Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-06-28

lSoI, tor interrupting nearly the whole at
the commerce OF the said states with the
continent of Europe for limiting sucf, trade
to'pe Carried on, in future, through Rritisb
ports only, with the exception of neutral
and allied ports in certain cases,1 thereby
exposing 1t to such restrictions and du,ies,
ana even prohibitions, as the government
OF u Britain may think fit to impose up-
on It and TOR confiscating the property of
lhe citizens OF the said states, in all cases
"here the same. shall be accompanied by
PSrucuiar documents, certifying the place
OF It's growth or manufacture. -,
2 "I'has it appears to this house. that
previous to the issuing of the said orders
In council, = negotiation had been carried
on between this country and the u. States
OF America, for the maintenance of peace
ana friendship between them and that a
treaty had been actually signed, respecting
some OF the most mateiia, points i'm discus
sion that desire had been expressed by.
the government of the id United States
tor the addition of certain other provisions,
to the said treaty, and that a proposal was
made for renewing the negotiation for that
purpose; bu that this offer was abruptly
ana Unexpectedly rejected by his males.
ty's ministers
g. 9 That at the time when the said Or.
ders were issued. his majesty's ministers
mad recently received from the ministers of
inc United States in tn Kingdom, assuran-
ces that the Injurious DEGREES or his maies
tvs enenies had not, to their knowledge.
IN any one instance, been executed against
the commerce or navigation OF the United
otaees; and that from all that had passed
subsequent tothe issuing of the said dec ees,
MS maJesty's minister's had every reason
TO conclude, that any attempt of the enemy
SOTO execute the same, would he decided
~ resisted by the government Of The United
States; whereby it must have happened,
either that the said DEGREES would have
continued to be wholly nugatory and inet-
tectual, or thatthe EN- my, by endeavoring
% enforce the same, wouIdhave driven the
~ >. into closer connection with this
couutry.
5. " That it is, therefore, the opinion of
tins house, that the said orders are in them
selves UNJUST and impolitIc; III It the issu-
ing OF mem at the tine, and under the ci.-
cumstances aforementioned, was an act
of the utmost improvIGence aud rashness ::
u&nd that, by abruptly brea king off friend
~ negociation, and with holding a satisfac-
tory explanation on point, on winch it
might nave been given with So much ease
ana advantage. his majesty'S minister rs have
acted IN disregard of custrue policy, which
is to cuitiva,e the friendship of nation.
whose interests and prosperity are so intI-
mateiy interviewer with our own and have
conducted themselves in a manner the least
adapted to enable, his majesty to maintain
that maritime superiority, on which the
greatness and even the ex stencc of his EN-.
pre- so much depended"
Earl OF LAUGERDALE.-" The Orders
OF Councl! were the cause of the embargo
IN America. TWAS proved at the bar of
the mousse Yesterday, on oath, that the Or
uerSof Council were known before the em-
barge had taken place. He could not CON-
sider that measure in any other LIGHT but
as wise one of America. If She had NOT
done II the Orders of Council would have
Carried dll her SHIPS, engaged in foreign
trade INTO tue ports of TN country if
they were ony c rried I'M and detaine /,
IL would BRING on negoc iAtion, and if 4
tailed, Wac uId be the conse lueHce, and
what would follow! tn whole OF thetr
shipping would be sent into the Prize Court
and condo mned. lit was ridiculous in his
najesty's MI aisyers. to assert they do ot
believe the Orders Of C uncil were known
IN America before tine embargo. They
were known IN th.s country long before
! tney came out with the III n ster's sanction.
! he uid aver, that he had cad them in
tie public prints, long aalecedent to their
! othcia appe ardnCe, and a better account
or mem he had never seen snc .
| Lord GRANVILLE tive were CHI rged
! with tue surrender OF essential rights, with
q sS aceiui concessions. with forfeItlng the
honor OF the country There IS nothing of
that sort, i believe, in the treaty. Those
caiumnes then, tnat have been crcdIa.
ted aga nSt us, are proved to be unfoundcd /;
and wish could say, that the charges "a
sainst the present ministers in relation to
| that treaty, were equally groundess. 1t
lsweli known, that no treaty is binding I'M
I'll IT IS ratified; and every man acquaint-
ed with diplomatic AFFAIRS must confess.
that nothing IS more common than to pro-
pose amendments, additions and inser ions.
IN a treaty, after ii has been sigred. la
KING all the treaties that have been made
LOT many years, into account together, |
VIII venture to- say that there is scarcely
one OF them that has not undergone this
process. To send back a treaty, as was
done IN the case of the American treaty.
as thing wholly inadmlssble, and not ~
be entertained, merely because it propo.
SEQ some alterations, was unpret edentc /
and unjustihal.s1. Eostatesman of a sound
Judgment, and acruated nv sincere de.
SIRE OF peace, could have so acted. THIS
venture to assert-he may take which he
chooses If he dses possess sound iudg-
ment, he certainly has not sincere desire
nj E