their safety, he was not disposed to say much on the subject. It might, however, be recollected, that a numher of these boats, not exceeding ten, had sailed for the Medi, terranean in the most favorable season of the year, and that one of them was lost.— This was not a very strong proof of their safety. The opinion of naval gentlemen had been introduced to shew the efficacy of gunboats. What was the opinion of captain Decatur on this subject ? In his letter to the secretary of the navy, he expresses his hope, that if any other kind of naval foree was employed, he would not be kept on board a gunboat. This was as strong language as an officer of honor and sensibility could use to his gov- ernment, and was sufficient to shew that he had but little confidence in the efficacy of gunboats. ITe wished he could see some additional mode of defence proposed. Gentlemen had told them he would meet it fairly when it was proposed. He preferred having a view of the whole system of defence at once—not, however, that he doubted the candor of gen. tietnen. [Debate to he continued.'] LEGISLATURE, House oe Delegates, Maryland. Wednesday, December 9. The house met. Present as on yesterday. The proceedings of yesterday were read. Mister Little delivered a bill, entitled, A supplement to an act, entitled, An act authorising a lottery for raising a sum of money for the rector and vestry of Saint- Thomas's parish in Baltiin-re county; which was read. A petition from William Mills Beavans, of Worcester county, praying that the regis- ter of the land office may bedirected to cor- rect a warrant issued to him, and a petition from Sally Fie mining, of New-York, pray- ing she may be authorised to sell the real estate of her late husband, for the benefit of her children, were preferred, read and re* ferred. Leave given to bring in a bill relative to' writs of capias ad satisfaciendum. The following order was read. Ordered, That no motion for an adjourn- ment shad be received, by the chair until after the hour of three o'clock in the after- noon. And the question put, That the house agree to to the same ? Determined in the negative. The clerk of the senate delivered the^ol- lo ing message : We have assented to your resolution re- gulatingtheg ection o/two diiectors on the part of the state in the Farmers Bank of Ma- ryland. Mr. William Hayward and Mr. William Kilty are "put in nomination by the senate, and, we have appointed Mr, Wil- liams and Mr. Partridge to join the gentle- men who may be named by your house to examine the ball ts« Which was read. The following message was sent to the Senate. We have received your message of this day, proposing to proceed immediately to the election of two directors on the part of this state in the Farmers Bank of Maryland. David Kerr, jnn. is put in nomination by this house in addition to the gentlemen na- med by your house. Mr. Stevens and Mr. Stone are appointed by this house to join the gentleman named by you to examine the; ballots. A petition from Susannah Beamer, pray- ing a divorce, and a petition from sundry inhabitants of Montgomery and Prince- George's counties, praying for a road, were preferred, read, and referred. Mr J E. Spencer delivered a bill, enti- tled, An act relative to writs of capias ad Satisfaciendum ; which was read. Mr. T, Dorsey delivered a bill, entitled, An act to provide Ear the discharge of insol- vent deblors in Baltimore county ; which va as read. Mr. Hopewell has leave of absence. A petition from Thomas Meredith, of Baltimore county, praying that the Treasu- rer may refund to him money overpaid by his deceased brother tor confiscated proper- ty, was preferred, read, and referred. The bill to enlarge the powers of the trustees of the poor, of Montgomery county, »as read the second time, and passed. A petition from sundry inhabitants of Kent county,counter tothe petition of John Moore, and a petition from sundry inhabi- tants of Frcdenckcounty, praying fora road, were preferred, read and referred. The house proceeded to a ballot for two directors in the Farmers Bank of Maryland, and upon examining the ballots it appeared, that William Kiity and William Hayward were elected ; they were accordingly declar- ed directors in the Farmers Bank on behalf of the state for the ensuing year. Mr. Bruce delivered a Bill, entitled- A supplement to an act authorising the collec- tion of certain ground-rents due on lots in the town of Cumberland ; which v-as read. Mr. Kuhn delivered a bill, entitled An act to open a road to Graceharn,, in Frederick county ; which was read. Otdered. That the sreond reading of the further additional supplementary act to the act entitled, An act for quieiing possessions^, enrolling conveyances, and securing the es- tates of purchasers, be postponed until Fri- day next. A petition from Robert Dawson, oif Queen-Anne's county, praying an act of in- solvency, was preferred read, and referred. Mr. Shaaff delivered a favourable report on the memorial of Jo-remiah' T. Chase ; which w read. The house resumed the consideration of the bill to incorporate a lire insurance com- pany in the city ot Baltimore, and after mak- ing an amendment thereto, Ordered, That the said bill be recommit- ted for amendment. Ordered, that the committee which pre- pared and brought in said bili be discharged, and that Mr. Shaaff, Mr. Stone, Mr. C. Dorsey, Mr. W. H. Brown and Mr. j. E. Spencer, be a committee to amend the same. Mr.Harryman delivered a favourable re- port on the petition of Thomas Meredith ; which was re. d. The report on the petition of Robert C. .Stone, and others, was read the second time, and the question put, That the house concur therewith, and assentto the resolution there- in contained ? Determined in the negative, yeas 29, nays 37. The house adjourned tiUto-morrow • ing.