Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-03-31

Win our ueutfdi dttituue DuI, 0ftef any
decision 10 the contrary by the highest
tribunal of lie country, he would 20 a.
long with gentlemen and make 1t appli-
cable. Bat with regard 10 the bond and
security required by the law of 1917, al
the discretion Of every petty collector,
urged on by the Spanish agents through
out the country, he hoped TO see The law
containing that prorisioa eNpuuged from
the statute book.
Mr. SMITH. of Nd. replied 10 Mr.. Clay
; There was no nation OH earth, he SAID,
whose interests required from II a fair and
honorable conduct as neutral, so much
rs this. Britain alone had more extern
Sve commerce tlianus ; but with II had
large. marine aud was hot SO much hound
10 delicacv in lis neutral department. We
should from this consideration be careful
huw we relax our measures calculated 10
enforce H. As TO the case OF the Eagle,
Mr. s. said the Speaker was right as 10
facts. But if the law Of 1917 had existed,
the collector would have kept clear of tina,
difficulty. As 10 the distinction taken
between 81. DomiAgo and the Spanish
provinces, Mr.. :. SAIL that the flag oil
the former is admitted into our ports, in
the same manner rs the flag o. any other
country. With respect Ia our controver-
u, -.
lad not expected from The Speaker the
said he, that we claim To- lie Rio del Nord.
We have always avowed and held tina,
claim; and, if we have not actual posses
sion farther than the Sabine, it is because
we are not ready TO go beyond it. We
hold the right, and occupy the soil as far
as we find il agreeable 10 do So Conse-
quently our claims OIL Spain are for spoil
atoms only. AS 10 the case of the Fire
brand, Fproper explanations had not been
made OF that transaction, there was no
doubt the President would have resented
II as he ought and that the nation would
lave known of it, As 10 The scene which
occurred ~ Valparaiso, though the patrioi
flag was flying there, it appeared that
Spain must be considered responsible for
that. Had the Executive ever complained
In ~pain of that aci ? lit had, i've had ne
yer heard of it--and h PRESUMED il would
not have been overlooked if il could be
properly charged 10 her account With
regard 10 ilie plea of inability, 10 prevent
violations nj cur rights from her territory,
the Executive had acted on tile ground
taken bv the Speaker, in taking possession
at Amelia island. That position having
become resortfor smugg!erS and bucca-
neers, IL was incumbent on the Executive
10 put them aside, and he had ione it,
he was glad that, on this point at least,
tie hon. Speaker agreed win him. Not
al all, not at all, said Mr.. Clay.
As 10 the occurrences OF The war, Mr.
). sand we had some reason 10 complain
81 tie manner IN which il had been carried
on On the part of the Patriots One OF
'ie ca"Sos of the war we lately waged
with trreai Britain, was the system of
paper hinckades. BV the laws of The u. s.
and TIE Proclamation OF Spain, permitting
the trade 10 all neGtralS, IL trade Was open
10 us from The Rio del Nord TO Mexico
and had been very benrhcialiy carried on
for u number of years. But admiral Bri0n,
parrot commander, had undertaken, by
a paper blockade Ia forbid trade to a
cOas, two Thousand miles in extent, asd
our vessels darIug 10 trade there we're
thus subjected TO capture-the con>e-
gnenve of which was, that nobody at
tempted II; the trade is given up.
Something had fallen from the Speaker,
III the course ofhis remarks, which might
produce an impression, doubtless not III
tended by him, that there was something
IN The act of 1917 which forbad The expcr-
idiIon of munitions Of war Nothing of
the kind, said Mr.. s. : on the contrary,
our vcsse constantly load and go To Bue-
nos AyreS, TO Chill, tn Oronoke, &c. and
there Is no obstruction whatever in their
way on our statute book. We know that
coniraband of war, bound to one bcliige-
rent, is liable to capture by another, and
we run The risk; but our laws never have
forbidden that trade. While ever trade
is open, the merchants of the y. S. will
pursue it. whether it be 10 ports of Spain
or OF the Patriots if tie merchants think
TIA fair trade, they will pursue it. And
yet the Speaker is offended because we
pursue a little trade to the Spanish colo
MES. II tile ideas of the Speaker are 10
prevail, that because our affections are
with the opposite party, We shall not
trade With Spain, what would now he the
price OF Hour Instead of ten dollars per
barrel, II would be some five or six. The
port of Havana alone, Mr. :. said, took
0ne-siXlh Of the whole OF the -four shipped
from the United States. for foreign con
sumption. Previous 10 the French revO-
luton, ii bad been Crc,atopsiy supplied
by the produce OF this country but for
10 or 20 years that port, one Of the most
important ~ The world, had been open TO
us. And Mir. >. asked, vas II d crime to
trade there II * no crime to trade where
Yer tie laws of the country permit il is
not only no crime, but il is honorable and
hSeidl 10 HE country to open Il new trade
10 any quarter; and he trusted it would
nOt he long before we should have anoth-
CT trade open equally beneficial as any we
have heretofore POSSESSED, &c. sc. MIR.
y. concluded by some general remarks on
the state of trade, which he thought as
good as we had any reason to expect at
ter the general peace in Europe.
A division Uf the question having been
called on Mr.. Cay's motion, Tie question