Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-06-01

thus finale was exhluued 10 an act uassei On {
the 18th May, 1920, eatitled, &C An act supple |
mentary TO Act entitled an Act concerning |
navigation" This Act closed the port, of the
United States from and after the 30ih of Septem |
Der. 1920, against every vessel owned wholly or
In part, by British subject, coming or arriving
6y sea. from any British port in America, NOT in
ciuded In the former act OF April Is, 1918. II
required the owner, consignee agent OF any
British vessel, which should be laden in the Unned
States with any article of the q ow,b, produce or
manufacture of the United States to give a bond
with surety 10 the satisfaction Of the Collector
that the cargo SO laden. should no, be landed in
any OF the prohibited ports. And provided more>
over, that no article should be imported into the
United States IN any vessel, from any of these pro-
hibi'ed ports, except articles OF the growth pro-
iuce or manufacture OF the place where the same
" as laden, and from whence such article should be
directly imported.
This law put efectual stop TO all direct com
merciai intercourse between the United States and
the British possessions in America, bv sea. For
although the British free ports still open TO
vessels of the United States, yet a. even these
vessels were prohibited by this act, from bringing
from thence any other article but one there fro.
cuced; and as none such were vendible in the u
States owing to the duty formerly i'm
posed upon them, 60 encourage, what has been
called, American i;.du .try) return cargo of even
gypsum or Srindsiones could not be brought here
iTom Nova Scotia, in a vessel of the United States
except at great loss.
| But although the direct intercourse 5y sea was
thus cut of, yet that by land and inland water
communications still left open. Each parry
was still supplied by this route with the commo-
diiies OF the other, which is necessity or conyeni-
euce required. For, the Safe of Maine net being
| separated from the contiguous British provinces
ny sea, could still supply them with every produc-
ZION oil the U. y without violating this law From
these provinces such supplies proceeded in Brit
sh vessels. wh,hersoever they were required;
and West India products were brought TO the
United States, uia these provinces That this
| was 50, is proved by the well known fact, that
Notwithstanding this legal non intercourse, there
was no augmentation of the price of West India
products in the United States West India rum,
tor example. sold as cheap in Norfolk, during this
period, as it did before. And If the enquiry is
made how could this possibly be- the answer il
that it came from the West Indies 10 Norfolk, ria
campo Beo, where, according to the custom OF
The manor. trade has always been as Tree as the
wild surge that foams against its rocks.
Thus The first effect produced by this expert
ment was, to impair The revenue, to demoral-
lze our people, and to give 10 Great Britain the ex-
elusive transportation beth TO and fro of oil the
articles required by the wants of either country
and which could bear the expense OF this double
#! voyage. There were some articles, however of
such great bulk, and OF so little comparative value,
that they could not sustain such expense. Such
were all the manufactured productions OF the soil
or oil he forests # the middle, southern and west
erh states Many OF these, by the British propo
sitIon, were allowed TO be exposed directly to the
I, west Indies, and in vessels of the u. s too Blu,
under the q" Experiin eHt' now made, they were
| ieu upon the hands of their producers while much
| OF the white pine lumber of the Eastern States bv
merely turning the lett, rather than to the right
bank OF the water courses which separated them
from the contiguous British provinces, mad no
dono voyage TO pass through
! Another effect IF this law (il il had continued
in operation long enough) would have been, TO
cIe7ie an g entrepot" IN of the ports OF
! Maine Ohe New York Canals we're not then
! oPen) to which all the productions OF the middle
southern, and western States, proper for the cup
ply OF the West India market, and of sufficient
value to bear the expense of double yoysae
must have been forced, in order that by such a
route, they might ind their way to heir ultimate
destination. So that by this apparently simple
- experiment. the great interests of all these
States would have been heavily taxed, in order 10
convert some Jvreiched fishing hamlet in an E,s
torn State, INTO great emporium. Was this in
tended by the author of this bill? II is TO be hon
| ed not, but the Qnantness of Ibis phrase by
sea- ss II is inser' ed in his bill, end the omission
OF Upper Canada altogether from his enumeration.
seems designed TO exclude the conclusion that all
intercourse was 10 be cut off and 10 advertise the
people OF The y. 5. that the ancient nesbbourhood
intercourse between the Inhabitants of the IT. 8
and those of the contiguous British provinces.
was not to be disturbed.
SErE,-