The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-01-16
Scat Of subernn,s,,r.

SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
FRIDAY, Dec. 20.
Debate on The .aotion of DR.. LOGAN for Lenye
to bring in a OH TO Elaen6 tie commercial M
fereoa,1> bstsveen :be United Slater and ST.
Domingo.
(Coueia.lsS.)
Gen. S. SMITH -
am not confcious. Mr.. PREsiDENT, that I
laid, Gas charged by tine honorable mover)
that the trade to ST. Domingo was the only
great, the only important commerce of the u
nited States. 1t was an aHertion that it was
not potiible could have made. did, howe
yer, conhder il a branch of commerce highly
important to the u. States, iuafmueh is that
Hand does draw from>us all its proviiions of
every kind. Its clothing and luxuries, that is
that half a million of people Meamof exclu-
livcly fupplied with all their wants by the COM
merce and agriculture of herUuted States /;
and that good reaions fhould be aflisned before
we ought to he induced to reIinquifh 70 impor-
tant branch. did fate that flour, falted
beef and pork, nth, rice and tobacco, ftrnifhed
comfortable portion of the means, with which
that commerce wal purified and that If inter-
prices of fome of them. The gentlenan from
Georgia has fuppoGd that there would be fuf-
hcient outlet for our -FOUR in the ports between
the Tcxel and the Baltic. Thofe ports, Mr..
Prehdent, export wheat; never knew barrel
OF Hour fhipPed from the United States to eli
Their ut them-:hey are our competitors. MIR.
Prehdent, we are advifed by the fame honoura-
BILE gentleman to begin by intert&ting This trade,
and then proceed on to thofc who have oppref,.
ed our commerce. This, fir, is curious mode,
to- begia to interdi6t the trade to thofe aeainft
whom the United States have no cauie of COM
plant, that we may be fulfilled in breaking our
commercial relations with thofe who have
oppreied our trade in every quarter of the
globe.
The hsnourable mover has faid, let us look
at our commerce aud fee how it is affected. I
with the gentleman had done us that favour
he mentioned the Eat-Indies, but there he ftop.
ped ihort, and left to each of us to look at our
commsrce In oar own way, without the promii-
ed benefit of his inftruttion. I will, Mr.. Pref
dent, take leave TO prelent to the Senate, fhort
view OF lone of its branches. That 10 the Eait-
Indies, has been conducted in two ways--the
one by exporting fpecie, and pure hating there
Glth the cotton goods of the Brti!h domnions !:
The teas, china, and nankcens of China: the flu.
gar, coffee and pepper of the Dutch, French,
and naive poiieiiions the other mode BY fhip-
ping from Europe, the goods bet fuited for In
dia, and veiting their proceeds in the articles
already fated, with which, our Gips proceed to
Ionic port IN Europe, or return home direct
nc mott beneficial part of this commerce. is
now interdieted by Great-Britain. Her king
Jays (and his admiralty court obeys) that tn.
@i5t oftbe United STATES .jSqN nor carry ON a
trade in Hne Of gvar TO Tie eoiony Of bis enemies,
not permitted 6p /feb enemy in time of beace.
from this general rule, he has Gas he fays) as
matter of favour relaxed at different times. Du.
ring the la& war, he relaxed 70 far as to permit
neutrals to carry from their own country to the
colony OF his enemy, and retIrn direct to the
nation OF the neutral Hips where he inlifted that
the cargo mutt landed, but confcnted that il
might be re-ihipped in the fame or any other
mp TOR any port IN Europe or elsewhere. But
ne absolutely forbid US TO go with orr cargoes
from India to any other country in Europe than
Great Britain.
He has, Mr.. PRECEDENT, fnce the prefent war
withdrawn part of that heh favour and now
the fhips of the u. S. are nterdicted by Great
britain from proceeding from Europe with
goods to any part of the Eaft-Indies Nay, il
10 the opinion OF one of their mott learned doc
tors OF law, that II would even be dangerous for
orr ulips to proceed from Europe to the EAT.
Indies with tpecic. He has inferdiaed us from
proceeding from his enemies colony, and from
the Eait-lndics generally even to his own ports
III Europe, or from one port in the Ea0.Indies
TO another; he denies US the liberty of export
ing the articles imported into the United States
from his enemies colony in the fame fhips in
which it was imported, (tIthough the fame be
landed and the duties Paid,) or even in any o.
Their flip, for account of the perlon who was
the importer. From this view it will appear,
that our India trade is greatly reariSted. Thus
1t has LOFT part of its importance. An important
branch OF our commerce was in time of peace
to Cadlz with -four, part of which -four was re-
ihipped oy company to Cuba; that trade
ceaied with the war. Great Britain blockades
Cadiz, and condemns orr fhps that attempts
to go in. We fupply Cuba with -four, rice,
and failed meet; bring from thence fnear, mo-
iaiies, &c. &c. This trade Great Britain az
yet permits (through her great benevolence)
provided you go to and come from the Jingle
port of Havana but condemns vonr l,ins II
they are found coming from any other port in
the Hand. For this pittance of trade to Ha-
wanna we are at the mercy of Great.Britain.
She rpay (agreeably to her law of nations) de-
priye Us of 1t at any moment, & if we can nudge
OF what (lle will DO, by what ihe has done, we
NUT espetf ihe will (witbort no,ice) caufe all
our fbips found tradiag with The colony os her
enemy, to be itiZed--her courts will condemn.
Creat-Britsin has not intsrdieted or molcasd
our trade to St. Domingo. 1t was left for the
EOnOurdDg mover tn -3raDnr---EDo do.,-.,,. =.