To James Madison from Alexander J. Dallas, 1 April 1816
From Alexander J. Dallas
1 April 1816.
The Secretary of the Treasury respectfully submits to the President, the answer which he proposes to give to the Committee of Foreign relations, on the reference of the Petitions respecting the West-India trade, and the Plaister trade.1 He thinks, that it would be premature to commence a commercial warfare; but, at all events, the facts, respecting the British regulations, are not sufficiently ascertained, to be the foundation of any legislative act.
RC (CSmH). Enclosure not found, but see n. 1.
1. On 4 Feb. 1816 Cyrus King of Massachusetts offered a resolution that the House committee on foreign relations be instructed “to inquire into the expediency of excluding from the ports of the United States all foreign vessels, owned in, coming from, bound to, or touching at, any of His Britannic Majesty’s possessions in the West Indies, and in the continent of North America, from which the vessels of the United States are excluded; and of prohibiting, or increasing the duties on, the importation in foreign vessels, of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture, of such possessions.” The House debated the matter and adopted the resolution on 7 Feb. 1816. On 16 Apr. 1816 the committee issued a report, which was ordered to lie on the table, and the following day was discharged from further consideration of the resolution ( 14th Cong., 1st sess., 876–97, 917–22, 1376, 1379).