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w
W]
I
AND J
]
LETTER
TO
W. Manmng, Esq. 31. P.
ON THE
CAUSES
■•I
or THK ilArriJ A.ND PROGRCSSIVi'
DEPRECIATION
OF
WEST INDIA PROPERTY.
SECOND EDITION.
LONDON:
Printed by S. S^ C. Mc Dmvall, <;5, Leadeuhall Street,
AND SOLD BY RlCHARDSONs; ROYAL EXCHANGE;
lUTTKRWORTH, FLEET STREET; AND
STOCKDALE, PICCADTLLY.
Pvh'o One ShiHina
fi
L E T T E E,
^■c. S'X.
MY DEAR STi;,
J.iuuniy 10, 1807
xVt thfcK)scofmv n>n)i,«r "T..Jt<v
** on the Proposition submitted to (.iu\«M"m;u'iit loi-
*' taking- tlie Duty on ivluscovadoSuguraf/ /'u/or<7«,"
I expressed a decided opinion of the perilous ^tiite
of the British West India colonies. If, in eoa-c-
quenoe of that opinion, 1 were des^ired to suoi;est u
remedy, combining the interest of the ^^ est [iidia
planter with the most elii^nble mode of tlrawiiig' u
revenue from the colonics, tsliould d<H'm it neeissary
to ask, as a preliminary r,uestion, whctlier, in s)u,^L;(st-
ing such measures, 1 am to consider the colonies as
constituting- a part of the Briti -h empire, or as
forei"-n States in alliance v.ith (.ireat Britani r — .
whether the planters are entitled to the privilege*
and benrfits of British bu})jrots, or arf tu Ixj «"ii-
sulered as aliens trading to the British puit: ?
Thrse questions udnnt of some difliciiUy in th»»
?.nhition, -.vith reference to exih.ting cirf-nnistinices ;
and the answer would probably le^olv(? itself inlu
f ),i,s — That the West li dia islands are colonus. Should
I then, to cunie nearer the point, ask the Finanee
Alinisteronwhat principles colonists uretobe taxed —
nhcther as s^TOwers of produce on British soil, or as
juiporteiii of nicrchandise from abroad; he uould
doubtless answer — botlu I am sure, at least, tliat if
he formed his o[)inion, as he probably would do, on
the practice which he finds to have obtained, he
covdd 2;i\ e no other answer. Yet the principles and
policy of revenue by taxation on these two species of
traffic, dili'er both in theory and practice; and their
confusion and misapplication in ^^'est Indian concerns
produce most part of the grievance of which the colo-
nists now justly complain. It is necessary, to a ri;^ht
understandint,^ of the subject, to ascertain what these
principles are, and how they have been acted upon.
It were lost time to enrpiire whether the words
trade and commerce be more or less just, than
those uf trade and traffic, which Johnson tells us
*' were formerly used to distiniiuish domestic from
*' foreii;!! commerce ;" w hichever words we adopt,
the distinction, in general aeceptation, is probably no
other than that commodities, tlie object of com-
merce, have crossed the sea, which the others have
not. — Crossing- the sen, is Jv)ubtle.ss evidence, in a
geographical sense, of foreigu origin; but the di*-
I)(J Cftll-
1
V in tlur
>t;inces ;
M'lr iiili)
. yiiouUl
FiiiHiK.e
taxt'd —
?il, or as
e u(»ulcl
t, tliat if
d do, on
inrd, In;
iples and
ipecit's of
and thuir
concerns
the colo-
a ri;j,Ut
lial tlieae
1 upon.
;he words
ist, tlian
: tells us
stic from
,e adopt,
jbably no
of com-
bers liavc
nee. In a
t the di»-
tinction which 1 assume to exist in the principles of
revenue by taxation, as a[»plicable to trade and to
conuneree, is founded on diti'urent data, liy trade,
or donu'fstic trade, I mean the lir>t conversion into
money of the grower's produce. Ijy commerce, the
pur<diase and resale with a view to profit, either in
the same or another market, of that produce, whither
in the sam(> or a nniiud'actured state. Theomr is an
aetofneeessity, the other an act of choice. Wlujther
the words trade and commerce are justly iised in
tliis sense, or not, is unimportant, soyou receive them
when they occur in the foUowini,^ paj^es, as the si^•ns
of this meaninLr. Trade, under this deHniLion, ha^
been always considen-d as an unlit su!)ject of dire<r
taxation. Commerce, on the contrary, has been
justly taken as a prolific source of reveime to the
State. I shall lirst sliew w'ly commeree is ; which
wdl the more readily lead to the conclusion, why trade
io not, a proper object of such taxation.
Just principles of taxation lead to a repartition,
amongst the subjects of any Government, of the
amount of taxes ne(;essary to its support and defence,
in proportion to their respective means. When a tax
is imposed on consumalde commodities, this object
is distinctly in view ; but the facility of collection
leads to the imposition of the tax on the <'oin-
mudities, in Irans'ilu, at the Custom-! I(,ase, or in
any situation whilst in (he luinds of the wholesale
dealer., before they are divided into poriimis fur in-
dividual use. But the dealer is not the person in-
tended to be taxed; lor thoui;h Dr. Adam Suuih
B J
intomis lis, tliat '^ dntirs orniPtonis ucrr, in tlif
" early purt <.f <Mir hi>t(M-v, coiisidrnMl as a t;i\- on lh<^
.. MHMvhiUirs i.rolits;" vrt, ar, flu- xviiuts of tl.c
Stiiti' inn-eased, these duties Ix-eune, of roui'se,
on.;,ter than he eoe.ld aHord to imy, nidess he in-
c-.vased his j.rof.ts; or, in other ^vov<ls, umUss he
ehapj;ed the tax to th.e consumer, hv an increase on
t!i(! price of liis <nninu»dity.
This i.atur.dre.snltofpast taxation ])eeanv' in time
Itu- princlph'-d'tlie taxation uhieh followed : and it
has for many years been an adndtted axiom in ;.oh-
ti( id (M-onomy, that taxes on commodities are paid
l>V the (•onsun\er.
And this prineiph' is jnst in all ea^s -.vheve Hip
,-.;irtvinuhose!-:ands the ooodsare taxed, can reoulute
taesu])ply a<-cordin-to the tlemautl, and in no other.
In the ease of foV(!i^n eommoditi"simported, the
i,np.r.-tatloa, l.elnu' strictly optional, and made u 1th
aviru topiolU, will not contimieif the7?ccm«?7/ and
nnaroida'ole expenees are not reind^ursed. The tax
musttherelorehepaid either hy thcforel-ner, in the
,',imlnut:onorhisprice,or by the eon>^umer, by anad-
MUice on it. ltcan,i)i no case, he paid by tlvo im-
porter. Taxation on this principle would be llmired
%vlthin th.e bounds of the Importer's profit ; whereason
the ])rlnclple of rehnhursement by the consumer,
It knows no ])oun<ls, exceptthe di.usc oftheeomnu)-
Uity, from exctssive ]>rlee. The tax on port wine
is Jh-eady double the valne of the wine before entry ;
but if a further tax were in contemplation, the only
question vvoidd 1)6, will it lessen the eonbuinption of
, ii) tli*»
IS oil l!if
, of tlio
COUi'SO,
'ss \\v in-
jrilfSS lie
crease on
\\i> in timo
(1 : ill 1(1 it
11 in ;)(»li-
ai'»; 1)111(1
\v]i(M-e llip
11 veiiiilute
>n no oilier.
lortt'd, tlie
iiiiuie with
rss<(ri/ and
. The tax
ner, intlie
, l)y an ad-
)y tlie iin-
l be limiteil
whereas on
(•(jusunier,
:he eoainit)-
1 port wiiHi
A'orc entry ;
1, the only
siuiaption of
port wine ?— The ui-rchaiit ha- the pc.v.er uf h'mtiiii:
the Mi|)|.ly tothc «h iiiautl, ai'd his inter' 4 is only al-
t'ected hy the stock <..i hand. I'ui reeolh'et, it i>
onl> h«canse he has tliis |.ov,(r, that the tax I'alU
upon the consnnier. (hi tliis i>rinci[>h', taxe> are
hvied hy excise, or otherwise, on vari();i> inanntac-
tiires, nn liarh'y wlien malted, on hresveries, vi\ (h-id-
hries, (ui caiidhs, (.iisah, on ^oap, c^c., in allwhuh
cases, the tax is r; >)aid by the consumer, l;;'canse
the nr.uuifactnrer hniits tiie supply to the (h-niaad,
or abandons his calling-, ifcvthers \vo;k cheaper llian
liimseli'. All such en'j:ao-einents 1 call coninierce,
under the deiinilioii of purdiase with a \\c\\ t(» pro-
fit by resah'; and coinin''rce, therefore, 1 coiisi<h'r a-i
a jn>t means iif revenue l)y taxatit)n.
Tradi-, I iiave deiuK'd to be the lirst convcr.ion
into n.'oney of the grower's produce. This does not
furnish just means of taxation ; because the -rower
has not, I'r'.icrally speakiu;^', the power of liinitin;.- the
supply tu the demand, at least not with Mdhcant ex-
petlition, U} avoid tin; looses whicli an over^tocke<l
market would throw uiion him. T'ne produce oi" the
soil is so indeHnite and variable, that it is impossible
to ensure to the grower tlie c-ommand of the inarket,
without risking a short supply. If a tax of ^JOs. per
quarter was laid on wheat, to be paid at the time
of sale. It is evident that in u sliort crop, the firmer
would be repaid, but it is ecpially clear that in
ji larye crop, the tax would fallui>on himseli", as the
price would then be, as it now is, regulat"d Ijy the
4-ousamcr. The buyer calculate* not the seiler's*
6
foft ; tlitMj' rrsj)f('tivc iircfssitirs j;j(ivf'rii tlir imivo;
and if the luniif r lui:^ not, ;l^ lie «)l)\i(M»sly lia.-^ not,
the po\v«'r of rc^'uhiliii^ flie supply, liis lanieutiition!*
on the raff of <liily ^riuld ojxrate no more on the
feeling's of the niiUer, the l>rewer, and the distill(.'r,
than the sufferings of the eonsumer do now on the
nerves of tlie farmer. The prin(!iph' of taxation on
commeree, as before ex))hiined, has heen sufficiently
recojrnised by the imposition of taxes amounting to
CO millions per annum, tlnnu;.'h the medium of cus-
toms and excise, on the merchant or nuinufa<turer,w ith
the professed object of reimbur.senn.nt l)y the e(tn-
sumer. A different principle respectin<; trach^, is l)oth
negatively and positively recoj^nised by tin- reveime
laws of Great Britain. There is no instance of dirwt
taxation on any of the ;j;reat articles of inland produce,
on wlieat, or barley, or rye, or oats, or hay, or potatoes.
It will not be su|)posed that the exemption of
these articles from taxation, arises from their being'
articles of iirst necessity : they are no more so,
many of them not so much so, as salt, candles, or soap
— barley in the raw state, certainly not more so than
barley malted, on which the duty is eijual to the
averaue value : and their beinii' articles of Hrst neces-
♦'ity, would render them the fittest objects of taxation.
— Rut raw produce is not taxed, because it is impos-
sible to irive the "rower that command of the market
which is necessary to ensure his reind)ursement,
without risking a scarcity of the articles of Iirst ne-
cessity. Cyder might be considered as an excep-
tion, in which the principle is abandoned ; but cyder.
|iiii'C ;
ii.-> not,
itatiuiis
oil the
istilh.T,
oil fllf
tion on
icii.'iitly
itiii^- to
of (us-
er, with
ic (Min-
is hcith
■eve tine
f (lirwt
i'o<l
llCf
oliitoes,
)ti(jii of
r being
ore so,
, or soaji
so thiin
to tlie
t iieccs-
ixutioii.
inipos-
nijirki't
Jeineiit,
tirst iK--
ext'tp-
; cyder.
Iikn malt, is u iiiaimfaLtun' : and thouu-li the <rrfatft
or less product' ot appUs aiiil harhy camiot be regu-
lated from v«ar to year, tusiiil tlicdrmund for cvder
or beer, the sii|iply of eyder and malt will, and
does, reuulate itself to the demand, aiul the tax \i
aetually paid by the consumer. Thoub^h the L;rowth
of apples and barley be trade therefore, the manu-
f.ieture f»f evdor and malt is, oa my principle, eom-
nieree. The duty on hops seems really to i'orm an
exception ; and if my principle be correct, the duty
must, in a plentiful crop, and 1 suppose does, fall
on the thrower.
The distinction I have assumed, is sufticientlv
reeotjnis((l bv the revenue laws, when we thus
tuid th(! whole raw produce of the soil of Great ibi-
tain ex<Jin[>t from direct taxation : but this is ue;4U-
tiVf rt'e(>L;-nition. The principle is positively admit-
ted in the duty payable to the excise on sales by aie.-
tioii. My house, my furniture, my horses and
carriajji'es, my ships, and their tackle — that v, liieh 1
have bouL^ht, and sell attain, pays a duty of Is. in the
pound ; but the grower ])ays no such tax : the pro-
duce of liisfarin is exempt, doubtless on the principle
that, as the sale duty is not an iniariahk and nrccssart/
(har^t', it would fall on the grower, and not on the
consumer. — Foreii^n produce pays the tax, but the
produce of the liritish colonies is exempt for twelve
months, \l' in the hands of the importer.
On what principle, then, is trade, and the pro-
duce of Great Britain, made to contribute to the exi-
gencies of the State ? — On the principle of ])rolit.
The direct taxes oa laud are few ; but v.liercthey
occur, tliov are, like llie poor's rates and parocliii+i
assessments, levied in {)ro'()ortion to the rent — that is,
on the annual value of the thing rated. (The land-
tax i:-, I know, an anomaly ; and,, from the pi^culiaritY
ol'its origin, to which 1 adverted in my former letter,
cannot be comprehended in any gener;il reasoning.)
Iliis [)rinciple of rating and taxing income in Great
Britaitj, has led to the adoption of persona! taxes —
those called Assessed Taxes, and the Tax on Income,
Prolits &c., which all have for their hat is, the real or
su})posed ability of the party to bear them. \\ hether
his ( xp(niccs, or his Income, be taken as the standard,
the [)rincif)!e is the same, the one being considered
us e\ idence of the other ; but no instance occurs to
me, in which the English landholder is taxed oji his
gio.-s, without reference to his net profits, except in
the cas;' of tithes, which do not derive their orifrin
from anv tlnorv of nolitical economy.
Inhere arc tht reforetwo distinct principles of tax-
ation : one, where the party charged, is to be reini-
buised ; and the other, where it is intended he should
be the contril)utor. In the former case, the amount
of the tax is comparatively indili'erent to the party
paying ; in the latter, liis happiness and existence de-
pend on the <'(|uity of the assessment.
These; jjreiiminary observations on general prin-
(Mples have appeared to me essential to the right
understanding of the subject before us. The tlis-
tinction I assume between trade and commerce, as
objects of taxation, is now obvious (whatever be the
propriety of the teruis) ; and the question therefore
recurs, under which of these is the intercouioe
9
rocliii*!
that in.
I- Ifiiid-
uliuritY
f letter,
oiling.)
) Great
taxes —
ncome,
2 real or
111 ether
andard,
isidtred
ccnrs to
rl on bis
xcept in
ir origin
's of tax-
)o reim-
e shoultl
union at
le party
ence dc-
'ral priri-
ke right
The dis-
lerce, as
;r be the
therefore
between Groat Britain and her rolonies to lie classed ?
This inter<>our>i', or tnitisi', consists of two «listimt
parts— tlie ini[>()rtation of West India produce, and
the exportation of liritish merchandize.
The importation of West India pr..duce is first
to be considered ; and two points suggest themselvc*
for consideration : —
The principle adopted in ta\i\ig the produce ;
And til" justice of the application of the prin-
ciple to the case.
The til-eat and leading feature of West India taxa-
tion, is the duty collected at the Custom House of 2/^.
ptr Cwt. on sugar, being, coiuniunihus annis, twice
tlie net value of the sugar to the grower. That this
tax is imposed on the principle of commi'rce, and to
be repaid by the consumer, is suHicientiy obvious from
it^ amount; the re|)eated declarations of Ministers
on every increase of duty, may be considered as more
satisfactory evidence. But all doubt is o>)viate((,
vvlien it is recollected that the duty of 27s. attaches
only to sugar used at home ; when the commodity is
sent abroad, no duty is retained. If the duty was
int.nded to fall on the seller, it would equally be
<lemanded, whether his sugar be consumed by an
Knglishnvan or a foreigner ? Not being intended to
fall on the seller, it must therefore be intended to fall
on the buyer (or consumer), the only two partiei.
concerned in the transaction. Let it be admitted,
then, that the importation of sugar is taken as com-
merce,", and the duty of JTs. ptn* Cwt. levied on the
principle, that " taxes ou commodities are paid by
tercoUi.\5e
10
i
the consume r ;" and we will proceed to consider tde
jn9ti<;c of the Mpplication of the principle Lo the cabc.
The axiom, " that taxes 0!i commodities are paid by
the consumer," 1 have admitted to be true in all
cases rehire the parti/ in whose hands the goods are
taxed, can regu/ate the supply according to the demand*
If the West India planter has the means of doinj^
this, he has no just ground of complaint. If he has
not this power, the principle is adopted m a case to
which it does not a[)ply.
We have seen that in foreign commerce, under-
tiiken with u view to ])rofit, the equilibrium between
demand and supply regulates itself. The market
price of the commodity is established on the cost and
expences which the 'nn\io\iex?, neccssaril if and equalhj
incur ; to which is added a reasonable compensation
for time, labour, and interest of money. If, from any
cause, improvident s]>eculation, or unforeseen occur-
rences, the price falls below ihis standard, importa-
tion ceases, until the demand becoming greater than
the supply, the importer makes his own terms, and
renews his enterprises. And the same reasoning will
be found to apply, with some modifications, to the
produce of land at home; if the price of grain be
inade(|Uiite, for any length of time, to the expences
of cultivation, more land will be laid down in grass,
and vice versa, A variety of changes offers in the cul-
tivation of land in England ; and if an extreme case
be supposed, the most unproductive farms would
successively be thrown up, until the supply being
brought down to the demand, more adequate prices
u
hf'canic current : other considerations, however, "vvouUl
her«' intervene — the priee of hibour woulc! fall, if [)ro-
visions beeanie cheap. But it is iieecllcr-s to pursue
this s ;ltj'<'t, beciiusc, as the first produce of the
l>iili'h soil IS exempt from taxation, no responsi-
bility attaches upon Governm nt in respect of the
market, a ..! the c ses are not analogous. It is ob-
vious that the reasoning applicable to the preceding
cases, does u,)t apj ly to the sugar colonies, because
no means exist of proportioning ihe s pph/ to the de-
mand. — This can onl 1 e done w. en the supply is
too great, either by * hanging the cultivation, lessen-
ing the produce of existing estates, or sending it to
market' >v!.ere it wovdd meet a demand.
No opportunlt is however, oftere<l of changing
the produce of the s;.il in the West Indies —
1st. Because there is no tropical produce, the
i'onsumptlon of which in England would justify the
application to its cultivati n\ of so much land as
>vould, in any sensible d( gree, tliminish the cjuan-
titv of sugar.
ad. Because the permanency of operation, and
the expence of machinery incident to the cidtivatiou
of sugar, preclade the i ei of varying the cultivation
accorclliig to the demand of the market at home.
Lastly — Because the uncertainty of \A'(ht India
crops is so great, that no calculation of one year's
produce can be founded on that of the year which
preceded it.
Again — Estates cannot in the West Indies be
partially abandoned, or left unwrought, to b«
12
reoviltivatod in hrttov times. A\'c.-.t India ('statof<,
unlikf tll():^^r in Eiiiojx.', or in T*j)L;Iaii(I iit least, ar»r
t'ultivat(Ml by i)ersons attached to thv soil, procured
at a t;reat chart>e, and who must Ix* fed, lo<lL>ed, and
rlotlicd at the expence of the property, whether ein-
]»loved, or not ; the estate must also hear its propor-
tion of island taxes on the number of its nei;roes and
acres, and keep in repair extensive works. Much
of this fX{»cnce is incurred in Europe and America,
for which there are no means of payment but the
produce ; to defray this, therefore, the estates must
be worked, and the less the produce sells for in
Europe, the t>reaterthe necessity of producing- more,
since the expences are not reii^ulated by the same
>»tandar(i • they would, in fact, be materially in-
<.'reased by a dereliction of cultivation, as the rum
(which is usually set against the expences, and is not
taken into calculation as part of the [)roduce) would
be diminished in the same jirojiortion as the sugar.
Tile last resoiuce, another nuirket, is equally un-
available. The uiother-country uiono))olizes tlie pro-
duce of the colonies; and, though herself over-
stocked, prohibits the diversion of a single hogshead
of sugar, and insists on her rights, un<ler circum-
stances of sucli hardship and o[)pres,-,ion, as in-
duce me to consider her coudnet in this respect
as a distinct and intolerable grievance. But were
th(! right more mildly exercised, the monop(tly is
inconsistent with choice and IVee-will ia the grower;
and it has been shewn that it is essential to the })ower
•>f the seller to throw the tax on the consumer, that
■I
13
file importation sl.ouUl he voluntary and uucon-
troiilcd.
It is dear, therefore, that the West Indiu
planters have nut, indivhlually or eollertively, the
means oF ,.ro.>ortion.n- the .apply to the Jeniund.
q^he taxation on their produee proceeds, however,
it ha.s been sh(;wn, on the principle of their poss(«ssini;
them. The destruction of St. Domin-o, tl-.e inter-
ruption of communleation between France and her
colonies, and the consequent hi-li price of su.^->r m
Europe durino- part of the last war, to-ether with
short crops in the Enolish colonies, contirmed the
error, or prevented its detection.
The illusion is however dispelled ; and it is m-
disputable that, in the rapid increase of duties on
West India su^ar. Government has acted on a prm-
ciple true in itself, but inapplicable to the case.
The consequences of such an error, where the tax
amounts to more than the value of the sn-ar to the
proprietor, will be readily anticipated ; but that I
may not impute to it more mischief than it has oc-
<.usioned, I shall, before 1 state the situation tu
>vhici» the planter is reduced, advert to certain con-
tradictions in the system of West India taxation,
vshich may possibly have contributed their share to
the destruction of his proi>erty. Hitherto we have
seen the importation of West India produce consi-
dered as commerce: in hi. exports, the planter u
,.,,uallv considered as a forei-n trader. If he export
lead, he pays the duty ; if German linens, he re-
ceives the drawback, though the cm^sumer at home
does neither ; which bein- an old regulation, would
14
ronlirmthc oi)inion, ifany coiilirmatioun'erc \vanfinL,'>
tliKt the principles of commerce were orij^imiUy coiisi-
<iered as apj»lic<'ible to this traffic. So tar all was con-
sistent in theory, however erroneo\is in application :
hue a few years a<'0 this coiibib^tencv was broken in
upon, and a new {)rinciple was introdiiceii.
ThouLdi Great Britain inonopohzed tlie import-
ation ol'the produce of the colonics, still, consistently
with the princi[)le of commerce, the produce when
here, was allowed to find its own level in the market.
^ he hi^h price which forsome time obtained, raised
a j>opul;ir cr\'. Snuar was deemed an article of tirst
iuc('s>'lty, and a ili;ht of pre-emption claimetl on
behalf of the [)eo[)le of Great Britain, similar to that
which has been assumed in respect of corn. To en-
iorce this ri-^ht, the princii)le of the Corn Laws was
purtiuHif u[)iilied to su'j;!ir ; the exp(»rtation was pro-
hibited when the \>v\v*' exceeded u certain standard,
und, at lower prices, it w;is checked by the imj>obi-
tion of certain duties ; and these regidations are
ftill in I'orce. When this Act passed, a death-blow
vv;is ;j;iv<'n to the commercial systeu), hitherto applied
lo tin.' produce of the colonies. A rii>ht was assumed
on the part of the Lej^^idature, to interfere with the
proiits of the pluoter ; andtliose prolits were theuce-
forwaid assumed as justly bubject to controul, and
have been subse^ueutlv taken as the basis of tax-
ation. As the several temjjorary Acts re|^ulating the
exportation of sn<;ar, expired, the application for
renewal becanie a;i anxious objt.'ct with the plantei
»i.d merchant, au-.l the determination of the mtixi-
u
niuiii of price, a coiitest with the Minl^ter — a sulTi-
"L'leiit proof that their interests wcve involved in it ;
and in tlie last year, wlien it was found expedient to
abandon the increased tax on sui^ar, on the repiesent-
ation of the planters, that iluy tcere unable to bear
the addition, the direct tax of 3s. per Cwt. was with-
drawn, and its operation made conditional on the
market price of sugar. When the average price ot
suf'ar shall be
Ms. without the duly of 27s. an additional duty of Is. lo take place.
5;3s.
i(
It is evident that the Minister could not have m
his contemplation a repayment by the consumer of a
tax levied on these principles, in any state of the
markets ; andil is elearly therefore to be considered
as a tax on the vendor. And here, tlioughinterler-
vng with my general obieet, I cannot lur])erir to
notice an erroneous assum[)tion in the prinuijile, a»
well of tlie Act, restricting t!ie exportation of sugar,
as of the Minister's concession to the plunt^M's in tije
hist year. It se<'ms to be ussumed in l>oth.instam-<;s,
that the price oi' sugar is a criterion of the profits of
the grower — that at a price lixed l)y the Acts, he is
suiTiciently paid, to justify checking hi.s market ;
und, in the second instance, that when the aventgf;
price of sugar is above /iOs. the grower can afi'ord to
pay more duty than when it is below that amount ;
but^ singular as it may appear, no endeavour was
viit'd to ascertain tlie<»e facts, and in tvuth thev ar'?
in
iiniisc(M"tiiina1»li*. Admitting' tliat, (»ii n full reoj), l!i««r
price (»!' 50s. repays the planter, it is (»l)\ ions tliiil,
on a half crop, the s;ime price; wouM be iii:i<h'(juate
to his reiinlHirsemeiit. Nay, the price may he esta-
hlished on nnnsnal and «'xcessive cNjiiMues, for
freight, or insurance, as in the case of suj)eriorit\ of
the enemy's s(fnadrons in the \\ est Indian seas. Dnt
whether this be a just criterion, or not, it will not be
«lenied that, as snch it has l)ein assumed, and that
it is virtua'ly admitted that the planter has been
taxed until the increase of Is. per Cut. on his sugar
♦•annot i)e levietl except on an excess of price.
\ et, as if confusion \vei'e to meet no end, the
slender jjittance of j>rolit which has been admittid
to b(! no longer capable of taxation, is made liable to
tlie operation of tin; I'ropert.y Tax, and subject to
a ilednclion ol' 10 per cent. !
And nou' the iorce of tin; question, which at the
beginning of this letter 1 put hy})othetically to the
Minister, may be fullv understood ; but the same
answer will not serve. Are the colonies to be taxed
on principles of trad.', or those of conimerce ? Is
the 'iTs. <lut\', a tax on the planter, oi
on th
e consu-
unr ? If on the consumer, provide for the planter t!ie
nu'ans of enforcing the repayment. If on the planter,
why is he taxed more highly than other IJritish sub-
jects? and why is 10 per cent. Income Tax le\ ied
on him, who already pays an assessment equal to his
wliole income, as his direct contribution to theState ?
— I am «!ontending here for princii»les, and 1 throw
a8i(K^ abunilunce of minor j:rievauces which their
only I
A c(i
tho
bai' (I
stord
plan!
s^ent
^ihii)j
••tun*
17
sit K'Ik tiou liiis prctdiH t'di tliut 1 may proceed to tlii?
sccdiid m;pu,.|'{i| liciul of ^ V ost Iiuiiii iHtt'i'conrse — iha
r\p()rt of British nu'rc'iJUidizL-. '^J'liis export rorms,
|>irlia|)s, tli<' most impurtaut I'catiire to t!ie uiolher
<oiH!try of lu-r comicxioii with th(M;ohiMic's.
'iho ishiiids liiiA I' ii<" inaindactures : all the ini-
plniu'iits, maehniery, and utensils; all the eloth-
10!^^; all the hardware; nmeh of the tVesli and salt
))ro\ isions ; every thiii*^ used on the estates or on the
[)ers()nsot"the inhabitants, eoTues iVom I'^n^huid ; cx-
<('pt in eases in whidi she is either luiahle or un-
^villin;^- to supply it. The ex[)0!ts fV(»ui Britain may,
tlierciore, he ju'-tly termed implements used in the
inanuraetuie of \\'est India produce ; and tlje policy
of (ireat Britain, as well as consistency of operation,
v.oidd lead her to iacilitate and en(;ourai;e this ex-
j)()rt. \'et the fact is otherwise; real au<t frivolousi
<rdiieulti(>s are thrown nt the way of a trade which
t];e ujother emintry has the greatest interest to
cncouva.L'e.
iVIaiiy art'cles o'' fir.t necc-^sity to llie estates;, can
only he sent e.nder special licenee tVom the Navy
Ivoard ; aiul of course at an additional <'\j)ence.
A coil of ro!>e for nude harness, ;i roll ofsailclotli foi'
the wiiidiuili, a >hcet of eo[)per to mend his ytill, a
har of intu for horse-shoes, a tarj)a\vhn'4' to cover l;is
stores from the rnin, nv" objects of impoitance t'.> the
planter, hot for ijermissien to ex[*ort which, the <-on-
sent of the Xavv Board np.e-t he (.htair.cd. Several
shii)s were itetually seized in the hi:-t autunui, and
♦.ome com])eHed to ujdo;id their earj^oei, l,i*-'eause y
«■
f
18
ffw l)iirs of' iron IkkI bc.'n put on Ixmrd wilh the
kninrh'tlifcof iIh' ojl'iccr: ami tlirir rt;I(.'ii!s»' wascmly the
irsiilt of S|>c('i:il ii|)|)1iouti<Mi tu, aiitl an iiivcHli^alioii
til' the (ircniuslanoes l)\ , tlie 'rit'asiny. The export of
Hour, ol' barley, of beans, and oats, isliinite«l by A< t
of Parliament to an htindredtli purt of iin a<le(|uate
su|)ply ; thontih oats, at least, are constantly im-
ported, and are a mere article of <'onnm'rce. Pro-
vi>i(ms, tlierefore, muht be obtained from America,
yet is th»! colonist prohibited from paying- lor these
provisions in sui^ar ; and if the American uants nut
rum, thi! net>roes may starve. Nor are shipments
made to the WCst Indies as those coastwise, to INew-
j'iistle, t'dinlinr;;!), or liristol. They are sid)ject to
all the I'orms, intricacies, v«'xations, and expences of
revenue laws and revenue officers.
Hut after all these diliiculties, exjanicos, and em-
barrassments are removed, comes a tax of 4 per cent.
o!i their value. I will not pretend to circumscribe the
taxation of our own commodities on export by siny
principle: the tax is called a convoy duty; uhicli
nann? is assumed, I imagine, to justify doublinji: the
rate of tax to the W est Indian, because he crosses
the Atlantic. Goods in a ship, without convoy,
e<pially i>ay it as in one \\\u) avails lierself of its pro-
tection ; nor are more, or stronger convoys ap-
j)ointed now than before the tax was laid. — Its appli-
cation to tin; West India planter is doubtless made
m furtherance of the principle, that he is a foreigner
carrying- on commerce, and is to be repaid by the
«.(jiisumer. But is not this tax i^rossly partial ? Doe*
i
I
llic
y tlic
KUtof
.V A( t
uate
p..
iiu-
ro-
cru'Ji,
• these
its not.
pnuMits
[) New-
)jt.'Ct to
'uces of
ind eiu-
)ereeiit.
•ril)etlie
by any
; whioli
)\\\\% the
! cross<'s
convoy,
»r its pro-
voys ap-
its appli-
L'.sH made
foreij^ner
l1 Wy the
il ? l)oc»
19
it, in any otlur shi^le instance, bear in tliesamn way
on an English >uhitct ? Does any other man, except
the phiiit< r, t'xport coinniodities lor nse, and liut lor
suie, be} ond the extent of personal consumption ? —
The truth probably is, that the case of the \\ essL
India j)kmter was not noticed when tiie Act passed.
The tax was intended to operate on ^'o^•ei^•ners,
vho conu' here to Iniy what they cannot ^et else-
where; bnt its distinctions bein<j^ i^'erjnrjiphicul,
juxtaposition is the only ground of exemption ; the
Ann.'rican citizen and British \\ est Indian jjay alike,
because their lot is cast in the siune quarter of the
globe. Kvery thinj^ confirms the inference that, in
the eye of the revenue laws, tlu! \V est Indian is a
foreigner trad in;^ to Cireat Britain. On what ground,
then, are his supi)osed profits made the criterion of
increased duty, or his real income rendered liable to
the tax on property ?
It will hardly he doubted, after these explana-
tions, that the only basis of West India taxation has
been the wants of Cireat Britain, and that it is need-
less to look lor any other princi|)le. It nniy be more
useful to (.ompare the srituation of a landholder iii
the colonics, with that of a landholder in Great
Britain.
We will suppose them both rt'sid< nt in England.
They are etjually liable to the tax ou property, in
proportion to the net produce of their e^ tates ; the
evidence adduced by the one, being the rent he
receives ; and by the other, the result of a stattd ac-
count, very Huctuuting in its amount, uud therefure
C -2
,1
U
io
vexatious in fv;)l;ui)ili<«n. }'!nciiI' ivc of this, f'lc
Klivlif'li l;i:nli.''M<r piiys the liuul-liix, ;i.ii(»M;itiirj ,
oil t!i<' :iVfr;i^(' (li'tlic k'ut;4(luiii, to Is. ia llic )»uiiim1,
or 5 |M'r rent, on tlic j/r/ pnHliicc ; tlir niM colonist
pays 4 ' pciMM-iit. <lnty to tlic thrown on liis n/vw; |;io-
(hicc, Ix'iii^- tMHiiil to Id pi'i-ccnt. oatlu'iu't. A;j;:iinsr
the poor's rati', rouiity r.itt-s, iiiui statute duty, sup-
posing- tlu-Mi ultimutcly paid Ky tin,' hnrllonl, ami
not by the consuiiKM', the phintcr sets the cohniial
trixcs* aihl rates, the same in kind, and <;n'at<r in
proportitni ; he pays the cxpcnccs oi' the county of
St. Kitt.i, Anti'ji'ia, or .laniai<a, as th<! Kni-iisli
estate does those ol' K»Mit, of lissex, or of Surry;
and moreover, lunintaius his own superannuated la*
hourers, which is a heavier tax than tiie pour's rate,
in Eni^hiud. He also pays the expeuce oC a iMilitia
force, and that of the aduiinistratiou of justice in the
colonies, which iire at luuiie a national concern, to
which he also contributes. All personal and sump-
tuary taxes — taxes (jf every description, wiiichdo not
directly attach ou the soil, are obviously paid e(iually,
in pro[)ortion to his expenditure, by every resident iti
Great JJritain, whether his income be derived from
Yorkshire or from Jamaica. ilitherto the balance
inclines ill favour of the \\ est Indian, in point of
contribiitiou to the State; but what will the country
gentleman set in the scale a^■aiust J7''. per cwt. on
suii;ar sent to market, and 4 percent, duty on a lar^e
portion oi the expences in pvoducin*;' it r Can beset
v!7s. pfc>" (juurter on his wheat at Bear Quay, and
4 per cent, on the cxpeiices of the farmer in growing
it ? \V ill llif liix oil !ii;rifulMi'iil IntrsPs aMioiiiit to
tlli^, o\ U, ii I ibiiiH- ii|' Mvoiu'liiiii; || ■ ^ill^'^s he call
d'J liti'-, lit' is (U'linrnt to i liis t'liiotmt iiillic foin-
pjif'sori ; Muli a tax oil l)i> jTodiM <• v.o\ilil Cfiual, oi
pxcri'il llic ic, I (»i his « slaic, vvhirji is |»r"<'is(|-, tin*
c'»i!*(' witli fill' Miaiilt'i". Il;it tlif aiib MT hiis iiivarialjlv
Ijt'cii — till i'lC'suiiH'r |>;i.s it I Lcl the la idholdi.M' try
till' t'X|a •.■Iil!r:i1 . X 'u\ on tlw pvodiicr ol t!;c ^oil ot'
(ir.'.'l !>fita!ii, «<|ii.il in itKipuilion to the tax on tin*
prodiuc oit'ic islaiuls, would aniuiuit to niotc than
nil tlii; aiiiinal taxfs jit presnit iniposi'fl in (.iit^at
Britiiin •. and I havr shewn that lMit;li:-h projierty
is !)( ttcr circniiistaincd than that olthc \\'«'!>t linlian
(tlion;;h not well caunlatcd), to fniorcc th*-- r(-';»ay-
rne:it. \lr will llu-in c also have an oppoftnnily ol"
jniii;intj; \\h('lh('r any inrtln r ^V.'f ;//rr/7ir;/'y' allachf^ to
the pa} nieiit oi" a line on the sale oi' his prodnee,
fxeeediiiLf its iiet \aine, in expectation ot" reinihurst'-
inent.
So niinh, however, depends on the prooi' that,
from whatevt r eanse, the grower o^"su^•ar has not, in
fj'.ct, been able to avail hiniselfol" t!ie importer's ad-
vantages to enforet; repa\ nient ot' the dnty, ami
f'lniriics on his eonuno«lit\, that 1 will ri^k heing-
tedioe. >, ratln i' tiian incum ln>.i\e.
it is apparent that the nut ot" land in (Ji'eat
IJritain has i'oliowMl. to a eon>ideral)U' extent, the
depreciation (»!' uione} , the increase ui' taxes, aiul the
rons<H[Uont inereascnl expeiu'cs ul" li\ nej". I say it is
»p[mren1 ; i)ceanse, withont reeniiiiiL;' to jiartienlar
•:ases within every one's ohseivatiun, it is obvious
f
on
that, had not this effect followed, tlie deprecLilioti of
money oonseqnont upon the increase of the national
debt and taxes, in the American and French wars,
would have swept fro\n society every family of rank
and ancestry in Great Britain, in the same manner
as we see those who have depended solely on the
interest of nmney or the public funds, daily sinking
on the scale of relative income, and vanishing from
the circles which they formerly adorned.
Can it be shewn that any simihir advantage has
favoured West India estates r — Will it be assumed
that this species of property has improved with the
times? — If it be so, then may it be assumed, that
the consumer has reoaid the increased taxes and ex-
pences. But if, since the beginning of the French
war, the tux on sugar has been increased from 12s. 4d.
perCwt. to 27s. and conditionally to 30s. ; if, during
this period, the produce of estates has, on an average
of years, diminished in proportion as the expences
have increased ; then is it as obvious that the
planter, and not the consumer, has paid the in-
creased charges. And it is but a natural conse-
(juence that he too, like the stockholder and an-
ijuitant, should have seceded from the society in
which he was formerly cons[>icuous. I think I need
not go about to prove that this secession has pretty
generally taken place.
It will be said, has not the class of country tjen-
tlemen of £'500 per annum, before the American war,
also disappeared ? — Doubtless it has. The possessor
of X^500 j)er annum cannot now, as forty years ago.
A'
23
maiutain the rank of a country o'entleinaii ; hul
tlioui>h tlie class lias (lisnpjx'arct!, the iiKliviiluals
have not : it' you would Hud them or tlitir children,
you must look tor tiiemin the classs of flOOO per un-
nuTU ; for in this proportion have their estates Im-
])roved. Unfortunately for the W est Indian, his
means have not equally ini[>roved with the times, us
the followin^• doeunieats will sufliciently prove.
I
fa
TABLE,
Shcwlni^' the Duti/, Saie Charlies, and Price oj' Sugar,
from 17<)] /(> 18()G.
Freight *!' Total Gros>Sale Net Price
Yeat. Dutv. Sak-chaip; Salticharg. Price. perCwt.
17'.)1 12 '4 .. 8 G .. i?0 1()\. G7 4 .. 4G G
1792 1'^' 4 .. 8 G .. 'JO 10 .. G9 4 . . 48 6
War.
1793 12 4 .. ^2 .. ^4 4 . . 70 4 .. 4G
1794 irj ,. I'J .. i:7 .. .')4 .. i27
179.^) 1") .. K' 6 .. '27 6 .. 77 5 .. 49 11
1796 13 ..12 6 .. 27 6 . . 77 .. 49 G
Average- ,.f?^ l,-3 8 11 24 8 G9 2 44 6
years. ^
1797 17 G .. 1,'; .. .MO 6 .. 81 6 .. b\
1798 19 4 ., 13 .. d2 4 .. 86 .. 53 8
1799 20 .. \6 G .. 3.3 G .. 75 . . '11 6
1800 20 .. 13 G .. '3.3 G . . 74 .. 40 6
18()1 20 .. 14 .. >! .. G4 . . 00
1802 20 .. 14 ., 34 .. .^4 5 . . 20 5
War.
1803 24 ..-^lO .. 34 . . 67 .. 33
1804...... 26 6 .. 14 .. 40 G . . 80 . . 39 G
180,j 27 .. 14 G .. 41 G .. 76 .. 34 (J
1806 27 .. 1,") ., 42 ,0 .. G8 .. 26
Average ol ( ^ ^^ „ y, y ^^ ^ ..^
6 ycar.s. ^
* Pence Vicight
!*
a
24
Vro'n this Tiihle the ("uUowiiig vfsiilt.-5,'ire clcailv
dediK'ibio : —
Ist. That tho price ol' the oommodity has no
proj^rosNivc rfl\ rcncf to, and tho-efort; is not founded
on, the rxpcnccs of hiingin;^ it to market.
2nd. That th(.' increase of duty and sale chari^es
in the second period, heyoud the amount in the first,
is 13s. per Cwt.
3rd. Tliat in tlie first ])erio!l, the avera^■e net
price to the pUuiter was Ms. Od. per Cwt.
and in the hitter 30s. 7d.
)nakino' ji difierencc? of I3s. lid. ai^aiiist
the phmtcr in the hitter period.
Or, to state the same faetanother way, hi^chavj^es
u) the hitter perio(i liave increased 13s.
the oross price in the for-
mer period was ... .()<)s. ad.
in the latter (ins. 3d.
Difference au;ainst the ])lanter in
j>ross price Os. lid.
Total as before 13s. lid.
It fiirtlier appears that the average net price of
suuar, in the former period, was 44s, (Jd., after de-
duction of t he duty and charges of safe. The evidence
adduced to the Committee of the House of Commons
now sittinp^, proves, I understand, that the charges of
manufacture (namely, thecost of stores from Europe,
and hills drawn from the colonies, for tiie island
expenccs beyond the proceeds of the rum) amount to
;1
1
25
ils.perCsvt. (iiiyown calculations for St. Kitts would
C',ive an average of "25s.). A deduction of 21s. I'rom tlir
not price of the first six years, would leave 2.'3s. (;d.
per C'wt., or \)cr hogshead of 13 Cwt. . . £'1.5 5 (>
And one hundred such hogsheads would
have produced, as the planter's real
ineonie l.)27 10
In the last period of six year^ t!ie net ])vi<-e
having heen ;JOs. 7d., th(> de(h.»ction
of '21s. haves ;)s. 7d. per Cwt., or
per h.ogshead ,£() 4s. 7d.
And 100 net hogsheads now produce . , G22 IH
Reduction of income on 100 hogsheads in
the last period, taking the charges of
manufacture at the sanu." rate in both
periods '. . . £90A 1 1 H
Supposing, therefore, an estate in the West
Indies to have been purchased between the years
171)1 an<l 171H>, on the then average net produce,
vahied at twelve years' purchase, the cost would have
been £^18,324. And the average return on such pur-
chase, ft>r the last six years, wouhl be under J^ per
cent, on the money laid out; no allowance being
made for hurricane, invasion, or other casualty, to
which, however, West India estates are proverbially
liable.
The result would have been still move in favour
of the argument, had I included the years 17*)7 and
17<j8 in the hrbt period, and 1709 and 1800 in the
I
1
'i
26
last : 1)ut 1 prtfen-ecl limiting the first period to 17.0^»
because, during the six veins preceding-, the in« rease
of duty was not very material, and it was also desir-
ahle to draw the; comparison from periods with some
uiterviiuin;^ interval.
This Ta})le, extracted from Sir W. Young's
Common-place Book, had not attracted my notice,
nor were the calculations made, when, in my former
letter, I hazarded an oj)inion that West India estates
do not on an average, for a series of years, produce
4 per cent, on the capital invested. That opinion
was founded on more general reasoning ; but the re-
sult of the calculation proves that it was not inaccu-
rately formed.
The lact, incontestibly provfxl by this document,
that We^-t India estates have produced, during t'le
last six years, less than half wliat they did irom
1791 to 179^>, i^ alone suflicient evidence that some-
thing is radically wrong in the system of their ad-
ministration. But it was necessary not only to {)rovp
the fact, but to account for its existence ; and it is
accounted for when it is shewn, as I trust it has been
,»;atisfactorily, that the grower of sugar has not, even
in theory, the power of throwing the increased taxes,
&c. on the consumer, and that in practice he has
paid them himself.
liut it may be said, the jjlanter, you allow, makes
.1 to 4 per cent, interest of his money. What ought
he to make ? — I allow, as the result of the preceding
cidculation, that the growers of sugar have obtainerl
for the hist six years, a return of 3 to 4 per cent, oii
in
it
:es
27
«apiUi1 invented ten years pvccedinf;. Siii»po3ini,%
therefore, thiit 4 per cent, was a just recompeuce
then, I nniy assume tliat it oui^ht to he auoniented,
and aun-uientinji;, now, as is the case with all other
property ; and, if this veasoniii^i; be just, it will follow
that whiil -ver may he foiuul to have been a just re-
turn ior capital ituested in 1794, that return ought to
be taken at a higher rate now, to enable the pro-
prietor to maintain the same rank in society.
It has been assumed, in the comparison, that
the West India property was acquired at twelve year*
pun base, on the net profit for six years.— Was this
price, in the eye of the objector, too much or too
|itth< }—h' it were too much, then is 8^ per cent, too
little averacje return from a West India estate, by
his own admission. If the price were too little, then
is the invested capital to be fconsidered greater than
I have taken it, and the profit of the last six year*
IS proportionably reduced below 3^ per cent.—The
truth is, that twelve years purchase is rather more
than less, than the usual value ; but supposing the
purchase to have been made on these terms, it pro-
iluced thirteen years ago, on average, 8^ per cent. ;
and an equal increase to the average of Englisli
estates, in the same period, would bring the reason-
ai)le return of capital invested in the West Indies,
from ten to fifteen years ago, to 10 per cent. Nor is
this return too great.
The grower of sugar is both landlord and tenant,
ao-riculturist and manufacturer. Perhaps the joint
profits of the two first descriptions ot men in this
28
country, wo!ii(l 1)e oqiva!, ov nearly so, to the I'f turn
1 r'laiiii !().• the WC^t liuliaii ; liiit \\Iieii it i.i con-
siderefl alvo, that lie is enp:a^(<i in a very [>rf a'-iiiii";
rnauur.i: ture, under must uiitavouraiile eireuin-
staiK'c^s— t'.i i1 his prancrty hus none of the real or
imag'inary aiKaiurj^es of hiiule;! estates in (ireat
Britain, I »nny iairi^' a-sitnie that 1 have been luo-
derate in ])r^rer;iivj;' hi^ claim;-.
Hut J i(>r:v, ar to :i.,,ist n.ore on the situation of
the eolonlsts. Ir'doUitt lie yet e\tt( rtaine.l oft'ie ne-
cessity oi' relief, it niil >!iortly make itseU'suttiei-.Mitly
ap[)are:!t t > eounruuKl ass(,'at. ft v.i!! Ir.; uiore vj!-e-
ful to f'Jijsi'L' r oi' what nature t!;is relief shoulti be.
1 will tiiL-.t ijtate the ohjec'S to be attained, aud
then discuss the mode of attainriient.
The (daims of'l,u^ planter amount to this : —
A demand for his produce e(iual to the supply ;
Or, a;; ai)aiKluiue..'!it of the monopoly by Cireat Bri-
tain, and liberty V) se(;k his uuirket where he
can best fiml it ;
Or, fiuaHy, a repeal of the duty on his irrohs pro-
duce ; uut a reciurence to principles of taxation
similar to those which govern the taxation of
land, and its first produce, in Great Britain.
Neither of the latter alternatives are aj^-reeablr
ones, I allow ; but one of them, I will undertake to
say, will be the effect of failure in establishing' the
former: for, as it is verv well observed l)V Mercator,
in Mr. Yorke's Register, Ciovernment and the vdanter
cannot lons:^ carry on trade, on the present teruis of
partnership.
band
at .
The
peril
pose
ho<
A doumiul e(|ual to tlu' supplj , is all in all to
the planter — it is all he asks, antl all lie wants: oive
him the eomniand of the market to the extent that
the impoiter of" foreign commodities posses.-'es it, and
you may then tax his i>roduceon the principles of
commeree ; hut till this demand is produced, he ro
<|uires from the justice of the mother country, an
uhandonnient of the monopoly, or a repeal of the.
dntv.
Having hitherto treated the buhj»'ct gfueral/i/, it
nt uy be satisfactory, before I proceed further, to
ascertain the precise extent of the evil, for which u
remedy is in the present instance to be provided.
The quantity of sui^ar in. Great JJritain, in the
bands of the importers, is stated on i^ood authority
ut 150,000 hhds.
l^he Heets daily expected, will briui^
(icrhaps from 10 to '20,000 more ; sup-
pose only * 10,000
'^i'lie total <piantity to be consumed,
tjierefore, prior to the arrival of the
next cro[), is 1()0,000 hh(j».
'i'he consumption of (Jreat Britain and Ireland
ripjfcars, by relnrns to the House of Commons, to
be, on an av<'raL;e uf years, 151,000, say 150,000
hog-sheads. — Of tills consumption let it be sii[)-
* This quail ;ity h;H beca exceeded in one fleet from the
l.eeward Islands, since tlie lust edition of this I^utlcr, and a fleer
lioiu Ji»muiea i» daily exjj'.'cud.
^
'
30
poseil tliat six months imw remain until Itic ,ii'
rival of tlie new croj) in July next, or 7.'>,0U0 luis^s*
hciuls ; this deducted from the stock in hand, wouM
leave S.j,()00 hogsheads of sol: ar, which cannot ho
taken oHby the or«hnary consumption of the country.
In the jMesent circiunstances, little relief can
be found from exportation : — 1st. IJecause tlie
ri<^our of French law prohibits llie iijtroduction IVoni
Stettin to Trieste, of every article of En^'.isli pro-
duce. — 2nd. Because, what is more important, tlie
Continent is more cheaply supplied by the Aiiie-
ricans, from the French and other colonies, than tin;
British i>lanter can, with the Inereasetl war expenccs,
now supply it. — 3rd. Jieeause the season precludes
«avit>ation to the northern ports until the return of
5prinm — a period too remote to be of niuch btrvice in
the present difficulty.
"^I'he mode of creating- a demand at home is,
therefore, the first (juestion to be discussed. 1 endea-
voured to shew, in a former part of this I^-tter, that
the level, orequilibiiuin,betweensu})i»ly and demand
i-annot be produced, even prosjiectively, by lesscn-
iiii^ the supply ; it must therei'ure be effected by
increasing the consumption to the amount of the
j)resent supply, and diseouragin;^- a further au;^-
inentution.
An op[)Oitunity seems at this moment to be
•dfered on terms of public advantage, as well as
private benefit to the colonies. It will be obvious
that 1 allude to the use of sugar in breweries and
distilleries. Thebenelit to the planter is sulficientlv"
t
31
vbvlous, and needs no laboured discussion. It la
more neoessarv to .shew why I consider the public
"Udvuntai^e as, at this moment, particularly compre-
hended in the question. Cireut Britain is placed in
u new and unforeseen situation. To say she is
blockaded, whilst her navies rule the seas, is ridi-
culous ; but it is by no means absurd to anticipate
her total se|)aration from tlie Continent of Euro[)e :
this circumstance, which cuts off In.r expcu-ts, cuts
off her imports also, not only because the enemy has*
the power of blockading- his own ports, but for an-
other reason, which is not so commonly noticed —
she cannot pay if she does not receive. The enemy
would perhaps wink at exports from his own ports
to this country whilst paid for in specie; but this
is a trade which it is neither politic nor possible for
this nation lou<^ to carry on. If therefore our exports
are wholly checked, our imi'orts are as comi)lctely
,stopped,as if the ports of the Continent were herme-
tically sealed.
Now it appears, from the returns made to ihr
House of Commons, that for the last 10 years. Great
Britain has not t>rov,n oruin tMioui>h lor lur own
consumption; and that, exclusive of years of parti-
I'ular scarcity, the ;i\erai.;e importation may be taken
at 800,000 quarters.* 'J lie particular importations
of 1803 and 180,5 were as follow :
'i
Bailey, Qrs. Oats, Qrs Wheat, Q;;;. Flour, Cwt.
o op-;
1H0.-) 14,027 4H5.ri.i 272,
1805 44,567 461,249 &99,R:'6
* The importation of tlKJ year 1801, exi^i:..-:
v4U,u!;,Mj : >H.u tiril wa. i vcar o)' M'■Jv^l■.y
^047
73,423
d two mil'ions
it
Mucli <>(' tliis (twill ho seen \^ t»;ii>^, uliti ii i^ not \ti
Klij;l:iii(l, Jit l'':ist imt in the soiilh, tiic lixul ol'
inaii : l»nl ii' oiits i^ruu th-incr in |tr<i|M)tti()M thiiii
%v!i('!it or l)<ir!<'\ , tlic cnltiv itioii of oats will iMcrcasc,
uimI that of otiicr I'^x.'n (lniiini>«h. The cdct ot
this inijiortation htis hitju-rtu h( en )»ro\i(Io<l for l»y
the prodnco oi" suiTiH' t'\|»o',l«'(l. ^'his ii >i)ui\'<' I'liils ;
l>iit if we viU\ sllh^titMt^• the huj,ai* we have for the
eorn we want, there ends, it sliouhl seem, Jiona-
parte's best hope of subduing" the 8[)irlt of Britain.
The ren»edy for both evils suenis so obvious, that U*
u [)erson nnaetjuainted witli the snbjeet, it sh.ouhl
«eein only neecssury to state, that sn^•ar will answer
the purpose both of 'li^tillers and brev.ers ; that it is
not a new experiment, and only reipilreH llnaneial
regulations in tlie Fxeise department to secure tUtt
revenue. — W hat then, he would ask, is tlie uifK-
eulty ? One oI)je('tion arises on tlie part of the land-
holder in Clreat I'rltain, wiio is a[)])ri'hensive of
a depreciation in tin- price of his n-rain, if this con-
sumption })e withiiraw n ; and ar.other on tlie ])art of
the revenue of Excise.
The answer to the oI)jr('tion of the hindhohler
(in itseli" 4 very rational one), is however eoniplete.
W'liilst the portsof theContinentare shut, theri^ must
lie in t!»e market a defn.'ier.ey of t;r;iin to the amount
u! the aiuiual iini»ortation. A sn(C(,'da!teuni for this
iin{>o:"tatit»ii, not exeecdinii,' its a\cra;^-e anioiint, the
farnii r caun'^t i'cel. Su;.:ar can only he u.^ed ;;s this;
siicciituiunnn, without lojs to the (li^t!lIer and
hrener, whilst tlie iirice is low : tlie liiouicnt uu
1
i
wouli
lor a
uiuiu
tion
ploy.
and
impd
the
whic
But
as
export tnub' Is openc*], the price will rise; ninl lill
kiicli trade is opened, main cuiiaot be imported.
Tlie interest of tlie Kiii;lish liirmtr is therefore
sufficiently i^uarded by the circunist;uH.es thi'in-
kelves. JJiit if tiie hmdhoUler still thinks he shall
want a market — if he still thinks he shall have ^rain
to spare — if he is confident in hits resources, ht him
assume the supply of the A\\'st Indies. Let him
obtain from Parliament a repeal of the Act restiict-
int^ the export of i^rain to the colonies ; and frequent
convoys alone are necessary to secure to him a market
for 200,000 cjuarters ol' ^rain, now obtained from
America in Hour; in return, the planter should remit
his rum, to be consumed in the navy of Cireat Britain,
instead of foreij;n brandy, which, stran^^e to tt.li, i^i
utill, in this war of commerce, contracted for to an
enormous auiount. "^rhis intercourse- would indeitl
be a recMprocation of beneiits ; the planter's siiL',ar
would be consumed, a market secured to the farmer
for any surplus corn he may have ; the money sent
animally to our enemies for brandy saved to the na-
tion ; an additional quantity of British shipping- em-
ployed, in proportion to the quantity of corn ^ent out,
and rum brought home ; and, above all perha[is in
importance, a community of interest created between
the mother country and the eolonies, the value t)f
which is, at this moment especially, without bounds.
But if the landholder ))e not thus confident, iflir
dare not irndertake this supply, he can have no
iears of the eti'ect of witlidrawinu- euin from the
distilleries, and partially fioui the porter breweries iu
Grtat liiituiw.
ft
14
Kct if \>r iidiiiittrd for the moment, that the
siihrtitiitioii oI'mi.;;!!* lor malt, is practicable witliniit
injury to the liirmcr, Hn<l let us contemplate itH
cH'fcts :— the planter, and all concerned with him,
ri'licv<Ml tlurin;jf the remainder ol* the war, from the
apprehension of ruin ; the manufacturers anil arti/ans
of (ireat Dritaiit pahl for the past, and looking to
certain employment for the future, for the colonies
are their surest friends in thne of war; the rf?vpnue
relieved from the positive necessity of abandonint'-,
nt the least, one half of the present duty on sugar,
and confidently anticipatini^ the receipt of above
two millions of dutv for the sui^ar now oh hand;
the ship-owner relieved of an anxiety greater per-
haps than all the rest — he is the carrier, and has
brought to this country 150,000 hogsheads of sugar,
now unsold, and on which his charge amounts, at the
average freight of f)s. percwt. to £900,000; and last,
but not least in the consideration, there results an
exulting triumph over the machinations of our enemy.
Do you suppose he had not especially in view the
ju'ivatlon of foreign grain, as the first object of his
blockade? Look to the proclamation of the King
of Holland ; equal or gn-ater restrictions are laid on
the sailing of ships from the Dutch ports, than
on the entry. Yet our imports from Holland are
ciiietly corn and provisions, as they are equally from
the ports in the Kaltio, of which the enemy has ac-
quired possession. Let us now reverse the picture;
let us suppose the Government insensible of the ad-
vantages and the dignity of wrapping Great Britain-
and her colonies at this moment hx the same cloakj
i
i
Al
9i
fit the
tlioiit
itt: its
liiiii,
m the
'ti/tms
uvr to
tlonics
venue
oiunt>',
above
hand ;
er per-
nd hap
' sugar,
;, at the
nd last,
suits an
enemy,
lew the
:t of his
ue King
liiid on
s, than
and arr
illy from
lias ac-
picture ;
I'the ad-
t Britain*
e cloak^
tind making thrm all in all to eachothor; h-t ti^
d.
«uj)|jose the proposition rcjoctcd
The first eons('(|n«'nce will l)c, that, ns the su'^'nr
cannot be converted info money, those who depend
on its produce for support and payment, niUst feel
all the poij^uaney of distresfh No chmmiserution or
good-will ran enable the merchants or factors to ad-
vance a sum of nearly four millions, urgently de-
manded from the produce of tiie sugar on hpud,
Exclusive of the duty to Govennuent, amounting- to
about 2^ millions more. Like the boat's (;rew which
escapes from the wreck, and, returninf^, adds to its
load, till all sink tojrcther, the merchants may easily
sink themselves by imprudently aihlini;; to the loiid
they bear ; but they cannot, by any pirsonal sa<ri-
fices, save those who retpiire assistance. This stun
of four millions, the supposed value of 1. 50,000 hoi;^-'
heads, or 2,000,000 Cwt. at 40s. per ('ut. e\ Duty
(which exceeds the present avern^e), ouj^ht to be
distributed in the following proportions: —
To the ship-owners, at Os. j)er cwt i'900,000
To the British manufacturers for value of
stores sent out, estimated at IJs.
per cwt 1 ,200,000
To the same, as the bill-holder, for bills
drawn from the West Indies, on ;in
average ys. per tw t. < 900,000
To the insurer 2s. Od. ^
liock and [)ort charges, Os. lOd. [-54!. Sd. 5So,000
Merchant, broker, iic. 2s. lOd.j
BulHiice to ihe planter,
rJ,8bO,000
lJO,0ou
4.U0U,0UU
Jtl
Coiin'ulrr ihc ninulicutioMS tlirou<xli which thpsr
n
s\ir.is n-,sitecti\<ly circuhito ; coiiteniplatc tlie baiikii
of the Thain*- , and of every other navigable river in
Cireat jMitaiii, aad estimate the proportion of
X\'JO0,UO() (hie to eacli dock-yard, rope-walk, sail-
l.n't, hhip-chandler ; contemplate the misery to
accrue from the non-fulfduieijt to these, of en-
•^a^cinents on which they rely, for tlie daily watrcs
of those employed in them res[)ectively ; consider
lh^: minute distribution of j£i2, 100,000 amonji'st
the nianidacturcis of Great Britain. The planta-
tltiii stores are of a description abundantly too
minute for enumeration ; but the supply is by no
mcjii.:-! conlincd to wealthy and wholesale dealers ;
scarcely a shop in the metropolis that has not an
interest in the question : the underwriter, the
merchant, the broker, must disappoint where they
are tlisappoiiited ; and a season of cruel disappoint-
ment will the present season be. Annuities, jointures,
and interest of debts are to be provided for from the
pittance remainmg to the planter, from whence his
f;uni1y is also to be supported. If those to wliom
this interciit is dUe, cannot be paid, they too must
iail in their engagements ; and sucii false steps are
no; so easily recovered as avoided.
But there is iin objection to the use of sugar, in
the breweries ut least, from another quarter — I niean
the Revenue Boards. — Difticulties occur in check-
ing- the proportions of malt ami sugar, of e<|ualizini^
the duties, &c. &c. ^^'iththis I concern myself not.
Jmportant us revenue ii, it is surely second to trade.
1
Revenue is to commerce, what Government is to tlie
|)cople : so lonj^ as their interests can be made to <••(;
Irand in hand, it is well ; but AvI.en these become
incompatible, 1 leave you to determine who is to
j;ive way.— 1 must not be told that the necessity of
rehefto the colonies is admitted ; but that it cannot
be granted, because it interferes with the convenient
collection of the revenue. Does the excise officer
imagine the ruin of the colonies may not, in some
degree, affect the revenue also >
But I should hope the objections of the Board
of Excise are not irremovable. The revenue fioni
malt is collected in two different stages : one, when
the barley is malted—this is 34s. 8d. per quarter ; the
other on the wash, when used for distillation, or on
the beer when brewed. Supposing 1 ] Cwt. of su- :ir
to be equal to one quarter of malt (and as thi.-,
quantity is the medium between opposite statcmeids.
It is probably not wide of the truth), the duty oii
sugar, at 27s. per Cwt. will be 33s.5,vl.~a difference
of no great importance in the question. The prin-
cipal diflkulty arises in collecting the duty on the
beer in the brewery. No great objection occurs to
the use of sugar in the distilleries, where, at present,
nearly two-thirds of the barley is used raw.
1 admit there iscliffu ulty : the solution ofsuoar in
water, is an operation so nmch more rapid than tiie de-
coction of malt, its fermentation is so <|nick]v pro-
duced, and its residuum, if it can he said to he an\
tlung, is so triHing in comparison with grains, that
liie exciseman loses many of his present checks, and
38
must of necessity, it is stated, be perpetually pre~
sent to witness the proceedings. IVIoreover, it is ap-
prehended that molasses may be used instead of
sufijar : either imported molasses, on which the duty
is small compared with that on sugar; or molasse^
produced in the British retinery, which, though it
may be said to have paid the sugar duty, finds at
present a consumption in the north of England,
without any drawback or bounty. Its consumption,
in the place of sugar or malt, would therefore be 9.
loss of the duty thereon respectively.
1 assume not the competency to remedy these
incouveniences ; the worst that can happen, seemi
to be the constant attendance of an exciseman at
each considerable brewery. In the distilleries, re-»
gulations of duty would be requisite to induce the
\ise of su'^ar in preference to grain. Two hundred
weight of sugar produces a quantity of spirit equal
to seven bushels of barley and three bushels of malt.
But two hundred weight of sugar, at the lowest price,
would cost 100s. to 105s. : seven bushels of barley,
at 4s. (id., would cost 31s. 6d.; three bushels of
malt, at lis. — 33s. ; together 64s. 6d,
IJjalance against the sugar 40s. 6d.
I05s. Od.
But 2 Cwt. of sugar has paid a duty of ...... . .54s.
The 3 bushels of malt, only 13s.
Difference 41s.
I'rom whence, therefore, a drawback on sugar may
%
.■
i
^
i
I
99
be allowed to the distiller, adequate to the diflererire
/of price. — At present, also, a hi*>her duty in taken on
sugar-wash, namely, 2s. 0|d. per <;allon, than on
forn-wash, which is iC^d. per gallon ; the reduction
of this duty to an e(|uivalent standard, would of
course experience no difficulty, if directed by proper
authority. But a doubt arises in my mind, from
this statement of the relative powers of sugar arul
j^rain in the distilleries, which is sanctioned by high
authority, as compared with their respective eiTccts
in the brewery.
It appears that 2 Cwt. of sugar are required to
replace 10 bushels of grain in the manufacture of
spirits ; yet it has been asserted that 1 Cwt. of sugar
will replace 8 bushels of malt in the brewery, thougli
hitherto 1| Cwt. of sugar has been considered as tin?
substitute for that quantity. I am not aware tliat
the brewer omits to turn his malt to the beht ac-
<ount, or that he leaves much spirit or saccliariun
in the grains when he turns them out ; and I can-
not imagine, therefore, how it happens that 8 bushels
of malt do him no more service than I Cwt. of sugar,
whilst 10 bushels of grain do, to the <listilier, the
service of 2 Cwt. — !f the fact be as it is stated, J am
confident the distiller may use the l>rewer's grains to
much advantage ; though I never could find that
even pigs derived nnieh nourishment from them. —
The aritlunetical jjroportion of sugar against a quar-
ter of malt in the breweries, proceeding on tlie distil-
ler's calculation, is 1 Cwt. 2 (jrs. 1 1 lb. ; and this
agrees so nearly with all statements on former oecu-
40
sions, that 1 am not yet disposed to believe them in-
roirect. — The iiit'Testof the revenue in the question
helore us, hinges in a p; re at measure upon this point.
Jf the Revenue IJoards coUect their opinions on this
f.\ihject from their inferior oflieers, it is just possible
they maybe d«^eeived.
These officers are, perlnips, in t!ie habit of
checking, in some degree, the quantity of beer
brewed, ]>y the quantity of grains turned out. The
higher this proportion of grains is taken, the less beer
to be taxed ; and if tlie officer daises to deceive him-
self, the brewer may not take the Iroiible to undeceive
him, the rather as grains form quite as convenient
a stan(hM"d for the brewer as he can desire ; for, if I
mistake not, prime malt al)sohitely melts, dissolves,
and haves Httle or no residuum.
Tlie (juiiiitity of beer of a given strength, which
f an be brewed with 1 C'wt of sugar, has, I presume,
bern correctly asct rtained by actual ex])eriment ;
:\'.\\[ it is oidy necessary to ascertain what quantity of
inalt is commonly used to brew the same quantity.
If this quantity be assumed on general or supposed
<Iata, it may, for the reasons I have before stated,
be errdneouslv ^iven. And I am further inclined to
tliini-; it is so; because the saving to the l)rewer bv
tile nse of sugar, if 1 C'wt. woidd represent 1 quar-
trr oiinalt, wouh! seldom, in the last six years, June
been less than lOs., Jind often as high as 'iOs. and
upwards, on that t|uantity : he migh.tat ])resent ])uy
•jdod suuar for his pur|)0'~e at 5'is., ami will certainly
•.•ef no goftd uiidt und<r HHs. Yet the brewer doe«
41
m in-
cstioii
point,
n this
ussil)lff
not buy sugar ; which is suflicient evidence to me
that the (juiintity he requires, is greater than is now
stated. — It cariiiot be answered, that though it \\»%
been liis interest to use sugar, he could not do it
without detection, or he would not do it to <U'fraud
tlie revenue ; because either of these answers would
go the lengtli of defeatiiij^ the objections now made
on behalf of the Excise to the introduction of sugar.
Assuming, therefore, that the brewer has not been
in the practice of clandestinely using- sugar, the ob-
jector is in this dilemma : either it was his interest,
but the check has proved sufHcient to prevent the
dandestine use ; or it was not his interest, and the
equivalent of sugar is set too low. In the first case,
the difficulties in protecting the revenue disappear ;
m the second, its interest is not put in hazard, a*
1^ Cwt of sugar i)ays 40s. 6d. duty, whilst 1 quarter
of mftlt pays 34s. 8d.
In the event, however, of the rejection of thi*
only mode which occurs to me, of creating a de-
mand for the sugar on hand, there remain yet two
alternatives for its consideration : — First, An aban-
donment of the monopoly.
I care not in what mode, or under what limita-
tions this be granted, so the practical advantage I
have in view, be derived from it — viz. the licence to
send the produce, in neutral ships, to any ports where
it can find a market ; and especially 1 have in view
the intercourse between the British Islands and the
Continent of Europe in American bottoms, exactly
in the same way in which it now subsists between the
42
French colonies and France. The interruption of
this hibt intercourse wouUl probably alone answer all
the purpose ; but as, notwithstanding the strong case
made out by the author of *' VV^ar in Disguise," the
British Government has not chosen to avail ittieif
9/ the fortunate opportunity of going to icar with Ame-
rico — of doing that now, which, sooner or later,
must be done — and of convincing America that
Great Britain, though she has conceded much, will
not concede every thing, I have not considered thi»
as a resource. — The mere proposal of throwing open
the colonial trade, and in neutral bottoms too, will
expose me, I know, to the disapprobation of various
descriptions of men — of statesmen, financiers, ship-
owners, and revenue officers ; even Sir Josiah Child
will tell me that the value of colonies to the mother
co\mtry is only in proportion to the strictness of the
monopoly. All this I know as well as he ; but the
*' value of a thing is just what it will brinir." — Su<'ar.
as sugar, will benefit neither the statesman, the re-
venue, nor the ship-owner ; if it cannot be converted
into money, cui bono ?■— if it will bring nothing, it i^
worth nothing. Is the sugar of any use to the re-
venue whilst in the docks ?— is its transportation any
benefit to the ship-owner, unless he is paid for the
carriage of it? — Does he expect to be paid the
freight for the sugars he may bring home in the
ships now gone out to the colonies ? — He knows
something of West India concerns ; and he knows,
also, that I possess a still more intimate ac(juaint-
ance with them on this side of the Atlantic ; and he
( S
1
,i'
43
3
will not perhaps disbelieve mf» wlien I tell him, that
if tonsuniptlon be not found for the 85,000 hoj^s-
heads of su<^iir in question, he will not, when bin
ships arrive in July next, be able to collect one-
twentieth part of the freight which will be due t»
him.
It is easy to raise an outcry on the impdrtance of
the Navigation Laws to the prosperity of Great Bri-
tain ; but it is ridiculous to adhere to the letter, and
abandon the spirit. If Great Britain suffer inter-
course between France and her colonies by nentraU
in time of war, and defeat the object of her own
maritime superiority, for what purpose is this supe-
riority acquired ? Is it not madness to continue a re-
striction on her own colonies, which exposesthem to all
the expences and inconveniences of war, whilst those
of the enemy transport their produce with the advan-
tao-es of peace ? But if it be not madneas, is it not
injustice ? Why is that portion of his Majesty's sub-
jects, whose possessions are in the colonies, exclu-
sively to pay the price of maintainin^r a nurserj' for
the British navy, and of promoting the shipping inte-
rest of Great Britain ? If these be, as doubtless they
are, objects of great national importance, let them
not be abandoned whilst they can be maintained,
but let the West Indian pay no more than his just
contribution to this common benefit : do his business
for him as well and as cheap as others will do it, or
indemnify him for the loss his own interest sustains in
furtherar.ee of the public good.
The last alternative which I have to propose, is
d
44
one. which will not fully answer tlie j>hiiiter ^. [mrpoKP,
l)ut it is thr least tlu* iitition van ofti'r. — " In taxiiit;
your produce, on <'omnui'cial principles, vvc have
assuMJC'd that you liad in your luuids all the advan-
taiics ot'commeice ; we tind vou have them not, and
ve a})andon the taxation. This will not create de-
mand, nor ^-etyou out of the embarrassnient into
which our errors have led you ; but, as it respects
the future, it discharj^es us of responsibility. Whe-
ther your speculations are profitable or not, concerns
not us ; we are not instrun^ental in directly augment-
ing the cost of your produce, and we leave you, as
we do the English grower, to take care of yourself." —
This is the least the country can say to the planter ;
but it is more than would be true, since it does not
leave the planter free to take care of himself, whilst
lie is under a monopoly. Which of these alterna-
tives Government will be pleased to recommend, I
know not : the first strongly recommends itself ; the
others will, I doubt, tind no patron but necessity.
In discussing the causes of the rapid and pro-
gressive depreciation of N\ est India property, I have
confined myself to those whi(;h are most prominent,
and most easily unchu'stood ; but abundance of
minor considerations otter, had I time to follow them.
If the colonies sink under oppression, they at the
same time waste through neglect. In what state of
dei'ence are they at all times left ? — Mould the
miseries and devastation which desolated Grenada
and St. Vincent in the late war, have taken place,
had the slightest attention been paid to their safety — >
I !
45
had not tlieir already iiisuffic'u'iit 'garrisons boon re-
moved tor purposes of conquest? — V\ ould Nevis
and St. Kitts have been laid under contribution,
their slups taken, and tlieir property rtuison»ed
— vvouhl tlie Antigua Heet have been burnt in ISO.j,
had there been a liritisli i.<]uadron on the station ?
^N ouKl the shi|>s in the harbour of Montserrat have'
been carried oli", and the Leeward Ishind Govern-
Hient been a<^ain thrown into confusion at witnessin<>;
tlie uudirfputed superiority of the French tltiir in the
West Indian seas in I8O6 ; and an attack on tlie
ships under tiie guns of Brimstone-hill, had a
squadron been stationetl in the colonies ? If the
mischief, arising from this neglect, were only want of
confidence, it would be incalculable ; but the posi-
tive loss by delay, by increased expences of insurance,
waste, and uncertainty, is enormous. '
In the present year, the evil we now complain
of originates, in great measure, with the late arrivid
of the convoys, by which the foreign market was
lost ; iuid this delay was occasioned by the incompe-
tency of tjjt' Admirals on the stati(nis to detach ships
to protect the trade.
It has always occurred to me to ask, wliy tin*
principal squadron is statioued to leeward atJainaic;i,
iii.-tead oi" being to windward, at Burbadocs,
'i'rinadada, or Antigua?
Anenemy'ssquadron must necessarily pass through
the Windward Islands or Leeward Islands to go down
to St. Domingo or.lumaica, and it is easy to I'ollow, if
liut to intercept them ; but though intelligence may
I
40
be rep<!ivc'tl iii Jamulra of tlie destruction or capture
of islands to windward, in three days, a HCjuadron at
Jamaica can aHunl no assistance in three weeks, alul
beatiuii up is a tardv remedy.
Witnessing,, as we all iiave done, the liurrj" and
indecision in our naval operations, conseijuent (»n tlie
sailing of live or six ships of the line from I'rani'c ;
the occupation which Villaumez afforded in the last
year to twelve or fifteen ships of the British line, at
tlie least (a sufficient acknowledgment that his destina-
tion was unknown) ; it is impossible not to express
surprise that a squadron of five Or six sail of the line
is not at all times kept together in the AVindward
Colonies. There is no point equally vulnerable ;
there is no one where a priority of arrival of a week,
u fortnight, or a month, leads to the same conse-
quences. Can the East Indies be taken by a fleet ?
Are not the ships in that trade few, large, and in
comparatively safe harl)ours ? Can the Cape, CJi-
braltar, or Malta be taken by surprise ? Does the
maritime superiority of France for a month, in the
East, or in the INIedlterranean, h'ad to consequences
similar to those which result from such a superiority
\i\ the Charibbean Archipelago ? Surely it is obvious
that a French squadron can only sail for the M est
Indies or the Mauritius, and the probabilities are ten
to one in favour of the former. Yet would I not
permanently station men of war, as now practised, in
what IS deemed an unhealthy climate. Why should
they not be constantly changed by ships of force ac-
I'umpunying and protecting our outward and returning
1
47
1
I
fltM^ts ? Ill proportion Jis these were niimrvous, the
arcoinniodation would to all parties be greater.
Tliis wonhl efleetually protect and i^ive ooidideiice to
the colonies, and tend to rentier dinieuit the aseer-
taiument by the eneniv, of the exihtint* force.
In answer to much ofwliat I havesaiil respeetinj^
the defence of the colonies, it will perhaps be afiked,
has not a iiiinous expence been already incurred in
the colonies, especially in the last war ? l\lost undoubt-
edly, ruinoiis to the nation, and still more ruinoun
to the liritish planter. The expence was, however,
incurred, not in promoting' the interests of the old,
but in i^raspinj^ at new colonies ; in St. l)oniin<;o,
at Martinique, in expeditions aj^airist Trinidada,
St. Lucia, Surinam, Demerara, Berbice, and Esse-
quibo ; not to mention the well-concerted achieve-
ment at Porto Kico. Onr tenderness for our enemies
induced u& to f^rasp at all these ; to cherish such of
them as we could obtain possession of, to foster, to
nourish them, and at peace to restore them to their
former owners. This were well : but 1 should like
to see it done in some motle not affectini^ either the
pocket or the popularify of the old colonist.
One word more, and I will conclude this T^etter,
though abiu»dance of matter suggests itself, us I
proceed, worthy, I tliink, of your attention. 1 wish
you to consider, before it is oii'ered, an expedient,
which, T doubt not, will be suggested, and wliich,
because it will give h-ast trouble, will [)robably be
preferred to more eftectual remedies — I mean a
loan of Exchequer Bills or money to tlje We<»t Indiw
J
48
'^
platitt'i's hikI inort<;fi[;<'es. It is ol>\ioiis tliat tlii*
fxpotlit'iit will not product' (leinaiMi, or Jibuti' liiture
fXjjeuce ; uiu! unk'ss in t\\v rxjirctatioii of hliort
cio|>s, uikI us oiuihliii^' t!ie importer to kiep tlie
suyiir on luuid till a deniuiul ari^rs for it, IVoni a
rt'duced supply, I st;e not what ^ood it w ill opiTutc.
V ft may tlie necessitirs [w so ^rcat as to cattli at
this, rather than nothinu;. — The determination must
rest on the merits of the ease made out ; it is an ob-
jectioimble measure, and uhuuld not, if avoidable, be
adopted. But in any event a loan, if made, should
be made on ditierent conditions from those prescribed
by the Act of Parliament, und«!r which the loan was
juude to the planters of Greiuida anil St. ^ intent iu
the time of their distress. The objection I make,
is to the nature of the security required by Govern-
ment ; it requires the personal security of others in
aiil of that ^iven by the J>arty borrow inj^ ; but its
powers supersede, and take priority of, those of every
other creditor — an extent attaches on property of all
tlescriptions ; and tliough 1 will not assume so much
lei^al knowledge as to determine its operation on a
prior mortgage of Euji^lish proj>erty, I am certainly
justitied in stating- that no man who gives a security
to Government, either as principal or surety, for the
repayment of a loan, under the terms of an Act of
Parliament similar to that before alluded to, can
make a valid title to any property he may possess.
The inconvenience, and the injustice too, of this eli'ect
ttf an extent have been practically felt. If such a
lueusiure be ajjaiu resJorUd to, 1 trust that either the
I ■;
<
49
wiiLMr, or tlir eHtiitt'sullI hv. tukni n^ the S( curitv ; in
tlu' lorinrr instanrc, tin* prodmr ("ouM iidt 1«' tiikcii,
Ijeoiiiist; tlu^ distress tluMi aros(; from drviistatioii, and
then' was no produce to pawn ; — uOw the evil i««
«U[u;ralmndanoe.
The possession of the property points out, at
once, tliose who feel ineonvcnienei." from the want of a
niarkit. Tl\e assumption of this btisis not only <'on-
lines applications for rcru'f strictly within the line of
tiiosc who really sutler froni thi.s cause, hut the ad-
mission of the property by assign. nent, as a sccurily
to the h'uder, assures to the proper ohjects of r( liil"
the means of ohtainiu'^' it ; whereas the dillicnhies a
<listreKsed man must feel in procuring' personal sure-
ties, must increase of course in exact proi-'urlioa to
the extent of his distress. This is, howeiir, under
any modilication, a teui[)orary e\|>(,(lier,t ; — i have
shewn that tin.' e\il is radical and j)t:ruianeut.
The present av<.'r;i^e produce of coK>iues in
IJritish possession, is lOO or 120,0()() ho;;>>heaiis he-
yond the home eonsumption ; a n't^uhir dcniaiid
for this must be found. J3iit the new colonies are
<'apal)le of a still further increase, '^rrinidada i sj)e-
dl
\\ hat is to lie done here r — Is she t
o !i{
V
ro-
scrihed, and her cultivation no further jiiMir.iited r —
Thiit were har<l measure (l<alt (»ut to the cupiln'.anfs.
^ et she is virtually proscribed fioni the lirowth of
su^a.r l)y the abolition, so far as she is concerned, of
the African slave traile. — What must be done ? ller
rulti\ation must be directed to another pro<luee, 1(j
V. 'mcU her [u-esent po[uilatioii bliull be com])ete;it ;
50 .
4. ..r»ffpo for use in Great
.,n.l I incline to suggest coftee,
ai.ca .t Tlu. ,deu is new to you, an<i ..umberlcss
«e„t .0 .emovethen, ; but -'-»l^---"^»*^,"";^^
,« ,he least, .n.^ China the .nost nr-i-rovcd country
in the world, in arts and manufactures.
1 am, dear Sir,
Your's, &c.
Charles Bosanquet.
:\
reat
rless
pre-
dada
iintry
SUPPLEMENT,
qiiet.
vJn sending- this Letter ii second
time to the press, I have attentively repemsed the
various covrimunications which have been made to
ine, in coiisequence of its first pubhcation ; but as
not'jino- arises out of any of them to invalidate my
state,;ients, or disprove my arj^ument^i, I have dtem-
ed it needless to make either additions or altera-
tions.
The possibility of such n result to the grower of
Mif-ar, as is j)rodiiced by my calculation'^, has been
<loubted. As an averai^e result, I am iuily satislied
of its correctness. Estates v.hose sui;ar - .ue tine, and
expences low, if such there be, will of course make
more tlian average returris ; but estates of a contrary
description will fall below tluun.
Ill the intr-rvrdof time which has occiu-red since
the first i)ubIication of this Letter, the distress has
increased, as 1 foresaw it would, to ^uch a degree
•* as to comnumd assent ;" and we see Parliameut
il
52
<ngag( (1 in various, but I fear unavailing, measure:*
to adnunistcr relief.
The additional bounty on double refined sui^ar
is a wibe and just measure, as it removes a positive
bar to exportation when the demand oceurs ; but it
has no tendency to oTrt/e demand. This can only
be effected by increased consumption ; and it is a
subject of regret that the distilleries and brcueries,
which will ultimately he resorted to as a remcdt/, tvhnt
the disorder is at the height, are not timely re-
curred to, to prevent its increase.
It has lately occurred to me, that an additional
aro-ument to prove the inadequate return of a British
\N e>t India property, miglit be dra\vn from a com-
paribon of British with foreign \\ est India returns.
It has been shewn that, durint^ the last six years,
the average net return to the British planter has
been at the rate of £6 4s. 7d. per hogshead of
13 Cwt. or 100 such hogsheads .t'6.>2 18 4
The accounts of an estate in the
Danirsh Island of St. Croix now lie before
me, in which the net profit to the owner,
after all expences paid, is at the rate of
£l2 10s. per hoj^shead, or on 100 hogs-
heads 1250 d
which is exactly double the produce in Britain ; unci
in fact this estate, being the property of an English
gentleman, has paid l^roperty Tax in Great Britain,
sit a rate rather (exceeding this average per hof.^s-
head.
, I
53
t)
iUl(l
tain.
>o-s.
"
t.
H
Should it be thouj^ht that these superior pro-
ceeds arise fronv the peculiar tiiieuess of the sugar,
or other favourable circumstances, I can only say,
that if the fact be so, contact with Britain neutralises
these advantages. — In 1799, St. Croix was taken by
the English, and the j)roduce sent to England.
Eighty hogsheads were sold in London, and produced
(without reference to expences of cultivation)
jf744 t)s. Gd., or about jf9 O's. 8d. per hogshead.
Forti/ wevf reshipped to Copenhagen, where they pro-
duced £754 5s. 5d., or nearly i? 1 9 P'-'r hogshead ;
so that the proprietor lost 50 per cent, by the con-
signment of his produce to his own hands : for the
dirt'erence of freight from St. Croix to Copenhagen,
or from London to Copenhagen, was probably
compensated by the extra insurance to Great Britain
in time of war, the waste and expences incurred by
delivery and reshipment in London.
I will add one case more, to prove depreciation.
An estate in a British colony, settled by an ancestor
of the present possessor in the reign of Charles IL
was let, between the years 1750 and I760, under
circumstances not favourable to a high rent, at
i.^2100 sterling. The estaie has been many years
in hand, and 27 acres of land have been added to
it ; it has been under good management, and is in
every respect an advantageous property. I should
not know how to tix a value upon it, under present
^.ircumstances ; but I find that, two or three years
tfince, a gwutleiDau well quaUUed to jud|^e of its
64,
merits, and desirous to raise its value in the eyes of
the proprietor, fixed on £1700 as the rent which
might be obtained for it; so that in fifty years this
estate ha^ lessened in annual value £400! — What
is the present rent of an English property, let in
the year 1755 at SeOO- guineas per annum— is it
£4000 or 5000 ?
f^"
j^
of
;h
lis
at
in
it
#"