Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-01

Of natous. whilstthere was on ont-standin.
| debt from Spain to US of immense amount,
which she had on every pretcSt refused to pay,
| and had besides practised npon MS every art 10
| favor France first against ms, aud then Great
| Briiain-twas now proposed ,torsooth, that we
! shOrid take part against orr own citizens 10
| please Spaini He was wholly aversc toit. He
moved that the committee should rise 10 give
| gentlemen an upportuuitv to examine, whether
| an act, regulating the intercourse between two
| natiors, was Il legislative or diplomatic act
This hl'' he SAID, was to restrain theentcrprIze
| OF our own citizens IN the cause ofhberty tor
| he had never heard an intimation that these en-
| terpgizes had been fitted out in favor of the
| RoNal.stS. We owe Spain something for the aid
| We received trem her in our revolution bnt,
| Mir. W. said, he woulduo therefore calumriate
| and embarrass our merchants by enacting such
prov isiopS rs were embraced in this bill. He
| would not, lie said. bind over the American
people on mere suspicion of their Intention 10
| violate the law IN this respect II was enough
| to punish them for it after conviction. Spain
| had stipulated to pay us for spoiations OH our
| commerce by vessels from her ports but she
| never did pay-and we could do rs much as
| that, should she make similar demands on u.s.
| MIR. Wright hoped we shouldn be ina hurry
| in this business, and that the committee would
rise.
The NATION for the committee to rise was not
seconded. before
Mr.. GROSNENOR. from NJ Y. rose In the
| general view OF this question he said. he hoped
the time had gone by when, in considering
what was the duty of this House. reference
1 would be had TO considerations not hearing on
that point. The gentleman from New-Vork
seemed TO lamcnt that there were no longer
two sides of this House. fit were so, Mr..
g.. said he heartily reioiccd at it; and he
neiieved' to great extent it wasso, and hoped
that It would never be otherwise. when aues-
tons like this were presented to the House.
For, he said. il was simply question: whether
the United States would orwould not compel
IT'S citizens to adhere to their duties, as the
| people of neutral nation. On this question
! ne said, there could be but ore party. and but
| one sentiment He here remarked on what he
sad, was curious argument. Why enforce
these provisions in favor ofSPain, ii was ask
| ed-iias she not injured us! Do gentlemen
recollect, sail he, hatwhen you conntenance
violations OF neutrality, you in fact engage in,
! the war!
II we are to have war, let us boldly go into it
| said he, and not sneak into it with our priva-
teers from one port to another. If Spain
have injured us, let us tell her and
| the world so, and appeal to the world and to
me no9 o. hatit's protest against this
! mode OF CARRYING on The war. What, Mr. O.
/ said, was asked by this bill? The Gentleman
| from Georgia and Maryland had put il i'm III.
| trne shape tdid not touch the commerce
! OF the country; 1t had nothing to do with it,
| II was qucSilau touching the Interference of
! the citizeus of this nation in war waged be-
| tween two foreign powers. The report of the
| Secretary of State had not been read if il had
| ii udShew, what was indeed notorious 10 the
| whole world. that we do now interfere i'm that
| war. The question was, whether Congress
| should adopt legal principles which would com
| pei our citizens to adhere to that neutrality
which the policy of the nation. The gentle
man last up had asked whether Spain would
| also adopt these principles. Mr.. G. said. YES
! this bill only proposed mode of enforcing the
observance ofan established principle, for the
maintenance otwhich every nation is respon-
! sibie. The government of Spain would compel
! observance. in n
1t wonld take off the heads of those who
| should attempt TO violate it. Such course
| rms government cannot, ought not certainly
| to pursue. Every nation has its own way of
| executing principles, and we can only execute
them III the way which is now propos.
| What, MIR. g. asked, was the objection to the
| Sd section, which il was now proposed to eY
punge? That the collector was to be authors
cd todetain vessels on suspicion. withouta for
| NAL warrent. The same obiection. MIR. G. said
would apply to all our revenue laws; and he
| never before heard any objection TO the sci
zure of vessels without warrant. He had
| heard objections to bringing these principle,
TO operate on the land in the bosom o society
by searches and seizures of houses, carriages
sleighS, &c. &c.-but hc had never before
heard the ordinary provisions of the revenue
laws, analogous to this, objected to as contrar,
! to the constitution
Mr.. o. said he rose principally TO notice =
! remark OF the gentleman fro M MARYLAND Mr.
Wright respecting the ST. Domingo act. That
| act, the gentleman said, had been rejected by
| the Senate, because it emhraceda diplomatic.
question. 1t might have been so argned-it
was an odd objection, certainly, Mr.. G.. said :
but there wcreothcr objections it. That act
Dir. G. said, (for the gentleman would ,recol
lect, that though il was rejected BY the Senat
one year, it passedthc very same Senate The
| next year)-was predicated on n demand of the
| French Emperor, that we should cease to have
intercourse with st. Domingo, in orderto ena
bic linn to compel his revoIted subjects tosub
mission: This, Mr.. c. said, was question to
tally different from that. Had the king ofSpar
! had any ether creature except Bonaparte
! eyermade such demand! Spain had not-hs
did not know that she had demanded any thing
but,it she had demanded any thing it was thai
| our citizens should not interfere III the war in
| which the nation is neutral. know, said Mr.
| y. that this Dill goes 4 great length; but Ger
| tainly without going it we cannot cure
| the evil. ! nave had some acquaintance witt
| this affair, and shall not when | say, thai
| whilst The whole mass OF the nation is AT peace
| some Of its cities are at open war. Congress,
might, he said, adopt the principle that the,
| wond not interfere; but if they did, where i
would end he did not know, and no one conlc
say.
Debate to be continued.
sl.Szx % .ss.ssss5szs uAzzz5szzsy
| MTOflCE.-The Subscriber is DESTROYS of selling Al
private sale, his LAND, in the Comfy of Hanover
WlereOn he lately resided, distant about nine miles