Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-01-28
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
At WASHINGTON.
January O..

an infinitely more important inca
sar;. than the compensation bill ridi-
culously renewed this day. for the Sc
fund lime occupied the deliberations
Of TIE house Of representatives. i
mean the bill! for preventing citizens
Of tie United States frcm taking up
ibc trade Of tie Barhar.- powers a
gaiast which they 50 inCessant!y dc
Ja:m ard becoming themselves pi-
-otcs-sCa thityes and buccaneers.
Tive PARTS Of this ILL have met with
considerable oppnsition--one. that
Which vests the collectors with powers
- stop vessels, Laden aua equipped in
certain suspicious circumstances. from
going 10 sea until the owners give Sc
cari,y MOTTO violate the neutrality CT
Che ration-tac other intertiictinS the
selling of armed ;csscls to Sarcig crs.
Some again insisted that the cid laws
were adequate to all the purposes of
eninrcing that neutrality. The first
Of these objections was answered By 4
reference to Il act which SO exactly
lcGucd Mat was 70 be considered IS
grounds ogsEpiriUn,th;st no discretion
whatever wls i,ft to the collector. for
it enaCts THAI the vessel must not only
have on board munitions Of war, hut
q number IF hands, bcyUNd I'll paSsi-
BIZ demand Far navigating her. To
any and to every man u Comuon
sense 4 vessel laden with munitions 81
Var anti carrying out $50 ol. 900 sea-
men while ten would be sufficient ta
navigate her. must appear a. cajcet
not Of suspicion only. but Of cciEa:nt' ::
.hr objection therefore was manifest
" unteual!e. particularly in a case
where the tranquility and character
o. the L. :. are so deeply at stake.
Tho second objection, viz. aSains;
stcpnius tue sale Of vessels OF war YVES
ratAnr better iouaded, but WAS shirS"-
ed 10 atoms by the sound law and rea-
scainS of I.1pkinson. And as to the
oil laws being adequate. the measure
now in hand was predicatcd upon the
Presidents message informing con-
sr,ys that thev had been found Insult
fc;'rt. Exclusive oGthe h;gh warrant
Of his authority, was il not enoaEh TO.
dismiss every quir& and quitbirof THAI
kind. that in spite of every eaDrt on
the part Of 'he executive. Ncs
sells dii crs.y GaY arm in "2'tl-
more and s..i COR the purposes ot p.ra
cy.-Nay. cd It not appear as Mr..
Randolph said on the trials ct Rich
unad. that pirates franz OAR own po:ts
bearing the flag Of 4 far distant re-
public which had 40 eXistCncc CaptlW-
cd and plGndcr2d our own merchant
Vessels.
The att2mrt to enlist the feelings OF
The house for the SOUTH Americans, 4
array them against this law was Sc
vcrcly rrYobatcd-and much as I
wish s%cccss to that oppressed people.
gas iuieed should to the pcaplc 81
old Spain in any attemp: to shake OF
she vulture Ferdinand. } think it had
nothing to do in the argGmcnt.-EYen
had those vessels been b0ac fde enSag
in aiding the patriots, they ought 20
be in.erdicted till Cur government
thought it eNpedient to aid South Anne
RIGA openly; but it isnot for the aid oil
thc patriots, nor for any other sirtu-
Gus purpose. but to procure money by
E'aud and force, To pirate and stop
tie honest fair trader, even their own
Sllow citizens of their property for
which they deserve the gallOws "a