The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-04-21


THE ENQUIRER.
ss.s.%ss-s-e--
RICHMOND, APRIL 81, 1919. - - |
MINISTERIAL CONFESSIONS. No. 9
FORG IES.
Wehave seen Tin the first No.) that Mi
nisters themselves now plead guilty to the
charge which had been SO often urged
against them, Of favoring their own com
merce" by the Orders in Council, instead of
haraSsmg that Of the enemy that trade,
and not retaliation, is their object ;; and
that this outrageous cheat upon neutrals is
effected by means of Gcences.--We have
now to open up another feature of their
commercial system-and to prove, from the
avowed acknowledgements of ministers,
that so little regard is paid to morality in
their commercial dealings, that their trade
resolves itself into system of fraud, forgery
and herjury.
Mr.. Sfehhen, one of the ablest ministerial
speakers in the House of Commons, in his
Speech on the Sd of March, thus chalks out
the distinction between Licences and forge
RIGS" The object of the licences was to
protect their vessels from British seizures
and Condemnations for, it was by other
means that they calculated on evading the
Continental system, and introducing their
merchandise. AS the DEGREES of Bonapar-
| tie were directly against this trade, it was
necessary to deceiDe our enemy in his ozvn
forts and this deception was only practi-
sed by masking the property in such n
manner, that it should afihear to be neutral,
and not coming within those decrees."--
Hence the ForSe'fes which are practiseti
under almost every possible shape jaiSe
| custom-house ha1ters. false iog-books, false
letters, false flags, and to back the whole,
false S7oearings v,ulgarly called, he,Juries.
10 such pitch has this practice ofcoun-
terteltlnS papers been carried in G.. Britain,
that it has in fact struck out new line of
business, regular and an organized trade
The following letter from firm in Liver
,, pool, who had set up business for themselves,
was read to the HI. of c. by Mr.. Brougham,
and deserves to be recorded as Litcrarv
Curiosity.
=" GENrLEMEN-We take the liberty herewith
to inform you, that we have established ourselves in
this town. for the sole purpose of making simulated
PaPers-( Hsar, hear (Which we enabled to
do in way which win give ample satisfaction to our
employers, not only being in possession of the orgi-
nal documents Of the ships papers, and elearances
20 various ports, list of which annex but our
Mr.. G'-B-having worked with his brother, Mr.
-, in the same line, for the last two years, &
understanding all the necessary anguages.
7" or any changes that may occur in the different
places on the Continent, careful to have the
earliest information, not only from our own connec-
tons, but from Mr.. J-B- who has profFered
ms assistance in every way, and who has for
time past made simulated papers for Messrs. B.
anu =, OF this town, to whom we beg leave to
refer you for further information. We remain, Sc
hen follows list of about twenty places, from and
to which they can forge papers, having all the clear
hnces ready by them, from the different public agents,
thpyr t.tIi hat,
cant may need their assistance iii thi, scheme Of ia
brcation>' -
The only lire, which these gentlemen de-
serve to be in these Mcssrs. J. BIS and G.
b's. is that of the hangman.
Yet Ministers do not Blush at these dis
closnres--so far from lifting up their hands
against 1t, they dare, in the face of he whole
civilized world, to stand up in its justilica :
ton. 30 dull is their sensc Cfhonor, so COM
plctely has this all-devouring, demoraliz-
ing system blunted their sensibility, that
they mex only openly confess, bu; justify it,
what says Mr.. Stephen He would ask
Gentlemen sincerely, (HtioH thsij. honor.
we suppose. were they prepared to a.
bandon all trade to tire Continent Of Euro3c
on account Of those objections in hoi,it oTnio-
rahfy which had been stated by the Hon.
Mover? He felt himself perfectly ready
TO meet any gentleman upon this ground /;
~''t lc Itdily DeIGNeu tflat he would lind
few who had 7yeakHesS enough TO think or y-
focrfsy enough TO assert, that the whole
trade With Europe ought TO be abandoned
on account of the immortality of the frauds
HeceSSaTily practiscd III the CARRYING it on
AS to the foregoing papers & French Consuls'
certihcates of origin, he WAS convinced that
neither this, nor shelving false c0Iors to tho
enemy, would be supposed so serious AN i'm =
morality us to make us cahsent TO abandon
all our trade" d feRfora ! O mares !
We pray the reader to remark. that this
Is the same Mr.. Stephen, (the father of the
y. ~ Counci) who seven years ago, in his
celebrated pamphlet e Mar in Disguise.
vas so embittered against all sorts of fraud,
real or imaginary, as to insist upon the ne
cf@siy OF VioiafiHg the Laws OF Nations by
the adoption OF a raIe for condemninga trade
which was in Itself principally genuine and
'egnlar In that book he expatiated on the
irduds Of neutral fags"--he acclaimed u
fsnst vessels. imyrudently called neutral,
WHICH coaduct for ths most part" The coast.