The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-11

committee of the whole to rife, report the a.
rnendments, that the honfe might incorporate
them into the bill, and direet the whole to be
printed.
This courfe was accordingly purified, and the
bill made the order for "Wednesday.
Tburfaay, December Is.
The confederation of the bill to regulate the
clearance Of armed merchant vefTels, was re-
iumed. The bill as amended was read as fol-
lows:
II biz to regulate TIE clearance Of armed mer-
cham q'sGat.
Be II enaS7e9, by the Senate and Houte of Re-
preieutatives of the United States of America,
in Congrefs af'embled, That after due notice of
this act at the feveral cuitom houies, no mer-
chant ve.ie armed or provided with the means
OF beng armed at fea, fhali receive clearance,
or be permitted to leave the port where ihe may
be 70 armed or provided, without bond, with
two iufficient fureties being given by the own
er or owners, or by the mater or commander,
to the uie of the United States, in fun equal
10 double the value of faid veft, conditioned
that fnch veflel ihall not make or commit any
depreciation, outrage, unlawful affault, or vio-
lence, nor make any other unlawful ufe of her
arms againit the veilels, citizens, fubie6ts, or
territory of any nation in amity with the Unit
ed States Provided, That the regulations here
IN contained thall not be continued to extend TO
veiicls hound to any port or place in the Medi-
teIranean, or beyond the Cape OF Good Hope.
Sec. {. ind beit further enai7ea, That if a.
ny armed merchant veiiel clearing for any port
or place within the Mediterranean or beyond
the Cape or Good Hope, mall make or commit
any depreciation, outrage, unlawful aflault, or
violence rs aforefaied, on her voyage 10 or from
any place TO which fie may be bound or elfe-
where, or ihall wilfully proceed to any port or
place in the Wef-Indies, fuch veliel with her
arms, tackle, and furniture, or the value thereof
ihaIl be forfeited to the ufe OF the United States
See. s. ind be il further esai7ed, That on
istiSiaeta,y evidence or information heiug given
10 thc collector of any port, tbatanv vefiel with
in the fame is armed arnng, or provided
with the means of being armed at Tea, for
the purpofe ofcommitting any unlawful aet as
herein before exprehed, or of carrying on by
force OF arms, any unlawful commerce,
it ihalI be the duty Of fuch collector to claim
finch yeiIel until the cafe be fubmitted TO the
PRECEDENT OF the United States, who is here
BY authorized TO cauic fuch vefielto be difarmed.
or &c order clearance IL DC granted, as he ihal
judge proper.
Sec. 4. ind be ii further CHASED, That if any
armed vei'el as sforeiaid, fhal proceed to fea
without 4 clearance, or niall leave the port,
where her detention or diiar!ning ilall be re-
CURED, contrary to the provihon of this act
fnch Yeiiei with her arms, furniture and tackle,
or the value thereof, !hall be forfeited 10 the
ufe of the United States.
bfr. CroqogiyBieH moved 10 ffrikc OFT the
proViio tothe Irit ieSion, which declared the re-
gulaion contained in the bill fhould not be con-
hrued 10 extend to veiIels bound TO the Medi-
terranean, or beyond the Cape OF Good Hope.
iir. E5beJ obferycd there were orly two ca
fes in which nations ufusy allowed their nler-
chant veiifls to arm the Que, when nation IS
nj war, when fie willingly takes advantage Of
the aid fur1ihed by her fubieGs in aiming
private yeiiels Of war or letters OF msrque. The
other, when the trade is TO remote and the Jeas
10 dangerous 20 pcaceabie ndvigators, that each
veilel nluit be qualified to defend itlelf, as the
nation can neither furnifl conveys nor ehabliGh
force for their protection. He confdered the
latter cafe TO be provided for by the proyifo and
II was 20 hin the moft unexceptionable part of
the bill. He Did not approve of allowing mer-
chant Veiiels to arm at all. He therefore would
Tove to frike out all that part of the e etion
which went 10 allow clearance upon eiviny
bond not TO commit depredations on the vencIc
or frbjeets Of nations in amity with the United
States, and fo on to the end of the fiction. As
this included The words intended by Mt. Crown
jnhicld 20 be flruck out, he prefuned bis mott
on would Therefore fupercede that made by
that gentleman, and after the words were fruci
out, he meant 10 iuiert after the words, "fhall
receive al any cuitom hOUte OF the United
States any Clearance, or be permitted TO leave
the port where ne inall DC 70 armed and provi-
{ d, unlefs bound to the Mediterranean, or be-
yond the Cape Of Good Hope.
~ paffng the hrit fiction Of the bill in the
way Il nOw Good, he was convinced that We
adopted principle, almof, If not entirely I'M
known 60 maritime jgriiprudence, and fich as
would without caution involve tine United
STATE ~ a foreign war. lie did not think that
circumstances required the adoption of that
7 principle 40 tii tiine. TIE following paiTaps
81 the PfeEdcGt's meIage lie fGlpe6led gave rifc
10 tie pref, Z ircafire
Wide rOrcing the irregularities committed
or ihe ocean by ethcrs, thofe on our part lhouid
not be omitted, ror left unprovided for. Com
\ plsintshsv hesn received that perlOns rehding
lwithir the Onted States, hav, taken on them
lives 10 arm merchant ysEcls, and to force
cnmerce into certain ports and countries in
IicfJnce Of the laws Of thofc countries. That
y,ndivldu3ls ibould undertake TO wage private
~ r, i'd. penacnhy of The authority of their |
ou1ty, csnrot be admitted in well ordered
ociet. lts tendency to produce aesrefion !