The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-04-07 00:00:00, page 5

of 30 per cent on the value of the goods
as imported.
Nortolk, March 14.
A meeting of the citizens of this
piace was called by the Mayor on Sa
turday last, to take into consideration
measures lor the relief of the distressed
Seamen now in this place.. A number
'>1 citizens attended, but the meeting
was not considered as sufficiently nume
rous to proceed to business ; and ano
ther we understand will be called. E
' 1 .v person is satisfied of the necessity,
and all are willing to adopt some mea
sure tor the temporary relief of these
unfortunate men, but all are sensible
th it it is impossible for the inhabitants
o! this place to make provision for tin ir
pet raunent support. 1 he measur which
appeared to us to be the one which had
the most advocates, was that which we
hi lie\ e will ue adopted. It is proposed
to raise a lund ior their immediate sup
port, to charter a vessel, and having
lurnished her with provisions, to send
allthe stamen who are without employ
ment, to Washington, where they can
apply for support to thos* who have the
means of affording reliel, or of giving
them employment.
'v hue tlie distressed citizens of Nor
olk were occupied in devising means
ior the relief of the seamen already out
ol employ, it was with grief that they
understood that upwards ol one hundred
and seventy men, discharged Irom the
gun-boats on Saturday, are to be ad
e-d to the number of the unfortunate,
for whom some provision must he
made.
^ e were never more astonished,
than when we understood that the go
vernment had ordered these men to be
discharged, at a time when it must
have hern known that they would be
.eft without the means ot subsistence.
To enlarge upon the cruelty of such a
measure, would be to insult every feel
ing and generous heart—But we must
remark, that this measure proceeds
from men, who, if you would believe
them, arc ready to expend the last dol
lar, and to shed the last drop of blood
in support of their “ injured seafaring
fellow-citizens.” And yet they can
very philosophically deprive their dear
fellow citizens of the means of sub
sistence, and leave them to perish or
depend on the bounty of a community,
already bowed down by their own suf
ferings. In a political view this ine»- (
sure is not less absurd that it is cruel
m a moral sense. With the recollec
tion of this transaction, can a country
i governed by men with such feelings, ex
■ P^c defenders in the hour of danger &
difficult) ? 1 lie remembrance must chill
the warmth of patriotism, and damp the
ardor ol courage.
| New-York, March 24.
Yesteruay arrived in this port the fast
s;H,nS ship Eliza, capt. Skiddy, from
O-ideaux, and 29 days from the Cordo
van. She Eft Bordeaux on the 15th
n!t. and brings Paris papers to the 10th.
As usual, they contain nothing new._
l -o Paris Argus copies the account ot
the American embargo from London
papers, but without a single comment !
Bv turning to our marine list, our
readers will find the names of about 20
American gentlemen, who left France
m coi sequence of an apprehension of
their being seized by order of the French
government ; as the opinion there was,
ilutt there •.*. ov*»*i be an immediate war
between tiie United States and France.
All the American vessels in France,
that had been boarded by 1* rench crui
zers, were ur. ’ -r seizure, and the opi
nion was, that tnc property would remain
in the custody of the government till it
was known whether we adjusted our
differences with England, in which case
it would he immediately condemned._
One American vessel, on her passage
from Amsterdam, had been sent into
1'ranee, though in ballast, and seized.
Mr. Mansfield, one of the passengers
in the Eliza, is tue bearer of dispatches
from Mr. Armstrong-, our
Paris.
Application was made through the
minister of marine to the emperor^ re
specting the construction which was to
be put on the Imperial decree of the
1/th December, which rendered all ves
sels liable to condemnation that had on
their passage been visited by British
ci uizers,and certain questions proposed;
the answer to which was given in a let
ter from the minister of marine,Deeres,
to the applicants, and was to this effect:
44 That the decree of his majesty was
liable to no construction different from
its letter; that no one had a right to apply
any other construction ; that the decree
was plain and simple, and must be se
verely, strictly and literally executed up
on all objects which it embraced ; that
all subjects relative thereto would be
brought before the competent tribunals
declined doing.
It is understood that early in the
week a very comprehensive communi
cation will be made to Congress,embrac
ing the whole oi the negociations rela
tive to the Chesapeake ; the whole of
the correspondence on our general rela
tions with England ; arid so much, re
specting the other European powers with
whom we have had differences, as will
give a full view of the state of our rela
tions with them.
March 28.'. ,,
A British government brig arrived
in Lynhaven Bay on Wednesday the
18th with dispatches for Mr. Hose.-*.
She sailed from England the 4th of Fe
bruary. Advice of her arrival did not
reach this place until Wednesday, when
Mr. Kose had departed*
as goon as possible ; and that the ercw3'
of such vessels as came under this de
cree, would be permitted to live on
board their respective ships, at the ex
pense of the ship and cargo, until they
were finally condemned, when they (the
crew) would be delivered up to their re
spective consuls.”
Washington City, March 23.
Mr. Rose on Monday took leave of
the President, and yesterday left this
city for Alexandria, whence he proceeds
to Norfolk, where he means to take im
mediate passage for England in the
Statira.
From the National Intelligencer,
^ e understand that the negotiation#
between our government and Mr. Rose
were, on I* ritlay last, brought to a close
by the receipt of his final note. They are
said to have been suspended on the
preliminary requisition made by him,
that the President’s proclamation should
be rescinded. Mr. Rose, in the first
instance, apprised our government of
his authority to offer reparation for the
attack on the Chesapeake, without spe
cifying what that reparation would be ;
but required that previously to its be
ing made, the proclamation should be
revoked.- Much interlocutory matter
passed ; when he was informed that if
he would state the reparation and assur
ances he was impowered to make, and
they should be considered by our go
vernment as satisfactory, they would be
taken as a pledge of amity, and that the
act of reparation and revocation of the
proclamation should bear cotempora
neous date. This in his ultimatum he