Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-11-27 00:00:00, page 2

*
§®try, which prohibition, in the opini
on of many wise and considerate per
sons, was very detrimental to the trade
fend prosperity of that town and its de
pendencies, as well as to the adjacent
country. This injurious prohibition
•calls aloud for the joint efforts of the
sufferers, to use their utmost endeav
ors to obtain. relief.
5th. Among the many causes
which have contributed to retard the
imprc vement of the navigation of this
river, it is considered ti> be Unfoftu*
iwe, indeed, that in the very lumin
ous, important and interesting ‘report,
made b\ the seer tary of the treasin^r,
on the improvcable inland navigation,
throughout the United States ; either
for want'of proper information, or
through the magnitude and diversity
ot the different du ies of his Office
and extraordinary objects to which he
is fr< quetuly culled, that he entirely
On iiud to take any notice, more or
Itss, of the waters of Rappahannock ;
although others of far less consequence,
have, iu that report, been carefully laid
down and- iheir natural advantages
highly extolled.
Exclusive of what fa above stated,
there are other material and obvious
circumstances which have had and con
tit.ue to have a tendency to retard the
trade, prosperity and general interest cf
the towhs of'Fredericksburg and Fal
* mouth in particular, and have exten
ded their iirfluenCe, more or less, to
the other towhs on the river; the
foregoing evils being once removed,
Will no doubt, effect a change which
wilt also remove the causes above al
luded to^-many others, although of a
minor considei avion, all combine at
present to prevent the growth and
Welfare of’these towns.
vy naiever attectsfine interest, wealth
and prosperity of trading towns is
proportionally felt by the adjacent
cooutfry $ and whatever promotes the
wealth dnd interest of the country,
promotes in equal proportion, their
next market towns. Each landed es
tate and real property of every descrip
tion, is moie or less valuable, in pro
portion to the length of way, cheapness,
ease and facility in which their sur’
plus produce can be co veyed to mark
et.—This is a circumstauce, generally
and t<V» well understood to need au\
demonstrative proof'; but, there ap
pears to be such a decline of public
spit it, and such a state of apathy, per
vading both town and country^ as to
rrq /ire much abler pens than this, to
rouse them to a zealous energetic at
tention add laudable enterprising
pursuits, in order to qualify them for
the accomplishment of these great!
interesting purposes, and to jaccept of
• ts ose invitations, which nature so
kindly and benevolently offers.
In order to make a beg nr.ing in
tho e impo'tant in p ovemei t , a meet
ing is proposed to be held at the house
of William lieindon, in the town of
Fredericksburg, on Saturday the 24th
of next month, November, to which
-an invitation is now given, without
distinction, to all persons who feel «
disposition to promote the welfare of
their co ntry, a d particularly those
who reside contiguous to the JRappa
hamr ek or any of *ts bridles.*_At
that time aud place, ether matters
worthy of their consider tion will be
digested, and characters will be selec
ted, best calculated to carry what may
be most approved into effect.
It from sonic unforeseen cause,
auch as ex*feme wet w eather, or aov
ouvr laiaiuy, a sufficient number shall
Ikil ro attend at the aforesaid appoin
ted meeting, then in that case.it is to be
hoped that tho ewho do meet will make
a proper adjournment to such other
time and pi a e, as they shall consider
most expedient, and give notice there- ■
ol in th<- Virginia H,Talcl ; and that
the said metfing will'in like manner
be adjourned from time to time, as
occasion •» ay r. quire, until ibe out’ims!
of a regular, wed constituted con pact,!
or system, he laid down as rules for i
the governimnt of a Company associa '
ted to cairy i> to effect whatever maj i
be concluded on j and aha’l moreover i
prepare a petition to be laid before the i
next flouse ol Delegates, praying that <
such Company or Society may be in- <
corpor*ted by a law, for the various »
. purposes for which they mey be thus *
associated ; and for the lurther pur. c
pose of taking into con ideration any «
o:her matter which the said meeting f
may, in ira deliberation, conclude to
be advan ageous. e
It is also to he wished that the same p
patriotic meeting aould take into con- o
••deration the state of highways, lead- h
ir.g to and from the towns of Freder- cl
icksburg nod Falmouth in general, li
but more especially to piomote the cs u
tabiishmert of a proper laid out road d
on the principles of a Turnpike, in a w
wanner best calculated to accommo- g|
d.te both of tho«*e places; and in a* is
direct a line,and over as good ground o\
tht nature oi the case, ^every thing th
• » * * t
considered) will admit, to the town of
Fairfax, at Culpeper courthouse. If
this road should succeed, of which in
deed there cah be no doubt ; the same
principles and plan may he extended
to such 6ther towns and parts of the 1
country as may appear 'most necessary !
and most inviting. Sudh roads, be
sides the advantage to be drawn from
them by the inhabitants 'Of the coun
try through which they would pass,
will most.incalculably benefit the in
terest of the towns on the Rappahan
nock, by the great increase of com
merce, drawn from be\ond the moun
tains—the inhabitants of that country
would soon discover the great advan
tage Of having better roads to Fred
ericksburg and Falmouth, and shorter,
by more than half the round about way
they at present use to Alexandria, &c.
This is a mutter that has been often
mentioned, and has been strongly ur
ged, by thej Farmers and Millers of
that part of the cc Untry.
Before the same meeting, will lie ex
hibited a true plot of the river and all
its improveable branches, from the
Chesapeake Bay to the mountains, laid
down chiefly by accurate survey, noti
cing every rapid, and the manner and
eXpen e of rendering each of them na
vigable, together with many useful and
necessary notes—also, it is expected
that there will be prepared for the in
spection of the members of that meet
ing* a pkt of the survey of the con
templated turnpike road, from Freder
icksburg to Culpeper courthouse ; all
of which it is most sanguinely hoped,
will be aided by the countenance and
patronage of those interested, and
most .capable of giving the best infor
mation.
9 I'K A mlnnd -* ! _ . _ C n
-- ».«f Ijjaiiuu Ui ruiuwuiac,
James River, Appomatox, Pianketank,
the Dismal owamp Canal and several
other undertakings of a similar nature
on the south east side of the moun
tains under the auspices and aid of our
Legislature, are in a high and most
prosperous state of beneficial improve
ment—Why then, the R appahannock
with all its natural advantages, should
thus • remain unimproved, with its
towns and commerce declining, is a
matter of deep regret and deserves the
most serious enquiry !—Is it because
the expense of improving its navigation
in proportion to the utility to be deri
ved therefrom, is likely to be more
than other rivers have cost ? Is itbe
cause the head of its tide does not
!r°m its natural geographical position
command the trade of a couutry as ex
tensive in proportion to the expense of
improving it, as the rest of the rivers?
Is it because the inhabitants, propor
tionably are not so numerous, indus
trious and virtuous, as the other parts
of* the state ? Or is it because, that
during the revolutionary contes', they
sent n itherwise nor virtuous men
into council, nor those who were brave
and active into the field ? To these
important queries^ individually, they
•>ill, with all the pride of conscious
rectitude, most positively answer in
ihe negative !
But if they should be asked are not
your commercial iowf.s declining ? J8
tot the marieet of produce in these
towns lower th^n in the towDs on the
neighbouring rivers ? Are not the
n- ecssary articles of trade for inland
consumption as dear, or more so in the
towns of Rappahannock thin others?
Is not their trade,notwithstanding, on
the decline ? Are not these causes
chiefly to be attributed to the want of
,,oo<i roads aud inland navigation of
the river and its branches ? Has not
uc j^vgiai.uurc auiea tne inland na
vigation of Potowmac, James River,
Appomattox, and the Dismal Swamp
Laii'-ti ? Do not these advantages
draw to these favored places, mer
ihiihts-of capital ? Do they not give
•° hr neighbouring inhabitants better
ioul cheaper supplies of the necessary
articles rf consumption ? Do not these
:ombi ird causes promote the market
for the surplus pi oduce of the coun- ,
:rv, and cause it to be brought from
jreat r distances to these favored i
Owns,to the manifest detriment of the i
:omme>cial towns on the Rappahan
lock ? Do not these evils daily pro- 1
:e» tl.ftom thems- Ives and reproduce |
>thers of the same description ? All 11
hese queries w ill be by a suffering I
eaion of citizens, (otherwise inferi- t
»r to none in the state) most feelingly, <
nd n:o**t solemnly, answered in the at- t.
rmativr! j
it fhese things be true, if every a
ye perceives them, ?nd every voice t
reclaims their existence—can we, or
tight we, to fear that a spirit may not
e easily txcited to commence, at least, r
ie necessary reformation.—It is be- t
eved, that when once the public at- *j
•ntion shall be drawn to these consi* | o
erations, that there wid be neither j 9
ant of talents, resources or public j h
►irit to carry into execution all that w
necessary to give to the inhabitants j e
the Rappahannock an<l its waters,! w
e full enjoyment of the many bits- h
sings which have been bountifully con
ferred upon ihem by an all wise auU
beneficent Providence.
It is (p promote, in some degree,
those great and evident advantages,
long dormant, that the writer of these
pages, agreeable to a former promise,
has devoted his feeble pen. It he shall
contribute by bis humble efforts, either
to effect advantageous innovations, or
rouse some more eloquent or perspi
cuous pen, he will have the consolation
of knowing that his faculties, such as
he has received from the all gracious
beneficent donor of all good, have been
honestly and zealousty devoted to the
benefit of the community, of which x
ds his pride to be a member*
And if happily, hereafter, he shall
be enabled to consecrate some of the
few and regaining days, which through
merty, may be allotted him, to give a
more active direction of his faculties
in executing, what he has so ardently
recommended, the reflection will give
new energy to his declining lire, and
his last days will be bltst with the con
solation, that they have been benefici
ally devoted to the service of his good
neighbours, hi.s inestimable friends,
and his much beloved country1.
'Boston, Nov. 16.
Kerft&rL&ble passage from Itetend.
Last night arrived at this poH brig
Enterprize, capt.E. Cottle, in 21 days
from Dublin.
Capt. C. heard from his merchant,
the day he sailed (Oct. 24) that in
telligence 'had been received that the
British had beeh defeated in Portugal,
and were preparing to leave that coun
try-; altho’ in tho beginning of their
—•••»«% uu.jr n4u met wun some suc
cesses.
Capt. C. favored with a Dublin
I paper at Oc*. 23, and. a Liverpool pa
per of Octs. 18.
London, Oct. 14.
Government have received and pub
lished a despatch from Lord Welling
ton, dated at Coimbra, Sept. 30, with
an account of the engagements of the
26th and ^ih. He says,
The loss sustained by the enemy in
his attack on the 27th has been enor
mous.
I understand, that the General of
Division, Merle, and General Maucun,
are both wounded, and General Simon
was taken prisoner by the 52d regi
ment, and three-colonels, thirty three
officers, and two hundred & fifty men.’
The enemy left two thousand killed
on the field of battle, and I understand
from the prisoners and deserters that
their lo s in wounded is immense.
The enemy did not renew his attack
excepting by the fire of his light troops,
on the 28th.
.The British had 5 officers, 5 sergeants
and 97 rank and file killed— 37 officers,
26 non-com missioned officers, and 439
rank and file wounded.
The Portuguese had 6 officers, 2 non- !
commissioned officers, and 82 rank and
file killed—and 35 officers, 9 sergeants,
and 478 rank and file wounded.
October 19.
A messenger has arrived from Por
tugal, which he left on the 7 h iust.
There had been no second battle*
Lord Wellington has obtained such
information of Mussena’s force, that it
is said he is determined to risk ano
ther battle even in a plain. He thinks
his cavalry equal to meet that of the
French.
Brig. Gen. Crawford has died in !
Portmraf. i
Additional reinforcements are or„
dered to Portugal.
An intercepted letter from Massena,
Sept 22, says “ we only m?rch over
lescrts. Ev ry place is abandoned.
Women, children, and aged all fly.”
Dubliv, Oct. 23.
A London evening paper by yester
day’* packet says, despatches of Oct. <
5, are received from Lord Wellington,
dated Alcobaco, S. W. of Leyria.
Having given time to the inhabitants
{* Coimbra, to remove, he teireated
rom the banka of the Mondegoon the
1st. Massena advanc'd from Avel
afis, crossed the Mondego, and his
tead quarters were at Leyria. There
lad been some sharp skirmishing. I
1 he Dublin paper notwithstanding i
he auove publishes an account via • I
-ouma, of Ocr. 14, from the army
f the 12th, of victories over the
?rench on the 1st and 3d of October
nd that 5000 1*rench prisoners were 1
aade at Oporto. (
Cadiz,Oct. 7. r
“ General 0‘Donnell has beaten the f
nemr in Paiamas and its vicinity j a
ie result of the expedition has been n
re taking prisoner Gen. Shuart, 40 q
mcers 1800 prisoners and warlike e
tores, which number of prisoners, -
as arrived at Tarragona, in 79 boats, 1t<
ith all the booty taken from the a
lemy. General 0‘Donnell who was u
otmded in the foot by a musket ball,
as likewise arrived at Tarragona.” b
London, Oct. 17.
We hare receivrd German papers
o the 6th and Paris journals to the 9th.
They contain several articles which
possess some interest; among which is
a letter from Berne, in which the re
pudiated Josephine is mentioned.
This discarded empress is wandering
about Switzerland, and preserves a
vrict incognito, tho’ the German pa
pers still venture to give her the title
of majesty, fiernadotte passed through
Meby on tht third, and was expected
to reach Hamburg about the 6th or
7th, on his way to Sweden.
A.counts from Copenhagen, dated
Sept. 29, state that—44 His majesty
the king has issued orders that his
royal highness the Prince of Ponte
Corvo, in his passage through «)this
kingdom to Sweden, as well as the
whole of his suit, shall be treated with
, the utmost respect and attention. On
j the 8th inst. it was repor.ed at Trora
sal that thne cutter brigs had made
■ 14 English snips prizes.”
i Last Wednesday was issued from
:the Exchequer about 6,OCX),0001 to the
I bank, to pay the 3 per Cent Keduced.
1 Long and Imperial Annuities, also
•Otherdividends. On Friday the Bank
)>aid to the Bankers, and on Saturday
^commenced pay it? g to the public at
large. V
Letter, from the r^nch coast, re
ceived jpArerday, statist that eighteen
iSf AmfcricaWWoduce, which
had beeircobfiscatdFcarried to
Antwerp, and solc^f on thF 15th Sept,
by order of Bonap -rte.
Nfew York, November 17.
A letter from a passenger in the
ship Sallv, capt. Scott, arfived at New
~wUUUU Iium uuraeaux, to ms triend
m this city, dated November 14th,
says, “ Capt. Scott, having on board
a number of female passengers, who
were extremely anxious to get within
the land, and the weather being very
stormy, concluded to make Montauk,
and run through the Sound. In com
ing round the point we struck on Shag
wam Reef, and for a few moment*
gave up all hopes of pretervati >n; but
we were mer-lfully delivered from
that dreadful situation, with th;. loss of
our rudder. We c;;me to anchor m a
verx exposed situation under the point,
.w here we rode out a long and very un
pleasant night.—In the morning we
were boarded by « pilot from Martha’s
Vineyard, who bro-ight us here last
evening. We expect to leave this
place for New York to-morrow. We
have on board Gen. Armstrong and
family, Messrs. Claiborne and M’U
vaine of Philadelphia, Mr. Gardn r
of Charlsion, Mr. Alexander Phoenix
of New York, and a number of other
passengtrs, French and American.
There is some reason to hope that on
the receipt in France of the President’s
proclamation of the 2d November,
vessels loaded with American pro
duce may be admitted: but under such
conditions as leave but little encou
rage m< nt to induce many adventurers.”
[ 1 ne S.^ly sailed from Bordeaux on
the 12th of October.J
LATEST FROM CADIZ.
The brig Georgia sailed from Cadiz
on the 12th of October ; at which time
all was quiet. , We learn verbally that
a very severe gale of wind was expe
rienced at Cadiz on the 9th of Octo
her, and continued till the 11th; du
ring which time many vessels parted
thep- Cables ; but -none went on shore,
1 he schi> Sally and Priscilla, Cook,
of Providence, parted both her cables
and in drivingfhrough the fleet carried
-way ner mauvooom. Capt. Cook,
after he was clear of the shipping,
made sail to beat her back again ; but
not being able to make his mainsail
set to thr wind, he kept dropping to
th« leeward, and in passing the French
Port they fired at him ; the shot fell
m every direction round his vessel,
and he with his crew took to the small*
l-'oat and left her. Admiral Keats,
commander of tho British squadron in
Cadiz Bay, seeing the situation of the
/ess^l, aent a number of boats which
took possession of her before she could
un ashore, and got her safe back again.
Fie then sent her papers to Mr. Hack
ev, the American vice-consul at Ca
liz, and requested him to return them
o the captain.
IMPORTANT.
Extract of a letter, dated Hamburg,
2ch Sept. 1810, from an American
emleman at that place.—“ I have just
ow learned that anew order is out fe
ro n the king of Denmark_The pre
mble states it is made to remedy the 11
•justfce suffered by neutrals. It re- I;
uires that a vessel detained shall be ji
xamined by the pri2e court in 6 days '!
-and 6 days allowed for the captors 11
» determine their appeal, and if they j i
’peal they are obliged to prosecute 1 i
' » final decision. j ,
^ ne> ar® cut off from compromise ' i
r !«• regulation, and ajs reasonable f
* . -- i
, to calculate tint when the case is clear
in the first instance, no appeal will be
onade. Our commerce now revive*
in the Baltic.”
Prom the tame, 16th September.
44 The ports of Denmark are at last
shut to all vessels bringing colonial
produce—the. order is dated Sepiem
ber 8*
Captain Taber of the ship Otho in
forms us that an express arrived
Villa-Keal on the $th October front
Lisbon, on its way tm£adiz, for the
purpose of ordering to the former
place (Lisbon) all the troops that could
be spared from the latter.
The Mhr. John, of Philadelphia, a
lias the. Sylph, of Georgetown, has
been seized at Rio de Janeiro, by Mr.
Hill, the American Consul, as being
the property of British subjects, and
sailing under a certificate of enroll
ment.
In the ship Columbia, which arriv
ed at this port yesterday, came pas
sengers, the celebrated performers Mr.
George Cooke of Co vent-Garden The
atre ; Mr. Smallcy> Mr. M’Farlin
and Mr. Doigc, all reinforcements for
the theatrical corps in this city. Capt
Hazard brought dispatches for go
vernment. **
Cant. BovrL whn it!ir—rl Of D.X_
on Tuesday, sailed from Gotteuburg
Oct. 9.——He informs, that (lerna
dotte (the new Crown Prince of Swe
den) had not arrived at Sio. kholm, but
was soon expected:—T hat it was re
port^ and generally believed that 30 -
OOCT French troops would be sent t*»
Sweden during the course of the win
tcr-That American propoty was
considered safe at Gottenburg, and the
flag respected That the Fre ,ch Cor.
sul appointed for Gottenburg, had not
reached that p.ace:—That the Daues
were capturing every vessel they met
with urder the American flag; and had
prohibited the unporta-. 10 ’ of colonial
produce :—That American property
was’considered unsafe in the porta of
Russia and SwedenThat since the
capture of the Baltic fleet off the coast
ot NorWay,. the British cruizers hud
beeu more vigilant, and k-pt ihe pri.
vateers frym venturing oat far fr.»m
land:—That the port of Gottenburg
was completely overstocked with colo
nial and American produce ; and that
it was computed that 9,000,000 lbs.
coffee were stored and no sale.
BAD NEWS FRO:Vf TUNIS.
“'Malta, Aug. 24, 1810.
A very unpleasant business has ta
ken place between the Bey of Tunis
and our Consul. ^ It seems an Ameri
can ship was captured by a French pri*
v*te t, and carried into Tunis, where
she was purchased by a minister ot the
B'TV put under Tunisian colours ard
?cjfhere- Her formersupercargo b«.
Malta, appealed to tue B.itish
Court of Admirahy to have her step
ped, in consequence of some illegal ty
in the condemnation. They declined
yjteHer*n8h as out oftheirjurisdiction.
He then applied to the tribunal of
A! aka ; they stopped the ship, and the
case is now undecided in that Court*
1 The Bey, hearing of this, has confiscat
ed all the American property in Tunis,
say 150 to 8200,000. Mr. Cox, the
Consul, has arrived here in a flag of
truce, to settle the business, but whe.
ther restoring the ship will satisfy the
Bey, or a war will follow, time only
can determine.” # y
The accounts from Denmark and
Norway continue distressing to our
mercantile countrymen. No circum
stance is too absurd to be adopted as
cause of detention and trial. The bo
na-fide certificates of the Consuls of
the Ally and Dictator of Denmark
(1* ranee) are pronounced forgeries, &
confiscation has ensued on this scan
dalous pretence.
A letter from an American gentle
mail inCiottenburg, dated Sept. 13 in
forms, ‘‘ that having touched at Ton
tUngen^he was refused permission to
discharge his cargo ; the reason given
by the Danish offirers were,that it was
to prevent the English from smuggling
manufactured goods into Denmark un
der American colours—Yet the Eng
lish and Danes carry on a direct trade
in licenced vessels. There are seve
ral in this port at present} we spoke
one direct from Gluckstadt for London
in company with several others bound
to London. 1 hey wear a privileged
Snark in their flags.”-Thu», it apJVrsj
hese plundering Danes can valiantly/
•rrett and condemn the unprotected
iroptrty of Americans, with who*
hey arc at peace, and who never 14 Co
lenhagenM” them} and at the *ame
ime can submissively carry on corm^H
nerce under the flag of the nation with^^B
rrtom they are ar war, and whose fleets I
ow ride in durance vile in British I
oris, without any offhe compunctious I