The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-02-14 00:00:00

AMERICAN MtIICIIANTS.

I

Mr. LOCKHART prefaced the motion of which
be had given notice for referring the Petition of the
suffering American Merchants to a Committee, by a
history of their claims, which the noise of the mo-
ment would not allow us to hear. As well as Ne
could understand the Hon. Gentleman, he stated
that the Petitioners had, at a very dis!ant period, !
debts to an immense amount due to them in Ameri- !
ca, for which, in consequence of an application on
their part to the British government, and a remon-
strance on the part of the British Government to that
of America, the American Government consented,
by an Article in the Treaty of Commerce, to render
themselves responsible. In 1781, four Commission-
ers
were appointed to investigate the nature of those
debts, but after sitting ten years they were unable to •
make an award, as it always happened that when a
point was pressed on the American Commissioners,
they rAred, and would not return unless a promise
were made them that that point should he abandon-
ed. Agiin the creditor remonstrated ; and in 1802,
eight years after the termination of the Commission,l
a convention was formed between the British and
American Gov•sronseetsi by .w Nth the former agreed :
to accept from tae ot.to,t,ocn: In lieu of all the
debts for wide!' America" had before rendered herself
responsible by treaty. He was instructed to state,
that hpd the Commissioners whom 'ho had before
mentioned, pursued their labours to a successful ter-
mination, th,l would in all probability have award.-
ed f•,yo millions as the whole amount of that class of
debts to which their investigation was directed.-- j
1'1•e creditors contended that they had a right to the
MI amount of their debts, gnaranterd as they had
been to them by the American Government; and
that if Government, for good and sufficient reasons
no doubt, thought proper to commute their claims, •
Government was hound to make good the deficiency, •
and not to sacrifice their individual interest to the
public advantage. There had been many cases (and
the lion. Gentleman instanced them) in which when
the State gave up the rights of.any of its citizens in
its negotiations with other States, it had afterwards
felt itself bound to indemnify those citizens from the
consequences of its surrender. But it might be asked,
why had not the Petitioners made an earlier applica-
tion ? The fact was, that, in the 43d year of the
King, a Board of Commissioners was appointed to
enquire to whom the 600,0001 obtained from the
American Government was to be distributed. After
a very laborious investigation, the lapse of so many
years, rendering it difficult for many individuals to
establish their claims, it appeared to this Board that
no less than 1,420,0001. was due to the class of cre-
ditors respecting whom it had been appointed to en-
quire. Of the loss of the difference between this
sum dud (100,0001. the Petitioners complained, and
this loss, they contended, ought to be made good to
them by the country. They had availed themselves
of the iirst opportunity •of submitting to the House
their grievances, and he now moved for a Committee,
not by any means to consider the justice of the
claims of the Petitioners, but simply to enquire into
the facts, and to lay those facts upon the table of the
House. Ile understood it was net likely the motion
would be opposed.

The CIIIINCIad.OR of the EXCHFQ,UfIit
in agreeing to refer tha petition to a Committee, beg-
ged it to be distinctly understood, that his concur-
rence in the motion was not occasioned by any im-
pression °Otis mind that the case of the clain;ants
was such as to call on the House to discharge the
debt originally, due to them in the Arneri‘.•an States.
He was influenced not to withhold the consent of the
Crowd to such a Committee by the sonsideratiort of
the greoteitent of the case, and, the importance of
the circumstance to individuals. He apprehended,
huntver, it would be found, that Government hay-.
ing done all' that it possibly could to enforce the
clainvsaf the petitioners on the American Govern,
•ment,*.mitd hiring obtained all that it could for them
from that Government, without going to war on the
ultimate) •prience
the
i the
leged

refer-
hat the
House.

R 8
.... cies A. .... a Prize of IMO I front tnat txotertiment, without going to war on t
la
.... clan (L.... tPrize of &JO subject, the petitioners would ultimately eiperien
&c. Ite: f
ad;o have 'it to be impracticable to fix upon the country t
Share.,
the • Niue on iga
obi' atm of paying them the difference between t
,iiresreolirdeersrigeof.uaiseatii,tazyboireteve 1
sant.actually received, and that which they alleg
rests his Friends Vill not omit the oproffti.,.;4f 'to be doe.
g iu the Little LotterY. which assists gr...04Y ,
and contains Two Tweoty miaassaits, &e. etc. Mr. •BAItING did not see the necessity of ref
;of as crest sogailatie as in forserlarge Lam' ring therpetitien 1) the. Committee, in order that t
them the logliajd2ickets.—he biltwing
.1 facts Moue light be leld-bn the talle of trlellottl
ray aisrtebi!ITIPEIWAY trfrit•
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