Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-04-13

inen OF q" Anaiogical restrictions (" 1 shall be
dsappoin,edif they succeed even well witb The
Liter, AS they have done wi h the former
SIR, there is no one more disposed than am TO
do justice to the talents and learning OF our Chief
Magistrate; but they out of places he has n ev,
rf understood this question, nor the interests
nf our country. Instead oi renewing our ,scrim-
insting duties by the act OF March, 1928, we con-
tinuej them upon new conditions, such as had |
never been sanctioned before by the laws of our |.
cDunry-and conditions TOO, which il was npos- !
sible Tor Great Britain to comply with wuh,u, |
siuendering every attribute of sovereignty. By |
that ac, we required that Great Britain should per-
mi vs. 10 carry TO her colonies, every article |
winch could be carried thither from tue mother
country. or irom any other OF her Colonies; pay
lug no higher duty than would be Imposed ON s,,n-
liar merchandise when imported rom the nio,hei
country or her Coones-ID short, we clai,ne, the
privileges of British Colony, and required tha;
we s'ouid be commercially an integral part of the
lir''ish Empire There was another princi,,l. of
ti.s ACT peculiarly obnoxious To Great Britan-i,
Tohioited British vessels from he mother country
Z fo"i proceeding hence TO Inc Coonies-a restr,c-
~fion which we applied to British vessels alone
ana winch we never have applied To the ships oil
Sweden, Denmark, Holland, france or Sra,n-
nations winch had not granted us colonial COM
merce, even as Tree and enlarged as we enioye
uoder the British act OF 1922 rois resir,ct,oo
moreover, was not necessary secure TO us a fair
proportion OF the trade; tor, noiwi lstandiuy he
chcuitous voyage eGjo, ed BY Great Britain 7-S,hs
of The Tonnage employed in tia, commerce was
Amere"n-we had no right TO com PLAIN II wa
not our interest 10 do So, the trade was sbsan.
TALLY our
But, however obnoxious this ac, of 1924 mn,
have been TO Grea, Britain she was content .,b
merely imposing coupiervailing alien duties mr..
cisely equal 10 ours. and sill vililnr 10 re,o
li"e'-Nesoiht"ns were renewed by MIR Rush
:" ''h' io-4, when again there was no obstacle
pu' mat whch we mad persisted in since 1918 and
hey were crossed IN June 1874, by fourth propo-
sal on the part OF Great Bri'ain-which was. ar
cordins TO the custom of this negotiation received
al referendum, and remained unn oticed with nm,
government from June 1924 to August lSa6. The
terms offered US on the SIN June 1924. wee sun
s'an'ially what Great Britain had proposed ON the
AHH Oct ioiS-it IS now conceded on al sides
that we ought 10 have accepted them ,.il mn
deiain the committee by referring psrtlcu,arIv 10
them; they submitted To us with the ,,rre.r,
ence, AMI II Is sufficient for US to know thar atr
Clay, In MS Instructions 10 Mr. Gailatin EXPRESSLY
au'ifoess h'iA 10 agree in substance 10 the mod
iacat'on OF Mr.. knsn's proposal, which was re-
kqured by the BrlsI Plenipoen,iaries
In 1879, Great Britain pursuing a new and more
ioeral couse oil policy towards her colone- nas..d
the act OF June u July -iberatins her American
possession, aud encrcns our i, laniic and Gam,
dian hontiers WIN tree ports. The advantages n(.
egeu 10 US by these acts we've iIsniiest-ws m;vht
nave been permitted 10 trade without Discrimination
duties & 10 clear out fron the colonies for anv flo
reign country. by former acts we had been permit
ted 10 carry to the colonies certain enumera.J
ces, and all others were so.:Ji;ed--,l,v the acts
Of 1928, the prohibited articles W. .nuf,eta,-,;
and all others, oil the produce and Inanular,rr. e
the country whence imported, were admitted
w h"tever difficulties may have been raised abou,
these acts subsequently, there was a, the COM
menrement of the last session. but one oniniou -,
Hoo, ,ftaxa.
our passing some act OF CORE, spending liberali,
We were proceeding, sir, with our measures il
both houses AT the last session, for removing nh,
duues-we heard of no objection.
10 the acts OF Parliament of difficulties what
ever as To the terms upon which, If open at all We
might trade with the Islands when our prog,as.
was suddenly arrested by councils higher ,han ou,
own. We were told IT was better TO nero,i,,,
than TO legitima'e-it was in vain that we urgel
thai, by removing our discriminating duties ~,
should facilitate our negotiations o her conn, il,
prevailed, and measures winch would have bee,
adopted by a large ma loriiy of boh houses were
thus defeated. Gentlemen have taken the oh,uc.
uf the game--ihey welcome 10 their fo,,upe
biz, will do the Secretary of State The Justice I,
say, that II was not his fault, that we were no,
permitted TO Iegslse and remove our alien duties
had his councils been uncon roued had his orin
ions prevailed congress would have ac ed pfom MT
~ on the question, and the trade would have beer
saved.
But, sir, it is idle now to waste our time in f,,,
thsr enguring how we have lest this trade an,
who to bIsIne-Our West India commerce /;
gone, and the question H., is il orh an efIo, I,
recover 1t and how - Can best effect tins, nh
Ject
In considering the importance Of the trade
nave to encounter two opposite opinions Tbos
who would wish to excuse The conduct of the all
nnlslrstion, would perhaps be disposed to under.
rate its vaiue-whlle, on the other hand, gentle
men from agricultural portions of our country ma
think II OF too little importance to Justify ,e.trc
ions, which must embsnass agriculture as ~ ell a
other branches of industry. Those who may b
disposed, care not from what motive TO under
value our British West India Commerce. and +,
consider II OF triiliDs importance, do not under
stand the SUI iect. We are not TO Judge this trad
by what it has been since IL - il has been CON
stanty embarrassed by restrictions it has had M
opportunity TO grow and accumulate under any On
OF The various propositions made by Grear Britain
from March, 1917, to the present time. JutIgin
by what 1t was in Mr.. Jeiferson's ilme il is fai
~ presume, that had this question been adjusted
as 1t should have been, in 1918, il would no.
have reached ten or fifteen millions, and woul
have contributed three four millions annually 4
our Treasury. But 1t IS not the amount Of ou
exports and Imports which gives value and i'm
TorIsHce TO British West India commerce
- the amount OF tonnage employed In 1t 1T il az
nursery for seanen. Let me tell gentlemen fro,
the east, who may perhaps be disposed To treat TN
as question OF little importance, that thew yyoul
do well to compare this branch of commerce wit