The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-20
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PILOT
WASHINGTON. juno 18th. 1870.


DEAR GENERAL;
Since left our city, there has been pretty
close attendance upon Congress. Yesterday l
was at the Senate, and was pleased to observe
the regard paid by one Of our Senators to the in
terests of our beloved monumental city. In the
bill to prevent the abuse of the flag of the United
States, and the unauthorized use Of American
papers in that trade, Mr.. MERCK made a prompt,
and in my opinion, very proper attempt to remove
from this bill very exeeptionable words. They
related to the building of Baltimore Clippers
and said that any person engaged in constructing
or preparing with FEreason to believe that the
same will be 50 employed by others, such person
shall, on conviction, be deemed guilty of INSIDE
meanor, and, ON conviction, be fined not exceed
ing $4,000, and imprisoned not exceeding FIVE
years, &c.
Mr.. Merrick moved to expunge from the bill
the words quoted; he conceived the bill sufficient
ly strong without them, and thought it might act
injuriously upon the ship builders of Baltimore,
who, by their superior skill, had attained supe-
riority in the construction of fast sailing vessels
which no other people on the habitable globe had
ever come up to.
Mr.. Davis replied, that these words were not in
the original bill, but had been placed there by the
Secretary of State, to whom the bill had been
submitted.
Mr.. Merrick still insisted that the authority
from whence they were derived, did not cntitle
them to the more sanction. What, said he, is so
meritorious and so skilfuI class Of men to have
their interests assailed in such manner, because
a Secretary of State recommended it2 Certainly
not, and he must insist that they be stricken out,
1t was well known that this class Of ship build
ers were so pre-eminent in their profession, that
vessels of their construction were sought for
every where; and were they to be rendered liable
to vexatious prosecutions, through any improper
construction given to the words Of the law? He
hoped the Senate would see the necessity of re-
moving them. Mr.. M. then went on to pay a
well merited compliment to the SKILL the industry
and professional worth of our ship builders, which
did my heart good to listen TO.
Mr.. Calhoun spoke also in manner which
pleased me very much. He said he was afraid
the bill was traceable to foreign influence, and
was calculated to embarass. What steps had
Great Britain taken in regard to herself ? She
was seeking to acquire the ascendency in Africa,
and set herself up as kind of arbitor to dictate
rules to other nations. The very manac1es with
which slaves were bound, were manufactured in
Birmingham; and what had she done to put a
stop to thats 1t was time, he thought, for this
country to assert its own dignity, and not be die
tated fo a by n foreion mower Whom ba fbo,,oI
Of the direct and improper interference on tie
part of the British, in the case Of the Armistadt
he lost all patience.
Mr.. Walker, of Mississippi, advocated the re-
tanning of the words placed there by Mr. Forsyth,
as the best means Of putting end to the trade;
andthe motion of Mr.. Merrick was lost. So that
if one of our beautiful clippers is ordered by a
foreign power, our skilful and Industrious me-
chancs are to run the risk of prosecution, if any
abolitionist sees fit to swear against them. And
all because MIR. Secretary Forsyth sees cit, for
sooth, to bow his head to the impudent dictation
Of England--a nation that sees fit in this very
case to urge upon the government the yielding Of
the right of search.
| Why did not the Senate print the correspon
dence for the benefit Of the country at large? The
people should see all on this subject which was
sent from the State department. There is part
|of it from Trist which would amuse them. Let
us have it, and the dates. There is one letter
from the hard money Consul, which member Of
the committee told me was headed ssconfdential,'
(which MIR. T. had since taken from the files, In