Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-13

uation were lawyers. They held to the rigid let !
ter Of the law-such as would be held in County
Court. As statesmen, they ought. in my humble
opinion, to have acted in its spirit. and have Civ
equitable construction to our act of 1915.
What does that act say? " That our discrimns,-
ine duty shall be repealed to all nation. who shall
repeal theirs" give only the substance. l
~ish may be able to explain myself. The act oil
1915 repeats our discriminating laws to all nations
who will repeal theirs. What was the construc-
lion given by The administration of Mr.. Monroe,
That a nation who had never had law imposing
discriminating duty, had none to repeal; and
therefore, could not be admitted 10 our port.
without paying alien duties. The British colonies
never had any discriminating duties. They had
none TO repeal; and, therefore according to this
contraction; were subject TO our law, and in con,
sequence the alien du,ies were imposed on them
and their retaliation took place.
There was, however, another objection at that
time. That the -four of Great Britain and Cana
da was admitted duty free into the West Indies,
when our -four was subjected to duty. That OBJ
lection has, to the credit ofsthe present admins
uation, been relnquished, as I have already said.
in confidence, as no longer tena6ie. And thus we
lost, second tine, the admission to the colonial
trade.
Congress met, and near the close of the session
the act of 1928 passed the lst of March, I think
two days before the adjournment, II passed,
the report says -" udrtsediy, and with great a.
n0ainify." With unanimity, l admit but al
uisediy, cannot assent to, far as il relates to
The IL. of r., where then was a member If
there was discussion, it has escaped my recoIec.
ton As to myself, believe took no part in it :,
and few OF US understood wha, was the real III an
ing Of the word /" elsewhere" That act was,
believe drafted by the administration 1t contain.
ed provisions of which the British complained II
prevented their vessels coming from England, to
proceed TO any one Of her colonies, which was
not, Il believe,) imposed on any other nation
owning colonies. The trade Continued open by
Kind OF common consent, each paying in the ports
OF the other the discriminating duties.
IL this state OF The subject. Mr.. Rush was chars-
ed with a negotiation in 1924, under instructions
conformab!y with act of 1928 think he
sustained himself ably especially considering that
he had the wrong side OF the question. The Brit
ish negotiator proposed what we are now willing
to receive; but Mr. Rush was not al liberty to ac-
cept. No new attempt to negotiate having been
made. and Mr.. King having arrived in England
without being charged particularly ON that point,
the British Parliament passed their acts of 9th
June sand two acts of 9th July, 1925 saw
those acts some time before the meeting of the last
session Of Congress. and having mentioned them to
MIR. Clay, he said that they were i'm the Depart
ment, and he could let the Committee of Finance
have them They were sent, and by order of Sen
ate. were printed. had frequent conversations
with Mr.. Clay OIL those acts, and on the colonial
trade and had the qualification TO believe tina,
there was no difference oil opinion On the question.
We each had his opinion as to- the manner.
lie preferred negotiation Il preferred the meeting
the British act, by legislation | had also the
pleasure 10 believe that my views of the whole
subject met the appreciation of the President, and
bat acting by law would not be dsagreeabIe, but
the contrary, to him. / had the strongest reason
to think SO, end 10 believe that it would not he
disagreeable TO Mr.. Clay. A memorial from Bal
tmsre pressed me TO act. had pressed the Pres,
ident to act by proclamation, under the authority
given him by Inc act of 1924. Finding tina, he
would decline the exercise OF that power, and on
reflection presuinng that he might think it iinpro-
per to act by proclamation whilst Congress was in
session, determined TO pursue the course did
think it was about the 31st day of JAM that sent
MIN The printed acts OF Parliament, agreeably his
TeQusst.
took my own course, and moved that the
report OF the Committee Commerce should be
recomniitted, with instructions. and ucceeded
by large majority Of Senate. II was sent To the
Committee on Finance, and IreporteJ hill which
would have passed but for want OF time. II wa.
no, rejected, Mr.. Canning has stated. The SEN
ate simply refused TO consider it, because members
had other bills which they anxious TO act on
4 hav
been told that il has been said, OUT of doors "tbat
owing my indiscretion in pressing the subject at
The last session, the negotiation had been declin-
ed" 1t is rather too high compliment for me
to accept, to suppose that any information could
give would be new to- the British ministry or tina,
any thing did could have any influence with such
men as Canning, kuskisson, and Robinson. II
committed an indiscretion, did it with the nm
probation of the President and concurrence of
MIR. Clay. impure censure to myself. did
my duty to my county, and am perfectly satisfied
with ny own conduct.
The British ministry were perhaps dissatisfied
with our non compliance with their offer, and On
9th July last they issued an Order in Council
closing all their West India ports and those of ali
their POSSESSIONS abroad, 10 our vesses-- excep the
East Indies, and their North American coloriss
Those last are kept open, that from thence ,her
may carry our produce to their West Indies. And.
ioilowingup that blow, they passed an &C, in Nav
last, not noticed by either of the reports, I will
read two sections Of that act, to wit the 45h and
10th. The first declares that mads, spars, timber.
aud ashes, arriving in Canada by land, or inland
navigation, may be exported to Englsnd az if tbev
were OF Canada. paying less duty than the same
would pay If imported from New York: thus de-
priving that city of the expectation OF those ar,i.
cles The same section allows pork and beef 10
be imported by land, and inland navigation to be
deposited in the public warehouses, free of duty.
and thence exported to Newfoundland. The 46tb
section allows flour to be imported into Canada by
land, or inland navigation, to be deposited in The
public warehouses, and thence exported to the
West Indies. where, its arrival, il will be sub
ected TO the payment of only one shilling sterling
per barrel, when the -four from the United States
must pay Eve shliogs sterling per barrel.
MIR. President, will now notice the bill I,
shuts our ports to all vessels arriving by sea from