The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-29
(CoNcLuDEp.)

United states OF America tomerchantS here.
The evidence of Mr.. Wood and Mr.. Phil
lips is quite decisive on the subject. They
tell you that in general about fifteen months
credit is given for goods shipped to the A
merican market from this country. Their
testimony will be found in pages 1 and 3, and
is corroborated by all the other merchants,
uniting nearly in the same opinion, and sta
ting the average credit usually given at from
twelve to fifteen months. Now, l have be-
fore proved to you that the average exports
from this county to the United States of A
,merica amounted in 1906, to 12,S56, SSH.
sterling and have shown that they were
increasing yearly. And now, if the Orders
in Council have the effect of preventing pay
ments for goods that might have been here
after shipped, in the same manner will they
prevent the payment for those goods which
have been already shipped, and for which
America is still indebted to us. shall adj
mt, tor the sake OF argument, that the sum
OF one-third may still be received in pay
ment, by means of consignments direct, that
Is, about four millions of the sums SO due !;
but even upon this favorable supposition, you
still remain creditors of America to the e.
normous amount of eight millions sterling,
which by your own act and deed, you have
prevented the Americans from all possibility
of repaying you. You have cut off all other
modes of payment, except by importation of
their own produce, although America may
be as willing to repay as you could be to re-
ceive. This effect arises too from measures
which you say are intended for the protect
on of merchants and the encouragement of
your trade. Be that as it NAV, such say is
evidently the fatal effect of them. You have
prevented America from being able to do
that justice towards you, which she is incli-
ned honestly, as well as prudently to do.
Let us look then to the consequences of this
state of things Your capital, to this amount
of eight millions, must remain in the United
States; but whether it is to remain there j.
die or not, is another consideration. Will
congress, for the sake of giving encourage
mont IN trade and manufactures. make some
enactments in the nature of your Orders in
Council VIII they, after the manner of
those precious measures, prohibit manufac-
lures, embargo their towns, and stop the in
ternal commerce of the country, by warnings
and yisitingss Willthey, as you would, We
.rily believe, in their place, issue some twen-
ty orders to lock up the capital which have
stated England has made them present of,
and prevent its being employed until the
intercourse with Europe is restored No.
no; they will not copy you so close they
will give their trade and Manufactures
every facility ; they are rather better
politicians than the wise trainers of your de-
SIcCS luey Will tiilS Capital ana
make it coRduce to truly beneficial ends, not
by such Orders in Council as yours, but by
measures really adapted to the encourage
ment OF trade ay, and let me tell you, sir,
to the purpose of "retorring upon England
the evils of her own injustice" For you will
see this capital producing new branches of a.
gricuiture and of internal trade new bank
ing and other monied schemes; new manu-
features, which have never before been |
thought of, FOR this plain and simple reason,
because their capital was never adequate |
10 the arduous task; and what little capital
they had, found other means Of employment
in purchasing the produce and manufactures
of our country.
The contrary of all this, however, is conf |
IDENTIFY expected by those great statesmen,
who framed the Orders in Council. They I
pretend that our manufactures never can be |
supplanted that they must be had by all /
nations; that happen what WILL they must
md their way to market. And truly
must say, that this would be comfortable
doctrine, if it were not already falsfed by
much experience not only by the effects of
commercial blunders in other countries, but
by the operation Of our own navigation act, a
produce Of wiser and better times; a mea-
sure well deserving the U,le of encourager of
trade. The effect of this celebrated system
upon the trade of Holland and other states,
should admonish you, that it is possible for
tue staple industry of n country to be taken
from it, and to be forced into other channels.
The CARRYING trade of the world, the money
traffic in all It's branches, insurance, banking,
loans, stock, in short, every part of the large
which the Dutch had monopoized
For ages, and with pretensions as superior to
yours, as your present claims to monopoly |
of manufacturing industry are above those Of
your neighbors, all this staple and exclusive
was, If not destroyed, at least sha-
ken opieces by an act of the really wise and
effsctual promoters of English trade, who
once SAT in this house and England became
possessed of what Holland lost
The staple Of Holland was thus suddenly for
red into the channel of England, many years
before The transference could have been eff
fected in the natural course of things. Let
us then learn from that encouragement which
t is the Just boast of our own navigation sys-
tenn to have given to our commerce, this les
son Of experience, that it is not impossible
o connteract nature and shift the seat of arts,
~ the force of political arrangements. l.
might prove this still further by the effects
If another boosted part of your commercial
policy, the wool laws. ] might illustrate it
BY referring to whole histories of Spain,
France, Italy, or to former periods Of our
)wn history. But, sir, not TO go to other
countries, upon the present occasion, it is
g.. all a., |