The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-06-17

"hheu lot the production OF certain documents,
refpecting chiefly the commercial ntercourfe in
quettiop; at the fame, he thought Thurfday
too early aday FOR the fecond reading of the bill.
His grace concluded by moving for the produc-
tion of humber of commercial documents,
which were ordered to be laid before the houfe
accordingly.
The bill prefented by lord Holland, was then
read firt time, and ordered to be printed.
HOUSE OF coMMoNs-April 81.
SUSPENSION OF. THE NAVIGATION
ID & LAWS.
Mr.. Rofe, purfuant 70 motion, rofe to call the
attention the Houfe tofoue papers he wiihed
/, to move for, refpeairg the fufpenlion of the
navigation laws He prefaccd his motion with
fome references to the American war, when il
was found great convenience to- fupply the
Weft-India Hands with provi6ons, from the.
American colonies, and the i,bjett was invefti-
gated by the privy council, who advifed that
the American colonies fllould not be INDUCED
with too great freedom in that way, and that
no trade fhoud be allowed but in Britifh fhips,
and by Brltifh feamen, from whence the Wet
India proPrletors were properly fIppled with
Provltlons. In 1893, however, great inconveni-
ences arofe, from the indulgencies granted to
the American traders, by relaxing the naviga-
ZION laws, in cenfeqnence of which our fhip-
ping, which amounted to 937 vefIes, and 500
men, before, We're reduced to 1877 fhips, and
, l,3oo men, and the trade grew up with the A.
mericans, to almoft the total evolution of the
Britifh.--He confdered the taking the refponfi-
b'l'ty out of the hands of the governors of the
Wett-lndia Hands, and placing it in thofe of
his maiety's miniitcrs (Which he underftood
was the intention) was very dangerous mea-
fure, and fhould not be reforted to, but from
the ttrongef and mott urgent neceflity.---He
then adverted to the expectation of rum, fucar,
aud other Weft-India produce, which he conf
dered NUT be much diminilhed by fuch mea.
fure, and concluded, by earneftly entreatine the
houfe to give the fnbjett the mott calm and at
tentive confederation, before any meafure of this
nature was adopted.
Lord Henry Petty iaid, he had no helitation
In declaring, that it was the intention of his
majefty's minifers to change the refponibility
of the governors of the Wea-Inda Hands,
with refpeet TO the fufpenfon of the navigation
laws, to thernfelves, and he was we'll convinced,
the houle would confider it a moft beneficial
change; nothing he thought more dangerous
than to leave it in the dfcretion of a governor,
whether he will or will not relax the laws on
that fubjeet, and by leaving it to that rife, and
ln-that uncertain Rate, was only expofing the
fhp-owners and the Hands thcmfelves to dan.
ger. The great object was TO fupply thote H.
ands with provilions and flbfftance. The right
hon. gentleman had referred to former govern
rnent who had relaxed thofe laws his Lordf,ip
highly approved of it,, as from the various in
fanaes of famine and defolation, it was found
highly necefiary. Thefe laws, he concluded,
required reviion, which meafiire was ftrongIy
In the contemplation of his maiety's minifters
but In the mean time it was their with the pro-
pofed meafure nbould be adopted
Lord Cdftlereagh differed ftroDgIy from the
noble lord in taking away. the difcretion of the
governors, whom alone he conlidered as the
perfons competent TO judge of the neceflity of
the cafe aud nnleis the noble lord was prcoar,
ed,to,make out that there was an abfolute necef.
fifty for the fufpeDfion of thefe laws in time of
war as well as intine of peace, the conviction
ON his mind was, that If tho admiralty could
fnpply fuficent convoy, the Wef.lndia H.
ands wonld.be' better fuppIed with provifons
from the mother country than from the Ameri-l
can colonies. -: ~ rs
Mr.. Fuller Elid, it feerned to him, that fome
perions, when once thew got into error, deter
mined to keep toit. He very well knew, that
upwards of $1,000 perfons were ftarved TO death
IN Tome OF the Weft-India Hands by not relax
ing thefe laws; and from the information he
received from mof intelligent gentleman (Mr.
Shandy) upon the flibje9, he was fatisfied, that
unlefsan intercourfe was kept up with the A.
nerican colonies, the Hands could not be
maintained. The fupid policy of fome people
In MOI itsving the ankers of brandy imported in
to the Hands, had iacreafed that trade, and
greatly diminilhed the expectation Of rum and
while the latter Iangui(hed, the right hon. gen.
tleman (Mr. Rofe) with the aI1itance of his late
right hon. friend Mr.. Pitt, had encouraged the
fmuggling of foreign brandy into this country,
to an extraordinary e%tent by which the revenue
was Iefiened near 10000, while the quantities
of runs which were faved in the Wei Indies,
for want Of ihippiug to bring them over, were
Incredible. For thefe reafons, he highly ap-
proved of the meafiire.
After fome explanation by Mr.. Rofe, and fome
further general dbfervatous from Sir William
Young, Mr. Barhan, and Lord Temple, in "a
vcur OF the meafiire, and Mr.. JetFery againt it,
the qHefion was put and agreed to" That
there be laid before this houfe, an account of
the number of Britiih fbips, tonnage, and men
employed Between the Wef-India Hands and
theAmerican colonies, from Jan. 1889, to Ian.
1904. ...
"Afo, the number of foreign Ihips EMPLOYED
Tor the fame purpofe, from 1901, to 1904.
Alio, an account OF the quantity of provifions
and lumber Imported in every three years, du-
ring the fame period, from the colonies TO the
Hands, didioguiihiDg fuch as were imported in
Hrltifh vef1els, from thofe in foreign. Alto, an
account of the quantity ofrum, fugar, and other
Welt-India Dfndncp evpnrteA Al.