cans, cried shame on. That the honorable gentleman had called out, why had not the mover brought forward a resolution against Britain or some other Power who had committed depredations on our commerce! Mr. J. said he wished to begin here, by preventing our own merchants from doing injury to other nations, and then to strike at those who insulted us. He for himself was prepared and willing to attack the first Power who had insulted us with far more superior weapons than arming our ships. He was an agricultural man, and would suffer with the flour makers; but he would call on the honorable gentleman either from Maryland, from New York, from I Massachusetts, or Connecticut, to strike at Great Britain or any other nation who had injured us, by a resolution of prohibition of trade or intercourse, and he was the man who would second it and keep it on till the injuring nation should cry peccavi-keep it on one twelvemonth, and you would see them all at your feet. Look at the 4 Legislature of Jamaica petitioning their Governor from time to time for American intercourse. Look at Trinidad, the same, in a state of famine. Sir, we have no favors to ask the nations of the earth; they must ask them of us, or their West India colonies must starve. SENATE. to term them bugbears, but had raised up a number of his own to prevent the passing of the bill-he had drawn a most lamentable picture of the state of this country, if this dishonorable trade to this small part of the commercial world was interdicted. Commerce was to languish and agriculture to be annihilated-our fields were to grow up in briers and thorns, and even verdure to disappear. Mr. J. said he did not believe this. The United States, if all the Powers on earth were opposed to us, had within herself enough to eat, to drink, and to clothe her citizens; this was not the case with other Powers. Not a nation existed, which had West India colonies, but was more or less dependent on us, and could not do without us-they must come to our terms or starve. On with your embargo, and in nine months they must lay at your feet. It was certain that we should suffer for that time, but he was willing, and he knew the Southern country willing to submit to it; and at the end of it our fields would resume their usual verdure, and the thorns and briers be rooted out. The honorable gentleman from Maryland had told us of the blockade of Cadiz, and that Hispaniola was the only vent now for our flour; but he believed even the blockade of Cadiz was not so strict in that respect, as the honorable gentleman had mentioned; he would read a line from Lord Mulgrave to Mr. Monroe on that head. [Here Mr. J. read part of it, but found it more strict than he had thought, and gave that point up.] But Mr. President, said Mr. J., is Cadiz the only market in Europe for our flour? From the Texel to the Baltic and Mediterranean, there are hundreds of ports at which our flour is vented. That however, with respect to documents, he would inform the gentleman from Maryland, that he had seen, though not official, a letter from General Ferrand, Governor of St. Domingo, and which was published in all the principal newspapers of the United States, complaining to the French Government on this subject, and laying all the blame to the American Government, if not in direct, in the most severe indirect terms. That as to the total separation of the self-created Em- Mr. J. made a number of other remarks, and peror and nation of Hayti, and its independence concluded that he thought the passage of the bill of the parent country, and under which gentle- absolutely necessary, for the honor and safety of men declared our rights of trade founded on the the country; and as to the information he had relaws of nations-the late attack on that General ceived from a late celebrated French General, it by the Emperor proved it did not exist: he was was corroborated by the acts of Le Clerc and defeated, his army scattered and driven to the Rochambeau themselves. That the most daring mountains; that Ferrand held the island as French | brigands were forced by those officers on board Governor for the French nation, and the separa- American vessels, the captains of which were tion was not such as to warrant the arguments compelled to bring them to the United States, used for a right to trade. It would be a fatal ar- contrary to the laws of their own country. This Igument used against us as respected our South- had been a matter of serious alarm, not only to ern States by other Powers. On the same grounds, the Southern States, but to the Middle and Northa parcel of runaways and outcasts from Southern States. At any rate, he hoped the bill would Carolina and Georgia, to the amount of some hundreds, now collected on or near the Okefonokee swamp in Georgia, might be termed an independent society; or if an insurrection took place in those States, the rebellious horde, on creating an emperor, be supplied with arms and ammunition, as a separate and independent nation. This, as the honorable gentleman from Connecticut had been pleased to term his fears bugbears, might be no bugbear to him, safe and remote from the scene of action, near New Haven; but it was a serious bugbear to him, and would be to the whole south- Mr. S. SMITH.-I am not concious, Mr. Presiern country, where the horrid scenes of that isl-dent, that I said, (as charged by the honorable and would be reacted, their property destroyed, mover,) that the trade to St. Domingo was the and their families massacred. The honorable only great, the only important commerce of the gentleman from New York, too, had been pleased | United States. It was an assertion that it was be received, if it was only to inform merchants. trading to Hispaniola, of the sense of Congress, that the trade must cease; this was the point on which the slave bill had been received. That he wished to begin with this trade first, and he believed striking at that was striking at the British, for he had been informed at Newcastle that the St. Domingo fleet, then there, was owned by British merchants, and supplied from British capital, under the protection of our flag, which had to bear all the disgrace of this illicit traffic. not possible I could have made. I did, however, consider it a branch of commerce highly important to the United States, inasmuch as that island does draw from us all its provisions of every kind; its clothing and luxuries: that is, that half a million of people are almost exclusively supplied with all their wants by the commerce and agriculture of the United States; and that good reasons should be assigned before we ought to be induced to relinquish so important a branch. I did state that flour, salted beef and pork, fish, rice, and tobacco, furnished a considerable portion of the means with which that commerce was pursued; and that if interdicted, it would have a serious operation on the prices of some of them. The gentleman from Georgia has supposed that there would be a sufficient outlet for our flour in the ports between the Texel and the Baltic. Those ports, Mr. President, export wheat; I never knew a barrel of flour shipped from the United States to either of them-they are our competitors. Mr. President, we are advised by the same honorable gentleman to begin by interdicting this trade, and then proceed on to those who have oppressed our commerce. This, sir, is a curious mode, to begin to interdict the trade to those against whom the United States have no cause of complaint, that we may be justified in breaking our commercial relations with those who have oppressed our trade in every quarter of the globe. The honorable mover has said, let us look at our commerce and see how it is affected. I wish the gentleman had done us that favor-he mentioned the East Indies, but there he stopped short, and left to each of us to look at our commerce in our own way, without the promised benefit of his instruction. I will, Mr. President, take leave to present to the Senate, a short view of some of its branches. That to the East Indies, has been conducted in two ways-the one, by exporting specie, and purchasing there with the cotton goods of the British dominions; the teas, china, and nankeens of China; the sugar, coffee, and pepper, of the Dutch, French, and native possessions: the other mode, by shipping from Europe the goods best suited for India, and vesting their proceeds in the articles already stated, with which our ships proceed to some port in Europe, or return home direct. The most beneficial part of this commerce is now interdicted with Great Britain. .Her King says (and his admiralty court obeys) that the ships of the United States shall not carry on a trade in the time of war to the colony of his enemies, not permitted by such enemy in time of peace. From this general rule, he has (as he says) as matter of favor relaxed at different times. During the last war, he relaxed so far as to permit neutrals to carry from their own country to the colony of his enemy, and return direct to the nation of the neutral ships, where he insisted that the cargo must be landed; but consented that it might be reshipped in the same or any other ship for any port in Europe or elsewhere. But he absolutely forbid us to go with our cargoes from India to any other country in Europe than Great Britain. DECEMBER, 1805. He has, Mr. President, since the war, with drawn a part of that high favor; and now the ships of the United States are interdicted by Great Britain from proceeding from Europe wit goods to any part of the East Indies. Nay, it is the opinion of one of their most learned doctors of law, that it would even be dangerous for our ships to proceed from Europe to the East Indies with specie. He has interdicted us from proceeding from his enemies' colony, and from the East Indies generally even to his own ports in Europe, or from one port in the East Indies to another; he denies us the liberty of exporting the articles inported into the United States from his enemies colony in the same ships in which they were imported, (although the same be landed and the duties paid,) or even in any other ship, for account of the person who was the importer. From this view it will appear, that our India trade is greatly re stricted. Thus it has lost part of its importance. An important branch of our commerce was, in time of peace, to Cadiz, with flour, part of which flour was reshipped by a company to Cuba; that trade ceased with the war. Great Britain blockades Cadiz, and condemns our ships that attempt to go in We supply Cuba with flour, rice, and salted mea and bring from thence sugar, molasses, &c. This trade Great Britain as yet permits (through he great benevolence) provided you go to and come from the single port of Havana; but condemns your ships if they are found coming from any other port in the island. For this pittance of trade to Havana we are at the mercy of Great Britain. She may (agreeably to her law of nations) deprive us of it at any moment, and if we can judge of what she will do, by what she has done, we must expect she will (without notice) cause all our ships found trading with the colony of her enemy, to be seized-her courts will condemn. Great Britain has interdicted or molested our trade to St. Domingo. It was left for the honorable mover to propose to deprive his country of that valuable branch of our commerce, and he says it out of compliment to what he supposes to be the desire of France. He shows us no doen ment to induce us to believe that nation would wish it. Judging (as I do) from what would be the interest of France, I am induced to believe that she will not be obliged to the mover. It is her interest that Great Britain should not have the benefit of the commerce of St. Domingo. If we interdict this trade, Great Britain will have the whole; she will have the monopoly which she asked, and which Dessalines refused to give her; and she will then aid him against Ferrand-blockade the city of St. Domingo by sea, while the blacks attack him by land. General Ferrand may in such case soon be starved into submission. The supplying that island and drawing all her valuable products into England, will enable Great Britain to pay a handsome annual subsidy to any of the Powers of Europe. The interdiction of our trade will enrich England and do no benefit to France. What effect may it produce, as it respects us, is a serious question. I fear it will create another piratical Power. The Haytians will have provisions if they are to be found on the ocean; the interdiction will be considered by them as the declaration of war, the worst of all wars; a war with a view to starve them. They will send out their vessels of war, (for they have armed vessels,) they will take your unarmed ships bound to Jamaica, to the Spanish Main, to Curracoa, and molest your trade to Cuba; they are upon the high road of your trade from Europe to New Orleans; they will destroy it; you will compel them to be a maritime power; they will soon make it necessary for you to surround their island with an armed fleet. But, it will be asked, of what advantage is our having the trade to the mother : country (France.) I have already stated that we prevent its wealth from going to her enemy; but this is not the only advantage-our ships carry to France the coffee we draw from St. Domingo; the cotton, rice, and tobacco of our country, and receive in return the wines, brandy, soap, and dry goods of France, which are landed in the United States and form a large proportion of the cargoes sent to that island. Thus then France (in truth) supplies "as formerly" the people of St. Domingo with its manufactures and products, to the enriching of that nation. The moment we stop that trade, France will furnish no more. Great Britain will supply the whole. The Haytians will find supplies, whether we are the carriers or not; their coffee will procure them all they want; we shall be exposed to the necessity of keeping an expensive fleet; Great Britain will be enriched, and France will lose the advantage in which she now partakes. These are some of the reasons that have induced me to presume that the silence of France is owing to her knowledge of the consequences that would result from our interdicting that trade. The gentleman ought to have informed us of the consequences that may result to our finances from his plan; had he informed himself, he would, I must believe, have hesitated. Sir, it will take from the United States a revenue of at least two hundred thousand dollars per annnm. Let gentlemen look to the report from the Treasury, they will there see that our neutral position-in other words, our carrying for other nations-has given us a revenue of two millions per annum for three years of the last Presidential term. The year 1802, being a year of peace, our revenue fell short of the average product of the other three years to that amount. St. Domingo contributed at least the sum mentioned (I think much more) towards these two millions gained by the carrying trade. I again beg leave to mention that we are asked to make this sacrifice without being (so far as we know) requested thereto, either by our own Government or that of France. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: SENATE. The Governor and Presiding Judge of the Territory of Michigan have made a report to me of the state of that Territory; several matters in which, being within the reach of Legislative authority only, I lay the report before Congress. DECEMBER 23, 1805. TH. JEFFERSON. The Message and report therein mentioned were read, and referred to Messrs. TRACY, WORTHINGTON, and BALDWIN, to consider and report thereon. TUESDAY, December 24. Chamber of Commerce of the city of PhiladelMr. LOGAN presented the memorial of the phia, signed Thomas Fitzsimmons, Chairman, ready constructed in the river Delaware, and of stating the expediency of enlarging the piers aladding to their number, as well as of preventing obstructions from piers heretofore sunk for defence; and praying the interposition of Congress to extend the provisions of a law of the State of Pennsylvania to certain neighboring States, proportionally benefitted by the navigation of the river Delaware; and the memorial was read, and ordered to lie for consideration. The bill, entitled "An act supplementary to the of citizens of the United States on the Governact making provision for the payment of claims ment of France, the payment of which has been assumed by the United States by virtue of the convention of the 30th of April, 1803, between the United States and the French Republic," was read the second time, and referred to Messrs. MITCHILL, SMITH of Maryland, and BRADLEY, to consider and report thereon. The bill, entitled, "An act to repeal so much of the act, entitled 'An act regulating foreign coins, second section thereof," was read the second time, and for other purposes,' as is contained in the and referred to Messrs. ANDERSON, TRACY, and ADAMS, to consider and report thereon. The bill to regulate the laying out and making a road from Cumberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio, was considered as in Committee of the Whole; and being reported to the House without amendment, Ordered That this bill pass to the third reading. be requested to cause to be laid before the Senate such documents and papers, or other information, as are in his possession, relative to complaints by the Government of France, against the commerce carried on by the citizens of the United States to the French island of St. Domingo." Ordered, That this motion lie for consideration. Mr. MITCHILL from the committee to whom was this day referred the bill, entitled "An act suppleAfter a few replicatory remarks from Mr. Lo-mentary to the act making provision for the payGAN. the consideration of the subject was post-ment of claims of citizens of the United States poned to Monday. MONDAY, December 23. on the Government of France, the payment of which has been assumed by the United States by virtue of the Convention of the 30th of April, The following Message was received from the 1803," reported the same without amendment. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ordered, That this bill pass to the third reading. The Senate resumed the motion made on the 24th instant, that they be furnished with certain documents respecting the commerce carried on by the citizens of the United States to the French island of St. Domingo; and Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause to be laid before the Senate such documents and papers, or other information, as are in his possession, relative to complaints by the Government of France, against the commerce carried on by the citizens of the United States to the French island of St. Domingo. Ordered, That the Secretary lay this resolution before the President of the United States. The following Message was received from the Representatives of the United States: I lay before Congress a report of the Surveyor of the Public Buildings, stating the progress made on them during the last season, and what may be expected to be accomplished in the ensuing one. DEC. 27, 1805. TH. JEFFERSON. The Message and report therein referred to were read, and ordered to lie for consideration. JANUARY, 1806. TUESDAY, December 31. A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House have passed a bill, entitled "An act to provide for light-houses in Long Island Sound, and to declare Roxbury. in the State of Massachusetts, to be a port of delivery;" in which bill they desire the concurrence of the Senate. The bill last brought up for concurrence was read, and ordered to the second reading. Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, presented the memorial of Philip L. Jones, and others, counsellors at law, and practitioners at the bar of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Territory of New Orleans, stating certain extraordinary services performed by the presiding judge, J. B. Prevost, and praying a remuneration to him therefor; also, an increase of the compensation provided by law to the Presiding and Associate Judges of the said Court; and the petition was read, and referred to Messrs. SMITH, of Maryland, ANDERSON, and TRACY, to consider and report thereon. Mr. ANDERSON presented the memorial of the House of Representatives of the Territory of New Orleans, praying an alteration in the law passed at the last session of Congress in respect to re-ditional provisions by law for encouraging the the titles of lands in that territory; also, some adculture of sugar, and for the establishment of pub lic schools; and the memorial was read, and referred to Messrs. ANDERSON, TRACY, BALDWIN, BRADLEY, and ADAMS, to consider and report thereon. The PRESIDENT Communicated a letter and port from the Secretary of the Treasury, in pursuance of a resolution of the Senate of the 2d of March last; which were read and ordered to lie for consideration. A message from the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House have passed a bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Edward Toppan, George Jenkins, and William Currier;" in which bill they desire the concurrence of the Senate. The bill was read and ordered to the second reading. The bill to regulate the laying out and making a road from Cumberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio, was read the third time; and the blanks having been filled, Resolved, That this bill pass, that it be engrossed, and that the title thereof be "An act to regulate the laying out and making a road from Cumberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio." The bill, entitled "An act supplementary to the act making provision for the payment of claims of citizens of the United States on the Government of France, the payment of which has been assumed by the United States, by virtue of the Convention of the 30th of April, 1803, between the United States and the French Republic," was read the third time and amended. Resolved, That this bill pass with amendments. MONDAY, December 30. The bill entitled "An act for the relief of Edward Toppan, George Jenkins, and William Currier," was read the second time, and referred to Messrs. BRADLEY, BALDWIN, and MITCHILL, to consider and report thereon. THURSDAY, January 2, 1806. The bill, entitled "An act to provide for lighthouses in Long Island Sound, and to declare Roxbury, in the State of Massachusetts, to be a port of delivery," was read the second time, and referred to Messrs. MITCHILL, SMITH, of Maryland, and HILLHOUSE, to consider and report thereon. FRIDAY, January 3. Mr. TRACY, from the committee to whom was referred, on the 19th December last, the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Theodorick Armistead," reported the bill without amendment. He also communicated a written report on the same subject, which was read, and ordered to lie for consideration. Mr. MITCHILL, from the committee to whom was yesterday referred the bill, entitled "An act to provide for light-houses in Long Island Sound, and to declare Roxbury, in the State of Massachusetts, to be a port of delivery," reported the bill without amendment. Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed. The Senate took into consideration the report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the 27th of December last, made in pursuance of their resolution of the 2d of March, 1805; and, Ordered, That it be referred to Messrs. SMITH, of Maryland, ADAMS, TRACY, MITCHILL, and BALDWIN, to consider and report thereon. MONDAY, January 6. Mr. MITCHILL presented the memorial of the merchants of the city of New York, stating the ruinous consequences to the commerce of the United States, by the assumption of new principles in the law of nations, by the construction of the Admiralty Courts of Great Britain; also, certain unlawful and piratical seizures of the property of the American citizens in the West Indies, and even on our own coasts; and, also, the defenceless state of the ports and harbors of the United States, and praying the immediate interposition of Congress; and the memorial was read, and referred to Messrs. MITCHILL, SMITH, of Ma ryland, ADAMS, ANDERSON, and TRACY, to consider and report thereon, and that the memorial be printed for the use of the Senate. SENATE. YEAS-Messrs. Moore, Smith of Maryland, Smith of Vermont, Thruston, and Wright. NAYS-Messrs. Adair, Adams, Anderson, Baldwin, Bradley, Condit, Fenner, Gilman, Hillhouse, Kitchel, The bill, entitled "An act to provide for lighthouses in Long Island Sound, and to declare Roxbury, in the State of Massachusetts, to be a port of delivery," was read the third time and amended. Resolved, That this bill do pass with an amend ment. Mr. ADAMS presented the petition of Benjamin Hichborne and others, Directors of the New England Mississippi Land Company, in behalf of themselves and their associates, stating claims to certain tracts of land mentioned in their petition, and praying Congress to adopt measures for their compensation; also the petition of James Sullivan and others, agents for the purchasers of lands under the State of Georgia, praying the attention of Congress to their claims; and the petitions were read. Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, presented the petition of George Rapp and others, the Society of Harmony, in Butler county, and natives of Wurtemburg, in Germany, praying a grant of land for the cultivation of the vine, and for the establishment of certain manufactories; also, that the time of payment for a tract of land heretofore pur- Ordered, That they severally lie on the table. chased of the United States may be protracted, Mr. SUMTER presented the memorial of Joseph for reasons stated in the petition; and the petition Rippen, in behalf of the Upper Mississippi Comwas read, and referred to Messrs. SMITH, of Ma-pany, on the same subject; which was read, and ryland, BRADLEY, and WORTHINGTON, to consider ordered to lie on the table. and report thereon. Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, presented the memorial of the board of trustees, appointed to superintend the education of youth in the City of Washington, praying the aid of Congress in procuring certain lots, suitable for the erection of an academy; also, that a lottery may be granted for the encouragement of the institution; and the petition was read, and referred to Messrs. SMITH, of Maryland, LOGAN, and MOORE, to consider and report thereon. The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Edward Toppan, George Jenkins, and William Currier;" and, after debate, the Senate adjourned. WEDNESDAY, January 8. Mr. LOGAN presented the petition of Oliver Evans, stating that he has invented many useful improvements in the art of manufacturing flour or meal, for which he obtained a patent on the The bill, entitled "An act to provide for light-uary last, and praying an extension of his patent, 19th of January 1791, and which expired in Janhouses in Long Island Sound, and to declare Rox- for reasons stated in his petition; which was read bury, in the State of Massachusetts, to be a port and ordered to lie on the table. of delivery, was resumed, the bill reported to the House, and ordered to the third reading. Mr. BRADLEY, from the committee to whom was referred, on the 30th December last, the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Edward Toppan, George Jenkins, and William Currier," reported the same without amendment. TUESDAY, January 7. JAMES TURNER, appointed a Senator by the Legislature of the State of North Carolina, for the term of six years, from the third of March, 1805, produced his credentials, which were read; and the oath prescribed by law having been administered, he took his seat in the Senate. The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Theodorick Armistead," as in Committee of the Whole, and, the said bill having been reported to the House, on the question, Shall this bill pass to the third reading? it was determined in the negative-yeas 5, nays 21, as follows: Mr. LOGAN presented the petition of William Levis and Hugh Maxwell, stating that they have on hand a number of copies of the journals of Congress under the Confederation, commonly called Folwell's edition, which they will dispose of for the use of the public; and the petition was read, and referred to Messrs. LOGAN, BRADLEY, and BALDWIN, to consider and report thereon. The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Edward Toppan, George Jenkins, and William Currier," and the bill having been reported to the House, on the question, Shall this bill be read the third time? it was determined in the negative-yeas 9, nays 17, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Adams, Fenner, Gilman, Hillhouse, Mitchill, Pickering, Smith of Maryland, Smith of Ohio, and White. NAYS-Messrs. Anderson, Baldwin, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Plumer, Smith of New York, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Sumter, Tracy, Turner, and Wright. So the bill was lost. |