Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-04
NO. 9s.--VOLUME XXXIX.

OF search Of visitation; No; vas responsibility
perlous responsibility.
| These were views on which he was prepared to live
or die, IN peace or in He would concede to no
Government the right TO visit search our shps and
It an admiralty order should be issued England for
that purpose 1t would be aggression and he should
be Tor coming to an understanding the subject.
He was Of the opinion that We had cause To regret
That we had entered into any sentimental legislation
The only dedicate point in this matter was, question
n the law OF nations which might arise upon The pira.
cy act OF Congress. 1t was false step, he onsdered
on our part, TO enact the piracy law with regard the
slave trade and here, whist he iobore on account Of
the delicacy Of the subject from further abiding to IT,
ne must do justice TO the ability Of his colleague (MrS
Adans whose good advice, had been followed, would
have enabled Us to avoid the ficules under which
we now laborcd.
i Alter lew further remarks, he concluded by NOV.
ing that the committee rise, with a view to the adop.
ton OF a resolution to tke the bill on, of committee
The motion was agreed TO; and The committee rose
Il Dir. fORKE then offered resolution, that all de-
bate IN Committee of The Whole the above bill should
cease IN halt al hour, and that the Committee should
then proceed 10 vote on the amendments pending and
such amendments might be offered after which 10
report the bill 10 the House Mr. having called for
i the previous question on the above resolution
Mr.. ANDREWS, Of Kentucky, moved TO Law it on
the taoie-rcjecied-ayes 30, Noes not counted
/ Under the operation Of the previous question the
| resolution was then adopted
! Inc hons" then again went into Committee of the
"hoe' tHF. summers IN The clairO ard resumed the
| consideration Of the same hill
Mr ADAMS got the floor, and observed that he
merely rose tn say, thai in the short time allowed for
debate on tins question: he would oreco the remarks
ne intended to make on the subject and wonld weld
| TO other gentlemen who desired to participate in the
discussion
Mr. EVERETT mex, obtained the floor, and said
mat he dad not intend to take up the whole half hour
allotted 10 the discussion of this bill He had but
lew remarks to make before Offering an amendment
winch he proposed TO submit to the House. and should
conaense them as much as possible. He first wished
10 say that he thought the treaty extremely good
one, for the very simple reason-that il settled diff
cultIes, in themselves of no minor consequence Se
condy, TO say thai he should vote Cor the appropriation
to pay Maine and Massachusetts the sums awarded
them, but with the hope that his native State Of
Massachusetts would no, receive dollar of il H.,
hoped she wond not take it-not because il was not
within the treaty making power but because if these
two S'aes were wiling TO under the imputation
OF having sold their country, he could hereafter make
no manner OF complaint of the thirty pieces Of silver
lie not Of those who believed that the country
belonged to Maine and, therefore, he RETAINED from
voting on the resolution OF the House affirming that
proposition, aud that the rights Of Maine TO the country
would be maintained nj all hazards. He believed un.
der all the circumstances, that we got pretty good
bargain in making this treaty. lie came now TO the
right of visitation about which much had been said
and this he took it, not British but an Amer.
can question. When presented as British question,
every man III the House in opposition to it
but wien presented American queston--as
the claim Of the United States against the whole
wo:!d-he hoped it would meet with more favorable
reception With this brief preface, he begged leave
to offer his amendment exhibiting his views of all
that could be sad on the subject. r f. then submitted
The following:
ind be it further enacted, That il shall be the duty
OF the commander of each of said vessels of said
force 10 visit all vessels found the coast of Africa
or within one hundred leagues thereof which he shall
have reason TO suspect to he American and TO be en-
gaged in the slave trade for the sole purpose OF oscer
tanning whether such vessel be American; and if found
not to be American such commander shall give to the
captain Of the vessel visited certificate stating the
name OF his vessel the name and rank of the command
er, the date OF the visit aud the time of detention Of
the vessel visiled-a memorandum of which visit with
the reason therefor, shall be placed his log book and
report the same to the Secretary ofthe Navy.
Mr. f. continued that this bill proposed to send
fleet of 80 guns the Of Africa FOR the purpose
OF surptesslng the slave trade Now, he commended
that the duties required of the commander Of this
squadron, by the amendment he had just offered was
absolutely necessary enable them 10 render the least
beneficial service. For what purpose these yes.
sells to be there' Not interfere with the vessels
of other na'ions but with American vessels You
have, said Mr.. T. by your laws declared the slave
trade piracy and your vessels therefore, are TO act
against pirates, and 10 ascertain whether the vessels
they find on that coast are pirates not Your object
suppress this class of piracy and how can YOU do
it, unless you have the right of If you deny that
right, you mrs, take the ground that the flag p-oteys
the ship: and # you find Turkish colors on ship that
has the name Of the "Sarah Ann, Of New York" or
her stern, you have right visit her But take tho
other ground and If the commander OF one of YOUR
vessels finds the Of the Sarah Ann of N. YORK
or OF Baltimore, ii you piease-on pirate no flag
will protect her.
Every body knew that at this day the flag was no
evidence of the character of the vessel. Vessels en-
gagged in the slave trade would know very we'll where
the American cruisers and British cruisers were; and
when they came in sight Of the former would hoist
some other flag, and hoIstthc American flag when thew
came in sight Of the latter. Ii would be perfectly idle
and waste of money 10 send squadron 10 the coast
of Africa, unless they directed 10 visit all vessels
under the American lg and the right TO visit AZ
an American right twas said that the right oc search
was found the law of nations a belliperen, riph,
and that not being in state Of war; this FIGHT did not
exist What were the laws Of natons, Had thew de.
rived their force from The contentious Of nations or
had they derived 1t from the general consent f.natona
IN amiy' But, granting IL to be bellgerent riph,
only the Un'lrd States had declared war agains, pira
cy, and could exercise that right while they were car
ry'ng on that How did vessels of wnr act IN
eases OF piracy Had they the right 10 board YES
ae!s suspected 10 be piratica and OF the United
States a, war with lh sc no pirates But again
Was the House aware OF the fact that this right had
been uniformly e.ercIsed By ships Of war: Our
squadrons the coast of Africa, engaged in suppress
ing the slave trade, had always exercised this right:
and had cruisers in the West Ines while seaTeb
ing Tor pirates lie would MAINTAIN the right 20 visit
these vessels at oil hazards otherwise our own seas
would be covered with pirates. If We refused this riobt
what would be thought of US in Europp1 All Europe
wss engaged IN the Suppression OF siave trade and
could We say to the British tina. hey should not board
our vessels Tor the purpose ofasaertanng whether
they were American, bot whether they were British.
All distinction lost in the assertion that there
was any analogy between the right Of visitation and
the right of search The right of visit was not only
essential TO the protection and preservation Of law
iul commerce, as well the suppression Of the slave
trade, but We could not stand before the world without
concedng it.
Mr. ALLEN rose to reply to some observations made
by the gentleman from Vermont, which he deemed a
reflection he States Of Massachusetts and .,aine
and, after speaking few minutes, the chairman an.
nounced that the time limited for debate on this bill
had expired.
Mr.. CUSHING then moved 10 Gil up the blank in
the bill with the sum Of S2!c72s.
Mr. BRIGGS moved modification. 60 as 10 snecrv
the proportion o! that sum 10 be paid 10 each Of The
States of Massachusetts and Maine
Mr. CUSHING accepted the modification
Mr.