Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-02-14

OF men, who enCleavored only 20 arrive atH
correct, and impartial Judgment.
While the committee entertain no doubt
on the soundness Of the above reasons, for
the opinion thsy have offered on the meg
pedienev Of adopting the proposed resoll-
tons, yet, as from the Language OF the
same, it would appear to be the sense OF the
mover. that the same motives and causes
produced, from both foreign nations, the
DEGREES and Orders complained Of, it may
be advisable to state such.lniormation, both
as to the dates of the several DEGREES and
Orders, as well as to the alledged grounds
of passing the same, as have come to the
knowledge Of your committee. 1t IS, also,
important that the House should be pos
sessed of whatever information can be pro-
cured, on business so interesting to them,
and which is made a pretence tor the deep
and universal calamities, which the govern
rnenf Of the United States has seen tit TO IN
hict on the ctizens--cslamities, which
press with peculiar and aggravated distress
on the good people of Massachusetts,.
twill readily be conceived, that the De-
crees and Orders, intended by these reso-
lutions, are that of France, promulgated at
Berlin, the 21st Of November, 1906, and
the orders of Great Britain, passed at Lon
don, on the 18th of November, 1907.
The French decree declares that the Brl-
fish islands, their colonies, and Dependent
cies should be considered, as in a state OF
blockade that all trade in British goods,
should be prohibited, and that all vessels,
with their cargoes, sailing to or from q.
Britain, or having onboard cargoes OF Bri-
ish.origin, should be subject to seizure and
con6scation. On the 31st December, 1906,
certain commissioners, of the British 60
vernment, having then just concluded a
treaty with minister Of the United States,
which treaty was never Submitted to the
Senate for their advisement, by direction
OF their government, presented memorial
10 the American minister, in which 1t was
distinctly declared, that if the enemy, re-
ferring to the Emperor of France and De-
cree of November 1906" should carry his
threats into execution, and if neutral ma
tons should, contrary to all expectation,
acquiesce In such usurpations, his majesty
might probably be compelled, however re-
luctantly, to rctaliate in his own Just de-
fence, and to issue orders to his cruizers TO
adopt, towards the neutrals any hostile sys-
TEN to which those neutra!s should have
submitted from his enemies In the month
Of January 1902 his Britannia majesty issu-
ed an order for preventing all commerce
from port to port Of his enemies, compre-
hending in said order, not only the ports OF
France, but those Of other nations either in
alliance with France,or subject to her domi-
Mon, have,by measures ofactive offence, or by
the exclusion of British ships, taken apart in
the present war. In the letter which accom-
panied the communication Of this order to
the Secretary Of state of the United States,
this order is stated by the British minister
to be authorized by the acknowledged prirl-
ciples of the law of nations, and to have
been induced, by knowledge, OH the part
of the British government that the measures
announced, by the decree Of the French
government of the 2lst Nov. 1905, had al
ready, in some instances been carried into
execution, BY the privateers Of hiseneny.
The American minister at Paris, in the
month Of December, I sos, requested of the
French minister of Marine, an explanation
Of the decree ofthe 21st of November, pre-
cedlng, and was answered that an Amerl-
can vessel could not be taken at sea for the
mere reason that she was going to or coming
from port OF England" The French mi
mister of marine, however, advised the A
merican minister, that it was proper, that
he should :" communicate. with the minister
OF exterior relations, as to what concerned
the correspondence Of the citizens of the
United States of America with England"
Another article declaring all merchandise
belonging to ENGLAND or coming from It's