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

W. ARLINGTON. REQ. -.
The discussion of the bill supplementary to
the act concerning commercial intercourse has
not been resumed in the House of Represents
tives. Although there appears to be very lttl
or no opposition to its passage, its friends seem
To feel so little interest in it side to i'm
peds its progress by the proposition of impractl
cable amendments. and on the other to enter.
tin no disposition to launch into under fin
ed field of ill-tir,ed debate OF which some
prognostcs had appeared
The new bill, originating in ne Senate, for
extending the charter of the Bank of the United
States, is made the order of the day for Monday
n xt
1t is understood that Gen. TunREAu will
shortly return to France
We copy from the Gazette Of France. of
the I1th of Dece mber, the following article,
in support Of the Emperar's DEGREES for
burning British merchandise. However
questionable the policy of such a system way
be, tbs certainly proved in the following ar
ticle that precedent may he found in sup
port of the system Wat. Int.
CfRANSLA rION.1
On the burning Of merchandise Of French
manufacture in England, and uiton fhe
Legislation on English duties in relation
10 France.
The English declaim with violence against
merchandise. and above all against the or
der for burning the products of their manu-
features; an order executed at once in
| every point. No man educated in England
| can consider as without example a measure
to which English legislation has so frequent
ly had recourse. Have they forgotten that
a great number of statutes of the Kings of
England have in times past directed the
burning of merchandise the products of TO
reign industry, and, above all. of that OF
Frances
! We should search in vain among other ma
tons for system of prohibition which has
opposed more impedinens than that of Eng
land to the introduction of the industry OF
the continent.
All the English writer's agree in saving,
with Gee, one of their authors Z" that there
is no commerce which should be excluded
with more care than that of France which
produces all things necessary to life, and
wants SO very little of those which luxury
and refinement demand, with the exception
OF some materials tor the use of her manu-
features. and some drugs for dying"
IL is TO tins sentiment tina is to be as
cribed the system of prohibition by which
the English have by little and little excluded
our merchandise from the markets a sys-
tenn which was little modified by the urea
ty OF 1855 only in consideration of the con
lccss,ons and advantages out of all proper
ton which we yielded in favor of England.
II would be too tedious to state all the sta
tutes which, from the third year of the reign
OF Edward Nv. to the present day, have es-
tablished violent measures against the pro-
ducts OF French industry, and, above all.
against the importation of wooden cloths and
caps, aces, ribbons and fringes of thread
| and SILK, purses, glrdles and decorations of
girdles, nets and French laces and cam
brics.
These statutes are not confined to infict-
ing pecuniary penalties and pronouncing con
hscation of merchandise they attach the
punishment of felony and seven years trans
= portation to secret as well as public violati.
ons Of the law.
A statute of the 18th George IL chap. "a,
is still more rigorous. 1t declares felonious
every prohibited act of imporl alton, whethe
cused of fraud to appear in court under pain
OF death, when summoned.
/ III viii pc seen that If IS not the measure OF
rigor Of which the English laws furnish nc
examples on the subject OF custom and pro
hbition.
Since 1863, the system adopted by Grea
Britain against French commerce has beer
followed by all the princes who have reign
ed in England, and has been progressivei,
matured Many acts OF Parliament have
pronounce the absolute exclusion of French
merchandise (; such is tina, of 1877, ground.
ed on the annual loss sustained by England
in her commerce with France.
# highland has sometimes relaxed her pro
hioitory regulations, she has then submitted
the French merchandise, the importation oil
which was permitted, to excessive duties
which were equivalent to, or differed little
from, an absolute prohibition. According tc
Smith, we may estimate at IS PER cent the
least duty to which have been subjected for
the most part the merchandise or products
of France, whilst the merchandise ot other
nations have been subjected 10 much ligh ef
duties, rarely exceeding per cent.
! Ii was to nourish this opposition to French
! manufactures that there was established in
London. in 1749, he Anti-G 4llican Society
which proposed to annihilate in England the
| market for French merchandise. Il would
be honorable to our national character had
this association met with initators in France.
In truth the spirit which Rad formed his in.
stitution did no, sleep IN England Their
Legislators had recourse to dom ciliary visits,
and he inspectors of the customs have, in
the three Kingdoms, the right of entering
houses, Of searching for prohibited mer-
chandize from the top to the bottom"
I What could they add to these statutes. to
this Perpe ual war OF the English customs A.
gains French industry IL only remained to
order the burning of such of our merchan
die as should be seized after breaking thr'o
so many barriers The measure has been
prescribed by a sufficiently great number of