Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-06-15


Uade, knew very well, that no such discriminating
duhes existed They saw in this act, therefore, a
ia'r prospect Tor the speedy consurnmatiou OF all
their wishes in relation 10 his subject, so coon as
Inc required proof of fact 90 them well knownl
should be exhibited. The Executive OF the u.
,. IN this case also, had furnished new example,
that no technical nice'ies, or fastidious verbal c-
tcistns, would be suffered interpose any impe-
dIment TO the completion Of the arrsne cement in.
tended; For this act passed March ], 1923, began
by declaring that its provisions should 90 into ef
iect from and after the third day Of Marc Oh aert.'
let the PRESIDENT gave effect 20 these provisions
al once Thu. properly disregsrjing the plain
meaning of the ,oo,ds of the act, TO attain its
known .afent; and interpreting March next, To
mean March then current
| But although this aaverb OF Zine could be so
construed, there was another adyerb of place,
which had found its way no this act, apparently
/ rs mere nnmeaung expleiive, or as a ,anoio
sous word only, that presented nsuperable dficuls
| iy' and married the whole scheme OF the Legisla-
lure After the passage of this Act, on the 9Th
Oh March, 1S23, MIR. s. Canning, the British Min
ister at Washington, addressed an official note
Mr.. Adams, in which he requests, that 2" the A
merlcan Secretary OF State will do him the honour,
TO afford him information, of the exact nature and
scope OF the proof which thereby required, to
enable The President Ia issue his proclamation, for
the repeal OF the discriminating duties sill levied
on British vessel-."(2)
10 this application Mr.. Adams, on the Sth Of
April 1873, answered ",hai any authentic declara-
ton from your government communicated either
through the Minister OF the u. 6 in England, or
through his Br Majesty Minister residing here, that
| (quoing the words OF the act referred 10 by Mr..
Canning) upon the vessels of the u. States admit
ted into The enumerated British colonial ports, and
! upon any goods, wares or merchandise imported
therein, In the said vessels other higher du-
lies oil tonnage or ippost, end Other charges
| OF any kind, are levied exacied. than upon Bri-
tIsh vessels. or upon the like goods, ware or mer-
cbandze, imported in'o the SAID colonial ports
rom eiSel0here, (undrrscored) Will be received
by the President OF the u. s. as the satisfactory
proof required by the act.''(3)
In reply TO this, the 10Th of April, 1923, !
Mr. Canning stated, that the declaration described
IN this letter of the Sth inst. he ready 10 give
" British and American vessels, entering the CO.
lonial ports, under the act of parliament passed
June Pa are subject to equal charges, on every
article imported under that act whether in Ame-
rican OF British vessels, the same if any, aud no
other charges, are levied. But, he added, must !
request thai you will have the goodness 20 inform
De oil the precise meaning attached the ex-
preston (elsea heTe) which have understood, as
IN s'rcIness OF construction, these ords
Pao'e OF bearing sense completely at variance
with principal provision of the Aforementioned
act OF parliament, and enc which it is, therefore,
wholly out OF my power to include in the p.oIos-
| ed declaration az
In answer TO this request Mr.. Adams on the
l4tb OF May, 1928, says, " the term eIsetoAeye
is understood to be of meaning equivalent to any
ioheTe else, and, of course, include all places
other than those from which the importatIons nio
those ports may be made in vessels OF the u.
s.. 10Y And this rnortiiying caIechsm, which
might so easily and properly have been avoided, |
by little frsnkness and csndoI on the part of The
Secretary OF State at FIRST, Is at last brought to an
ahd, IN letter from Mir. Canning on the 18th Of
May, 1873. In this, after stating his regret TO
learn that this term etseiohere, was in ended 10
include even the other British POSSESSIONS he says:
" such being tie intention OF the act, it is vain,
ioT the present, to enter upon any discussion of
the question which il involves; and it is altogether
unnecessary TO dwell upon the other points TO
winch you have adverted, this alone precludes
and necessarily precludes, my giving in a declara-
ion such as would prove satisfactory 10 the Pre-
sident" (6)
SO soon as the British government was inform
ed OF these events, the 2l-t OF July, 1923, they
issued an order in council, in pursuance oil an act
OF Parliament previously passed on the 9th of Au-
gust, 1922, imposing a discriminating duty On
American vessels and their csrsoes entering their
enumerated poris, to counteIvail the alien dules
e&acied rom their vessels in our ports. Every
one who understood The subject saw al once 10
what result this warfare OF discriminating duties
must inevitably lead, II persisted In; and hey did
not regret more this unfortunate issue than thew
did the means by which it had been brought about
word as to these means before conclude this
number This act OF March ], 1923, (like the pre-
ylous sets before referred TOT prepared az the
department of State. In the Senate, where il
was trrt introduced by MIR. Barbour the Chairman
OF the Committee OF foreign relations, 1t UNDER
went but little discussion; and none in the House
OF Representative. When IL was broupbt ,be,e
ron the oenate, u was read first and second
Time By It's title, and referred to the Committee oil
Commerce. ~ Mr.. Newton, tie Chairman Of
this Committee it was reported on the Dist dsy
Of February, 1925 without amendrp mt. read and
lad upon Tie table. IL was taken up during the
aight session OF the Doth February, 1893, and
PASSED without division or single word being !
said upon The subject by any one II fer IN, mas,
sage Of the bin, on the Isl of March Is3g. a 1
message was received from the President, trans |
hitting certain documents relative TO The suioet.
which were said in the message TO have been ac- !
c'don'sly omitted 10 De Forwarded with the pfgyious
message of February 10, 1923 (D
distinguished member OF he Senate General
Smith OF Msryldnd) who was a member nf thai
body when this act was passed. and whose alien /
ZION sas at all times been specially directed 20 tl
SUBJECT, sain his place during the last session. II,
The presence OF twenty others who like LimseifI
were also members of the Senate in 1926, and on-
con'raulcied by any OF them, that 4" few of o.. IN.
dsrsiood what was The real meaning OF this ,yo,d
elsewhere" (S) And there exists no, The .l,sLL.
est evidence to shew, that when this ar, uss,e1 I,
one single member Of he House oil Rcprs.,n,siiyes
had any the slightest reason even 10 s,anor, ds,
sucn construction would be given 10 4, To-
'hi- aaVsedly' Tor appeal 10 any Statesman law,
yer, or grammarian, ~ the construction sf,.,,..d
given 70 u, u forced and uncatu,sI coo.,g,,
non. The term occurs three times tn the same act