Resolved, unanimously, That the members of this House will attend the funeral of the late General Levi Casey this day, at one o’clock.
Resolved, unanimously, That a message be sent to the Senate to notify them of the death of General Levi Casey, late a member of this House, and that his funeral will take place, this day, at one o’clock.
Thursday, February 5.
National Defence.
GUNBOATS.
The House resumed the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday, being the report of a committee on fortifying our ports and harbors.
The question was taken on the amendment offered by Mr. Van Cortlandt, which was disagreed to—ayes 51, noes 54.
The question then recurred on filling the blank in the 2d resolution with “$250,000,” for building fifty gunboats.
Mr. Mumford.—I hope a majority of this House will agree to strike out the whole resolution respecting gunboats, with a view to appropriate that money to solid and durable fortifications. I was opposed to it in Committee of the Whole. I did then, and do now consider, that there is no necessity for any more gunboats. There are, in my opinion, a sufficient number already for the Southern sections of the Union, for which places they appear to be only adapted, except in a very few places to the North, where there is shoal water. They may answer a very good purpose in shoal water, but are inadequate for the defence of your ports and harbors to the north of the New Jersey shore; and I very much doubt, whether, in a gale of wind, they would not even sink at their mooring at the entrance of either of the harbors of Portsmouth, Salem, Plymouth, Newport, or New York.