Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-19
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY IS.

.ir BENTON submitted the following reso-
suti0r for consideration.
hsSohed, HAT the President Of the United States
We r"I""sled to make known the Senate the AMIN.
al Disposition which has heen made of the sum o(
i]OO dollars appropriated, lay asl of Congress of
we year lSOI, Ia promote civilization among the
friendly Indian tribes showing to what Tribes tb,,
evidence oil Inc national bounty has been extended,
me names oi die agents which have been entrusted
With The application OF The money the several a,novuts
ly them received, and the manner in which the,
n We severdy applied 10 accomplish the objects oil
lie Ct.
ADMIRALTY JURI sDICTIoN.
h!r X. NJ. Johnson, of Kentucky, agreea-
by to notice given, and having obtain
eli leave, introduced the following bill, which
"hs read and passed to the second reading.
ne en''cfel by Hie Senate and Ho4se of Represen-
H'rS ~ ne tnstsd Statss 81 .36e,ica in Congress as
ss"he = That the District CouHs of the United Stnies
snail have exclusive cognzaHce of all civil causes of
idmiTaiiy and itmc jurisdiction, relating TO the
navigator OF the high seas, aud ports, and Ravens
'la creeks, within the cbb and flow of The tidc and
oi All spt Is and injuries done committed upon the
',ish se's, aud upon creeks, ports, aud Ravens with
iAi emp and now OF the tide and all offences COM
niIied upon the high without the iurisdction of
any STATE, except offences which by law are excIu.
s'ey cognizabfe in the circmit court of The UniIcd
States Provided, that The admiralty and maritime
JirIs ton aforesaid shall not he so construed ne IN
'nt To- any case arising from the trade or commerce
carried on within The interior Of state or tcrrory
al tiie Uniled States upon navigdbe waters where
snci trade or commerce stops short Of or is limited
20 the ebb and flow ofthe tide
On introducing this bill
Mr h NJ. JOHNSON, stated that he had
prepared a bill to define admiralty and mar
time jurisdiction, and he would ask leave ia
Introduce it according to the notice given on
yesterday He was extremely happy to dis
cover, from very attentive examination of the
prncipses OF admiralty, that the Supreme
Court had confined it in criminal cases TO the
high seas, and refused to exercise it even in
Boston Harbor, within the ebb and flow of the
side, because it was within the jurisdiction OF
massachusetts. In this opinion, delivered by
the Chief Justice Marshall, the most scrup,i-
lolls regard is manifested for state rights--th.,
Judge Story bad given an opinion in a civil
case OF admiralty Jurisdiction, in which he had
occupied upwards ofnincty pages in GalIisn's
Hcports, I'd 'OL and after giving general
view Of the history aud the principles of adj.
maIty lurlsdictiOn in very learned and able
manner, much to his credit, he confines il,
operations to the high seas and To the ebl
aRdflow of the tide. That he had made thes,
remarks, and stated these facts to correct err
Toncons impressions which had been mad,
upon the public mind, that the opinions tn,
supreme Court, or some Gifts Judges had Jus
ricd for the first time, in this or any other
country, the exercise Of admiralty jurisdiction
oNcT lhc interior ffauc Ot the country, no
Connected at all with the high seas. Here Mr.
>. read fromJudge Storyg opinion the follow
ing words, viz:
"On the whole, the result &c this examin
alton may be summed up in the folowin,
propositions. LAT. That the jurisdiction of th
admiralty, until Richard RI. extended To- mar
slime contracts, whether executed at home o
abroad, and TO all torts, injuries, and often
Ces, on the high seas, and in ports, and ha
Nons, rs far as the ebb and flow Of the tide
"a. That the common law Interpretation n
these statatss, (ofRichard,) abridges the iuris
dictIon To things wholly and exclusively don
upon tho sea. Sd. That this Interpretation !
Indispensable upon principle, and the decis
10Hs founded up0u it are Inconsistent and con
Trajectory. 9th, That the Interpretation {
the same statutes by the admiralty does nc
ahrids" any Of IFS ancient jurisdiction, br
leaves toit cagnizance Of all maritime cor
tracts, and all forts, injuries, and Offences up
on the bigh seas, aud in ports rs far as tn
tide Gibbs and flows. 4tll That this is the tru
limit which upon principle, would seem
belong To- The admiralty"
Thus Judge Story expressly confined III
Jurisdiction u civil cases Of admiralty, to n