The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-28

unauthorized by his instructions, but in dit
rect contradiction To his instructions he
thought it necessary to state this distinctly,
as the Noble Earl appeared to have misun
derstood his Noble Friend, Care would be
token M the Order, which would appear as
soon as tue course of business would allow,
that those resselS which, III the mean time.
had sailed in consequence of the confidence
reposed in the arrangement made in Anne
RIGA. should be excluded from the. operation
of that order. and that those persons who
had thus embarked their goods should not
be losers. As to the discussion Of the sub
ject, Ministers would he anxicus, when the
proper time arrived, that every possible IN
formation should be given to- Parliament
I We have already stated that a commune
cation has been made To tieputation of mcr-
chants. stating ttat aithsugh our government
have found themselves under a necessity of
disappearing of the proceedings Of MIR. Ersk-
inc. they feel themselves bound in order to the
preserving the public faith to make an order
20 protect oil american vessels which shall
sail from the United States subsequent to the
Sth OF June, for limited time that in
lnocent individuals meaning To carry on a
legitimate trade, may not i've surprised by
concentrations in an intercourse they had
reason 20 believe lawful. And in order to
put British subjects as nearly as possible
on the same footing as Americans, a com
munication has also been made to the mer-
chants, that Licences will be granted to all
who shall apply for them, To export freely
, to Holland, during such time as that trade
shall be opened to America. II appears to
us, however, that the relief ill be very
short Of what Could be wished, becau e the
Americans must have great advantage in
direct intercouI sc ior Colonial produce,
&c. but we are not aware that much more
could by any possibility be done, under tae
distressing circumstances in which this cnun
try is placed, by what has lately occurred i'm
| America.
Since writing the above, we have been
made acquainted with some further par,i-
culars; deput;-ion Of merchants waited
yesterday upon the Board u Trade, to lear,
what was meant in relation to themselves
and their commerce, under the present cir
cumstances, whereby it should appear, that
America was to be admitted for a limited
period to the unrestricted trade of the Con
tinent, from which they had been SO long ex
Guided. The proposed order Of Council. to
1 he published in SATURDAYS Gazette, was
iirst read to them; from which they learned
that Mr. ErSkine had entered into arrange
ments tor which he possessed no authority
whatever from his maiesty's government at
home, which arrangements could not of
|
ing still disposed to grant as great indulgence
as the present circumstances would admit
to the merchants of the United States, had
therefore made ii known, that all vessels
saiiing from America upon the strength of
Mr.. ErsSines void agreement, between the
9Th Of Jane aud the 9th of August ensuing,
would be permitted to proceed TO Holland
d,recti with their CargceS upnuested, not
wittstanding the ports of Holland are de
/ olared ,c be in state OF blockade. This
( being the case, the next topic of inquiry
was, what concessions were TO be made t.
British merchants trading TO the same ports
IN order to place them on an equal fooing
with the Americans: they were Informed,
as we have already said, that they we're to
/ have licences granted them for that purpose.
! The deputation considered this relief to
be extremely Inadequate. Lord Bathurst
SAID TO the gentlemen, - You are nearer TO
the Continent than America, and therefore,
with facilities which we shall grant you,
your merchandise being first there, the mar
kets will be glutted with it before the Atne.
rican ships arrive" To this it was replied,
that America being able to supply articles
at much less eXpence, the continental ira
ders would wait the arrival OF their ships
his may be the case; but we do not see
that any measure government could adopt
cocld remedy this evil, except the measure
OF lnterdicting American vessels from pro
! ceedinS ON their voyage 10 Holland aud other
places, in consequence Of Mr. Eisilne's ar
rangement; measure which could not be
adopted with any propriety towards the
American merchants, who believing as OF
course they could not do otherwise than be-
lieve, Mr. Erskine TO have acted according
! to the orders OF his government, had shipped
articles for Europe. We confess, however,
that we should rather have seen a less time
allowed than two months from the 9th or 10th
OF next jnne: Ii would, perhaps, have been
better to have sent ont a disavowal OF Mr..
! ErSkIne's arrangement as soon as possible.
1t would have reached America by the end
OF June, and the liberty To proceed to the
ports of Holland should have been refused
to all ships that should NOT sail within fort
night or three weeks after the notification OF
| our dlSavowal should have reached the diff
ferent American ports.
| Another hardship was laid before the Board
| OF trade, the hardship of those who had filled
! f1eIigoland & various other depots, with mer-
chandize to be imported into Holland and the
| North OF Europe as occasion might serve
which merchandise could no longer be sold
at very reduced rate indeed, after it was
I known that American vessels were to be
permitted to proceed to the continental ports
| This, no doubt, is a great hardship upon
our merchants, bit here again we ask, vine
ther government could apply any remedy for
IT, exceptinterdictipg American vessels from
proceeding at all to Dutch ports an inter
| diction that would be manifestly unjust &c
those Merchants in America who have given
full credit tn. and acted upon. Mr.. Erskne's
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