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Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser 1807/07-1807/12 msa_sc3722_2_6_2-0605 Enlarge and print image (4M) |
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Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser 1807/07-1807/12 msa_sc3722_2_6_2-0605 Enlarge and print image (4M) |
| Debates in Congress. HOUSE OF r.EPMJlSENTATITES. Thursday, December i0. Mr. Nicholson's Speech on the oppropri- • for GUNBOATS. The sys'em was objected to yesterday, because it did not pw ide For t\w protection of commerce. The bill shewed tor itself that that wd\s not it object. It was now Objected that it was iiiati. quate to the object in view, the protection of the coast. Had it ever been said they Were ? He had never heard such an assertion. He world scout an idea. Was there a man in the na- tion who believed the representatives so lost as to rest the defence of the nation on gun- boats I The gentleman from Connecticut had ac- knowledged that they would form a valua- ble part of a sy -tern of defence. But there had been an attempt to make il local. Was it so > If he was of that opinion he would cers^inly vote against it. An attempt had also been marie to prevent the'expression of the gentleman from North Carolina, who had designated the northern as an honorable part of the union. The feet was that that portion of the union was honorable, and ftUght so to be spoken of. Were the observations which he had heard made, that gun boots and ships of war ought to act together, and provided at the same time, serious ? G'.m boats could be supplied instantly. Ships of war requiied expenditures of large sums of money and a long period of time to prepare them. In the harbor of Boston gun boats could givejis effectual protection as in other pla- ces, He did not understand the gentlemen from New York, who, so much to their ho- nor, had paid such strict attention to this bill, to say, .hat they did not wish for gun boats in the harbor of New-York. He merely understood them to say, that they did not think them sufficient without othei merles of defence. Much hid been said of the opinion of the president that this measure was a mere executive whirr,, ready cot and dry for con g-iss, and they ' ad nothing to do but to provide the number of gun boats required. V-ere that the case, it would soon be rung thvj'irri! the union that they were a mere te of scriveners called togi tiler le register the presidential edicts. It was of p culiar importance that some thing should be done in the present state of the nation. The constitution Mad placed the power of making war in congress Whe.i theyexi rcist-d that power, would they not also exercise the power of carrying on war ? They certainly would. The gentle Him from Connecticut had said, that asthe president had asked for no other means of defence, the house ou^ht to give him this. He had examined the message and could not find any more particular recommendation oi that, than of other modes of defence. The gentleman from Connecticut had made ano- ther observation, which would have been perhaps, as well omitted. He had said .hat no dispatches relative *o the affair between the Chesapeake and Le' pan! had been laid before the house. [Mr. Dana. Those were not my words. I said that this house were not in possession of any dispatches on that gtibject.] Mr. N. had misunderstood the gentleman's expression ; byt the dispatches in' possession of the executive, from the beginning to the latest period of the nego- ciation, had been h fore the house. Mr. Thomas observed, that th* gentleman from Connecticut, in saying that gun bo;:ts was the only measure recommended by the executive, alluded to his message at the last session. He wished that message to be read, as it would shew the assertion of tin gentleman from Connecticut to be erro- neous, and would serve to lefute many of the gentleman's arguments. The message was read. Mr. Kcmdolfik hoped the honep would not decide on the que:.lion without understand- ing it. He had been waiting with impati- ence for some mfbrmation on the subj' ci but was no wiser then than on his ariival at |r house. He hoped before the question was put, some gentleman would inform the bouse how much theexpenees arising out of the bill then on the table, would diminish those of the naval establishment. Mr Ihirnvc/l obsen ed, that as his colleague had asked lot information, he would with candor explain his views on the subject. In ca^e of a contest with Great-Britain, he thought it would be in vain to attempt to defend our commerce on the high seas. It all Europe were unable to do this, how could the United States effect it ? His policy would be, in case ei a war with Great Britain, to defend the property in the towns aiid cities, arid should the British land troops in the United States to be prepared to repel them. If a war should take plate, the resources of the country, arising from imposts, would be cut op, and at the time thej would lie de rii.inded, it would be found impossible to collect taxes. Bow then think ol engaging in a contest of that sort, in which we would be sure to he tin* losers ? lie had no hesitation in declaring it as his opinion, that we were totally incapable of combating with England c-n the ocean. This Country had not the necessary resources. It reus! rely on the iff.ct produced in England by the want of its commerce, and on taking (possesion of its valuable possessions in its neighborhood. Gentlemen seemed anxious for large vessels for the protection of the ports and harbors of the I). S Suppose (said he) that there were four 44's. or even a greater-number, lying in the harbor of New Yoik, what would prevent the British from laying any other town ( f the sea b< arri under contnbu tioti ? Any naval force the U. S. could build would be useless, so 1< ng as England could bring a greater naval farce against them. Go'boats were mpr< because they bi -lie ed n1 to point, as ne- Ci St ity requii d. Every one appeared to be impressed with the necessity ol this kind of defence to a Certain extent. This s. far.wasai evidence that it was a propel mode of defei re. He thou; de at presei t practica bl". H> ihoqght too. the number provided for bj per maid , i i foi That nembi r. together y ith thosi pin ady on hand, wire thpwj , f (and t atterit s, to the defence of our most import- ant towns. Ue was not acquainted with tr jrunboats, but he believed ail the nations of Euroy.'- ' - England herseH had upwards of 0,00 of rid they had been highly recommend- ed by naval officers of the United States. brie reason why he wished to confine them In tVj.i, operation to the defence of t wns v/a=. tuat, he thought them adequate to that defence. But. if it was attempted to drive Great Britain from the oc-an, it would be found in vain the whole United State: at auction, supposing there were persons willing and able to purchase, would not da- frav 'he expends of such an experiment. The expence of gun boats, according to the'estimate of the secretary of the navy, appeared great ; but he had no doubt it would be reduced, when greater experience had been gained in building them The present boats were sea vessels. He war, an enemy to that construction—they were unne- cessarily large. They would hereafter be built on a smaller scale,' as they would not be wanted £ >r sea v -yages. As to the expence of keeping fun boats in service, h« thought H.OOO dollars per annum entirely too much, and he would never vote for it. But the committee thought it practicable to devise some plan of arming couid the gentle- boring population. At Norfolk, 60 b ats were to be stationed. It would be easy tor draw from the population of that place, and its neighborhood a sufficient number to man them, and so in other places. With respect to the apportionment of the gun boats to the several points mentioned, it wa' not intended to be permanent. They could he removed at pleasure to where most wanted. The gen'leman appeared to place great reliance on large ships for the pr tection ot ports ancl harbors. They did not appear to hawe answered that pu'pose at Copenhagen ; nor did they appear to have been of more service at Havana. At Havana, in 1-62, the British took twelve sail of the line from the Spaniards; though they were protected by one of the strongest batt|;ri«s in the world. He believed that the want of ships hid saved the country from war, and he wished it not to have them. The gentleman from Connecticut had ac- knowledged that some gun boats were ne- cessary, but said they were the only mode of defence proposed. The gentleman was surely aware that there wee a number of other propositions for defence before the house—for erecting f rtifications, for rais- ing troops—for arming the militia, &c. With this knowledge ho man make such an observation ? . Upon the whole, it was to him a matter of doubt whether or not the number w as sufficient. If he thought them more than sufficient, he would vote against the bill II he thought them altogether useless he "ould v te against it ; or if gentlemen wou'd bring forward some more eligible mock ol defence, he would support it. He had no prejudices in favor of any particular plan. His object was t" place the country in a state of defence, that it mit,ht not be unprepared should an enemy appear. Mr. Van Dyke would not have troubled the house with any observations on the pre- sent question,bat that the ayes and noes had been called for. He had to confess that lie felt much embarrassment on the subject.— He had listened with much attention & pati- ence for information to enable him to dis- charge his duty ; but after exhausting his patience, he would be obliged to give his vote without that information he was so so- licitous to obtain. He had hoped to disco ver, whether it was the decided wish of the executive that the number of gun boats pro- posed in the hill should be built. He had Rooked, with that view into )he message of the president, but in that part which related to gun boats he could find no positive ex pression of opinion. Alter stating where the number already built were stationed, he proceeded—" Whether our moveable force on the water ought to be increased in this or any other form, is left to the wisdom of the legislature to determine."—In another part of the message the same kind of expression was used.—"Whether the regular army ought to be increased, and to what number, must depend on that information so shortly to be expected." In neither of these instan- ces was there any rec< mmendation to con- gress, orany indication ot theexecutive wish- es. It might not be impioper hen to remark, that as dispatches had been received by go- vernment, he had hoped, before he gave his ri tal vote on this questi n, to have ascer- tained the opinion >.f the executive on the subject. Some gentlemen to whom the a- venues of information wete more open than they were to him, might be informed on this P'.'Uit, but it was one on which he remained ignorant. Perhaps, however, he would not be ¦ -rong in voting for it as an executive measure when he disc vered honorablegen- tlemen adv eating it who might be looked up to as the possessors of correct inlorma- tion from that quarter. They had been told by some genflernen, that the country was on the eve of a war . by others, that it was actually in war What then supposing it either situation; v,as to be done i Were the house to sit there idle, until the ptesident should go and tell them to jidopt the proposed measure ; or were they to lake it up on their own view of the subject ? lie prefened the latter course, borne mode of defence must be ad jiled. Several pr positions, for this in the shape of resolutions were before the house. It this. as considered the bc-t mode he could not withold his assent from it. Not considering it as an executive measure in so pica! an extent as contended for by some gentlemen, he still considered it as an executive measure in a certain des re.;. It it was meieiy considered as on auxiliary mode ot defence, as it outfit to be, to co-operate with other means, he would rejoite that he had given his vote in tavor of it. Mr. re the 'question was taken wished to be indulged m stating some of those reasons which compelled, not in- duced him to vote against the passage of the bill. He could have wished that the ques- tion which he had propounded, had b:,-cn ;d. That qestion was, to what would the expences arising oilt of the bill on the table diminish the ordinary espences of the navy department. . te to be continued.'] BOS-TON, December'21. Arrived, brig Minerva, Cleveland, of Bath, from Portsmouth England, salt Lt'ft Nov. 0, ship Medford. Uartvett of Bi ship Gen. Eaton, of Portsmouth, detained ; captain Hodge, in a JJewbiiryport stiip : captain Williams of New-Oil..m- ; Venus, Bond, Boston, O days ; Lydia, Bichmore.- Spolce, December 3, hit. 41, ij, brig Har- riot, Leach, s days from Salem, for Leg- horn. Dec. r4 hit. 43, 35, barque Active, Richardson, 48 hours from Salem, for Ma- laga. The ship Sophia Magrhlemi, arrived at the Vineyard, on Thursday last, in Ll days ; fro n Cape Francois. The ship Charlotte, of Providence, from A:nsterd,aui taken into Yarmouth, England and cleared, drove out of the Roads in a gale ' 'put into Harwich, with the loss of ca- verpool ; Manchester, Bunker, Havanna ; Fat tor, Reynolds. Norfolk ; ,Vim, PI in ; brig Regulator, Lawrence, Antigua ; ichjiles, flei, Trinid id ; fSliaa, Ki Havanna; Rajah, Thompson, Demerara ; Ranson, Washington, N. C.; schr. M ny, Gris#oid, Martinique ; Ann, Syms, St. Croix ; Harmony, Ovyeas, Philad Iphia ; William Hud, Duncan, Beaufort ; Phillip, Williams, Philadelphia ; sloop President, Phillips, vVi'ttou, N. C. ; Lydia, Norton, N. Bedford ; Maria, C mistook, Prrfviden.ce.'; First Consul. Robinson. Nantucket. an ble a ad and At Holme., Hole, Vineyard, on Monday, noon —Ship Monk, LetnJ.d, for Sali in ; bri -, \p;ne-:, from ..io;t,oii, tor Philadelphia ; scor, R tlator, Norton, from do. to do. ; schr. Mary Ann. froin do. to Richmond; schr. Thomas Jeffet'SQlt, of Dux'iury, from do. to Bitlttniore ; brig Riohinoud from St. Thomas for Portsmouth ; Capt. Bangs, in a sennoaer from BMHmare, lor Boston ;, and a brig for Castine. la addition to the above li'.>t, 13 sail came over the shoals on Saturday last, bound to Northern and Eastern Ports. Arrived, Lark, Crosby, Richmond. Cleared, Regulator, Cochran, Middle- town; Industry, Hilton,. Wiscasse-t ; Char- lotte, Plymouth ; Good Intent, Baxter, A- lexanrins ; James, Reynolds, Philadelphia ; Dolphin, Johnson, Portland ; Traveller, Snow, Richmond. Ship Diomo, Wood ward, N. W. coast of America and China ; Sally Anne, Glover, Caolian ; snow Pallas, Rice, Havana ; schr. Hannah Matilda, Harris, Havana ; Brisk, Smith II ibl'ax. An article from Petersburg!!, :tates the amount of "the .Russian Navy to be in the fjajlic '-iO pew Ships of the line, 12 old ones, 14 frigates, and 85 smaller vessel:, ; in the Block sea IS sail of the line and i frigate's, besides galleys and gun boats. From Hamburg, Oct. 24, we learn, that several American vessels had arrived at the mouth of the Elbwith colonial produce, but had not sailed up to Hamburg, not being fumitjhed with a mapi-traie's certificate from their loading place, testified by a French a- gent. AeDemerary,Nov. 2d, lumber 7 joes ; porjt, 5 do ; beef 3d ; fish 4 to 4^ stivers ib. ; other articles generally good. NEW-YOttK, Dec. 23. Akriv'.d. Brig Orient, jenny, from Rotterdam, via Newport, gin, &c. Schr. Henry Dennispn, Alder, 5 days from Charleston, cotton and rice. Left, brig Speak, lot New-York, uncertain. Schr. Friendships Arvel, of New-Ha- ven, 5 days from Charleston, in ballast. The brig Betsey and Polly, sailed same day for New-Yoik. Dec. 22, lat. 33, long. 79, spoke ship Golden Rule, from Liver- pool for Norfolk. Schr. Glonana, Godby, from Antigua, via R. I. rum. In lat. 81, sloop Nancy, of Bristol, 6 days from Guadaloupe for Baltimore. Schr. Maty, Edwards, 15 days from Bos- ton, plaistei pans, and hides. Cleared, ship Lydia, Taylor, London ; Two Mary's, Riley,Nants ; ArJon s, Moore, Savannah ; Union, Pigot, Liverpool ; brig Delight- Pierce. Cayenne ; schr. John, Wallace, Alexandria ; sloop Three Sisters, Murphy, Philadelphia. December 24. Arrived, ship Sarah and Eliza, Stewart, 40 days from Liverpool, salt, coal, steel dry goods. Dec. 1 lat. 39, 38, long. 57, 25, spoke ship Eliza, Skeddy, 3 days from New-York tor Bordeaux. Ship William and Mary, Clifton, 53 days from St. Ubes, salt. Left, brig Sea- Flower, of Newburyport. Sailed in co. ship Alpheus, ot Warren, for New-York ; ship William Ham, H days from Boston, salt and coal. Brig Camillus, Kennedy, 13 days from Havana, sugar, hides, molasses and log- wood. Brig Susan, Moffat, 13 days from Hava- na, sugar. Off cape Florida, Dec. 13, spoke brig Angenora, 7 days.lrom N. Or- leans for Baltimore. Left brig Eliza, Grey, of New-York, 16 days from Philadelphia, and a yellow sided brig 19 days from Port- land. The brig Aurora, Lambert, was to sail in 10 days for New-York. A pilot boat schr. from New-York for New-Orleans, had just arrived, and reported that the Ame- lican ports were all blockaded by the Bri- tish ! ! Schr. Saba, Fash, of Boston, 13 days from Havanna, sugar, lruit, tortoise shell and log. wood. Left brig Aurora, for New York, in 7 days ; schr. Atlantic, for do. in 3 days ; and schr. Monongahela Farmer, for ditto. Dec. 12, in the hit. oi. Charleston, spoke br.g Charming PegsO' (w ''i0'1 Sailed -2 cays before him for Newport) was leaky, steering lor Charleston 01 savannah ; same day, S|.oke brig Pallas, Mason, 110m Havanna tor New- York. Schr. Antelope, Smith, 10 days from Norfolk, flour and wheat. Schr. Neptune, Bell, 19 days from Bonaire, salt. . Below last nighti ship Le Hoy, Gillies, 5ft days from ToimingtM, and Hi tioin the Downs. And one other ship. Cleared, ship So.an, Delano. Belfast; Un- cle Toby. Parr, Lisbon; Swift, 5mii.tbjJ.i_ PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 24. No arrivals at this port yesterday. Cleared- ship Brutus, Craig, London- derry ; Sally. G deles, Newry ; Mechanic, Ray, Sligo ; brig Clio, Reheygah, Hava- na; H tty, Billows, Point P tre ; schr. Mary, Hall, Jamaica ; Happy Return. Ta- tem, Antigu-t ; C ncord, Nelson, Peters- burg, W ; sloop Hope, Trefcthen, Nor- folk. D-'Cember 2J. Arrived, sch'r Regulator, Norton, Bos- ton 7 days. Cleared, brig Hetty, Bellows, Charles- ton ; Cyrus, Morgan, Savannah; Fox, D gget, Bostan; sch'r PI ughboy, Willi- am, N. York j Roba, Sa yer, Portland ; British sch'r William, Earnest, Ltiftenberg N. S. ; sloop Morning Star, Donnelly, Charleston,; Julia, Savage, New-York. Brig Casinler, Pitner, from Senegal, is below. ("Per the Henry Dennison.] CHARLESTON, December I4to 16. Arrived, ship: A. E. I. Liverpool 59 days ; Farmer, Luut, Petersburg via the Down; ; Agent, Campbell, Mozambique, 85 ; Julia-Ann.Torry, St. Jago 1*2.—lings Venus, Preble. Isle de Los 52 ; Lioness Wilson, Si- Domingo, 31 ; James, Fair, child P. Peu:r 16 ; Nancy, Liverpool, 52; serfs. Industry, Cheeseoomugli, Exiitrla, 1 1 ; Iris, Si try, Havana, 9; EnterpriZ , Yellow- ly, Na sau ; :«ioops Vigilant, Da Cavada,. St. Ja to, 20 ; Apollo, Weston, Dux.hu- ry, 18. Cleared, ships \gnes, Bunce. Philadel- phia ; Henrietta Charl -tie, Sherry, Liver- pool $ Carolina Ann, Hutchinson, do.— Brigs Betsey % Polly, Pnillips, New Or- leans ; schr- Thottfas Jefferson, Watt, Nas- sau. The Frenchprivateer'sloopTrop, Pod of Guadoupe, has put in here in distress. Capt. M'Lean, of the brig Sarah, of New- York, is passenger ht the Enterprize, his vessel lost at Eittheunt. Extract of a letter from L'Orient, Nov. 20. Business for the last 11 months has been not only dull, but ruinous;, until within a- bout foin weeks, when a giadual rise took place ; from the opinion generally enter- tainerliliat a war bet« eenthe U, Stat England must infallibly break out, and sales were effected in consequence at advanced prices and the last at enormous r.itc'i : the demand, however, was of short duration & erased immediately on the appearance of kjing George's proclamation ot October 18, ,¦ all fears of a rupime immediately subsided. This act is regarded by every bo- dv here, as a most humiliamigeonces.'ion on his part to ards the government of the IJ, States, and it is expected prices will decline as rapidly as they had risen. « Winhington, Dec. mh, 1807. '• Dear Sir, ¦' Yesterday we received a message from the President of a confidential nature. We immediately closed our doors, and they are still closed. Of course I am not permitted to inform you either what thePiesident has communicated to us, or what we have done in consequence of it. But. 1 mav be permit- ted to tell you we are doing no good. I fear we are about to plunge the Ration into the most dreadful calamities - unnecessarily ami wantonly. I am now more than ever per snack d that there is but too much FFtliNCH INFLUENCE. And it is well that those who succumb to it, should act in secret. This is the reason, and I pledge myself to you, almost the only reason why we sit With closed doors. Our deliberations no more re- quire secrecy at this moment, than they did when we were debating on the subject of fortifications: Nay, sir we are in my opini- on, violating the great rights of the people, by sitting at this moment with closed doors. 1 cannot express to you in terms sufficiently -, my abhorrence otivhctt we are doing, and the manntr in which we are doing h " lit. v. e. Pew.] We have this moment seen a letter from an intelligent gentleman, of which the fol- lowing is a copy : [Philadelphia Register*"] " Washington, Dec- 2-2. The bill laying an embargo, has passed into a law. Yon may be assured it results from the state of our affairs «ith France, as disclosed in general Armstrong's last dispatches." To the Citizens of Philadelphia. From late information from the West- ward, it appears, that the commissioners for laying out the road, from Fort Cum- berland, to the Ohio river, are deter- mined to go on through'Washington coun- ty, agreeably to their first report, without condescending to examine whether the loute pointed out to them by our legislature, dur- ing ilieir last session, would answer or not. If this great national road, connecting the eastern and western waters, sli. uld be o ,mp cted on the ground first reported, it will be the most fatal stroke the insterest of this city has got, since the first white man st-t foot on Pennsylvania. It is as com- pletely calculated to carry the whole trade of the south western states, into Baltimore, as any road could possibly be. Ne v-York must, and will, be the mar- ket of-the north-western parts of the (J. S. Natrtre has placed her without a competitor for this trade, on account of her inland na- vigation. A single glance at United States map, will clearly demonstrate the truth of this observation.- Now,- in the flnme of' common sense, where is the trade of this city to come from ? You are shut out on all sides ; and look ort with the greatest indTffarence, at your inte- rest falling a sacrifice to your neighboring cities. It is to be hoped that you will not suffer this charge to be any longer made a- gainst yo.i with justice ; and that you will immediately instruct y ur representatives, in the legislature of this state, to take such i steps, as they may judge be~t calculated to cause the we tern end of the United States r.rid to come as tar north ps possible', so as not to hinder the progress of th.ir road, or mar the views of the general government in first making the law. The friends of the nor tin en route pledge themselves to shew much belter ground, and shorten the dis- tance between the two points, and of course produce a considerable saving to the United States in the first cost of the road. I again repeat, that unless something decisive is done and that speedily too, the interest of this ci- ty, and not only this city, but of this states will be immediately injured. This must: and will Happen a< sure as any event follows* its. natural cause. . The road as reported by the chrnroiSsJrinV ers will be near f rty miles from o y part el the state turnpike to Pit burg ;v. l.r-n by tafe ing it on baiei ; run d, & a sh< rrci distance^ it would hi :ig it within about 22 miks o? the state road, and vety near | le of this cuy. A. PENNrSYLVANIAN. NORFOLK? Dec. 19. Arrived, sc 'r c.esolu ion. West, If days fiom Nantucket, s-ih & Ci -h ; friend- ship, Walker 12 d-iy~ from Ii.it Green- wich ; Deborah, Spencer, 14 from il i$- jand. In distress, the schr, Lucreiia. To.rence, from Guadaloupe to Nevbuni. (M C.) su- gar ,'uid molasses Left thee oh the 18th ult. the ship Northern Liberties Chew, of and tor N. York iu 10 days ; schr. Sidney, Crispinc. of and for Ne bern, in tody,; brig Go; rge Washington, Bo ran, of and for N. York in 20. On tiie 22il Nov. in. lat. 16, 43, long 42, .' as boa d '• bv a small piccaroofl uader English colours, of about thrr.c tons 11 m n , nd me, ; p swivel, who made prize ot us and put a prize-master, on board and ordered u-. for Nevis ; previous to tl 1 had captured . the sloop Sally, capt. Lo. from Gua- daloupe bound to' Baltimore ; „j , . ,;-. r in possession about 24 hours we perceive, I e sloop trying to make her escape and the pri- vateer ir. chase, thinking .'he, a fav table Opportunity, ve made the best of cur v ay off with our good friend the pnze master, v. ho is a Spaniard ! Sch. Commerce, Gardner, 14 days from St. Ann's, Jamaica—sugars. On the 8th in.t. in lit. 27,30, long. 62, 30, spoke the sloop Julian,of Providence, R. I. from Vera Cm?, blown out, bound to Lalttniore, 7 days out. Sch. Victoria, Pridell, 17 days from An- tigua—rum. Left there on the 1st instant, brig Fioia, Henthal, of and for this p it in z days—Sch. Litile Joseph. Fairweatiier, of B.idgport for Turk's Island in 2 days. On the cth imjt. in lat. 22, long. 6$ spoke the sch. Ann, of Folly Landing, lor Martinique bound home, oui 5 days. The pilot who carried out the French ship L'Palriot, left her ah, tit six 1......sea on Wednesday afternoon. Thus have rwo ships which the tSrih ii baW bl c'i,,d,d for nearly sixteen months, ma le thin escape. The British squadron have certainly quit- ted our waters, and winch we believe was iri consequence oirecoit instructions from E land, it having been signified to the Critish goyernuieot thai their remaining,here was hij lily and (afiei the president's pri-clamnti- oh) justly offensive to this govejiirotyit, .The Patriot carried offtwoseameu belong- ing to the service of the U. stales, which had deserted and went on board that shir, and with the perfect knowledge of the French officers. These men ii ':•. I Frenchmen,,but according to the 1 principle, havh g become cith* is of the U. States, and actually in their service, they were to be considered as American citizens, re any man mad enough to say, that we ought to quarrel about these men i Toi-r French commander having regained his im , not by force, war, justified in retaining theia agaii si the cl.dms of this country; We were the original wrong di ers. The case of the ether seamen is differ! nr- ly circumstanced, for in tii t, instance there was an open attempt to take the ma under the authority of his officer, by a positive refusal to-deliver him up wl - mantled, and this within our own tion. [^Norfolk Ledger. J WASHINGTON, Dec. 38. THE.SECRET SRSSiON. Friday, December 18. A melsage in writting was received frorar the presraLnt of the United States, as foirow- eth : [See message and documents in our last.1 On motion of Mr. Holland and seconded by Mr. Clay. The said message and documents accom- panying it were severally read. Ordtred, That the letters referred to in" said message be returned to thd pre! of the United States, agreeably to hie re- quest. On motion of Mr. Rand'lph, and second- ed,' that the house do come to the follow- ing resolution ; " Resohoed, That an embargo be kid on all shipping, the property of citizens of the United States now in port or which shall hereafter arrive." And the question being put that the house do agree to the said resolution, »nd on the question theieupon, the Yeas and Nays being demanded by one fifth of the1 members-present, and defeat; arising, a*ac- |