Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-05-25
CONCLUSION
Of Ec.rtc.s from c2b5stt's P1itical Regis.
ter on Jlat:e1 20 sblsilsts.

nit shsir opinions to psas) Of supplying
Jamaica anl the.rest OF Tbs /. iais from
our oav1 d9miai7as. Upon thessace of the
m alter, let me ask any man, IT ne thinks
we could supply them feo.a England and
ireland If h really thiaks We have any
qnartern loaves to SPAR? Aad il We had
thsm, ifhe inaglnes, sha: the Planters of
Jamaica could fad ,he n.ans OF plrchas-
ing them? M; bls night not the islands
be supported from British A0rs'h AMERICA ?
With Iijnbsr. scalyllng, boards, shingles,
and slaves, they might # in British n.
America there were hands enough topre-
pare those materials. They might TOO,
thence be supplied with salt sh I'd, herrings,
salmon and cod; bar there wants thehands
to catch and cure, and the vessels to con.
vey them. But as TO provisions; as TO
-four, biscuit, Indian meal and corn, spease,
pork, and beef, whoever talks OF being sup
piled with those articles from British n
America, is a dreamer. Our possessions
in North America are; New Foaadland );
Nova Scotia; New Brunswick, aad Ca
NADIA, all OF which, | believe, the last ex-
cepted, are so far from being able to sup
ply the West ladies with provisions, tia.
they themselves are indebted for eons ;.
derable part Of their provisions to the u.
nited States Canada can export but very
little indeed of either -four or flesh; and,
let it be recolected, besides, that whatever
comes from that province must descend
the St. Laurence, the navigation OF whics,
from Quebec to the mouth, reqaires, upon
an average, a space of time equal to that
required in passage from Virginia to ia
maica. Indeed, TO talk OF supplying the
West Indies from our North American
colonies is an absurdity to be treated with
silent contempt. The who'll: of the food
of the Inhabitants of the West Indies does
not go from the United States. A part,
particularly beef and butter, goes from
! ireland; but this is comparatively small;
not exceeding ia amount tenth part, per
haps, Of what is supplied By the American
states. The islands, too, produce apart OF
the food necessary for the support OF their
I inhabitants. 1t would be difficult to come
ar very exact estimate OF the amount OF
the supply from each source respectively
but, of the share which the American
states has in it some idea may be formed
from the contents of return. presented
10 the legislative assembly Of Jamaica in
| December last from which return it ap-
pears, that tfe quantity Of American pro-
! visions, purchase ed for the use of the kings
troops, and for the kings ships upon that
station, in the space of three years, ending
in September hast, was to the following
enormous amount. For the troops, 81 ,453
barrels of -four, amounting to 1O5,s81L
For the ships, 1861 cwts. OF biscuit !;
/! 90, 545 barrels of -four; 1,422 barrels Of
beef: 1,552 barrels Of pork 1862 bush
els OF pease; 152, O45lbs. Of rice, and
/ .eo,958lbs. of tobacco. All this in the
space of only three years, and to the king 5
! forces TOO; TO those who are to be suppos-
ed to be ever under the special care of the
government at home. and whom care is,
In fact. always taken to supply, in part at
least, with provisions from the mother
! >countryi Let any one Judge, then, OF the
degree 10 which the inhabitants OF Jamaica
are supplied from the American states, and
Of the ruin which an interruption Of the
present inter course must occasion TO the
former. Such being true representation
.sof the case, what can have been the mo-
tive that induced, his rnaje,.y's ministers
TO give Imperative" orders to the govern.
or of Jamaica to issue the resolution OF
the 21st Of November?
The pfetexs, it is said, that information
had been received of,he smuggling of gin,
brandy, and East India goods, into the
West India islands in American vessels,
and thereby injuriug the commerce and
revenue Of the mother country but, ii
this fact wcre truly alleged, why not make
such regulation in the custom houses Of
the islands as would prevent the success
/ IL cI-1,,, l. > a i