Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-02-06
. LoSDoN, .Aop. ! s.
Restrictions on British Commerce.

BY the continental papers we slcarn, tia
the Dutch government have adopted moro
vigorous decree than any which has Hitherto
been issued against British commerce. Al
colonial produce and manufactures whatever
that are suspected only of having come from
England, or her dependencies, are III future
to be liable to seizure. This outrageous de
cree against property, under the clement sway
of Bonaparte, reminds us of one something
similar against persons under the Mid reign
of Robespierre, which subjected to the gulio.
tine any one who might be g su&fect d'etrt
! cout-eonneur,'' 8, suspected Of bcins suspi-
cious person" The frequency, however
with which these proclamations appear, sfews
in a great decree the inefhsicacy Of them. To
(! legislate against a peoples endeavoring to
supply their wants, seems almost as nrepos-
ferrous, as to leglslate against their ieeiing
them.
The French have assumed the complete
dominion. of the Elbe. A letter Of the first
mentions, that they had taken possession OF
the guagd-ship at Cuxhaven that they sui
fered no vessel to pass without making the
stlictest search; and that, If there was the
least reason to auspect she either came from
an English pnrt, Or lad the Entlsh property
on board, she was defined, and, IL most ca
ses, after very loose and expeditions pro-
cess, condemned. TO give greater effect to
these measures, the French were about 10 re-
move the armed ship usually stationed at
TwiclenAesh to Tnxhaytn. Even the Ban
kanese fishermen have been prohibited From
nnder pain Of military punishment. Livery
precaution was taken, at the same time, to
prevent any intercourse with Heligo Island.
At Euxhaven, at Altona, and al GtuAstadt,
the principle Of the French decree aganstthe
commerce of England is as rigidly enforced
as it is at any port Of France or Holland -
Ships under the Portuguese and american
Aass are daily detained, and subjected to eve
ry species of exacton and vcxatlon, undcr
pretence that advice had been received of their
coming frem England.
November 81.
Among the articles in the French papers,
that lately reached this country, there are tive
which we think peculiarly deserving OF atten-
ton the first relates TO the treat between
Russia and Turkey. and latter OF the future
condition of Stettin and DanElc,
We before gave as our opinion that the con-
tending claims Of the emperor Alexander and.
the sublime porte, would be adjusted by the
interference OF France, and that she, like the
umpire in the fable, would seize large por-
ton Of the disputed property as her own share.
It now appears, that the iinel terms OF the
treaty, which was begun in Silistria, are to.
be settled in Paris. Bonaparte tirst ordered
the respective forces ofthc two powers to re-
cede mutually from the provinces OF Nseidayia8
and Waliachia ana it now remains to be
seen hosg great portion oftkat fertile country
he may be pleased to Claim Tor himself. o.
some Of his adtercats, to which he has abso~
luteiy not even the slightest Pretence oflsSht.
We shall only remark, upon this subject, that
Nj. Caudncourt must possess as much address
IN speech as he Showed dexterity in action,
when he carried Off the unhappy duke 4 Eng
hien, If he can persuade the emperor Aiclall-
der, that it is for bis advantage to lecede SO
tar from the soath of europe as the treaty to
be concluded at Paris will probably compel
him; tor nothing can be more obvious, than
that whoever possesses the province above
mentioned, possesses also free and undisput- !,
ed passage to the Ukraine, and from thence
to the very heart of the Russian doninions
besides being in the rear Of Austria. The {
mere nominal independence of these powers !:
must be gone, if the French obtain a firm set /
tlement beyond the Danube, with conmu- I
nicaiion 10 it from the north Of ITALY and this
communication can never be wanting, when !
we observe the ambiguous state OF Trieste,
the final assignment to France Of the country
ct the Cattaro, the grea. event Of the king |
dom Of Italy las it is cal!sd) eastward, and