Madison, James (1751-1836) To the Senate & House of Reps of the U. S.
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05279 Author/Creator: Madison, James (1751-1836) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph manuscript Date: 21 December 1816 - 3 February 1817 Pagination: 2 p. ; 23.5 x 20 cm. Order a Copy
Fragments of two messages to the House of Representatives of the United States. The first concerns an "act to authorize payment for property lost, captured, or destroyed by the enemy while in the military service of the U. S. & for other purposes ... " Date of 21 December 1816, written in pencil in an unknown hand at a later time. Second page is a message to the Senate and the House of Representatives about his decision to sign the Tariff Act of 1816 which protected American industries from British competition.
Signer of the U.S. Constitution.
The Commercial Convention of 1815 ended discriminating duties between the United States and Great Britain and permitted American trade with the East Indies.
To the Senate & H. of Reps. of the U.S.
The Government of G.B. induced by the posture of the relations with the U.S. which succeeded the conclusion of the [inserted: recent] Commercial Convention, issued an order in Council on the 17th of Augst. -- 1815. discontinuing the discriminating duties, payable in British ports, on commercial vessels and their cargoes. It was not untill the 22d of December following that a corresponding discontinuance of discriminating duties on British vessels and their cargoes, in our ports, took effect, under the authority vested in the Executive by the Act of March 1816. During the period between those two dates there was consequently a failure of receprocity or equality in the existing regulations of the two Countries, which it becomes the honor & equity of the U.S. to redress. I recommend accordingly to the Consideration of Congress, the expediency of either refunding [inserted and then struck: to British subjects] the discriminatory duties levied on British subjects during the period in question, or paying [illegible strikeout] to the Br. Govt. the amount of the duties remitted to Citizens of the U.S.
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