Norfolk gazette and publick ledger — Norfolk [Va.], 1810-04-02 00:00:00, page 2

AWC3j.ru said be wished ta submit'a
tuthalgiiue which eras of a nature that
__ reqoita perhaps, at least justify, some gene*
ral observations. During his unavcidablt absence
'bis duty iff the bouse the present session, Mr.
iffiMt haifimn some consolation to hni to re
" heiPb
_ been unable to participate in any
Of tfiBRKeuHrs which the wisdom of the govern
Bteof mjpl have devised to meet ihe necessity of
it least those measures were not in any
or impeded by any opposition of his.
it is (said h») that at the distance at w hich 1
Urns placed from theseatof government, and through
, the medium through which { viewed its measures,
'‘Was impossible for me to discern any thing like a
system pursuing or about to be pursued by the go
vernment of this nation. But this, sir, I attribut
ed tei my own want of information, not to the want
of decision or wisdom in the government.—
I flattered myself (bat when 1 should hit. e
reached the seat of government, when ( should
be‘on the spot that 1 should then at least be
tftqgrlen to fiitr«*rn a Of sormning Jike a
» regular system of policy pervading the" great
rbonciU of the nation. Hut, sir, using all the
meant accessible to me, during the time that I have
been in Washington, I have been unable to detect
‘ »ny thin* like design, any thing like concert, any
thing like a plan about to he pursued by this house
lit relation to our national concerns—I ought per
haps to fay, until this moment. Hut I understand
|ir, at length the budget hag been ‘open# I—that
• lystem hat been brought forward for using sup
- plies by loans and by additional tuxes. It is in re
Hlion to this system that the motion which 1 am
•boat to make will stand. I bad indeed supposed,
fir, tiiat when the government of the United
Statwshould pet into operation at this session, tin
first art would be, (if indeed we could not build up)
to poll down that which every one seemed to ac
fenngAjfee was inefficient, ridiculous and hurtful—
alfHp” the telebrated non-intercourse lav—and
n
renWfily
. cetHfhly should have Mt it iny doty to submit a
. motion on that subject as soon sis I took my seat ii
I had hot been informed that a bill wu* mfrmsitx
between the two bouses to effect that objec t. Why
,indeed the nation should have tolerated this acknow
ledged evil, I have never been enabled to d scover.
I had supposed that tbe first stop would have been
| to do away the confessed evil, by way of prepara
tion for some substantia! good. In this, however,
Mlav* been unfortunately mistaken. Whether the
pHvpIc ol the United States were eter to retrieve
that fi lurishing commerce which had been so chil
dishly rpolled, Mr. R. said it was not for him to un
dertake to determine. Commerce whs a delicate, a
ticklish thing—and when it had formed for itselj
»ew channels, like the mighty water course, it was
difficult indeed to turn it bark into the old. Hut, il
the commerce of t|je United Slates was ever to b«
s' ‘regained, he would venture to gay that it was not
i to be brought beck by the means of additional du
lie*. The embargo and non intercourse—he hac
■filmost forgott<*n to mem ion the nnn-iinporialioi
«ct-^had changed the babits and feelings and prin
ciples of the mercantile class in this country. As
foreseen and predicted, a system smuggling, ol
illegal trade the most ruimdis to the fair trader, tht
t' >st injurious to the agricultural.interest a.id d«s
ictive to the revenue that could be conceived, hau
teen organised. A man has nothing to do (said
Mf. Randolph) bat to go into the market, and gme
a premium tc have his cotton or tobacco placed in
Liverpool or London, or to have an assm ted cargo
pf prohibited goods placed in any street of Balti
snort ;<rrPhil-idelp. ia. Whether tUsse habits wi)l
evpr be checked, itheloogs not to me to predict—
'■km. they certainly will never he checked l.y high du
ties operating «s a premium on smuggling.
But it may be said that the nation is in that si
^tuaiion in which it is necessary to act, to do some
pthing. 1 agree, »ir, that it is—although 1 hold il
- pot to he the least of the qualifications of a states
ir.an to be apprised when it unnecessary not to act
A pr >po*iu»n is now in substaoce—and I wish to
, buna it m form—Nbmilted to this nation wbethei
|,di>«y will encounter a system of additional taxation
" BmHoans, or whether they will make a redo, tion in
. their 'unprofitable establishments, I think, if 1
have not forgotten, that the secretary of the tr’easu
ry, is hi* annual renort, has staled, that by an ade
* qnaw rea« non in me army and navy the nece.>»i
tim* of our finances may be relieved. But
perhaps, sir, it may be said, shall we, in the pr -
esent undecided state as respects the belligerents oi
JCornpe, make any movement which shall indicate n
iwnpftutioo on bur part tn submit to those bellige
rents f Certainly not. But, Mr. R. asked, was
-.'tfc&B any one who heard him who seriously thought
**r, or believed it a relation in which we could
„ be placed? lie for one did not. War with whom ?
Vor with trade*!—Carried on where? By us
id by France in old Prance?—For she hr>s
(ssions in oor nsighbaarhood. War with
i!—Catrh-d on where? Tn the hospitals at
iriea.n* ? Granting that ouf situation with ei
[>' y-. belligerents was a hostile one, Mr. R.
W ?"* wbuld m that rase still be ready to
*# M* proposition—for he saw no use in
„ «P «B establishment, a costly set of tools,
we roald not if^ve knew bow to use.
\p0Mible, however, said Mr. R. that all this
^m»y be under a mistake—that there is a sys
t there is a plan, that there Is « concert
'd if the old maxim be true, urs ett cetare
• «urs most bp one of tbe most rciinvd sy stuns
not only sight hut tom hand wlmld elude
anieal aniysis. I would wj*h to ask this
ter all that has beeu said or that can ha
subject, whether we must not—we may
Toy wry fares as we piesse—go back to
flffchd possible to regain it) w hich w«|
childishly and wuntonly abandoned ? We
“W begin upon the system of leans and
the people of the UmUui#tetee^il|
W«t obey. Will the people
:atet consent (a keep op expensive
"■'^sfaW^skmcnts, of »+ie tmt ex
* ' '^enV until they ere
Ipetim&at* taxes
-meterity—and fot
yon cannot keep
rti
' Ufa
WM ofcafnmon sense wfcal willyon do witb them
in lima of m*ri I* a man who hearthflfc# who
wtfa one atom ^ additional security to his person
or property from tfte army of the Doited 8tattfa?—
Il is it ever been employed to ppetprt the rights oi
person and properly* I* f las it evcrneen employed hut
rn violation of personal rights and property—in the
violation of the writ of habeas corpus and as a new
modern instrument of ejectment ? Sir, go through
the country, and put to every freeholder in the land
this question—Are you willing to pqy one tiiiro
more of duty, and an hundred per cent, on that
third, upon sugar, rodee, and so forth, for the
take of the establishment at New-Orleans? We mav
say what we please, sir, but that expedition which,
until ours, surpassed in lolly every oilier expediti
on ever undertaken—the famous expedition of a
British armv against Flushing, where they had an
army as wellas climate to contend agau it—that ex
pedition, which even tbcir own ruinistiy dare nd
defend, hut quarrel amongst each other who shall
haff the blame of It, was surpassed in disaster h\
the mortality of the American army. And yet sir,
for this shadow, this skeleton it is in<! -ed a skele
ton of an army, the people of the United St ites are
to submit to loans and taxation. With respect to
the navy, Isay nothing of that. Its exploits ar»
already registered in our journals. And the lad of
the frigate President having run ashore on the
tail ol the Horse Shoe, is the only one m our naval
annals for several ye ns past.
With respect to war—we have, thank Gull !' in
the Atlanlii k, a fosse wide and deep enough to keep
off my immediate danger to our territory. 'I tie
he ligeients of Europe know, at well as we feel,
ih ir war is out ol the. question. No, sir—it our
preparation w.is for battle, the state physicians
have mistaken the state of the patient — we have
been embargoed and non inturroursed almost into a
consumption, and this is not the time for buttle. If
indeed the state was about to undergo innorululinn
fur the scn.iJI pox, this reduction would liuve been
according to the best medical authorities..
Mr. 11. s.iid lie would thereiore submit to the
home, coder these views,'the best he hud been «l Ire
to take, two distinct propositions in a single reso
lution, in order that the house and the people of
the l u.ted States might del' rrmne whether they
would submit to encounter the European system of
loans and taxes, or whether they would reduce es
tablishments, which (to say the best of them that
could be said) were mere incumbrances. It was he
thought, about nine years ago siuce he had ihe ho
nour of making a similar motion- in this house,
which was the precursor of the abolition of the in
ternol tax*s. He hoped lire motion h« was now
about to make w< old be the harbinger of protertton
against the system introduced into the house yester
day—that, at I ust, if it is not made the means of
t'km,-; off taxation, it might prove an antidote a:
gainst it. Mr. It. then moved “ that the nulitaiv
and naval establishments ought to be reduced”-1—
not that he was at all opposed to a reduction in any
other artirle ot expence. He believed that many
other and important reductions might be made in
the expences ol the government. The spirit of re
form. lie said, hud long slept in this house. Ih
would go as far as any man in retrenching expences,
but be confessed his object now was to take the
bull by the horns, lie considered these two objeets
to be the great diains and sinks of the publirk trea
sure. I do not (said he) profess a better acquaint
ance with the publirk sentiment than others, but I
believe, if you were to propound the question to eve
rv man m the United States capable of judging,
that not merely nineteen-twentieths, but nine hun
dred and ninety-nine hundredths of them — always
excepting those who draw emoluments from those
establishments, and their immediate connexions,
whether in this bouse or out of it—the good ho
nest yeomanry of the United States who never saw
these things, whose only proof of their existence
is in the money they call fot, would say, in God’s
marie let us have none of them. If we are to leave
war, we know that we, the people of the United
States, and not the invalids from the hospitals 04.
the Mississippi, must fight the battles.
The house agreed to consider the motion of Mr.
Randolph; and the question being stated on its
\pusssge in the following words—
“ Resolved, That the military and naval esta
blishment ought to be reduced.”
Mr. Kppes presumed that the gentleman from
Virginia would not ask of the house to decide this
question at a moment’s winning. I have, said he,
no objei turn to refer the resolution to a committee
of the whole boose and to discuss it. If gentlemen
on tins fl .or who voted in 1&07 for an increase ot
int army him naval establishments, ran find in thr
present posture of the affairs of tiiis country a suffi
t lent ground to redare these establishments, and at
the present moment, when perhaps the first gale
may bring news which will enable as to reduce
them with honour—if it is the intention of gentle
nun thus to stump themselves with the charge of
folly for originally increasing them, I cannot coin
cide with them; but if it was originally proper to
raise this force, there are no rirrumstam es which
00f5hL»t present to induce congress to reduce it.—
llut hi the same time, sir, I am far from saying,
that I do not believe that both the army and navy
may he reduced before the end of the present session.
It is true that the deficit io the revenue may be sa
ved by u reduction of the army and navy ; but that
is u-j reason ivhy it should he done when every other
circumstance forbids it. There is a bill before the
house for the increase of duties; It is reported in
blank, and the ratio of addition will be fiAed at the
pleasure ot the house. It is reported on the princi
ple which is fair that those who incur a debt should
pay it. The deficit of revenue should he supplied by
those who incur red the expenee which causes it. I
voted fur the army, and shall not be deterred from
voting money for an object which I believed neces
sary and which I still believe was necessary at the
time it was adopted. As to the present situation of
the army of the United States, I am not acquaint
ed with it, except from private letter*. No man
mure than myself deplores the situation of that ar
my ; and from whatever cause it has proceeded,
whoever is to blame, whoever is responsible for
keeping the troops \n a swamp, and sacrificing one
hrtlf of theqi, I hope will be exposed to thr pnblirk
!t may be prupi-r*o observe that a bill passed this
house yt»t*r-b>y jar organising a /orce more conge
nial to the f> clink's of freemen, which will perhaps
wukh reduce ths necessity if keeping • military
fort! cmbodjffl. i. ,
Sir, I <lo ■§ fatal part know what coons wil>
b* psnotd by ro#lSt<U ifc* gntvU muon, Th
•M
: ^ ■ ■ v*?' v ; v 1 7 * nr?
gPKt'eiuan from Virginia seems ditiKuj to rtoesi
ihr n«nmlercourf^Bnd I f«io»ider it pcrftcil
■consistent m twin ifilwte sguinst it heratfre he did
so, when it was p*§se#— u «; perfectly ei*ii&itentin
liiro to *u) that it is inefficient because be has smd
so before—Odd that ifts petfteily consistent in hina
to reprobate every meaetirr taken for four or five
years past, because he ^id at the time reprobate
them. Our situation as to commerce, sir, does not
proceed from our acts, but from the injustice of ihe
belligerents, who bj tlitir decrees and orders *#«
single blow reduced our exports from one hundred
and eight millions to less than seven. During the
year 1809 our revenue was about ten millions—du
ring the year 1810 it will probably not be moie
than eight. I have, as l before said, no objection
o meet the question, but tbe reduction of the army
will not do away life necessity of additional revenue
e> anse nur exports are so much rdoccd. that we
e..nnot avoid this year increasing the duti< s, or per
il ips for some years to roiue. One, reason of the
reduction of revenue is that our manufactures have
increased so much as lu exclude many foreign arli
i les — nays so far have those rrmncfartiins pro
gr-ssed, that samples of the manufactures have
been sent to England.to be imitated .mil sent to thin
country In rival our dumettirk manufacture. With
tms view of the derreuse of our imports, an nddiii
j on.i! duty of j per rent, on goods paying duty bu
I valorem, would produce a mi 11ii:n ; am! raising the
specific!, duties 33 ! 3 percent, would produce (wo
millions, making ilnee millions, the supposed a
mount of deficit.
Mr. Randolph - aid lie had no idea of provoking
i the discussion w hich had commenced. He was wil
ling to submit bis proposition to the same commit
tee as had under consideration the gentleman's pro
position for i,.y:nj additional duties, and k-t gentle
meiVt.-ke tiifir choice. The great difficulty which
he felt in speaking in this hail hud caused Mr. R. i
to omit one remark, and that was—that if congress '
do! mean 'to lay additions! duties, it would he ne
cessary to keep them on n»t only thk year, "hut
many years. Mr. R. said he hud not ex pec ted from
the g'-nth-nun who is at the head u! the committee ‘
ol finance in this house, such an opinion on tie!
subject of indirect taxation as was to be gathered i
from his observations. Whirl would be the effect i
of laying additional duties for one oi two years ? The j
chert would bt tnal the articles on which the duty j
was laid would not be imported, because they would i
have to compete in the market with those articles i
already imported free of duty, and moreover would
have to contend against the well-grounded ettpeeta
tion that in a short (mie the duty, would be taken
off. So that instead of getting revenue you dimi- I
nish it by laying addition '.! duties, became the very
articles which re to produce recenue will cease t«l
be imported. There is no clearer question in finance
or ev * in arithmetic tbnn this.
Iks colleague had said, Mr. R. observed, that,
the revenue having diminished, heavier duties must
be imposed on certain articles—why ? Because,
forsooth, the articles arc imported under n disad
vantage, owini: to the increase of our domestic ma
nufactures. If so, if in order to get revenue high
er duties were to be laid on imported article? n>>t a
ble to contend in our rnaikets under only the pr -
s-mt duties, this was altogetlnr a new plan *o him
.—it must t>e < f the new school of finance—it was
altogether incomprehensible. With reep>ct to the
principle that those who incur debts ought to pay
them, Mr. R. said he agre-d with his collragu
and, although he was not one of those who i. urred
ih" debt, he was one of those who was w illing to
pay it. They would unquestionably by this system
of additional duties destroy what revenue was left
from duties on imports and mnnage. He said he
rather suspected bis colleague had fallt n into a
small mist ke, and that when bespoke of ad valo
rem duties on goods imported, he ought to have said
on articles dulled—for under the present regime they
did not amount to precisely the same thing—and
Mr. It. said, if «e go hack, which he did not know to
be practicable, to the old system, we should find an
increase of revenue, notwithstanding the rivalry ol
our ow n manufactures.
One word more, said Mr. R. and 1 have done, at
least for to-day. Among the objects which indured
mu to submit the motion now befbre the house, or at
bast one which in my mind ought to weigh in its
favonr, is this : that this planting our soldiers like
so much rice in a swamp, which my colleague wish
es to see brought to light, and in which wish I con
cur, has had one effect—it has given the coup dt
grace to the.recruiting service, which never was a
flourishing branch of our home manufacture of a
standing army. If it be true, as alleged, that dead
men tell no tales, it must also be true that they can
draw no rations. But I tan demostrate, however
true in common sense, that it is not true in the
Treasury/—tor there never has been an instance ot
one dollar refunded in the army or navy for persons
not in place, although the estimate is always ma le
up on the supposition that the complement of men
is complete and full.
My colleague is mistaken, sir. I have not repro
bated every measure for five years past. I had the
honour of proposing some measures—that of arm
ing the militia for instance, which was adopted,
with what grace I will not say. I had the honour
or proposing others which were subs* quenlly adopt
ed when taken up by other gentlemen. I might
mention the contract bill, the alteration of the rules
and articles of war—I might go further, but I am
not disposed further ta trouble the house or exhaust
myself. ,
Ms. Smilie said be was surprised that the gen
tleman from Virginia had expected an immediate
decision of his motion. He could not expect that
it should be immediately decided. He did not re-'
gret that it had been hiought forward, and he did
not say what his opinion would be when they cam*
to decide on it ; but to do it at present, he said,
would be rertainly premature. The observation*
made with respect to the finances, the state of the
army, and all that, he considered out of the questi
on at present. The subject of the state of the ar
my'besides was committed to a committee. All
these subjects he said he was willing to meet nt a
proper lime, but he was not going to decide on n
motion of to much import .nre as that before the
house without due consideration.
Mr. Macon said that both the gentlemen from
Virginia seemed to have giv<-o him a left hande
touch, la reply to one (Mr. Randolph) he would
observe that be would never allow that the embargo'
was nut a wise measure, and he was willing to dis
cuss it near and over again at any*time. The other.
gtatUouo, (Mr. fyj**) had spuken of the army.
■r - ■ • •
#5*1. -
*»Jt f|s! ^UMp#fat situation'
'•d dir the same i
Migyetj^t JL
*apeHBr* ■• "'*** M** ««* iu-cV^CV r
^geiriPftirs hacf been’ Ms impression «n.i U.js h«
P<l suited. at the time lie bad vd»|B aVmy.—
Tie had . believed at rfbat tin» Oiit pVktt JUiuia
meant to loliow up her blow*, and he^li prepared
lo meet her. But, since that, an embargo iiatt been
laid and then substituted by notjrinletroarse. If
the sip (.f embargo was on his head, he said he should
.he with it. He Was willllg that this resolution
should be committed. News /night cum* from Eu
rope whfth would makfe it necessary to raise men.
If so, said lie, let us do it when it rotnes j let us do
what is right under existing circumstances. As ta
thy army, 1 never had a dobut oftbeiigbt of this
house to enquire into the state of it : [t belongs ta
the nation and not to ihe executive.
Mr. Randolph wished to state that he had giv
en his frn-nd from North Carolina too many honest
right-handed touches, ever to give him u left banded
one. #
Mr. Lvpes said be had no intention to give tha
gentleman a wipe—for it would have been at thesama
time to cast a reflection on himself. It will be re
collected, said lie, that when I voted for the army
1 took the ground that the embargo must at some
ti ne be raised, and when it was that there must bn
wai and I dee lure that if I had foreseen that the
establishment would be kept up year after year, and
that those who raised the troops had not energy to
use thins, I should not have voted for them. 1 ne
ver have been tor raising standing trnopt'^in time
of pci.ce, and I fear not that it will he believed that
I am in favour of eiibeir a standing army or navy
in time of peace. O r defence depends on the peo
ple, but r. I’oiiion ui the tro,o ^ a-re necessary for
garrison duty in which the militia cannot be' em*
ployed—and wh- n the additional troops were raised,
they v. ere considered sufficient for that object/and
it was so slated at the time. I voted fur them /or
war and not for peace; and v.henever it is decided
by the representatives «f the nation that they will
submit »o the derrees of Greet Britain’apd France,
wf enever they repeal the non-iptercyorse, which,
whether feeble or strong, is the only measure be
tween us and submission, f for one will go hand is
hand vnthlthose who will reduce the army and navy,
and give to the people all the advantages which w ill
result from what i shall deern a surrender of their
rights.
The question trot thentaken m Mr. Randolph’s mo
tim to solution to the same committee ef
thr n hnl. ■ „ v a< com mi1 ted the bill for laying
the u noli ; ^
ad'tition at o y, and carr:ed.
On Thursday the 19th of April next,
At A'll odnck, llill be Sold,
At Mr. Matt Glenn's Tavern, Sign of th« Indian
Queen,
1 ~>5 Acres of LAND, lying on Sew
clls Point—It commands a fine view of Hampton
Kond. and all the vessels which pass up andjinwn
Elizabeth river. There is a small House on’ thu
Plantation occupied by Mr. Curl who wilt sljjew thu
place to those desirous of viewing it,
Af the seme time and place Kill be Sold,
Several LOTS lying on Deep Creek,
at the mouth of the Dismai SwnmpCan.il, viz. Nos.
1,2, 4, 5, 6, ”, and a, agreeable to Moore’s Plan,
which may he seen at my Office The above Proper
ty will be sold upon a credit of 3, 6, and 9 months.
T. Blanchard.
Marrh 16. td»
£? NOTICE.
The Freeholders of the County of
Norfolk are requested to attend at the Court-House
of the said County, on Monday the 16th day of
April next, for the purpose of electing two Dele
gates to represent this County in the next General
Assembly of this Commonwealth.
Andrew Kidd, Cor.
March 30. ' tde
Willi a m src rg, March if), 1810.
The Annual Meeting of the Pro
prietors of the Dismal Swamp Company, will be
held at Suffolk on the Sthtday of May next, being
the second Tuesday. And it is earnestly requested
that the Members w ill he punctual in their attend
ance, either personally or by their attoraies.
H it Ham J^tlson, A
John Bracken, { ,,
Corbin Ciriffin, > ^“"“gera.
James Henderson, j ‘ 4m
Six Dollars Reward.
STOLEN on Saturday night the 24th instant
from the house of Mrs. Richardson, a STAIR CAR)
PET, about 18 yards long, with 16 brass rods.^»
The above reward will be paid on delivery of tba
Carpet at the Ledger Office and no question* at
March 26. tf
Six Gourdes de Recompense.
Vole samedi ausoir 24 Mars dans la Maison d*
Madame Richardson, un Tapis d’Escalier d’envi
rons 18,, aimes de long avec 16 bayettes en cuivre—
La susaite recompense sera donnee a quiconquc
remettra les dits effets au bureau du Ledger—*
qu’il luir soit fait aurune question.
FOR SALE.
A HOUSE and LOT near Smith’s
Point, at tlie corner of Botetourt and Bute-streets.
'I'he Lot is one hundred feet square ; the House is
about si* years old, built of the best materials j there
is a Pump and Well in the yard, a good Garden,
Dairy, Stables, See. This Hnu& and Lot may b
had very low, for approved paper at 3, 6, 9 and 1
month*. Apply to
T. Blanchard,
February 5. tf
10,000 bushels James River Wheat,
of superior quality.
Superfine anil Fin* Flour, in barrels and bait by*
Sugar, Coffee, Madeira Wine, Whiskey,'be.
For Sale by
4- c& F.Jtfhittle. ,
March 28. , yM K
PRINTING-INK.
A few kegs of excellent PANTING
Apply U *• febitar.