Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 173 
by Congress, with a view to that state of things, vesting in 
the President a discretion to regulate the trade, or to rescind 
the American laws, would not prove prejudicial.^® 
When the adjournment of Congress approached in May, 
1830, and as yet no reply from the British Government had 
been forwarded to Washington by McLane, Jackson de- 
termined to pursue the course recommended by the former. 
He therefore submitted to both Houses of Congress the follow- 
ing message : 
I think it my duty to inform you that I am daily expecting the 
definite answer of the British Government to a proposition which has 
been submitted to it by this, upon the subject of the colonial trade. 
This communication has been delayed by a confident belief that the 
answer referred to would have been received early enough to have ad- 
mitted of its submission to you in sufficient season for the final action 
of Congress at its present session, and is now induced by an appre- 
hension that although the packet by which it was intended to be sent 
is hourly expected, its arrival may, nevertheless, be delayed until after 
your adjournment. 
Should this branch of the negotiation committed to our minister be 
successful, the present interdict would, nevertheless, be necessarily con- 
tinued until the next session of Congress, as the President has in no 
event authority to remove it. 
Although no decision had been made at the date of our last advices 
from Mr. McLane, yet from the general character of the interviews 
between him and those of His Majesty’s ministers whose particular duty 
it was to confer with him on the subject there is sufficient reason to 
expect a favorable result to justify me in submitting to you the pro- 
priety of providing for a decision in the recess. 
This may be done by authorizing the President, in case an arrange- 
ment can be effected upon such terms as Congress would approve to 
carry the same into effect on our part by proclamation, or, if it should 
be thought advisable, to execute the views of Congress by like means in 
the event of an unfavorable decision. ^ 
Any information in the possession of the Executive which you may 
deem necessary to guide your deliberations, and which it may, under 
existing circumstances, be proper to communicate, shall be promptly 
laid before you, if required.^^ 
This message was referred to the Committee on Commerce 
in the House, of which Cambreleng — of Wilmington fame — 
was chairman. The following day he reported a bill to meet 
the situation, and at the same time submitted a resolution re- 
questing the President to communicate such information in 
relation to the negotiations with Great Britain concerning the 
38, 39. 
Richardson, Messages and Papers, II, 480, 481. 
