Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-01-26

nemy butt was found that he was sup {
lied notwithstanding-and to such an ex {
ent, that it was found necessary to pass a
aw TO prevent the sailing of any vessel to
ea. lie could not see the propriety of ex>
ending privileges To this class Of cases, es>
neciailY when none other afforded greater
hazard OF furnishing the enemy with sup
plies.
Mr.. Murfree Of Y c. hoped the resoluti
on would be adopted. and that the commit.
tee OF foreign relations would report some |
provision to remove the grievance, he be-
deNed to be Justly alledged to exist. The |
House would recollect that this was the Hrs, !
time the coasting trade had been entirely |
stopped; and in country SO extensive as |
th's, depending for mutual supplies on free |
intercourse between the several states. i, |
was Impossible to nave foreseen all the va
rious Inconvenience which might result in
ITS operation from measure So entirely new.
When the celebrity with which it was passed
was rccollccted, it argued 10 want of fore,
cast, nor any incapacity on the part of the
majority, to suppose that there might have
been some omission in the details of the bill.
Permission had been given to neutral ves-
sells to depart IN ballast, or with any latsine
they had on board at the time, excepting
Certain articles. MIR. NJ. said he could not
see why the same privilege should not bc
extended to our own citizens; for the griev
/ ance of detention from home was as GREAT
on them as Oh foreigners. He stated the
case ot northern vessel detained a; Charles
tpn-its departure could not be more ipiu
rious than shatof a foreign vessel, whilst the
consequences OF its remaining in that climate
TIL the expiration of the law would be. Ger
tain destruction, fhe could for a momen.
suppose the provision contemplated By the
resolve could invalidate the provisions of the
lembargo law, or contribute to feed the enc
| my, no nan would more heartily oppose il
but he WAS rather inclined think this was
a case inadvertently omitted by the trainers
1 of the embargo law.
Mr.. Rhca e Ten. opposed the passage of
the resolution, because he supposed such a
case bad been anticipated by the House when
! the embargo law was passed ard they had
| not deemed il necessary to provide fer the
contingency. The bill when first reported
contained a clause giving discretionary
1 power to the President to relieve such cases.
On due deliberation that clause had been
struck out, and ne was not now for rcinstat
ing it.
/ Mr. Bradbury of Mass stated that. COM
Il ing rom that part of the country where the
(, pressure of the embargo was most severely
felt, he thought it necessary to offer to the
House his knowledge GU the subject .<-He
re'stated the cases of the coasting vessels de
tanned at Boswn and elsewhere by the ems
barge law--he considered the persons lie
linging to these vessels as a suffering class
of the community, who had right to look
to this house for relief Whether it could
properly be afforded might well be consider,
ed by the committee. Whilst up, he would
state that there were some parts of the state
which he represented which were greatly
dependent on importations for the supply of
-four. When he left home, the price of
-four was in many places 10 dollars per BAR
rel, and unless the coastipg trade were in a
degree released from the present restrict
nns on 1t, great distress must ensue He
doubted nothut some mode OF relief might
be devised without the risk of supplying tie
ienemy.
Mr.. N ~ - said in reply to the observa-
tions of Ma. Murfree that the difference Of
hardship between vessels lying in one place
and in another, was not worthy the conside
ration of the Legislature, the great hardship
being in the stoppage of their sailing a t ali
The gentleman had asked what injury could
result from permitting vessels embargced TO
return home. will tell hin, said Mr.. MIX.
Il yesterday saw letter from a respectable
source in New York, to n gentleman now in
this city, Informing that II vessels employs.
+. ed as packets between Rhode Island and N
Y.have been seized under IA charge of sun
plying the enemy. This is the evil If men
had been governed Nv just principles, the
coasting trade might well have continued.
there would have been no necessity for an
| embargo. But to guard against treachery.
: we have been compelled to resort to this Il,
gorcus measure, hope we shall not relax
/ Mr.. Macon Of II. g. observed that if he
could think the passage of this resolution
for, enquiry menaced violation Of the en-
barge, he certainly should not vote fori il !.
but mere enquiry could have no i'll effect
because, If on enquiry it should appear tha,
the object could not he obtained, it wouId
be perfectly easy for the House to reject the
adoption of a measure like that proposed.
Mr.. Farrow of S. G. expires cd his appre-
hension that this resolution was only a pre
Jude TO proposition to repeal the EMBARGO
so tar as relates 70 coastiug vessels. The
more the embargo was complained Of, the
more strong was its operation for strongly
as our own citizens miglit feel it, the enemy,
whom it was intended to affect, felt its pres.
sure proportionally still stronger. He was
not DESTROYS to oppresss the suffering families
OF the mariners spoken OF, butt to Cypress the
enemy, who was fed by this means--and he
should therefore vote.against every PROPOSE
ton to relax the embargo whatever shape it
might assume.
1 Mr.. King of Mass took occasion TO ex-
press his sense OF the caBdor which had been
shewn by some gentlemen towards this pro-
position. With respect TO the iisputation of
a want OF forecast which the passage of this
resolution might appear to convey, Mr.. r.
said that all men were fallble, and when err
rer was discovered, it was always best TO
- a. .