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‘NKW-YOTJK, December 21. Extract of a letter Jeon* our'correspondent at Washington dated Dec. 17. “ I was last night informed by one o 1 the heads of Department, that oar cff.ii'r looked more gloomy now than ever. That tve should probably have to choose be tween going to war with Fncland or with France— lt being undetstood that France had put fn force the Decree of November 1806, and thus given us as much ground of war against her as we could have a gainst England, even if she p.-rsisted in refusing reparation for the attack on the Chesapeake. By the way, however, vou may rely upon it that England has proposed to make that reparation, ac knowledging the attack or. the Chesapeake to be both unauthorised and unjustifiable, I think (but of this I speak as l ought, with doubt,) that the Administration will prefer a war with England ! A few men talk of going to war with both—but the opinions of those have no chance of in fluencing this Hou3e. Every wav I turn 1 see trouble ancldanger. And I am my self the more distressed when 1 look a round me and see in those who have the confidence of the administration, so little talents, I may say, so little common sense. And when l look to the administration it self, | see there nothing to console me. Our Administration, in times of quiet, were capable of falling down with the tide. A Dog is as fit for this as a boat. But they are unequal to times of troub’ and difficultv. And l do fear we shah have but too much melancholy evidence o’ this truth. However we can bear much I>. for e we ave t°talU’ ruined, aoo tl'o- people inav at last'be induced to place more confidence in those who are canahh of tnnnag ng their affairs wi h ability, than in-those whose great m consists'in flattering and thus deluding the popu lace. Another done for French tories. —TV minions of th pre-id- nt n,av deny the fact contained in the following pa>agrapb and tty to blind us sti!!, but the time ap proaches when the truth can be no longer concealed. From the Alexandria Advertiser of Dec. 17. !)r Bulfus. surgeon of the Chesapeake, arrived at. Washington yesterday front France, and is the bearer of dispatches from Mr. Armstrong, our minister at that court- —he reports that'in a conversation bet veen the Emperor Napdleon and Mr. Armstrong, which took place in his pre sence, the Emperor remarked that any country in which a British minister was permuted to reside. would be considered the F.wvtoy /jJ Frnnr* Ect us now see if “VJr. Jefferson will dare to receive ‘Mr. /?ose, December 24. The Prefideru of tlv United S’ates hns puidkly announced his intention of rearing from his hijh oilice at the; expranoii of ti epreiem term- This wtereding communication has been’ made to the Legislature of of Penn lylvania in the following handsome manner : ‘V Dec 10, ISO7‘ GENTLEMEN. 1 received fome time ago, from the Speakers of the Senate and Houle of Reprelentf.ves of F- nnfyivauia, an audrel, from the two Houles, to which, on pul: “-c couii icra ions, it was thought advisable that ti e anlwer ihouid be delated a whiio. 1 now alk permif lion to convey the anlwer through the fame channel, and to tender you the aiinrar.ee of mv high confid nation and r ~i. TH. JEFFERSON. The honorable Pa -sir Lank, Speaker o f the Senate, Sim ‘n i-NYBER, Speaker ol ‘.he hot fe of Kt prtfentaiives of Pennfv Ivania. To the General A ffanbly oj Pennsylvania 1 received, in due leafoo, the acL dress of the general assembly of Penn. |\ Ivania, under cover from the fpeaker of the two houses, in which, with their approbation of the general codr fie of my adminiflradon, they were so good as toexprefs their desire that l Humid con sent to be piopofed again to tle public voice on the expiration of my prelent term of office ; enrertaimng as I do, for the general affeinoSy of Penn fp'vanit, thole fieniiments of high re (pef.lt which would have prompted an immediate anlwer ; l was certain, no. verthelefs, they would approve a delay which had for its objeft to avoid a pre mature agitation of the public mind, on a iobject lo iniereftiog as the eieclr on of the shift magiff rate. That \ should iay down mv charge, at a proper period, is as much a duty, as to have borne it faithfully. If Idme termination to the let vice of the chief m#!i'ltate, he not fixed by the con!ti < tuiion, or lupplied by pra&ice, his of # fice nominally for years, will in fad be come for life ; and history shews how easily that degenerates into an inheri tance. Believing that a representative go vernment, refponfihle at short periods of elections is that which produces the greatelt fiinn ofhappinefs to mankind, I feel it a duty to do no afci which shall e'ffentially impair th?t principle; and I should unwillingly he the person who.-disregarding the found precedent let by an illustrious predeeeffior, should furnifh the firft example ol prolongatL on beyond the second term of office. Truth also requires me to add that I am fenrfible of that decline which ad vancing years biing on —and feeling their physical, I ought not to doubt their mental effeß ; happy, if I am the firft to perceive and to obey this admo nition of nature, and to folic it a retreat from cares too great for the wearied faculties of age. For the approbation, which the ge neral aflembly of PennfVlvania has been pka ( ed to express, of the princi ples and tneafures puifued in the ma nagoment of their affairs, I am fincerclv thankful, and should I be so fortunate, as <0 carry into retirement the equal approbation and good will of my fellow citizens genen'ly, it will he the comfort • f mv fu'uie days, and will dole a fer. vice of forty years with the only rewaid .t ever wished. Til. JEFFERSON. December to, 1807. ExtraH of a letter to a merchant in this city from his In other, dated Kingjton , - Jamaica , Nov. 10, 1807. 41 J arlived here on Sunday the Bth after having encountered greater diffi cu ties on ibis lit £/e voyage than I eve r experienced on any former; and was sent in by a British fliip of war, for tri al, under pretence of a breach of the Revenue laws, by bringing beef and pork to this ifhnd. On Friday lafi, -titer having taken a pilot, and finding for Port Koval, we were boarded by nis Britannic ma jelly’s brig Goelan, capt- C'crn-mt, who examined us very ftriQly, broke open private letters, <StC. j and finally put a prize on ! board and ordered us for our defined port. 1 have gnnp through the regu lar tedious examination, and have great reason to funpofe we shall be dis. charged -without being libelled We had previous to this completely run the gauntlet. On firft. letting fail from St. Thomas, when almost clear of (he port, we were fired upon from the batteries, and brought to our moorings again. I was carried before the com mandant and council, who informed ne that no poviGons could be per mitted to be carried from the iflarnl , and that the government would take ihern at the market price, which was very low. This I objetfed to. as my objefcl was to go to Jamaica ; hut de manded four do!bars more than the market price, or to be permitted to de part. The commandant Hew into a j rage, and declared the ship should not leave the port; cn which 1 took the liberty to o'bferve, he could only flop her by laying an embargo on every vei l'd in the hat hour; or I would abati. Idori her, and feck for damages. The old fellow at length,-finding it impoffi. k hie to keep her, after two days deten tion. was graciowfiv plealed to let us depart. We had no sooner cleared the port when a boat from one of the blockading fquadr-on run along fide, and peremptorily r.rdeied us to return into the poo, which we refufed. I then went on board the commander, and offered him the flop’s papers, which he refilled; but perilled in his order to return, which 1 as positively refilled to do, faying we would fee the fliip link under us (which he threatened to do) I raihcr than carry her into pou again ; anti aher fome altercation the fliip was taken poffcHion of, and order* and foi Tortola. The capiain and myfeif were detained on board 1 *?e frigate, and put in confinement, and alter two days o! mod infamous treatment, were lent on board the Galatea fngate, where l was ( rcated very politely, and proceeded to Tortola, wiere on a reprefcntaiion which 1 maile to admiral Cochrane (on hoard the Belleville of 80 guns) he or. deied the fliip to be liberated, and per mitted us to proceed without any fur- J ibe* trouble. Our progrcTs tvas plea I fi.nt and rapid, until the moment it was I checked by v (hot from the Goelan. 1 I have, however, every txpeUation of a favourable ifTiie.” ExtraH of a Letter Jrom Wellington , dated Dec. 16. 45 This moment the Hotife ofße prefentatives have agreed, by a very large majority, to approptiate one Million of Dollars for the better ford fyit g the ports and harbors of the U. I States. ‘The molt animated debates 1 j have ever heard in the house, took 1 place on this measure. The members I from New York acquitted them (elves ron this occasion with much credit to j the State they represent, and the im portance of obtaining a more extended appropriation for securing the firft commercial city in the union, was urged with a degree of (pirit, that en. titles them to the warmed approbation of the citizens of their metropolis.” COMMERCIAL AGENCY. Na NT?., Oct. 30, 1807. Tiie American Commercial Agent of the United States at Nant-z, to the American mailers and supercargoes now in this port. Gentlemen —1 have the honor to inform you that I this day received a letter from his Excellency Gen. Arm. flrong, Minister Plenipotentiary of th.e U. States at Paris, in which he reite rates his advice, that the American (hipping in this port should urge their departure, before an avowed rupture with Great Britain should take place. Communications will he made of this ietter, to those who may wish it,- at the office of the Commercial Agent of the U. S laies. I am, &c. W. D. Patterson. NORFOLK, -Dec. 15- This day the following address from the Mayor, Aldermen and Com mon Council of this Borough, was presented to Mr. Munroe : To JAM E S MUNR OE, Esq. The Mayor, Aldermen and Com. mon CoUT'cil of the Borough of Nor_ folk, in behalf of their fellow citizens, have the honor to congratulate you upon your return to your country. In the arduous duties incident to your appointments to the different courts of-Europe, you have doubtless experienced ell those privations which are inseparable from public employ, ments ; whether in the acquifiiion of an ex enfive country, by which our Western Brethren are in pofTeffion of an outlet to the ocean ; whether in the difeuffion of our political or in the maintenance of our maritime tights, we sake plcafure to assure you, that your countrymen have beheld your exer'ions with peculiar partiality. They cannot be infenuble of the difficulties of an emhaffy, during a pe riod w* en the rights of nations are too often assailed upon the broad piea of necessity. But whatever may be the result of our dependencies with (ireat Britain, we feel persuaded you have brought to vour country that know ledge of European politics, so necefTa ry to the formation of a correfci judg ment on our Foreign Relations. We beg you to be a (lured that in the important concerns intrulled to vou, your fellow citizens have the ut mod confidence in your zeal; ta'ents and patriotism, and that you may long live in their alleOions and efteeni, is the fine ere wish of their hearts. Notfo'k, Dec. 14, 1807. To winch Address Mr. Muurne returned the t’oilowii'g Answer : To the jVayor , Aldermen, and Common Council oj the Borough of Norfolk. If any cir cum (lance could heighten the delight which 1 feel in returning to rry country, it would be the very flat teting reception which has been given to uie by the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Conned of the Borough of Norfolk, on their own part and in be half of their fellow citizens. So kind a welcome could not have failed to produce under any circtunrtances its merited rfieU, but in the present case it has excited in a peculiar degree my (cnftbdity. In the high trulls with which I have been honored by my government, with ievetai of the principal powers i n 1 Europe, for ncarlv five rears pafl, I | have indeed fir’ nil ihat ioliciiude which you so juflly (©< iibe 4 Well knowing that the honor of my government and the happiness of mv fellow citizens were effentiaTv involved in the re'ults of the important negotiations in which I partook, I am conlcious of having done every thing in my power, to ac quit myfeif in every inffance to their jufl claims and expectations. Their approbation is the high reward to which I have looked, a’id I beg you to be adored that it will give me the greatest possible far is fa ion to find that I am thought by them, in fome degree to have deferred it. The affuranee which you have been so good as to express, of your confi dence in the zeal and integrity with which I have difeharged my public duties and the interefl which you take in my future welfare mefit my warm ed acknowledgments. That you, gen tlemen, and that ail my fellow citizens of Norfolk may continue to enjoy the blessings, which are so eminently due to your merit and patriotism, is a hope which I shall never ceafc to cherish, as it fecks an in which I shall al ways take the greatest interest, James Munrok. EXECUTIVE BIAS towards TRANCE & The following remarks are pf im port at this moment, as they tend to shew, in what light our foreign preju dices are to he viewed, through the mirror of Executive wisdom and pa triotism. 44 The intelligence lately received from France, is peculiarly interesting at the moment, when the Legifiature of the Union is deliberating on mir re lations with foreign powers; and when the result of its deliberations mult in volve the deeifiori of Peace or War. It is within the recoiled loti of every one that the Decree of the Emperor Napoleon, of Nov. 21 ft 1806, de claring the ft ate of Blockade, was the firft annunciation of the moft extra ordinary principle ever railed by a Belligerent againtl the rights of neu tral Nations—a principle so extraor dinary, called for the immediate resis tance of every neutral power; and it became peculiarly incumbent on the Executive of the U. States, to whose fuperintendance our foreign relations are immediately confided, to have withstood ibis gigantic flride of Belli gerent pretenfion—lt was a fit occa lion to have ex'empiificd our claims, and to have evidenced our impartiality towards Great Britain and France—* To have met the declaration of such a principle at the threshold was the true, and the onlv effedive mean of preventing the pradice under it by ei ther of those powers. Was this the condud pur hied by Mr. Jefferlon— ** was the occasion seized to evidence a ftribf impartiality, and a dignified refis tance to such encroachment ? Where are the indignant remonstrances of our Government against such rnonftrous defpotifim ? Was not the whole reprC fentatjon on the fubjeft, confined to a ii JE cense” and a 44 je crois” 44 an opinion and a belief” neither formal nor conclnfive, between Mr. Arm strong and Deeres, who declared hirfi fc’f unauthorised and incompetent to fay any thing on the fuhjeft. And hat not the negledt of this important duty, this dereliction of our best interests, induced the British to pradice under the principle, which France firft de clared, and which she now determines to enforce against us?—And, are we not plunged into our present deep, and almost inextricable embarrassment by this weak, this wicked delertion of duty—on the part of thole, to whom it was specially confided ? Let the Legifiature exanline thft fads in the manner which its duty pre feribes, and the people will be correct ly informed whether the defect has been in the Constitutional Powers, 44 of Hit adminipration of them ! How much confidence mull it have required, to Hate the fufiering ol our Commerce in the Mediterranean, in the embittered manner in which it given to Gongrels against one of the Belligerents, when the very cause of complaint, was jultified by the total