Star.
London, England, 1812-09-15 00:00:00

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price. Is it for vexations And indulgenees like these
that the people of the United Stares are to ab 'adult
their commerce and peace ? Is it for such fiv urs
they are to invite the calamities Cf war? • It the le-
sources of negotiation were exhausted, h d the Go-
vernment no powers remaining to diminish the cau-
ses of national controversy by preyent;ng abuses ?
After this, had it no powers to provide for protecting
indisputable and important rights, without waging a
war of offence ? In the regular exercise of legislative
and executive powers, might not the fair objects of
interest for our country have been secured completely
by consistent and wholesome plans for defensive pro-
tection ? And would not a nation il position, strictly
defensive, yet highly respectable, have been les: bur-
thensome to the people than the projected war ?
Would it not be more friendly to the cause of our
own seamen—more tafe for our navigation and com-
merce=-more favourable to the interests of cur agris
culture--lets hazardous to national character—more
worthy of a people jealous of their liberty and lode- '
penciente ?
" Fir cnterirg into these hostilities is there any •
thing in the ft iendship or commerce of France in its
nature very interesting or alluring ? Will the reap-,
ing of the scanty field of French trade which we seek,
in any way compensate for the rich hat vest of gene-
ral commerce, which by war we are about to aban-
I don ? When entering into a war with Great Britain
for commercial rights and interests, it seems impossi-
ble not to enquire into the state of our comet-rcial
'relations with France, and the advantages the United
States will obtain. We may thus be enabled to judge
whether the prize is worth the contest.
" By an official statement, made to Congress
during the present Session, it appears that of
45,294,000 dollars of domestic productions of the
United States, exported from September Sikh, 1810,
to October 1, 1811, only 1,194,275 dollars were ex-
ported to France and Italy, including Sicily, nut
dependency if France.
" France is now deprived of all her foreign colts.
nits, and by reviewing our trade with that Colvin'', •
for several )ears past and before the date af the or•
ders in Council, it will apptar that, exclusive of her
foreign possessions, it has been corn +ant ively incon-
siderable. The annexed statement !linked A. taken
from official documents, shoes the quantay of par- t
titular articles, the produce of the United ates., ex-
ported to all the world, distinguishing the amount
both to France and to England and her dependen-
cies from 1810 to 1811. From this statement it
appears, how small a pmportion of the great staples
of our country is taken • by Fiance. While France
retained her colonies, her colonial pro.luce found its
wly to the mother country through the United
Stives, and our trade with her in these art Iles, was
not inconsiderable. But since she has been deprived
of her foreign possessions, and since the establish-
ment of her municipal regulations, as to licences, this
trade has been in a great degree annihilated. With
respect to colonial p-oduce none can be imported
into France except from particular ports in the Uni-
ted States and under special imperial licences. For
these licences our merchants must pay what the
agents of the French Government think proper to
demand. As to artic'es of our domestic produce,
they are burdened with such exorbit int dotes, and
I are subjected to such regulations and restrictions on
I their importati' n, as, in ordinary times, will amount
to a prohibition.
" On the s:h of August, 1810, the very day of the
Duke of Cadore's noted letter, a duty was imposed
on all sea island cotton, imported into France, of
mqre than eighty cents per pound, and on other cot-
ton of about sixty cents per pound, amounting to
three, or four, times the original cost in the United
States. And as to tobacco, the French Minister
here, on the 2'3d of July, 1811, informed our Govern-
ment that it was ' under an Administration (es regie)
in France ; the administration (he says) is the only
consumer and can purchase only the quantity neces-
sary for its consumption." And by other regula-
tions not more than one, fteenth of all the tobacco
consumed in France, can be of foreign growth. The
ordinary quantity of tobacco annually consumed in '
France is estimated at 30,000 hogsheads, leaving
only about 2000 hogsheads of foreign tobacco to be
purchased in France.
ig In addition to these impositions and restrictions,
the importer is not left at liberty with respect to his
return cargo. By other edicts, he is compelled to
vest the avails of his importations, if, alter paying
duties and seizures, any remain, in such articles of
French produce and manufacture, as the French Go-
vernment thinks proper to direct. Two-thirds ai
least must be laid out in silks, and the other third in
wines, brandies, andother articles of that country.
To sirew.that this account of our commercial rela-
tions with France does not rust on doubtful autho-
rity, the undersigned would refer to the statements
and declarations of our Government on this subject.
In a letter from Mr. Smith, the late Secretary of
State, to the Minister of France here, of the 18ds De- ,
cember, 1810, speaking of our trade to that country,
under its regulations, after the pretended repeal of
the Decrees, Mr. Smith says--g The restrictions of
the Berlin and Milan Decrees had the effect of re•
straining the American merchants from sending their
vessels to France. The interdictions in the system
that has been substituted, against the admission of
American products, will have the effect of imposing
upon them an equal restraint.'
" If then, for the revoked decrees, municipal laws, •
• It appears by it that for twelve years past, France has not
taken in any year more than
Cotton 7,000,000 Pound. I Tobacco 2 6,000 Hogsheads
Rice - 7,00 Tierces Dried Fish 87,000 Quntala
Of flour, naval stores, and lumber, none of any importance.
It also appears by it that the annual average taken by Franck
for twelve years, was, of
Cotton 2,064,090 Founds I Tobacco 5,927 Hogsheads
Rice 2,253 Tierces I Fish p 4,735 Quintals
Of late years some of those articles have not boss stripped
all directly to France, but they have. probably, found thaie way
thither through the Northern ports GEER:tee.

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