The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-05-27
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
Hoye Of Lords, March 81.
INTERCOURSE BETwEEN AMERICA AND THE
wEST-INDIES.


Lord Holland, previoully to Lord Auck'and's
motion ON the fubjed, wifhed to move for fome
farther documents, in order to place, in a clear
err point OF view than the papers on the table
admitted of, the number of ffips, and their ton
mage, belonging TO Britifh ports. He accord
ingy moved for accounts of the number of
thiPs which had cleared out of, and alto the
number built in the different ports of the Bril-
TIN Empire, with their tonnage, which after a
tew words from Lord Sheffie Id and Lord Hol-
land in explanation, were ordered.
Lord Auckland then rofe to make his pro-
mifed motion, which he prefaced by enterisg
INTO feveral details. BY the Navigation Ads
OF Char. III. and William III. all trade to the
bntiih Colonies in foreign bottoms was, he faid,
prohibited. 1t was evident that the vefIels of
the u. States of America were foreign bottoms,
and therefore came under the prohibitory clau-
les OF thefe Acts. From the peace of 1888 to
| 1888 theywere Preoifely in this fituation. In
the latter year a Legislative meafure was refort-
edit upon the fubieGf, which continued till the
year 1898, from which period till the year ] Sol,
the Governors of the Britiih Colonies in the
Weit-lndies exercifed the power of granting,
as neceihty required, permiffion to import pro-
vihons and lumber from America, and every
year bill was paffed to indemnify thofa con-
cerned IN adviiing or exercifing this meafure,
for their acting contrary to law. 1t happened,
however, that in 1901, owing to the confiifion
arihng from the Change of administration, bill
OF this deicription was omitted to be brought
forward, and the fubjeet had efcaped attention
until the prefent time, when, on turning to its
confederation, he found this TO be the tate of
the cafe. 1t became, therefore, neceilary to
Indemnify four Administrations, including that
now IN office, for having thus acted contrary to
law iluce the year 1901 as well as the Cover
nors of the Wet India Hands this was the
object of the bill, whicht was his intention 70
introduce, and which, he had no doubt, would
be Imported by ali thofe Noble Lords who
had formed part of the four Administrations
to which he had alluded. With refpeef to the
fuelect itfelf, it was certainly ofthe greateit i'm
portance that our Weit-india Colonies fbouId
be regularly fupplied with provihons. From
the nature of their cultivation they could only
grow very fmal part of the provilions necefa-
ry for their fubliitence. He was not difDofed
to quarrel with the United States of America
for Implying the Wef-Iudia iflaBds with thofe
articles, on the contrary he was difpofcd to
think 1t an advantageous intercourse. If the
Hands were left to depend upon this country
for fupply OF proviiions, it muf neceffariy, in
time of war, be precarious, Whit in the event
of fcarcity, ihips failing from this country
would, of courfe, go to thefe iflands where thew
pats thofe which were mott in want. A regn-
lar fupply of proviions to our Wef-India if
lands could only be enfured to them from A.
merica, and, his opinion was, that the enact
ment OF our laws ought not to be followed I'D
with any view ofpreventing the Americans from
deriving any advantage from the intercourfe.
The neutral bottoms of the Americans were of
ufe to us in time of war-the advantage was
mutual. The United States Of America had
grown with our growth, and ftrengthened with
our ftrength, and had contributed much to the
mcreaie of our commerce commerce which
bad arifen to an unexampled pitch of profperi-
ty, and which was greatly hyperion now to what
it ever had been, even in time of peace. Thus
it appeared from official documents, that the
value of the exports from this country of pritifh
manufactures, which on the average of Il e five
years ending in 1898, amountedto so, 600, oool.
amounted, on the average ofthe FIVE years end
ing in 1905, to %, 100000. He thought il
would be advifeabe TO introduce fome reguIa
ton. in order that the intercourse between our
Wet India colonies and America might be
placed upon more certain footing this might
be effected by authorizing the Governors TO if-
fue proclamations from time to time allowing
the importation from America, each proclama.
ton to be in force for fix months, which would
entire certainty that no interruption would
take place during that period. His MajeRv's
late Miniiters, to whom, in this infiance, he
did not mean to impute the lean blame, had
tent out circular letter to the governors in
the Wef-Indes requiring them not to grant a
prrmiilion for importation from America, on
light and trivial groun1. Some of them took
an alarm, and put Rop to the importation al
together, which had the effect of enormously
railing the price of pr0viiions. 1t was, howe
YER, fit that the intercourfe, which was neceGa-
ry, at leaf in time Of war, to the comfort and
well-being of our WeR India colonies flouId be
regulated by an act of the Legislature, and that
the governors Of our flands Mould not be re.
dueed to the neceffity of continually acting in
violation of the law, or Minaers AZ home con-
tlnudlly adyiiiDg fuch violations. He conclud.
ed by prefentiDg bill to indemnify all perfons
concerned in adviing or ordering meafures for
importing certain articles into the Weft-India
Hands from America, in American veffels,
which was read a firfl time.
The Duke of Moutrofe concurred with much
OF what had been faid by the noble Lord. He
thought, however. that with the aid of ron