Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-01-09

= S'N' e"N ttdt Can DE pest done by mai
ing law for the regulation Of hi, tr.,,,
ana thereby secure 10 our country yer
valuable commerce. F,ery een,lsma.
knows there is great d.ai:ulty in fes,ta;,,
ms trade, where tnc profits are bi,rh
though attended with more ris. :.,d dan
ser than ordinary. And he saw but Two
ways IN which the thing could be done ON
me present occasion; which we're, ether
10 ifiserdict the trade aitogethvr, OF pas,
'nc OH no onthe table. The in;crd;Slion
OF the trade would be folowSd by los,
70 th,s country, which existing c;rcYn,-
stances did not call upon us 10 MAKE. He
was persuaded thrs INGREDIENT vessels mus,
I arm III order To get 10 ST. Doninro, or
many o;hrr OF the West India islands: il
Is liecessaiy for thc safety of The vessel
an" she lives OF the crew. Svnle yea.s,
! "ns.er ihia bill being AIMED and cleared.
naviag gisep proper sccarry. proceed tn
sea. What Is then required? Thsy ar.
10 abstain from committing oi.,rar,.. an
a"iui assault or violence, uponour rr,e,d,.
"of lHase any o.ker Unlawful use of their
arms. Inc CLAUSE is expressed general.
~, and not minulely; the committee did
not deem Unnecessary 10 go into detail,
s,cwing the nat,ire and s,e.i.ing the she.
S'es oil every act OF violence, assault. or
ootrass; the diai-uliy ot such a detail,
would have Discouraged the attempt, had
'teyer been reea;red; The government
VIII he equally secure against these arm, |
"a MERCHANTMEN, comuiittin,s ofcpces.
Under The genersI definition, az iisy woult
have tesnIn any other mode the vessels
are sablect to the gepera. lestristion con,
tanned IN 'llc first SECTION al the lii, ana
.ii.s, lie thought, would RESTRAIN. them suf-
hc;entiy. As iar ne rest OF The bill, Tie
I'd, Sd and = sessions, lie did NOT con.
Sideg taeu, or Importance, aud he sasa.i I
move TO strike them out.
Slr- J. Clay expressed some s,..;..se 4. ,
Sir- Epies's amendale,,t, viii ch wcnt 20 $
Restrain al n.urcnaut vessels tsom BEING ,
ariaed, unless sacA as were bound 70 me
aiSol.errsnran o. beyond the Case Of,
Coed Hope. THIS was say,a9 nosa;n-
mole than the laws already enacted de. L
s,a's' TO supposes too, that The peace
:. Gus country IS to depsna upon the no. /,
hesty os vliisiay OF the Commander Of an /
armsa merchant vessei.--if gentlemen
YOU'D investigate this suhjeel. they would !
ma thai he Peace Of the cosntry never
'iad iisen, nor was ever likely t. lie ha-
zarded by cur aimed ,..-fci,an,mcn, cx-
cspt in the Single instance OF Ioscine a
trade to 81. Domisgo there is no dan.-er
10 be aPprehended iscm our armed n,ar.
chant sessels in Any otaercoun.y. The
oofrcs otthc biz is 10 preserve The reace
OF The country by laying a renalry 10 be
incurred i.,r every offence. The trade 10
The West ladies' must either l= susp.nd.
Cd Or IT carried OF in uaar,acd vessels. Il
sasns' DC lei, TO the piunti1r Of :. ferocicus
oandiu'' disgajssd Under the French Tag,
nor are thssc the only ones 10 be anpre
nsnded; the Brigands of small foicr ara !
laying ~ wait IN every quarter indeed il |
" iot safe Tor our merchantmen to sail
unarmed from Our ports on tie Atlantic
10 new Orleans. The depredations al
ready made on our commerce. had an,o,,,f-
ed to an immense sum the insurance
companies in Baltimore alone have l.st
100000 dollars; yet The commerce is too
valuable 10 the United States 10 be a,,ao- !,
doncd altogether; but were America 10
suspend her intercourse With ST.. Domin. I
go' the evil OF having the present inha,i.
'ah's lor our i'eiglibofs would not be les
sench Tor whilst the rich produ slions Of
That island are in such universal demand
ihcy vail Ind their way 10 market, and
the'r want dim l;tary stores or conttabsnd
Oh war VIII &c equally SNpplied 10 them,
40! 10y Americans, but British vessels, !
tom tic Danish CT other neutral islands ]
the trace viii continue, and either neutrul I
or bi'lSerent nations will reap The benefit. !
MAKE the thing still more secure. be
thot II would be ~ wen that the comrnan.
der should give bond and sureiies for ms
conduct on board an armed vessel, end iii
the cargo were made liable to forfeiture a.
wen as the vessel, he should deem il a /
snhicie'.t security 10 prevent The missppii-
cation ct the powcr in.rusted 10 the CON
mandcr He hoped lie committee would
irejee, toe amendment proposed By The
genileTnen from Virginia (esr. Eapeo)
ard afterwards concurin the amendment
suggested by The gentleman from Masss-
chusettA (lfr Lus.is).--( Iobe continued. }
| HSzdoy, Decfa5er 81.
Nr. RichirGs from the committee Of
1 enrolment, reported that the committee
4 k.I ,.v..,,,;nrt a.. Ldt ,,-c.,i,,.. a.. - l