Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-19

suits, or in the occupations come cted
with them in those pursuits the. have
embarked their fortunes, and from them
they have rot only derived a subsistence
for themselves and families, but have
furnished employment for greet numbers
Of persons to the mechanic they have
opened market for the productions Of
his labor and skill TO the farmer for tie
products Of his fields and at the same
time they have essentially aided the pub
lie revenue by duties paid on their liz
portations.
The foreign commerce in which your
petitioners are engaged is principally with
the British West India islands ; in con
formity to the laws Of their country By
which that trade was sanctioned, and
without any suspicion that it would sud-
denly be prohibited, they shipped during
the last Summer and Autumn as the have
always been accustomed to do, numerous
cargoes which have been sold on credit in
the Islands, on an engagement to receive
payment in produce when the crops come
in, which they usually do in the months
Of March and April-The property thus
received, they have been in consequence
Of che non-importation lazy prevented from
bringing home and your petitioners have
now from this and other causes large ID
mount of property in the British West
India Islands, which must remain there
greatly to their loss and disadvantage Until
that law is repealed ; in the mean time
their vessels will be useless to them, their
seamen unemployed, and a commerce
once profitable anu hOurishing, abandon
ed.
Your petitioners while engaged in
lawful commerce have thus suddenly,
without time being allowed them to es-
cape, been overtaken by these calamities.
Under such circumstances Of suffering,
they very naturally inquire from whence
they proceeded, and whether they were
inflicted by a constitutional authority ? In
making this enquiry they cannot forget
that one important grievance complained
OF i'll the Declaration Of independence,
was "cutting off our trade" and that to
!" establish commerce. was one Of the
great objects proposed in that memorable
instrument nor can they bring them
selves to believe that in the national COM
pact by the power So to regulate COM
merce" the states intended to grant
power to destroy it.
Your petitioners are far from imputins
to the general legislature any but the most
correct motives in passing the non-iln-
lnx hrrf fha
that law, are peculiarly destructive to
their interests, it places them in state
of uncommon embarrassment, it ruins
their property, it dries up the sources Of
their property, and they perceive no re-
lief except from its repeal.
1.-THE operation Of the non-importation
law, thus severe and oppressive not only
to your petitioners, but to all persons con-
cerned in foreign commerce, does not pre-
sent one Of those " extraordinary Occa-
sions" Which authorizes the president to
convene congress: your petitioners re-
spectfully suggest, that such occasion"
may be found in the change which has TAX
en- place in our foreign relations. The
presidents proclamation, and the law in
question, Wef6 founded on an engagement
of the French government to revoke the
Berlin and Milan DEGREES. Those DEGREES,
it now appears, have in fact not been re-
voked. That power has not ceased to Vi
olate our neutral rights. Sac scqucsters
our property in her ports; she burns or
sinks our vessels On the ocean and, what
is still more difficult to comprehend, after
such acts, the authors Of these injuries
and insults receive by law hospitabie re-
ceptiOn in our harbors.
Your petitioners, therefore, respectful-
~ solicit tie president Of the United States
to convene congress as speedily as his
power will constitutionally allow, in order
to enable them to take the subject Of this
petition into consideration, and OF grant
ing to your petitioners such relief as the
nature Of the case requires.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound,