The Sun.
London, England, 1822-04-19 00:00:00

WEST INDIA INTERCOURSE.

The following is a Copy of the Petition of the
Merchants of London trading to British North
America, against Mr. ROBINSON'S Bill:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.

The humble Petition of the undersigned Merchants of Lon-
don, interested in the Trade and Fishery .of his Majesty's
Colonies in North America.

Sx wETH--That your petitioners have long been engaged
in the trade with his Majesty's Provinces of Upper and Lower
Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward's
Island, and Newfoundland ; and that in the course of such
trade your petitioners have annually shipped to the said Co-
lonies British manufactures and East India and other goods to
a very considerable extent, for which they have received in re-
turn the produce of the said Colonies, which are entirely depen-
dant for support on their trade with the British West India
Islands, and the export to Great Britain of timber, lumber, and
other produce.

That your petitioners observe by the votes of your Honour-
able House, that a Bill is now pending therein, intituled " A
" Bill to regulate the Trade between his Majesty's Possessions
" in America and the West Indies, and other places in Ame-
" rica and the Westindies," whereby it is proposed to repeal
the Statutes for regulating the intercourse between the said
Colonies and the said 'West India Islands, and between such
Islands and the United States of America, although the said
Statutes alone have enabled the said Colonies successfully to
compete with the United States of America in the trade with
the West India Islands.

That your petitioners humbly conceive that the said Bill, if
allowed to pass into a law, will prove ruinous to the said Co-
lonies and the British Shipping Interest, and highly prejudi-
cial to the commerce and manufactures of the Mother Country,
whilst it will not, as your petitioners submit, afford that relief
to the individuals interested in West /India property which
your petitioners understand is the sole object of the said Bill,
either by enabling the planters to purchase supplies at a cheaper
rate, or open to them a more extensive market for the consump-
tion of their produce.
That the said Colonies in British North America are fully
competent, as your petitioners are prepared to prove by the
most respectable testimony, if your Honourable House will
permit them, to furnish and have furnished the said West
India Islands at reasonable rates with every article necessary
for the supply of them to any extent : your petitioners also beg
leave to state, that considerable importations of rum have been
annually made into the said Colonies, and that they have
greatly increased of late years, notwithstanding the many pri-
vations and severe distress to wiiich the said Corea-lies have in
common with every other class of his Majesty's subjects been
exposed, but that such importations must very materially de-
crease, or even cease altogether, if the proposed Bill is allowed
to pass into a law.

That considerable shipments of fish, flour, lumber, staves,
and other articles, from the said Colonies to the Wrest India
Islands, have already been made this season, under the sans-
don and upon the faith of the continuance of the existing laws;
but that such shipments will not, if the said Bill is allowed to
pass into a law in the present Sessions of Parliament, find a
market in the said Islands, but must prove most disastrous to
the shippers.

Your petitioners, therefore, most humbly pray your Honour-
able House, that the said Bill may not pass into a law, and
that your petitioners may be permitted to be heard by their
Counsel or Agents against the same, or such parts thereof as
most particularly affect their interests, ap&the interests of his
Majesty's Colonies in British North America.
And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.