The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-03-12

:car, Is snb..;i,.te for those acquisitions
heretofore too frequently necessar. To b,
made On the volunteers and militia f.,
Increasing the pay ot the present army
.or Ills better organization FOL, better pre-
'idinS It's supplies; Tor the better organi
;at'ou .. 1t, s;att; for appointing an addi'
;ionai number OF scnei ii officers for raj
'ing sen companies of rangers; and for tia.
establishment: OF expresses to the heaG
quarters ot the armies. These acts arc
calculated TO remove the impedime..,s to
the recruiting service, x To obviate descc,s
IN the civil and fiscal arrangements of the
army which had become too evident.
Fer the prosecution of the war on the
otran. with means better adapted to COPE
w those of the enemy, to Which no doub,
they were further 'rduced by the gallantry
displayed in The &c ions of the little naval
tor'e VIZ now poSsess-thcy passed laws for
building tour "a gun ships. and several fri
safes and sloops OF war. They also passed
lawsto amend the act authorisins letters
vt marGue and privatcering and to grant
pensions to persons wounded ON board of
|Private armed vessels.
They also passed a law vesting the pow
err OF retaliation in the President of the II
nited States--a power which the savage
oarbarities OF the enemy imperiously requi
rcd, 1t the executive do not, as many con-
tend 1t does, already possess it.
Ot commercial nature, but few laws
were passed. The most important act OF
the session, perhaps, was that directing
the remission OF bonds given by merchants
Tor goods recently imported from Great
Britain. In our opinion, the passage of that
law was more than a mere act of grace it
was liberal, If not a lavish donation TO
the importers. We hope the eloquent and
accomplished Carolnan, who most strenu
ousiy advocated it, may not find himself
| disappointed in the effect he predicted it
would accomplish on the mercantile com.
! munity, by inducing them to rally round
their government and exhibit that liberality
n its support, which it has shewn to their
interests we are sorry to say, we fear it
Will have no such eifeCt-that so far from
calling forth their gratitude, as m light have
been expected, it will not even conciliate
their good will. .,
he only other commercial law of a gen
eral nature, other than these relaxing I'M
der particular circumstances the non-im-
P"rtation law. was an act TO encourage the
manufacture of iron-wire by imposing du
ty on its importation.
On the subject Of the bill regulating; the
employment of foreign seamen in the pub
lic and private vessels of the y. States, our
opinion has already been expressed. We
disappointed if i. do not.
line proceedings of congress at their close
were not OF that character on which we
delight to dwell In consequence of the
conflict OF opinion between those who are
on the one hand so fond of commerce as to
leave it wantonly free, and those who are
ON the other perhaps sufficiently disposed
to embarrass it with regulations, two bills
from the House of Representatives were
lost IN the Senate, which would have total
| ly changed the face of our commercial in
tercourse, and as their proposers and adj
vocates hoped, have restoi ed far trade *
honest enterprise to the vantage ground
which fraud and desperation now usurps
AS they did not pass. perhaps the less we
now say about them the better. We can
not, however, avoid expressing our aston
ishment at the inconsistency of those Re
lPnoiicans and Federalists, or by whatever
other name they hail, who vehemently, we
had almost said vociferously, opposed the
partial suspension of the non importation
act proposed by the committee of WAYS &
Means. and yet opposed a bill prohibiting
eXportatIon to the enemy and her allies
he only effect of unlimited expectation g.
prohibited Importation must be, to systema
TIE and familiarize the base and detes,a-
Ole crime OF smuggling, until lately unknown
| amongst us. NAT. Jut.
q" Washingfon, March s.
| We had not room in our last for fe w
remarks with which we proposed to have
accompanied the Document: co=.raui.;oa-
ted to Congress, in relation to our affairs
with France.
"A prominent feature in this correspon-
dence is the courtly insincerity manifested
! oy Tie French government in relation to
the documentary repeal of the French de.
crees. In consequence of the earnest re-
quest of Mr.. BARLOW, document was pro-
duced in May, 1872; which, though dated
| in April, 1911, and stated to have been
exhibited to our minister at the time, and
to have been transmitted to Mr.. Serrurier
mere, had never before seen the light of
day The bare statement of this affair
places its evasive nature il, striking light.
| 1t appears to us to have been an act of di-
Pionaoy, call it duplicity if you will, of a
| most extraordinary character. =,
y he most interesting trait, However, of
the correspondence, is the invitation Of Mr..
Barlow to wilma, and the circumstance
attending it, which have not been given to
| the public before, we presume, on account
OF the Pendency of the negotiation in
France, and the prospect of its early salts
| factory termination. The decrease of our
minister has removed the objections whic II
| previously existed 10 its publication. We
| hnd that all the details of treaty of COM
merce, and of convention of indemnities.
had been arranged between mir. Barlow
| ana the Duke OF Dalberg, before our mi
| mister was summoned to wilma. He ap-