IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 U|21 12.5 *^ w |2.2 I!? 144 ™™ S Ui |||||20 I.I 1.25 * V % ^ W^ V oji Hiotographic Sciences Corporation m \ «^ \\ -r^^ *» <* ^^ ^\'^q\ '•^^'» °:*%"<^<^ "C^^^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 > %i CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notas tachniquaa at bibiiographiquaa Tha Inatituta has attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may b* bibliographlcally uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantiy changa tha uauai mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. 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I I PREFACE. nPHE materials upon which this Pamphlet is founded, were collefted during the fummer, with a view of throwing every poflible light upon a fubjeft, of fuch importance to the Commercial Interefts and Naval Power of this Kingdom, and which was fo foon to become one of the great objefts of Parliamentary Inquiry and De-^ ' liberation. It is now fubmitted w^ith •^f i ( vi ) with the iitmoil: deference to the Pahlic, thoufrh with th.e fullcft conviction on the fide of the Writer, of the jufhiefs and truth of the i(:ntinicnts it conveys. Every precaution ncceniiry to pro- civ;e the bcft infonnatioji on the fiibjeft, has been taken. Former and recent accounts have been re- vifcd and coninajcd. Thofe of the Cuflom-houre (which are in p'cnera I nn nerfecl J i^ ■; i>( 1 vc neen ex- mined with otlicrs taken in the d •t% bv Gi;.ercnt port^^, by pcrions particu- larly informed in them. A dille- rence vv'ill appear in th.e tonnage Oi tiic ill ins em 'i- <-H-»-« •-> ( < ^■^ r-^ i I 'iV / ; cCi ill our com- meicej ( vii ) mcrcc, from the former accounts which have been o-lven to tlie ] Public. The latter have been generally taken from the Cuftom-^ houfe Book^i, wliicli, in many in. ftances, are incorreft. The re. gifters of flijps, in almoft all cafes whatever, are very greatly under the real burthen ; and the foreio-n CD fliipii are not diflinguiflied with fafficient accuracy from Britifli built. This has occafioned great trouble in procuring proper infor. mation. But as a great part of this information has been derived from perfonal knowledge, and >yhere that has been in any fliape de- 'f ( viii ) tlcficicnt, no pains have been fparcd in procuring it, the Writer can have no doubt, but that the feveral material, as they arc given with fidelity, will be found as correft, as tjie nature of the fub- J^ will poffibly admit. been ^riter the ;iven i as fub-« ■T* CONSIDERATIONS, &c. WH E N a man of rank, confid*- ration, and of a chara^ler to which rcfped is due, gives the fandion of his name to opinions in which matters of the greateft national importance arc involved, his fituation in life, operating with the interefling nature of the fubjcdl, can fcarcely fail to attrad thje public at- tention. But, if thefc opinions have been adopted without a proper confidera- tion of the fubjed ; if, embracing grfia^ob- je61s of policy and commerce, they are iounded on falfc principles ; if they tend to obftrud the happieft movements of i . . B ... Govcrn- t> I n w ( 4 ) r»ovcrnmcnt, and to lead the Public intc^ the atloptioii of fcniUi cms aiid princi- ples hi^lily injurKHis to their intcrcfls, the popular circiunftauces under which they w^ie ufliercd into the world, Icrve, by giving authenticity to error and dclu- fioii, to render them more pernicious and (langcious. In fuch circumflances, it becomes the duty of thofc who are pofTcfTed of know- ledge and information on the fubjc^i, and who are aware of all the mifchief and danger which would attend the adoption of fuch a fyft^m, to endeavour to prevent the Public from being milled by a fallaci- ous reprcfentation ; and, by an appeal to authentic documents, to fet them right in matters of fuch vaR importance to their commercial intcrefls. At the fame time that they deliver their fcntiments with tance of Jic '<> fubjca ( ^- .J ) fubjcdl requires, they fliouIJ likcwifcdo it Willi the rclpcd that is due to ihc charader ol the Writer, and a deference to thi h)Otivcs which maj be fuppnled to have influenced him : In their origin, perhaps, ihefc might be good; but, whether from a communication with dcfigning or ill- informed men, or from whatever other caufc, producing, in tlie evcni, efTcd* miferably bad — In the hopes of making Tuch a Writer feel a fcnfc of the d iger^ We may repeat to him the following ad- Vice from the I'oet : ...... — '■ — ■ incfclis per ignes Suppojftos c'mct't tlolojo. ' ' ■■ The noble Author of the Obfervatigns upon the Commerce of the American States, did not weigh with the caution a fubjed of fuch magnitude required, the confequences of thofc principles which he has endeavoured fo ftrbngly to inculcate. B 2 He " t ■■ ( c ) He is defirous of convincing us, that tFir:^ Nation, deprived ot great and powerful Colonies in North America, can fupport kfelf by the means of its European Com- Hjerce, in an equally advantageous man- ner ; that the Weft India Iflands may have the full benefit of their antient fup- plies of lumber and provifions, either from this country, or our two remaining Colo- nies of Nova-Scotia and Canada : In Iliort, that we may now have as full ant enjoyment of Commerce, in as great an extent, and to as great advantage, as in thofe times when the American States formed a part of our Empire* Such are the principles which this Writer lays down, treating as " wild fal- *' lies of the imagination," every attempt to procure the reftoration Of our former commercial greatnefs, by the renewal of ^ clofe connci^ion with America; the- very ( 1 ) %ery ineans by which we attained i^ He derives no fmall advantage^ in the fupport of this erroneous doclrinc, from the oppor- tunity which the prefent (late of things affords him, of playing upon the paflions of a people, fore with the lofs of a great and valuable part of their empire. But, if any faith is to be placed in experience, if there is any truth in the relation of the plain and fimple facls which will be given in thecourfe of this Work, relative to the former trade bet^veen Great Britain and America, the reftoration of that trade, in as full and ample a manner as is confident with the fovcrcignty of each, is flill fully practicable ; and we have it happily yet in our power to make that country, formerly the child of our fairefl hopes and expe^aiions, our (irmen; and inoR ufeful friend iu future. 11 we have but patience to fiiHcr tficir prefent paf- fivns to lublide, naiJions which the full attain- i i iVi ( 8 ) alialiimeiit of Independence mufl natii- tally excite in them, there is no reafort to doubt of our obtaining every advan- tage which can arifc from the flridcft commercial union. However great their obh'gations are to France, manners, lan- guage, and anticnt habits, wi-il be too> powerful opponents for that iiation td overcome. The greatefl; bar to the fettlement o£ tlic American trade upon a liberal foun- dation, and the main fupport of the ar- guments of the noble Author, is the at- tachment of this country to the Ad of Navigation. This is a flronghold, fortified with all the ftrengtl: that can be derived from old habits ; from former experience of its advantages in our Commerce, fandi- fied by the opinions of the beflWriters upoil Trade at the time of its being palTcd ; and delivered dov.'a from father to Ion, as a principle i ( 9 ) principle not even to be queftioncd. It is given to us by its fupporters as the Marilima Charts, the great Charter of our Commerce. There would have been no necelTuy of bringing this Ad to the queflion, had not th« late Revolution in America taken place ; for we had, by the means of oi^r Colonies, attained to fo great a command ^f the carrying trade in all parts of the world, that the Navigat on A61 became no longer of ufe in fupporting our Com- merce. From being a facred palladium on which the fafcty of the Empire refted, it was, at length, become no more than a partial fe- curity for the monopoly of our American Colonial Trade ; for, in many inftancc^ we were obliged to furrenJer it to them. But it had the veneration of our fore- fathers to recommend it, and it was fi part of our duty, on that account, to pa]f it II r li ( >» ) it the fame reverence. In their time, the trade ot the kingdom was in the hands of a few opulent men ; but when our Co- lonies increafed in flrengih, and the Principles of Commerce became better known, its extenfion exceeded imagi- Tiation *, and even furpaQ'ed the wonder- ful Republic ot the United Provinces, which had turned its dreary fens into "warehoufes, filled with the richefl mer- chandize of every ojuarter of the globe,- and from wanting food for its own fub- fiftence, had flored its granaries with iood for nations. With even fuch rivals, the goodnef^ of our fhips, the facility of working them, the Ikill and adivity of our feamen, and the expedition with wliich they conveyed goods from market to market, gave them a preference in every port that they entered. The na^ tuial means then to regain this preference. < ' H i^|j!! ( '■ ) is to recur to the means by which it wa^ obtained* The prefent fupporters of the Naviga- tion Ad proceed upon the fame prin- ciples, with rcfped to the American States, as the framers of ihat Ad did with irefped to the Dutch. The quality of induflry is, however, the only circum- flance common to thofe nations. Every other widely differs. The Dutch had been long our enemies ; were our rivais both in commerce and manufadure \ they lived at our doors ; and participated to fuch a degree in every branch of our trade, that they carried away almofl the whole profits. A vigorous mcafure was therefore neceffary for our prefervation. The Navigation Ad was palled, and much praife is due to the authors of it ; fincc it fully anfwered the moft fanguine ex- pcdauons of the Merchants, and merited C the ( I* ) the commendations which Sir Jofiah Child, one of thofe great traders, gives it. The Americans, on the contrary, cannot for ages be our rivals in manu- fadure ; they live at a diftance that will always prevent an interference contrary to our inclinations \ they have been our fubjeds, and the great means of our being maders of the carrying trade, their >[hlp- ping forming, in the comparative view of the fhlpping of Great Britain and its de- pendencies, :;bout one-half part ; and of the {hipping of Great Briiain only, above one-third. If we therefore exclude them in future, we have no means left to us, with equal facility and cheapnefs, of fup- plylng their places, and retaining that carrying trade to which the Author of the Publication alluded to is laudably de- voted. We differ in the means of fup- portmg this trade, though we agree upou the advantage of it. 1 -m ( '3 ) • t ft ■ I To demonftrate, therefore, our inabi- lity to prefervc it, without the afRftancc of America, better evidence cannot be produced than the account of the adual fhips employed in the Commerce of this Ifland, and the places where they were built. Of thefe, the number of fhips built in the American States formed about one- third. If the account is extended to the trade of the whole Empire, in which the Well Indian connexion with America makes a large additional pait the num- ber will be about one-half. The account of theftiips employed in the Commerce of Great Britain, at the beginning of the American war, and at this time, are as follows. The number of Clips or the tonnage, differ very little. At the former period there was about 1300,000 tons ; at the latter nearly the fame. The fhips were built in the following countries : G 3 Northerai ( 14 ) Nortlicrn parts of Great Britain Southern — Ireland — • Britifh Colonies flill remaining American States — Foreign countries — » Sliip^ 2,419. 163 2.342 6,434 1,260 being 7,694 fiiips employed in tlie commerce of Great Britain at the commencement of the war. At this time the numbers are as follows, VIZ. Built in the Northern parts of Great Britain — Southern — Ships, 2,226 1,0 8 8 Carry over 3SH ( «5 ) Brought forward • Ireland — ' Britifli Colonies flill remaining American — • , Foreign countries Ships. 144 104 1 126 4,68$ 2,892 7.580 But as a proportion ought to be allowed of the foreign fiiips for prizes, which will replace fuch of our veflcls as were taken by the enemy, the accounts will nearly be, Britifh ^ ^,,^^ • Foreign ^ 2^ ^26 7 ^5^0 Ox coufideri]ig ike American fhips -s ibreign, .Foreign Brltllh and Iispt-efeiat dependencies 4,028 ""• 3-55'2 " ■ ■ W lil^ 7,580 1'he i I i ( «^ ) *t*HE foregoing account proves, in the firic place, that at this time American built Ihips, being conficlered as foreign, Clips of that dcfcription form fcven parts in fifteen, or nearly one half of the (hip- ping employed in the Commerce of Great Britain, after proper allowance is made for the prizes taken by us, to fup^^ly the places of thofe taken by the enemy. And next, that although for the want of fup- ply, the American fliips were reduced more than one half, yet that the deficiency \vas not fupplicd by Britifh fliips, but by vcffels foreign built, of ^vhich the North- ern Nations fupplied the far greater num- ber ; aiid fo great was the conveniency of foreign bottoms, that even the Italian States fupplied above one hundred. This view of the flate of our Ihipping, points out to us the necefTity of endea- vouring to convince thofe of their errorsi who % 1 ( ^7 ) ivlio arc for calling away our former Cq- lonial Commerce with a marked difdain ; Icfliheeflablifhment of their prefumptuous opinions (hould be the means of its being lofl to us, and with it every hope of our ever regaining the carrying trade. Ame- rica was always cMe to fiipply us with Ihips thirty per cent, clicaper than they could be built in Great Britain, even with the difadvantage of having the cordage, fails, and ftores, exported from hence.* Cargoes of goods were often fent out in barter for fliips ; which, as well as fliips built for fale, making a freight home, the purchafe could be made on flill cheaper terms by the Britilh Merchant. This ad- vantage in purchafe, enabled our Mcr- * In New England, the fhip-builders will now contraft for building fliips, ut 3I. fterling per ton, including the joiner's work. chants ( rS ) chants to trade iipDii a Icfs capital, of coiirfc fubjcct to kfs iiifuiancc and inie- rcfl of iiioncv. Not onlv all ilic parDofcs of our own CuuiniLicc, but thofc of the carrying trade, ^vcrc fully anrvvcred. They were alfo frt jucut')- purchalcd in Ftigland by foici3op p Q C ^x ) ABritinifliipof loQtons, willcoft £. s. «f, to fea .^ _ Intereil of money par 1 annum ^.6^ q ^ Infurance about fix pounds per cent, per ^nnum 78 o o Which, together with intereft upon it for ten years, will amount to 1,799 «S fuppofing the fiiip, 9t the end of that time, to fell for ;C- 3*099 15 o 599 ^5 o There will remain /. 2,500 o o A Britiih plantation fliip of 100 tons, purchafed in England, will coft to fea «^ Interefl of money per annum ' ^.^q ^ ^ Infurance at the fame rate as tlie Briti/h ^^'P - 48 o o 800 o o Carry over ^f .88 o o D 2 ;^.80O o o n \ Brought forw:^rd 88 o o 800 o q Which, together with intereft upon it for ten years, will amount to 1,105 1 1 a £.1,905 II ' I ; I To carry this comparifon yet farther — The /American fiiipping employed in the Commerce of Great Britain (exclufive of the trade between America and the Weft Indies) at the commencement of the Ame- rican , c •( ^4 ) rican war, was 398,000 tons, which, at 13I. per ton, will cod £^-55i74,oo(> SI. per ton — ^ 3,i84,ooQ Making a difference of jT.ijgpo.ooo Additional capital employed in our fhip- ping, or above 2i8,oool. per annum» for interefl of money and infurancq charged upon our trade. The American built fiiips, which have been given in the account of the ftiipping employed in the Commerce of Great. Britain, mud not be confounded with thofe fhips which carried on the trade be- tween this country and America. The former were incorporated In the general body of our ftiipping, of which the American trade was only a part, and which was carried on by the American Merchants ( «5 ) Merchants in any flilps, whether of the built of Creat Britain, America, or any- other country, indifferently, as they came into poffeflion of them, or chartered them for the voyage. The account, there- fore, of the American built (hips in our trade, the burthen of which was 398,000 tons, mufl be confidered as ap- plicable only to the purpofe of (hewing the flate of our (liipping, from whence we drew our fupplics, and how the de- ficiency is to be filled up, ftiould the American built veflels in future be ex- cluded. '■ 1 : It will be ufeful to us, to take into our confideration the flate of the (hipping^ employed in the Commerce of America before the war. There not being the fame regularity in furveying the trading vclTels of that country, as is praftifed ii^ Great liriiain, and the Cuflom-houfc books :■ '!>■ u Books nbt difllnguifhiiig the voyages which eacih fhip made in the year, it is not pof- fible to give {(^ very exa^l an account* But good iilfonTlation,colleded with care, and compared with the produce of the difFerent States, td which equal attention has been paid to procure the beft ac- counts, very fully fupply the deficiency; fufficiently, at leaR, to give us a very jufl idea of the flate of their fhipping. Be- fore the war, the number of veflels, of all defcriptions, employed in tranf- porting the produce of the American States to Europe, the Weft Indies, and other parts of America (exclufive of thofe employed in coafting in the Creeks and Rivers in each State, of which no account is neceffary to be given, as they had no conne(^ion wMth any foreign trade) a- mounted to above 4,400, and were of the burthen of upwards of 400, aoo tons. They were thus divided : In ( ^1 ) Ships. In khe European trade were employed aboiit la the Weft India and Coafting Trade In the New England fl/hery, belies thof^ employed in Carrying the plrodiice to mar- ket, which are in* eluded in the above Tons, 1,226 195,006 ■ ( *»099 ^9^*^-^^ 4*469 400,775 Of thefe, the (hipping employed in tlie Weft India and Coafting Trade, and in the Fiftieries, were aliiibft wholly Ameri-^ can property, and manned by American ibamen ; as on the contrary, ehofe in the European trade (which ^ere '^b6iit one half of the ftlipping employtd in the Com- merce of the American States) were gene* ^ rally r^^^. ( 28 ) I'aliy the property of Britifli Mcrchanf^^ navigated by Britifh feamen, and carrying to the markets of Great Britain, direcllv' or circuitoufly (the latter in a fmall pro- portion only) the product of thefe States We should be faithlefs fie Wards, in- deed, of the talents which have been in- truded to our care, fhould we reject a Commerce, in every refpe6l beneficial ta this country; fiipporting our carrying trade, by employing a gj^eat number of veflels, particularly in the tranfport of the bulky articles of the Middle and Southern States ; and forming no lefs than a fixth part of oiir wliole (hipping, equal, if not fuperior to that of our Weft India Colonies* Thefe States have neither the ability or Inclination to carry it oii for themfclves ; nor will they ever be induced either tc4 employ their own exertions, or make ufer of the ihippin^ of our European neigh- „ . bonrs^ ( ^9 ) faqursv, for the purpqfe, if We will under- take it in a manner fatisft£tory to them. This we rnay do with equal fatisfaftipn ;lnd advantage to ourfejves, There is one, and orre argument alone, which can he urged, with any appearanca of rcafqn, in; favour of that fyftem which confine^ our (hipping within the bounds of our own country, It is founded in de- fpair ; and fuppofcs that the national debt isc beeome fo enormous^ the taxes upon trade fo great, and a relaxation of fpirit fo general, that our own dripping will be abundantly mqre than fufficjcnt for all the purpofes of our Commerce. |f tb^fe me-e lancholy furmifes prove to be fa£l:s, the game vhlch we are playing, to preferve the carrying trade, is at an end ; and we (hall find fufficicnt difficulty to keep even the immediate navigation of Great Britain and* Ireland in a tolerable condition. Whatever E ? opinion i ( 5» ) opinion may b^ formed of the bad fituation the country is in, thp man who rccom^ p^ended a£ling upon fuch defperate priur ciples, would find himfelf feverely con^ dcmned, even by thofc very people whq cppceived tl^at opinion. They would very properly tell him, that exertions ought at leaft to he made, to recoyer, as far as wc ivercable, ^he lofles we have fuftained. A \'ery confiderable part of c ur dominions have been torn frpm us. ^nt though its fove- rpignty is gone, wepught not to fit quietly down, ur ^.er an ii^fatupted blindnefs, and be witneffes of its Commerce following, when it is In our pwn power to retain it ; and by that means put ourfelyes in a conditio^ to recoyer our former commercial, and iu confequence, our national greatnefs. Let us not lie down, like men in defpair ; but he active, rcfolute, and work out our faU vation with fplrit and perfeverance. It ( 3' ) It will be proper to take a view of the fcrmerColonlal Commerce of this coxintiy, ill order to foriri a judgment of its value. At the beghiniiig of this century, the ex-^ ports to Nprth America and the Weft In- dies were * jC'4^3'^^5 Africa • 86,665 jC-5 69^930 The Exports were, on a medium, from 1739 to 1756, North America only jf. 1,000,000 Weft Indies ? 700,000 Africa ^ 1 80,000 From 1756 tp 1773, North America - jf. 2,309,000 Weft Indies ^. x, 100,000 Africa •• 470,000 Oi> amediuniqf the years 1771, 1772, Jiforth 4n^erica • J['3jS^'^9^°^ Weft C 3- ) Weil Indies ^« jT. 1,300,00a Africa ■• » • • 700,00a And proportioning fuch a part of the Afri-. can Traders as belonged to Nortli America, the exports will be found to be, at a mc-* dium, of the three yczx^ before the war, North America Weft ludiea From Scotland. jr.3,6 50,000 1,850,000 >r.5,5oo,ooa 400,000 Or in pu)poition of two thirds, to Nv-.h An-trica, nnd one third to tjie Weft Indies, The proportion of Britilh goods to fo^ reign goods, exported from hence to North America aiKi the Weil Indies, were to the former, three fourths Brltifh and one fourth foreign 5 ( 33 ) fi)rcign ; to the latter, two thirds Britlih nrul one third foreign. The exports of Brltifh maim f.K'ilu res will then be in this jproportiou ; North America Weft Indies ^.2,737,000 1,234,000 The accounts which wefc taken by ^.iithority in America, of the imports from Great Britain previous to tlie war, arc fomewhat, though not materially^ dif- ferent. They were cfti mated as follows : To the four New England States * New York * - Pennlylvania i* Virginia and Maryland North Carolina * South Carolina * Georgia • • jr407,ooc^ 531,000 650,000 865,000 25,000 365,000 5o,ooc^ Carry over j^. 2,893,090 If,, ( ^4 ) Brought forward jf .2,89^,6^01 jfcrfcy and Delaware no cfli* matei ftippofe • jo,oo'(3 Sterling jf. 2, 9 43, 00a .a 1^ TriEi alboVe rtafe, as well as tlie other calculations, are takeii from adlual fur- veys of the fhipping, and from evidence and papers laid before Parliament. The increafe of the North American export trade has been aftonifhing. It had its rife almofl in this century, and within fb' ihort a fpace attained to the immcnfe fum of three millions fterling ; whilft that of our Weft Indian Colonies has not attained to half that amount. Such an increafe of trade, of courle' demanded an increafe of fhipping. We laund it in thofe States which the fup- porter» (^' ( 55 ) jpt)rters of the contracted fyftetti of ftavi* jgatioil are ftrivihg to tear from us, and Who h^ve the means, in time, of depriv- ing us and every other njltion of the carry- ing trade. They have excellent harbours, and they build (hips cheaper than any other people; The improvements they jnake in that art ate exceedingly rapid. If we choofe t6 procure them from thefe ports, once fo familiar to us, by a free admiffion of them, of wheri they are the joint property of the inhabitants Of both countries, it is in our power to do it. We ihall then fecure our fupply of (hipping, as well as the manufactures of cordage, fail-cloth, and many other ftores necef* fary for the fitting oUt fhips, which they \vill otherwife buy of the Northern Powers, or manufaClute there for them- felVes. ' They have as good hemp as any Jn the world, and naval ftores in great plenty ; fail-cloth they can import, of p equal , i. !-i ■ { 36 ) Cflual qualityj and upon cheaper terms j. than frpm this- country.. Of their in* duftry and perfeverance, we haye had the. moil convincing proofs. We experienced the good efFe£ls of their commercial fpirit before the war ; we were witnelTes to theie qualities in them, under all the feverity of that calamity. We beheld their fhips of war, and almoft their fy^hole trade, nearly annihi-*- lated at various times ; .yet, they were conti- nually building more, which were as fuccef- iively taken from them ; and there were not wanting variety of infcances, where veffels being taken, were repeatedly replaced by the owners with others, to an incredible number. In one inftance, not lefs than thirteen times. When they could not procure carpenters to build for them, they bought moulds of veffels and built for themfelves. Examples like thefe, ought to teach us the wiidom of fecuring a people, who arc fo capable of being made ufefujf ( 37 ) • ufefui friends, or aftive enemies. It would be prudent to bid gvcxx high for fuch ini^ ^uftrloUS confumers of our manufadlures i much more fo, when we fhall not only lofe the carrying traile, without'their afliftancdi; but even find difficulty in carrying on OM^ ovfiv- — at leaft in carrying it on to equal ad-'' vantage ; and with refpe£t to the danger o^ lofing our ferrimen, the clofer our conne£lion- with America^ thQ n;iorc effedually we fliall prevent it* ^ ' ^ • - • ' A GREAT flrefsislaid upon the neeeflity which the Americans will be under to pur-« chafe Englifh goods, from their not being able to procure them in any other country ilpon fuch cheap and advantageous terms. It is, however, a hazardous attempt to drive them to this neceffity. Mankind are formed of materials which have a great aptitude to r^fift, when force is employed. They may be led, but cannot eafily be -1 F 2 driven. m ( 38 ) driven. Wc certainly manufadurc maiiy Ipecies of goods, cheaper and better thai^ 3ny Qthef nation. T{aefe are coarfe \vooU Jens pf every kind, worfled fluffs, iron ware^ nails, cutlery, common earthei; V^a^e, glafs, tobacco pipes, worfted and cptton flpckings, ihoes, buttons, hats, all kinds of Manc:befter and Norwich goods, €\k ribbons, lewing filk, tin plates, flieet le?^d, and all forts of lead and plumbers^ work ; pewter, copper, and brafs ware 5 painters' colours, cordage, ihip chandlery, upholftery, and cabinet ware; llidlery, gunpowder, books, ftationary, beer, and porter. There may be fpme articles omit- ted in this enumeration. The American^ already manufadure cordage, fail-cloth^ hats, blockings, glafs, and porter^ , . Pyf; they are in a forced flate, and will net be brought to a perfection yielding profit, if they have a free and fatisfadtory trade with ^his country, as they wiU b^ able to im-^ . - . . port ( 39 > port cheaper than they can manufa^ure. Toreafon, as the Author of the Obferva- tlons does, upon Ariierica's iiot having any coal, claj', flint, or fimilar jnaterials for manufafture, and to recommend " the ♦* {hutting up the collieries of Cape Bre- ** ton, iji order to encourage our own ^' coals, gnd the carrying trade," hardly merits a ferious anfwer. It is the firll time that coal was fuppofed to afford profit to (hips carrying it fuch a voyage. Let us not deceive ourfelyes by fuch ideas. Ame- rica is 1,300 myes in extent along the Coaft. In 4epth impieiifely great, and con- tains all that is tQ he found in Europe, phe has coal in abundance, cl^iys of the finefl kind; and in thefe heavy, cheap articles (except cafually for ballaft) (he pannot be fupplied from diftant countries ; \)Mt vi^hen (he is in want of them, flie jjauft provide herfelf at home. ■M Upoit 1^ ii ( '40 ) * Upon many of thele goods wc alreacK* giant confiderclble bounties, to encoura^Q their exportation. Thefe will, in courfe, Se continued. They are, ' ' •' ^ - •J ■ ■ • / -N ,•-.'.'» • . . • . . I . i. It I. • . \ -l ^ / I. • i,. . „ On gunpowder 4s, 6d, per 1 00 pouu4 , .On linen , ^ to- t|d. per yard , QnM-cloth :i r: 2d. per ^11 r , >» On filk . :; :l6d. to 4s. per pound, ac^ cording to the different qiialitie^. .-^ Qn refined fugar z6s^^ pQr 1 1 2 pounds - On cordage 2S. 4ld. per 112 povnds^ .yjj if exported to E^yrope^ and which '..J ihould likewife be extei:i.<}ed to Americ^^ 1 to thai afl( ,ex] Eni trail ,. Of thcfe, manufa£lures, fjk will be, prcfervcd partially. The lefler parts ma^. nufaCtured at Coventry, and the mixture of it with cotton and worfted at Mauchefter and Norwich^ have fo much greater neat- ntis and fancy than thofe of other coun- tries, that they will certainly coirrmand' ? ^n-efercnce. The other parts of the filk manu- .^'^ vi ( 41 ) tnanufiiiSlure have too many dlfadvaiUng^ to contend with, to expcd any other fal^ than what may arife from bcnig part of aflbrtcd cargoes of goods. The , greater .cxpence of raw materials and wages in England, mufl; fecure, in every cafe, this trade to France, , . TfiE great Sounty on refmed fugar fccms to give it a preference at almofl any market. The Americana, however, appear to be very jealous of its introduction, and have laid extraoidinary duties upon it in fomc States. For ginipowder and cordage we may expert a demand ; but the manufac- ture of Hul-cloth is in danger of being loil: to us, the quality of that commodity being excellent, and to be procured on cheap terrn^;, i» other countries. If we admif the American (hipping upon terms, this manufacture, as well as thofe of cordage. and ::,..;... f. k ■'I :, n I \...l:\ i I ''Ill ,! ■ ( 4i ) and {btnt other kinds of ihip-ftores^ itiiy be rendered fecure* * " ' r.'i ' . Wfi: have otic chatlcc of* prcfervlng the linen trade, by the foftriefs o£ texture of the Irifh linert* The threads are more un- equal j and therefore niore pliable, than the! German; a quality which is generally preferred iil linen* If the Americans continue to be fupplied with goods from this country, there does not appear to be any abfolute neCeflity for taking away the remaining duties on fo*^ reign goods exported 1 But no more mu{| be exafted than on goods exported to other foreign countries. It would without ^oubt be an encouragement ; but the reve-* nue is in fuch an impaired ftate, that if it incurs this reduftion, fome other addition mufl be made to it. The demands of the Merchants in America, will not for a con-. fiderabler fi( ca ( 43 ) liderable time be equal tb the fal'e o£ whote cargoes of any one fpecies of goods \ and the port charges attending veflels lading in different places, Will exceed the favings made by purchafing the foreign goods they want in any part of Germany or the Baltic, of ./hich they are the growth or manufac ture^ It will often happen, that a ihip is ordered to return home with fuch a quan- tity as may be wanted from any of the above ports to which they have brought a cargo. But this will be accidental^ and is not connected with the aflbrted cargoes of goods, which the Americans will give or* ders for to this country* Foreign goods generally form a fourth part of an aflbrted cargo* ,; ^ . .,. ..:■ . ^, , ^ _, ^^ There are many articles which Ame-* rica will ftipply herfelf with, by the re- turn of her veflels from the SoutherQ parts of Europe, without coming to Eng- G land ; , ( ! I fc f™ pf< irH ;( !ifil ( 4* ) Jant! ; fuCh as filk, wine, oil, and other produiftions of thofe countries. The cli- mate of the Southern parts of the United States is fo pfcrfcdly well adapted to the Culture of thefe articles, that in time they will fupply themfelves. They have no other difficulty to contend with, than what arifes from the infancy of thofe parts of the country. They want only manage* ment and fufficient population, to furnifh themfelves with every produ6l of the fineft countric& of Europe and the Eaft. They will l>e in pofleffion of thefe advantages long before they turn their views to ma- nufa£ture. We fiiall always find a pro- te£tion to ours in the greater profit, health, and enjoyment, which attend hufbandry, tfpecially in a country where the finefl land mdy be had for the culture. The in- habitants of fuch countries will prefer pur- chafmg to the manufacturing of goods, for their own ufe. Neceflity has fbme- tmic^i ( 45 ) times driven them to it. Cotton and fla?; they have ; and lb long fmce as the war ot X739» the Carolinians, on the mif- carriage of tlicir European I'upplles, manu- fa(£lured cloathing for their Negroes. In the hack countries they yet manufadure for their immediate ufe : Very much in the fame manner as was formerly pradlifed in this kingdom, (probahly, in the interior parts of Wales and Scotland the cuflc m may fiili continue ; if not, it is in the re- membrance of many perfons of our times) wliere all the apparel and linen, neceflary for the family, were made in it. They fowed the feed, raifed the flax, drefled it, and prepared both that and the wool for manufadure, which was performed witliin tlieir own domain. Their wants were not many, and thefe were fupplled am )ng themfelves. But as it happened in Eng- land, it will happen in this part of Ameri- ca ; the country will be better peopled, ' G % the til '■■■d ( 46 ) the roads will l)e more opened, and they Vrill find it more profitable to purchalo goods than to manufadlure themt ir Thb exportation of goods from Americc^ comes next under confideration, and how far it may be made ufefiil to us. The United Stat-js of North America may be divided into three parts, each having a particular connecUon with the different States of which it is compofcd. The firft in order is New England, whole trade chiefly confifls In ihips built for fale, in exporting lumber and provifions 5 but niore particularly in the fiilieries, which they have puriued with great fucccfs. The fecond divifion is from the River Hudfoi-^ to the Chefiipeal:, including the States of New-York, the Jerlcys, Penniylvania, De- laware, Maryland, and Virginia, all con- nected together by a trade hmilar to each other; principally in wheat, flour, to-. bacco. ( 4-/ ) bacco, building (hips, lumber, and provlfions. •^Thc lafl divifion is North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, the former of \vhlch produces v%heat, lumber, and iiaval-ftorcs ; the latter, rice, indigo, lumber, naval-ftores, and provifions. — This is the outline of the Commerce of America, To fpeak more particularly, wei muft begin with New-England, whofe great Commerce Is the fifhcrles of cod whale, mackrel, &c. from wnich are pro- duced ipermaceti, whale, and cod oil, and whale- bone ; together with fliips built for fale, pot-aihcs, fome naval-flores, ) 12,000 fifhermen and feamen. The in crcafe within a few years before the war was very great. The produce of the cod fifhery is divided into two-fifths of failed cod-fifh for the European market, remits tances for which were fent to Great Britain to pay for the goods ; and three-fifths for the Weft Indian market, to which place the mackrel and fhad were fent. The pro- duce of the whale fifhery is fpermaceti and whale oil, and whale bone, which, as well as the greater part of the cod oil, wa5 fent to Great Britain, and will yet 'center there, as it is the beft market they can procure for it. Our confumption of oil is very great, and a part of it, as well as whale bone, is necefTary to our manufac- tures, and therefore to be confidered as R raw material* The permiflion therefore to import it will be of fervice to both countries. There has been always a dif- ference in the duty charged upon thefe ar- H tides. "S* '»■! ( 5^ ) tides, according to the quality of the vtffels in whicii the filh were caught. Oil, and whaie fins, taken in fhips beJonghig to Great Britain, are iinported duty free. If taken In fliips belonging to the Plantations, oil pays twelve fhillings and fevenpence one fifth per ton, whale fins two pounds twelve iliillings and fixpence per ton. If taken in foreign fhipping, the duty amounts to a prohibition. The continuation of thefe duties, which are very moderate, will create no additional expence to our manufaclu- rers, or to the confumption of commodities neceil'ary to uSr \'' An idea has been faggeflcd, of fuffering furs to be imported duty free, provided a free pafl'age was granted to our Canadian fubje£ls through tiie American Slates* — • This is intended to remove any diladvan- tage which this country may derive from the boundary line cutting off the country ( S3 ) (Of ilie Illinois from Canada. At prefent, the Hudfon's Bay Company having fo great a prcponion of tliis trade, and the Ame- ricans, by their fituation, pofTcfling alfo a great part, what remains will be very infig- nlficant. It will be of expence to the Re- venue, as furs pay a duty on importation. Beaver, on account of our manufaclurc £>f hais, pays only id. i-2oth eaph Ikix). It is difficult to fay what may be the clTed, of taking away the bounty oti naval (lores. I'he quality of American tar and pitch is not equal to ihofe of the Bahic : There is a heat in the former, which does not agree with the manufac- ture of cordage fo well as the BaUic tar. The latter is alfo clearer; but the Ameri- can is equally good for other purpofes. The Legiflature, in order to give encou- ragement to its improvement, granted a H 2 bounty M IV ( 54 ) bounty of ten fhillings each barrel, under the denomination of green lar, dcfcribing the quahty which it was neccffary to have. Whether it was owin!» to want of care, or the difficuky of making it, very httle was fent from America entitled to this bounty. Common tar received a bounty, after de- eluding the duty which w^as paid on im- portation, of 4s. gd. each barrel. Pitch, in the fame manner, deducting the duty, about gd. the hundred weight ; and the duty upon turpentine exceeding the bounty, there was adually paid about 8d. the hundred weight •, mads and bow- fprits were fubjed to no duty, and re- ceived a bounty of 20s. the ton. The price of tar in general was from 7s. to gs, the barrel ; fome times it was as low as, 6s. wbilft at the fame time market, Baltic tar fcjld from 1 is. to 12s. Pltcli commonly |3rought5s.the hundred', and turpentin<:wa§ very ii ( 55 ) very variable in pilce. The bou.ity gene- rally paid the freight, which was a great en- couragement ; yet naval (lores were alway* an unprofitable remittance. By thefc bounties ceafing, the Revenue will be benefited, but the price paid by the con- fumers mufl increafe, and our fliipping and cordage may alfo be aife^led by it. The prices of the Baltic tar and pitch will rife in proportion ; for wherever the de- mand is increafed, the price increafes with it. I If the fame duties are charged upon American naval flores, as upon thofe of the Baltic, the former mufl give up the trade, as they will never be able to enter into competition with them. Their dif- tance, and the extraordinary cxpenccs they mud be at, forbid it. The fame reafon may be applied to mafls, which, pow receive a bounty of twenty fliillings the ( 56 ) the ton ; It is ibat bounty which can alone fuT)prjrt them againll tlia(c of the Baluc, where, by lonp^cr praclicc, the . render them of much better quality. In time, they wjil be improved in Aiuerica, where mails are to be had in ahiioll all parts. > The duties upon hemp, flax, pig and bar iron, and afhes, may be placed upon the fame ground as thofe of the Raltlc. If the charging them at Icfs, cjcates any rjlque of unplcafant dlfputes with Ruffia, there is no advantage to be obtained in this country by it, adequate to the confe- quence. The American hemj), though of an excellent flaple, is not well cleaned, and therefore not fo proper for uie as RtiOian. One principle, indeed, pleads r.rongly for its not pa}ing any duty, which is, its being a raw material ; but even iluu would not be a iufficient rcafon for making any difference in the duty, un- iefs ( 57 ) lefs it fliouUl be hoped, that It might prove the means of preventing the Ame- ricans from manufacturing their iron. li The free Importation of lumber and ftaves have been of fervice ; for as the quality is inferior to that oi tlie North of Europe, they arc purchafed on lower terms for cheaper purpofes, and will not in fa6l bear a duty. Dfer fklns are of great ufe to our ma- nufac^lurcs, and do not fufFer by the duty which they are charged with. No alte- ration is neceffary in the articles of cho- colate, fpermaceti candles, or other limi- lar articles, where an interference with our own manufaClures had occafioned high duties to be impofed. >n Mahogany, wain it, lignum vitx, or any wood ufed in the cabinet, joiners, or block- 1^ ( 58 ) block-makers trades, thoncjh not of itifc produce of the United States, yet their conveyar.cc through that cliannel having liithcrio proved iilciul, their iinportaiiori from America ought of courfe to be flill continued upon the fame terms as for- merly. To F e woods, every attention ought to be paid for facilitating their importa- tion, as they are of the greatcfl 'onfe- quence to our manufadures. Thele are, logwood, Fu flick, Nicaragua wood, bra- zeletlo, bcfidcs other kinds of materials for the dying ufc. Indigo comes under this clafs ; but in order to encourage the making this country an enircpot for American commodities, the duty on expuit Ihould be taken off. Logwood, is now in a more precarious (late of being procured than ever. And Fuilick, by the lofs of To- bago, T^ ( $9 ) bago, wlierc great quantities of fine wood was cut, will be more fcarcc. Wheat and flour, will of courfe be fubjcct to our corn laws, the importation depending on the want of them. Flax feed is an article of importance to Ireland, the want ox" which fubjeds that country to great difficulty. The articles of Commerce exported from America, have been generally, and thofe wliich relate to this country, parti- cularly, mentioned, except the two great objeds of tobacco and rice. Tliefe, from the proportionate fmall confumptioii in this country to the growth, have the prin- cipal reference to the policy of making Great Britain an entrepot for them, as well as any other commodities, which, though of lefs confequencc, come under I that ,r' "^p u '. ( 60 ) that dcfcrlption. The adopting of thr* piinciplc is necelfary for the prcfervatiork of this part of the Ameiican Trade, an J it will probably do more : It will make Great Britain the center of Americatx Commerce in Europe. France has taken the lead : She has declared five of her ports, Vice pons, for the ^reception of American g(iods. If we ad as wifely, wc need not dcfpnir of prevailing over her. But our fyflcm is now fa clogged, that it operates almod as a prohibition. I'hc port charges upon their fhips are very confidcrable, being charged as foreigners^ and fubjed to the payment of doiible lights, though their cafes are in many re- fpeds different, even confidermg America as a foreign nation. For, t]:.e payment of double lights by foreign fliips, was owing to the Dutch formerly doubling that charge •, in which they ^vere followed by the Powers in the Baltic •, and the ex- ample ( 6i ) ample thus g'ven, was copied by us as a matter in courfe. The Aiuciicans feci this charge the more, as they were for- merly not fubjc^l to it ; and as they have few charges of this kind in their own country. Among the different American commo- tlities for which this country may be made an entrepot, tobacco is the mofl. capital article ; and the relation of the circura- flances attending it, will fcrve for other goods in fimilar cafes. A Proclamation lias indeed been lately iiFued, which gi\e* liberty to the Merchants to land tobacco without a dcpofit ; but as the former in- conveniencies were not perhaps fulEci- cjitly known, and as even the repciition of an affair of this confequence is par- donable, if it will enforce the reafons for carrying this Proclamation into perma- nency, the former method may not be I 2 impro* tl'. '■^'h, J ( 62 ) improperly introduced at this tine.— ^ When tobacco was landed in England, a depofit was required of 4I. per hogf- head, to be drawn back when it was exf ported. In London, the warchoufes al- lotted for its reception by the Cuflom- houfe,lieata great diflance from the quays; and upon thefr it is not fuffered to re- main, though landed on one day and to be fliipped the next, even with a watch upon it. The cxpencc of Linding. cra- nage, wharfage, porterage, cartage, ware- houfe-rent, and a numerous train of Cuflom-houfc and other charges (upon the whole of Avhich, though the duty was to be received back, the Merchant charge^ his comminion) amounting to a large fum, w-as, ^vith the duty, generally dra^vii upon the foreign port to which the tobacco was to be lent, which made a very large advance of money. In three or four months the Mcrcliani received back the dqty ( h ) diityhecVpofitecJ, which, after deducing the charges, he remitted to the pcrfon abroad. Thus a medium cargo of to- bacco was charged with an advance of about 2000I. ahnoft its firft coft, for fe- veral months ; a great part of which was funk in unneceiTary charges, commiffion, intereft of money, and iofs by re-ex- change. The remedy for thefe inconvenlencles is found to be very eafy. Upon the ar- rival of any cargoes of tobacco, rice, or any goods not ufually, or only partially, confumed in this country, they fliould be fuffered to be landed, under bond, free of duty, and put into a warehoufc under the locks of the Officers of the Cuflom- houfe, and the locks of tlie McrchantSv generally called the King's Wareiioufe, in the fame manner as is praclifed in the im- portation of coffee and rums. This me- thod ii \il V^:: ■■'f (*;; . C 6+ ) thod is fafe, and without difficulty. The duty is paid when the goods are takfn out for home confurunuon, or the bonds dif- charged when ex])orted. Tiiis will make our ports (fo far as refpcds an cnticjjot for goods imported from America , in a manner free ports. The fmall expence incurred upon their goods, and the ex- peditious difpaich of their vcffels, advan- tages alwaj's to be met with in free ports, are great temptations to Merchants. In- dulgencies as fmiilar as the nature oi^ our Cuflom-houfe will admit, fhould be granted* Objictions may be made by the Cuftom- hoiifc, to the apparent hazard of fuffering any commodity, of confcquence to the Revenue, to he placed in any other ware- houfe than tbofe allotted for the purpofe. When fo great an objed is in queftion, it warranis fome rilque. But in this cafe there ( 65 ) tliere is none. At leafl; not more than what attends the method now in ufe with refped to rum, coffee, and other articles. The Revenue never has been, nor ever will be, in danger from fuch indulgencies. They have not contributed in any fhapc to the increafe of fmiiggling ; and though our Merchants have, in conleqjencc of this evil, been bound fafl by new fyflems of rules and regulations, the Revenue has not been relieved ; on the contrary, it has continually diminiflicd. But this may be more properly mentioned in another place. With fuch, and they are very fmiple regulations, England might be made an entrepot for the American commodities. The principal articles are tobacco and rice : About one hundred thoufand hogf- heads of the <"ormer have been annually imported into this kingdom, of which about \ ■! (u ( 65 ) about twelve or thirteen tlioufand have been left for confumption in Great B"'- lain^ (the life of which has no othcrwife declined, than from its dcarnefs, during the war) the refl was exported to diffe- rent parts of Europe. About fixty thou* fand barrels of rice were formerly im- ported; almoil the \vhole of which was afterwards ffit to Holland and (»crmany, the confum]>don in England being very fmall. Upvvardi: of eighty thoufand tons of fliipping, ahiivit wholly belonging to Great Britain, wcr< formerly employed in bringing thcfe articles alone to market in this country. The lanvj trade, tlic lame employment for (hipping, v:::\ owned by Britifh Merchants, may yet bC conti- nued to us. Even the fupply of France we have a very great chance of pollelfing, the Farmers General having already be- gun to make confiderable purcLales in this country. The ( 67 ) The Portuguefe will Import rice as foi:- irierly Their attempt to introduce Brazil, iriflead of Carolina rice, will havfe the fame efTed as a fnnilar attempt many years ago. It was from neccITity that they pro- cured any other fort. The Dutch have done the fame ; but both prefer Car jlina rice. The inflance given by the Author oF the Obfervations on the American Trade, of a fhip lately arrived at Lifbon from South Carolina, which would have come to a better market in England, proves nothing, becaufe the price both here and in Holland happened then to be enormoufly high. The returns will be chiefly in wine. But this exportation of rice diredly from South Carolina, to the fbuthward of Cape Finifterre, was per- muted by Ad of Parliament, and is one of tliofe inftanccs in which the Ad of Navi- gation was obliged to be relaxed. A va- luable trad« mufl: otherwife have been loft K to M m ( 68 ) to this country. The Germans and Dutc^ will continue their purchafcs in Great Britain. For England may be confidered as a great Inn, on the road from America to the Northern parts of Europe, where the Americans may repofe themfelves, till they procure knowledge of the befl market to fend their goods. Formerly, rice was landed, fliiltcd, and put in order for a market, in the Southern ports of this kingdom, chiefly at Cowcs, paying a duty of 8d. the hundred weight. Tobacco was fuffered to remain in the fliips that brought it, which were confidered as ware- houfes, in order to avoid the payment of the duties, until the Merchant had a de- mand for fale, when he landed the quan- tity he wanted, paying duty for one part^ and giving bond for the remainder, which he took out of the [hip ; the firfl for home confumpiion, the other for exportation ; and when the laft was again fliipped, and the ( 69 ) die d •beniurc parTcd in the common forms, the bonds wViIch had been given were of courfe difcharged. As fiiips were for- merly confidered as vvarehoufes, the fcene is only to be changed to warehoufes on fliore, and the prefent method, in every other refpe61, which is a very fimple one, continued in life. Tt will be proper to take Into confide- ration, the flate of Canada and Nova ■Scotia, previous to that of the Wefl India Trade ; for we have been given the ftrongefl affurances, in the Obfervations to which reference has been fo often made, of the fufficiency of thofe two Co- lonies to fupply all the lumber, live cat^ tie, and proviGons, which our Wefl India Iflands formerly received from the Ame- rican States. If we will trufl to Nature, {lie has declared very llrongly againfl thefe affert^ons, by (hutting up their ports fix K 2 months hi- ( 7^ ) months in tlic year ; and what mud par-r ticularly (Irikc our attention, which has been diicded to the advantages that the; Wed India Iflands are to receive fiom ^hcncc, is, that the hurricane months oc- cupy the greater pvU'. )i the time in which the navigation is ; i.i. Inuependcntly of this fevcrc tax, it is further to be ob- fcrved, that neither the Canadians, Nova Scotians, or any other people fituatcd at 3000 miles diflance from the feat of their Government, (even ours, excellent as that might be made, not excepted) have the (^ame powers of applying tlieir natural ad- vantages, as thofc immediately under ^ Government of their own. How much worfe then mull be their fituation (as in the prefent cafe) when an induflrious rival neighbour, with fo many fuperipr advantages, lives at their very doors. This fuperiority is not to be overcome, lintil the country which attempis it has a good ( 71 ) good Government, becomes equally well peopled, and has fqfficient capitals to carry on their trade. It is of little con- fequencc to fay, there is lumber enough in Canada for all our purpofes, and that it may be rendered of ufe ; whilfl that Colony has not, what all Colonics mufl: have to make them ufeful, a fufficient pumber of people to cut down that lum- ber, and a good navigation to carry it ofF. We cannot doubt the Southern parts of Canada being a good country, but the advantages are all internal, and can never be made ufe of for the purpofes of Com- merce, till the country on the Ohio, and In the Illinois, is fettled. And when that is done, who is to reap the benefit of it ? Not this country, for the pafTage cannot l^e by the River St. Lawrence. ' '!| The length of the winter in the fettled partofCanada, a tedious fixmonths,deflroys all m ( r- ) all the efrcr[s which thchnbonr of the fiim- nicr produces, lo faras lefpcc^ls the carrying on any confiderable Commerce. During the war, the quiet ihe enjoyed threw t!ic Indian trade into her hands, which the fupciif r advantages of the American States will now deprive her of. Canada has produced undoubtedly a great quan- tity of wheat. When grain was fcarce in Europe, before the late war, an un- lifual demand was made upon America, and the Merchants of Philadelphia, who were great fpeculators in that article, fent Agen's to Canada for the purchafe of torn, which they fent (hips for, and con- fif^tied to tlieir Correfpondents in Europe, But tliough the produce was confiderable for this Colony, it bore a very fmall proportion to that of the Middle States ? Nov \vill the quamity flie is able to pro- duce be of fervice to the A^'eft India Ilhmdj, as they require chiefly flour; and there ( /J ) I i there arc not mills in the Provhice, that can be tiiriicd to the purpofcs of making cjuantiiies worth exportation. The New- foundland market williake off Tome bread; but they have the diladvantage, ot con* tending with the inconvenience which the fiflicry liilTers from the delay of lending veffels to fetch it. II But, with all the benefits to be ex- pected from Canada, no lading depen- dence can be placed upon it. The in- habitants arc in a difcontented flate, and not at all averfe to throw off our Govern- ment. They have been kept in order merely by the flrong hand of military power, which, whenever it is employed in Colonies at a diftance, and more efpe- cially if they are of a difTcrent nation, mud have fome powerful accefTory helps, to make the inhabitants contented and peaceable under it. Such are thofe which the ( 74 ) the Fivncli Wed India Ifland^ cnjov, vvlic-io the riches they accumulate from their proJiicc, joined to the impreflion tluy have of" their Government at home, keep them tolerahly ealy and quiet. We arc not to infer from thence, that tlie French Go- vernmtnt is improperly fevere ; hut it is a military one ; a conlVitutlon agreeingvery ill with a Commercial State. f Great expciStations arc formed alfo hy the nohlc Lord from Nova Scotia. That this province has a profpe(5l of hclng im- proved, is without douht, and fo will every country which receives an acccfiioil of people, If the fuhfequent meafurcs are prudently taken. The numhcr fettled ajid fettling tliere, are very confiderahle, and tli-re probably will be a tolerable lum- ber trddc in time, if the inhabitants are fruocd and Induflrious; but it muft be a work ef tinu\ The climate is now very much ( 75 ) much againfl them. The evils, however^ which this produrcs, will be kiU'ricd as the fcttlcincats inci-caU'. Their tilheries in particuhir, liavc been made the objc<^ of very ranguliic hopc^!. Nova Scotia and St. Jolin's appear to be well fitiiated for that purpofe ; but it is not fituation r'one that will command a beneficial Commerce. A fandy rock full of people, accuftomed to the trade they carry on, and purfuing it witli activity and perfcverance, may be- come the feat of Commerce. This has been realized in our times, in the two lit- tle idands of Nantucket and Martha's Vine- yard. In Nantucket, which is only 12 miles long and three miles broad, were fix thoufand inhabitants, many of them rich, having a neat town of 500 houfes, 1 40 Ihips, employing near two thoufand feamen, and pofleiling fifteen thoufand fheep, befides cattle, and horfes. Ii Martha's Vineyard, which is twenty milts long and feveh miles L# broad, !i.i ( 7<5 ) bfoad, were four thourandiiihabitant-s, three towns, a large ftock of cattle, two hun- dred veflcls, and two thoufand ieamen ; each inrimcnfcly populous for their iize ; giving a full Ian cl ion to the opinion of tlitir poflctfling all the comforts and hap- pinefs wliich lionefh indufl:ry can give thLm. Such enjoyments produce the na- tural conil;qucnce, a greater increafe of people than then- trade can fupport ; ai;d oblige tliem, from time to time, to fend out little Colonies from amongfl them. — ■ Their emigrations were chiefly to the back countiy of the Middle and Southern States. Great numbers of them are already fettled there ; and have changed the bold and daring fpirit of the Sailor, (exploring even the South Seits in jvariuit of Commerce, to pay for the manufadlures they purchafLd of usj, totliat of the mild and pcacuful Far- mer. Confiderable fcttlements have been made, and the country much improved by them. C). C 11 ) them. But the noble Author has now changed, not only the deflhiy of tlicir Co- lor,!. -s, but that of the Mother Country. He has aliumed the wand of a powerful CJeni, and Hkc theinchantments which we read in the Oriental Tales, he has employ- ed iome infernal fplrit to drive them from the habitations of their fathers, where they have fo wonderfully flourifhed and in- creafej, and planted them in Nova Scotia, on bleak and inholpitable coalls. It Is indeed too mucli prefumption to cxpctl to make the f fheries of Nova Scotia, upon which the labour of two hundred years have been already fj^ent In vain, fu- perior to thofe of the New-England :^trtes, whether with refpe£l to tills nation, •.■>< to that colonv. The iniiabitants of tiiofe States are at home, with every adv "^age that induflry and a fufficient proxin.,: to their filherles can fflve them. Thei :ir- L % cumflanccs, ( 78 ) Cfumflances, wkh the liberty which the late Treaty of Peace gives them, putq thcni 111 a far better fituation than the Eu- ropean nations, who make a long voyage bisfore they arrive at the feat of their Com- merce, and who muft fetch the provifions their tifiicrmcn coniume, from the Ame- rican States. If we could incrcafe our fiihcry, lo much as to cure a fufficient flock of iifli for thi; Well: India market, there mufl be fome other means found out ico convey it, tlian the circuitous voyage which the Newfoundland fhips will be obliged to make to tlie Weft Indies, as .they cannot procure a freiglit to pay their expences on their return. Jill It The pofn^fHon of Newfoundland, upon the terms of the Treaty of Peace i 762, with the fifliery of Labradore, would have been worth many Canadas and Nova Sco- tias. I'ht; exchange would have proved o.f infinite ( 79 ) inFiiiite fcrvicc to us. We llivoukl liave had the French alone to have contended with upon the terms of that Treaty, and though they carried on tlie trade in a more prohtable manner than the Englifh, yet there was little interference at market ; their conlumption being chiefly confined to tlieir own country, whilfl Great Britain almoft wiioliy poffclTed the trade of Spain, . Portugal, and Italy. The French derived their fuperior advantage from fending out feveral Ihips together, the crews of which ♦i£lcd in concert ; and as foon as a loading ■^vas ready, in the caring of which the whole were employed, a fliip was imme- diately difpatched with it, by which means many of their vcflels had quitted thofe feas before ours were tolerably advanced in their ml ladings. Tliefe advantages beingnowgreatly increafed, we have no other refou:ce than pur natural induilry, to prcferve our fifh- erie?; ( 8o ) erics upon that coai^l-. How far that will anfwer, when oppc»ivd to America, time alone can make known. But if thcNcw- Ej "gland States incivale now with the rapi- dity of tiie few years preceding the war, and the more they are contined by tliis country in their connc<5liv)n with it, the more will tlu'ir induftry be {llmulatcd, all tlie Euro- pean nations will be obhged to give place, and quit that trade. It is time to put an .-nd to a fub]"e6t, of which no pleaiant picture can be drawn. Till we can force Nature to make a free and open navigation, and to foKcu r'^.e climate, we fliall not derive any advantage from Canada or Nova Scotia, in any degree equal to the hopes th;it are held out to us. And vet ti\is circumil:ance is made by the ncAile Author, to have ditferent etTecls, ac- cc>!\!in?, ♦:■..> the fubjC(SI: which is treated of; When KuiTia is to be made the fubllitute for ( Si ) for America, in the difpofal of our manu- favStares, the fluitting up the Baltic by lix months ice, is repiclcntcd as preventive of her having (hips or Tailors of her own ; but when Canada and Nova Scotia arc to be made the fubfliitutes for the States of America, the fame interruption in tlieir iiavij^ation, and the country fix months covered with fnow, docs not hinder their becoming nurfcrics for fliips and feamen. But to return from this digrefiion. Thefc Colonies are not of fulficlent confcquence to induce us to make a beginning, if that is meant, to lav out large fums of money in hopes of improvement, till they become ftrons enouo'h to o-qv ern themfelves. Tlie Weft Indies will be ruined, wliilft the work is about, and when it is finifhed, the inhabitants of thefe Provinces will be no longer our fubjecls ; and as the valu<" of the coujitry can never be an inducement to us to run into another American war, if C 82 ) If we take a civil leave of each other, It Js all that we can exped. ! It is ritliculous to talk of national gratitude* No coimtry will voluntarily become fubjcd: to another, when they have flrcngth to become their own maflers. Wiicn they can proted themft:;lves, they neither want, nor will receive any foreign protciftion. It is our bufinefs to guard rgainfl what we have liiffercd on fimilar occalions. it has cofu us immenle funis of money in making Colonial eifates. This very Colony of Nova Scotia has been al- ready a heavy charge to the nation, and }\as never yet produced vny thing of value, alrlicugh we are now promiled that (with- out liclp) il will become the granary of the Weil Indies. We purchafed the lands t)f l1:c Grenades, St, Vincent, Domini- ca, aiid Tobago, at double their value ; at iilmofr the ruin of Scotland, and greatly to the C 83 ) the injury of this kingdom, In tht yeat 1772. The recollection of thefe deal* bought Colonial purchafes, fhoultl make lis cautious in now laying out our money Upon new adventures of the fame kind. These Confideratlons prompt us the inore to cultivate a good correfpondence \Vith thofe antient Coloiiies, now a pow- erful and numerous pcdple, who have been good cuftomei's for our manufa61:ure3, and who flill continue to purchafc them of us. We (hall reap the advantages^ without the charge* of fupporting a Government over them. It is a melancholy confideration to mention this as an advantagCi But it is of little aVail to recur to the paft, or to confider how far it is (as vve haVe been told) holding out a premium for Rebel- lion. We (hall not at all find our ad van* tage, in aggrandizing any European power ir\ preference to the renewiiig our conne<3:ion M ^ith I It ( 84 ) With America. Rcfentment will not pay our national debt, or recover any part of our former glory and riches. As Canada and Nova Scotia appertain to us, we ought ta confider them with refpe,» ( 8s ) Ionics and the American States. The Com- jnittee of Weil Iiidla Planters and Mer- chants, have reprefcnted, " That the per- *' million of American fliips, as hercto- ** fore, freely to bring the produce of the *' American States to the Sugar Iflands, and *' to take back the produce of our Iflands *' in return, is obvioully elTentiaL'* It was a reprefentation founded on experience, and if not practically attended to, will be followed by very ferious confcquences to thofe Plantations. The noble Author of whofe Pamphlet we have fo often had occaiion to take notice, treats this great brancli of our Trade with too much le- vity. We will not enter into the difjpute with him, " whether we can procure Weft *' India produce cheaper from other na- ^* tions :" But we will offer to his conli- deration, the ample benefits which we de- rive from thofe Plantations, their Immenfe ancreafe in the confumption of our manu- al z failures. ( 8<; ) failures, the fhipping which they make life of, the number of failors employed in them, and the abundant produce which is brought to Great Britain, greatly enrich-? ing the Revenue, the Merchant, and di- rectly or ipdircdly, every order of the State, The value of the provifions fent from Great Britain to our Weil hidia Iflands was very trifling. By the information given in evidence before the Houfe of Commons, thirteen thouf ind quarters of pcafe and beans, an(l nineteen thoufan4 quarters of oats, together with a few herrings and pilchards, were the fupplieg of provifions exported from Great Britaii^ to the Sugar Colonies, in three years be- fore the vyar ; being upon an average about ten tliOLifand qiiarters ofpeafe. beans, and ■oats, each year, Salted provifions were fent from Irclaiid, and In great quantities, yhefe comprehended the whole importa-r t\orv ( 8? ) tion of the neceflarlcs of life from Europe, The remaHuler of the confumptlon was fypphcd by America, This fupply of provliionSjConfifted chiefly of flour, rice, Iiuli;^'\-^— n, bifcuit, fheep, hogs, poultry, ai.d fome live cattle, (a great part of the lafl come from Porto Rico) hams, butter, laltcd beef, pork, and fait :d fifh, in very great quantities, and of great value ; likewjfe fait from fbme of the fmaller Wcfl Indian Iflnnds, the Ame- ricans being the carriers. The fupply from America, belides proviflon, confifted of lumber, boards, joifls, planks, and ilaves; of oil, horfes, tallow, leather, to- bacco, pitch, tar, turpentine, iron, floop and boat timbers, and other articles. Not Jefs than one hundred thoufand calks and puncheons were, in a year, made in Ja- maica, from American ftaves and heading. The diiFereut towns, and the buildings of mofl ,.^„.. IMAGE EVALUATBON TEST TARGET (MT-3) // <^^^^ 1.0 1.1 1.25 Hi I2,» |2.S |5o ^^" BlH 1^ fl^ 12.2 m ^ Ik ■UUU m '1.4 mil 1.6 V] <^ /2 % A e-^ ^ 7 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4S03 4^ iV (v \ \ '^J^ ^"^v o^ 'V- <^.%^ \%^^ ^\p .1^ \ m ( 88 ) moil of the fettlements upon the fea coafls' of that Ifland, are built with timber im- ported from North America. The amount of thefe importations into Jamaica only, was, by the beff calculations, not lefs than jT. 1 50,000 ftcrling. The fame ufe of thcTe articles, and many of them in a greater proportionate value, prevailed in the other Sujnir Iflands. o '9'\ V"\ In payment for thefe goods, the Ame- ricans tbrmerly received the products of the Sugar Iflands of every kind ; of fugars above twenty-five thoufand hogflieads ; Ltfides fifteen thoufand made into refined fugar, and fent from Great Britain ; of rum very large quantities, which was not faleable at any other market ; Hkewife melaill'S, fyrups, pannels, coffee, ginger, and piemento. The Wefl: Indians place a dependence upon the fal^ of thefe com- n^dities, '*i- . It .. :* • < 89 ) ^odltles, and will fuffcr extremely if it if loft to them. This will probably be the cafe with fugar, as the Americans can fupply theia- felves much cheaper at St. Euftatia, which is a mart common to all nations, for Dutch, French, and Danilh fugars ; and thcfe pf better quality, and very confiderably cheaper than Englifti. But fuppofiiig, as many have done, that no European nation will/fufFer the Americans to carry off their produce, the climate of that country is fuf- ficlently fiivourable to fupply them with a tolerable good fugar. I'he maple-tree yields abundantly, an excellent fubftitute for it, and they have very good brandy to fupply the place of rum. Tljip Weft In- dians cannot fubfift without their lumber and provifions ; for which, without a fti- pulation on our part, inftcad of bartering produce, they muft pay in fpecje. It ii not m C 9«> ) Hot difficult to forefee the fituatiort td which the Weft Iiidm Iflands would be re* duced by fuch a Commerce* mi ir •: Ir -J In the article of fait provifiotiSj thorugU the principal import is from Ireland, and which in quality exceeds all other, and will, fo long as that is the cafe, command a preference ; yet it is not a fufficient fup* ply* The greater cheapnefs of the Ame-* rican provilions, and the proximity of that country to the Weft IndieSj will always be the means of a confiderable fale* liri* proVements in falting will in all probability be made. The great fertility of the back country of the Southern States, where innumerable herds of cattle graze in thd- favannahs during their mild winters^ pro- duces in confequence cheapnefs and plenty J and will in future times render falted pro* vifions a very great article of their Com- merce^ It is want of pradice (the fame thing ti re* ( 9' ) thing happens In England) that prevents their faltcd proviiions from keepuig as Well as the Irlfh; The great deficiency of timher in the American States lias been held out to us ; but for what purpofe it is not eafy to be underftood. If it was a fad, and Canada and Nova Scotia could fupply the Weft Indies, the Trade would find its own courfc, and the noble Author had no oc- cafion for his fears of America fupp lying the Weft India Iflands. Happily for thofe Iflandsj however^ there is no deficiency of timber in America. Such an opinion can only arlfe from thofe v/ho, finding the country round the great towns cleared of wood, and the price of courfe dearer, have cither too much indolence, or too little judgment, to make any farther obferva- tion ; and therefi^re fuppofe that all the ireft of America is equally cleared^ There N is m T ( 92 ) IS fufficicnt ill tliat country, on the tTccks in all the States, to lafl tor ages; and may he cut down on the water iule, and inunedlately laden in the Iniall veliels which carry oii that trade. Surely our tbruicr experience mull have told us, that lumber was procured in fufficient quantities, and at a cheap price in general, for the ufe of the Planter. If the price varied, it was accidental, according to the number of veliels which arrived in the Well Indies ; a circumllance to which all Commerce is fubjecl. The advantages in fending fmall vt-lllls to load lumber, militate lb much againil our fupplying the Sugar Colonies in Britifli veliels, as to put it out of the power of a Merchant to purine it, Otherwife than to his ruin. The Americans will trade from their creeks with little expense, and with- out delay. Our large Weft India Ihips mud :!, ( 93 ) 'mull: proceed dlrLdlv to the great ports^ iiiid purclr.itc luiiibcr uiiJ.t the accumu- lated wcijiht ni traivlportation and llorc- iug ; tlicy mull He a conlidcraule time londinn-, under o-rcat charges of \vages ^nd provi''ons, aud of courfe enhancing th' j-j!!cc of freight; the wliolc of which mult idtimattly fdl upon the Planter^ who is the purchafer. This mvxle of carrvlno: on ihe lAiml)er Trade to the Weft Indies, has never beca praoViied hut by a k\v opulent IMcrchanti, polieiiori of gr^at ^'ftutes in the Weft Ju- xlies ; who, preferring tlie reguhulty of iiuv:>]v though at an increalcd exnence, to the leaving to their A^'ents the care of furniihing their plantations, were accuf- toMied to lend iuch of their veflels as of thcjr own, cr we mufl ilo it with Britilh (hips. The pofilbillty of Ik-rmuda doing it, a clrcumftanee that has been urged, will not be admitted by any perion converlant in the trade. And if they could do it, another queftion arifcs — Will the Americans fuffer them ? Upon the whole, if we exclude the vcf- fcls of the United States from our Wcfh India Iflands, we mufl undertake that trade ourfclves. There is no alternative. The confcquences refpeding our (hippinp; will be thefe that follow : There are very few veflcls in the Weft India Trade, that can be ready to proceed to fea before the month of Otftober. To go to Nova Sco- tia or Canada, at that time, is impofiible. To go to any American port to the North- ward of Carolina, is attended with rlfque. There arc very fevere gales of wind in the months ( 96 ) months of NovcnilKr aiul IXccmhcr, upon the American conlls, ^xpofing twiy ihip which npproichts thcni, to certain da- mage; often chiving them oft' tlie coail, and putting tliem inuler the ncceihty ongoing to tlic Wed Iiulies. ()i* thele accidents, th'c inftanccs are very common, and inch nuiH: aKs :^ ys he the call-, while the Ihips, nc>t hei:i{^ ready till late in the >'ear, a few days detention by cc-ntrary windb in the EnglKh ports (to which they are con* flantly hahle) mufl: nearly iiiin their voyage. The delay of lo.iding in the great ports, aiul the dearncf^ of pinchafe, have been mentioned. No calctdatlon, with any tkgree of certainly, can he made of their arrival in fl^c Well: hidies, and of tlic maAers being ready to enter rpon the bi;linefa of loading their lliips, till i\Lu-ch or April, at tiie earlit^ll: period ; a time Vviicn tliat hufincis is very far advanced hi the WeU Indies, and many Ihips nearly, % 1 ( 97 ) if not fully L.tkn. The hurricane moiitlra fooii appio;ichiiig, the vcflcls mull: return in that fcalon, fuhjtd- to additional iiifu- rance, and to an extraordinary exjKnecj iu the damage received durinj; ih.' '. oyagc; a iTU:.fortunc which Owners oi" fi; i>s and Underwriters, fi um frequent lofli-s, rre both very u ell acquainted w ith ; for the Mer- chants, on thcle occahons, often meet with great dliriculty in making infurance, and very high premiums are frequently given. A veflLl arriving at home \o late in the year, cannot be ready to proceed upon the lame circuitous voyage oi taking in a freight of lumber by the way, until the fpring following. Thus a Weil: India ftiip, which now generally performs her voyage m twelve months, quietly and with little rifque, will be put quite out of her ufual track. The II; .1 ( ys ) The freight maJc by a Wcfl TnJia ftilj^ to the Sugar Iflands, is trifling. She clc- pctnls for profit upon the fictg!u liomC iVoiy thence. In three years flic noW makes three of tlicfc freights, and the in* iurance during that time, at two per cent, out, and two per cent, home, will be 12I. per cent. On the contrary, if flic pro- ceeds to North America for lumber, flii will in all probability make no freight out to that country, as the fliips necclFa- rlly upon the trade between Great Britairl and America arc fufficient to carry the goods exported from hence, The cai'go of lumber will make but a fmall fum for freight to the Weft Indies. She will per- form thcfe voyages with difficulty, and with great danger and expence, and will make but two freights from the Wefl In^ dies home in three years; during which time the infurance, admitting that fhc makes oae voyage in the hurricane fcafon, and i e , ( .. ) and the oilier before it, will be i61. los. pir cent, at the Icafl, and fubjcd to the alarms Vvhich Underwriters are liable to at that lime of the year. The prefcnt regularity of trade, wliich is effcntial in the Wcfl India Connnerce, will be totally dcflroycd. The Planters will be at one time in abfd- lute want of food and ncceflaries, with their plantations fo full of their produce, as not to have warehoufes fufficient to place them in (the fliips being ufually a confiderable time loading, which aftbrds them great convenience in that refj^Cf^, by taking in their fugars from time to time). At other tim.es, all will be hurry and con- luhon, and lumber either felling for no- thing, or no places to be procured for lloring it. Every inconvenience arifing from thefe circumftances being now pre* vented, by the continual arrivals from Noi th America, and the regularity of our O fliips ( loo ) fliips carrying away the produce of the Weft Indies. m l-;-l» Vv* It has been afked by the noble Lord, Iiow did thcfe Wefl. India Colonies fubfift during the war, when " evsn Canada and *" Nova Scotia, any more than England •' and Ireland, were not open to them, " without great expencc and ^ifque ?'' To this qucOiOii it is to be anfwered, that though they were not fupplied without great cxpcnce and rifque, yet they were not left totally deftitute. Their chief de- pendance was upon England, but not wholly ; preferring even the ncgled of their produce to the danger of a total want of the ncceffariefi of life; and ac- cordingly railing a greater quantity of them than they had ever before dan^i When their diflrcfs prelTed very clofely upon them, they purchafed in the Neu- tral Iflands at a high pi ice. But all thcfe flip- I I-: ' the ( ■»! ) fupplies were procured upon fuch expeii* five terms, that had k not been for the enormous prices they procured in Eng- land for their produce, the Weft Indies would have been ruined. This v^as, however, a fevere tax upon the Mother <(Jountry, whQ(. The Cuftom-houfe, on the con- . trarv, having^ the whole Coinincrcc of the En:ipirc under its management, and the Trade Laws not being luthciently exaa, from the im] 'ofli bill cy of conform- ing them to the variety of circumllances which attend our foreign trade, mud be left to the wifdom of tliofe who prefide over it, and whofe conftruaion of thofe laws ought always to be of the moft libe- fal kind. For fome years paft this has not^ ^. been fufficiently attended to; The defign was to prevent fmuggling, but unfortu- nately it was conceived, that the more trade in general was confined^ the better theob- jea would be attained. The confequence was,thattheMerchants were loaded with new regulations, increafuig the difficulties of the honefl trader, already fuffering from the inroads made upon his erade by the fmug-* glcr : And whilfl the defrauder of the Re^ Venue imported vafl quantities of goods p withoiit h'j' J ' t ■f'1 ll'i ( 'o8 ) without entries, the moil: diligent wafcfe was kept over thofe made at the Cuflom- houfe in the common mode of bufinefs ; ind goods paying no duty, were fo ft ri6lly at- tended tOy that even a ba^et of potatoes rim the rifqueof confifcation, if there was the fmalltfl: miftake made in the entry. — < The Merchant, whofe trade was carried on in the moft open manner, lived under a eontintial watch and fufpicion ; whilil: the fmuggler was enjoying hlmfelf in the full poflefiion of his iniquity. Men of tdublilhed character in trade, and there are none who bear a higher reputation for probity than the Britifii Merchants, ought not to be thus lumped in one general mafs of fufpeded perfons. It implies, that all traders are objedls of fufpicion. — This is bad policy. If a man is honcfl:, it will have a tendency to weaken his at- tempts to difcover any practice to the in- jury of the Revenue ; and if he is inclined to II ; ( 109 ) Co roguery, he will turn fmuggler liini»' Every facility ought to be given to the Merchants, that is not of prejudice to the Revenue. It was this principle the conti- nual object formerly of the Cuilom-houfe, that is now changed. The little pre- fents which the Merchant received, were then allowed him. His hogfhead of fugar was not then weighed with the fcrupulous exadnefs of an ingot of gold. He was not made to pay the duty of the dirt which is gathered on the quays. The pra£lic6 of the Cuftom-houfe then gave fatisfac- tion to the Merchant, and the Smuggling jtrade was in its infancy, compared to the ilourifhing manhood it now enjoys. Ill The Bill brought in by Mr. William Pitt., for the Reform of the Cufloms, fo far as it related to the abolition of fees, P 2 however 1 1 } V I (;^? fi ( no ) however good in the Intention, yet, being involved in the prefcnt pra^flical conftruc- tion of the Laws of the Cuftoms, partook of this new and ruinous fyftem. For, whether application was made to the Cuf- tom-houfe for information of the pro- priety, or the principle originated from thence, the tifcct was the lame. It wa> always a known and well undcrftood in- dulgence to the Merchant, to have the power of facilitating the dii patch of hip veffels, or of any goods on board them, though it was not exaclly confurmable to the regular hours, or the precife forms of Cuilom-houfe buiinefs. Whenever any goods were landed, and in general when shipped, the Officer was gratified by a prcfent, according to the trouble he had been at ; in fome cafes at the pleafure of the Merchant, in others a cuftomary fee. ' But this was chiefly optional, and accord-, ing to the attention fhewn, and ficility ■ given ( I" 9 to the bufincfs. All thcfc tranfadlions W'hicli have been mentioned or alluded to, "Vvcre of 1 .ch a jtublic nature, as not to ad- mit oi ar.y impropriety of cc^ndudt in the Officer ti) ilio prejudice of the Revenue. It was a 'viiQwn and eftablifhed cuftom, with which t!ie Officer was indulged for attention, civiUty, and difpatchof bufineli. But now, the {lri£lncfs with which all the laws refpecllng the Cuftoms are exe- cuted, and the precife orders iflued in con- fequencc to the Officers, have cut off from the Merchant all thofe little advantages which gave facility to his bufinefs. He pities the Officer who executes them, and unwilling to make him the flicrifice for the fault of others, flill continues to give him what he has been accuftomed to do : Having however no advantage in return, it is very much againfl the grain ; and find- ing Mr. Pitt's Bill to anfvver the purpofe qS ( "^ ) of taking from him the pain of tlie rc» fuilil, he makes no oppofition to it. Tins facrificc to liib Icelings is mi impeachment of his judgment, which would be much better diredled to the refinance of a ftill greater evil ; bearing witli patience the misfortune of the day, and looking for-p wards with hope, to the refloration of that antient fyftem, when the Cuftom-houfe hiild the balance between the Merchant and the Revenue with an even and fleady hand, giving the grcatcft fatisfa V lie will have no r.jiac ly hit p.Uijncc. All muft fiihink to the Ian:;: {Iriclncfsof regu- lation, which makes no cliftia^lion, and af- fords no rcdrcfs. Instead, therefore, of the abolition oi fees, which, fo long as the Cuflom-houfc prtfervcd its antient fyflem, were fatis- fadorily paid, if the fcvere conftrudion of the laws of the Cuftoms was relaxed to the regular trader, and put in practice only to the fmuggler, in which the former would gi'/e a chearful fupport, the mod advantageous and important confequcnccs would follow to the Public. The fmug- glers now ad in the mofl open defiance of the laws. Tlicy carry on this trade in vcfTels ■^ ;::i: ..,,l "^ ( 114 ) Vcffels of force, capable of maintaining engagements with our floops of war and cutters ; and there is not wanting an in- ftdnce, probably there are more, where the confederates on fliore fired from a battery (placed there in the war as a de- fence againil privateers) upon the King's cutter then attacking the fmuggler, who landed his cargo in its view, under cover of the guns. Such outrages are alarming, and muft. be put an end to, or the Reve- nue is gone* Advice is eafy to give. The pradical execution forms the difficulty. We know there is fmuggling ; but we know not how, without very llrong meafures, (which are often violently inveighed againft) to prevent it. The following are crude thoughts, thrown out with an intention of good. If any can be gathered from them, they will anfwer the Writer's de- fign C "5 ) fign and wifh, rather than his expecta- tion. Every fmuggling vefTel that is taken, fhould, if wanted, be employed in the Cuftoms ; if not, (hould be cither deftroyed, or a fufficient fecurity, if fold, given by perfons of known property, that fhe Ihould not again be employed in fmuggling. The fame fecurity fhould be required from all builders of any kinds of vcffels, how, or ufually employed in fmuggling, eJca^ily defcribirlg the different fpecics. A ftrong body of light dragoons fhould be flationed on the coalls, under the order of the Magiftrates ,* and fome clever, adivc men fhould be particular- ly feleded from thofc Gentlemen, with emoluments iuitable to their adivity and attention, in carrying the Revenue Laws into execution. The Cuftom-houfe Officers fliould be frequently changed. No goods, feized at any other port than the follow- ing, fhould be fold there, but conveyed (i 10 f n m. I 'S\ m m^ ( 1^6 ) to fix of the great ports, in fix different parts of the Ifland, viz. London, Brillol, Liverpool, Hull, Leith, and Glafgow ; where they fliould be expofed to fale at flated periods, chargeable with the duties, and the produce to be diftributed amongft the captors. The duties being very high on many kinds of goods, afford an op- portunity to a fmuggler to carry on a collufive trade with tlic Officer, by agree- ing to a feizure^ when the produce of the fale not only pays the piime cofl, but leaves a very good profit to the Officer and fmuggler. Lallly, every fmug- gler who is taken in that employment, fhould be fent on board the King's fliips bound on long voyages, or on board Baft Indiamen for a certain term of years ; by which means they might be made ulc- ful fubje^s, and be conveyed from the fcene of their daiing and iniquitous la- bour. One )cai"i exertion would put fo many ft , ;(■■ 7: i, ■ t \\ w ( ^u ) many fmiigglers out of their old employ- ment, that it would naturally lead them to feek fome other. The chain, once broken, will .lot eafily be repaired. At leafl, fmuggling will be carried on only in the covered way that it formerly was ; which is an evil that mufl be borne by every country whofe duties are high; for, as in other crimes, there are always fome perfons who will rifque ihc punilh- ment attending the committing them if they are taken. Another remedy is wanted to be ap- plied in the Cufloms, which relates more particularly to the trader, and would af- ford very great fatisfa^ilion to him ; be the means of faving much time and trouble, and render the prefcnt complex and al- mofl incomprehcnfible pradice of the Cuf- toms fimple, and eafy to be underflood. If fuch a correction was carried into exe- (i 2 cutiou I'm In m> m hi Vi' ■f: f ( "8 ) cution, it is probable that the Revenue would be benefited by it. At prefcnt, the various branches of the Cuftoms bein^ obliged to be calculated, with their dH- counts, in all entries of goods, require ^ great deal of time, and are only known to the Clerks of the Cuftom-houfe. The Mer- chant is not fufficienily acquainted with them, and takes them very unlatlsfadorily upontruft. The fiiQ flep in letting about thecorre^ion of this grievance is, to dire^l the Cuflom-houfe to draw out an account of all goods which pay duty, imported into, and exported from, the kingdom, for a certain term of years before the war, ir^ order to form the average of the adua^ confumption, A communication with men of bufinefs in the different trades of which each article will be apart, will flili ]>c the means of further knowledge.—?. Whet^ ~ ( ,19 ) When thefe accounts are obtained, and the adual confumption procured, with the circumflanct-s attending '^ach fpecies of goods, they fhould be valued according to their prices, and the duty added to, or taken from them, as the neceflity of the cafe required. The value of goods, fincc they were firll rated, has very confider- ably altered. Some goods are charged with too heavy a duty in proportion to their value, others do not pay enough. By this means the duties in general will be more equally proportioned to the goods upon which they are charged. The duties on goods fhould alfo be a fmgle fpecific charge, without fra^lion. and the whole of the duties be reduced to a fund confifting of one branch only. Some ad- vantage to the Revenue will be made by aie fradions. At the fame time, the fy- ftem of drawbacks Qiould undergo a revi^ fion, m K't ' ( 120 ) Con, in order to afford as much cncou* ragemcnt as poflible to make this country an cntre pot. T o carr^ th IS correction into ftill more advantageous execution, all high duties whicli the Merchant is now obliged to pay before his goods are landr cd, and which occafions the burthen of a heavy additional capital to the coR, ffiould be paid to the Excife, and fo far as relates to the connection with the Cufloms in the entry, might be tranfaded in the fame manner as coffee, rum, and fuch articles. The former prejudices againd the Excifc, mufl, be removed by the ftri^i and fevere execution of the Laws of the Cufloms. It gives no alarm tp the honefl trader,- the roguifh one m^kes the noife. All high duties are beft colledcd by the Excife-, bccaufe they are then not paid by the Merchant till his goods are fold Iq the Confumer, and he is by that means eafecj I \ ' ( t2I ) eafed of the burthen of making a large and unneccirary advance of money. Such^ or fome other cfTcclual means, are indif- tDenfibly requifite to be put in pradicc, or the Revenue will flill fuffer further de- creafe, and our Commerce be more and more impaired. A VERY full flate of the trade betweeti Great Britain and America has been al- ready given. It is taken from the bcft authorities in this country, and confirmed by the tcftimonies of others, well ac- quainted with the Commerce of America. It fliews the importance of that country to Great Britain ; the dependence which our Weft India Iflands have upon it; the incapacity of the Colonies of Canada and Nova Scotia to fupply its place ; and that nothing elfe than a renewal of the former Commercial Syllem. will raife this nation to M K { ( «2^ ) to the power and riches it poffcffed befor^i the war. A* An opinion has been very radily incul- cated amongfl us, not only by the noble Author in the Publication which has been mentioned, but by many others, that America, by becoming an Independent Sovereignty, partakes fo fully of the na- ture of a foreign State, that we cannot confider her in any other view. The arguments they chiefly make ufe of, ar€ of the fame nature with thofe of the fup- porters of the Navigation Ad, when firft made, and which have been already ad- verted to in the former part of this Work. To thefe they join the dread of Ruflia, which they hold out as a bugbear to us ; and conclude by threatening us with the rcfentmcnt of Ireland. In the firft place, it is to be obfervcd, that our circumftances at i 1 f: I''! ill 11 '^ ( i23 ) at Cm time, and at the pafling of the Na^ vigation A(S, are fo widely different, ai not to admit any parity of reaforiing upon the fubjcft. In the next, Ruflia is adu- ally a rival to us in many of our capital manufa61urcs ; and With rcfped to their principal raw materials, with which they fupply us, viz. iron, hemp, and flax, the chief articles in common to that Empire and America, if we do not think the im- portation duty free from both nations, ueceffary for the encouragement of our own manufadures, as well as for the dif- couragcment of thofe which have growa lip in the fame country with the materials, th^te can be no objedion to the equaliz- ing of the dtities upon them; As to Ire- land, there is no fmall probability (from the connexion which that country, par- ticularly the Northern part, has with America) of her being difpofed to take the lead herfelf in this bufmefs, if we do not. \ ■ ■'I Therb 1i C 124 ) •^'ffifeRt: arc many important points fof our conriclcraiion. The falc of three millions of our manufa^lures, the proba- bility of a very great increafe,* and the former employment of nearly 4000 fliir^s in our Commerce;— This is an enormous gap to be filled up, and which the experi- ence of a few years fince tlie breaking out of the war, has fli€wn us was fupplied, not by'Britifh but by foreign fliips; and which encreafed fo much, as to form at tliis time fevBut abfolutc Monarchies are not the coun* tries to fearch for examples of com- merical regulation. It would be wifcr for us to turn our eyes to the induftriout Dutch, whofe immenfe riches fhew the advantages of the eftabliihment of a fretf trade. Could this country be made one great free port, the fame confequcnces would follow. But alterations of impor- tance are of ferious moment in this coun-* try. rf Bv the treaty "between Frande and America, the former mufl have all thd privileges of the mofl: favoured nation. The fubfequent treaties between America 'And the European powers are upon a prin- ciple of reciprocity: An argument is drawn from this, that as America can give us in return nofuperior advantages, we are not to grant more to her than to other foreign na* tions* < ( '3' ) tlons. It Is not fuch treacles, it is the probable effects of trade that ought to di- rcd:our adtions. It can never be a detri* ment to us, that France pofilires the power when flic has not the means of carrvin? the privilegG into execution. The ad-* vantages, which we enjoy, will render It ufelefs to her. France has no other profpedl of material advantages by the in- dependence of America, than what accrues to her from the difmemberment of our empire, and the weaknefs to which wc are in confcquencc reduced. But this is in itfelfof the greateft importance to her, and amply indemnifies her for the ex- pences ot the war, and whatever lolles flie fuftained in the conteft. It is very flattering to our pride but not to our pocket?, to confider the refiflancc which we made to a hoil of enemies, Our re- fburces went beyond the mofl; fangulne cxpe»5tations. But our exertions have ad- S i3ed ' m C iS'- ) (kd about- one hundred inillions to out d.'.bt, and fjur niUlions per annum to our taxes. -«■ r-M The mutual adviMitages which this country and America woald receive from a dole conntaiun with each other, arc ealiK- conceived : nor will the ellabliOi- ment af ftich a connexion be a matter of fo much difiiculty, as from tlie prefcnt appa- rent indif. ■oiition towards it on either fide, might be imagined. There is not yet, that ilock of good temper in cither people that could be wiihed. This is however the effed of very natural caufes, which a lit- tie time may remove. The Englidi are yet fore from their difappointment, and. though they have loll a part of their do- minions, they have not loft the recollec- tion of having been mailers, and expedt fomething lik;: the ufual deference, ftill to be paid to them. The Americans, oa the conrary, having by perfeverance and patient fwltering attained to an unlooked for -T." 33 J for fovereignty, and to the ellwblifhment of great republics, ?re tU\tcd with the pollcrnori of a power, of wliich they liad not tlic fm.dlcii id-j.i i^t the hrv^ak* ng out of the war. They wruld he .vithoiif. ihc common p^iluoiis of nvArVind, it they could meet i'uch fortune unmoved. Bac it has an unpl^alafxt tendency at prcicnt to make them jealous of the moil innocent exprelhons, and to fearch for caufcs, which never had exillcnce but in their own conception. This was the caf- with the late proclama- tion forbidding American fhips bringing their produce into our Weft India Illands , a proclamation merely of an eftablifhed re- culition, which naturally followed the '^rantin? of indenendence to America, whofe trade, bcinf2; then altered in its rela- tion to us, became fubjed to the exii- ting prohibitory laws. The putting them in execution was the more ne- cefTary, as the ports had been opened in the iv, '■I ' >■! ( 134 ) the Well Indies without authoritv. The ellahliflnnent of our Luvs became the iirfl conlideration, the next, how far an altera- tion could be made in th.em to the advan- tage of the country, by an examination into its commerical intcrells with refped: to An:vcrica. In fuch an examination, this proclamation would of courfe have given place to an arrangv^msnt of trade between the two nations. Had we not put in force the laws refpeding this ma- terial part of our trade, there could have been no difcuflion concerning it. Wc had then furrendered the Weft India trade to Ameiica, without tlie leaft ftipalation. In the difcullion of a commerical treaty, the terms upon which this part of it would have been formed, could not have httn diiiicult, as the mutual intereft of each country required, that tiic Weil: In- dies ihould be open to the fupply of lum- brr and provifions from the American States, and therefore, the terms upon whicli 135 ] vviiich this part of the treaty wis to b- founded, would have made thc*Diochm:itio;i ii a mere tcijiporary cnforcln::^ of our hvv.^, neccilary at the time, whililour comineiCe was in an uuiettlcd ilate. I. But it had unfortunai-cly happeried, that feveral triiiiug- and unforefcen events, had fallen out in America, and produced a coohiei's, which intemperate men have had too much effect in increa- fmg. At New York, thetiagofan Ameri- can velTel was forcibly hauled down by the R^efugees. The Britidi flag was treated in the f.me minner in an Americ.m nort. and, as will always happen on thefe occa- fions, eacii threw the iirfl offence upon the other. Both Governments were i^no- rant of thefe outrages at t'le time they were committed, and when they came to their knowledge, they declared their dif- apprcbation. They were the adts of pri- vate M u It Ki ( 136 ) vatc people, done in the hcigth of rsfent- mcnt and retaliation, and which neither of the Governments could prevent. Ano- ther caiile, producing- a more unplcafaiit cfTect, arofe in South Cirohn.i. Tint people fore, v/li'r tlu immenie loiies their ilate has fulb.ined, and irritated by the taking away of negroes by the Refugee-, which they alicdged were the property ot perlbns remaining in the Ihite, but which h\ the nn-i'/oidable confufion at New York, whicher they were carried, could never be afcertained; in refentment loaded our fugars with a duty of tv;enty five per cent, more than thofe of any other nation. Such caufes ought to have been conlidered as proceeding from the fudden heat of pri- vate people, and not to have produced na- tional effects. The diforders in America indicate very plainly, that the Government is not in the hands 1 J hands of the cool and temper.! te part of the country. Thcconfcqucnce which the people of this countr- draw from thcfc diforders is, that the prelcnt Government of Ameri- ca cannot continue anJer its prcfcnt form, but that cither a monarchy, or the fepara- tiv \ of each State from the other, (form- ing a number of fmall kingdoms or tc- pnblicks) will take placej and that until fome fettlcment is made, great diforders will prevail. Thefe f-^ntinunts arc very- natural to tlicm. It would mud probably be the cafe in Enrop'j. It has happened in our own co.intry, and men generally rcafon from ihz experience they have of their own all^iirs. But the Americans having no powerful neighbours to watch opportiipj'ties oF increafing their dilfen- tions, in order to feparate and weaken them, and bein.g in general, or the great- er 4 •■ i cr part, men of" llrong uiulcriLuialiig;^^ plain minii'jrs, and of a Ipirit very little difpoi'jd to iub;nit, they will be found c^gual to the quieting thefc difoalcrs, and enabliilung, If not one union, very powerful Stitcs. Thj grcitcfl diffjrence of manners is b»it ween the New EuT^lanJ Stated, and all the others to the weflvvard or fouthward of them. Frequent marks ol mutual difgull were formerly iliewn ; Unconqui-u-abhi by a'ly other m:^.iiis, than our placing them in one co.nmjnfituation of grievance and danger, at the commence ment of the Vv^ar. Daring that period, their mutual fuvty obliged them to keei) clofeiy conn :l:cd togeclier. This caufc being now at an end, the old difputes be- tween the New Eniriand and the other States (there does not appear to be any difagreemeat of confequence amongil any of the \iiidd\c and fouthern States,) might polnbly revive. But there is a circam- ilaiice * II ! , h ' C ^S9 ] (lance lliat will prevent tlieni f/om arifuig to aiu' danj/crous hcii^th. Thi.% is the ilttlcmcnl of the Ret"u,:^ccs in fuch grc.u niunbjrs in Nova Scutia, as will pnjhablv prove ;■• confl-mt check upon the New Kng- lan.i States. 1 he inveteracy, which they muuially polil.U to each other, will not ccall- in the prellnt age. If we conhder An^ricaas one union, her conduct in fuf- fciin"- luch a nuniher of enemies to be ccheded in one body, does not appear to be very good policy. At the liune time wecLinnot but admire the fortuitious evcnt^, •which by bringing then\ i'o nearly toge- ther, has removed tlie grcatcft danger that America had to fear from internal dif- I ) Li IwO . Althouoh the rcfentment of America operated very flrongly againft this ( jun- try, during the war, yet it fubfided very un- expededly at the peace. For it is owing T to ^\\ ( '40 ) to very trifling fublcqucnt clrciirnlLiiiccs, that new jcalourics have arifcn. But aU tliougli tlieir rcfcntmeut (unk to\viirv.h; this country, it did not towards the Ilcfuin-cs. It is too fevcrc a tvifl; to walk in mourj^ful proccflion over the calamitous Iccnes of the late unhanpy war. Every page of liiflory that treats cf civil diilentions, records themasprodudive of the greatcft crucltic^.s iind difLreflcs. Like family quarrels, they are always the moft inveterate. We arc therefore not t ) be lurprized, either at the palTions of the Ameiirane being continu- ally gcjaded by tlie fevere rccollev5lion of the lofs of a hufband, a wifo, a parent, or a child, flill frclli in their nu^ninrjes, nor at the violence of the Refugee', driven from their poflefiions, and themfcK-cs and tlieir families reduced to penury and want. A very lew months on!y have pJlTed Jincc the peace, the ratification lus not yet reach- ed them. When the Americans are fettled quietly Ik I C !4l ) quietly and at peace, their pafilons will Ai'Dfidc, and \vc mull be led to hope, that they will make a diAinaion among the Re- fugees, and that equitable meafures will be tiiken, both with rclp^cft to them and tlie eilates of the abfcntces. Accordingly as the merits of the former appear, which may be done by clairing them, Tome part of their property will probably be reftored; and with relpetfl to the latter, the fame liberality of fentiment which prevails in European wars, cannot fail to excite the attention of x'Vmerica. The fober men in America are fully fenfible of the nccefhty of a moderate con- du61, and are 11 riving to regain the powcf which in fomc Statcii they have been for- cibly driven from, and in others have in- difcrectly parted with. Some of them have had the wifdom to bend to the violence of the florm, and by a temporary fubmiilion T 3 are &f li''' [ Ml ] are now regaining polTciljon of Govefn- mCiit, Others, whofc impatience was rnoll prevalent, and who retired frcm the adiTiiiiiiliation I.. diiluUl, find iniic;]i frreat- €r di hie 111 ties to encounter. The American •affairs thus litiiated, have been the means of an opinion ftrong-)'' urged, that till this i-s effedted, and the coriprefs is invefled with an authority upon which a reliance can be placed by forei-^n powers, no treaty of comaiCTCc tlionld be made. This evil can only be removed in this country, by the knGwkd<:e we have of our mutual inte- reftSj and lending oiir ulliiknce to com- pofe thofe diforders, by an acquiefcence in all that concerris our common advantages. For it is by n o means a certainty that con- grefs will ever recover a permanent au- thority over all the ilates. Tlie ncceflity of a fovcpjign power may produce a tem- porary one to com pofe the prefent differ- ences, and to fettle their debts. But to contiauG '<; » ) I '( H3 ) continue the union of this extenfive coun- try, is a matter of great doubt. It is mofl probable, that the divifions of the States which have been mentioned in the remarks upon the trade, will take place, and that there will be three great republics, accord- ing to the fimilitude of their manners, ciif- toms, and commerce. The New Eng- land States will make one. Nature has united them in the ilrongeft manner. New York, the Jerlcys, Pennfylvania, De- laware, Maryland, and Virginia will form another, the rlcheft and moft powerful. This country will command the great in- ternal navigations, flov/ing through the Hudfon end Delaware Rivers, and the Treat Bay of Cliefmcak, communicating by feveral portages, with the waters of the Ohio, and, by that means, with the whole interior country over the moun- tains i the moft fertile lands, and the befi climate of ail America .; and to the inhabi- tant? t.j ' '1 W ( M4 ) tants of which, Britifli fhlps will he thccar- riers of the iiianufadiircs of Great Bri- tain, and the exports of an abundant pro- duce in return. The third Government in America will be the Carclinas and Geor- gia, nations, of planters, great confumers of manufadures, and full of luxurious prnduds, of which we lliall alfo be the carriers. All our cOnfular eilablidiments ought to be made upon this fuppofition, as the moil natural and moil conducive to u Lir interefls. If tlicre is any Engliihniin who docs not regret the lofs of America, he does not dcferve that name j but to fuppofe, as we i}v/c.becn feriouHy told, that independence ..in't prove ruinous to America, requires Tu^ic belief than even Engliflimen thcm- .,:.!\:s, and thev are not deficient in ere- ..luity, pofiefs. It is too much to fuppofe, 'ii:-t i\\-z fnovvs of Canada r,nd Nova Scotia will 1! ^?-' ■')\ i,u ( il5 ) will be found io full of temptation, as to caufe t'ne cn:iir;ration of the iiihabit.uits of the United s^tatcs ; or th.it a iis. months winter can render thofe fertile and hcaiiti- ful countries, fo widely extended at the back of the middle and fouthern flates, and in which a perpetual iummer reigns, deferted and defolatc. The attainment of fjvc- reignty, by any people who have futlicient internal ftrength to fupport it, can 'aqwqi' be injurious to themfdves. The Hates cf the (even United Provinces were not ruined by throwing off the government of Spain, and yet tlicir htuation was as much more precarioijp than America, as they were in all refpects • inferior to her i.a power, and in future profpech Countries which have fevcrelv felt tlie fcourpc of O ~\var, arc recruited by a very few years of peace. Flanders, which his fo often felt it, is one of the rlchell countries in Europe. No Iinglilh trader rcfufes to ti-\iil If ' B: \li I' Sj M ( 146 ) truft a German, becaufe his country was laid wafte in the laft, and almofl in every continent;il war. Amenca, though loaded with debt, has fufficient refources within herfelf to pay it. The Colonies of Nova Scotia and Canada, which are held out to us in fo ^lori- ous a light, will never, notvvithibinding their freedom from taxes, increafe like her flutes. The luperior benefits to be derived from cliir.ate, from being better peopled, v^nd from the poficlfion of vafl tradts of fertile lands for new cultivation, will in a courfe of years re- move every burthen arifing from her debts. Her eflablilhments are eafy to her. Every nation in Europe iblicits to partake of her trade, and as commercial principles are now well known, fhe will find fuffi- cient markets for her produce, fliould we refufe to receive it. By !'■ ( ( 147 )■ By rerloully rclledling upon our own litLiatlon, and endeavouring, dirjjafiionately to repair the lolTcs we have fultained, we flrall be hettcr able to recover from them. Our fituation is bad, but not defperate. The reftoration of our coinnierce muft be the means, and the only means of the re- floration of our power. It is an ad of wildnefs and defperation to fuppofe Ame- rica loft to us, becaufe fhe is conneded with France, a:"id to reject her with hor- ror, left file Hiould become a rival to our commerce, which it is her own adual in- tereft to fupport. We mufi; be furprized to obferve fo much ill timed refentment in our prcfent ntuation. For to what other c.nife, than to prevent a future connedion with Ame- rica, can we attribute the pains, which the noble author of the obfervations, on the commerce of the United States, has taken U to i / ■ :^| ( ^-JS ) Iv-:' wander through the Likes of Arx.crlc?., to dilcovcr that ** there is but one mile '^^ portage hrtwecii C'a^'uhoga R'vjr, that ** eirjpties itfclf into Lake Erie, v, hich '•^ finaUy runi into the River St^ Lawrtnce " and the River Mullviu^'hum, whieh runs «* into the Ohio, and ccmmunicates with *' the Gulph of Mexico. Notwithlland- '* ingthe navigation ofthe Rivers St Law- ** rence and MilTifipi is obftruded i^ c' Winter aiul Spring, in the firil by *' Ice, and in the lail by the rapidity " oi the waters, and notvvithilanding tlic '** dill:ance is not above fixty miles be- ** tween the navigable part ofthe Potow- ** mach, which runs inio the ('heiapeak, /' and a navi<:<'ible branch ofthe Ohio, yet ** the River St. Lawrence, (the exclufive *' trade of which belongs to Great Britain, ** (the Lake?, the Ohio, and the Miffifipi* •"'* vv'ill he the principal communications of *' the vafl country beyond the moun- *•' tains'') The mi/lakes of the portage, and t ( 'J? ) and the b:idncf^ of navioatlon In " merica, which are m"i;;i)tioncd, arc noi necc(Iary here to be advcrnid to.) He farther obicrvcs that ** Our illands, eipe- ** cially Jairialca, niight receive fup- ** plies from the Milliiipi, whilll: a cargo ** might at tlie proper feafon go up the *' I^iver, if it is open to us, and bring U^m- ** bcr, cattlcj mides, arAi fupplies of every ** kind, except (\(i\' — A f/llem of trade "which, it mud he acknowledircd, would be mofl perfed:ly adapted to t\\t wants of our Weft India Coionie? ; !)rovideQ — That t!ie J, Cayaho^aoiu-ithe Muikin£;hum Rivers, be- lonc^cd to us. — That the navigation to the St. Lawrence was not very expenlivc and full of obflrudionr^ — Tliat the St. Law- rence Vi'as not ft'/o-t np (ik months in the year, aitd that we had any property at ail in the MiOifipi, or, in the mode of expreillon ufed by our author, if it was open to m. That unfortunate m.onofyll;ible ij\ could it be got the better of, would make ali tl\e U 2 diircrenc!- It A, ( '50 ) difference which he ft^Ucs in our fitua- tion. i' I It i 1 1 ,ij The experience of a century has made, what he calls, ** the youthful urdor of ** grafpingat the American trade," grey in the employment, and although it miglit be youthful in us, it would be ncverth'jlers wife to run a race with any foreign nation, however eager for it, fooner than lofe any part that is in our power to retain. If the foreigner has fuffcred by his ralh and early adventures, his loiTes will be our gain. But as commerce is fludluating, and as a firll lofs often prompts the merchant to try to repair it, Mox rejicit rates ^ajjas, indocilis paiipcriem pad wc fhould not reitrain our merchants, but do our part to open the trade, and leave the reft to their difcret^on. They are men of ability, induftry, and ex- perience. tet Ill It ( 151 ) periencc, and if we repair the broken road, we may fafcly trud the journey to their care. But if, perfifting in our former haughtinefs, we rely rpon the neccllity, which we think the Americans are under of taking our manufadures, we may draw tlie cord too tight, and occafion its break- ing in our hands, and piunging us into that mire into which our folly has drawn us. The Americans are relapfing into their former luxury and enjoyments. Thci war precluded them for a time, but afpirit for indulgence now breaks forth, with in- creafed force, and the orders for goods which have been lately tranfmitted, are filled with as many fuperfluities as necef- faries. Wliether this is a wife conduct in fuch ftates, mud be the confideration of their own Government; bnt it will not be a wife conduit in us, if we neglect the means of drawing them into that depen- dence which their tracie will produce 5 at the M C 152 ) the fame time that it is attended with the greateil benefit to ourfelves, by difpofing of our manufadurcs for ufcful commodities, both for our own confumption and for ex- port. They will come to us for ordina- tion for their clergy, for maflcrs to educate their clilld'-en, an 'J for free communication in all thofe hnhits, from which the clo-^ fefl connections are derived. ^ As the definitive treaty with Americ* IS now figned, and her commerce will become an early obje^^l of parliamentary deliberation, we fhould be vigorous in our exertions to improve fuch promifing advantage*;. I'rance, apprehcniive of them, is fully fenlible of her danger, in the redoration of our ancient commercial connedion -, and no circumltance cfcapes the vigilance of iier minifler in /imerica, which can flattc; rhe pride, or cherifli the refentment of the United States againft us. She ^ r / / ( ^53 ) She fpares neither art, influence, or money, sto effed: her purpofes. She has confuls, and vice-conruls, aj^ents, both public and private, diilributcd and pcnfioned in every part of America. Her appointments arc liberal and magnificent. It is not, how- ever, difficult for us to counter-adl her deflgns. We can doit with little trouble, and as little cxpence. A miniilcr of good fenfe, and commercial knowledge, »iaorc eminent for a plainncfs of manners, neceflary to live in habits with a plain people, tiian for the greatnefs of his birth ♦ or the fpleiidor of his titles — Three confuls for the New England, the middle, and the Southern Stuitcs (the confd for the middle States to be at the fame tinic conlui general) poflcmng the fame qualities, living in familiarity with the people, and judiciouily cluifing the vice-coniuls in the diiT*'.rent pons (wliich would be little or no charge to govrnment) would " r. ffi ( ( '5+ T ^ 1 would produce the cfTcdl: In a very {liort time, of making this coiiiury once more the centre of American com- merce. It is too early to tliink of treaties of alliance ; America is yet too young. As little occafion if: there for treaties of commerce ; a plain adt of parHament, avoiding all manner of reference to Ibrmer a^!ls, comprelienfivc of the duties and regulations of the whole trade, would have as good an effect as any treaty whatever. It v/ould make our laws of trade, refpe(5ling America, familiar and eafy to her merchants, encouraging them to form connexions with us, which the fimilarity of our language and manners would mature ij^ito a perfed. union* Our interefl demands that this union fliould take place with frankncfs, and with the warmcft return of antient affcition. We have no better means of judging of the future. • i, i < C J55 ) future, thin by a rccoUcdion of former benetits. Our habits are niaiictoeach other. Wearcdcfcendcd from one common (lock, and though unhappy difputcs have fepara- ted us for a fcaion, the day of rcconcihatiou is arrived, which we hope will unite us again for ever. Nothing remains but to explain the particular motives which induced the Au- thor to intrude thefe obll*rvatiuns upon the world. They arofe from a well-grounded apprehenfion of the danger, which an intemperate refentment of the pall quarrel, and an ill-timed contempt for a future conneaion with America, woald probably bring upon this nation. America may be froward, but flie is young and. full of warmth; a quality which requires only gentle ufagc, to improve into the moft X fatis- ■ .T-fc*.- ■iTiiriiijitiir' w iit fatlsfadlory temper. It becomes ou r wlfdom, as an antient and well conflituted Govcriw iTient, to adt with prudence and forbear- ance, and v/e fhall then reap the ample fruits which fuch a condu(£t will produce. Such were the motives that aduated him in the produdion of this work. It is offered with thehumility which becomes anEnglifh- man at this period, when the diflrelTes of the Empire call for the wifdom of the wifeft, to remove them from us. If there is any thing in them contrary to the good of either country, it is mofl fmcerely fubmitted to the judgment of more able and intelligent men. In matters of this ferious nature, it would he prefumption to fuppofc, that imaginition has not crept in with reafon, or error with truth. Fallibility is the infiparable companion of human nature. The Author has taken pains care- fully ^ / i\ h I ( ^51 ) tully to colled the moft known and ap* proved fa6ts, which relate to the fubjed:, Thefc will TpCak for themfelves, when the opinions which he has formed upon them are forgotten, and in the dull. FINIS. td ' A This Day is puhlifJ:ed, by J. Slock dale, Piccadilly, coniain- in.ceinbcr ; .iiid on Monday the 8th of December: I'ogecher with authentic Co[)ies of the two EAST INDIA BILLS; the Arguments of the Counfel againrt one of them; the feveral papers containing a riuc Statement of the Company's Affuirs; Lifts of the Divifions; of the Abfentees, ;,nd of thofe who re- tired betore the Diviiiuns commenced. (Ct* As feveral paltry Compilations on the fame Subject are now in Circulation, the Public are here- by cautioned againll the Impofition ; and thofe who are defirous of being fumilhed with the only Ge- nuine Account of the Debates on the India Bill, are requefted to b^; careful to aik for Stockdale's Com-- pL'le and Aulkcnlic Dei ail. Debatss in the lloufe of Lords, on the Eajl India Bill, . . luilh Lijis of the Divifions. Juft publiffsed, Price is $d. A FULL and Accurate Account of the DE- BATESon the E'\ST-INDL-\ BILL, in the Houfe of LORDS, on Tuefday the 9th, Monday the 15th, Tuefday the i6ih, and Wednefday the i7tK init;mt, containing the Speeches delivered by the noble Lords on each of thufe days, together with the a-iguments ufcd by the learned Counfel, in behalf of the COURT of DIRECTORS, and the COUR r of PROPRIETORS, agaiuft the BILL; the whole complied and revifed in the eorret^eft manner pof- fible, and printed to bind up with the DEBATES of the HOUSE of COMMONS juit publiflied, and waich together, will form one of the molt complete and authentic wo.ks of the kind ever offered to-'the Public. ^ II r: I ii\ ^r, :