Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-23
GoMareeelo TOTAL.
ON THE COLONIAL 1R.aDE BILL.
House OF REpREsENr.rryr af,r.l

o. NC o'i ioI regulating trade between the u.
states and the British Colonies, as it passed the
senate, having been amended in the House Of Re-
presen'aiives as already stated, and the Senate
having disagreed TO that amendment the question
arose, will the House adhere TO tia amendmen,
UPON which question:
Mr.. Ingham said, there had been, from the be
ginning OF the present session, but one opinion as
20 Tue propriety and necessity of legisIatng upon
me SUBJECT OF the British West India trade, and
ne was not little surprised tn hear it avow ed, by
DE friends of the amendment now under consde
rauon that they would rather lose the bill and pass
no law on the subject. than lose this amendment
IL Is now reduced almost 10 certainty, that, if
we ddhere to the amendment, the bill vii: be lost,
anu Congress will adjourn without having done
any mug to recover the valuable trade that we
nave hitherto carried on with the British Was,
india Colonies II is perfectly well known that
me difiiculty which now exists is wholly atribua.
o'e 10 me Execrdve branch of the Government,
out II IS nevertheless, our duty 10 proyide as Gar
40 we can, a remedy, whoever may have been the
cause OF the eril. Our conduct should be resuIat-
eu win view TO the future; and, although itsmay
De necessary TO advert TO the past, in order to de-
'erin'he what Is proper to be DONE our duty to
repeal the law, which has SO long been made the
Pfeext Tor preventing the adjustment of this con
reversy, seems, admitted to be imperative 1t is
Wen known, that when England opened TO us the
trace with her West India Colonies in 1922 and
admitted our vessels laden with certain dp,crip.
IONS OF our products, into those Colonies, with
OUT payment OF alien duties, we repealed our law
'"'srd'cting the intercourse between the u States
ana the British West Indies in British vessels: but
Ue continued to collect our alien duties, viz:
~ per cent. on the cargo, and 81 cents on the
ION OF each British vessel This was complained
OF by he British minister as incompatible with the
JUS. reciprocity which be alleged had been the OBJ
Ject OF the arrangement. The Secretary sf State
uid no' deny the want OF reciprocity, bu, said it
was the law of the United States, and mus, be
complied with. Pending this discussion. a bill
drawn, no doubt. by the Secretary of State. was
introduced into this House, with the protested OBJ
Ject oil removing the difficulty. When that bill
passed, the state OF the negotiation between the
TWO countries was unknown 10 Congress The
law was, therefore, enacted on faith. yi,hou, anv
knowledge OF the correspondence. That act. and
'hs same ioiiy that conceived it, has been the
cause OF all The present embarrassment may now
speaS o. II freely, without offence: for since il is
wen with the construction given il by the
late Secretary OF State il has no friends anywhere
not voice was heard in favour of il, although il
had been 80 iondly cherished by the then Sc
creiary, aud present President, for three wears The
whole scheme OF 1t IL now universally repuda,ed /.
1t was ambiguous In it's terms, but was cons. r,ied
by the Secretary of State, TO mean, that our alien
duties should not be repealed until Great Britain
" onId allow usto-t'sde with her West India Co.
ioEies upon The same footing that she traded with
them herself. la order 10 render the act ambru.
Gus, and yet sustain The inea ded constr,,c ionl
word was introduced into il, viz. that famous
word " eiselchere,'' by which il is now dis,i,.
guished ai derisioa. This word instead of m.,,-
Ing to embrace simply Sc others countries Tim,
Great Byitain,'' as we all now propose. was. bv
'he ingenuity OF The Secretary OF State, made to
comprehend Greut Britain herself So "a IN
require not merely that she won,d permit us 10
,!ade between heI Colonies and other countries,
but that, before we would repeal our alien du,i,s
we mus, be permitted TO trade between the w.,
India Colonies and Great BrIisin, on the same
iooing that she DID; which is the point MIR Adams
refused 10 yield In his discussions with MIR Can
n'ng' or TO permit Mr.. Rush to Yield i, In his
Subsequent negotiation in England: and ,hs rsasoo
constantly given Tor thus insisting on this mint
was, that an act of 1925, the famous "else,oberen
act, would not permit The repeal of the d,,;ss
He nesoliat'on was broken of 90 this point, al
though II was then we'll known, that the trade az
then conducted. was very advantageous one To ne
IL now July appears . ON the do cuments laid n,
ouf table, that Dis was the only obstacle tn "a
t'siactory and advantageous adjustment of all this
diihcuity. Not only every meuber Of this House
ana every person concerned or interested di,ec,Iv
in The trade, now condemns the policy of The ac, Of
lo23, but the then Secretary State now Y,e.tls,,
mas abandoned 1t himself. | may say, with perfect
confidence, that ii is universally candemned: no,
voice Us now rsised In defence of the measures
which have been pursued with such zeal. and a,
such hazard, tor so long a time by the late sscrs
tary OF State. it il also well worthy of r.m,rl.
thai while MIR. Adains refused Tie arrangement Of
tered to MI Ru-b in 1924, and alleged as reason.
That the act OF 1923 forbade il he veil knew and
SO dld the British minister, that treaty stipulation
would either repeal the law, (accordipe 70 the
doctrine OF some) as certainly produce for
mai repeal by those who held different doctrine.
Tor whatever difference Of opinion there NAV be.
as 10 me operation OF treaty upon an act of Con,
gress, there is no instance wherein Compress nae
heshated Tor moment in conforming the law 10
the treaty. There could be no question but tb,, a
treaty. made upon tbs terms which we're offered 10
US, IN iS22, %, "a. and 20, would have s,,snt the
famous "eiseCheTe" act from our statute book b,,
our Executive has rested It's refusal to adjust, uoon
'ne terms OF that act, and so long postponed the
renewal OF the discussion, that Englend has inter
dicted our vessels from her Colonial possessions
N the west Indies, and declared 10 US. through
her Minister, that she will not negotiate auv far,
'ner on The subject, until repeal our act Of 1928
Ihis IS circumstance of deep humiliation aud
moIlihcstIon to every one who feels as he ought
TO DO Tor The character and dignity of his country.
But Notifying and bumiliating az it is, the Com
nit'ee oil Commerce in both branches, acting, of
course, IN iul concert with the Executive, have a.
greed 10 repeal that famous act. They have tall, ed
about The honor ofthe country in pretty lo,y lone
but ne action is not suited 10 the word Thsy Ia q
virtually declared TO The world, that they could no,
make point OF honor Of sustaining The policy OF
that act The British Minister seemed also to un-
ders'and this, or be would not have put our hui
nifty to so severe test--bDt, whatever we NAV
have iclt, we have oil agreed TO submit frsi.
| me whole Lxecniive Denarirnent AMI sinra -.