The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-09-18 00:00:00

ment et mistaitin policy, ail likely to lay on their
commerce. The excellency of the thanufaciures of
Great Britaih; aided by the efedit at which they can
be sold, will force a vent through every obstacle
which can be opposed to them. This is evident
from what happened in the Bourse of the last war.
It has been stated to the Committee, that the ma.
nufattures of this coantry then found their way in
very great quantities through France, Holland,
Flanders, and other channels, into the countries now
sub)eft to the United States, though the ports in
their possession were then shut to our shipping, and
the whole country was up in arms against Great
Britain, so that the Americans still purchased them,
though their price was greatly enhanced by addi-
tional freight, high insurance, and double commis-
sion ; and ;ince the peace, and particularly in the
course of the last five months, the export of British
goods to the countries of the United States, has been
immense, certainly more than in any former period.
Some have thought that our merchants have given
credit to the Americans beyond all bounds of mer-
cantile judgment and discretion ; from all which cir-
cumstances. it is just to infer, that the Americans
would never have given orders for so large a qrsan-
thy of goods, if they had really meant to prohibit or
obsu at the commerce of this country, by excluding
British ships from their ports; and that the mer-
chants of Great Britain would never have ventured
to send these great quantities to America, if there
had been sufficient reason to apprehend that the Gool
vernments of the different Prbvinces of America
would carry their menaces, an this [eyed, into
effettual execution.
But while the commerce of Great Britain with
the [hiked States is thus opening, with a fair pros-
peCt of success, from every part of Your Majesty's
dominions, it has Leen a satisfaltion to the Com-
mittee to find, that foreign nations have made hi-
therto but languid and naprosperous efforts to avail
themselves of those advantages of which they
thought they had deprived Great Britain ; they ei-
ther cannot, or they will not, give the Americans
that credit, which the commerce of all new esta-
blished eon-rides necessarily requires. They have
perhaps been the more cautious in this resped, on
account of the many bankruptcies which their in-
tercourse with America, as the Committee have been
informed, has already occasioned ; they have sent
therefore supeicargoes on board their ships, with
orders to sell only for ready money. Mr. Brook
Watson, Your Majesty's late Commissary General
in America, was told by gentlemen who came
from Philadelphia to New York, that all the foreign
ships which had arrived there, had brought super-
cargoes with them, who gave no credit to the Anti-
ricans for any part of their cargoes ; that they even
Cars ied out artificers necessary for the repairing their
ships ; all which had created great murmurs among
the merchants and tradesmen of that plate ; and
that after they bad disposed of their carman. , they
had offered to receive American produce at one halt
of the usual freight, by which means the freighting
of American ships was totally stopped, and their
seamen out of employ. The Committee have re-
ceived intelligence to the like purport from several
other quarters. They have been informed also by
eminent underwriters, that there are but few ships
going from the posts of Holland or France to the
United States ; some are gcir.g from Ostend, and
several from Portugal with wir.e ; but that these in
general are American ship;: that there are sorre
others bound from America to Frantle, chiefly froth
Maryland and Virginia, laden with tobaectto ; that
is appears by the nature of their insurances, that
the Americans are not as yet determined to what
ports it may be most for their benefit to carry their
produce ; that they are under great uncertainty.
with respell to their trade, and that they will pro-
bably come into the Channel, and upon the coast,
and wait there till they are informed to what market
it may be best for them to go ; all which clearly
:hews, that their trade has hitherto received no posi-
tive direduion, and points out the necessity of our
coming to some speedy decision on the future rela-
tive situation of this country and the United States,
in point of commerce.
Lest, however, the United States should, through
resentment, proceed to prohibit or lay any material
restridion on the trade carried on between the said
States and the dominions of Your Majesty, in Ea.
rope or the %Vest Indies, the Committee thought i:
right to consider whether any proper measure could
be adopted to defeat their views in this royal : it
occurred to them, that the opening a free port, at
a certain distance from the coast of America, was
the measure of all others the best calculated for that
purpose. By a free port, the Committee mean a
port free for the admission of American ships, and of
such enumerated articles of American produce only,
as Great Britain, Ireland, and the Islands of the
West Indies, may stand in need of, and with which
they and Your Majesty's remaining Colonies in North
America, cannot sufficiently supply each other ;
which port might, at the same time, be made an
enirepot for such articles as the Americans would
take in return; that is, the manutaaures of Great
Britain and Ireland, and the produce of the 11:oish
West India Winds. The Island of Bermuda ap-
pears to the Committee well adapted for this design;
it lies at a convenient distance from the coast of
America ; it is nearly centrical to all the ports of
the United States ; the navigation to and from it is
open and easy at all seasons of the year ; it is in-
habited by a mercantile race of men, who build and
navigate a great number of small quick sailing ves-
sels, and who are perfectly acquainted wish the har-
bours and creeks of Noris America. Having no
proddce of its own, regulations may be more easily
made for preventing contraband ; and, being an Is-
land, with one or two small ports, those regulations
may be more easily eaforced. If the United States,
therefore, should impose such restrictions on the
commerce of Great Britain, as may lay it under any
material difficulties, a measure like this may be pro.
per, and greatly contribute to defeat the object they
have in view : but the Committee are far from think-
ing that the trade of this country, either in Europe
or the West Indies, is yet in such a situation as to
make an exae.iient lase this in the least degree ne-
cessary. All that has been hitherto stated in this
Report, clearly proves the reverse ; and they are
sensible that there is great danger in adopting such
a measure. It may not be possible, by any restric-
tions, so to guard a port, situated at a great distance
. from the seat of Government, but that it will be

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