Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-03-20
From, the National Intelligence.

having published in Baltimore paper some
observations on Mr. Tomlinson's remarks, IN
the House on the Colonial Bill, as it went from
the Senate, and Mr.. Tomlinson having lett the
city. friend Of his takes the liberty Of asking
YOU to publish paragraph or two oy way OF
answer 10 those observations. The General
thinks the Editors must have misunderstood or
misrepresented Mr.. Tomlinson.
"In your paper of this mornings" says ne TO
the Editors of the Baltimore papers, you nave
given what you say was Mr.. Tomlinsons view
Of the bill which passed the Senate, with only
ten dissenting votes, relative to the Noiohia'
trade. You will excuse me when>l say that IL
is scarcely possible thar gentleman OF VIZ.
Tomlinson's good sense could have taken such
a view of the bill. You make him say that,
should the bill from the Senate become law,
and should NO arrangement have been conclud-
ed before the 3lst day of December next, Brit.
ish vessels would, after that time, be admitted
into the ports Of the United States from the Brit
ish Colonies, paying no discriminating cuues
whatever, either on their tonnage or carsoes;
while American vessels were absolutely exclud'
ed from the British West Indies" sc.
Now, agreeing with General Smith that Mr.
TomIinson is man Of very good sense, would
still remark that there is no sort OF doubt that
he did use the precise words at least expressed
the precise opinion here imputedto him;Sin this
opinion he was not singular. If he were IN an
error, in this respect, it was an error common
to great ma or;ty of the House OF Representa-
tives and believe, indeed, TO every gentleman
who, in that House, took part in the debate -
1t was an error into which MIR. Cambreeng tell;
it was an error, which neither Mr. Forsyth, Mr.
Archer, nor any other gentleman, as far as re.
member. who were for the Senate's bill, pointed
out or exposed. With great difference to Gen.
Smith, Messrs. Editors, humbly submit that
| it is no error at all. MIR. Tomlinson's words
express, with entire accuracy, the state Of things
as it would have existed on The LIST day OF Janu-
ary next, il the Sena,es bill had passed.
Gen. Smith says "the bill from The Senate
int rdicted The British Colonial trade by sea,
by land, or inland navigation, from and after the
LIST day of December. 1t completely put
stop to all intercoure with all the British Colo
MES after that day." SC.
Either Gen. Smith, or the writer Of these pa
raeraphs, is greatly and strangely mistaken in
the legal effect and operation Of the Senate's
bill. find no interdict in it whatever. 1t pro-
hib,ed nothing; at least it prohibited nothing 10
Great Britain The only efectual prohibition It
contained, was prohibition on the President,
pre- venting him from issuing proclamation,
excluding British vessels from our ports, before
the 3lst Of December. next; and after that day
'ufC,' tnr'eJ' unrH me 7yesiaea syJasit fEfs
proclamation, or some other law should be PASS.
ed on the subject.
Here, Messrs Editors, appears to mel speak
1t without discourtesy-to be General Smiths
mistake, as to the operation of his own bill, in
connection with other laws. He seems TO think,
that 1t his bill had passed, the acts of 1918 and
1920 would, of course, have been in full opera.
ton, after the 3lst Of December. But this is.
with submission, all entire error. These laws.
are suspended, by the act Of 1923, whenever that
act lives, or revives, they are dead. Now, by
the Generals bill, that act would revive, and be
in full force, on the first day Of January next;
! and consequently, it would have its ordinary
and necessary effect Of suspending again the laws
of 1918 and 1920. Any one viii see. think,
that this must be the inevitabls.ooera,ion, who
will take the trouble to read carefully the three
laws, together with General Smiths proposed
bill. This necessary result Of the measure was
stated over and over, and over again, in the
House OF Re pre- entatives, and was fully urged,
as have understood, al the conference. The
editors, therefore, have not mistaken Mr. Tom.
llnson, nor was he forsaken Of his characterjs-
tic good sense, when he described, in the Ian.
guase imputed 10 him, the character and opera
ton Of the Senate's BILL
Gen. Smith says, as already stated "tha, the
Sena,e's bill completely puts stop to inter.
course with the British Colonies, after the 3 LIST
Of December"
AS the General has, as he says, the bill be fore
him, will he be kind enough to point out hoy
it thus completely puts stop to this inter-
course after that time. Ii cannot, as have al. |
ready said. effect this object, by giving force to
the laws Of 1918 and 1920, because it does not |
in fact give force To thes. laws II suspends |
till December, the law of 1928; after December
then that law will be in force; now the very
FIRST section Of that law is in these words: Be |
it enacted, Sec. That from and after the Sd day
of March next, March, 1920 the first, second,
and third sections Of the "Act concerning Nayi-
cation" approved on the 18th April, ls 49, and
the Act supplementary TO an act oncerning Ma
yigation, approved May Is, 1920, shall be, and
the same are hereby suspended, during the conf
nuance Of this act," Sc.
. The Generals bill therefore revives, after
December, an act which declares, that so long
as that act itself exists, the laws Of 1918 and
1920 are suspended and of no force. By reyiy.
ing the law of 1923, the Generals bill thus
completely suspended and annuled the acts of
n n rI