The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-03-01
From Co66rtfs Political Register.
sum NARY Politics
AMERICAN STATES


merce has lately received, blow greater
than any OF the rest seems now to await her.
The dispute with the American States, re
Iative to our restrictions upon their MARI
time trade, is OF so loug standing. and has
been rendered so confused by the prodigi-
Gus volumes, which the lawyer-ike states
men, on both sides of the water, have piled
together upon the subject, that, in order to
render the matter Ineligible to my rea
ders, and TO furnish them with the means
OF coming 10 a just, decs on thereon, ] think
It necessary to go back to the origin of the
dispute, to trace it down to the' present
time, aud to subjoin to these my state
ments and observations all the authentic
documents necessary to be referred to-
The public have seen the Proclamation of
Mr.. MADISON, the President of the Ameri
{. can States, whence they will have perCei
we'd, that, unless we remove certain of our
Orders in council (Which indeed, are now
in part become iaws } all intercourse be-
tween this country and me States Of Ameri-
ca will be interdicted after the I'd ut Febru-
airy next, while the commercial commune
cation between France and those States will
be open. but will still be- opposed to our oh :.
structions.--The question for us 60 decide
upon, is, whether the Orders in Council. of
which America complains, ought noW to be
revoked by as. This is the question; and,
as there is 40 time to be lost in deciding up
on 1t. as the dispute is now come to crisis,
as there appears now to be nothing left but
an immediate choice between acconmoda
ffon and hostility, decision is pressed upon
us by considerations of interest as well AS of
honor. The dispute originated in certain
restrictions, imposed by us upon Neutral
-ade; which regulations the Emperor Of
France answered by others of similar or
more violent sort. These drew other regu
laiions from u.s. These produced others
from him. We rejoined in the same sort of
way Both sides told the neutrais (or, ia :
sher, the neural America being he 0 =
ly nation really in that stated that, as long
as she submitted 10 tie regulations Of the
one fi0rty, ske znIst eShect to be OBLIGED TO
.submif TO those Of the other harty I'VE
will now see sohat those regulations. or re-
strictions were. The fir,t measure of this
sort was adopted by England, and desert
bed in the subsequent papers, No. Il have
numbered them for the purpose If easy re-
ference) which is a letter from Nh. X, 9Th
April, 1906, TO Mr.. MUNRoE, then Ameri-
Can minister in England In this letter it
rs stated. that the king Of Prussia having
taken possession OF various parts of the Il
Electorate Of Hanover and other dominions
belonging to his Majesty in forcible and
hostile manner, and having done other
things injurious to English commerce, in
violation OF the just rights of his Majesty.
and contrary to the established law and
practice of nations in amity with each o.
ther; that for this cause. his Majesty had
ordered blockade of the entrances Of the
Ems, the Weser, the Elbe, and the Trave !;
aud thatall neutrals would be treated &C
Cordingly, 1t they attempted to enter thbsc
rivers. thus these restrictions began, then,
In a measure for which the conduct of the
king of Prussia towards his Majesty's Ger
man dominions was the ground. From
Nos 2 and 8, being letters from Mr.. Fox
and Lord HowIcK 10 MIR. MUNRoE, dated
10th May, and 25th September, 1906, it will
appear that these restrictions were modi6-
ed but, Napoleon having conquered Prus-
STA, or, at least, having overrun it, and ia
ken possession of it, in the following month
of November. he issued from BERLIN, the
Decree. No. 4, in which decree he declared
the British Islands in State of Blockade ::
he declared that all commerce with them
was interdicted; that every thing belong
ing to English subjects should be confsca -.
ted that no vessels, Including Americans.
of course) coming from England or her CO.
lonies should be admitted into any port &
chat; all vessels contravenng, or attempting
20 contravene this decree, should be confs
Gd(eQs 'ouCu WAS tnS FAMOUS DeTHH Oes
cree, which, when the intelligence OF its be-
ing issued reached England. drew forth the
first of those measures of our government
which have become equally famous, under
the name of the ORDERS IN COUNCIL
1t was dated ON the 7ih Of January, 1907
and it set forth, that in Consequence of the
violation of the rights of nations com united
by Napoleon, and expressed in Orders, as
given in the city of Berlin Decree, England
would be justified in going much further
but that she contented herself with order.
ing, that 40 vessel should be permitted to
trade from one port to anoher. both which
should belong to, or be in possession of Ma
poieon OF his allies, or should be so far un
der their control as that British vessels
might not trade freely thereat; and that
neutral vessels attempting TO act Contrary
to this order, after being duly warned not 10
do 1t, should be captured, brought in, and
considered rs lawful prize. In this state
things continued during the remainder of
the time that the late ministry remained in
power. But, after their successors took the
reigus OF government, more rigorous mea.
surss were adopted ; and, under the dates
of the 18th and 25th OF November, 1907.
nine Orders of Council were issued, LAYING
new restrictions upon the commerce OF
neuirals with The ports OF France and coun
tries depending upon, or under the influence
OF France. Indeed, these Orders out AN
end to all neutral commerce, except by
Hcence from England. BY way of retal;ati-
on for these new and additional restrictions
NaDoleon issued from NIL AN datcd 1z,L