Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-18

IL
about foreign licences BECAUSE
it was said, some OF our vessels "eio
sailing under licences from the BRUSH 90
vernment. At The second session OIL 'he
tenth congress, bill was brought III 10
ureyent this iniquiionS, distonora0's az"
DEGRADING business. as it was then 'calicu'
The bill, il reeollect right, went u
disiranchise; or to speak in tic more
fashionable language Of the day 10 os ~
tionulize any one who should SO TAR iof-
Get the dignity of the nation, as 10 ae-
cent Of a licence from foreign govern
ment : to carry On trade in any part oil
the world. While the bill W AS under DIS
ouss;on. there was as usual mulch spout
ing: and the speakers i'll fa'oi OF the Dill
made it appear, - plain as such orators
could make any thing appear, that to ac-
ccpt of trading licenee under foreign
government, was to prostitute the honor
Of the nation, and was a crime but little
inferior to that Of high treason. The
hill, however. to the astomishment CT ma
uva good and stauneh democrat, did not
mass 1T was suffered to sleep the sleep
Of death, on the clerks table, among
NEARLY a hundred others. with which the
w;s,;o,a of that body, attempted TO eli
lishten and benefit their fellowcitizens
hHt which, for some reason or other, ne
ver came to the homer of receiving the
sneakers signature. Many wondered at
Tie mysterious conduct Oh the advocates
cfthc bill they could not see why, after
several days noisy debate, they should,
all at once become mute. Tie secret
which had sealed the lips Of the leaders,
and glued their tongues to the roots OF
their mouths. was OF a nature not to be
communicated. And many good admi-
nstration man who had prepared his
lungs to cry aye to this powerful bill,
which was to save the sinking honor OF
the nation, is to this day wondering why
he was not called upon to exercise his
voice in the case. The fact was, if we
are rightly informed, as fellows: Some
Of the men who rule the destinies OF our
nation, under the auspices OF his lmpe-
rial majesty of France; or in the Ian
euase of commodore O'Brien. who ma
mage the long tiller, whispered in the ears
of Messrs. Nm, M'k-m, and a few others
ofthe trusty leaders of this right worthy
band of statesmen, that they were pro
crossing little too fast that in their zeal
for the good cause in which they were en-
gagged, they were in danger Of running
foul of the emperor. That his Imperial
majesty in the prosecution ofhis merltori-
GUS and praisc-worthy continental sys-
tenn" system which is to give free
dom to the seas, and liberty to the world.
would, in all probability be under the ne
cessity Of making use Of licences. That
these licences would be advantageous to
him in two ways; to prevent British
smuggling and 10 raise money to execute
his glorious projects. That il this bib
should pass it would contravcne the ar
rangements of the emperor, and that his
majesty would, Of course. be justly Of
Tended with us. This was enough to sti-
tie the poor bill it was abandoned and
not a word has been heard in congress on
the subject since. The democratic edit
ors had their cue also, about the same
time, and nothing was heard in their pa
pers about foreign licences, for many
months. Bonaparte soon after proclaim
cd to the world, that no trade should be
permitted from America to his domlnons
except from certain ports. and under I'M
perial licences. which were to have line
in CIPHER, that they might not be counter
faited. The document in which he made
this declaration vas read in congress, hut
it excited no indignation no one feared
fer the honor of the nation : it was not in
danger at all, at all, while in the hands
of the emperor! 1t Was we'll known that
the democratic merchants were paying e.
normcus prices for licences. but no one
had any idea that this was disgraeeful, or
that it could be considered in the light of
tribute to foreign government. What
eyer was paid to the emperor and howe
yer it was paid went to support the COM
mon cause. and that was sufficient to wipe