Star.
London, England, 1810-12-24 00:00:00

Paidid t INfELLlelikfdle

bANTZIC, NovEmtrit ea.
On board the ship Lucia, taken in the Baltic, was
found a very curious paper, and which shews in the
clearest light the tricks the English - merchants ate
playing to cover their designs, pretending that they
are neutrals. This is the case with almost all the
ships in this sea, Which ate all destined to and from
London. The following is the paper found :

imantucnoxs TO nEwmiut HENbiticKs, OF THE LUCIA,
SAILING UNDER PAPPENBURGH COLOURS.
1. After having received your papers you will sail with convoy.
2. There will be two sorts of papers on board.
I. Papers of Christiansand, In Norway. These papers wlfl at'
test, that you hate come from Amsterdam, and that you have
taken a cargo for Konigsberg and Memel There will bt ano•
thef certificate, which will prove that you have discharged at
Amsterdam a cargo of grain, consigned to the house of praline-
berg and Co.

8. Papers of Charleston, in America, in which it is stated
-that the ship is called the Augnstus, Captain Pierre Hendrick,
sailing under the nag Oi Par peftbUrgh. •
3. You Jima take care that your crew is instructed in conforms
mity with these stories. You will also keep two log-books.
4. Our correspondents at Gott mburyh are Messrs. Anderson
And Wolfrath, from whom you shall receive further inctrucrlons
from us, or of Mr. Chillies Uhve, of Hamburgh, and to which
you must strictly conform. You will also give them your infor-
mation to be conveyed to us.

5. If you do not ilnd orders at Gottenburgb, you will proceed
to the Roads of Pillan, and anchor under the protection of the
English brig. You will go cn shore, and deliver your letters w
Messrs. Kuhr and Co. at Pill4u.

, 6. You shall perform the orders the latter shall glve you, and
you will proceed in consequence to Konigsberg or Memel.

7. On going on shore you must leave all year papers on board,
and take nothing but the letter to Mr. Kuhr, and that you must
deliver In secret. If they question you, you will answer that you
do not know where you shall discharge, and await the orders of
Mr. Kuhr.—Signed by procuration of Bcr, Uhve, and Co.
London, Sept. 25, 1810. CHAS.
AMSTERDAM, DECEMBER 14.

The English declaim with violeace against the sys-
tem of prohibition which shuts the Continent against
their merchandize, and particularly against the order
for burning the produce of their manufactures ; an
order which was executed at the same time at every
point. Any well-informed man in England cannot,
however, consider, as without precedent, a measure
to which the English Legislature has had so fre-
quently recourse ; would they then forget that a great
number of the statutes of the Kings of England com-
mands the burning of goods, the produce of foreign
industry, and above all, that of France ?
We would seek in vain, among other nations, a
system of prohibition, which has placed more shac-
kles than that of England upon the introd2ction of
industry from the Continent.
All the English writers agree in saying, with Gee,
one of their authors, that there is no commerce which
it is proper to repress with more care than that of
France, which produces all the necessaries of life, and
wants even very few of those which convenience or
luxury demand, with the exception of some materials.
for her manufactures, such as drugs for dyeing.
It is to this sentiment that is owing this system of
prohibition by which the English have nearly arrived
at excluding from their markets our merchandize ; a
system which was modified a little by the treaty in
1786, but in consideration of advantages and conces-
sions out of all proportion which we made to England.
It would be too long to cite all the statutes which
° since the 3d year of the reign of Edward IV. down to
the present time, have established violent measures
against FrenCh products and industry, particularly
with regard to cloths, woollen-caps, lace, ribbons,
fringe of silk or thread, gold and silver lace, linen,
cambric, &c.
These statutes do not confine themselves to inflict
pecuniary penalties, and ordering the confiscation of
the merchandize ; they attach the crime of felony and
transportation for seven years against them.
A statute of the 19th of Geo. 11. (chap. 24.) is still
more rigorous. It declares felony every act of pro-
hibited importation, whether open or clandestine ; it
obliges a person accnsed of fraud to appear,under pain
of death, at the time specified in the proclamation.—
We shall see that it is a measure of rigour, for which
the English have furnished examples in matters of
taxation and prohibitions.
Since 1463, the system adopted by Great Britain
against the commerce of France has been followed by
all the Princes who have reigned in England, and
progressively augmented Acts of Parliament decree
' the absolute exclusion of French goods, such as that
in 1677, on account of the annual loss which resulted
to England through her commerce with France.
If England had sometimes relaxed from these pro-
hibitory dispositions, she then loaded the French ma.
nufactures, the introduction of which were lawful, with
such excessive duties as nearly amounted to an absolute
prohibition.
According to Smith, the lowest duty to which the
greater part of the manufactures or products of
France might be valued at is £75 per cent. whilst the
goods of other nations were subjected to lighter duties,
which rarely exceeded five per cent.
It was to ndurish that opposition to French industry,
that in 1749 was established in London, the Anti-Gal-
lican Society, which proposed to prevent in England
the sale of French goods. It was honourable to our
national character that it had no imitators in France.
In truth, the spirit which formed this institution in
England has not remained without alteration. The
Government has had recourse to domiciliary visits,
and custom-house officers throughout the three king-
doms are authorised to enter houses to search for pro-
hibited goods, from the top to the bottom ; they can
even stop passengers in the streets and upon the roads,
when they are known as carriersof suspected goods.
What can be added to these statutes, to this ever-
lasting war of the English customs against French
industry ? Nothing, but giving orders to burn such
of our merchandize as they seize, after having sur-
mounted so many obstacles, This measure has been
prescribed by a great number of rules, among which
we will cite :
I. The statute of the 15th of George 11. which or-
ders the confiscation and burning of gold and silver
wire, gilt copper and silver, gold and silver fringe,
coming from the Continent.
2. The statute of the 22d year of the same reign
(chap. 56. sect. 2.) renews the dispositions of the for.
mer statute, and orders the confiscation and burning
of embroidered stuffs, stuffs with gold and silver
flowers, or any other manufacture containing gold or
silver, either in wire or in plates, coming from the
Continent.
The statute of the 3d year of Getirge 111. modifies
that of the 19th year of kleary VII. which prohibits