Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-08-07

iIoIH tillS NaHiint HUlc Danu, the turks mas
sacred without pity all the Christians, women
and children in the city.
" HAMBURGH, June 15.--Accounts from
Stockholm state, that the Norwegian Diet had
on the 29th recognised by majority OF 81.
the Treaty concluded with Denmark on the
lst September, 1919, for the payment of the
Norwegian debt. An address to the King is
annexed requesting him to use his interest
with the Courts concerned, to get the time ex-
tended from 10 TO so years. At all events the
treaty is acceded TO, and the last step only
an appeal to the generosity of the courts"
Proceedings Of The House Of Commons.
NAVIGATION ACTS.
On the motion Of Mr.. Wallace, the House
went into Committee onthe Navigation Acts.
| Mr. w. said, that the importance of the pro-
positions which he had to make, required that
he should preface them by a few words. In
entering upon the subject of the Navigation
Laws, he felt it hardly necessary TO remind
the House that our situation was now very
different from what it was in the time of war ;
we had no longer the dominion of the sea by
arips, but must contend there on this fair field
of commercial competition, and there was
therefore abundant reason why every thing
should be done TO assist trade that lay within
the power Of the Government. Before he
came TO his proposition, he would briefly state
an object which he had in view connected with
IT. and which was not Jess important than the
intended alteration in the laws of our COM
mercial code. The object he meant was one
which every eminent writer on commerce had
treated of. which all nautical men had anxious
ly looked for, and which enlightened Statesmen
had often attempted and hitherto failed to ac-
compllsh. In his own anxious and un(eigned
desire to promote commerce, he strongly re-
commended this object TO the committee, and
it was simply TO fix and render certain and
clear the general character of commercial law,
by separating it from the mass of legislation
which centuries had hcaped upon it, and re-
moving contrarety or contradiction, which
rendered all its regulation difficult and per-
picked Obscurity was the greatest defect in
laws and III none were its Inconvenience
felt more than in those affecting commerce.-
! Another defect of those laws was in their null
tpllcity, and 10 prove this he need not do
more than To state to the Committee that
there were about 5000 laws affecting COM
merce, which were passed ut several periods
under different forms of Government, under
every system Of policy, and various as
the principle ofrestriction could be rendered,
so that it was not wonderful, in such a mass
oflaws, there should be a great deal of confI-
sion. Such multifarHus and perplexed en-
actments led TO a series of confiscations, inter
rupted commerce, COMPOUNDED the fair trader,
1
al operation of commercial industry. Hear
hear.) The Navigation Laws were di-,
vlded into two classes the first containing
those which regulated the Intercourse with
/ foreign countries, and the second, those which
regulated the intercourse with different parts
OF the empire, which, might be slibdividcd I'M
| der several heads, the Colonial, Fishery,
| Coasting, sc. From this subject he would
| exclude the laws for the production Ofrcvenue,
lam a
terests. After urging the advantages which
would be derived 10 us, as a commercial ma
ton, by adopting a more consolidated system,
l the hon. member proceeded to state that the
first object which he had in view was to sim
I plify and copsoldMe the existing lava; the
second to propose such measures of freedom
to commerce as might make this country a
| general depot for the commerce of the world
lie thought these objects would be best ac-
compished by dividing them into several
measures. The first would be a general bill
of repeal, applicable to great number of ex-
listing statutes in fact, to every statute on the
subject antecedent To the act of Charles the
Second. He was aware that objections might
exist as to the repeal of some of the laws iii
question {; but as, of course, it was not his in
tention to press the bill in the present session,
hon. gentlemen would have AN opportunity,
during the recess, of considering the subject in
all IFS bearings, and of coming prepared upon
it when it should be brought forward in the
next session ofparlamcnt.-Th laws ofwhicI
it was his intention to propose tie complete re-
peal, were cassed under the three heads o
laws ofimportaiiOn, laws of expectation, and
laws of staple. He now came To- consider by
what proposition repeal Of all the statutes on
the subject, antecedent to the act of Cliarle.
the Second, should be followed. The right
hon. gentleman here entered into an elaborat'
history of the navigation laws, cOntending thai
the object which those laws had in view, hat
been entirely accomplished and that they had
made us the greatest maritime power in thu
world. Having cleared the way by the rcpca
which he had already described, his next pro
position would br--fiTst TO add to the free
dom of foreign commerce and secondly, to
, add to the freedom Of oar own shipping in
terest. At present las the right hon. gentle
man had already observed in lis history o
The navigation laws the trade of Holland ant
the Netherlands was subject 70 certain exclu
slonS, the vcsiige5 OF an ancient animOslty Ion;
subsided,which he proposed TO remove. BY TIN
removal Of these exclusions and certain Others
to whicha part of Russia and ofTmkey wer
i subject, foreign commerce would he place.
! everywhere on the same footing. Foreigntradt
6 would be left wholly free, with the exception
8 Of what we called the enumerated articles e
b which, however, generally (as we mderstoot
+, the right hon. gentlcman,) he meant TO pro
> pose ono or two additions. Another purpos
e which ne had in view although it was not adj
yeried to in the report) was 20 DO away will
p 'hc Inconvenience which the present arrange
neuts frequently Occagoned in the assOrtmen
Of foreign cargoes. He also proposed TO abo
fish the division by the countries (Which wa