The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-20

FRAT this charge Of insurance has gradual
~ riscCco SO high rate 20 exceed two fold
the amount at which it was usually effected,
exen during the Continental, war, when the
British navy, engaged in the blockade OF an
Immense hne, Of coast, could not, as at pres
ent, direct its operations solely against the ma
val force of the American enemy.
The captures recently made in and near
the s.. Georges Channel. and at no consider
able distance from this port, must evince the
propriety, and indeed the necessity of adding
Il large number of cruizers to those hitherto
employed in the Irish Channel for the protec-
Ion Of the trade OF this port.
That, however sufficient the system of con-
voT may be for long voyages to remote parts
Of the world, il would operate not AS benefit,
but as 4 rrinons burthen and clog upon the
most extensive and advantage Gus parts OF the
commerce. of.Sat city, namely the Coasting
jre.e, and that with the ports of Ireland--a
species of commerce which depends en-
tirely upon the facility and quiclness CT COM
nunicaticn between both countries.
That the Merchants, SiGp-owners and 9TH
err traders OF Bristol, observing that due
respect to the Constituted Authorities, which
has ever c characterized them. determined 10
soake their appeal thro' the accustomed * I'M
official channel, & rely with the most implicit
confidence. that Your Lordships viii give
Immediate attention and effect to their Me-
mortal and they beg leave to suggest, that
they adop, this mode OF address, in order to
impress more forcibly upon your Lordships
the consideration, that the complaint they
row lay before you, is OF the most serious i'm
portaHce 10 their interests, and requires,
on the part of your LordJiips, an exertion
commensurate with the great weight which it
appears to your Lordship's Memorialists to
possess.
Council House, Bristol,
September Is.
have the honor to transmit
% y~ur Lordships the enclosed memorial
from the Merchants, Ship-owners, and Ira
ders of this port, upon the subject of the UNI
protected state of their Coastng and Irish
Trade, against American Cruizers and Pri-
vateers; which memorial was unanimously
adopted by a General Meeting. held in the
Guildhall of this city, on the 18th inst.
take the liberty OF adding TO the particular
complaint of the memorial that understand
both from private and public information,
that many of the privateers which bear the
American flag, have been fitted or re6tted
out of the ports of France, practice which
cannot fail to prove highly prcjudicial to the
general commerce OF the United Kingdom !;
bat in the extent to which it appears to be
of nations between neutral States and Belliger-
ents, calls for the most prompt and energetic
r.monstrance from his Majestv' Government
to that of France. With full confidence that
the subject Of the memorial viii have the full
est consideration aud attention from your
Lortiships,
remain, my Lords with the greatest res
pect, Your Lordships' most faithful and ODE
dent servant,
JAMES FOWLER, Mayor of Bristol.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiral
ty, London.
Given at the Guildhall of the City of Bris-
tOl, this 18th day of Sept. 1914.
admiralty Office, setit. is, 1914.
SIR,
have received and laid before my
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your
letter of yesterdays date, with the Mer.Cri-
al from the merchants & ship-owners of Bris-
tol, which accompanied it (; and am COM
1aandec by their Lordships to acquaint you,
that the several points adverted to in the
Memorial have not failed 10 engage their Sc
rous attention but that, however DESTROYS
they may be ofaffording adequate protection
to the trade Of the Memorialists, and although
\ considerable force has been and is now en-
ployed on the stations to which the Memoir
alists particularly advert, their Lordships not
only do not Concur in the proposition that
number of cruizers can afford complete pro-
lection against the occasional attempts of pri-
vateers but they are satisfied on the contra
w from the experience of all former periods
OF war, and particularly III the instance of the
coasting trade in the English Channel that
nothing but system of convoy will afford the
desired protection.
Their Lordships have commanded me fur
ther to state, that though they have opower
by law to compel the adoption of conveys
between one port and another Of the United
Kingdom, they are nevertheless DESTROYS of
making such arrangements for that purpose,
as upon communication with the merchants
of Bristol, or of any other port, may be deem
ed proper and necessary.
Their Lordships take this opportunity of
stating TO you, for the information of tine Me
morialists, that from the accounts which their
Lordships have received of the description of
vessels which have formed the largest pro-
portion of the recent captures in the Irish &
bristol Channels, il appear that if their mas
tiers had.availed themselves of the conveys
appointed for their protection from foreign
ports, or had not, in other instances, desert
ell from the conveys under whose protection
they had sailed, before the final conclusion of
the voyage, many Of the captures would not
have been made. 1t is their Lordships' deter
rnination, as far as they may be enabled, to
bring TO punishment the parties who may
have been guilty Of such Illegal acts, aud