Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-20


made to government. not in a team:
wav however. but in the usual manner o.
reforming tie duty Of foreign MINI
ter, OF acts Of whence so Outrageous and
Hagrcnt that all the foreign ministers
near our government united in complain
ing loudly Of The depredations committed
on the commerce Of their respective ma
tons. Il therefore became the duty OF
he president to remunerate the losers
and TO take the most effectual means to
prevent a repe,ision Of the ou,fages. lie
Jaw That the laws were insufficient, snd
lie recommended TO congress to adopf
such means rs they should think fit tor
the purpose; and they responded BY H.
act now in contemplation. Wa. there
any thing objectionable in the PRESIDENT
doing thisa No-Bot even to the most
scrupulous. The honorable speaker had
complained that the operations Of that
law was extended beyond the jurisdiction
Of the United States. This, MIR. For.
sy,h said, vas indi'pensab'y necessary.
The United States we're responsible to
the nations injured, and their citizens
were punishable for the offence; it could
not then be thought hardship ts make
those who were just objects Of suspicion
give security not to violate the laws and
thereby duplicate the country. lfeithe'
in or GU, OF our jurisdiction q French CT
English vessel were taken by an Amen
can vessel and me9ican mariners, the
United States we're obliged to make re.
stitution. Wa, it net right then to axe
secu ity against such dangerous eI-
ceSsess
Hr. Robertson spoke in favour Of Mr..
Clay. proposition, and ascribed the 'e
presentations Of foreign ministers to tie
aversion Of European sovereigns to thu
'ibe alton Of the Patriots.
Mr.. Lownde. denied the act OF 1917
being passed at the instigatlon Of any
70 egp m,his e's-The urgency Of Gil
cumstance. aema ded it, as long as we
proposed neutrality we we're bound faith
fully to observe il There was nothing
new either, in the law, since even in tiee
1T var pri,aeers were never allowed {"
sail wit! cut giving security for n cir con
duct. The United Safes being respon-
sihIe for any mischief dore, was OF it
self sufficient reason for eya ting securi-
ty-and against these potent rea on>
these was no just objection to oppose
siuce to the honest merchant giving secu
rity could be no hardship or incolreni-
ence.
Mr.. Clay made short reply in which
he app!suded the conduct Of the British
Government which while il forbad its
subjects from engaging with the Patriots
exac,ed no security so that numbers had
juined the Patriot standard.
Mr.. Tucker said few words, and Gen.
8. Smith spoke at some length, and gave
such sound reasons fortified by reference
to multitude Of plain matters Of fact
that it wa. impossible to resist the i'm
p' ession.
The question being pat on Mr.. Gays
proposition, the object of which was to
retain the act of 1894, to repeal that Of
1897. and to repeal some part Of the
act OF 1917. it ,ras nesatiredby IS to IS.
Mr.. Clay then moved to amend the bill
BY adding a new section, an accouR; Of
which will come better under the next re.
port ! give you, as committee rose 4 the
house adjourned before any thing wa,
done upon it.
Mr.. Editor,
IniouEing ever the Gazette of the IN,
and observing the continuation Of II
comnunica,ion, I though l would pr :
pose 10 him few ob,ervaion> upon M
religious impressions OF Socrates. Tie
a pears 7. be of the opinion that Socra'e"
had the outward orks of nature aud his