Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-06-19
SELECTIONS.
IFron' ths Norfolk Heraidl
THE COLONIAL TRADE.
No. XVIII


Il is now known, that the Executive of ,be T.
y. were al all times TO the arrangement of
the Colonial Trade, by legislation, preferrns TO
accomplish the same object by negotiation This
viii probably account Tor many of the ambiguous
phNases inserted by It's author, the act of March
], 1873, the intendsd meaning of some Of which
may not even yet he understood These Dhtase.
finnish some reason Tor the conjecture that Mr.
Adams in preparing this bill, intended TO invest the
Executive Of The u S with much Of the same
Kind Of p!enaTy control over the trade, which the
King ot Great Britain e"jcyr. This would no
doubt give To the u. s. many advantages, in the
commercial warfare the Execu i've seemed .Issirou.
obesIn, which they did then possess. Bt
as the grant If unlimited Executive power, over
any matter of great interest to them, does not
correspond with the jealous feelings Of the pecpIe
o.! the u. s., with the principles of their limit
Ell government, eslabii-hed by written consitu-
lion, IT was necessary keep such purpose
cOnc'eaie', under le vague adverbs and particple.
Instzied IN the act. And question much :, he
Their there single o her member, even of the
American Cabinet, who understood more of the
construction intended to he put upon some parts
OF this act, than Congress GId CT the intended
meaning OF the ambiguous word 90 elsewhere
Very soon at er receiving the act Of Parliament
of june 81 1922, Nh Rush, our Minister in q
BId;ain, instructed TO submit 10 the considsra~
ton OF the British government, the propriety of
entering into some further arrangement, a. to the
commercial intercourse opened thereby. On the
23d Of June, 1925, he was authorized toy Mr. Ad-
ans, :" TO renew 10 the British gote.nment, the
proposal OF continuing the intercourse, in other
respects, the loo'lng upon which il is placed
by the acts of Parliament, and the act OF Congress;
blt with removal of the discriminating duties on
both sides; and particularly, that the duties in the
schedule OF the act of Parliament, (of June 2I
1922 and IN the schedule Is of another act of
faIli 'uient, (passed August ., 1922 the part
OF Great Britain; and the foreign tonnage du les,
anA. additional inpOs upon British vessels from
the enumerated ports, the part of the United
States, should be mutually repealed Ii this pro
pOSa should DC accepted, it may be carried into
eisci by an act OF Parliament, upon the passage of
which, the Presidents proclamation would inme-
dlateiy be Issued; it may be agreed upon by
nVentou, which you are hereby authorjzej 10
sign and to transmit FIR ratification" o.
Now, the duties in This schedule c Of The act OF
Parliament OF June 81 1922, were not discyinni-
HafDlg duties, bat tie common duties imposed
upon the articles therein enumerated, whether the
imported ia Brush or foreign vessels
The discriminating duties then existing in the Brit
ish pUris, were imposed III Pursuance OF the order in
cGGhcIl Of July FL, 1923, issued in virtue of the
acI Of Parliament Of August >, 1922. They com
pretended du of four shiilings and three pence
s.eJlIng per ten, equal to discriminating duty of
ninety -!Olr Gents per ton, and dity on certain
ARTICLES (enumeraed IN the schedule y annexed TO
this act 81 ten per cent the amount Of the COM
InOa duties imposed on the same articles. by the
previous act OF June p, 1922. These duties were
declared in lie order in council under ~ hich they
were eXacied, 70 be intended to cOunteryail the
discriminating ddiIes imposed on Briush vessel (
sEd their caTgOes Ia the ports Of The u. S and
were precisely equal TO them IN amount. So that
Tie proposition OF Mr.. Adams amounted to this |
il Great Britain will agree to repeal ell her duties
81 iInpost and tonnage (wheiheT common or dis. [
criuiinsting) imposed upon vessels of the u |
>. and their cargoes, IN her ports, the u s. will
sTee to repeal not ali, bat Niciy Discrimination
duties only; British vessels and their catooes
in our ports. But the u ). will still rontiaue IN
exact all their common heavy duties Of impost and
Of tonnage, which are imposed equally on all YES.
selsiand their cargoes arriving in their ports, from
any foreign country. Some Of which duties, those /
on rum aad sugar for example, are specially de
ssoed to protect aid encourage he manufactured
o. the US.
10 this proposal il was we'll answered by the /
Ministers OF g. e., that " II amounts 10 no less
thdn stipulation, that Great Brian shall fenounce
ia favor oi the y. s., and without o return on \
liieif tide the power Of protecting the staples Of
her own subjects, by levying import duties on the
like productions OF foreign country. In Dyiaci.
pie, such proportion Is evidently inadmis.ible
70 could not be entertained with credit, by any
r6Jgsr on which il calculated 10 operate evcl1.ivs
.y IL IS directly at variance with the pYsctice -,
20 commercial, Of all civilis n States Il has no
precedent in the COMMERCIAL relations subsis,ipy
bsiwsea the British dominons IN Europe and the
n. s." And they might have added, IL 10 one
which the q. S: themselves will never agree q
iTipfoca.e with any foreign power whatever (2) .
MIR. RUN, s,d n0hing more than conform to .