necessary, made the following report, which was taken up, read, and on motion of Mr. Bartow, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, to wit:

The committee appointed to examine into the condition of the defenses of the city of Savannah and its approaches, and to inquire what additional defenses, it any, may be necessary, having so far as in their power performed the duty assigned them, report as follows:

Having examined into the condition of the defenses of the city of Savannah and its approaches, and having taken the opinions of persons skilled in such matters as to the sufficiency of those defenses, your committee report that the defenses of the city of Savannah and its approaches, in their present condition, are entirely inadequate to its protection, and could not resist a strong hostile attack. This inadequacy of these defenses arises mainly from a want of cannon, and especially from the want of guns of large caliber and long range. We are assured by those skilled in the science of defensive operations that with a sufficiency of guns of the right kind the defenses could soon be rendered complete. The great difficulty has been, and continue to be, in procuring such guns as are needed for the defenses. We learn from His Excellency the Governor of the State that be had a contract with an iron company in Pittsburg, Pa., for a number of such guns as are most needed, but that when the guns were made, such was the prejudice of the people of that city against the seceding States that the contractors declined delivering the guns and abandoned the contract. This delayed the obtaining the needed supply of guns. The Governor informs your committee that he is now procuring a supply of such guns as are most needed from iron-works in the State of Virginia as fast as the same can be manufactured and forwarded. The Government of the Confederacy having given notice to the States of the Confederacy that it will take charge of all forts, arsenals, &c., and of all military operations, it might seem to be the duty of that Government to provide for the defense of Savannah and of all exposed points of our State. When, however, we recollect that the Government of the Confederacy is as yet only a provisional government, that it has just been organized, and is as yet without money or the means of providing for the common defense of all the States, except as the money is furnished to it by the States, and that the State of Georgia must, therefore, from the necessity of the case, furnish the money to provide for her own defense, your committee think that the surest and best way of doing so will be for the State to continue to purchase all the guns that may be needed for the defense of the State. These guns will then be the property of the State, and if at any time hereafter it should be deemed advisable that the same should be turned over to the Government of the Confederacy, after a permanent government is formed, and that the Government can receive and account for the guns on such terms as may be agreed on between this State and the Confederacy Government, your committee would therefore recommend the passage of an ordinance authorizing and instructing the Governor of this State to continue to purchase, as fast as the same can be procured, all such guns as are or may be necessary for the defense of Savannah and its approaches, as well as for the defense of any other points on our sea-board where the same may be needed. It is of the first importance that we make sure the defense of our own State. Such moneys, therefore, as are intended for that purpose had best be applied directly to that purpose by our State. In connection with the foregoing, your committee further state that the present want of cannon for our defenses, and the difficulty of procuring them, led your committee into the consideration of the propriety of the adoption by the State of some measure by which an early and sure supply of arms may be obtained by the State. At present the State is, as above mentioned, procuring cannon from iron-works in the State of Virginia. The present indications are that Virginia will at least for some time remain in the United States. If hostilities should occur between the United States and this Confederacy, the owner of those works in Virginia could not continue to furnish us with guns without a violation of the laws of the United States. There would, therefore, be great danger, in case war should occur between the United States and this Confederacy, that our supply of guns would be cut off at the very time when we might need them most. We could not then supply ourselves from Europe, because guns would then become contraband articles. It is therefore a matter of the greatest importance that we adopt measures to secure a supply of large guns (and the same may be said of all munitions of war) by having the same manufactured in our own State. To accomplish this object, good policy as well as economy dictates the importance of our encouraging any person or persons who may be