Congress,
SENATE.
April 2. The bill to regulate
the commercial intercourse, be
tween the United States and the
French West India Islands of
Guadalbupc and Martinique, be
ing taken up after some remarks
from Mr. Woodbury:
Mr. BRANCH said, the facts
disclosed by the Chairman of the
Committee on Commerce, were
certainly of no extraordinary cha
racter. It appears that the Pre
sident of the U. States has been
in possession of information deep
ly affecting our commercial rela
tions with the French West India
islands, as early as the month of
June, 1826, which information has
been withheld from Congress, for
the reasons set forth in Mr. Clay's
letter to the Honorable Chairman.
One of which reasons is, that the
French ordinance of February,
1826, although officially commu
nicated to the State Department,
in the month of June of the same
year, was published in some one
or two of the newspapers in this
country. It, however, does not
appear that the ordinance was
known to those most deeply inte
rested in the trade: all now admit
the value of the information, and
the indispensible necessity of im
mediate legislation on our part.
The Chairman had not informed
the Senate whether the reasons
assigned were satisfactory to the
Committee. This, however, was
unnecessary; for it is but too ap
parent that no satisfactory reason
has been offered, or probably
could be. Be it as it may, the
subject is one of deep interest to
the people of this country, and
particularly to a portion of those
lie represented. It was clearly
our duty to have met the views of
France promptly, and placed the
trade of the two countries on
terms of perfect equality. This
Congress would have been as rea
dy to have done at the last ses
sion as this, had they known what
the President then knew, or what
they now know. Mr. Branch
said, that he would for the mo
ment, repress the feelings which
such conduct, on the part of our
rulers was calculated to excite, un
der the hope that some person
might be found able to give a more
satisfactory reason in extenuation
of the policy pursued by our Go
vernment. Mr. Silsbee made a
short reply to Mr. Branch, which
was not distinctly heard. Mi.
Branch .rejoined, that with the
highest respect for the gentleman
from Massachusetts, (Mr. Sils
bee,) he very much questioned
whether the Senator himself was
satisfied with the reasons assign
ed for the suppression of this tru
ly important information. For he
now considers it to be our duty to
- pass the bill on your table, and
thus place the trade of the two
countries on the basis of cqality.
Had the gentleman been in pos
session of this information at the
last session, would he not have
considered it to have been his du
ty to have advocated the passage
of a similar law then? Most as
suredly he would, for all must ad
mit that if it is rijrht. nnH nprondnrxr
O --- "vvwu. r
to legislate now, that it was equal- j
ly so then; why then has this ordi-j
nance, this new tanlt oi uuuus uu
the tradewith Guadaloupe and
Martinique, been withheld from
the American Congress? Mr.
President, the cause is but too
apparent: Believe mc, Sir, the
people of this country arc too in
telligent to be blinded in this way:
a short retrospect will enable
them to understand the policy and
views of those at the head of our
government, and properly to ap
preciate their motives. The dis
closure was calculated to reflect
on themselves, and to throw their
own conduct into discredit. Mr.
Clay says that the French ordi
nance was published in some one
or two of the newspapers of tins
country in 1826, which, however
no person that we know of, or the
Committee, could find, ever saw,
or can now find: admit it howev
er, to be true, is it a sufficient rea
son, why the President of the U.
States, should not have officially
communicated the intelligence to
both Houses of Congress? Is this
the proper course for the Chief
Magistrate to pursue? ror an
officer whose constitutional and
sworn duty it is, to give all proper
information from time to time to
the Congress of the United States.
No, Sir, this cannot have been the
true reason for withholding the
facts from Congress. It is a mere
subterfuge disreputablo to the A
merican character. They have
by their own showing, said Mr.
Branch, acted in a manner which
merits the severe reprehension of
the people of this country.
April 18. Mr. Harrison moved
to tako up the bill, to repeal in
part, the duty on imported Fait.
Mr. BRANCH spoke at length
and with zeal, in favor of the mo
tion; he conceived the bill one of
deep importance to a very large
portion of the people of his State,
and having a direct bearing on the
agricultural interest of the coun
try. The motion was rejected
yeas 21, nays 2o.j
Mr. BRANCH presented a me
morial from the citizens of Mur
freesborough and Hertford, ask
ing in strong but respectful terms
tor the aid of Congress in re
opening Roanoke Inlet. Mr.
Branch urged the importance of
the contemplated improvement as
regards the nation and the State
of North-Carolina, in a variety of
remarks. 1 wo years ago, at his
instance, an appropriation was
made to defray the expense of
surveying Roanoke Inlet, and the
waters adjacent, for the avowed
purpose of affording to Congress
data from their own Engineers, to
justify a speedy commencement
ot this truly National work. But
he was sadly mortified, to learn
from his friend, the able and in
defatigable Chairman of the com
mittee on commerce, that on a
written application to the Secreta
ry at War, he had been informed,
that the Engineers had but recent
ly been sent to perform the recog
nizance of those waters. Thus,
said Mr. Branch, "while it is rain
ing porridge, our dish it seems
will always be bottom upwards.5'
For were we now ready, had the
Executive prepared the plans and
surveys ordered, (udmnr fr
"the liberal professions of the Gen
tlemen from Ohio and Indiana, one opposed to the Admini,irar
which he certainly had no reason! to - the d uty on cou0 bag?i ;
w
to
hich he certainly had no reason
. iIai.m tlin hitherto neglected
State of North-Carolina, might
have something to hope. He was
certain that a more propitious pe-
. .11 n
ricd than the present couia noi oi-
fer, and hence his extreme morti
fication at the tardiness ot the De
partment in ordering the surveys.
He felt it due to himself to say
thus much, in order that those to
whom he was resnonsible for his
conduct, might understand the
trim r.nnsn. whv and wherefore,
the subject had not been pressed
upon the consideration oi me pre
sent Congress, and more particu
larly as his liberal friends above
alluded to, had assigned as one of
their reasons for refusinp; to con-
- u
sider the resolution for adjourn
ment, their great anxiety to do
something for North-Carolina be
fore the close of the session. He
availed himself of this opportuni
ty to tender them his acknowl
edgments for their proposed kind
ness, and ardently hoped, that
their liberal policy in regard to the
people of his State, might suffer
no abatement.
sis
tlXhOXDUQ),
FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1828.
Extract of a letter lo ihe Editor from
a member of Congress from this State,
was rejected, for at first all
England members were opposed t
increase of duty on hemp orhP 34
cloth; but behold, Mr. James CI
particular friend of Mr. Clay and a j 3
ded supporter of the Coalition, re
this motion which had been reLu -S
committee, and carries it, by the ivf ?
Administration votes, with the vreS
members who were bound in any
to vote for it. Thus you see howS?
the South, the great grower of the
ports, are to be sacrificed; andthC. tI"
of things will continue so Ion ac 1?
. , a a t
previa men remain in power.
Congress. On the 22d ult. the Tar
bill pased the House of Representativ11
by a vote of 105 to 94all the membe
from this State voting in the negative
The Telegraph of the 24th savs:
"The time occupied in the de
bate of the Tariff bill, has delay!
ed the business before the House
and all attempts to fix upon a da?
of adjournment have failed. Vr
terday a resolution was adopted
10 raise a committee tor the pur.
pose. And so far as we have
heard an opinion expressed, the
19th of May is preferred."
Jated Washington, April 26:
"The discussion has at length closed
in the House of Representatives, on the
question of raising the duty on certain
articles, (commonly called the Tariff,)
and the bill passed by a niaioritv o
eleven. This subject can no longer be
considered a raising of revenue question;
literally speaking, it is a tax upon the
labor of the South, for the benefit of the
manufacturing establishments of the
Eastern States. It now becomes our in
dispensable duty to take care of our
selves, and the only way to do this is to
make all we can on our own plantations,
let alone the horses and mules of the
West, and raise them ourselves; let a
lone the cotton fabrics of the North, and
spin and weave at home; we shall by
these means get as much for what we do
sell as we now do, and not be depen
dent on others for our supplies. In
stead of buying our pork from the West.
let us meet them in Virginia with ours,
ana drive them irom the market.
I know verv well that them
few in our country, who will not attri
bute the present state of things to the
unnatural union and connexion hot
the West and the North and East; but
rely upon it, but tor the influence that
Henry Clay gives to Adams, this stntP
of things never could or would have oc
curred.
"The productions of the South
tute the great exports of the mnnfr.
and although we do not consume of the
imports more than our just proportion,
yet the more we, by prohibitory laws
restrict the free interchange of produc
tions, we lessen the price of the exports,
and the whole burthen of the depression
of price falls upon the grower. This
state of things must and will continue
so long as the present men possess pow
er, for they have so far embarked in the
policy of what they call the American
siem,inai they cannot now look back.
1 indeed lament that there are nd mn
in our country that can for a moment
iooK with complacency upon the pre
sent Administration.
"I will state one case of a mnstpyira.
ordinary character: a motion was mnd
m committee by a western member, bufmor.
Scenes at Washington. On the i"ih
ult. President Adams sent a messuto
both Houses of Congress, statinha
Mr. John Adams his son and private Se
cretary, had been "waylaid and assaulted
in the Rotunda" of the Capitol, and di
rect! ng their attention to the subject
a select committee was immediately ap
pointed by the House of Representa
tives to investigate the matter, who have
not yet reported. We learn, however,
from a memorial addressed to Congress
by Air. Russel Jarvis, junior editor of
the Telegraph, that he was the persoa
who made the assault on Mr. Adams.
which "consisted merely in pulling hh
nose and slapping one side of his fa:
with my oijeii hand." The provi
tion was given at one of the President's
levees, and is thus stated by Mr. Jarvis:
"I lately accompanied ft part?
f ofladies and gentlemen on an eve
ning visit to the mansion of the
President; among whom were Mrs.
Jarvis, her parents, and two young
ladies her relatives. As all the la
dies, excepting Mrs. Jarvis, wer
recently from Boston, and for the
first time in Washington, they
were desirous of paying the usual
tokens of respect to the President
and his lady, and made this visit
in pursuance of the etiquette usu
ally observed on such occasions.
While they were in one of the
drawing rooms, with other visit
ants, Mr. John Adams, the son of
the President, declared in their
hearing, that, their being at the
President's involved an impropri
ety, and that, if I k new the esti
mation in which I was held in that
House, I would not suffer mysclt
to be seen there, and that, ho in
tended the remark to be heard by
those for whom it was intended,
and hoped it was so heard. Tbo
ladies, and the father of Mrs. Jar
vis, who was a political friend cf
t
and
u viuiauuil Ul Ul( nOSpilu'llvw
a House to whose inmate? the
were paying a complimentary vi
sit, immediately retired."
The Spring Term of the Supe
Court for Halifax county, was held
week in the. town of Halifax,
Martin presiding. On Thursday, M1'
ell, a free negro, was tried for the mJ'
der of his wife, found guilty of
slaughter,and sentenced the next day.
be branded, and imprisoned fr.,rt
mQr.ths after which period he is ic