Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-01-16 00:00:00, page 1

' j; VIRGINIA ARGUS.
_* 11 YtAB-5 * FREE PRESS FI AIN'TAXES THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE. TNo. IT> * .j
_B&'XXWD •— Printed (on Tpesoays and Fridats.i by S\M7SL PLE -liAMrS, Junior, Printer to the Cojihonivealtk.
| t/V-F -Pf.W.v i* f_ TUESDAY JANUARY 16, 1810. [12 1-2 Cents Single.
feitgiBOiti) price Current.
I [corrected Wk-kkly.}
CASH.'
o. c.
Tohjcfin, • • 5 501
Wheat, -/civ, - • * 1 I7
Flour,-super-hne, - • 6 5o|
Flour, fine, - - - 6 00 j
* Corn, - - - - 3 00
Ifcp'tO, pc/ ton, m - 270 Oq
Iron, - - - 110 00
Fa con - ,00 10
U hiahey * - - •> 00 80
j CONGRESS.
IN’ SENATE.
January 8.
A report was received from the Se
cretary of War on the subject of the
Corps of EugiHcery.
Mr. Meigs submitted the following
motto-, which Was agreed to :
Resolved, that a committee be ap*
pointed to enquire into the expedien
cy of establishing by law a Land De”
- part men t of the United States ; and*
tlj.tt they have leave to report by bill
or otherwise.
[Messrs. Meigs, Gregg, Anderson,
Crawford and Pope were appointed
the committee.]
Mr. Gd. a withdrew the motion sub
mitted by him on Friday last.
The bill fSr the improvement of the
United States by public roads andca
o.ils w.u read a second time and on
tVs irm r \T 11/sno m sr#u/l t- r» >>
--- ——.— - -
schct committee.
[Messrs. Pope, Hsiyard, Anderson,
Crawford and li'.ilhouac were appoin
ted the co nmitlee]
On motion Of Mr. Pope, the report
made by the Secretary of the Treasu
ry in pursuance ci a resolution of the
House of the 2 i March, 1807, respec
ting roads and canals, wits referred to
the same eoui.niuce.
January 9*
1 he bill from the House of Tiepre
asnta ives for continuing the' Medi
terranean fund was read and passed to
a second reading.
Mr. G.ullurd rt ported a bill relative
to the making certain roads in the di *
met Columbia.
’
HOUSE OP REPRESENTA
TIVES.
(Monday, January 8.
Mr. Poydras obtained leave to lay
oil the desks of the members of the
lloiJve printed copies of a pamphlet
o i the subject of the title to the fiat
tare at New Orleans.
Mr* Morrow reported a bill to pre
' scribe the mode in wnich applications
shell be made for the purchase of land
at the sivcral 1 tnd offices in the JJ*
Scales, an l for the relief of Jaco^ Gar
ret.— Twice read and referred.
A11M E 1} M li RCHA XTM E X.
Mr. Livermore offered the follow*
ir.g resolution : \
Resolved, that the S;cr tary of the!
iri abury be directed to cause to be j
laid before the House a copy of any
instructions issued to the collectors;
of *Jis several districts of the United
State* leiuuvc to refusing clearances
to any private armed vessels of the U.
S.afcs.
Mr. Kppcs moved to amend the mo
tion by adding to the end of it the
fvoriis “during the present or any
f- .mu- r administration.”
Mr. Livermore accepted the amend
ment as a part ol his motion.
Mr. H.ica objected to the motion be
Ictui-e hu could not see live object tbe
grnJeman had in view, the laws of
the United States not having autho*
n *d the arming of any private ves
sel:*. Mr. Livermore and Mr. Pitkin
supported it as calling for information
to which no one could object, and
which inigr.t haVc a bearing on sub„
jrcts under the consideration of the
1 louse.
The motion was agreed to, 51 to 21.
Mr. Jheibon made the following re
pro t :
•• fhe committee on the mititan
establishment of the United States, to
whom was* refer red so much of the
* ntesMigc ol ti*e President of the Uni*
' tl J Stale* ul the 3i ir.*u aa relates u
raising a volunteer force, report in part,
that they have tak^n the same iuio<.oa
siileration, and are of opinion that it
is highly expedient to place forthwith
the country iu a more complete state
of defence and recommend the follow
ing resolution :
•Resolved, that provision be made
by law for raising and embodying a
volunteer force of twenty thousand
men, exclusive of officers, to be enlis
ted and held to serve for the term of
from the time of their be.
ing in actual service.”
The report was referred to a com
mittee of the whole.
iMr. Desha presented the petition of
Cel. Daniel Hoone, stating that he
had performed at diifetent times ser
vices for the United States, tor which
.h asks compensation—Referred .to a
s.hct committee.
MEDITERRANEAN FUND.
On motion of Mr. Eppes, the House
resolved itself into a com mil tee of the
whole, iMr. Desha in the chair, on the
bill for coniianh.g this duty. The
i>ili was gone through, reported to the
House, and, wlpthout debate, ordered
to be engrossed tor a third reading.
AMERICAN NAVIGATION
ACT.
On motion of ?*Ir. Macon, the House
resolved itself into a committee of the
Whole, iMr. Desha in the chair, on the
bill “respec:ing t’:e commercial in.
terrmini^ l\»rur..tn .UIT.I _
ind Great Britain and France, and lor
>iher purposes.*'
Alter the chairman had read through
the third section (which interdicts the
entrance into the United States of all
vessels sailing under the flags of G.
Britain or France)—
Mr. Livermore said he thought it
proper to examine how this iaterdic
-ion of the en ranee of all private ves
sels would operate. He had waited
Jor tome gentleman of the committee
to explain what would be the operati
on oi the bill; but nouc had come
forward. He thought it worthy of en
quiry how tar, it this bill were passed,
Great Britain might countervail the
restrictions imposed by the United
States. In tire present form, he con
ceived the bill might operate very in
juriously; The committee ought to
consider what articles were to be ex
ported from the U. States and what
to be brought back in return. Eve
ry article exported was bulky as cot
ton, tobacco, &c. whilst the manufac
tures imported in return did not occu
py much space, if this bilL as it stood
were to be passed, would not the con
sequence be a law to prevent the en
ii mice of our vessels into the waters ot
Great Britain ? Ii it were in the pow
ei oi Congress to coniine the carriage
of the products of the United States ab
solutely to their own registered vessels,
some benefit might result to the ship
ping interest of the United State
from such a measure, but it was not in
the power of Congress to tie up the
hauds ol Great Britain and France, L
r T-.i._i
w.v, v^imvu vvtie ct> enter into a
warfare of this nature, it would be play
ing a game which would ;pf-ruie to
their own disadvantage, and not to
that of foreign nations. lie believed
it would be found ihattn^ da ics on
tonnage and the discri ninating duties
on imports had carried this system at
tar as was expedient ; and he could
not see any benefit to result from pro
hibiting foreign vessels from entering
our water*.
Mr. Sawyer said that he too was
opposed to tnift section and to the whole
bill altogether, because it was not
strong enough ; it was evapor tting the
spirit of the nation in mere commer
cial regulations. After every insitl
for so many years past, our wrongs
were now to be expiated by restricti
ons on our own commerce ! We in
vite aggression by continuing the same
system. If this was the ncplus ultra
wi resistance, he said he could not con
sent to give it his vote. It would no?
satisfy the people, and it ought not;
they were tired of this mockery ol ie
utar.ee, of these commercial restrit*
lions anti resolutions of approbation.
Hie least that could have been expec
ed from the committee of foreign re
'ations would have been a bill auihb
ising the issuing of letter? ofinaripu
ind reprisal- No reparation had ben
•blaincd for the affair of the Chcsa
ipeake, no release of our impressed
seamen, nor any revocation or modi
location of the orders ill council* and
yet, for \ he mere pittance, the slight
vcsnge of our former trade which the
orders left to us, the House was called
upon to continue to carry on commerce
wtth Great Britain and France. Lf the
conduct of the nation were not mor
energetic, he sai l we should forfeit
the little character we had acquired,
and call down on us the contempt of
evei-y nation on earth* we should be
come contemptible even in our own
eyes, lor it was impossible for anv
man to coiutemplate the state in which
we are, and the measures which had
been and were proposed to be taken,
without feeling absolutely debased.
We had, he said, tried this system
for s ■ veral years * it had done uo good,
and it was time to try some other.
Gentlemen were now persevering con
trary to the evidence \ their^ senses,
to the impulse of their Feeling*, and,
he beli^-v-d, to the wishes of the nati
on; V/nilst uo French ships ail®
scarcely any English ah!p$ came iota
our waters, the formal prohibition oi
their entrance would but give *a pre
tence for the indiscriminate cap ure of
all our commerce, Without producing
any benefit whatever to the United
States. Mr. Sawyer concluded by
moving that the committee rise, with
a view to postpone the subject till the
3d Monday in February.
Mr. Macon adverted to the very
opposite reasons for which the two
irk a nrpe A/!nrl hi ,n .
j posed the bill. The geuti-mtm from
I Massachusetts thought it was so
[strong that it would ruin us by draw
i iug upon us countervailing acts ; and
| his colleague thought its weakness
! would only warrant further aggressi
| on on us. The Committee of ioreigi.
| relations, he said, had been well aware
of the situation in which they were
placed. The message .of the 29.h ol
November had been understood to be
a pacific one. It had been acknow
ledged on ail hands, th.it the non-in
tercourse was totally useless. I; was
necessary that something should be
done ; and the committee had agreed
[ to report this bill. The gjn L-man
i from Massachusetts had told the
House that if they adopted this bill,
[and Great Britain and France should
| countervail its provisons, the UniuV.
(S ates would Suffer. At present, Mr.
M. said, they captured and condemn
ed our vessels, and they could not in
jure us much more in that way. The
real question was, whether, As the
President in his message had shewn
a disposition for iurihcr negociation,
Congress would lend him their aid in
it. Suppose Great Britain did con*
tervad, und say that our ships should
not go to her dominions, then the bill
had provid -tl that neither Amelia I
sland, Halifax, or any other interme
diate poit shall be a place of deposit.
But as oUr exports were the most bul
Is XT if tlfu W U n .. ,1 4.1 A.
- j y -- -- “(j'wuvi inav WAuii
nation should carry his own products,
we should carry fifteen or twenty times
as much as (treat Britain would, and
the advantage would be greatly on our
siie.
The bill had been reported in such
a form, Mr. M. said, as that such parts
as should not be agreeable to the
House should be struck out. His col
league hud thought the bill too weak.
If C ingress were to adopt the bill,
did it prevent them from adopting
more energetic measures? Certainly
not. 1 hi* bill differed wholly in its
nature from the non-intercourse l.w,
bee use it took oiF the restrictions
fro n ourselves and put them on our
aasa lants. It appeared to him, under
the present situation of the coutui j,
that the committee must hive been
unfortunate indeed if it had reported
a bill for issuing Utters of marque and
reprisal; for, lust winter, when mcm
»ers stood much the same as they did
now, the question had been tritd in
this Home with perhbps as few vote
is any thing ever received which had
been talked so much about. When
:he question had been stated on issu
mg letters of marque aid reprisal
nrthwi h, instead o! at a distant dav.
vh. re then had been the energy cal
ed for ? A reference to the Yeas and
sajs on that vote would shew how
tew had voted in the a'firmative.
Mr. M. said it was evident lrohi
be whole tenor of the bill that its ob
ject was to take the restrictions from«
our own nation and lay them on Great'
Britain aud France; and it was an ob-1
ject worthy of consideration in the!
passage of this bill, that it was such a
one as the nation coulc^stand to for a
nv length of time. If the committee
were to strike out every clause in
the bill but tnat which repealed the
non intercourse l aw, lie should be op* ,
posed to riging till :hey agreed to that
one. At every place in the nation
where even a boat could come, the
people were satisfied that the noa-in
tercourse law could not be enforced.
If it was a mere dead let;er, it should
be repealed, and they should thus put
every man in the nation on the same
looting.
As he did not wi-.h his colleague di nk
h.s a very w< ak bdl neither did he with
tne o her g-ntlema * think i. a vety mtr.
getic bill. He s- d lie should have liked ".•»
Intvy heard dm talk of energy when the
Criesapeake was attacked, Si when the cele
br|*d crd. rs in councils were issued ; buv
the lime for it had pas ed. They could not
Mm it seemed gei. wa- in at Inc same time,
f vyas best intake such measures now as
the nation could stand to, and as would '
enable the President to Settle our ■
d spu es Wuh one or b ah belligerents ;
and this bt»l w calculated, for th.t pui
pose. Whether die b.Il would sa.isfy lie
people or not he wa. otally ignorant. He 1
bun seif coaid never tell here wiui wbutd
satisfy those wham he iepresenl~d. and
all hat h* cuutd do was to aSl as he
hougat tight and depeud on such cm.
duel for their approbation. Last winter
the measures which his colleague now
culled paper*measures were too s.ron*.
I n him, tor he wanted to open a gate to
.jo io >he West India islands. Tins bit'
vas ddferent from tile non.intercom
law as it oritned lit* world lo the mm. )
ncice of the United States, and shut then
ports to the vessel* of Great Britain and
I’ranee. Mi M. said he had hardly ex
petted a complaint against tin* bill from
gentleman i.um the Cus , -hough h- haa
thought fiom another pait of the nation
rheru might be a complaint. He cared
very little wha* was done, bo that ihcr*.
*va* not too much energy in it. lie '
was not for a declaration of war just n iw,
a >d he took th % opportunity of saying so.
rile nation was not as mud-i prepared now
for war as it had b^en las: winte., or ns
i had been when ihe Chesapeake was at*
tjckeU. A* io the pe ty quarrel between
\1 Smith Sc Mr Jacksou,bed d not think
that it changed the state of affairs otic
iota.
Mr Pickman expressed his hope tha
th: motion tor the ri3ing of he comm t
lee would not prevail. He considered the
bill as a very important one. and since e. 1
!y hoped that it would meet hat com 1
and deliberate discussion to which its im.
portance and tire tespecabdity of the
comimtue who reported it entitled it. 1
There weie some pari* of .he bill which 1
met lu* cm dial approbation; there wero
.other parts to which ho could not give his
assent ti,l his < bjccbon* 'o them w.-.rt 1
emoved. The firs; section of the bi'! (ip. '
erdic.ing the entrance of our waters o
the public armed ships of Great Britain
and Frarcc) he approved* He said it
aould be recollec'ed that at the last sesai. |
on of Congress lie had vo‘ed for ihe m » f
ion for excluding the armed ships ofj
>ulh G ea' Britain and France. He had 1
.Innu it k. . .... 1... ik V.* 1. - A I
-- XV IV U VIIJ^ rtUt
to admit into our wa ers armed ship*
“tailing under ciders to cap uie our ves
sels ; and he hoped they never would We
admitted under such circumstances. With
respect to the third se&ion hi confessed ,
that he bad cot entirely made up hi* mind
fie did not think, however, that it would
a uhorisc either Great Britain or France
to pass such decrees as his Colleague
seemed to th nk they would do ; for i>
Would noi essentially change our commer
cial rela ioos with them, as they are n- w
prohibited from carrying on commcict
with our ports, and our ve'Sels aie prohi
bited Trorn going to theirs*
Mr P. said it would also he recollefted
by gentlemen that he had spoken against
the non.intercourse luw at the last session,
and dul n n vo e for it because he had
oelieve I it totally iiiefTc£lual for the pur
poses for which it was pas .ed. He had
bought then, and experience had con
Armed the truth of his opinion, tha: i*
was total>y inefficient; that our ci;izen>
cohld not be res rained from vii/ia ing it.
.w»d ihxi it would ope.&io only on those
"ii -.umsii who were disposed to pay a
'cgaal Ki * lie laws of their Country, al.
•lojgb they doubted iliair expediency
i he 5 li suction of thiv bill (prohibiting
he mpor'a ion o! French or British good?
Irom any other pail of the dominion*
jfeither than where they vr«n grown 01
is >ufacitir>• J) he said was liable to som
’f t!i<r same » ooi as the non.inter
oune lew. He ons'.ve l it o is ly im
pus .lbte Uut ‘.o pfiveni tbs importation
if the produce o~ manufjfciu^cs of t ;,^i>c
Brirain and Fiance, as if p oh'-bited d>
rec ly, Ur y would be imported c rmi
ly through lit. Bartholomews. Sic. pq j
i'ir me chants might Innocently iSDiWc
ihe produce or tnanu/ac ur« of il'.t c
:ountries, e.her purchasing them as "i,~
produce of the neu.ral country \ p t/
i.Ow so nutncious and so com 'l ea: d wy-re
•he Various fei'.tifltve ia.vs with »e p t*t a
>ar commerce that it was dni s n,i ,< <
ublc for the moot hints ni m s<> c uii
item corrci5l;y. 1 hU inform it >01: he s^d
»e derived from -he co!!.6fo < f ti.e -
if ba!e;n m Mat uchu tits. w he holle
red, was disposed o give avUir' a c>n.
itru&ion to the laws as a y man in t|ie
Uniud Sta.es. Mr P. sad h w?8 very
cquisite -that this or tome such bill
mould pass, Tor the reason that i. went ’a ^
* . off all the leatnai .ns fiomwrur owii
uens and ihiow ilictn upon the subie -Is
•1 those nations vrb-ch were p.r.mug on
ur co.nmcce. lie h:txcl -he m.,tbn
rvould not prevail fur the cm>m.nee’s ri
t,nS» but tbsi they sh.uJd g> on a-it
>‘Vc the bill a full and dchbs.u e discus,
non.
Mr Taylor said if indeed this b ?! was
is nerveless as it had be<*n repicscoltJ
>y the genie ran froni North CarCima.
Mr Sawyer) „nd Fom o.hcr quarters He
>eiieved it woul be easy to demonstra e
nst the course whim. die gendetach h.m;
'•*.» naa p.oposed o g:,e w.;s iubj^a was
nnni.ely mure ncivelass and destitute e
tenol infantine Strength. [Mr. Sawyer
a d he had made no proposition J \<r
l ay lor said he alluded o the pioposition
». .o ip ning ihc consideration of >h-;
-obj-.a iiil hebruary. Aie v?e, said
1. cn abed cf < one s ? W II ;he House
eco kcl ihe suua.ion in wh els w„ *rc }
u is true that I was no", an admirer of
lie present p:oj :fc\ j did not rive it my
lUpport in he comm ^t.-e; but neve the.
Mca ll l\. n 1 . _ . i • .
' . Mtu4 *U!1
Which \*e shad DC if this bill be pusc.
Jcncd, I conceive it is nfccessii.y io varr
iur situation. The t>'.n intercom sc t v
rusproduc.d the tfTc£\t forc.o.d V a.
lave given up the carrying tud-, the
>one of pstrtnv.ion, the object which tl?»
;cnle.iar.» from Pennsylvania fMr \/i>
In) Very truly told you excited u„. e„>y
it Great Btiuin, to your riv.l. Whi»o
tie vve now sii ? A gentleman up
“hose info mu ion I can rely asciri -ct
las shpp.d upon my able a paper c-n*
lining he information that nete tye u«.v
it Amelia island one hundred B juiri
aerchtnt vessel, ready to take he bread
'corn our mcichants, who in la d hfvc on.
y he ai ernfPtve «f coa.tiog aieng to
Tieiia island, whence o-ar produce w It
.ntritduieiy shipped across he A
STaw would it n n. be mrv.les> imke*l
0 arrest tb; consideia i n,f this •ubjtfct
'or two or three months when this u th*
>taie of things ?
I understand that our custom house r.%
ices are be mettcally scal rd » b u
hough British good, a.e found on (ha
‘helves of our merchant*- ye as tlx*
ion.intercourse law has sa-d ibtu ue
:anno'. be imported, they get i..to tL<a
suuntry without ,he cu.mm lio..-e emC'.r.H
race vitig a single cent to pay the pub c
aarlhens. Tins is prec -eiy the siiu^ion
in whtcjt the gentleman f.om Nor Ii C’a.
rolioa wishes u< to c- n inaf.u s x or c ght
weeks longer. Le. ih‘9 btli be *u.i » : d re
not, Id no' liks «r n.lemeo *o eo-:riern.»
1 in the lump, unless bey will be k-od e.
mugh 10 make » m« specified proj><>.
si ion to substitute in the place of the
clauses of i‘, wh.ch shall beUe- our sr.ua*
lion. We must nA on it. We »rC h
the country now stand3, the enemh s i f
the commercial merest j t .r we are gu
ving foreign na.iuns .hi entire l»e efi:
of our comm rce, a; d dep iving cur ho
nest cit a*ns of the advm ag- » whtc i thi»
bill will offer to them-. If u is ol imoor
latice that o-jr 11 tg should he unlu lu! «ri
‘he oce*n as a commercial na" m, it ;■%
necessary that tvs should n >v» a£l. Eve< v
commercial fown port and hurl*jr kiows
course the thins; f* takng. I A,
merican Vest'd rak.s i.s departure with a
c-t go of p oduce, and return* to t:» •*
country no more,unless it ha» tn-i s uy
i's che aper of American and bsC'.m a
foreign vessel. It is prribah'.e sit, ih.s.
mong those vessels a< Amelia island a t
rmny .hat we.e American bat „re no./
cln.iged to Engiiih.
I am decidedly sga-nst thr commit,
tee’s riting. Some pans of ipcbdliu.y
?)i g 10J, some bud ; but «!is»e cef a;..*/
a a clause in the bdl '*hOi wdl k-"- .
prates and plundcios fri*m ok j on; r.
harbors—and as o energy, 1 cm w,t '
hose who talk of it th<v. iliere isarh.us ?
.1 thi, bdl which may prevent -us from
' ing Co/if>ih nfc nr ri | thn a p m m t y 'j 4
o well lor Ii d by na ure a id art com.
lined as to « p;» >se an armed lnc.i,
‘iroac .i'ig a;td yei which may no. i>»
:..rnn»".i.ni t» repel r af.or it his b.’en r».
•eivrd in p ace and friendthin wti.nn <rue
oortS and i.stbii'r,