Tar and Pitch Britain used formerly » derive her supply <.»f these articles alio 1 Irom the Baltic, principally from Sweden, aud the fame might be done hereafter. Indigo : T.iis can be had from the East- Indies, from all parts of the Well-Indies, including the colonies of the Spaniards, Portuguese and Dutch on this continent : Great quantities of it, and of good qua lity, are produced in. St. Domingo and Guatimala. Tobacco : This article is raised in the Ukraine and other Touthern parts of Europe ; in the Fioridas, parts of South America, and in the Weft-In < dia lflands. It was true the tobacco of this country was fitter for certain purpo ses than that of other countries; these particular kinds might find their 'way to a market, otherwise fiifficiently supplied, or even having a surplus. tUcc was form erly carried to Great Britaiji in great quantities from the levant and the EaR- Indies ; fume is raised in Spain and Italy ; All the Spanilh and Portuguese Colonies are fitted for it : A considerable quantity, is raised in the Brazils. Pot and Pearl _AJh : Less than thirty years ago Great Britain was supplied with this article froih other countries, viz. Russia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. The Barbilla of Spain is said to be a substitUte for it. The gentleman, as well as other#, had mentioned the baneful effects of the credit given by the Britlfh merchants. Credit, like other good things, was liable to abuse. Dr. Franklin who well knew the circum stances of this country, bequeathed a part of his estate to be loaned out to yoUiig tradesmen and mechanics; he thought well of credit, and his teltimony of its utility ought to remove some of the prejudices against it. If credit had produced pernicious effe&s in Virginia, as the member from that state had repre sented, it was certain that it had produced wrioTefome effe&s in other Hates : Why the fame cause should produce such dif ferent' effe&s in different parts, he ftiould not inquire. As to its supposed influence on the bor rowers, in creating an undue dependance, that remark had been well answered alrea dy : In truth the borrower was, under certain circumstances, move apt to become the enemy, thao. the dependant of the lender. An appreberrfion had been entertained by the gentleman, that the existing com mercial connexion with Britain would pro mote monarchical principles in this coun try, and yet the profeffed object of the resolutions was to compel Great Britain to enter into a commercial treaty with us, and thereby strengthen and extend the commercial ties which already existed : The resolutions were, moreover, design ed to induce the emigration to this coun try of thousands of British manufacturers who would naturally bring their monar chical principles along with them. But if a commercial intercourse with the domi nions of a monarch were pregnant with such evils, we ought to abandon our trade with Spain, Portugal and Rufiia, as well as Britain, and confine it to the Swiss Cantons and other Republics. Such ap prehenftons, however, he could not but consider as a poor compliment to the dis positions and character of the American people. . They were too much attached to Republican government and to their li berties to be exposed to the danger of lo sing eithe- the one or the other by their intercouffe with any foreign nation what- ever. After some further remarks Mr. Smith concluded with faying, much apology is due to the committee for having so great ly ab'jfed their patience ; but when I con sider that the proposed measures, unlike common legislative a&s which can be re pealed at pkafure, when found injurious, mul be deemed the corner done of a new commercial Conjlitutwn which being once laid vee must at all hazards build upon or be disgraced, 1 am prompted by the ftiongeft ii)jui:tlioi!S of duty to fuggell every consi deration which may induce the committee to ponder seriously before they adopt them. My opposition is stimulated by a further consideration : Refpefling a dif trid which includes an important commer cial city and a territory producing a 11a ple valuable and bulky, many of whose proprietors have not yet emerged from the. debts incurred by a ravaging war, and whose welfare depends on a ready vent for their productions as well as a cheap supply of the indifpenlible articles of foreign ma nufacture, I feel a weighty refponlibilfty I on my mind on this occasion and a peculi ar solicitude to protect them againfl th,ofe tmbarraficnents and diftrefies which appear to my judgment in ft parable from the pro portions, and which will operate againfl; my conftitueuts like a two-edged l'word, by obftru&ing the export of their produce a nd rendering more UMattainable their ne cessary fuppties. In Committee of the whole on Mr. Gay tea's Refolulians. (continved.) Friday, Marc i 27. Mr. Dayton firll rose in support of his proportions. When he brought them forward he did not accompany them with many observations, because he was then laboring under iudifpofition. The fame cause Would render him very concise now. The injuries and insults we have iufter ed from Great Britain, he conceived, need not be dwelt upon—they are well known and it is universally acknowledged, that we ought to adopt such measures as would icreen us from a repetition t>f them and secure to us reparation. The resolu tions he had brought forward he intended as part of that fyflem of defence and pre servation, other portions of which had already received the fan&ion of the house. These resolutions, he conceivcd, would not be the least efficient part of that fyi tem. * ' He believed that when the conduct of Great Britain is reviewed, it would be found, that it is treating their subjects with great lenity to speak of sequestra tion only, we (hould be warranted in coa fifcating, for they have fubjecied our pro perty to condemnation, without an ap pearance of an intention to indemnify. As to restitution of the property of which we have been plundered on the high seas it is impoflible. It is condemned, fold and scattered, and so hope can be entertained that they intend to indemnify our fullering citizens. If it had been their intention to indemnify, their court, in explanation of the inltrudtions of the 6th of November, would not have given orders to condemn vessels detained in fuf pence in the Weft Indies until the eluci dation was received. ■Since then restitution is impofiible, and not a shadow of hope exists that indem nification will be granted, we have only to determine whether we shall give up the property of which we have been plun dered or claim it with cfifedl; claim it and enforce the claim,byfhewing that we have the means of retaliation within our pow er.— After the proceedings of the British towards us, he believed we should have been warranted in confifcating the proper ty now proposed to be fequeltcred, with out negoeiation. This would have been meting to them as they meted to us. If sequestration is hostility, (as he had heard it called) what, he asked, is con demnation ? Besides they have imprefled American citizens into their service. We have reason to believe, he concluded by remarking from the negoeiation of our Minister with Lord Grenvilie, from pri vate information on the table of Congress and from the conduS of some of their officers, high in command, that to make war on us, is part of their system. Mr. Smith (Maryland) said he always had wished for peace, as the firft deside ratum. With this view, agreeable to the wife recommendation of the President he agreed to those measures calculated to put the country in a posture of defence. This was the best mode of securing peace. With the fame view he proposed an em bargo to be laid, which would have drawn to our ports the remainder of our mari time pofieflions, and have left them-no longer within the grafph of a nation, whose only rule of right is the measure of her power. He still wished, as long as a shadow of hope exists, to secure the bleflings of peace. With the resolutions now offered, he was of opinion that we might yet have peace; but without them we shall certainly have war. They will arrest 20 millions of dollars in our hand 6, as a fund to reimburse the 3 or 4 millions which, we have been ftript of by that piratical nation Great Britain, according to the induc tion of that king of sea-robbers, the Le viathan which aims at swallowing all that floats on the acean, that mortfter whose only law is power, and who neither re fpe&s the rights of nations nor the pro perty of individuals. This chara&er the nation he had men tioned, had long proofs migljt be cited in support of the afl'ertion —he would ouly refer to their cttndudt at St. liullatia,when they robbed their allies theJDntch, & their generals & admirals turned vendue-mafters and conduced the plundering, to colled rewards for their exploits. Is it from such a nation, he artted, that we are to hope for justice ? They know not what justice is. It isfaid, that they fliewed their love of justice, when they fp liberally compeqfated the tories after their war with us. Tho' they despise traitors, yet felf-intereft will lead them to reward the treachery, to encourage a principle which may again be ufeful to them; felf-intereft, then and not justice actuated them on that as oil every other occasion. Let us pass the resolutions, then fend an envoy to Great Britain and we shall have peace. We shall then be able to speak to them of their interest. But if war ihould be the inevitable ifiue, Ame ricans, lie was lure, would meet it like men, rather than submit to ihfult and fuf fer the honor of the country to be prof tratcd. If we were able while in infancy as a nation to afiert our rights, will it be said, that now we have arrived at a ftafc of manhood, we shall fear them ?- No ! —Our young men burn for an opportunity to defend the Liberty, Rights and Pro perty of their Country ! They, will step as one, and meet the etent, like men. He read a quotation from Vatel to (hew that a nation has a right to pay her citi zehs for losses inflicted by another nation contraiy to right, by confiscating the pro perty belonging to the citizens of that na tion. The tie of intereit, he concluded by remarking, is the ltrongeft tie we have upon Great Britain. Let us pass the re futation, and that nation will never again give us cause to pass a similar one. The people out of dogrs will fay that we have done tight. The nations of Europe will rejoice to fee this power which is commit ting depredations on all nations humbled. The refutations, he observed, do not re gard the property in the funds, to touch this is not one of the means of retaliation warranted by the law of nations, public contracts (hould be fat red. Mr. Boudinot said he had not intended to take part in the debate at this early stage of it; but what had fallen from the member lalt up convinced him that the house should not go into a consideration of the fubjeft at this time. It should be cou ftdered with coolness and all paflions put out of the question. No doubt wc have a right to make re prisals, as the kgiflature has a right to declare war, but he doubted whether the United States in their present situation would find it their intrreft to go into such measures. The authority read from Va tel bytKemember last up,he obferved,madc against that member's opinion. Vatel ex pressly fays, that reprisals (hould not be made on property entrusted to public faith. The debts of British subjects here are in that predicament. He had heard that gentleman not long since with plcafure, expatiate with warmth on the advantages of credit, especially to this country, should that sredit be destroyed, he a died, by de flroying the aonfideuce of foreigners in our faith ? But even if this retaliation is lawful will it be the interell of the citizens, or rather the government to take such a Hep at the prcfcnt time ? We have no doubt been cruelly treated ; but have we made proper application for redrefs,and received an answer ? We (hould fir ft fend a special envoy and infill on an immediate anlwer, this would be the mode of securing peace, at least it offers the bell chance of securing it. The aggreflions on our commerce made by Great Britain, are no doubt enough to rouse any American's feelings, but the le gislature ought not to be swayed by passi ons, they should discuss the fubjeft calm ly and deliberately. He hoped the com mittee would rife, and allow time, at leall to take the necessary measures of defence; for could the legislature juftify to their constituents this Itep of retaliation, should immediate hoftilitiea, warlike hoftilitics, be the consequence? To juiiify a mtafurc of this kind, time should be given for the defenfive system adopted, tu be carried into operation. Mr. Mercer next spoke. He owned the measures proposed, appeared to him great and momentous, and had he any powers of declamation, he (hould think it improper to give loose to thorn on a tjciefti ou ot this kmS. We' should weigh well our interest, examine carefully the situa tion in which ire fond, end determine calmly where we fhali place our next step. The proposition is to a inrft, not confifcate the debts doe to- Bntifh fuhjefts. From his recollection of the portions tftabliftied by the best jurifprudenlial writers, no dout remained in his mind that we have a cliar right to secure to ourselves reparation in that way ; and in oar predicament, con filiation, even, would be warranted, and by a point as iirmly eilabliftcd as any principle which lias the general prafi ice of nations for a baits. . One of the lateil, Binkerfhoek, is of opinion that debts arc property as well as any thing else, and fees no reason why they should not as well as other kinds of property be seized to fu ture indemnity for iniurfes. This is the opinion of Wotfius, of Vattel, Grotius and of his commentator. Me couid go on, he said, Vvith a long lift of autliorit ies, and refer to actual treaties to shew that it has been the pfa&ice. of nations. Having ef tabhfhed the right, he proceeded to con sider the expediency of ths proportions. Gentlemen, he hoped, did not v.i(h that we should lrjake a solemn declaration of wat before we a iorve. Mr. Smith said, if ever there was a time when the criiis of affaire required