SENATE.

Proceedings.

FEBRUARY, 1812.

Whole, the bill in addition to the Military Estab-INGTON, BRADLEY, and GREGG, were appointed the lishment of the United States, together with the committee. amendments reported thereto by the select committee; and, having agreed to the amendments, the President reported the bill to the House accordingly.

On the question, Shall this bill be engrossed and read a third time as amended? it was determined in the affirmative.

Mr. BRADLEY, from the committee to whom was referred the petition of the President and Directors of the Washington Canal Company, re ported a bill to carry into effect an act of the legislature of the State of Maryland; and the bill was read, and passed to the second reading.

Mr. LLOYD, from the committee to whom was A message from the House of Representatives referred the bill, entitled "An act to authorize informed the Senate that the House have passed the Secretary of the Treasury, under the direca bill, entitled "An act concerning the levy court tion of the President of the United States, to purof the county of Washington, in the District of chase of Winslow Lewis his patent right to the Columbia;" a bill, entitled "An act giving fur- new and improved method of lighting light-housther time for registering claims to land in thees, and for other purposes," reported it amended. western district of the Territory of Orleans;" Mr. BAYARD, from the committee to whom was also, a bill, entitled "An act supplementary to referred the bill establishing a land office, reported An act making provision for arming and equip-it amended. ping the whole body of the militia of the United States;" in which bills they request the concurrence of the Senate. They also concur in the bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Thomas O'Bannon."

The three bills last brought up for concurrence were read, and passed to the second reading.

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill, entitled "An act to authorize a detachment from the militia of the United States," together with the amendments reported thereto by the select committee.

On motion, by Mr. BRADLEY, to strike out the first section of the bill, it was agreed that the further consideration of the bill be postponed to, and be made the order of the day for, Monday next.

On motion, by Mr. LLOYD, the report of the Secretary of the Navy of the 3d instant, contain ing the name, rank, pay, and rations, of each commissioned officer and midshipman belonging to the Navy of the United States, respectively, be referred to a select committee, to consider and report thereon.

Messrs. LLOYD, CRAWFORD, and BRADLEY, were appointed the committee.

MONDAY, February 24.

Mr. GILMAN, from the committee, reported the bill in addition to the Military Establishment of the United States correctly engrossed; and the bill was read the third time, and was amended by unanimous consent, and passed.

On motion, by Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, the title thereof was amended as follows: "An act to establish a quartermaster's department, and for other purposes."

The bill, entitled "An act concerning the levy court of the county of Washington, in the District of Columbia," was read the second time, and referred to a select committee, to consider and report thereon; and Messrs. BRADLEY, BAYARD, and BRENT, were appointed the committee.

A message from the House of Represensatives informed the Senate that the House have passed a bill, entitled, "An act to incorporate the Trus tees of the Georgetown Lancaster School Society" a bill, entitled "An act for the relief of the officers and soldiers who served in the late campaign on the Wabash ;" also, a bill, entitled “ An act supplementary to An act providing for the accommodation of the General Post Office and Patent Office, and for other purposes;" in which bills they request the concurrence of the Senate. The three bills last brought up for concurrence were read, and passed to the second reading.

The bill, entitled "An act supplementary to An act making provision for arming and equipping the whole body of the militia of the United States," was read the second time, and referred to a select committee, to consist of five members, to consider and report thereon; and Messrs. POPE, BAYARD, GREGG, LLOYD, and BRADLEY, were appointed the committee.

The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the bill, entitled "An act to authorize a detachment from the militia of the United States," together with the amendments reported thereto by the select committee, and the motion to strike out the first section. And, after debate, the Senate adjourned.

TUESDAY, February 25.

The bill, entitled "An act to incorporate the Trustees of the Georgetown Lancaster School Society," was read the second time, and referred to a select committee, to consider and report thereon; and Messrs. HORSEY, BAYARD, and HUNTER, were appointed the committee.

The bill, entitled "An act supplementary to An act providing for the accommodation of the General Post Office and Patent Office, and for other purposes," was read the second time, and referred to a select committee, to consider and report thereon; and Messrs. BRADLEY, GREGG, and HowELL, were appointed the committee.

The bill, entitled "An act giving further time for registering claims to land in the Western dis- The bill, entitled "An act for the relief of the trict of the Territory of Orleans," was read the officers and soldiers who served in the late camsecond time, and referred to a select committee, to paign on the Wabash," was read the second consider and report thereon; and Messrs. WORTH-time, and referred to a select committee, to con

Mr. LLOYD.-Mr. President, the amendments proposed by the committee to whom this bill has been referred, having been gone through with, I now beg leave to offer a new one, by an additional section, to the following effect:

"Be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, authorized to cause to be built as speedily as may be, on the most approved model,- frigates, not exceeding thirty-six guns each; and that a sum not exceeding dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated for building the said frigates, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated."

It is my intention, sir, to move for twenty new frigates; but the number I have left blank, in order, should the Senate be favorably disposed to an increase of the Navy, and disagree with me as to the degree of that increase, they might regulate the number at their pleasure.

Sir, I have been induced to offer this amendment from an impulse of duty towards my more immediate constituents, and also from a sense of the obligation imposed upon me, however feebly I may be able to respond to it, in the honorable station in which I am placed, to endeavor to the extent of my ability to support the dignity, pro tect the rights, and advance the best interests of the United States. Sir, I trust the amendment under consideration, if adopted, would have a relation, and a favorable relation, to all these objects.

FEBRUARY, 1812.

force is as indispensable, nay much more indispensable, than a land force.

A few days since there was exhibited to the Senate an account of sales of three hundred and eighty hogsheads of tobacco and a parcel of cotton, recently disposed of in the dominions of his Majesty the Emperor of France, who professes so much affection for the United States, from which it appeared, that the tobacco, which cost with the charges near $20,000, was not only totally sunk to the adventurers, but involved them in an additional loss for the payment of the expenses of near one thousand dollars more-of the cotton, fifteen sixteenth parts were also sunk. Nor did this arise from a bad state of markets, the hazard of which merchants must always take, for the markets were unprecedently high. The tobacco, which could have been bought in the United States from 24 to 5 dollars per cwt. sold at twenty dollars-and the cotton, which could have been purchased at ten cents, sold at fifty cents the pound. The loss arose solely from the perfidy and rapacity of the French Government, in seizing upon the greater part of both the adventures, under a pretence for the payment of duties, which it shifts ad libitum as suits either its avarice or caprice, or promulgates or withholds as best answers its purposes.

6

Sir, you will remark that these accounts of sale bear date July 15, only eight days antecedent to the information communicated to the American Government by Mr. Serrurier, in his letter to Mr. Monroe of July 23, 1811, in which he states, that "the introduction of tobacco is not prohibited in France-it forms the first object of culture of 'some of the States of the Union, and His Majesty, having an equal interest in the prosperity of all, ' desires that the relations of commerce should be common to all parts of the Federal territory." Yes, sir, this is indisputably the sort of interest which His Majesty is pleased to take in the commerce of the United States, and this the sort of benefit, which he, without doubt, would delight to render common to all parts of the Federal territory.

If it be not the determination of the Government to engage in an open, actual, efficient war; to place the nation in such a complete state of preparation as may avert war, from our state of readiness to meet it; then the measures of the This information was given in too authentic a present session, those of filling up the existing shape to admit of its being questioned; it came Military Establishment, and thereby adding to it from one of the most respectable mercantile houses between six and seven thousand men, that of en- in the country, composed of Federalists,* and was listing a standing army of twenty-five thousand made known to you by an honorable member of men to serve for five years, unless sooner dis- the Senate from Maryland, (Mr. SMITH,) of oppocharged-of providing for the employment of site politics, and who has long in some sort been fifty thousand volunteers, and of holding in read- considered or respected as the commercial organ of iness one hundred thousand of the militia, would this House, if not of the Government. When these be not only inexcusable, but nearly treasonable; facts were stated, the colleague of the gentleman, as they would in such case, without any adequate (Mr. REED,) with the manly frankness of a soldier, object, impose severe and heavy burdens upon of a man who, in the times which tried men's souls, the people of the United States, from which years devoted himself both soul and body to the service of the highest degree of prosperity would not of his country-who entered your Army at the relieve them. But, sir, I am bound to believe, commencement, and continued in it to the termithat, unless redress be obtained, it is the determination of the Revolutionary war, with great usenation of the Government of the United States to enter into an actual, vigorous, real war, or at any rate to put the nation into a perfect state of readiness to commence it, should it be necessary; and in either of these cases, an efficient naval

fulness to the public and reputation to himselfwith that integrity which characterizes him, after giving vent to the honest indignation of his heart,

*Messrs. Robert Gilmore & Sons, of Baltimore.

FEBRUARY, 1812.

Increase of the Navy.

SENATE.

the Mediterranean; this ought to have been considered as the germ of your future maritime greatness: the good conduct and bravery of that squadron, and the self-immolation of some of its officers, spread the renown of your naval prowess to all quarters of the civilized globe. What did you in this instance? At the moment when victory had perched upon your standard-when you might have exhibited the interesting spectacle of the infant Government of the United States holding in subjugation one of the Powers of Barbary, to whom all Europe had been subservient at this. moment, when conquest was completely within your grasp-civil agency stepped in-the laurel was torn from the brow of as gallant a chieftain as ever graced the plains of Palestine, and we ignominiously consented to pay a tribute, where we might have imposed one.

in a phillipic against the Emperor of France, which I shall not repeat, but which was as well placed as it was justly merited; he asked, "if this was to be the state of your commerce after a war with Great Britain, what in the name of God were you going to war for ?" His colleague (Mr. SMITH) rose immediately and said, this was not to be a war for commerce; it would be absurd to suppose the nation was now going to war for commerce-commerce had been abandoned long ago, the trade to France was worth nothing; and if the Orders in Council were off to-morrow, if the same system continued, the trade to France would be worth nothing. This was to be a war for honor-we are now going to fight for our honor! Yes, sir, part of this is too true, commerce has been abandoned, commerce has been made the scape-goat, on whose back have been piled all the crudities and follies of mistaken theory and vision- Then came the Louisiana convention; in which, ary speculation, and thus laden, she has been sent after purchasing a disputed title to a Territory, adrift into the wilderness to be lacerated by every and paying double what any other nation would briar or bramble, that could rob her of her coat, have given for it, we were permitted by France or plant a thorn in her carcass. No country on to put our hands in our pockets and take out three earth, in the same period of time, and under sin- millions of dollars more to pay to our own citiilar circumstances, ever reaped one half the bene- zens their claims for property which she had fits from commerce which have been experienced plundered from them. How was this conducted? by the United States. Without adverting to Much in the same sort of spirit in which it was the effect it has had on the extension and embel- begun. Those of the claimants who were on the ishment of your populous cities-without ad- spot, or who had efficient agents there, who well verting to the encouragement it has offered to understood the avenue to the back stairs; who your agriculture and to the settlement of your could delude others, and purchase for a song wilderness, which has been made to blossom claims they were sure of having allowed; who like the rose, and in all which it has been in a could intrigue well, bribe well, and swear well, high degree instrumental-look at the records of got fortunes; while the honest unsuspecting merthe Treasury, and you will there see, that com- chant, confiding in the correctness of his claim, merce has put into your public coffers, during the and the integrity of his own conduct, got nothshort period that has intervened since the adop-ing; and, very probably, some of the latter may tion of the Federal Constitution, two hundred millions of dollars-a sum nearly three times as great as the national debt of the United States, the price of your independence, as it was funded at the commencement of the Federal Government. Sir, this is what commerce has done for youwhat have you done for commerce?

now be seen wandering as beggars through the streets of your populous cities, the pavement of which is made to echo, by the rattling of the chariot wheels of those who have defrauded them.

After this, you had the Berlin decree, the Orders in Council, the Milan decree, the Rambouillet decree, the depredations of Spain, the robbeIn the year 1793, when Great Britain depreda-ries even of the renegado black chief of St. Doted upon your commerce, you had a man at the mingo, and the unprovoked and still continued head of your Government who fought no battles plunder of Denmark, a nation of pirates from their with paper resolutions, nor attempted to wage origin. What cause of complaint has Denmark, war with commercial restrictions, although they or ever had Denmark, against us? Her most were then pressed upon him. He caused it to be fond and speculative maritime pretensions we distinctly and with firmness made known to Great have willingly espoused, and yet she continues Britain, that if she did not both cease to violate daily to capture and condemn our vessels and our rights, and make us reparation for the wrongs cargoes, and contemptuously tells us, that the we had sustained-that young and feeble as we Government of the United States is too wise to then were, just in the gristle, and stepping from go to war for a few merchant ships. And this the cradle of infancy, we would try the tug of we bear from a people as inferior to the United war with her. What was the consequence? Her States in all the attributes of national power or depredations were stopped-we made a treaty greatness, as I am inferior to Hercules. Yes, sir, with her, under which we enjoyed a high degree commerce has been abandoned, else why prohibit of prosperity. Our claims were fairly heard, your merchants from bringing the property, to a equitably adjudged, and the awards were honora-large amount, which they have fairly purchased bly and punctually paid to the sufferers. In this instance you did something for commerce.

Next came the war with Tripoli-the Barbary States preyed upon our commerce-you deter mined to resist, and despatched a small squadron to

and paid for, into the ports of our country, else why, by this exclusion, perform the double operation of adding to the resources of the enemy you are going to war with and impoverishing your own citizens.

SENATE.

Increase of the Navy.

FEBRUARY, 1812.

In 1808, the unfortunate embargo year,
which did not commence, however,
until nearly three months of the
custom-house year had elapsed

In 1809
In 1810

2,550,000 8,750,000 10,750,000

Yes, sir, the gentleman from Maryland is right, but he has no especial reason of complaint; from his situation and standing, he should naturally have been the guardian and protector of commerce in this House; he should have raised his powerful voice in her favor; he should have opened his arms for her protection. He did raise his voice, but for merely her extinction, not for her encouragement; he did open his arms, but he gave her the clasp of death, not that of protection. The embargo, the enforcing act, the non-intercourse act, the non-importation act, and all that ill-omened brood of measures, number that gentleman among their patrons and sup-ly more abundant harvest than the country ever

In 1811, the last year, amid all our privations and embarrassments, it exceeded the export of any former year since the first settlement of the country, and amounted up to twice the export of the preceding year, to 20,391,000 And, the present year, the crops present a vastYes, sir, commerce has been abandoned, "de-it to, not afforded, however, by France, for, of our before produced, with a glorious market to carry serted in her utmost need, by those her former bounty fed." Yes, sir, she has been abandoned. She has been left as a wreck upon a strand, or as a derelict upon the waters of the ocean, to be burnt, sunk, or plundered, by any great or puny assailant who could man an oar, or load a swivel for her annoyance.

porters.

What was the leading object of the adoption of the Federal Constitution in the Northern parts of the Union? Most emphatically, it was for the protection of commerce. What was the situation of some branches of our commerce then? And what is it now? Look at the statement which was laid upon our tables about a fortnight past, and taken from the returns of the Treasury. What effect has it had upon our fisheries, which were so nobly and successfully contended for by the American Commissioners who settled the Treaty of 1783; which, for a time, suspended that Treaty; and which, both the duplicity and intrigue of France and the interest of England, strove to deprive us of-of our fisheries, which were then considered, and still ought to be considered, as a main sinew of our strength, and a nursery for our seamen ?

In the year 1791, when we were just emerging
from a chaos of confusion, the export of dried
fish was of the value, as then esti-
mated, of

In the year 1811, it had diminished
nearly one-half, and was only
The whale fishery, in oil and bone, in
1791, gave

In 1811, it had fallen off nearly two-
-thirds, and was only

market furnished almost exclusively by Great vegetable export, she takes scarcely any; but a Britain for her own supply, and that of the countries under her possession.

in Council were off to-morrow, you could get no Now, if it has been shown that, if the Orders new market for the great staple of the country, cotton; and it has been also shown, that the export of wheat, flour, and vegetable products, was the farmers and planters of New York, Pennsylnever anything near so great as at present; let States, tell what they are going to war for? vania, Maryland, Virginia, and the Western

Look at the same statement for the situation of the export of our domestic manufactures: In 1791, the exportation of domestic manufac$600,000

tures, amounted to

In 1811, notwithstanding the restric-
tions, to

2,062,000

Having increased more than three times since seventeen hundred and ninety-one, and giving also to the manufacturers a larger export than in any former year, in addition to their having, in many articles, the entire supply of the home market; thus affording to the manufacturers a much greater degree of encouragement than they ever before experienced. Let the manufacturers of Philadelphia, and other parts of the Union, also tell, then, what are they going to war for? If this be the situation of our domestic manufactures, and 757,000 if our agriculture is in a high state of prosperity, 196,480 except for a few articles which a war would not improve the demand for, and commerce is abandoned, it must follow, if we go to war, we must, as has been stated, go to war for our honor.

$1,200,000

78,000 This is the state of our fisheries, which apply to the Northern States, after twenty years opera-worth contending for; it is the fruitful parent of

tion of the Government.

Let us observe now the export of vegetable food, in which other parts of the Union are more deeply interested. It is worthy of attention, and I shall notice a series of years.

In 1791, the export of vegetable food amounted to

In 1803

In 1804

In 1805

In 1806

In 1807

- $4,640,000
14,080,000

12 080,684
11,752,000
- 11,050,000
14,432,000