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ALEXANDRIA DAILY 6AMSTTB, COMMERCIAL & POLITICAL. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BT SAMUEL SNOWDEN, ROTAL-StRERT, ALEXANDRIA. Daily Gazette, 6 DoHars. Country Gazette, 5 Dollars. SATURDAY, MARCH 7. Mr. Snowden, I send you a hasty translation from a late French newspaper, in order that your read ers may know how things are managed in France. I hope it will not be supposed that I mean the slightest reflection upon Congress: Oh No, No, No !—It could not be possible that their rule would end if once the men were known, as this French writer says of the Emperor : “ Son empire cst dctrult si rhorame est reconnu.” HIGHLY INTERESTING. Translated for the Alexandria Gazette. LEGISLATIVE BODY.-SECRET SITTING. The Legislative Body had been assembled two hours in order to receive a message which the Emperor had previously announced While waiting f;>r the message, the members kept a profound silence, having no order of the day, and having received an express com mand to attend to nothing but what the em peror should direct, or should contribute to his glory, Valeteaux said he wished to make a motion of the greatest importance. The Pre sident ordered him to sit down, observing that '» tEWoe r\ /» n c Aim »»,» r\ fir.,.. nm; nr*At 1 An nn. I 'ZWv ' - writing, and seconded [jdppuyee'] by three members. The legislators Soulier, Soufflot, and Fronfitly having seconded the motion of their colleague, Valeteaux* proceeded : iL LEGISLATORS ? I ought to submit the proposition, which I am about to offer, in the humblest posture : because its object is to give our emperor a mark of our profound, reverence, and to con vince the whole universe of the interest which we take in the great event which has occurred. (a groan.) Yes, Legislators, it is only on our knees that we ought to speak of the Great Napoleon, and all that relates to him : ai\d to shew how little I am affected by the groans just expressed, I now kneel down, and hope that you will all uncover your heads. —f The deepest silence prevailed in the haliy end all the members pulled off their hats ; some knelty but not the majority.)—Oh, how delightful was that simultaneous movement which took your hats off; and I trust that whenever any question is agitated respecting the Emperor’s august person, you will always shew him the same mark of respect. 1 have no occasion to recal to your recollection the great occurrence that has lately taken place: you have ail anticipated what I have to say. A son has been born to the Hero who is wor thy of governing the world j and I advise you not to doubt that he will govern it. 1 shall not mention all the happiness that is promised to France an.d the world by this young sucker [rejetton ;] To the counsellors of state, and those who communicate to us the deep cojita ___:_r 1__ „ nuua Ul uui a itart uua iuorj uu u bove the efforts of a member of this body (a groun.J I care nothing about groans : 1 know our pwvvers, and shall not give my sell up to an unconstitutional pride / ! I move [dcmunde"j that ten members be appointed to bear to the King of Rome the homage of the Legislative Body.” Robinet opposed this motion. He consider ed it derogatory to the legislative body, or at least premature. He thought it beneath the( dignity of legislators to compliment an infant in the cradle ; and at any rate he believed it would be necessary to regulate the ceremony of Introduction, which must of course be done by the Emperor’s Master of Ceremonies, and therefore the Legislative Body ought to be careful how they interfered in such matters. The president declared, that considering the actual situation of the assembly, which, having already waited three hours for the ex pected message, evinced signs of lassitude, he Should put off the discussion until the next day. A hussar arrived the same moment, an nouncing that the Emperor had changed his mind, and that there would be no communi cation sent on that day ; and of course that the Legislators had leave to retire. Next day, the president Montesquiou took the chair with every appearance of dejection and sorrow : Many members prsesed round him to know the cause. M You will be in formed of it but too soon, (said he ;) I am for bidden to speak yet, but for the Emperor’s commands.” A thousand conjectures were immediately started. Some thought the Em peror had been afflicted by an indigestion (de passiliea) i a raging fit; or that he wui again tortured by St. Anthony** fire. Others tho’t that perhaps an attempt had been made to as sassinate him, or that he had dreamt of or dis covered some conspiracy ; that the Empress had received some dangerous fall; that the little King of Rome had died of the whooping • The French echolaryill notice the object of thece appellation*, cough; that the French armies had been de feated in Spain; that the Boulogne flotilla had sunk, fcc. &c. &c. Montesquiou answered all these questions by a negative shake ot the head. At length an ill-looking fellow arrives with a message, wearing a blue and gold lace livery, who, without pwlliug of his hat, plac ed himself by the side off the president, and read as follows: » “ On the part of the Emperor, his majesty s grand master ol the Horse, after having 1 e ceived the orders of his august sovereign, or ders Cauchois, principal groom of the second stable, to repair on horseback to the legisla tive body, and signify to them that they are commanded to send immediately a deputation of ten members, to compliment the King of Rome, or rather his nurse, on their knees*— The groom will go in the president’s carriage and will introduce the deputation, as he has the honor to be the brother of his majesty s nurse.” Montesquiou invited the grand master to retire into the hall ot Ambassadors, while ho should inform the assembly of what the Em peror had condescended to say relative to the motion yesterday made by his colleague V a letcaux, See. 44 Gentlemen, (said the Presi dent) I have received orders to be faithful in | my recital, and whatever pain it may give me to wound your feelings, I cannot, consistently with my duty to his majesty, omit the least cir cumstance of my interview with him, nor a single word which he deigned to speak. But in the first place, I shall nominate a deputation t© wait on the illustrious infant.” [Here (he nomination follows, aviongt whom arc Goblet dr Jemappes, &c. The president proceeds : “Gentlemen, I went yesterday in order to give an account to his Majesty the Emperor and King of what passed at our sitting. 1 met the Emperor just as he returned from hunting. After giving me a friendly kick on the—legs, ne C0ImC5CCl!UCU IU 3^, aa liv -i have made you wait, you dolts, but you art good for nothing else. You nmsi consider yourselves a parcel of blockheads, as none ot you have sense enough to entertain the assem bly with one of my victories, or the most re markable of my virtues.” I observed to his majesty, with the greatest respect, that if this had not been done, it Was because none ot us felt equal to the loftiness of the subject; but that, notwithstanding, we had beijn occupied with something which nearly concerned his august person.—“ IIow how ?” s;.id he impa tiently. Sire, a motion has been made by our colleague Valietteau-“Valietteau,” repeat ed he ; “ that is very odcl; have you a fellow of that name amongst you r” and then he smiled. Sire, I replied, this motion, which, out of respect, our colleague made upon his knees, and which all the other members listen ed to with their heads uncovered-“ Why not on their knees ?” said he briskly. Sire « Why not on their knees, I ask you ?” he re peated in a firm tone. Sire, .many amongst us were kneeling. u In good time,” said his majesty, in a softened accent. Sire, I contin ued, the object of this motion was to propose to the legislative body a deputation of ten members to compliment your august sucker the King of Pome, and to-day we are to deli berate about it, after the grand master of cere monies shall have regulated the ceremonial ol our admission. “ And so.” exclaimed the Emperor, in a passion, M you have hesitated* You did not agree to the motion with unani mous shouts! Ah, the raggamuffins! 1*11 leach them their duty ! What! the thing that you ought to have looked upon as an in VMiniauic icivur, yuu wave vk an adjournment without taking the question ! No, you shabby skunks, you shall not see my son ! It is not to such a rabble of plebians, such half-naked wretches, as the majority of you are, that I shall allow my son to be made a show 1 But you shall present yourselves at his door, you rogues ! and shall solicit in vain the honor of admission ! You shall only see his nurse ! Go and tell this to the body over which you preside. I shall send you my or ders to-morrow, and Segur will then transmit a discourse which you shall have been suppos-. ed to have delivered on the occasion, in order that you may repeat it to your dirty gang, and have it inserted in your journals.”-Sire, | said I to his majesty as he was about retiring, the legislative body will be frightened to have i incurred your displeasure. M It is not to you, \ Montesquieu,” he replied, “ that 1 have ad- j dressed all this ; I believe you’re a pretty J clever fellow, because you’re attached to me : But, once for ail, tell these blackguards that j when an address is proposed to any throne j whatever, it ought to be agreed to without de- ( bate. I do not require of them real undis- j guised respect; I don’t trouble myself about ] their sincerity ; what I want arc, high profes-' sions of devotion and attachment: A great; deal of noise, Count Montesquieu, and plenty of speeches, pretended transports, and affect- j ed ecstacy. Thus All Europe will exclaim, * How the French people love Napoleon.”— ■ The Emperor then left me, laughing exces sively, which induced me to hope that his anger was disarmed. And now, *.;,id the Pre sident, the gentlemen composing the deputa tion will accompany me ; and at our return we shall have a fivblic setting* in order to read the account of our proceedings, and the dis course which the Emperor shall have conde scended to have sent us. As soon as the president concluded, the de putation set out, and was received by a bro ther of the King of Rome’s nurse. A spright ly young woman came out, and enquired what was their errant ? We come (they answered) to lay pur homage at the feet of the King ot Rome and his nurse." “ Sirs, (said the dam sel pleasantly,) you have come at an unlucky time : the doctors having declared that it is necessary to purge the King of Rome through the medium of his nurse, and cannot wait up on you for some minutes." Soon afterwards the nurse appeared ; and without paying any attention to the deputation, “ Indeed, Sirs, (said she) l am very sorry that it is out of my power to admit you to my august charge, but I am forbidden to admit any persons except prin ces ; even the Archchancellor himself is for mally excluded. The child is well, although he plagues me exceedingly, when sucking ; but they say he inherits tiiat from his family, Sc that at six months old his father hit, scratch ed and beat his nurse. Good day, Sirs, 1 am in a hurry.” After this ceremonious speech, the Legisla tors retired, in the best order. SUPREME COURT of the U. STATES. Case of th* Schooner EXCHANGE. This interesting cause was argued last week, in the Supreme Court of the United States, now in session, by Mr. Dul as, Attor ney of the United States tor the district of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Pinkney, Attorney-Ge neral of the United States, upon one side, and by Mr. Hare of Philadelphia, and Mr. Har per of Baltimore, upon the other. The case was this—on the 24t’n ot August last, John Ate j Faclon and William Greet ham, of the state of Maryland, filed their libel in the district court of the United States, for the district of Penn sylvania, against the schooner Exchange, set ting forth that they were her sole owners, on the 27th of October 1809, when she sailed from Baltimore, bound to St. Sebastians in Spain. That while lawfully and peaceably pursuing her voyage, she was on the 30th of 1 \ . .X I /X • I *1 ! !x 1 .. frx lr k.t /X L* lo lU^VlUlCU'.iy a lUIUlUJJf v-vnaiM persons, acting under the decrees and orders of Napoleon Emperor of the french, out of the custody of the libellants, and their cap tain and agent, and was disposed of by those j persons, or some of them, in violation ol the ; ights of the libellants, and of the laws of na tions in that behalf. That she had been brought into the port of Philadelphia, and was then in the jurisdiction of that court, in pos session of a certain Denis M. Eegon, her re puted captain or master. That no sentence or decree of condemnation had been pronounced against her, by any court of competent juris diction ; but that the property of the libellants in her remained unchanged and in full force. They therefore prayed the usual process of the court to attach the vessel, and that she might be restored to them. Upon this libel the usual process was issu ed returnable on the 30th of August 1811. which was executed and returned according ly, but no pcs son appeared to claim the ves sel in opposition to the libellants. On the 6th of September the usual proclamation was made for all persons to appear and show cause why the vessel should not be restored to her former owners, but no person appeared. On the 13lh of September, a like procla mation was made, but no appearance was en tered. On the 20th of September, Mr. Dallas, the attorney of the United States, for the district of Pennsylvania, appeared, and (at the instance of the Executive department of the govern ment of the United States, as it is understood) tiled a suggestion, to the following effect : Protesting that he does not know, and does not admit the truth of the allegations contain ed in the libel, he suggests and gives the _, .1...1_1 U „ • 1*._I Luui L tu UliULi siaiiu anu uc umui mtu. That inasmuch as there exists between the United States of America and Napoleon, Em peror of France and King of Italy, &c. &c. a slate of peace and amity ; the public vessels of iiis said Imperial and Royal Majesty, con forming to the laws of nations, and laws of the said United States, may freely enter the ports and harbors of the said United States, and at pleasure depart therefrom without seizure, ar rest, detention or molestation. That a cer tain public vessel described and known as the Laltiou, or vessel, No. 5, belonging to his said Imperial and Royal Majesty, and actually em ployed in his service under the command of the Sic nr Began, upon a voyage from Europe to the Indies, having encountered great stress of weather upon the high seas, was compelled to enter the port of Philadelphia, for refresh ment and repairs, about the 22d of July 1811. That having entered the said port from ne cessity and not voluntarily ; having procured the requisite refreshments and repairs, and having conformed in all things to the law of nations, and the laws of the United States, wfas about to depart from the said port of Philadel phia, and to resume her voyage in the service of Ids said Imperial and Royal Majesty, when on the 24th of August Iftli, she was seized, arrested and detained in pursuance of the pro cco*8 id attachment issued upon the prayer of the libellants. That the said public vessel had not, at any time, been violently and forcibly taken or captured from the libellants, their captain and agent on the high seas as prize of war, or otherwise ; but that if the S3id public vessel, belonging to his said Imperial and Royal Majesty as aforesaid, ever was a vessel navigating under the flag of the U. States, and possessed by the libellants, citizens thereof, as in their libel is alleged (which nevertheless the said attorney does not admit) the property oi the jibellants, in the said vessel was seized and divested, und the same became vested in Ills Imperial ar.d Royal MaTcst . §■ ofhib empire, orot a country arms, out of the jurisoictf,,,' -States and of any particular States, according to the decrees li ■ ‘France, in such case provided .%■ attorney submitting, whether, i‘„ ■ of the premises, the court will uk ">l,e,«in K of the cause, rtspcctlullv prays tlr^'^B wiii be pleased to order and decrw , CCil:■ process of attachment, heretofore i “*• '•>» quashed j that the libel be distri'^B costs; and that the said public S*?® tackle, 5cc. belonging to his v«»i(| jn>,•\^wm. | Royal Majesty, be released, fcc 1 said attorney brings here into court th'^ ^B nal commix doit or ihc said bicur p On the 2a!i oi September, isu ,i Bf lants filed their answer to the su,’; ‘CMB the district attorney, to which they cxcr^'B cause it does not appeal to he iWde’jnr^B: bd’cdf, or at the instance of the U $ E any other body politic or person. ^ B They aver that the schooner is B vessel belonging to l.is Imperially Majesty, but is the private proptliycp'B libellants. They deny that she w^si-y^B by stress of weather to enter thepriClpB ladelphia, or that she came othm^.;ri’B voluntary ; nild that the propem* of the iri B lants in the vessel never was div-.stefjor^, B ed in his Imperial and Royal Majesty wi^: B a port of his empire or of a’ country occimi* B by his arms. The district attorney produced the affidavit B of the Sieur Began and the French consul,, E rifying the commission of the captain.a?/; B stating the fact, that the public vessels cf:L B Emperor of France never cam- with tliema. K ny other document or evidence that they be- B long to him, than his flag, the commission. B and the possession of Ids officers. ft T— .k„-.. . . Hr jlii luv, vuuimioa.uii I nab oUUCU Melt * <’ vessel was armed at Bayonne. On the 4th of October 1811, the district judge dismissed the libel with costs, upon the ground that a public armed vessel of fo reign sovereign, in amitv with our govern ment is not subject to the ordinary judicial tribunals of the country, so Lv as regards the question of title by which such sovereign claims to hold the vessel. From this sentence the libellants appealed'' to the circuit court, where it was reversed,o: the 28ih of Oct. 1811. I From this sei t -»»< e of reversal the district attorney appealed to tin. Supreme court of th U. States, where the cause was fully and ably argued. On the 2d of March 1812, the opinion c.‘ the court, (all the Judges being present)was delivered as follows: bv Marshall, Chikf Juslicf. THE SCHOONER EXCHANGE. vs. 1 8 John M' Fad on lSf William Grectkarr.. \ This case involves the very cieiicatc ar.dim portant inquiry, whether an American citizen can assert in an American court a title to u armed national vessel, lound within the wa ters ol tiie United States. The question has been considered with an earnest solicitude, that the decision may con form to those principles oi the national zud municipal law by which it ought to be regu lated. In exploring an unbeaten path, with few, if any, aids from precedents or written 1m, tiie court has found it necessary to rely nv.ich cn general principles, and on a train of rea soning founded on cases in some degree a.* logous to this. The jui isdiction of courts ’R a brancn '>■ that which is possessed by the nation , independent sovereign power. , . The jurisdiction of the nation uitlnn own territory is nece*?a'ily exclusive*^1 a) solute. It is susceptible oi iv> llmit-ti n i*'| imposed by itsel . Any restricti on up'’>! ,r’ ^ riving* validity troin an external souicv, imply a diminution oi its sovereign*} ^ 'jf extent of the restriction, ami an investing*■ ^ that sovereignty to the same extent n ^ power which could impose such rcsihCjJ ^ All exceptions therefore, r!;e *r‘^tcr. complete power of a nation within us ^ j ritones, must be traced up to the cu ''L t'(r the nation itself. They can llow Iron* i(W° legitimate source. T his consent may be either express|p ^ plied. In the latter case, ii is lf>s (iMi nate, exposed more to the uncertain**5 v struction j but if understood, not lcsb uu torv. . ft The world being composed ot (,1^'^uJi vereigntius, possessing equal rights independence, whose mutual bn cw moted by intercourse with each xVj,;Ji an interchange oi those good ail humanity dictates and its wants ,ief' *^0„in sovereigns have consented to. a 1 e‘"^Iiir ci’"' practice, in cases under certain PtCl , .t- 'av cumstanccs, cf that absolute and risdiction within their respective Li | which sovereignty coniers. This consent may in some mRt:oiC cd by common usage, and by < onj-**01' growing out oi that usage. t »v. * A nation would justJv tu <:onsyf CI . )tl t. t lating its faith, .•.lilmiigh ih;d 'l1’' * , i be expressly j iirrUmd, whic h s*l<Jll!tl(1‘ ‘ and without previous nonce. v "-,t t< »;V tonal powti s in a m.umei iifo f «he ci'll“* usages and received obligations c ed world. . .. i ;uris^c' | This full ami absolute tion being- alike the attribute o 1 „ l