The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-08-11

IL,
nd that IL they were repealed, the prcsi-
dent must instantly rescind the non-inter-
course act. it appeared that we were gras-
ping at the shadow, and losing the sub
stanCe-that we were losing great deal |
TO secure little.
!. Lord Casfiereagh began by stating, that |
no person could rise to speak ON the present !
most important subject with more anxiety i
than he did and that he should give his !
reasons for voting against the address, with |,
the most sanguine hope of their inducing
the house to COINCIDE with him in the view
whish ne should have tax en- OF the subject.
In arguing this question he must. however,
lament with HIS right hon. friend, that Sp lit
tie an intervalhad taken place between the
eXau,inati0u. OF the evidence and the solemn
parliamentary consideration OF the subject
which was now So prema,urliy forced for
wrrtl. This was the more TO he lamentsd,
= the evidence went TO such n great extent.
lie WAS sorry that the ho,l. gentleman, G.
ven tor tue SAKE of his own character sh ould
have SO much departed from all parliament
tary practice. and shon,d have pressed tn 4
hasty discussion question than which one
more vital never can,S 6efore the cOnSidcra-
ton OF parliament J. the first place, then, ne
had III deprecntc the submitting to vote OF
parliament d question which involved the
decpestin crest Of our eripire. as connected
with our MARITIME rights, while negotiations
%ere rcndilig between otv government and
that OF another cuuatry. Such conduct was
nothing less than an attempt to dictate 10
the executive and nothing, I've would con
tend, could he more abNorrcnt from the pow
er aud practice OF pasiiament. When he
stated this he considered that he gave suf-
ficient answer To the honorable gentleman
who had enqured, why the correspondence
alluded towas not placed ON the table The
production If that correspondence could
have tended only to the embarrassment of
the national councils. AS to the general
question, he was not inclined to deny that
the honorable gentleman had made ont d
grave case of national distress, arising from
the depression Of several branches OF our
trade he would even admit, that the evil
deuces went to prove that those branches Of
trade were likely safer still greater depres
sion, II the orders in council should not be re-
pcaled but when he admrfiitted this, he
would not have the house consider that he
consented to the proposition that we were
so deplorabiy distressed AS to have good;rea-
son ter contemplating the decay and de-
struction OF our Commerce.-Ihe distress
was partial and here he must say of the
gentlemen with whom he had communica.
ted ON the subject of the orders in Council
and who were amongst the sufferers from
their operation, that no person could look
TO them with more liberal feeling for the
general interests of their country, or would
entertain a more dispass;onate consideration
OF them. 1t was argued that if we repeal
"a the orders in council, we should have the
American market in exchange for that re-
peal. He did not think it fair for America
10 eXtort such an a0rogation from us, when
.snc considered that our commercial regu-
ia1ionS commc1-ed in retaliation against
the dcspotic system of France, and that
sueh retaliation ought to have been rather
assisted than opposed by her. He should
indeed, be ashamed tn avow, that the orders
IN council we're ever a matter of mere COM
merciai policy. They were not They
sprung from the principle of opposition TO
FRANCE and driving her from the system of
misrute, which she endeavored to establish
through Europe. They were Intended to
wound France By the very means which she
herself first brought into action. And who
could say that in his point they had been
unsuccessful ( Hear, Hear } He would
contend Tor it, that no country in the world
was ever more Commercially depressed
than France had been by the operation OF
these very orders In council. (HrQr, hear,
o. bofh sides Of the house. }-Froni the
French documents themselves, this fact APP
peared The whole Internal consumption
Or France, with her population So millions.
added to her exports. was only 81, whilst
oar exports alone were g. millions. Never,
s''~''i''C, Nbuiu i1C tease 10 CC0IClll, tnat
the system of his late rig honorable friend
did not originate as much in wisdom as in
justice. On the other hand, amidst all our
struggics, didIaot our cruntry exhibit pic
ture, not of commercial decay, but ofincrea-
sing prosperity Was it not the picture Of a
country rising in all the features Of wealth,
and growing in prosperity ? Could not even
the difficulties which we now complain of
be referred to the unnatural growth Of that
prosperity in q particular vear.-sVith the
exception of our trade to America, had rot
all the branches of our commerce gone ON
~ an accommodating ratio? ( Hcar, Hear }
Even to the continent Of Europe, notwrth-
standing all the efforts of the great scource
OF mankind, had not our COMMERCE thriven
in the struggle The exports to Europe in
the three years subsequent to the orders i'm
council, were superior by six millions to the
exports OF the three preceding years. Mol
country had ever studied more than this
had done the interests of neutrals, and Ger
tainly eve'y thing in our power had been
tried to preserve the friendship of America. !
Hear. Heqr!) But the enemy had said, |
no people should have commerce WITH u.s.
we had justly retorted on the chemy, and
declared, that no people should have corn. !
ioerce with hln bat through the medium of |
England. We had, therefore, resorted to a |
strict blockade of I'll his ports--and when
he issued his Berlin and Milan DEGREES, we
had recourse 10 the orders in council, as a |
measure of just and necessary retaliation.
Ic laH ~, Co l..