Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-04-03


o"' tai communica ions, but verbally, that If ihe
oiis'ai cortesfondence were called for by Goa
gfess The Tact, that such claim urged, might
not appear.
) As 10 the assertion, that the mesning of the
word eisctohere." was fully discussed anil set
'led IN he Senate, cannot believe il ithoui
o,her proofs than he assertion Of MIR. Adams.
General Smith. who was ihen-a member of Con
gress, and who is more particularly, attentive TO
our Commercial concerns, and batter qualified 10
Judge OF them, than any member Of Congress that
we ever had. denies it, {See his Speech before
cited Such proposition as is contained in the
law under he construction of the word .s else
iohere, subsequently, AVON ed, must have attract
ed ms at eniion, and rnsde an iHieble impression
on his memery. In The eight years, in which
nave had frequent con, with az. classes OF
men, ipcludng ju,iicoas merchants, I have never
heard any one suggest thai be had ar idea that
snch claim was asserted BY our Government: all
believed that II was struggle ouly upon the point,
wheiher our ships should engage in the trade upon
equal terms. We have seen that MIR. Barbour, who
had reported the bill, as Chairman of The Commit
Tee Oh r"re'sn Relations, on The 9Th Of February,
made long speech upon he history of this trade.
ANY one who knows him, mus, believe that in
respect to such Subject as this, he could only act
as The mouib-piece OF the Executive On the l | III
OF February there MAS some discussion on the de-
fails OF the bill These de,aiis related to he res
friction oil The trade 10 the direct intercourse, Sc
This discussion, as 10 The details could moi have
been IN relation to the demand on our part TO be
exempted nom the operation of the Bri ish pro-
'sc'oS duties. That was question 20 the
principle OF the bill. and few Question, until
then utterly unknown TO our Laws; and il could
not have been discussed without excting,ereat at
tenion on The part OF the public. The bill passed
w'thoui discussion in the House OF Representa-
uves. 1t was, an satisfied, prepared, by Mr..
adams, anc ITS real purpose was artfuiy conceal
ed iSee Gen. Snihs >peech before ciled)
AN act OF Congress of Januery n, 1894, il
iuTlher proof that tie Congress # he u. 5. then
had no idea that our Commercial intercourse W ih
any nation in 'he world depended in any degree
upon the question, whether they did or did NOT
exempt oar articles i'pn their duties imposed Tor
revenue or Tor the protection Of tire like articles
the produce OF their own domnions; and that il
was then understood by Congress thai our
whole object was TO procure the abolition Of dis
eliminating duties'upon our ships s. their carsoes
operating 10 the prejudice OF shipping inter-
ess Alter providi * tor, be abolition OF our dis
eliminating duties IN relation 10 those nations as
10 whom they had h=en already abolistes, ny the
.'residepis pfoclamaioa, aHd some Others; and
providing tina, ours should revive ainst such OF
them, as should revive ibeirs, against us; lie
fourth section OF the act makes this general Oh o..
vision, 9 that upon satisfactory evidence being
given to he President OF the u. S by the Cow
eminent OF any foreign nation, that no discrIni-
naiihe duties oi tonnage or inpost are imposel or
levied within the poris of the said na,ion upon
Inc vessels wholly belonging 10 .ci'zens Of The
u. > or uron n.eichsndize, the produce or
manufacture thereof, imported in the same; the
President - hereby authorised 10 Issue his pro-
clsmeuon declaring that the foreign discrininatin z
duties OF tnnnage and lrnppst within The K. $. a:e
and shall be suspended and discontinued, 20 far
as respects the vessels OF The said nation; and tie
merchandise OF is produce aai manufacture 4, i'm
ported into the Il. :. In the same tie said sus-
pension TO take eject from the time OF such noti-
bca'ion being given TO The President OF the u. 3 /,
and 10 continue 80 long, the reciprocal sxrnp-
ton Of ve.seis belonging TO citizens OF the u. )
aud merchandise, aforesaid. therein laden sHsli
be continued, and no longer" This &C, does not
in is terms excepl Great Britain from The opera
ton OF the fourth section, but includes her with
all other nations. The reason, why our discrimi-
mating duties Tere expressly abolished as o
her, as ell as the other nations particularly men,
toned. Lubbock, Hamburg, Sc. was, thai they
were induced by the Executive TO believe, that
discriminating charges were really still leyiel up-
on ships in the British colonies This was
not candid representation on their part; for no
such discrimln aiDg charges did exist by law nd
The industry OF Mr.. Adams and Alr. Clay in tbree
years could not collect more than three insiances
where any such charges were made, and in those
cases hey were made by the mistake ofthe officer.
aud against the laws and Instructions of their
Government The FIRST of these is that mentioned
IN Mr. Adams letter to Mr.. Canning Of april
8, 1928, after our act of Mach !, 1923, was
passed; III which he states, that " express infor-
nation has been received within few days, that
tonnage duty of 2s6J sterling, imposed by act oil
Parliament OF IS Geo ., continued TO be levied
on all vessels of the u. $. at Tuiks l-land until
the 23fd OF December last The Ievying oil this
duty seems 10 have ceased oD the 23d of Deem
bar, 1922, and was then no pretext for enforcing
our discriminating duties any longer against Great
Britain Mr.. Canning said in answer 20 MIR.
Adams letter; Z" by what authority the Tonnage
duty OF 2s. 81 mentioned in your las, letter, can
possibly have been collected At Turks Island so
late as the 23sd OF December, am who'll, al loss
10 concei"e, az besides The operation Of the Gus
tom-hOuse circular" (of JUS 3, 1927 the act
oil Parliament, under which you state that duty 20
have been levied, was expressly repealed during
the last session." The British Government IN
dertook, If any such duties mad been levied, 10 re-
move the cause OF the complaint and to redress
the injury. (See Mr. Addnsfon's letter 70 Mr..
Adams OF Sept. Z, 1923, Doc. No. 9; page Oh
In Hr Gaining letter of April 10, 1923, to MIR
Adams, he gives an extract from the circular in
struc'ions of the Commissioners Of the Customs,
dated July 3, 1922. directed to the custom house
officers IN The colonies, and directing them not
to charge aoy higher fees tohofeUeT in respect TO
the trade allowed By the said act TO he carried on
10 foreign vessels, than are now payable thereon
in BRUSH vessels" Mr.. Adams in hi, answer
OF May II, 1923, oriiicises on the word, fees"
and insists that the order did not remove any dis
terminating duties or charges other than he mere
fees Of tie officers to whom it was addressed; and
says, that Other charges add even duties discri-
miDsdug 70 the disadvantage of the vessels of the