The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-06-16
CONGRESS.
FROM THE MONITOR.

4 nc S&oSt0NCc y'NIT. GffeSS O6SeTUQEto!S
on The foHoTuins amendment Proposed to
the Bill for anendihg and continuing The
no't-interconrse lao, &C. -.
+. That the provisions of the two first sec.
lions OF the act, entitled An act TO inter
United States and Great Britain and France,
and their dependencies. and for other pur-
poses, shall extend to all public armed ships
and vessels of all foreign nations, and the
same shall be and are hereby continued and
made permanent, subject nevertheless to any
notifications or regulations which may here:
after be made by treaty.
Mr.. G. said, he felt himself constrained
to move this amendment at this time, because
he found it impossible to avoid a considera-
ton Of the subject involved in it, although he
had heretofore hoped that it would not ne
cessarily pass in review during the present
session. He said this necessity atese from,
the; Limitation of these. sections of the act
at the last session. The connection 'of
these sections with the commercial non in
tercourse system was contrary to his opini-
on at that time-he then wished the subject
to be taken up and acted uponIn a separate
bill, and made the permanent law Of the land.
Ills opinion then gave way to the respect he
felt for the opinion of others. This will APP
pear from the resolution he then moved TO
ertend the interdictionto :he tu6lic armed
shifts and vesseis of all foreign nations. In
consequence OF connecting that subject with
the general commercial non intercourse, and
limiting its duration with that act, it was
now rendered a very delicate question His
proposition, however, was to do now what it
was right To have done at the last session. He
said chat the proposition was foundedupon the
principle, that the u 5. had as absolute and
unquailhed right to exclusive Jurisdiction
over the marine leagues usually attached to
independent nations, to their territorial
jurisdiction, and as consequence ftom that
principle, foreign nations had no more right
to send armed ships within our acknowledge
ed marine jurisdiction. than they had to
send an army within our territorial juris-
dlction. This proposition is therefore mere.
ly municipal. formed upon an unquestionable
right, and it is dictated by the same spirit
| OF imPartiality, as that which dictated the
original non-intercourse law. Indeed, it
appeared to him, the only impartial course
now leit us, as it, respects the belligerents
towards the belligerents 1t ought to pre-
serve the most perfect imhartialify, which
Mr. Canning so justly tells us, is the essence
| II neutrafity.
MIR. q. saidit could not escape observation
that IN the overtures made by the British
CABINET tor the revocation of the orders in
or November, the obligation to protect our
neutral rights against France, heretofore
offered on the part of our government, in
case OF her perseverance in her hostile edicts,
mad been entirely overlooked, or uncondItion-
ally dispensed with. He said he derived
much satisfaction from this liberal conduct ON
the part OF the British government; because
Il manifested confidence in the honor and
Iirmness OF our government, which must be
peculiarly gratifying to every American !;
out 1t rather increased than lessened the
ooiigatlon to persevere in protecting our
neutral rights against French aggressions, if
they should be persevcred in contrary to his
expectation.
The motive or ground of resisting the ag-
gresSons OF France cannot under this over
lure De mistaken. In the former case, it
might have seemed, as if the resistance was
dictated by stipulated obligation to Great
Britain to make it i'll this; it Can only be
oictated by just sense of our own honor,
character ana interests, which is left perfect
~ uncontrolled by the British overture
AS this latter motion is the more honorable,
IT o1ghtto be the more scrupulously adhered
to and enforced. lie had no hesitation in
saying he had uniformly been influenced by
TINS motive alone, entirely disconnected with
any stipulated obligation TO G. Britain and
under this influence alone, he would be found
at a Ii times, AS ready to resist the aggressions
OF France, as he had at any time been those
OF G Britain, if they should unfortunately
be persevered in but at the same time he
wished TO take away every pretext for such
perseverance. by perseyering in conduct
OF the strctest and most scrupulous Impair
TALLY towards all the belligerents.
At the last session, he had supposed under
the general Introduction of all foreign armed
vessels, some regulations and notifications
as exceptions from the general rule, might
be made by law bnt further reflection has
satisfied him, that the preferable mode was
by treaty.
He would state two or three reasons for this
preference
4. 1t will tend to avoid collisions with all
foreign nations. Regulations made by law
might not suit the views of foreign nations,
whereas their consent would be necessary in
treaties.
2. It will give us the aid of stipulated
obligation on the part Of the foreign nation
making the treaty, to enforce the arrange
ment. In the case of Great Britain this con-
sideration is ofgreat Importance impor-
lance results from the strength of her navy,
compared with the weakness Of ours.
8. BY treaty we may Obtain what the law
Iyers call qnid fro quo. We may want al
some future time, the use of some British ports
which she would readily give for the use of
ours. He said he would act literally with
her in this respect; AID he believed, copsi
dering G. Britain now at war, and the United
states at peace, it would rather accelerate
than retard the expected negotiation. He
said he was as much opposed TO throwing a.