The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1817-01-24

fore, solicit the attention Of the re
representatives. OF the nation, and the
guardians of It's welfare, to the follow
ing Abatement which we are confident
will be found to be correct.
During the long war which embroil-
ed the European nations, this country
was led, by circumstances, into extern
sivc foreign commerce; and being the
only neutral commercial nation, tina;
comnetcc was lucrative and beneficial,
and government made il the medium
through which to collect The revenue.
Butwhen the aggre ssioH of G Britain
made an appeal 10 arms necessary, we
found ourselves dependant on the enc.
my even for the munitions of war and
clothing OF our armies. fine procure
meHt OF these essential supplies iDduc-
ed an Illicit trade, which not only drain
ed our country of its specie, but tend
Ell TO extiDguish Northumberland
lie the people, and degrade our nation
al character. The necessity OF the ma.
ton then called for Domestic manufac-
lures as the only remedy for evils so
great; aud adventurous and patriotic
individuals, relying Oh the permanent
protection which they were led TO be-
iievc government would afford to do.
mestic industry, embarked largely in
Manufacturing establishments, inso.
much that the capital employed in ma
calnery aud buildings, in carrying on
two branches of Manufactures alone,
amounted TO one hundred millions oil
dollars
Ii is admitted that the Nationa, Le-
gisls,ure at its last session bestowed
upon this. subject a wise and liberal
consideration, and granted such eucour.
sgernent as was by many then deemed
sufficient, but which experience has
since proved wholly inadequate.
Your memoriaiisls beg leave to state
hat since the peace in Europe, the pol
icy cG the Continental Powers, acting
each for its respective interest in inter-
dieting British Manufactures, has
caused them to- overflow upon our mar
Sets TO veTy alarming degree. And
II England vas, before this crisis, vii
ling to encounter immense voluntary
LOSSES 10 the hope of destroying oui
Manufactures by glutting our markets
how much more animated must her ct
forts now be, when her goods lie upon
her hands, and despair urges her fol-
ward Bat, notwithstanding all these
disadgantug ss,: we are confident that II
our gOVerumeRt continue to make this
branch of domestic Industry child of
lis ahec,ion--f it be understood both
at hume and abroad, that it is never to
be abandoned anu deserted, the strug-
gle will not be long we shall become
avie 10 complete with the full power OF
our adversary Our capitalists will no
longer be restrained by the fear, and TO-
reigners 80 leuger fed with the hope,
of our ruin.
We beg leave to sd6,that it is not our
Manufactures only that suffer IN this
Juncture, but our merchants are equally
aiscomfi,ted and whilst our country is
telicitsting itself on the reduction OF its
rational debt, this state of things is in
volVing us iH debt much greater and
ouore ruinous, because due TO foreig'
stion whose policy is TO use IL to our
disadvantage, A debt which will i'm
poVeaish our country, bee use ii cannon
be liquidated by any means in our pow
or, as our surplus produce will go buI
a small way to discharge it--and 10 pay
1t in specie is utterly impossible.
AgainS-we find il usual for the To-
reign Merchant to send his goods in
voiced at reduced prices, to one Of his
agents in this country, who, having en-
tered them at the Custom House, dc
liVers them for sale into the hands Of
another agent, who is furnished with
the true invoice,-The owner is beyond
the reach of our la,Sss he who enters
them affects to know nothing of them
except through the medium of the in
voice he receives He who holds the
true Invoice has no agency III their en-
trys Thus they all elude the penalties
Of the law, and our Revenue, our mer-
chants, and Manufacturers, become the
common victims of foreign frauds.
Added to this, sales at auction are ex-
tremeIy inimical to our Mercantile and
Manufacturing interests. This mode
of sale, besides afEording to foreign "a
gents an early harvest of the fruits Of
their frauds, gives TO them advantages
in which the regular Merchant cannot
parIicipate-advantages prohibited to
them 10 their own country, the wise po'
Icy ct which interdicts Except in a
fewidstances) all sales at auctions ow-