Star.
London, England, 1802-12-02 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR.

Sitl-Cotmfierce is a national
.purfuit,whia alt,
its branches detnands.can and attention.' TPe.nIPR.
tender and the mottixpore-d ramificationdip&A
to be thofc which are conneaed, in the molt Wits.
mate manner, with onr National. Safety and PrcKl
perity. L mean thole, of the Shipping interelt,l
Which in force refpefts are difiouraged, and in Othoo,
ifiregard4,
We aft pip unwire a part as the Dutch Nation,:
when ihafiii)tolied their enemies with gun-powdei
to be teed againa thernfelves. They, howeirer, got
money for their powder, while we gratnitouar
throw away what it has coil as much pains and
labour to obtain. I now allude to the Regulations
adopted with Shipping for the Eall India. Trade.
In the obfervations which follow, I have no in=
tention to interfere with the controverfy that exifts
betwen the Company and thole who term them-'
felves Free Trader: to India. I only with to Ilicw
how the (hips of this country are rejeded by. the•
Company, while foreigners of every defer' ption are
encouraged and protected. Their fhips are cm.
played whila ours are rotting in the harbours.
The prefent unwife fyftem of the Eaft India.
Company is to fend a certain number of the vet-
fels called Regular Ships to India each feafon, freigh-
ted with fuck articles as they are allowed by
their charter to export, or as they think will find
a fale, in order to return loaded with the
duce of the country. The number and tonwe.
of ihips thus fent out is regulated by the fir.* Ices
of the Company, which, according to its ots,
account, are too limited to embrace the whole 6f
the commerce to India. As no Britifh fuLjeas are
permitted to interfere with the privileges of the
Company in importing India commodities into En.
rope, except in a very limited manner, and fubjea
to heavy rettriftions—Englifh (hips are not per-
mitted to navigate freely beyond the Cape of
Good Hope, while foreign (hips bring home the
furplus produfkions, which cannot be confumed
huti.in Europe, and of which the Company is by
no means able to convey a flifficient quantity.—
Foreigners by this means gain money, and that
with Britifh capital. That one may form fame
judgment of the extent of this trade, let it be con-
ceived, that there are no leis than go cargoes of
from goo to moo tons imported into Hamburgh;
Copenhagen, and Oftend, in one year from India,
all, or nearly all of which might in the firft in-
fiance be brought into Britifh harbours, to be erl
ported afterwards in Britifh (hips to different porti
, on the Continent. By an error in our regulations,
! and in conformity with the charter of the India.
Company, we are thus enriching others while we
impoverifh our own country. Reflecting in this
manner on a beneficial commerce thus thrown
away,what mufl be the feelings of an Eaglifhman ?
Like a lion caught in the toils, or confined in the
cage, he is condemned to be a tame and infignifi-
cant fpeaator of the. mifchief. Foreigners trade
to India under no reftraint ; they may bring pro-
duce from our own .fettlements, and difpofe of it
in England, whilft the native of this country is
debarred every cud, privilege and advantage.
It is at no fmall rilque and expence to the corn- •
munity that we have obtained, and that we pre-
ferye India ; yet if we prefiime to navigate the
fear as foreigners do, confifcation of property and
perfonal imprifonment, are our portion, and why
is this ? Not certainly to ferve the Company, for
it carries on all the trade already which it has the
means to do. It is verily then the fable of the
Dog in the Manger realized on a large fcale, and
to the great detriment of Old England.
"'serums.