Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-11-06

| The manufacture of cannon and small arms
| has proceeded with due success, and the stock
| and resources of all the necessary munitions
are adequate to emergencies. 1t Will not be
| inexpedient, however, for Congress to au-
thorise an enlargement of them.
Your attention will of course be drawn to
such provisions, on the subject OF our naval
force, as may be required for the services to
which it NAV be best adapted. / submit to
Congress, the seasonableness, also, OF an au-
thority to augment the stock OF such materl-
ais, as are imperishable in their nature, or may
not at once be attainabie.
In contemplating the scenes which dlstin-
euish this nomentous epoch, and estimating
their claims to our attention, it is impossible
to overlook those developing themselves, "a
mong the great communities which occupy
the southern portion of our own hemisphere,
and extend into our neighbourhood. An en-
larged philanthropy, and an enlightened Tore
cast, concur in imposing on the National
Councils an obligation to take deep interest
in their destinies to cherish reciprocal sentl-
ments of good will to regard the progress OF
events and not to be unprepared for whate-
yer order of things may be ultimately esta-
blished.
Under another aspect of our situation, the
early attention of Congress will be due to the
expediency of further guards against evaslons
and infractions of our commercial laws. The
practice of smuggling, which is odlous every
where, and particularly criminal in free 60
vernments, where, the laws being made by all
| for the good of all, fraud is committed on
every individual as well as on the state, attalns
| it's utmost guilt, when it blends, with pursuit
of ignomlnious gain, treacherous subservl-
ency, in the transgressors, to a foreign policy,
! adverse to that of their own country. 1t is
then that the virtuous indignation of the pub
| lie should be enabled to manifest itself, thro'
the regular animadversions of the most conf
! pet mt laws.
| To secure greater respect to our mercan-
| tile flag, and to the honest Interests which 1t
covers; it is expedient also, that it be made
punishable in our citizens, to accept licenses
from foreign governments, for trade unlaw-
fully interdicted by them to other American
citizens or to trade under false colors or pa
pefs ofany sort.
| a prohibition is equally called for against
| the acceptance, bv our citizens, Especial IL
censes to be used in trade with the United
| States; and against the admission into parti-
cular ports of the United States, of vessels
from foreign countries, authorized to trade
with particular ports only.
| Altho' other subjects will press more i'm
meoiately on your deliberations, a portion OF
| them cannot but be we'll bestowed on the Just
and sound policy of securing to our manufac-
lures the success they have attained, and are
still attaining, in some degree, under the i'm
pulse of causes not permanent and to our
navigation, the fair extent of which it is at
present abridged by the unequal regulations
! of foreign governments.
Besides the reasonableness of saving our
manufacturers from sacrifices which change
of circumstances might bring on them, the
| national interest requires that, with respect
| to such articles at least, as belong to our de-
fence, and our primary wants, we should not
be left in unnecessary dependence on external
supplies. And whilst foreign governments
adhere to the existing determinations in their
ports against our navigation, and an equality
or lesser discrimination is enjoyed by their ma
vigation, in our ports, the effect cannot be
mistaken, because it has been seriously felt by
our shipping interests, and in proportion as
this takes place, the advantages ofan indepen-
| dent conveyance of our products to foreign
markets, and of a growing body of mariners,
trained by their occupations for the service
of their country in times of danger, must be
diminished.
The receipts into the treasury, during the
year ending on the 3oth Of September last,
have exceeded thirteen millions and half of
dollars, and have enabled us to defray the cur
rent expences, including the interest on the
public debt, and to reimburse more than five
millions of dollars of the principal, without re-
curing to the loan authorised by the act of the
last session The temporary loan obtained in
the latter end of the year one thousand eight
hundred and ten, has also been reimbursed,
and is not included in that amount The de-
crease of revenue arising from the situation
of our commerce, and the extraordinary ex-
pences which have and may become necessa-
ry, must be taken into view, in making COM
! mensurate provisions for the ensuing year.
And recommend to your consideration, the
propriety of ensuring suhiciency of annual
revenue, at least 10 defray the ordinary ex-