The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-18


they fhould be mad enough to attack our ports
and harbors with their feet, if they fhould do
all that has been fuggefted by the gentleman
! from Virginia, we have the power and means OF
making reprifals. Mr.. T. tad, that that gentle
man bad Yesterday charged his colleague (Mr.
Smilie) with inconfGency, he having formerly
oppoied fleet and was now in favor of one, SC.
out this was not the cafe, neither his colleague
nor hlmieif were in favor of feet, nor would
ever vote Tor one to oppoie or make repriial on
Britain, while lefs eXpenlive. and much more
certain means of reprfal were in our power.
The vaft amount of flock that the Britiiil ft,b-
Iects owned in our funds and banks, 2ad of
debts due from our merchants 10 her merchants
and manufacturers, and her territories of Nova
Scotia and Canada in our ncghboIho which,
though of no great value TO US are of incacua-
bic value TO her, are all in our power and are
all lawful objects fol repriials which at leaf
may bejuttfed by excefs of provocatiou. Even
fnppohng @. b. loft to All f-nfe of iuitiee aud
national honor, which he did not admit in its
whole extent, yet we will all admit that fhe is
ienfhle of and purfues her own intereft, ard
that 1t is not her inteIeit TO go to extremities
with us on the account of all ihe gains by the
aggrs tlonS OF which we complain, NUT be ad-
| mitted by all competent judges.
The gentleman from Virginia has fpoken of
the character of thofe engaged in commerce. in
An unufual frain of acrimony ; he has denounc-
ed commercial purfuits and denied protection
to 1T beyond gun-thot from our Chores, &c. 1t
is true he yefterday refuied protection only to
what is utualy though incorrectly called the
carrying trade.-Formerly by the carrying trade
was underfood to be carrying the property of
other nations on freight In this Holland who
has little produce Other own to expert was gen.
orally greatly engaged. Her merchants were
formerly the carriers for all the maratime natl
ons of Europe. Our own ihipping merchants
ALTO were early engaged in this trade even be-
fore 1898, they commended for the right doing
10, but that is now given up, if any do now en-
gage IN 1t they neither claim nor receive pro-
lection from our government. The name of
carrying trade is applied to that commerce
carried on by purchaiing goods in one country,
bringing them to our own country and if they
are not in demand there rethippng them to a
foreign market, &c. or diipoling of them to
thofe who do 70.
MIR. +. laid that he was aftoniihed TO hear this
commerce itated as inimica to agriculture, as
its rival, &c. Whatever may be faid of the
manufactures and commerce of Britain being
rivals to the landed intereA, it will not apply in
this country. We haveno eftabihed manufac-
lures in the country, therefore our own manu-
features are not the fources of our commerce as
they are IN Britain. The produce of agricul-
what can be caught in the ocean by the induRry
of our own citizens, is the foe BATS of our
commerce, and if agriculture fails, commerce
fails with it. What is called with US the carrv-
ing trade and the direct trade cannot eafly be
ieparated; we take from Britain 10 the amount
OF near l2 million dollars more than lhe takes
from us; how will we pay it? She does not
take our -four, meat or fin, and but very little
OF any thing from the middle or eatern fates.
Wetell our Hour, meat, &c. chiefly in the French
ana oPaniih w. Indies, and bring the returns in
iugar, coffee, rum, &c. to our own ports, and
what is not confirmed in our own country is
permitted to be fliippcd to the European ports,
where they can find a market under neutral
character, and the proceeds are tranfmitted to
Britain 10 pay the balance fhe has againA SIS, or
IN part III iuch goods as can be got where the
idles are made. A fcarcity of bread fometimes
induces Britain to open her ports to our grain
and Hour, but even then the cargo exported will
come far fhort of paying for return cargo OF
her tniihed manufactures, and it is the fame
Whh the bulky raw materials of the fouthern
itaieG, OF which Britain takes large propcrti-
on the balance has to be paid in the Circuit
tous manner mentioned above. Our provifsns
&c. fold in the w. Indies will not purchafe re.
turn cargoes of coffee, fngar, rum, &c. and but
little money can be got the return cargoes
therefore, if more than is ueceGary for home
conumption, NUT be permitted to find mar
ket in other countries, and for this permifIion 4
duty is paid. Thus what is called the carving
trade is 70 combined with the direct trade, that
it cannot be feparated without injury to the far.
rner as well az the merchant.
Perhaps to thoie who underfand the f,biea
the waggoners conitantly employed in hauling
merchandise from Philadelphia and Baltimore
on the great weIteru road to Pittiburg, NAV ir
fome meafure illuRrate the carrying trade 2,
connected with the exports of our produce 10
A foreign market. About 900 of FIVE or f,
horfe teams are conaantly at ali feafons employ
ed in hauling goods from tbefe two parts, be-
fides many other teams occaIionally, they pafi
I through the dividing ground between the allan
tic and weitern waters, as they would other
wife return empty like flip in baaf, the,
take in -four, on the way generally at half the
price for carriage at which the flour will fell al
the ports, but ifthey were not to be certain o
back loading in returning, they would not tax,
the gift Of the -four on condition of hauling il
but if they were to haul no more goods thar
what the -four would purchafe, or than wha
is Confined in the country, one barrel of q
could not be hauled, the goods are taken e
b Pittfburg, Monongahela, Wheeling, &c. asc
; boated to the weltern parts of Virginia, Ken