The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-02-15

the Berlin and Milan DEGREES. however much
the contrary may be 'pprehended and 1
Am .si'ing III own, sir. that have no great
confidence in the success and protection,
which Commerce is to find under that gov
ernmsni, which causes accounts tn be pub
lished in it's official papers of the Conhagra-
Lion of merchandise. l am ready to admit,
that all hopes OF commercial freedom and
prosperity, in such times and under such a
government. will PROBABLY Prove ilusory--
but your attention is directed tn another quar-
Ter.
Let il be admitted that the French de-
rrces are still in furce, aud let us suppose
tkat the British orders have been repealed OF
modified before this day. can we feel justi-
fled in repeating the act OF the LIST OF May !?
Certainly not. For If g. Britain revokes her
cdicts, and France does not, then we are
pledged to carry this act INTO effect against
France and in either event, we are not at
liberty now TO rcpea, il, unless entirely
dis egard the promise which we have made
1--we are bound to wait until we can learn
the state of thugs in England on this day !;
till we can ascertain whether the British or
ders are this day i'll force against us or not ?
and until this Information can be obtained,
we are not, in my opinion, at liberty to re-
peal this act. To repeal it would be an in
jury to the merchants instead of a benefit !;
1t would expose them TO increased risks and
dangers.
Wehave been often advised to leave COM
merce unrestrained, and told that the mer-
chants knew better than Congress the dam
gers TO which trade was exposed. but
the predictions which have been made
on this side of the House. of the hazards 20
when trade was exp scd. aitho' at ,be time
deemed evil and untounded, have uniortu
nately proved true. When, under the non
intercourse system, The avenues of trade to
Ionningeu aud ST. Sebastian's were left O
pen, he merchants in tanCied security crou-
dei these mark {, aud the voyage. have re-
suited in the seizure and sequestration of
thri vessels and cargoes-and before gen .
tienen urge, as objections TO the system of
commercial Restrictions we have pursued
the eno arrassments which trade has suffer-
ed they ought 20 shew, that independent of
these restrictions trade would have been tree
and unembarrassed. Fur the captures, sei-
zures and representations OF American pro
perry have not been in consequence of any
acts passed by Congress.
However averse may feel 10 rely much
longer upon experiments of commei cial war
fare such at this time is the state of our TO
reign relations. as TO preclude any material
Change in The attitude we have taken. The
most We can consistently do. with tile info,-
malon now before US, rs TO recommit the
bill reported by the committee on fore gn re
e.
Iieve American vessels and merchandise. in
certain cases, from the operation of the act
OF tie hrst Jan. last, VIII ch is to take effect this
day nos Tar we may SO, but % proceed fur
ther at this time would, in nv opinion no
premature. l therefore hope the bill will be
reconmitted, and the proposed amendment
3,e rejected
Mr. Quincy was in favor Of the motion un
der consideration but did not rise to go into
ClSCusSiOu As to ,ne uioIat IS <,,.
Faith. he sand he would ask one question !;
whether our faiths pledge did not rest upon
this single point; that the first of Novem
Der the edicts of the French Emperor were
repealed Ifthey were not, all pretence of a
pledge OF the faith of this nation under the
La - WAS taiiacious. ask thc House (said
Mr. . it We have not perfect evidence that
tins was not the case, Look at the letter lust
lad on onr table. Uur faith was pledged up
on the fact of the revocation of the DEGREES
occurring aud that fac, not having occurr
ed as late as the 18th OF December no edicts
Having been repealed, we are at liberty To
do as we please. In the first place will
state tact that THIS government has no e.
vidence OF any act dUne on this subject by
Napoleon the Great. All the evidence we
have on the subject is declaration OF the
munster OF foreign affairs If gentlemen re-
cur to the Berlin and Milan DEGREES. thew
VIII IND tdat those DEGREES are fundamental
laws OF the French emPire, and for their re
peal of Course require the same formality
and authenticity Us for their enaction If
Jhey are not repealed in the form Of the re-
peaiing law III such cases, the fact has not
occurred upon which the faith of the nation
rests upon gentlemen's own ground Now,
sir, / ask If there be a gentleman in this
House who pretepds thai there ever was a
repeal of the Berlin and NJ Ian decrees.-
What evidence have we Oh this point IN the
first place the fac; that The brig New-Or-
leans Packet WAS seized Bordeaux under
rhe Berlin and Milan DEGREES by the collec-
Tor Of The customs SO that SO far as related
TO the custom house at Bordeaux the fact
had not been announced in December. We
have next the declaration Of Jonathan Rus
sci, who i'll his letter TO The French Minister
OF Foreign Affairs, although he goes into a
Course of reasoning against the seizure of
&he vessel, declares that it will net be pre-.
tended that those DEGREES have been revok
ed. How then sir, can gentlemen rest any
ching on the riighted faith of this nation,
when that faith was pledged, if pledged at
ALL on contingency which has not occur
red The French Emperor, iii order to hold
the pfghtcd faith OF this notion, according to
gentle IS own reasoning. must have done
an acc which vas a repeal Of a fundamental
law of the empire. No such act has been
done, the faith of the nation then is not pied