The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-11-20

Gnenionis. di,li we now ACCEPT of repsra.iou
for the attack on the Chef,peake, and wave rho
aita'nmert ofthe grand principle itief-or fhal
we ieize the prcient moment, and itrike for eve
~ thing! Our own maxim is. now, Aaf C.efar
aD nxiias. Better Unfit upon every thing nozv |;
when the whole of Europe is in battalion''
againtt G. Britain than calmly wait, few
years isnger.
NOTE.
That the reader may fee how much more
liberal our own laws already are. than thofe of
@. B. we prcft.nt him with the following view
OF the laws of Virginia on this fuhieet.
In confequence of feaman having been fent
from Norfoif, to be tried in a foreign court, on
tuipicion of being an acco,uplice IN mut;ny
on board Of a Britfh vefia Of war the Hermio.
ne) the Legislature turned their attention to-
wards the fuhie9 and palTcd law in 1901 .
The firtt fiction of this law declares 80 That
| any perion who fhall hereafter, of his own free
will and accord. by the pesfus iion of, or COM
oinatiou with any foreign agent, or any other
pericn, being an alien, or citizen Of this com
monwcalth, or Of any other of the u. S. deli.
yer mp or furrendcr, or caufe to be delivered I'D
or fnrreudered, either by his own authority, or
under colour of any officer Whatsoever, held,
| or claimed to he held, under the authority OF
monweah, or of any other of the u. S. or any
| other free perfon whomfoever, being within the
limits OF this commonwealth, and entitled to
| the protection of the laws thereof, during his
rehdence therein, to be transported beyond fea
or efewhere, without the u. States, fl,alI on
conviction Of every fuch offence, he adjudgcd
felon, &C." if.st
The Sd fiction declares that if the perfon 70
delivered up, he transported to any place with
out the jurfdi6tion of the courts Of this coun-
I, try, and he tried, condemned and executed,
every perfon concerned in iuch delivery ihal be
adjudged felon, and fuffer death.
! From the generaltenor of this atf, the magic
trates had refuied to ifi'ne warrants to appre-
bend ,deierters, even from a merchant vefiel.
In confeGnence of this Mr.. l.. w. Tazcweli
| (the Delegate from the borough of Norfolk
propoted a bill to the Legislature of 1904 s {;
which he introduced in the following manner.
"He obieryed that whenever fcsHieH defeTtet
any American veiies, the captain enjoyed all
| the necefary means of redrefs; by an application
to the magiitrate, he could obtain warrant to
apprehend the delinquent. and he could thus
compel him to comply with his ftipulated con.
tract. But fhould the captain of foreign yef
Tel apply to the fame authority, he could not en-
! Joy the famemsans ofredrefs. No magifrate had
conceived himfelf authorized by the act of af
| femby of 1900 to iifue his warrant for the an.
| prehenioD of feaman, who had ar,icled him
| fe'f to the captain of foreign veifel. What
wasthe c1niequence? The feamen hearing of
the Interpretation, which had been put upon
this act by the magifrates of Virginia, would
| frequently defert their veGtls upon coming into
port, although they had bound themfelves by a
mott facred contract, and although they might
have received part of their wages in advance.
! Having thus violated their contract, they would
| then make a boat of their IMMUNITY, aud laugh
| at the difappointnent, the importantly and the
! impotence of their Captain. Being a reiident
Of the Target fea-port town in Virginia, fuch
iccnes had frequently been the iubjects of his
, obiervation and regret. He had fometimes feen
| in Norfolk, the crews OF or 10 veiieis going
st large in she freets, becaufe there was no
competent authority or 1T leaf no authority ac-
cording 70 The interpretation of the law, to COM
| pei them 10 obedience. &c. &c"
| After fome notifications, this bill paf'ed into
a law, which contains the following fiction.
{" BE 1t enatsed ky tie General hgcm5lp, That
ii any ieaman or mariner, not being citizen of
this commonwealth, or OF any of the United
States, who ihail have ligned contract 10 per-
form voyage on board any merchant hip 'oy
VcDI (either hip or veiiel OF the United States,
or of any foreign nation nation whatfoever) fhall
at any port or place within this commonwealth,
deisrt, lhail abient himief from fuch iho or
"ehrl, without the leave OF the matter, or other
officer commanding 10 the abience of the mai
ter, it ibsIl be lawful for any jultce of the peace
, OF any county or corporation within this com
! monweaitb, upon the complaint of the matter
| OF iuch .hp or veilei, other officer command
ing in the abience of the matter TO ffue his war
| rant to apprehend fuch feaman or mariner, and
bring him before 'uch jutice; aud if il fhall ap-
pear by due proof, that fuch ieaman or mariner
has igned contract as aforefad, and that the
voyage agreed for, is not fniihed, altered, or
| the contract otherwile difi'ived, and that the
ieaman or mariner has deierted the fhIp or vef-
! trl, or abieDted himielf without leave, the faid
juftce ihall commit him TO the Jail of his coun-
ty or corporation, there 10 remain until fuch
! fhip or vtiel fhall be ready to proceed on her
voyage, or till the mater, other officer COM
mandlng in the abienCe Of the matter, ihaIl re-
quire his dfcharge, and then to he delivered TO
iuch matter, or other officer commanding in the
abience OF the matter, he paying all the colt OF
fuch commitment"
COMMUNICATION.