CONGRESS House of Reprtfcjiialrucs January 27, In of 1 hi' on tVIr, refAuiiotis (Mr. Ames's Speech conclnM.) Thus we fee a total stoppage of the Weft-India mde W9IIIII notlla:ye the ilianders. It would uf fe it us deeply, we ihould lose t!ie laic ofour products and of courfenol gain the carri i««* in our own vef l*e!•». The object o'. the contelV would be ho nearer 0 rr*aeh than before. Inrteud, however ot a totd itippi»e of the intercourse, it might happen that e .ch nation prohrMting the vefTclbol the oilier, some tinrd nation would carry on the traffic in its own bottoms While this meafuie would disarm our iyf tem, it would make it recoil upon oarffclve®. It would in etfec^operate chiefly to o'bltru t the file of ourpoJu-ts. Iftheyfhodd remain unfjld, it would bi so much dead lot's ; or if the ertvft should 1 e to r .ii'e rhe prh© on she confumeis, it would ei ther Icli'jfi the confur.iption or raise up rivals in the foppiy. The coutift as it rcfpe&s tlx: Welt India trade is inc.?;; icl'pedt agufnil us. To embairafs thefupply from' the United States, supposing the wr>rft as it regards rhe planters, can no no more than enh ince the price 01 sugar and tortv e T( afi}l other pro* dji.'ls. The French i(lands ate now in ruins, and the Kn?.!i!h piantcf.; !;.iv;an increased price and do'u. b'le demand n> coiifetfiieftce. While Great-Britain confined the c<>loi>y trade' to frerl'elf, (he eave to the cola litlvin return a monopoly in' her consumption 6f Weft-India articles. The extra expence arising from the severest operation of our fyrtem, is already provided againlttwo-i'old : Like other chaigcs on tiie prod ni\s of labor and capital, the burden will tall on the conlumer. The luxurious and opulent co -.fumer in Europe will r.ot regard and perhaps WiU not know the incre.i fe of price nor the caufc of it. "IV ;>;\v fmler whv> clears iris land and fells l!ic lumber, will feel anv cOnvuifion in the m?rket, m i'enlihly without being able to fnfturn it at all. Tr is a cbmctV of Wealfh against want; of felf-denial, between l-ixury and daily subsistence, that we pro voke with so much Confidence of fucctfs. A man of experience in the Weft-India trade will fee thiscon triit more llron*lv than it.is poflible. to represent it. One of the excellencies for which the measure is recommended is, that it will affect our imports. What is offered as an argument is really an objection. Who will mpply our wants ? Oar own manu fa&iifes are growing, and it is a subject of "/ a? fatisfaction that they are. But it wo"ld he wrong to overrate their capa- city t > cloAthe usl The fame number of inhabitants require more and more, be;- err.if? wealth incrtafes. Add to this the vapid grown of our numbers, and per haps it will be correct' to tlliihate the pro gress of <nartufiicliirersi as only keeping pace with that of our enereafing confump t:on and population. It follows that we Hi nil continue to demand in future to the amount of our present importation. It is not intended by the resolutions that we fliall import from England. Holland, and the. north of Europe do not furnifh a fuf ticient varietv, or fufficient quantity for our Coufuniption. It is in vain to look to Spain, Portugal, and the Italian States. We are expeeled to depend principally upon France ;• it is impoflible to examine the ground of this dependance without adverting to the present lituation of that country. It is a fubjeft upon which I praftife no difgaifes. but I do not think it proper to introduce the politics of France into this discussion. If others can find in the scenes that pas* there, or in the prin ciples and agents that drreft them, proper fubjefts for amiable names and fourccs of joy and hope m the profpefl:, 1 have no thing to fay to it. It is an amusement which it is net in my intention either to dilturb or to partake of. I turn from these horrors to examine the condition of France in refpeft to manufa&uringy capital, and jnduftrv. In this point of view, whatever political improvements may be hoped for, it cannot escape observation, that it pre sents only a wide field of wade and desola tion. Capital, which nfed to be food for mantifaftmes, is become ther fuel. What once nourished industry, now lights the fires of civil war, and quickens the pro grefsof deftrudtion. France is like a fliip with a fine caTgo burning to the water's edge, (he may be built upon anew, and freighted with another cargo, and it will he time enough when that (hall be, to de pend on a part of it for our fapplv : at present, and for many years, (lie will be not fe much a furnifiier as a confunier. It is therefore obvious, that we (hall import our supplies either diredtly or iirdireftly from Great Britain. Any obftrudtion to tlie importation, will ruin the price which we, who consume must bear. That part of the argument which rests on the supposed diflrefs of the British ma luifaifhirerß m consequence of the loss of our market, is in every view unfounded. They would not lofc tht market in fact, and if they diu,. should we prodigiously exaggarate the importance of our con. sumption to the Briti(h workmen ? Im. portant it doubtless is, but a little attenti on will expose the extrenk folly of the o pinion, that they would be brought to our feet by a trial of our felf denying fpirk. England now fujJphmfs France in the im portant Levant trade, in the supply of manufa£tured goods to the East and in a great m> afure to the Well-Indies, to Spain, Portugal, and their dependencies. Iler trade with Rufifia has of late vastly encreafed ; and (lie is treating for a trade with China—lo that the new demands of English manufactures, consequent upon the deprefiion of France as a rival, has a mounted to much more than the whole A merican importation, which is not three Madifon*s millions. British manufactures exported Sterling. ia 1773, amounted to r 775> 1789, 179°, 1791, r6,tf 10,000 r7 $2, 18,310,000 The ill efFedt of a fyftein of reft ri£t ion and prohibition in the Well Indies has been noticed already. The privileges al lowed to our exports to England may be withdrawn, and prohibitory or high du ties imposed. Mr. Ames observed that not ore o? our articles is a monopoly,and noticed the effe£t of counter regulations on our produdls. He adverted particu larly to pot and pearl ashes, and observed on- the value of the ex ten five sale of that article, aa it advances the clearing and fettlcment of our new lands ; he said the best encouragement for agriculture is a good market. The system before us is a ir.ifchief that goes to the roct of our prosperity. The merchants will fuffer by the schemes and projects of a new theory'. Great nura bers were deceived by the convulsions of 177 J. They are an order of citizens de ferring better of government, than to be involved in new coniufions. It is wrong to make our trade wage war for our poli tics. It is now scarcely said that it is a thing to be fought for but a weapon to fight with. To gain our approbation to the fvllcm, we are told it is to be gradu ally efiablilhed : in that cafe, it will be unavailing. It fliould be begun with in all its strength, if we think of l'larving the iflamls. Drive them suddenly and by surprize to extremity, if you would dic tate terms, but they will prepare against a long expected failure of our supplies. Our nation tired of fuffering loss and embarrsfsment for the French. The rice growers and tobacco planters of the south, will be, and ought to be, soon weary of a contest which they are told is to benefit the (hip ownerß of the east. The struggle so painful to ourselves, so ineffec tual against England, will be renounced, and we (hall fit down with fame and loss with disappointed passions and aggravated complaints. War, which would then suit j our feelings, would not suit our wesknefs. We might peahrps find some European power willing to make war on England, and we might be permitted by a short alli ance to partake the misery and the de pendance of being a subaltern in the quar rel. The happiness of this situation seems to be in view when the system before us is avowed to be the instrument of avenging our political resentments. Thsfe who af fect to-dread foreign irifluence will do well to avoid a partnership in EHropeanjealou cies and riralfhips. Courting the fritnd fhip of the one, and provoking the hatred cf the other, is dangerous to our real in dependence ; for it would compel Ameri ca to threw herfelf into the arms of the one for prote&ion against the other. Then foreign influence, pernicious as it is, would be fought for, and though it (hould be shunned, it could not be resisted. The connections of trade form ties between in dividuals and produce little controul over government. They are the ties of peace, and are neither corrupt nor corrupting. In the course of his speech, Mr. Ames adverted to the danger of cutting off a part of the public revenue by the operation of the proposed regulations. He remarked upon the hostile tendency of the resolutions ; we have happily es caped from a state of the moll imminent danger to odr peace. A falfe Hep would lose all the security for its continuance which we owe at this moment to the con duit of the President. What is to save us from war ; not our own power which inspires terror ;,not the gentle and for bearing spirit of the powers of Europe at this crisis ; not the weakness of Eng land; not her affection for this country ; if we believe the aflurancej of gentlemen on the other iide—What is it then ? It i» the iutercft of Great Britain to have A merica for a customer, rather than an e nemy. And it is precisely that intej-eft which gentlemen are so eager to take a way, and to transfer to France. And w hat is (Iranger flilF, they fay they rtly on that operation, as a means of produc ing peace with the Indians and Algerines —The wounds inflicted on Great Britain by our enmity, are cxpefted to excitc her to supplicate our friendlhip and to appease us by soothing the aniraolity of our ene- mies What is to produce eficfts so myftieal, so opposite to the nature so much exceed ing the efficacy of their pretended causes? This wonder working paper on the table, is the weapon of terror and deftruftion-— like the writing on Belfhazer's wall, it is to strike parliaments and nations with dis may. It is to be (Ironger than fleets a gainll pirates, or than armies against In dians. After the examination it has un dergone, credulity itfclf will laugh at these pretensions. 10,556,000 10,07 2;ooo 1 3>779> 0c0 1 f,921,000 We pretend to expect not by the force of our reftri£tions, hot by the mere shew of our spirit, to level all the fines that have guarded for ages the monopoly of the colony trade. The repeal of the navigation a<st of Eng land, which is cherilhcd as the palladium of her which time has /endered venerable and prosperity endeared to her people, is to be extorted from her fears of a weaker na tion. Tr is not to be yielded f eely, but vio lently torn from hor, and yet the idea of a ftruggfe to prevent indignity and loft, is con» fide red a* a chimera too ridiculous for so ber refutation. She will not dare fay they y to re fen t it, and gentlemen have pledged themfclves for the certain success of the at tempt j what is treated as a phantom is vouch ed by ta<st. Her navigation act: is known to have caused an immediate contest with the Dutch, and four # defpei ate sea fights ensued, in conference the very year of it's paflage. How far it is an ast of aggreflion for a neutral nation to aflift the supplies of one neighbor, and to annoy and difttefs another, at the crisis of a contest between the two, which strains their strength to the utmost, is a queftlon which we might not agree in de ciding. But, the tendency of fueh unreafon ab!e partiality, to cxafperare the spirit of hoftilitv against the intruder, cannot 6e doubt ed. The language of the French government would not soothe this spirit. It propofei on the sole condition of a politi cal connexion to extend to us a part'of their Well-India commerce. The coincidence of our measures with their invitations, however lingular, need no comment. Of all'men, those are'leafl confident, who believe in the effica cy of the regulations, and yet afleft to ridi cule their hoftrle tendency. In the commer cial conflict fay they, we shall surely prevail and etfe<ftually humble Great-Britain. In open war we are the weaker, and shall be brought into danger, if not to ruiu. It depends there fore according to their own rfcafoning, on Great Britain het felf, whether she will peifift in a struggle, which will disgrace and weaken her, or turn it into awwarr r which will throw the shame and ruin upon her antagonist. The topics which furnifh argument to Ihew the danger to out peace from the resolutions, are too fruitful to be exhausted. But without pursuing them further, the experience of mankind has shewn that commercial rival fhips which spring from mutual efforts for monopoly, have kindled more wars and wait ed the earth more than the spirit of conquest. He hoped, we Ihoujd ihcw by out vote, that we d«em it better policy to feed nation-?, than to starve them, and that we fhou'.d never be lo unwise as to put our good customers into a situation to be forced to make every exer tion to do without us. By cherifliing the arts ofpeace, we (hall acquire, and we are actual ly acquiring the strength and refaurces for a war. Inftend of seeking treaties, we ought to ftiun them, for the later they (hall be so m • ed, the better will be the terms, we fliall have more to give, and more to withhold. We have not yet taken our proper rank, nor ac quired that con fide rat inn j which will not be refufed us, if we persist in prudent and pacific counsels, if we give time for ou» strength to mature itfelf. Tho' America is rising with a giant's strength, it's bones are yet but carti lages : By delaying ihe beginning of a con flict, we ensure the victory. By voting out the refolutiotu r we (hall (hew to our own citizens, and foreign nations, that our prudence has prevailed over our prejudi ces, that we prefer our interests to our re fitments. Let us aflert a genuine indepen dance of fpint, we (Rail be falfe to our duty and feelings as Americans, if we bafelydet cend to a fcrvile dependance on France or Great-Britain. ( Delate to be continued.) ALEXANDRIA, >Feb. 14. Lafl Tucfday being tlie anniverfay of the Birth-Day of The President of the United States* was commemorated by the Citizens of this town, in a manner highly demonllrative of that ardent and uniform affection which they have, on all proper occafious, manifefted for the per son of their revered and illuilrious neigh bour. the ADDRESS Sptk-T. by Mr. Wicnell, at ti.c of the New Theatre in this City. WRITTEN BY MR. J! A R WOOD. PAST is my toil and fled each anxious pain Since I behold my 'riendf, my home again ; How oft, when far away my fancy fov'd, Lur'd to this spot by every scene I lov'd, Here on thrfe boards I trod in waking dream, And i? J talk'd, this spot was A ill my theme. I painted oft, in colors just and true, Thik glorious scene, so grateful to my view ; My pu!fe would quicken and my hofom glow ; But the true joy T never felt 'till now. Hard was out fate to be condemn'd to roam— Tho' fwect our exile, fioiti our defhn'd home; Warm are our thanks to you who dar'd to brave Our focr'worft (bafts,the drooping mufetofave, Before whose phalanx superstition fled, And fell fauaticiftn bow'U her head. But I forget-^— I come to plead for others, to engage Your gen'rous caie, to aid a rising ftagc ;• I come to ask, and for a num'rous band Whom I have brought from a far diltam land, Who have to me their fttfuie fate confign'd — Friends, patents, all they left behind : Giant but this boon, no sigh of fad regret Shall reach the distant fbore, no teat* (hall wet This happy land of promise and incfejje, Save the glad teaisof gratitude and peace. I fee, I read in each approving finile, A kind aifent—l have not [oit my toil i For them acrept my thanks—Fane) alone, In richest effortsycan conceive rny own. Nor let the with failidions eye And penetrating search, our faults dcfcry. While yrt the muse aspires on infant wing— " The Eagle fuffers little birds to sing Tlic trembling novice, ere tnatui'd by time, Must full far short of judg meat's happy prune ; Dilpcll'd the doubu and dangers h«r has fra;'d, Yon inav admire the penius you have reat*d ; Grrat by your favor grown, the r;J»ng age 5. K II b'efs the r (Tort's of a moral ftagr : T! - si»; .Ciear'd o pur ty, ihe stage refin'd, s drois,may cha» m,inltru£t mankind, F>ee» new loicc from fcenei heroic gains, The ttagc impedes not, but its cause maimain*; Virtue may bete ii» btighutt lesion leant, And frouied vice its uglnxfs difccin ; Our precepts, wcll.diic&cd, reach the heart, And to a6t well shall be a gen'ial part. NEW THEATRE. THIS EVENING, Feb. 19, Will be performed, a Tragedy, called ISABELLA, Or the FATAL MARRIAGE. Count Baldwin, Mr. Whitlcck, Mr. Fennel!, Mr. MarlhaV, Mr. Wignell, Mr. Francis, Mr. Cleveland, Mr. Green, Mr. Warrel, Mrs. Whillcc v., . i.Roion. Birort 9 Carlos > Viliercy y Samp/on, Belford, Pedro, Officer, lfabellciy Nurfi, Ina& 3d. an Epithalamium : the vocal parts by Mr. Barley, Mr. Uowfcn, Mrs YVarrell, Miss Broadhurit, To which (will be addedy An Opera, in two a&s, callcd R 0 S I N A. Belmillc, Cap I. Belvillcy William, Rujlic^y i/l Ir 'i/hmarjy id Irt/kman, Ro/rnky Dorcas, Phabsy Mr. Marflull, Jylr. Moreton, Mr. Francis, Mr. Warrel, IVIt. Green,* Mr. Bliflet, Mrs. Warrel y Mrs. Bates, Miss Broadhurfh With the original overture and accompa niments, composed by Shieid. Places in the Boxes to betaken at the B' x- Oflice of the Theatre r at any hour from nine in the morning till three o'clock in the after noon, cn the day of performance. Tickets to be had at the office near the Theatre, zt the corner of Sixth-street, and at Carr & Co's Musical Repository, No. 122, Market-fireet. The Doors will be opened at 5 o'clock, and the performances begin at 6 o'clock pre cisely. BoxF.s y one dollar—Pitt, three quarter® of a dollar—and Gallery, half a dollar. No places can be let in the fide boxes for a less number than eig-ht, nor any places re tained after the firft a£. Ladies and Gentlemen are rajnfcfteu to fend their servants to keep placcs, at half an hour pall 4 o'clock, and to order them to withdraw, as loon as the company art featcd, as they cannot on any account be permitted to remain in the boxes, nor any places kept after the firft a£h N. B. No money or rel et- to be returned, nor any person admitted on any account whatever behind the fccncs. The managers request, to prevent confti fion, servants may be ordered to f. t c or\xr. r.r.d take up with the hones' heads tewju'ds the Schuylkill, and drive off by Sevent ; ,'. Vrvat Rtjpkbtica* PRICE of STOCKS. 6 per cents, 18/2 3 ditto, I of 1 Deferred, 11fx U. S. Bank, 11 per cent. adv. Pennsylvania do. 10 ditto d^tu.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers