8 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER SESSION, 1808.

A petition from the grand jurors of Frederick county, praying that a new gad may be erected in said county,
was preferred, read, and referred to Mr. Baer, Mr. J. Thomas and Mr. Sappington, to consider and report
thereon.

The following resolution was read.

WHEREAS by a vote of the last general assembly of Maryland, purporting to express " the public will
through the medium of the legislature, " a resolution was adopted, declaring that " the late act of congress im-
posing an embargo, was, in the opinion of the-said general assembly, a measure strongly characteristic of the
judgment and wisdom of our national councils, and well calculated to inspire confidence in the individuals of the
nation they represent: " Aud whereas " the public will" has been recently expressed by the public voice itself
in the elections throughout the state for the popular branch of this legislature, so as to leave no doubt what are
the real sentiments or the people of Maryland upon a subject deeply and solemnly interesting to the whole Ame-
rican union: And whereas to correct and counteract the impressions which may have resulted from the proceed-
ing of the last session, touching a matter so immediately and extensively momentous, it has thus become an indis-
pensable duty, which their constituents have a right to expect from the present general assembly, to set forth
an authentic and serious assertion of their feelings, that the same may be distinctly understood and duly ap-
preciated; therefore RESOLVED, That it is the conscientious belief and unbiassed conviction of this general
assembly, representing the interests of the independent freemen of Maryland, that the aforesaid act, passed at
the last Session of congress, imposing an embargo, and the several acts supplementary thereto, being unbound-
ed and unlimitted in duration, and being yet continued in force with a permanent, aspect, constitute a portentous
system of unnecessary, impolitic, and unprecedented restraint upon the foreign trade, and domestic intercourse
of these United States; that by this system the very existence of commercial enterprise is, for an indefinite
period, proscribed and spirited away, the freedom of navigation in our own vessels along our own coasts, is
vexed and disturbed, and the right of traffic between one state and another, and in some instances even be-
tween different parts of the same state, is hampered and controlled; that the privilege of a special license, al-
lowed in one of the supplements to the embargo law, without alleviating its general pressure, must be peculiar-
ly liable to abuse as the instrument of an odious monopoly, and is therefore highly repugnant to the character
and genius of "our republican institutions; " that the whole system, examined in its multiform provisions, is
rigorous to an extent not even warranted by the reasons assigned for its recommendation; that the lapse of near-
ly a twelvemonth has proved, that it is inadequate and ineffectual towards attaining any of the avowed and os-
tensible objects for its continuance, and excites a fear, lest it should be considered abroad as a virtual abandon-
ment of our rights and our honour, and a confession of feebleness and impotency, reproachful and derogatory
to the American name; that a woful experience at home has evinced, in a manner too palpable to be concealed,
its pernicious tendency in promoting jealousies and discontent, distrust, suspicion and alarm, and in inducing a
new and improper disposition among a portion of our citizens, by the temptations which it has created to evade
and violate the sovereignty of the laws; that, while it thus tends to pervert the spirit and impair the energies
of the nation, it must inevitably operate so as to weaken the sinews, it it should not embarrass the affairs, of
government, by a prodigal sacrifice of revenue, derived almost exclusively from imposts, which must lead to a
direct waste of the public resources, or terminate in a heavy increase of the public burthens; that the effects
of this grievance, if not equally oppressive to all, have yet been everywhere notorious and deplorable to the
agricultural and general interests of the state, and may be daily seen in the docks and harbours of our seaports,
where the American flag droops in captivity and decay over an immense mass of shipping, deserted by an inva-
luable body of seamen, whom this unrelenting policy has driven from their element to earn a precarious liveli-
hood on shore, or else has exiled into foreign employ in quest of sustenance and support; that it has injured
the faith of individual credit, frustrated the hopes of labour, disappointed business of its profits, depressed the
pulse of industry, and continues to inflict loss and deprivation throughout the great body of community; and
that there is sad reason to apprehend that this evil, already so productive of mischief, unless it is timely arrest-
ed, and removed, may eventuate in consequences the most awful, calamitous and irretrievable. Wherefore

RESOLVED, That the senators and representatives from this state in the congress of the United States be and
they are hereby earnestly requested, to exert themselves with all convenient diligence in endeavours to procure
a speedy relief from the operation of the aforesaid act, passed at the last session of congress, imposing an em-
forgo, and the several acts supplementary thereto.

The clerk of the senate delivers the following message:

By the SENATE, November 10, 1808.
Gentlemen of the House of Delegates

WE have appointed Mr. Williams, Mr. Partridge, Mr. Lowrey, Mr. Covington and Mr. Purnell, on the part
of the senate, to join such gentlemen as you may nominate, to form a committee of both houses to examine and
compare all bills from time to time, during the present session, as soon as they shall be severally engrossed.

By order, T. ROGERS, clk.

Which was read,

The house adjourns until to-morrow morning 9 o'clock.