The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-15

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states has sustained from the c,yizers oi
France and Spain, it is their object in the
present memorial, to confinc their animal
versions to the more alarming. because more
numerous and extensive detcntipns and con-
dennations OF American vessels by G. Eri-
tam ; and to advert to the principles recently
avowed and adopted by. her courts, re-
| iatlve to neutral trade in articles Of colonial
l'rohnce Principles which If ,.dm,trcd. or
practised upon IN all the latitude which may
fairiy be inferred to be intended, lwo,lld be
| destructive OF the navigation and radically
impair the most lucrative Commerce of
our country"
After going into train CT reasoning to
shew that the professions of Great.Rrit:,;n
are manifest violation OF the neutral rights
Oh TINS nation, they conclude by s. yings' but
Whatever may have been the motives Tor the
proceedings on the part of Great Britain,
the effect Is notorious. From her recent
Conduct great losses have been sustained.
our commerce has been checked ard o,bar-
raised, and large quantities of nrndnce NO
now remaining locked up in this country
winch were purchasedf2r foreign markets,
because our merchants cannot sead it abroad.
without taking risks ON themselves which
prudence would not justify, or without pay
| ing such rates for insurance as The trade of
| the country caanot afford"
his memorial is in support of the very
trade which the gentleman from Connecticut
says lie w>ud not so to war for Nos; a
different language is held by the sisncrs Of
inns petition, under the increased injuries
we nave sustained; and / am only sorry for
the character of the United States that this
difference Of language has taken place.
The gentleman from Delaware. Mr..
White) has said that b. repeating the en-
Dargo, we can now carry ON a safe and Sc
| cure trade to the extent Of nearly four ffhs
ot the amount of our domestic p-oduc lions.
mere is nothing more delusve and better
calculated to impose on those vino do not in
Vestlgate subjects than these calculations in
gross. 1T the gentleman will take the trou-
Die to make the necessary enquiries. he will
ma that instead OF Great Britain taking to
the amount he suppnses of domestic produc-
tons, she takes nothing like it 1t is true
that large proportion of our domestic cx-
ports IS shipped ostensibly to Great Britain
but 1t is equally true that very large pro-
portion OF these very exports find their way
INTO the continental ports For the British
merchants in their examination before the
Rouse OF Commons, already alluded tn saw
; that three tourths of their receipts for eX-
portation to The United States have been u
sually drawn from the continent: and that
oven II the embargo was removed and the
orders In council were continued, they must
stop their expectations, because die CONT
mental ports would be closed against Ame-
| rican vessels; because their coaSs swarm
with English cruiZers, the French must
Know that the American vessels attempting
10 enter have come from an English bort
nat they had facilities of CONVEYANCE to
the continent prior to the orders in council,
the merchants acknowledged and when
requested to explain the mode Of conveyance.
they begged to be excused No doubt every
gentleman has seen these dispositions, or
might have seen them, for they had been
published in almost every paper on the con-
tihent. 1hey have opened to me and my
constituents scene perfectly new. They
tell you that the Berlin decree was nothing
Notwithstanding that decree, thew had a
facility of conveying produce into the CONT
mental ports; but the orders # couuel com
| pieteiy shut the ports of the continent a
Sainst the entrance OF American vessels
oh snlS point there was no contrariety of D.
Pihion and several of these merchants de
ciared that they had sent vessels to the
| tinent very few DAYS before the date of tL,.
orders of council. This clearly shews that
any conclusion to be drawn from the gross
| amount OF exports must be faiiacious, and
| t'2at probably three fourths ought to be de-
""NISu from Tie gross amount ms state
ment OF the gentleman from Delaware.
winch holds out to the public he prospect
OF lucrative trade in four ifths of their
exports, will certainly have a tendency to
| render them uneasy under the privatols
whcf they are called upon to suffer by the
iniqultons measures of foreign nations. Al
| though the statement was extremely delu-
sl'e' do not say that the gentleman meant
! 20. deiude by 1t. This however being the
effect OF the gent eman's assertion I am
certainly warranted in saying that the evil
dence OF the British merchants who carry
on TINS trade, is better authority than the
| gentlenan's statements.
But admit, for the sake Of argument, and
on no other ground would ] admit it, that
these 8 SO statements are correct, and that,
at the time the embargo waa adopted, these
orders IN council, Notwithstanding the trade
Oh ire United States. could have been Carl
ed on to this extent. What security have
We VI the embaogo had not been laid, after
submitting and compromising the national
dignity and independence, that the Britisl.
! aSgressons and orders ~ council would have
stopped at the point at which we find them ,
rave we not conclusive evidence to thc CON
rafy! Are We not officially notifcd that
the French Lee ward Islands are declared by
! proclamation IN a state Of blockade And
Go we net know that this is bat cayrying into
! eHcct report # the Committee ~ The Bri-
tish jimlSc OF Ccmmots ca the West Imi!1