The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-07
COMMENTS
On the British Instructions of 18th April last.

From Co66en's Weekiy Political Register.
The American ships (the only neutral
ships now in the worldly are, observe, all en-
6argoed; that is to say, they lie in their
ports under positive law. forbidding them,
under heavy penalties. to go thence to any
other port or country in the world. To of
fer hem free passage. then, to the West
Indies. or to any otkcr port. would have been
pure absurdity upon any other supposition
than that of their setting the embargo law at
defiance. The law permits them to go from
one american fort todnotRer .fmcric0n hort
as often az they please; and, as I stated in
my last Register, they had, in scme cases
as was asserted in their newspapers, taken
advantage of this exception to run Of to ia
maica with a cargo. But there was some
danger in this; because ifmet by any of our
eruizers, they would be liable to be seized,
seeing that they could not possibly have any
other than their coasting clearance on board.
ITO secure them against this danger, the
present proclamation provides, that if they
sSv that they are bound to our settlements in
the West Indies, or Soutk-America, thew
shall not be interrupted, and that one of their
papers shall be endorsed by the English
commander who may visit them, specifying
the alledged destination aad also the place
where visited by him. This secures their
met again, and out Of the track, they are
establishing thus invited them out to
sea, and secured their arrival in our own
colonies, the Proclamation next provides for
their having due encouragement to take a
way the produce of those colonies and,
for this purpose, allows them to go with
such produce TO any part OF the world,
except to a port blockaded by us. Let us
ry an instance in detail. Jonathan Sly
,oots lies with his brig, the Fair Ame-
'ican," embargoed in the port of Boston.
There are his brothers Ezra and Ezekiel
nd Natty, and his cousins to the third gene
alton, all his scamen, lounging about for want
employment. Sugar ana Moiasses and Rum
re mounted up to double price, while lum-
er and fish and pork are sunk to half price.
VOW" SAYS Jonathan, "Pf not 'bide
ere" Hebuys a cargo of lumber and pro-
isions, to the custom house he goes as bold
S lion, and there he demands and obtains
clearance for Norfolk vi Wilmington or
charleston or Augusta. He is on board at
hree strides. up goes the anchor, and off
,oes the Fair American for Jamaica, leav-
ng the enbargoed crews, whose master has
less enterprise than hers, to eat molasses and
drink rum at a double price, while they
themselves have no pay. She is met by one
of our crnizerS at sea but upon alledging
that she is going to Jamaica, her papars are
endorsed and she is suffered to pass. Thus,
our islands obtain provisions and lumber
81 Well now" says Jonathan, 4" vow, you
Governor man, l don't like to 60 back Just
yet. I'll go to those Frenchmen's sountry
with e cargo of coffee" In he takes it, and
nway he goes to France. IF he be met by one
of our cruizers, he has the passport of the
Governor of Jamaica to show if he be met
0y French cruizer, I'll trust to Jonath ans
ingenuity to convince him that he took in his
cargo at Martinico; which ingenuity will al
so serve his turn when he comes into p;;r;isaiil
or Havre-de- Grace-Thus we make the enc
my consume our colonial produce, while we
prevent neutrals from carrying him any from
his colonies.
The King Of EvestbhaHa's Decree 70 burn Some
British Goods found at Hamburger,
We, Jerome Napoleon, &c. &c. on the report
OF our Minister of Justice, and for the home de-
partment, have ordered, and do order as follows
: Art. l. The English goods that have been
seized at Marburgh, ON the 1st inst. BY order of
The Prefect of the department of the Ware,
T. which have been discovered TO be English Jr,..
nutacture, by the merchants and assessors ofth,.
population of commerce, charged with examin-
ing them, and being also designated as such on
the book Of the House of Weneeker and Co. at
Wetalar, shall be immediately burnt on the pub
hc places at Marburgh.
" Art. H. Our minister of Justice and for the
nome department, is charged with the execution
OF the present Decree, which shall be inserted in
the Bulletin of the Laws''
Done in our Royal Palace ut Ca,sel, FebrrIa