Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 4
1832-02-21
A little snow. Morning at the Office where I finished reading Mr. Gallatin’s Memorial and also Mr. McDuffie’s Report from the Committee of Ways and Means upon the same subject.1 The latter is a ranting thing altogether unworthy of a public body such as our Con-245gress. I reflected more upon the other, and concluded at least to make an experiment of commenting upon it. Went to the Athenaeum to get a Book upon the subject of the Trade with Great Britain and from thence went home. In the Afternoon I wrote as much as I thought would make one Paper upon the general view of the subject but postponed going into a particular examination until I had thought and read more upon it. Quiet Evening at home. Read some of Lord Sheffield’s famous Pamphlet which laid down the doctrine how we should be treated after we had succeeded in being independent.2
George McDuffie of South Carolina, chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means in the House, had submitted the Committee’s report, drawn up by him, on 8 Feb.; the report was flatly opposed to protectionism (Daily National Intelligencer, 9 Feb., p. 3, col. 4).
Observations on the Commerce of the American States, London, 1783, a pamphlet by John Baker Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield, in opposition to the bill introduced by Pitt proposing to relax the navigation laws in favor of the United States.