Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-05-24
WASHINGTON, Nay IS.
MeHage to Congre1s.
This day, at 10 o'clock, the President OF the
II. States communicated to both houses
of Congress the following
MESSAGE E:

of Congress the following
MESSAGE
Felgu-C Citizens Of the Senate,
And Of the Hoase Of Representatives.
ON this first occasion OF meeting you, lt
affords me much satisfaction to be ablelo
communicate the commencement OF a Ia
vorable change in our foreign relations the
critical state of which induced a session OF
Congress at this early period.
In consequence of the provisions OF the
act i~nterdicting commercial intercourse with
Great Britain and France, our ministers at
London and Paris were, without delay, IN
structed, to let it be understood by the
French and British governments, that the
authority vested in the executive to renew
commercial intercourse with their respective
| nations, would be exercised by the case spe-
cited in that act.
Soon alter these instructions were dis
patched, it was found that the British go
vernment, anticipating, from early proceed
ings Of. Congress at their last session, the
state of our laws which has had the effect OF
placing the two belligerent powers on a loot
ing of equal restrictions, and relying on the
conciliatory disposition of the United States,
had transmittedto their legation here, pro-
.v~isional instructions not only to offersatlstac-
ton for the attack on the frigate Chesapeake,
and to make known the determination OF his
Britannia majesty, to send an envoy extra
ordinary with powers to conclude a treaty
on ~allpoints between the two countries but
moreover, to signify his willingness, in the
mean time, to withdraw bis orders in coun-
Gil in the persuasion that the intercourse
| with Great Britain, would be renewed on
the part of the United States.
These steps of the British government
led to the correspondence and the proclama-
ton now laid before you,by virtue Of which
the commerce between the two countries
| will be renewable after the1oth Q June. next.
Whilst l take pleasure in doing Justice to
the councils ofhis Britannia majesty, which
no longer adhering to the policy which made
an abandonment BY France Of her DEGREES a
prerequisite to a revocation of the Brush
orders have substituted the amicable course
which has issued thus happily cannot do
on the Bar psr ffeF IT the gproPy0sqtl t hYsgEpsa5atlRgsa mif IDS
restoration ofthe suspended commerce, as
a proofof the spirit OF accommodate on which
has at no time been intermitted and to the
result which now calls for our congratula-
tons, as corroborating the principles by
which the public councils have been guided
during a period OF tEe most trying embar-
rasmentse
The discontinuance Of the British orders
as they respective U. S. having been thus
arranged, a communication of the event has
been forwarded in one Of our public vessals
to our minister plenipotentiary at Paris, with
instructions to avail himself Of the import
ant addition thereby made to the considera-
tons which press on the justice of the French
government, a revocation of its DEGREES, or |
such a modification of them, as that they |
shall cease to violate the neutral commerce
of the U. States.
The works Of defence for our seaport
towns and harbours, have proceeded with
as much activity, as the season of the year
and other circumstance would admit. 1t
is necessary, however, to state, that the APP
preparations hitherto made being found to be
deficient, a further provision will claim the
early attention of congress.
The whole of the eight percent stock re-
naming due by the United States, amour
ing to FIVE millions three hundred thousand
dollars, had been reimbursed on the last day
of the year 1903, And on the first day Of
April last, the sum in the treasury exceeded
nine and a half millions of dollars. This, |
together with the receipts of the current
year on account of former revenue bonds,
will probably be nearly, if not altogether suf-
hcient to defray the expenses Of the year.
TIE enenarc;nn Of eYnorfs and the CON