Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-11-24
BY THE + AST MAIL.
Massacbuse.s Legislature.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
NovEMBER IS, 1903.

q whether 1t will be cxpcdicnt tor this le-
cis,ature to adopt anv measures with view
to procure repeal of the laws Of the us.
interdicting to the citizens all foreign COM
nserce, and imposing vexatious embarrass-
ments onsthe coasting trade Ito relieve the
people ofihis commonwealth from theirpre-
sent distressed state, ard to arrest the pros
gress OF that ruin which threatens TO IN.
syoIve all classes OF the community" beg
y leave to report That the committee per-,
8 ceiye with the most serious regret, that the
d;strcsses occasionsd by the several laws
Imposing an embargo, have horne with ex-s
IRENE and increasing pressure on the peo-
S BE. and everv days experience justifss a
s belief. fhat a continuance of these laws must
/. coon become iutoierable. As measures OF
coercion, they are now acknowledged to be
altogether imposent. They afford satisfac-
tionto France, and are regarded As iaeftec-
foal demonssrations OF a hostile disposition
v(sreae Britain. Upon our own counrr,;sy
thsir effects are becoming daily and palpa-s
biz more injurious. The produce of our.
asricrllturs, OF cur forests ard our fisheries
S excluded, altogether, from every foreign
market essr merchants aud mechanics are
deprived slE esaptavFnent Cur coasting
ssele is s9te@i and harrassed by griss--
essis ems Aa,.a sasiss and Cur foreign trade
s heeofniaT diverted into channels, from
Which there's no. prospect Of It's return
The sources os oar revenue are dried up,
& and government must soon resort to direct
taxation. Our sailors are forced TO expa-
triate theraselves. Strong occupations are
ofered to systetnatical evasions Of the laws,
which tend to corrupt tht spirit of hononra-
BE commerce an viii materially in;ure the
! public morals. In4act, the evils whichare
msnaced bv the continuance of this policy
are SO enormous and depiorable the sus-
pension of commerce is 50 contrary 80 the
habits ofthe people, ard So reppgnant to
their feelings and Interests, that they must
become inscl -rsble, and endanger our do
mcstic peace and the union OF these states.
AS the embargo laws have bsen the cause
of the public distress, your committee arc of
epirion, that no equal, permanent or eGsc- !
tral relief can be afforded to the citizens of
this commonwealth, but by the repeal of
these laws. They persuade themselves that
the congress oftheU. S. most be fully i'm
pressed with sense OF the total inesdcacv Of
these laws for any valuable piirPose, and of
their direct tendency to the most serious
consequences. -Four committee trust that
therefore that CONGRESS will not fail to re-
peal them. In this confidence, therefore,
ycnr committtee are of opinion, that upon
tais subject, the legislature should, IN It's
present session, conhne itself TO a repeated
disapprobation Of the laws intcrdicting fo-
reign commerce, and to instruct our sena- !
tors, and request our representatives N con-
gressto use their utmost. exertlons to pro-
cure their repeal.
Your committee might PROBABLY have
contented themselves with the preceding
remarks, hid not the late message OF the
President of the United States excited the
most serious alarm which In the present
critical state ofthe country they conceive 1t
sduty to express. They perceive with the
nest painful regret, that in the estimation or
the President, our country is TOW presented
with the only alternative OF a continued
embargo, or a ruinous war but they can
not hesitateto express their confident belief
that the wisdom OF the government may yet
End II to svoit the necessity. OF electing
between these great public calamlties. II,
however. this, severe necessity exists III 30
. gard to Great Britain, they are led by the
message TO presume it results, in great
measure, ifnoa entirely, from the deterini-
nation of the executive to adhere to the
. sor,amo+;oo os Inis-. 1907, interdicting ell
British ships of war from the waters OF the
4 United States which. has been, and as we
infer from the message, is still deemed by
the British government, measure 30 ~,
hospitable and oppressive, il not hos5ne ~
lto u -, f,,-,,, yeSl1DCrlDISs 0O-