Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation.
About Augusta herald. (Augusta [Ga.]) 1799-1822 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1808)
snd throughout which the United States, more interested in the question than any other na tion, have uniformly combated the innovation, the principle hat not in the British triubunals been in operation for a longer term than three, four or five years, whilst in no others ha* it ever made its appearance but to receive a de* cif/on protecting against it. Such is the antiquity and fuels the authority of a principle, the deviations from which are .held out as so many favours consoling the Uni ted States for the wide spread deftruftion of their legitimate commerce. What mufl be (aid as to the other excep tions, which seem to have been viewed as claims on the grail ude of the United States Is H an indulgence to them in carrying on their trade with the whole continent of Europe, to be laid under the necefli'y of going frit to a British port, to accept a Bri'ifh license anq to pay a tribute to the Brit.fit Exchequer, as if we had been reduced to the colonial fhuation whidh once imposed these monopolizing res traints? What again mud be (aid as ro other features whichjwe fee blendingon the face of these regu lationb ? If the policy of them be to fubjea an enemy to privations, why are channels opened for a British trade with them which are fliut to a neutral trade ?—lf in other cases, the real ob left be to admit a neu*ral trade with the enemy, why is it required that neutral veflels fltail per form the ceremony of palling through a Brittfh port, when it can have no imaginable etfeft fiut the known and inevitable one of prohibi ting the admission of the trade into the port of deflinatton ? I will no? ask why a primary article of our productions and exports, cotton wool, is to be difllnguifhed, in its tranfi', by a heavy impofl not imposed on other articles, because it is franklv avowed, in your explanation of the dr- to be intended as an encouragement to Britifl) manufactures, andafliock to the rival ones of France ? I fupprtfs also, though with out the lame reason for it, the inquiry, why less rigorous reflriftions are applied to the trade of the Barbary powers than are enforced again ft that of a nation, such as the United States, and in relations such as have existed between them and Great-Britain ? I cannot however pals without notice the unwarrantable innovation contained in the two last of the orders. In one of them, a certifi :a*e of the local origin of a cargo, al though permitted in the port of departure and rrquired in the port of destination, by reglili; tions purely domestic In both, and ftfiftly analogous in principle to the regulations in the commercial code of Great Britain, is made a caule of capture on the and of con demnation in her maritime courts. Iti the other order, the sale of a merchant (hip by a belligerent owner to a neutral, although a tranf aftion as legal when fair, as a dealing in any other article, is condemned by a general rule, without an atom of proof or of presumption, that the transfer in a particular case is frau dulent ami the property therefore left in an enrmv. t ' In line, fir, the Prelident fees in the edicts communicated by you fads all timed which did not exist, principles aliened which never can be admitted; and, under the name of retalia tion meafurca tranfeending recon cileible with the fads and the principles, as if both were as corrcd as they ant unbounded. He lees moreover In the modifications of this system, regulations violating equally our neu tral rights and our national fovereigity. He persuades himleif therefore that your govern ment will fee in the jufttce of the ob'ftrvations now made in addition to those I bad the honor verbally to llate to you in the fir ft instance, that the United States are well warranted in looking for a speedy revocation of a system which is every day augmenting the mals of injury for which the United States have the best of claims to rcdrcls. I have the honor to be, &c. See. JAMES MADISON. The Hon. David M. fitk ne, lil'q. &c. &c. Congress of the United States. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday i November as. Mr. Newton called for the order of the day on the bill authorifing the Prelident to employ ia addi ional revenue cutters. Mr. Quincy dated that he had no objedion to the immediate difculDon of the fubjed, any further than that he thought it would fore flail the more important questions which were to be debated upon. He alluded to the refolu-’ tions for the repeal ot the embargo laws, &c. [The speaker told the gentleman, that the mer its of the bill were not now before the houle.] It had been Mr. Quincv’s intention (he con tinued) to make a motion. And if in order, would move that the consideration of the bill be postponed. Tie speaker hid the motion would have been in order, bad it been the firft made ; but as that of the gentleman from Virginia, had been previo lly lu nni ted, it would of courle be hill put. The question vm then teken upon Mr. Newton’s motion, and tarried—66 yeas — 29 not-*. in committee of the whole, Mr. Helms in the chair. Mr. Newton rose to date that the committee ! of commerce and manufactures had understood j from the proper authorities there was a neceffi tv for the proper execution of the revenue laws, that the force under the d. ftitui of the trealu rv department fhouid be confiderabiy eu- Ctealed. Mr. RiaJUdgt, remarked, that the cutters proposed 10 he built, were necetTary, not only the better to enforce our embargo laws, but to the proper execution of tliofc fur the regulation of the .eventae. He informed gentlemen that there wve but one revenue cutter in the whole L .Hate of Georgia. Mr. B. hoped the committee would agrees the bill then before them. Mr. Dana enquired, whether any witten in formation touching the necessity there might be for 12 revenue cutters had been received by the committee ; any letter from the secretary of the treasury. He thought it was necefla ry, if so, that it fhouid be submitted to the house. Mr. Newton replied, that there had been no written communication from the proper de partment to the committee. They had not thought it essential; having also understood, that the secretary of the treasury was particu larly occupied. However, he had taken the shortest method, by waiting upon the secretary himfelf, and had received tbe information be fore alluded to. He had understood that the probable expence of each cutter would be about 10,900 dollars, or 120,000 for the whole. Each cuner to'carry about twenty men. Mr. Quincy thought that the Corn'd mode of proceeding would require other than bal information. Refpeft for themfeUes fhouid induce gentlemen not to ad without official communication upon the fubjtft. *1 hey could not upon any other conditions, agree to so great an augmentation of the force under the direftion of the treasury department. There had heretofore been but ten cutters employe! ; there were never more than ten when com merce was at its height, and tbe revenue flour idling. But now the Uoufe was called upon to vote 12 additional cutters, when we are without revenue, without con merce—md there was no information of an official nature before the h»q(e upon » hich it might ait. Mr. Newton could not lee that it was of any conftquence to the house, whether there lud been a written communication to it upon the fubjeft, lo that the information came through the proper organ from the proper authority. It was necessary in times of difficulty, like'the present, to aft with spirit and promptitude. The laws ftioukl be executed with the grealeft flriftnefs, «nd it was always wife to take time by the forelock. Mr. Eliot had always been opposed to this mode of legislating. The gentlemen from Virginia (Mr Newton) hid dated it to be of no confiqueiice, whether the house had wrfffen information upon the ohjeft of the bill so that communication had been made through the proper organ. Did the gentleman mean to call himfelf the proper organ of communica tion. If the gen'lrman did, he was willing to confider him as fuel*.— Let him then enter a little into detail, and fliew to the house the ne reffity there exrfts for the creftion of 12 addi tional revenue cutters. It might be recoliefted, that upon a former occafioD, when the build ing of a number of gun boats was propofed,as a system of national defence, there had been a communication in writing made to them. The president did not take upon himleif tbe refpoufibjliry of the mcafure. Before they were called upon to vote, they had found upon the table tbe necessary information from the secretary of the navy. Here had indeed been a communication through tbe proper organ, but it came in writing. And as it had been obtained in that calc, he hoped it would also be obtained in the present one. He wffhed to know where the necessity appeared for the en crcafc of cutters proposed by the bill; for it furcly could nor arile from nny enrreafe in the revenue of the United States. Mr Elliot was not at all fatisfied that they were wanted, and until further information was had, mult vote 1 against the bill. Mr. Nevtton dist not intend to reply to the gentleman hit up, (Mr. Elliot) on his cavilling ; refpeft ing the proper organ of communication. He, did confidertiimfelf in the prefen? case, as the proper organ. If the house had received any information from the treafurv de partpmnt itfelf, it would have been found, he believed to contain nothin* farther than he himfelf hfd detailed. Mr. N. then moved that the committee rife and r port the bill. Mr. Blacklcdge mace fotr.e obfervat'ons In support of the bill, but they were not diftir.ftly heard. Mr Drjhi. was of opinion, tht? tbe confi !er r ation of the bill, ought fora short time ro be poftponeJ, until the house could fee whether the embargo laws would be repealed. Should those laws be refeindt d,'be cutters propoftd to be built would be found to be unnectffary. He confefTed, that withot t any official information, and until the great qmftons before the house fliould be decided, he felt a reluftance to vote upon the prelent bill; therefore fhouid move that the committee rife and report progress. Mr. Upturn also hoped for a postponement of the fubjeft. For his own part he could not un derlland w hethcr these cutters were wanted for the purpofeof more effeftually enforcing the embargo laws, or to prevent infraflions of the revenue laws. As far as refpefts information, he thought himfelf entitled to know for what he was voting away money. Mr. Mostly laid it seemed extraordinary to vote for the building of addifional revenue cut ter', when, in faft, there existed noreVenur. Certainly the name of them fliould be changed, and instead of revenue, they fliould be called embargo cutters. It appeared to him, that there would loon be more prefiit g calls for the public monev. The question fliould in his opinion be postponed. Mr. Blacklcdge laid that the expences of buil ding cutters would be defrayed by the deteflion of goods attempted to be ImuggUd. There had already been many condemnations—they were tak.ng place every day. And it was to tupport the laws that thele cutters had been ! called for. j On the mo'ion of Mr. Newton, that the committee rife and report the bill, it was carri ed— 47 ayes 1046 noes. And on a mo.ion, that the house fhouid confider the report of tbe committee of the w hole. Mr. Pitkin, moved that it be postponed until Monday next. The reason for the adoption of the bill, as given by the gentleman from North- Carolina, were the proieftion that would thus be afforded in tbe colleftion of the revenue, and the more drift enforcement of the embargo laws. But Hull we be at the expence of 120 000 dollars without knowing, when the cutters are built, if they will then be wanted. They might probably be necessary, if the house intended to continue the embargo and adopt the non-intercourse reftri&ions. He, howcrcr, wiflicd firft to know the rtfult <* these queftioot. „ n Mr. Livermore , was in saver of a P® JP one ' mentof the fubjeft. Nothing could be lolt by fliort delay. To use the expreflion of the gentleman from Virginia, it was certainly pru dent to take time by the forelock; and it was his wifti to do so in regard to the information opon tbefuhjea «hich was tube desired. It certainly wmHd be better to wait, to fee wbeth er the trealure was neceffary.—'The gentleman has (fated that each cutter wi.l c.oft about io 000 dollars ; but may he not be in error. This would not be the fi; ft time that gentle* m»n has teen mistaken in his calculation!— The cutters, would in his opinion, cost much more than the ft.m fpecifird ; they may proba bly amount to 15.000 dollars apiece— Every gentleman had a right to call for information from the proper lource. He a(k d where the great necelhty could be fliewn for these veffeit. Fur what purpose are secretaries appointed, if they cannot t>e called upon to yield the infor mation to this house which may be thought necessary. Such information had hecn so call ed for, and he wished to know from an official fourcr, what sum thecutters proposed to be built would cost. Should it turn out that the cut -1 ters would not be wanted, or that a much greater sum than had been contemplated was expended in building them, how cm we a<. count to the nation and our cenftdu? n's for it ? Shall we tell them we did not know, but that the chairman of a committee cf commerce ?”d manufactures had told us ft—Tt/mg us at the fame time, that he bad it from the fecretarv of the treasury ? But has the president of the Uni ted States, told us these vcflels were necessary. He has has not-v-Mr. L. repeated that every gentleman upon that ft dr had a right to call 'for further information. He fiiutilu not rote for this bill, uniefs the houle had resolved to continue the embargo latv* and pals a non in tercourse resolution.—These great queflions, he hoped had not been prejudgtd and decided upun before hand. Certainly, if the embargo be repealed, it will at lead be doubtful, wheth er thde cutters will frh rfqitifite. And there has not yet been information enough to con vince the houle that they ought to vole away the monev. Mr. Newton declared, that he had no wifii to precipitate any measure, and would be the last in urging the too hasty co'nfideration of a quei tion. The gentleman last up has told the house that these revenue cutters are not wan ting : that in faft, there is no revenue. O hers have talked about embargo cutlers. It is true there is a resolution upon the table for the re peal of the embargo laws; but these laws are not yet repealed. Let gentlemen recollect that they are fliiS in exifteme, and if we do enafl laws, it is our duty to fee that they are enfor ced. He appealed to gen'lemen, whether is formation had not been made public of the in tention of many Britifli merchants, to smuggle goods into our country, the importation of which our laws prohibited ?Aid to she good sense of the house for the propriety of suppor ting the measures of government and the love rcignty of the country. He wo"ld flare to the houle that there was in Georgia not a (ingle revenue cutter. Mr. Livermore said, that he did not deny ts-e necelEty there might be for employing the 12 additional cutters; —he only (aid that he was not convinced of the necessity. For his parr he had heard of no fmnggling but from Canada. Monday, November 28. •On motion o( Mr. Nelson. Resolved that 3 committee be appointed to enquire what pro vision ought to be made for infirm, disabled, and fuperanuated officers and soldiers of -the revolutionary war, and also of the prefeut ar my, and that they have leave to report by bill or other wife. Mr. G. W*. Campbell, asked for the order of the day, on the report of the committee of fo rt ign relations. Tne house accordingly went into the ci mmittee of the whole on that fub jeol; Mr. Storer in the chair. The report ha ving been read, and the firft resolution being under conGderation, in the following words. Resolved-, that the United S'ates cannot, without a facrifice of their rights, honor, and independence, (übmit to the late edifls of G. Britain and France. Mr. G. W. Campbell rose and explained the reafous w hich induced the committee to make ;he report, and entered into a general support of its principles. Ht was fol.owed by Mr. Mumford, who, in an animated speech, dissented from the principles of the report. Mr. Quincy then rose, and in one of the mod luminous speeches we have ever heard, examined the embargo policy, and clearly (hewed, noV only its ruinous pressure upon ourselves, but its total inefficacy as a measure cf coercion. Mr. Dana moved to amend the resolution, by introducing the words printed in italics, so that it might read as follows : Resolved, that the United States cannot, without surrendering their right, honor and in dependence submit to abandon tbs navigation of the ocean in consequence of the late edi&s of France and Great-B;iiain. Mr. Sloan would be better pleased with the amendment if the mover would introduce the word “ longer,” so that it might read, that the United States cannot longer, Sec. as he thought we had already abandoned our rights, &c. Mr. Dana declined making the suggested modifi ation. Messrs. Bacon,Taylor, Jae kfon, Rhea, Macon, Campell, spoke against, and Me firs. Livermore, Elliott, Lion and the mo*er in favor of the amendment, which was loft— onlv 31 riling in favor of it. v Mr. Taylor, remarked, that the amendment went, by a kind of twist, to declare that we would relift what we had done our.elves, in stead of declaring that we would aggressions. Mr. Lyon, expressed his hostility to the em bargo, said he had propheGed every thing that had happened, and had received a fort of pro mise, that it would now be repealed, from some of its advocates. It had changed the politic of the country. He referred to Rhode-Ifland 1 New-Hairrfliire. &c. and said V ermont wsi fubflantiallv federate republican "VJgJ the leg'flature having been 'J ,a, “' d br J '' n boroughs, like „!d Sarunr :He dwelt at fune length on the firbjtft, and otcifioncd ccr.fu.tr ab!e mirth. . , * f Mr Bacon called for the reading of theiquef tion, as be belte*ed the gentleman (Mr. Lyon) had not nnderflood it. Mr. Dana's amendment wai put and nega- Mr. Liverrune proposed to introduce the foN lowing atncndrr tn> at the end of the reloiu tjon ; <* And ijhat an abandonment of if.e na vigation olthe ocean is a relir.quifliment of nur rights, and 'fobm.fficn to the edift* of Gfea'.*Brtta ; n and France.” Mr. Lkcr rert'/amtndrrent was rejected. On motion cl Mr. Ely, the committee role reported progress, and obtained leave to fit again. Mr. Gar denier presented an anti-embargo pe tition from fuudry inhabitant* of the date of New York. Before the reading was gone through, an adjournment wa> called fer and carried. MILLEDGEVILLE, (Geo) Dec i. Yesterday hi* excellency the governor made the following communication to both branch es of the gentra! assembly : Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Senate , And Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the of Representatives. I have latelv received a communication from the lecretary of war requiring this flare’s quota of one hundred thoofand militia to be aflent bled and muttered, and held in to march at a moment’s warning, well armed and equiped, including blankets and knaplacks. It is not contemplated to mutter the, men in larger bodies than regiments, under which ar rangement there wili be muttered in each divi fi> n its owp,quota of 3 24a militia, which will constitute nearly a full regiment to each divi fian. Permit mp to suggest to you whether it would not be proper to difiribute the arm* among the divifirns, cr, at least, so ma ny of them a* will be fuffi.ient for the appor tionment of each division, to be fafely depefited in Come dry and secure building ; and under the particular csre of f<>me difereet person, fubjeft to the calls of the different major generals. Our quota is required as you will perceive bv a letter from the secretary of war, herewith tranfhnitted, to be furnifhed wi<h blankets anti knapsacks. Whether those articles can be furnifhed by the men called to this service, oc whether they will t>e furnifhed by the govern mem, upon their being ordered to take the field, is a fubjtft for your deliberation. It wiil be necessary, in my opinion, that some mode for fum'fhing the men with ra tions, while they are muttering agreeably to general order* of this date, should be adopted by the legislature. JARED IRWIN. November 2gth ) 1808. GENERAL ORDERS. Head-Quitters, Georgia , 29 th November , 1808. Tw ct/ioilel D*i ul Newman, sdju’an'-gener al of the militia fTthis state : The ifccret’ary of war, by the orders of the President of the U. States, having required the executive of this slate to take <- flYftuai meafure* to organize, arm an equip according to law, and hold in rcidinefs to march a? a moments warning, our proportion of one hundred tboufand militia —autborifed to be railed by an aft of congrels, patted on the 30th day of March 1808, entitled an aft organizing a detachment of the militia of the United States, you are commanded to give the necefliry order*, and to take such measures as may be proper in having detached, within the fliortett period the eircumftaiyce's wili per mit, theree thousand two hundred and forty two of the militia of this fla t, (officers included) which requlfi ion you will apportion among ths. several divisions according to their numbers, as nearly as prsfticable, in the following propor tions of artillery, cavalry, riflemen and infantry, to wit: O.ie twelfth artillery, one-fixfeenth cavalry, from one-twelfth to one sixteenth riflemen, and the residue infantry, to be completely equipped with arms and accoutrements fit for aftuai ier vke‘, including blankets and knapixtiks. You will take proper steps for having them muttered in companies, battalions and regi ments, and for having complete infpeftion re turns made out and traufmitted to me without delay. . In your orders you wiil communicate that if any corp*, who, previous to the orders for tak ing the field, may tender their services to the commander in chief of the state, conformably to the ad feftion of the aforefaid aft, they will be accepted as a part of the detachment, and that companies of volunteers, either artillery, cavalry or infantry, who may offer their fjprvi ces agreeably to an aft of Congress, passed the 24‘h of February, 1807, entitled an aft author ing the president of the United States to ac . cept the services of a number of volunteer companies, cot exceeding thirty thoufano men, will be acctp'cd as a part of the quota of thi* state, and of thole wha have heretofore volun teered, and of those who may hereafter volun teer under the iaft mentioned aft, separate in fpeftion returns are required to be made out. It is hoped and confi iently expefted that the patriotism of our citizens on this occasion, will prompt them to make a voluntary offer of their 1 services, particularly wh°n they refleft that the secretary of war sffures them, that futh will, in the event of a war, stand on high ground at candidates for appointments in the regular army. JARED IRWIN. By the commander in chief \ Thomas Flournoy, Aid de camp. Wanted Immediately, A Sawyer, And one that understands the use of Tool*, to take charge of mv Mill* in Burke county. THOMAS GLASCOCK. December 15. 4’. 24
