The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-04-17

inGcs was SonS1Dlc OF u,-in oSCCr 10 lcu!u
5 mething that might be turnee, 10 adran-
tagc. They strove, in the first place, to Sc,
at the Chief of the office, aud to enter into
conversation with him. always OH The watch
to catch something for their purpose. III
they could not see the chief, then they re-
sorted to the secretary ii the secretary
was not to be had, their next resource was
the clerks; and if even these could not be |
got at, they fastened upon the door-keep-
ers ) and, in short, employed every effort !
that cunning and keen sense OF self-inter-
est could suggest, to pick up little odds and
ent;s OF Information. With such people, the |
Office OF Board of Trade was more liable to |
be infested than any other. He was sure
the Right Honorable Gentleman who had
held the foreign seals, had never divulged
any thing unfit to be disclosed but III the |
Office of the Board of Trade il was hardly
possible to avoid it. If the Vice-Prcsident
questioned them,--and question them he
must, it; would be impossible for him IT
they had half the wit which he was willing
20 ascribe to British traders, 70 prevent their
finding out what he was driving at. infor-
nation of this kind was as important as ii
would be for stock broker to learn from
the Chancellor of the EXchequer whers q
waf2 was to commence or end, OF when h
proposed to fund large amount OF Exche-
quer Bills. Indeed, the information to be
had at the Board Of Trade might be far
more lucrative ); and probably as brisk a
trade was carried on in this,way between
Lombard-strcet and Westminster, as that
conducted by licence under the Papenburg
flag. There, indeed,t they would not find, HIS
Hon. Friend (Baring) near him-there they
would not find the Hon. Member for Wor-
cester--there they would,nos find, clearing
out and in, Ca laugh 1.-THE Hons Members
tor London. No such respectable men as
he had mentioned would be found there ::
out II any one chose to besiege the door OF
that Office, he would see ample exports and
imports from Lombari-street and* Dukes
Iplace,-iews,, persons of the description of
Jews, and brokers of merchants residing in
the north OF Germany, and having agents
here Tor the purpose of managing this trade.
These were the sort of persons whom the
Right Hon. Vice-President consulted, and
by whose advice or communications he reg
uiaeed the trade of this country ashe thought
proper, Was it nothing, too, that by this
system we furnished the enemy with in, r :
nation which must enable him tojudge, with
moral certainty, in what channel we wish
ed our trade to run. And yet this infor-
NATION he must have, when he sees these
licences information which we ourselves
madly pat in his possession. 1t depended
upon MIN, therefore, to counteract our OBJ
1'SSss 90 P'Faseo' - s.,'';-:f .,.s<"et
He had stillto notice the perniciou5 effect
which this system produced on the morals
and respectability of the trading order OF
| the commuiity! He. entreated the atten-
| ton of the House to the fact, that this tfaf-
nc had been pronounced, by high authority,
| to be SYSTEM Of stimulation & Discrimination
| from beginning toend. These were the words
| OF the Judge who presided at the Court Of
Admiralty who executed that most delicate
| OF all duties,-deciding on the law of ma
| tons, between this country and Foreign ma
tions: The traffick had been justly desert
oed as begun with forgery, continued by
perjury, and ending IN the most enormous
| frauds lie would read clause from the
/ ntst lcence that came to hand,-forit was
- them all in IL, 900 licences for@one year,
and it was clause which deserved tile
most serious attention of the House. 1.-THE
purport of the clause woe. that the ship
@ ne. De SvHyfae lief f. document. contrary to
the import OF the licence.1 Thus system
| OF forgery and perjury was sanctioned BY
| the executive. Perhaps some Gentlemen
might be exactly aware of the meaning
OF the clause; and it might not be improper
to give short explanation of the mode in
which these things were managed. Papers
were put on board ship, mentioning the
real port FROM which she sailed. These
were eountersigned by some public officer,
/ and accompanied with letters to the port
where she was going. Such were what
were usually called ships papers and if
the vessel were overhauled, as the phrase
was, it would be evident from whence
she had Come, and to what port She
was proceeding. This clause enabled them
to take other papers. If a ship went from
London, forged papers might be taken,
purp9rting that she was from Rotterdam.
The handwriting of the Custom house Of
flcer there was forged as exactly rs posi-
bic and if it was necessary that the paper
should be signed signed BY :. Minister of 5tate,
as was the case in Holland, his handwriting
suppose that of the Duke de Cadore-
must also be forged or even that of Napo-
| leon himself, as had been done in a late in
stance that came 10 his knowledge. The
seal must likewise be initiated and this
was not all regular set OF letters,
were forged and put on board giving the
news from Rotterdam, aud private an
ecdotes. OF people there and in order
to cover the whole, the names of some
eminent merchants there were forged. Thus
provided, the ship sailed; and the object
of the clause in the lcence was to enable
her to pass our cruizers notwithstanding
these documents All this was done with
the privity of the merchant here, and the
young men IN his counting house. What
must be the effect upon their minds How
different from the mode of trading pursued
by our ancestors But this was not all.
The papers were nothing in Court of Ad.
miralty, II they came there, without the