Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-04-07
CngrsS efth: United Slater 81
EousE or REPRESENTATIVES. NJ 1:l
: Ma.sEMoTTs .sPEEcH. 4
y, zsr. Macon's bill on toe motion TO- <ad
= - .-.. here. ..----'~..
- :icoNT1NuKp,l -.

o.. :fcoNr1SuEp,l
Once more from the state of the Euro.
,.,n world it appears necessarily to result
that British navigation will not speedily de:
cr,a.e. All Europe is in state OF war and
there in scarcely merchant vessel ;afloat
which does not belong to Great Britain
T, seems 70 follow that the continental ma
ZION. nn,t have recourse to- British ship.
nipe to carry away and barter their sur
plus productions.
, Do we want any proof of the aourishing
state of British commerce and navigation
under the French DEGREES. We have 1t |
think in abundance: We have it in the dai-
" accounts of arrivals in England of large
fleets of merchantmen from the Baltic, sea
surrounded by nations who on paper have
adopted the French regulations. We have
it ia the list of vessels from Holland, a
country which has not only incorporated
the French DEGREES in its laws, but which
is in state of open and actual hostility with
England, and yet the ship news has an
nounced the arrival of not less than twenty
merchantmen from that country in single
por. in England in one Gay. We have it in
the licences, which are openly. granted by
the British government to its subjects 10
trade with the continent, and indeed with
France itself. 1.-THE French DEGREES really
sealed up the continent against the British
as many seem to imagine, it is strange ,has
the merchants, who generally understand
their own interest, would solicit those IL
eenees, or that the government would grant
them.
If we want farther proof we have it in
the price of British goods which the dealers
in them say are on the advance and which
shews that the demand for them is not de-
creasiug. But above all we have it in that
best of mercantile thermometers the re-
ceipts of the customs. From the late En-
glsh papers it appears that the British Gus,
toms for the last year have gone much be-
you'd the financial estimates, but that they
exceeded the receipts OF the former yea,
upwards o. one million six hundred thou.
sand pound sterling or mere than seven
millions Of dollars.
Bur thrre arc still farther reaoons 70, be.
lieving that the British shipping will no,
soon want employment. Let it be recollrct.
ed that almost all the French and Dutch
| colonies in both hemispheres have changed
! masters and that their productions which
formerly gave activity and profit to so ma.
ny neutrals, are now carried by the English.
The extent and importance CT this trade is
wen known in this country i, has for ma.
ny years been a standing topic of discus
sion in this house and our official papers a,
we'll as public prints have evinced the vas,
injury done US by the British in their at.
| ,empts to circumscribe and fetter it as car.
ried on by neusrals. Let it also be recol.
! !ected that the war as it has been conducted
by the French emperor, has thrown oren
to the English the Spanish and Portuguese
possessions in South America, which EN-
brace almost the whole'of that continent.--
The Il ade of that country is now carried on
almost exclusively by the British and has
therefore given much additional employ to
British shipping.
lie. US then Danish the idle apprehension
II indeed We entertain it, that the British
will attempt to rival US in our ports and in
our own trade because they want employ
msus elsewhere. The thing under exist
ing circumstances is altogether improbable.
Besides, let me ask gentlemen if they have
approximations on this subject whether it is
not in time to provide for the evil when we
are sure it Is approaching! We ought no.
to iegislate on possibilit, so remote, on aa
event which. though some may fear, no
thinking unPrejudiced man expects.
Ihasihese regulations are unnecessary is
also proved by a recurrence to our situation
at the commencement Of: our restrictive sys-
tenn. British merchant vessels were then at
liberty 70 enter eur waisss and yet all our
shi,s snd all oar ssltoss had smpaoy !; it
;wss not then believed or suggvsssd tina.
English enserpria. exceeded American en-
tsfprizs, or that the British could rival US
10: our trade and in our own. waters The
ciass Of citizens interested in shipping re.