Star. — London, England, 1807-08-18 00:00:00

PICTUALUNG OFFICS, efssg. IS. .807. T HE COMMISSIONERS for PICTU4LLING HIS MdY SPIT': ismpr, du berth rive maw. That on Fri lay the aStit infizat, they will be ready to receive Tenders, in writing, Irak(' up, and treat for THREE HUN DRED CHALDRONS (each conflifing of ;6 Bufheh Whir-baler bileafure) of PI FT's TANFI ELD MOOR COALS, or COALS• of equal goodnefs; to be delivered in a whole Cargo or Cargoes, by the 3oth of September next, alongfide the Wharf of his Ma jetty's Vitftualllng Pretnifes at Plymouth, and Southdown ; and to be paid for by Bills payable with intercß ninety days after date. The Conditions of the Contract may be ken at the Secretary's Office. No regard will be bad to enly Tender hr which the pri,:e /wit Not be iaferted is word, at Garth, or that jesid trot II a delivered to the Board icfere ou i deli, .a the faid Friday, the 18th inifamt, oar wadi tit P,,foe who wain the Tealsr.•• fines ?afro ws hit behalf &Heal to emitter when called for. PICTUALLINU OPFICP, Asirll 17, 1107. THE COMMISSIONERS for VICTUALLING HIS MAY ES77"S NAVY, do forsay slit sous, That on Tuefday the Ift of September next, they will be ready ca weeive Tenders in writing, (fealed up) and treat for Two Hun dred Tons of genuine OATMEAL; to be delivered one Hundred Tons into His Majefty's Virltualling Stores at Portfmouth, and the remaining One Hundred Tons into tb6fe at Plymouth ; one half thereof in one month, and the other half in a month after wards, and to b, paid fee by Bills payable with intereft ninety days after date. The Couditiors of the Contradt may be km at the Secretary's 0 crice. _ . record trill 6: ha :l to any Tender in tobkb tie price jball act be in,. in worth at letzth, or that AIN not be delivered to the Board before et the faid Trefilay the 111 of Sepenhier next, nor walls the Perrin trim wakes the Tender, or fosse perfics on his iebalf attends • axitier :viten cailid for. FINEDON ESTATE. THE Pttbrc are informed, that the Farm fitnate at Finedon, in the County of Northampton, advertifed to be Sold by Audlion on Thutfday, the aoth day of Auguft inftant la Sold by Private eontradt.—Augult Is, 18C7. REPORT. The Committee who were appointed to take into eoulideration the Commercial Sate of the Weft India Colonies, and to report their proceedings, from time to time, to the Houfc of Commons and who were empowered to report the minutes of evidence taken before them; and to whom all minutes of evidence which were taken before the Committee on the tall SelG•itt of Parlia ment, on the Weft India Planters Petitions, together with their proceeding', were referred, have, purfuant to the order of the Houle, examined the matters to them referred ; and have agreed to tits following Report: — Your Committee have thought it their duty in the firff place, to enquire into the fituation of the Welt India Planters at the prefent moment, and for fcve ral yeaks preceding, and have examined various re fpeetable witntffes, proprietors of eltates, who have refided many years in the Welt Indies, and who have bad the properties of feveral abfentees under their management ; and alfo many merchants intimately acquainted with the expences and profits of a great variety of Oates, and generally converfant with the Weft India commerce. From their teal:wry it ap pears, that fince the year 1799 there has taken place a progreffive deterioration in the fituation of planters, refulting from a progreffive diminution of the price of fugar, although at the fame time the duty, end all the eepence.s attending the cultivation, have been in• crating, till atlength the depreilion of the market has become fuch, that the pricesobtained forthe laft year's ...op will not pay the expence of cultivation, except upon elates on a very great fcsle, making fugar of a very fuperior quality, or Srijnying otherextraordinary advantages. Calculatiors have been laid before your Comrrioee. from the accounts of Oates both in Ja. maica and the other iflands, by which it appears that the Brilifh fupplies and ifland expences amount to 2CS. 10(1. in the firmer, and to 19s. 63. in the latter, on the cwt. of Inger, after accounting and giving credit for the am 'tint received from the fele of Rum. As thefe calculations are formed upon an average of years, and upon dates of the ordinary kale, and in no refpeets nnufualiy circumtlanced, it appears to your Committee, that there fums per cwt. of fugar may be taken as the average expence of cultivation, independent of interett upon the ca pital ; and your Committee are cnnfirmed in this opinion by finding a limilar calculation in the Re pnrtmade by the Sugar Mink' y Committee, in the elan Pa.liimenr. To this mutt be added an expence of from r ss. 61 to t6s. per c.vt. necelfarily incurred for freight, infurance, and other mercantile charges, . between the shipping the goods in tile colonies, and their being offered to market in this kindom, forming together an amount of from 3;s. to 365. which ap pears, np , n this evidence, to be the abfolute colt of the planer, per cwt. fugar, hefore any return of capital can attach. Upon a reference to the eve s rage pt ices publifhed in the Gazette for the lett eight enoutloo which vary from 365. to 315. giving a mean price ni Kio id. it appears et ident that the planters ttttult hove.cultivated their ellaces at a his. The iiiterett which has been Rated to your Com mittee as what (broad he the fair profit upon a capital 01 loch a nature as that of a fugar eflate, confining not merely of land and Negroes, but of buildings of great extent oti'd colt, neceifiry for the carrying on of ftich a manufeEfure, and fobjekt to various and pects and *anodes, is not id's than to per cent. During the period of praperity previous to iBOO, it is Rated, that, in Feineral, the profits did not exceed that fum and that, from th.tt period, they have gradually diminithed to 2..1 and ti per cent. till at the plefe.nr moment, there is no return of intereft whatever. • It may perhaps be tight to notice one exception, namely, of an ellate moil favourably circumnanced in every reflo et, where the profits are Rated to have amounted durtno the four years 1795, 1796, 1 797. . and 1793, to : e per cent. but they appear alfo to have declined ever fince ; in 18ot, 'Sue, 003, and 18c4., to have been reduced to about 6 per cent. and in iSes, to about 3 per cent. and fubtequently to have futrered :a 1101 further re,hglion. In the co.ofe of their invelligation of the fituation of the planter:, your Committee thought it right to alcertain whether it might not be in their own power, in many inltances, to remedy the evils of their fitua. lion, by converting their fugar ages to other more or. fit sole cultivation ; but the evidence on that point thaws that fuch a convection mutt be attended with re great a faerifiee of capital, rag ao be out of the question as a meafure of telief. With a view to the profpea of the future, they have obtained a return of the quantity of fugar at prefent in the Welt India Docks ; from which and from other evidence, it appears, that the quantity now on hand is unufually great for the time of year. The crop of laft year is alfo on the point of coming into the market. It should not be omitted fart;cr to Rate, that for many years part the Elands have aimed entirely ef cafed the natural calamities of hurricanes, &c. which have °cull:many proved deftruaive to the property in thole countries. • let inveftigating the miles of that depreflion of the market, from whence the whole of the Planter's dif trefs appears to originate, the firft objet which ftrikes your Committee, is, that extraordinary fituation in which he is placed, which prevents him alone (in ex ception to every other fimilar cafe) from indemnify ing himfelf for the increaft of duty, and of other ex rocs' attending his cultivation, by an equivalent increafe of price to the confumer. For it appears, that fence the year 1799, the duty on fugar has been raifed from 205. to 275. and contingently to 305. per hundred weight ; the axpences of the ettates are cal culated to have rifen in snany articles fifty, and in others above one hundred per cent. ; and the price has fallen from 691. to 335. 6d. per cwt. the average of the hilt eight months. As it appears obvious, from the above flatement, that the duty is heavier than the arti icle can bear at its prefent price, it is fuggefted that it might be expedient,lGr the relief of the home market, to extend the principle which has been adopted on the contingent increale of duty from 275. to 305.; In that fr 411 the maximum of duty then fixed, on a profs price of Bos. affording 3os. duty, and sos. to the Planter, the duty fhould be thrown back on a fimilar fcale in proportion to the depiction of the market, till the price arrives at 6os. grofs, leaving 2os. (the original duty), to Government, and 40;. to the Planter; or, in other word!, a redudion Di is. duty on a redudion of as. grofs price, from the average then fixed for the impofition of the new duty, as far as 205. A confiderable depreciation in the price of rum having alfo taken place, it has been fuggetted, that the enc iuragement of the confumptiint of that article would be a confiderable advantage to the Planter.— Your Committee are aware that fuch encouragement has been given, to a certain extent, but if it were found pradicable to carry that allitiance further, by an increafed coniumption in the Army and Navy. fuch a meaftire would, in their opinion, have very beneficial effects ; or a recludion of duty on ruin might afford elfential relief to the Planter, without lots to the revenue, which would be indemnified by an increafed consumption of that fpirit. Great, however, as are the evils of the decreafe of price and increafe of charges, it does not appear to your Committee that they are the original caufes of the difirefs of the Planter, by applying to which alone any practicable remedy he could be more than par tinily relieved; but that the main evil, and that to which there are ultimately to he referred, is the very unfavourable date of the foreign market, in which formerly the Britila merchant enjoyed nearly a mo-1 nopoly, but where he cannot at prefent enter into competition with the Planters, not only of the neutral, but of the holtile colonies. The refult of all their inquiries on this molt important part of the fubjeet, have brought before their eyes one grand and pri mary evil, from which all the others are eafily to be deduced; namely, the facilay of intercourse between the hoftile Colonies and Europe, under the Ameri can neutral flag, by means of which not only the whole of their produce is Carried to a market, but at charges little exceeding thole of peace ; while the Britifh Planter is burtliened with all the inconveni ence, risk, and expence,refulting from a liate of war. The advantages which the hr.firle Colonies derive from the relaxation of that principle, which prohibted any trade from being carried on with the enemy's co• lorries by neutrals during war, which the enemy him. felf did not permit to thofe neutrals during peace, may be in part ellimated by reference to a tiatement of the imports into Amfterdam alone from the United States of America, in !the year iBo6, amounting to' 34,085 hhds. of coffee., and 43,097 hhds. of fugar, conveyed in art veffels, hereunto annexed ; and to a fiatement alfo annexed, of the amount of Welt In dieproduce, exported from the United States of America, between the tft Odtober, rfiog, and 30th September, 'BO6. In point of comparative exilence the advantages of the hoftile Colonies will he further illuarated by the evidence of Mr. Marryat, firm) oted by farisfadory documents, which Phew the charges of freight and infutance on fugar from the hoftile Co lonies, through the United States of America, to the ports of Holland and Flanders, and to thole of the Mediterranean, to be lefs by 8.. t td. to the former, and by i 2s. 6d. to the latter, than thofc charges on Britifh fug Ars to the fame ports. Your Committee cannot omit to Rate alto another important advantage enj yed by the Freak Colonies, ;ailing from the file of nearly the whole French mer cantile marine to Neutrale, under the ftipulatinn of each veffel being returned into French ports, in order to be navigated as French (hips, within 12 months after peace, and with the enjoyment during war, of the fame privileges in the ports of France, as if they were adually French ; for inftance, to import fugar at a duty of 4s. per cwt. lefs than the duty imposed on fugar imported in neutral veffels. In order to counterbalance, in fume degree, the advantages thus enj ,yed by the hollile Colonies, to the detriment of the British Planter, it has been re. commended, that a blockade of the ports of the ene my's fettlements should be reforted to--Inch a mea lure, if it could be. aridly enforced, would undoubt edly afford relief to our export trade. But a meafure of more permanent aid certain ad vantage would be the enforcement of thole refiritlions on the trade between Neutral's and the enemy's co looks, which were formerly maintained by Great Britain, and from the relaxation of which the enemy's colonies obtain indiredly, during war, all the advantages of peace ; while our own colonies, in the intercourfe with whom that fyilem of mono poly which has been held effential to the commercial and military navy of this country is tigoroufly en forced, and deprived of the advantages under which in former wars tkey carried their produce to the foreign markets, and which, in the prefent war, by means of our decided naval fuperiority, would have amounted to the exclufive fupply of the whole of Europe ; and when thofe extraordinary meafures are taken into confideration which have been adopted, to exclude the Britith Colonial produce from the European.matket, it appears to your Committee to he a matter of evident and imperious neceflity to re fort to loch a fyllem, as by impeding and reftriaing, and as far as poll - IWe, preventing the export of the produce of the enemies colonies from the places of its growth, fhall compel the Continent to have re coolie to the only fource of fupply, which, in that event, would be open to it. As it may be apprehended that from the adoption of fuch meafures, difficulties might arife in that in tercourfe, from which the Welt Indies at prefent derive a confider able proportion of fome cf their fupplies, your Committee have thought it their duty to make inquiry into the refources in that refpea to which recount might be had in filch an event. — During the only period which affords an example of the fulpenfion of that intercourfe, the evidence con curs as to the fad of a lupply having been obtained (though not without temporary and occalional incon veniences) from a variety of foutces which may rea fonably be relied upon in cafe of fuch neceffity, at the prefent moment, to a greater amount than at the former period. From the examination of perfons who, in confequence of their refidence In the Britith North American Settlements, or extenfive commer. cial conne6lions with them, poffefs tire heft informa tion as to their prefent and future refources, there is good ground to believe that Come fupply of the' principal articles of lumber might be obtained from i thence immediately, and to expe& that with due en couragement, the quantity of that fupply might be inct eafed to any extent. The fupply of flour which they could at prefent afford to the Wei India market would be finall, and of inferior quality. They appear to be capable of affording a large fupply of 11th, and what deficiency might exiit in other articles of falt provifions, might be made up by fupplies from Europe. Upon the whole, the impreffion which your Corn mittee have received is, that the trade now carried on between the Britifh Welt Indies and the United States of Americ t, is very convenient and advance. genus to the inhabitants of our colonies, and one which they could not relinquifh without elfential de • triment, unlefs it was comoenfated by other advan. cages ; but that it is not effential to their exittence, or equivalent to the difadvantages of their fituation, in thole reipees; which your C mmittce hive alteady gone through in the prefent ftatement. Your Committee having briefly flared the diffreffed fituation of the Weft India Planter, the calif - es which have gradually produced his dittrets, which are be pond his reach to remedy, and which mull continue to operate with increafed effect; and having Rated inch meafures of relief as have been fuggelled to them, and fuel' as, from the belt fources of information, appear moll: adequate to the end in view, have only to add, that if thofe remedies are liable to objeltions and difficulties, there is on the other hand the Itrongeft concurrent teftimony and proof, that wilds fome fpeetly and efficient meafures of relief are adopted, the ruin of a great number of the Planters, and of perfons in this country holding annuities, and other wife dependent upon thole properties for their income, mull inevitably very ((ion take place, which mull be Followed by the lots of a vaft capital advanced on recurities in thole countries, and by the moll fatal injury to the commercial, maritime, and financial atterells of Great Britain. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. • TUESDAY, AUGUST IS. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY ATONE O'CLOCK Conf. money 64t —for Auguft 641—Red. 614—• Oran. par. t ilit—Exch Bills par. zs.dif. We have the pleafure to (late that the St. Eliza beth, Lovszt. ; and the Union, GARDNER, from Ja maica, are arrived at Evilly! : they parted from the A:et on Friday lag, the t4th int. at 5 A. M. all well; off the welt coact of Ireland. From letters by the Lifbon Mail received yeller day, it feems that a report was in circulation at Lifbon of the recapture of Buenos Ayres, by the Btitilh troops. This event is faid to have taken place on the 29th of May. So far as refpeds the date on which it hal petted, this term teems zo be incorred, as our lalt intelligence from that quarter is of a fubfequent date. It ought to be tecolleded, however, that the accounts of the recapture of Buenos Ayres by the Spaniards came originally from Lifbon, and on that occalion alto the dates then given were ultimately proved to have been incorreet. The packet which brought the above reports from Lifbon, left that place on the ad intl. The following is an extra& from the letter of a Correfpondent at Lifbon on the fubje& " LISBON, AUGUST a. 66 I have written by . the Mail, bt.e. fince the bags have been made up, accounts have been received, and generally credited, from St. Helena and Rio de Janeiro, that.Bnenot. Ayres had ferrendered to the Englifh. Another Ihip is come in from Rio Janeiro, and brings accounts of Lima being taken by the Engh(h." We have received Paris Papers to the 9th, and Dutch to the 13th infant. The fate of Portugal, it would feem, has been finally decided :at St. Cloud. General JUNO; the Governor of the City of Paris, has been nominated to command the army of 4.0,0c0 men, cr•lleeted at Bayonne, for the fubjtigation of Portugal. JUNOT is invened with a diplomatic, as well as a military charafter. The only objeB in view is Paid to be the [hutting out the trade of Great Britain from the Tagus; and this, the French papers tell us, will be effeeed in a very amicable manner. At all events, the old maxim is to be allied upon, Delenda eft Carpagn, Aut Marte aut Mercurio I CHATHAM DOCK YARD. We are concerned to (tate, that accounts were this mornit:g received in town, by exprefs, of the tool dellruaion of the King's Dock Yard at Chatham, by fire. It broke out about twelve o'clock laft ni g h t in the ealtern part of thefe extenfive prernifer. The wind blew hat from the Eaft at the time, a circumftance which greatly leflened the damage done by the devouring element. The fire was not extinguifhed at five o'clock this morning, when the ezprefs came away. The quantity of Ames confumed, and which con. fitted of fpan, oakum, pitch, &c. is Paid to be enor mous. It was about high water at the time of tfe accident, which fortunately admitted of (hipping and floating property being unntoored, and towed out r; the reach of danger. We ought to add, however, that the accounts ceived by Government of this accident are fomeuliar contradi&ory of the above flatement. At fi •me Offices, canneiled with the navy department, the da mage done is raid to have been trifling. it is fttongly fufpaled that this calamity has been occaGoned by fome wretches in the pay of our fo reign enemies. The difpatches received yeflerday by Government from Admiral GAMBIER, are dated the 9th infant, and at that time the whole of the fleet and tranfports under his command had joined. The wind had been fo extremely favourable, that the tranfports were en• abled to preferve the utmoa regularity, while the troops on board were in the highea fpirits. Admiral GAM• area has ninety pendants under his command, an.l there are on board not lefs than thirty thoufaad 1 excellent troops. This fortnidAhle expedition, betides 1 the objeas it may accomplith with refpea to Denmatk , will elf() have the ace of overawing the new ally of BONAPARTE ; it may be direeled again(' Cronaadt, t'r any other Ruffian port, ihonld the Cabinet of Pe tedburgh a 8 upon the flipulatiuns of the treaty of Tilfir, which have not yet been made public. Mini (lers, it is Paid, have afcertained that thefe llipula tions are direaly hoflile to the interefts of this country, and the allufion in his MAyssTes Speech leaves little doubt of this fait. Befides, it was Rated yeaerday on the Royal Exchange, that Mr. CANNING had fent notice to the Chairman of the Ruffian Company, that he was acquainted with one of the Secret Articles of the Treaty concluded between the Emperor ALEXANDER and Islaroisou, and that it amounted to a declaration of war againa England, unlefs the mud iation of the former Putentate was accepted in one month ! The following letters are from Officers on board Admiral GAMBIER'S fleet : EXTRACT 07 A LETTER FROM AN OFFICER ON BOARD HIS IiAJKSTY'II SLOOP GANNET. " Hofeky Bay, Auguft 14. 41 We arrived here on the t 2th, and were joined by a convoy o) tranfports, with dffpatctses for us, and for the Commander in Chief, in the Baltic. Our orders are to proceed with the traniports whets colleded, without delay, off Ell:incur, and put ourfelves unde tke orders of Admiral Gambier. We are to have the charge of 31 fail of transport• 27 of which are now here, the re ft howl) ez• Ipedted On their arrival we inftantly fail. The tranfports carry artillery, horfes, and baggage of all forte. Our Captain (.Stever. o n) is charged with fecret difpatches fix Lord Cathcart, and Sir Arthur Welitfley." _ _ " Prince of Wales, ElGneur. Auguft 9, illo?. " From the multiplicity and hurry of bands, I have fcarce moment to addrefs a few lines to you. Two • ieiliolis o. trim rpm- s hive arrived, containing about t6,cicia troops, and I yodel . - Rand row: others are gone to the Great Belt, tojt.in Commodort Keates, who is ftationcd there with fevcral fail of the line, and a great number of (mailer veffels, to cut off :Ivy fupplies of troops that may attempt to get into Zealand. I unilerftand a Pail is ordered to Copenhagen to take cur Minifter, his tulle, and bag gage. to Memel ; Co that, note's the Danes fuhmit touch terms as will be offtred to them, hoitilities will commence immediately. They have a large fleet at Copenhagen, which might be got rAdy for lea in a very Ilion time. This is the objrdt of our jealouiy, and no meats will be left untried to pet poffeffion of it, this once accomplifhed, nothing need be apprehended from that quarter. There is not the fiti.,llcit doubt but that the firft oiled of this et. pcdition is to fecure the Danes; but whether, after having fo done, it v. ill meddle with the French before St-alfund, you are a better judge than I am. I expel the diretnbarkation of the troops will take place in two or three days, fo that, in all probability, the oat packet will bring you fometbing deciGye." This morning difpatches were received at the Foreign Office from Mr. TunaNT. , N, our Ambaffadrr at T“nningen. And at two o'cl , ck this Jay a Pt ivy Council was held at the Foreign Office, when thefe difpatches were taken into confideration Mr. ELSWORTHY, the Meffenger, has received nr• dets to hold himself in readinets, and it is expreed he will leave town this evening with important dif• patches. _ Sunday evening there was a very crowded geritcrl affemblage on Windfnr Terrace, amongit them woe the Archbifhop of Caul-motor and family, Eirl DARTMOUTH. and Admiral COLPOYS. Their Dln• yerrtss and Patacissis walked on the Terrace till half malt eight o'cli , ck, during the time the hand of the Royal Horle Guards (Blue) with their Veer drums, and the King's Own Regiment, Staffohi Militia, played till their MAJESTIES ret:red. . . _ Yetterdaymorning his Mai sstry, Pt inceffl , SOPHIA! AUGU , TA, and AMUR, acctoni,anie.i by the Hen. Mils EGERTON, GE-T.10%413 HAKCOVET, Firast.7, CARTWRIGHT, and Count MUNSTER. illf‘k A nit. to Windfor Park, and returned at twrive .'click. Her Mitjavry and Prince& ELIZABETH trop °a airing to Fr,..gmore, &c. The value of property infured in the diff.:er:. Fire Offices in Great Britain, in tBo6. ,ca` 3 "": r 00,000,0001. and in the United Kingdom or t.,,c,t, Britain and Ircland, 370,000,0001. Ti" --