Newspaper Page Text
3? Cougrefs of the United' States. Is SENATE, Tuesday, January 2lit. 1794. The following written meflage was re ceived from the Preiiocnt ot the United State 3, by I Ir. Ins fecretaiy. United States, January 20th. 1794* Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Repreleiitatives, Having already laid before you a lettei cf the 16th of August i"93> ' rora t ' ie Secretarv of State to our Minister at Pa ris, ilating the condU'ft and urging the recal of the Mlnifter Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France ; 1 how commu nicate to you, that his conduit has been unequivocally disapproved ; and that the ftror.geft alfr.rances have been given, that his recal (hocld be expedited without de- * lay. G. WASHINGTON. Tlte me!Tac<r was read. Ordered, That it lie on %. The memorial oi the people called Qua kers, from the yearly meeting held at Rhode liland for New England, in the yeair 179?. was presented and read, play ing Cotigvefs to e sere iff the authority ves ted in them by 'the conftitutjon, lor the fuppreflion of the ilave trade. Ordered, That this petition lie on the table. The petition of Jacob Milligan was pretested and read, praying compensation for lone 3 lullained, whilst in the lcrvke or the United States. Ordered, That this petition lie on the table, The following written mcffiigc was re ceived from the P.efideflt of the United States bv Mr. Dandridge his Secretary. United States, January 2 n't, 1794. Gentlemen of th " Senate, and of the House of Representative*, It Is with fatisfa&ion that I announce to you, rhat the alterations which have been made bylaw in the original plan for raifiijg a duty on spirits d: Hilled willun the United States, and on il'.lis, co-operating with better information, have had iiderabk influence in obviating the difficul ties, which have embarrassed that branch of the public revenue. But the obstacles which have been experienced, though les sened, are not yet entin-ly -^uldfecm added ; which leads me to recall the at tention of Cpngrefs to the fubjeft. A mong the matter*, which may demand re gulation, ia theeffedl, in point of organi zation, produced by the separation of Kentucky from the state of Virginia ; and the fituatipn, with regard to the law of the territories north-well and south-west of the Ohio. The laws refpe&ing light house elta blilhments require as a condition of their permanent maintenance, at the exptnee of the United States, a complete ceP.ion of foil and jurisdiction. The celTiona of different Hates loving been qualified with a refervalion of the right of fervmg legal process within the ceded jurifdiftion, are underitood to be icconclulive, as annexing a qualification not confonar.t with the terms of the law. I present this circum stance to the view of Congress, that they may judge whether any alteration ought to be made. As it appeaj-s to be conformable with the intention of the " ordinance for the government of the territory of the Uni ted State 9 north-weit of the river Ohio," although it is not expressly dire&ed, th?.t the laws of that territory (hould be laid before Congiefs, I now transmit to you a copy of such, as have been palled from July to December 1792, incluiive ; being the la ft which have been received by the Secretary of State. G. WASHINGTON. The message and copy of laws referred to were read. Ordered, That this melTage lie for con sideration. On motion, Ordered, That Mr. Bradley, Mr. Li vermore and Mr. Brown, be a committee lo take into consideration the laws passed in the territory of the United States north-weft of the river Ohio, from July to December 1792 inclusive, and report US : y~ thereon to the Senate. ■ The Senate adjourned to 11 o'clock to- rnorroiv morning, Jan. 2 2d. 1793- The Vice Piefident laid before the Se- , * Orthography —•_ , i j o i ic ,tea. en the mode of teaching th« Deal, or buia | J pate futuky communications from the Se cretary for the department of war, retpec ting a treaty of peace lately concluded by fames Seagrave,agent M Indian affairs,on behalf of the United States, with the chiefs and warriors on behalf of the Cieek Indians. The papers communicated were read. Ordered, That they lie on the table. Agreeable to the order of the day, the Senate took into consideration the motion made the 16th hilt. That the doors of the Senate chamber "should remain open, whilst the Senate fhaU be fitting in a legis lative and judiciary capacity." On motion, It agreed to poll pone the conside ration of this fubjeel to this day fort night. The Senate adjourned to II o'clock to- morrow morning. Thursday, Jan. 23d. 1794. Oa motion by Mr. Cabot, that a com ih'.ttee be Appointed to coiil'idcr of the ex pediency oi allowing the drawback on the re-exportation of goods, warts and mer chandize, from ports other than those into which they were iirit imported, and to re port a bill for that puipofe, if they fliall tkiiik it proper, Ordered, That this motion lie for con sideration. The following written meiTage was re ceived from the President of the United 1 States, by Mr. Dandridge his secretary. United States, 22d. Jan. 1794. Gentlemen of the Senate, and of 1 the House of Representatives, I forward to you extra&s from the last advices from our Minister in London ; as being connected with communications al ready made. G. WASHINGTON. The mefi'age and extra&s were read. Ordered, That they lie for confidera ti°n. A mefl'age from the House of Repre fentativen bv Mr. Lambert, in the absence of Mr. Beckley their clerk, detained bv sickness : " Mr. Prcfident, The House of Repre sentatives have palled a bill, entitled, — " An act for completing and better sup porting the military eftabiidiinent of the United States," in which they desire the concurrence of the Senate." And he withdrew The bill was read tlic firft lime. Ordered, That this bill pafa lo the 20 reading. (To be Continued.) CONGRESS. House of Representatives. January 16. In committee of the -whole on Mr. Madifun's rrfolutions, Mr. Goodhue, Mr. Chairman, the propositions now before us having been confidercd by seve ral gentleman, who have already fpok.cn, and who have given such a particular de tail of calculations, I (hall confine myfelf to some general obfervatior.s on the fub jeft. The gentleman from Maryland, has made an observation, which (truck me ve ry forcibly as applied to the subject be fore us, because it is a maxim to which all mankind have alfented and upon which all mankind continually pra&ife, it was this, " there is no Friendship in Trade," and it may be added as a necefl'ary confe qlience, there ought to be no Hatred in Track. By following a path founded upon so obvious a maxim, as the forego ing, we may be sure of a right guide, but if we deviate from it, we are in danger of being led into unforefeen error and mif chief. It is unqueftionablv our duty to attend to the Navigation and Commerce of our country, and give it every proper encouragement which time ind circum [lances admit, this has ever been my wilh and my conduct. This object so important and desirable irmft be effected by fixed principles and re gulations, such as giving our vefiels a de cided preference in our own ports above the (hips of every other nation whatever, by paying less tonnage and other duties ; by fuffering no foreign (hips to bring into the United States the productions of any o | thercountry, than the oneto v.hich they be long ; and by prohibiting foreign (hips from coming to the United States from those places where our own (hips are pro hibited. These are the fixed principles and re- gulajtioivs by one or all of which our na- 1 vigation and commerce can only be pro j moted, and must never he deviated from, when adopted in favor of any one nation whatever—unHs, it be in return forfome special advantage granted to us by any particular nation as an equivalent. > l_ therto, onr government has proceeded to diftiriguifh foreign (hips, only by making them pay greater tonnage and duties than our own. Ifcircumttances required it and the time is judged a seasonable one, I (hall be willing to proceed further. Let U» examine what advantages, vve enjoy in consequence of any commercial treaties we have already formed lor the propofitiofls before us, are proposed to at fea only those nations with whom we have no treaties, We have commercial treaties with Prullia, Sweden, France and Holland, and in the dominions of neither of those powers, have our (hips or the pro duce of this country (except in the fi-tgfe article of our Oil in France) been admit ted on any more favorable terms than the (hips or produce of any other nation, and for this obvious reason because our trea ties only ensure the advantages they may grant to the mod favored nation; and being circumltanced in such a manner as not judging it for their interest, to diftinguiju any one by its favors—we are left only in the enjoyment of a trade with them on the terms common to all other nations This being the cafe, I would not give on', farthing to have like treaties formed with every other nation, for they have not been and never can be of any fei #ice to us—if we expect to derive any advan tage from commercial treaties, we must stipulate for fomc certain good, for some other good which we may grant them in return. But it 19 said, Mr. Chairman, we are particularly injured by the commercial re ftridions of Great Biitain—the fact is, we en'oy in our trade with that country, all the advantages of commerce and in some instances greater, than they grant to any other nation. Our pot ash and fcvc ral other articles pay a less duty in Great Britain than the like articles do from any other country, and in no in (lance do I 'oe lieve they pay greater. Our Ir.ips are al lowed generally, to carry to Great Bri tain and Ireland the productions of thi# country UII the fnme terms their own ships do. We have also free admiflion into their extensive territories in India ; where I they prohibit the (hips of their own coun- I try, unless they belong to their India com- party. It is true our commerce is cramped by a refufal of our Chi pi into their colonies of Nova-Scotia, Canada, Newfoundland, tlicir Well India islands, which ii the ouW evil of a commercial kind, we have to complain of in their reputations. But this is not an evil in consequence of dif tinguiftiing us from any other nation ; — they deny that privilege to all others, *nd it has taken effect as it relates to u» in consequence of our becoming an indepen dent nation. The evil of being prohibi ted their colonies arises from the existing circumstance* of things—their contiguity to the United States, compels them to carry on a coniiderable trade with u» for supplies, and in which it is but just we {hould be partakers, and if we mean to redress this evil, we (hould point out mem fures to that object —and fay, no foreign {hips (hall come to the United States, from any place, where our Slips are pro hibited, or, if they do come, they (hould come under some peculiar disadvantages —this would be meeting the evil direct. If we raise the duties on their manufac tures imported into this country, as is proposed by the resolutions now under consideration, with a view of compelling them to be more liberal in their commer cial irrangemcnts with us, we (hall surely rail* our aim—for it is certain France in her present Situation is by no means able to supply us, whatever (he may do hereaf ter. No other country, at present, but Great Britain can supply us—it therefore follows, undeniably, if such be the fact, that if we import their goods and lay an additional duty on them, the blow aimed at them will fall on us, by raifmg the price to the consumers in this country eo/ial to the proposed additional duty. It is said the chics of the foreign ton nage that comes to this country, is Bri ti(h, and this is an evil; if our object is to promote our own navigation, I (hould suppose the evil confided in having our trade so much carried on in foreign bot toms, and not as belonging to one or ano ther foreign nation ; and if we meant further to encourage our ws ought to raise the tonnage duty on all fo reign {hipping —this would be . coming to the obi'.ft. But how comes it we have so manv more British (hips than others—have we granted them a monopoly . or may pot the (hips of every Other nation-come here on the fame terms they do ?—the reason then why there are so many more liritilh than other foreign (hips which come here, is not becaufewe have encou raged it by any regulations we have adopt ed! but becaule they are a more enter prising commercial people than their neighbors, and from other causes which will ever influence and dircift commerce. It is also mentioned that aconfiderabk part of the products of this country (hip ped to Great-Britain, is not confunled there, but re-fliipped to other countries, and that we ought to make fach regula tions as th-.t such excefa should pass di rectly to the country where they are con-' fumed, without their firlt going thro .jh Grqrt-Britain. I fhouM think it strange n any One was to refufis felling an article, becaule he underilood the peiion who wanted to pur chase it, would, not be the consumer, hut lie would afterwards fell it to a.iolhcr this would not certainly influence, and ought not. Let us examine and fee whe ther our navigation ha 3 received any en couragement by the regulations already adopted by this government —In I 790, our navigation' was but little more than one half of all the tonnage entered in th_ United States; in 179 1 > was three fifth#, and in 1792 it was nearly two | thirds. Foreign tonnage has actually de creased iince that period I 4,Q09 tons, while ouis has increaied 171,000 tons. If the iucreafe is not fufficient, then we must incr«afe the tonnage duty on foreign snipping, and take fiich other measures as I have hinted at t*> promote the object ; though, I confefsjfuc 1 ! is our delicate situ ation at this time, I am inclined to believe exjierhnents are hazardous > and 1 ftioiild be strongly apprehensive, if we pals any rcftri&ive l?w? at thi<i time, that (hc-.l afr feft Great-Britain only, as is the avowed object of the resolutions before % such is her close alliance with moll of the Euro pean nation*, and efpeciaiiy with Spain, that Ihe will l>e fully able to influence iome of them at least, and Spain in parti cular (who is not very friendly) to be as sociated with her in any count** regulati on* tin. niay think proper 10 pursue by way of retaliation. Mr. Clark differed from many members who had spoken before him, in the view they took of the fubjeft ; he conceived, it ought to be confidcred in a political light. Wc had many wrongs to complain of and we should endeavor to obtain re drefc ; the English have violated our trea ty, just after it was ratified, by taking amy our negroes, and since by holding our pofb ; they have also set the savage* on our back* and have not they let loose the Algvr.i.n upon us ? Shall we fit still and bear it. How can we help it, it is asked ? They wiil retaliate wc are told. How retaliate ? will they refufe to fell us tlieir manufactures ? He remembered that efenin old times, an non-importation agree ment made them repeal their damp act. We have surely as well now as wc had then a right not to buy their goods; we dont want to cram our provisions down their throats or to force them to buy our lumber. During the non-importation a greenient, wc did not peri!h with cold ; we found even then that among ourselves we could make wherewith to clothe our selves ; we are surely as able to do it now. We then gained our point, we should now be much more powerful with the fame weapon; many of her manufacturers arc already llarving for want of emplovment. We (hould add greatly to their distress, and soon bring the government to their senses', and they will be glad to enter into a commercial treaty with us. Thc balance of trade with Great-Bri tain is much egainft us, and by carrying to Portugal and Spain what we fend to them we fnould receive cash in return. France will not always be in a storm, and a supply of the manufactured articles wa want may soon be received from tha'. quar- He did not fee to what purppfe calcu lations three hours long had been brought forward. It was very well for merchants to calculate in their counting houses; but he conceived the Legislature fhouldxlc termine the queltion upon political confl agrations. He concluded.bv remarking, that he believed bv this time the cornmit \