Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-03-28
CangrsG of the United States.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THURSDAY, March %.
.ReGtrtion ofths army aud Navy.

r Reductions Q f,hs army aud Navy,
Mr.. RANDOLPH said he wished to sub
NIT a motion 10 the house which was Of a
na,u,e that would require, perhaps, at least
Justify some gepsral observations. During
his unavoidable absence from his duty in
the house the present session, Mr.. X. said
! !, had bssa some consolation to him to re.
feet taat if he had been unable to participate
in any of the measures which the wisdom
Eof,he government, might have devised to
raeet the necessity of the state,at least those
n,easures we're not retarded or impedcd by
any opposition Of his. True it is, (said he)
that at the distance at which | was placed
from the seated government, and through
the medium through which viewed its
measures, twas impossible for me to dis
eern any thing like system pursuing or a.
bout TO be pursued by the government of
this nation. But this, sir, attributed %
my own want of Information, not 70 the
want Of decision or wisdom in the govern.
rnent., ! flaitsred myself that'when should
have reached the seat Of government, when
should be on the spot, that l should then
at least be able to discern degree of
something ike regular system Of policy
pervading the great councils of the nation.
But, sir, using all the means accessible 70
me, during the time that l have Teen in
Washington, have been unable TO detect
any thing like design ANY thing Xix: concert
any thing like plan about to be pursued by
- L u al
cerns---I ought perhaps to- say, until this
moment. But I understand, sir, at length
the budget has been opened that a system
has been brought forward for raising sup.
plies BY loans and by additional taxes. 1t
is in relation to this SYSTEM that the motion
am about to make viii stand. ! had in.
deed supposed. sir, that when the govern.
mens Of the United States should get into
operation at this session, the FIRST act would
be (if indeed we could not build up to
pull down that which every one seemed 20
acknowledge was Insufficient, ridiculous,
and hurtful: I allude - the celebrated
non intercourse law: & I certainly should
have fell, it my duty to submit motion on
tina, subject as soon as I took my seat, it
had not been informed sha, a, bin was in
traaSitu between the two houses to effect
that object. Why indeed the nation should
have tolerated this acknowledged evil, !
never have been enabled to discover. had
supposed that the first step would have been
70 do away the confessed evil, by way of
prspa, alton for some substantial good. In
this, however. I have been unfortunately
mistaken. Whsther the people ofthe u.
STAGES were ever to retrieve thar hourishipg
somwsTce which had been SO .childishly
spoiled, Mr.. r. said il was not for him TO
undertake to determine. Commerce was
4 delicate, a ticklish thing-and when it
had formed for itself new channels, Ike
the mighty water course, it was difficult in.
deed TO turn It back into the old. But, If
the commerce, of the United States was.
ever to he >regained, The would venture to
say. that it wasrnot to be brought back by
additional duties. The embargo and non
intercourse---he had almost forgotten to
mention that the non.importasion act, had
changed the habits aud feelings and princi-
plcs OF the mercantile class In this country.
As foreseen aud predicted, a.system of
smuggling, Ut illegal trade the smost ruin
Gus TO the fair trader, the most injuriousto
The agricultural interest, and destructive to
the revenue that could be conceived, had
been organised. A man has nothing TO do
fsaid Mr.. Randolph) but to go into the
market and give premium to have his
cotton or tobacco placed in Liverpool or
London, or 70 have an assorted Cargo of
nrnh;bited Foods placed In any street. of
Balirnefe or philadelphia. Whether shese
habits;will ever be checked, il. belongs net
60 ME 10 prediet--but they certainly will
nsvef be checked by high duties operating
as q premium % smuggling. 49,.