Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-21

~ VI INC ministry 10 cntcr into ncgotiat ion. Ill
'",'''hceu them, that they had depart from Il ri
gu construction Of The Act OF Parliament of Jul,
80 IN inc cases Of France, Russia, and Spain
10y e""iu not, therefore, in Justice, he asserted
oi"so simiiar departure, in the demand of cgua
!uS'ice TO the United States. lie frankly told
'''th tlat he had come for tho sole purpose of o.
Pehing the colonial trade, and that if not INDUCED
~ negotiation, he would return home. Call YOU
S, oow'ng and crngng Mt the feet Of the British,
Try! is there any cringing in the despatch
uso' Mr. Mciancl No one will say there is
4 ne truth Is, MIR. President and il ought 10 be
Nhown TO tho people, that the front Of the offence
' 'ne he%ottdtion has completely succeeded ander
t"e "s,rnctio"s giren by Mr.. Van Buren,, and a,
.,'",P'ctcty jHtcd Under those Of dnothcr-a crime
WAT never can be forgiven by the opponents of &c
nerai Jackson They will never pardon him for
MS succeeding in all the negotiations in which the
P.'ccalng Administration had completely failed
FOR instance the late Administration had attempt.
Gu ana Jailed, in all the following important objects
na'hedy;-ln The claims on France. In the open
ing oil the Black Sea TO our conImcrce:-In max.
my treaty with MeXico:-In obtaining from Co.
'o",oia reduction of tho duties our produce
ana manufactures, and in equalizing the duties
charged on our trade, with those charged to En-
g'ahd In all these matters, there Il complete
iaihre by the one, and complete success by the
other administration. The successful ne citations
were under the instructions of Mr.. Van Buren,
HOW then can Mr.. Van Buren, be pardoncd bv
those who had failed? 1t is true, that the Conyen
ton with Denmark and Brazils for seizures had
occn closed, or nearly SO, when the present adj
miniStrat'on came into office. Payment by Swc-
den was effected by Mr. Council, the agent ofthc
claimants, without dnV instructions avi,Sp been
received by the Charge DIES Aflarcs The CHARGE
acted he tol me, as private friend Of the Agent
and succeeded.
The Senator from Kentucky, (NIr. Claw in
subsequent speech on this subject, remarked, that
he had himself instructed Mr. hughes the Charge
dcs Affaires to Sweden to attend to the claims Of
our merchants against Sweden, aud that the Scna-
tor from Maryland, (Mr. Smith) was either mista.
Ken or misintormed Mr.. Smith made no rep:y
but addressed note TO the Secretary of State for
iniormation, whether MIR. Clay, when Secretary of
State, had ever given the instructions, which he
asserted had been given by him to Mr.. Hughes
The reply of the Secretary of State contradicts the
avcrment of Mr.. Clay this point. Sec nate at
the foot Of The Speech.1
The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Claw has
charged Mr.. McLane with having done injury to
the navigating interest, by the opening of the st.
Lawrence, and the northern ports, TO free in.
tercourse-thus trans lorrng as he said, the carry
ing OF the produce of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio,
New York, Vermont and Maine, to British ships,
which would otherwise have been carried Ivy our
own ships. l believe farmers of those States do
not complain They know that their produce, sold
In Montreal is received there free of duty, and is
carried to England, Ireland and the West
Indies, as if 1t were the produce or Canada. 1t is
OF little Importance to them who is the carrier
provided they get an additional market, and bot
ter price for their produce.
regret, Mr.. President, that cannot give the
credit of that important act to Mr.. McLane. He
however, had nothing to do with it. Ii formed no
part OF his arrangement. The opening of that in
lercoursc, Tor certain articles of produce had
been done gratuitousLy by the British Government
Ii 1876, prior even to the attempt at negotiation
by MIR. Gailatin. Now that act must have been
known. 1t could not fail to have been known to
the Senator, (Mr. Clay,) then Secretary of State.
why, then, does he now charge it fault
united by Mr.. Mcl.anc, who had to do
with it than the man in the moon! Nor had Mr..
McLanc any thing to do with the act of Great
brItain, passed subsequently to the arrangement
made by him; by which act, other articles of
our produce are admitted free of duty into the
Northe' II Colonies, and from thence are received
III England and the West ladies, as if they were
the produce of the Canadas. The Senator TNIr
Clay,l complains that the produce of our farmers
bordering on Canada is received in England on
equal terms with those of Canada, thus givine
new market to a part of their articles, without
which otner markets might be over stockcd.-'rNc
Senator, (Mr. Clay,) has truly said that the wheat
OF the States bordering on the Canadas, pass into
canada, is there ground, and the flour shipped TO
British ports as If it were the produce of the wheat
ofCanada. This has been the spontaneous act of
Great Britain, adopted for her interest, and is
most certainly highly beneficial to our farmers
An immense number of sheep, hogs, horses, and
cattle are driven annually from Maine to Quebec
and New Brunswick. The farmers and praZiers
of Maine differ in opinion with the Senator from
kY. (Mr. Clay) and arc really simple, as to be-
iIevc, that their free intercourse with Lower Cana
da, and New Brunswick, is highly beneficial to
them. Whether the intercourse with the British
North American Colonies be bene fetal or whether
it be injurious, the present Administrations nor Mr.
Mclanc had little part in it. 1t had been effected
IN part, before the Arrangement was concluded and
soon after for another part. 1t formed, as [ have
previously said, no part of the arrangement with
Great Britain, and this fact must have been known
by the Senator, MIR Clay for he then acted as So.
crctary of State. We have for nearly half a CEN
fury been claiming the free navigation of the St
Lawrence as natural right. 1t has at length
been gratultously conceded to by Great Britain,
and now the Senator from kentucky, (Mr. Clay, }
complains of it grievance.
The Senator, Mr.. Clay,) also complains that tho
instructions state, that the late Administration had
dbGndORed certain pretcntioms. The Senator ad.
mts that those pretcntions had been ,Caired-Thc
Senator from Georgia, Mr. Forsyth has contondcd
that there is no difference in substance between
those words. leave this grave question TO be set
tied by those learned Senator'S and will proceed to
show what those prctcntions werc and which,
can hardly restrain myself from proDouncing, wero
pucrc in the extreme.
During the Session of1S22, Congess was inform
cd that an act pending in Parliament, for the
opening of the Colonial ports to the commerce of
the United States In consequence, an act pass d,
authorizing the President in case the act Of Par
lament was satisfactory to him, to open the ports
Of thet United States 80 British vessels, by his pro.
clamation. The Act of Parliament was deemed sa-
tisfactory, and proclamation was accordingly ssu-
cd, and the trade commenced. Unfortunately for
our commerce, and | think contrary 10 justjcc a
Treasury circular issued, directing the Collect.
ors to charge British vessels entering our
ports, with the alien tonnage and discriminating
duties. This order was demonstrated against
q think,) by Mr.. Vaughan. The trade, however,
went on uninterrupted Congress met and bill
was drafted in 1893, by Mr.. Adams, then Sccrc
f,ry- ,,CG and hot will
if any dcbatc--I voted for it, believing that it met
in spirit Of reciprocity, the act Of Parliament
This bill contained however, ono little word, else
where which completely defeated all our expect