The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-08-30

trsl Bottoms, II coupled with tie ado t,ioa oj
measures II epcyeGsed s{xoHr, with casr the
cOmmerce carried on by the Enemy's Islands,
wcu'd eiectuaily relieve the Planter from tic
e,ils he nov SO Justly complains III He would
not only be freed from the inconyeniences that
HOW IRON the restrictions imposed on his uede,
and the immediate losses thus Brought upon
Vim, but what is Of paramount import ance, a
new Market would be opened, which would
annually take OIL great portion OF that produce,
the forced accumulation or which in the Market
ot the Mother Country he has so previously
Iet Your Committee cannot too strongly press
upon the attention ct the House the advantages
that would be derived by tie West Indian Pro.
prietors from the opening of such an outlet for
the chief articles OF their prsdtlce Such a sys-
TEN IS peculiarly calculated to diminish the dis
| trossss under which the British Pian'ers at pre-
| sent lahoar. 1t would relieve the nome Market
and would materially tend to subs ,it'ite, in
consumption, the productions of the British for
those Of the Frenci, Colonies
Although the permission to barter Sugar
and Coffee, in exchange for Lumber and Pro-
visions, would be productive of advantage,
even if unaccompanied by the other n,ea-
sures to which your committee have alluded,
hey cannot hope that it would be followed
by any very extensive benefits, unless some
further check should be imposed on the in
tercourse between the United States and the
enemy possessions. That intercourse which
originated in the naval inferiority o. France
has been productive of so many advantages
10 the Americans, that. while it continues to
subsist, they will not be induced to abandon
the profitable practice OF draining our islands
OF Specie in order to purchase at an advan-
tage foreign colonial produce. .drecurrence,
however, TO HE rule IF tie Her of1756, or
blockade general or partial of the hostile
colonies, would materially alter the case
Under such change in the policy of Great
Britain, the interruption their traffic with
| the French islands would compel them to re-
sort to the British colonies, and a trade adj
vantagcous to the enemy would be succeeded
oy one conducive to the prosperity OF this
Kingdom.
Your committee felt it to be their duty to
enquire into the manner in which a pe,mis-
| sion to barter the above mentioned articles
WITH nvutrals might afftcs his maiesty's
North American colonies and the shipping
interest of this country. Most OF the obiec-
tons that were pressed on the attention Of
J the committee by the witnesses who were
examined on ,his part of the subject, apply
to the existence of any intercourse whatever
between the British West indies and the u
nited States in neutral bottoms. As such an
intercourse. enthusiastically law, actually eX-
ISIS, yea; Goiiiiptiec ieir themselves precYud-
Ell won entering on that extensive and i'm
portant subject of investigation. They did
not conceive it to be Submitted to them by
the house, and they felt that to report upon
1t would be to exceed the limits OF their in
structons. They did not, however, refuse
to admit on their minutes some answers per
haps irrelevant to the subject matter Of their
enquiry, as these answers we're earnestly ard
repeatedly pressed by those who gave them,
as beng OF importance to the interests with
WHICH thcy are connected. It has been OBJ
lJected, that the permission will operate as
encouragement TO the produce and COM
merce of our North American colonies, bv
lgiving greater stability to an intercourse,
the existence of which is stated tobe incon-
sistent with their welfare and that j. will
'iDJure the shipping interest, by affording
strong temptation To the continued employ
ment of neutral vessels in q trade, to a par
ticipation in which it is asserted they never
ought to have been admitted. 1t is urg-
ed, that these effects are likely to follow, e.
ven though the quantity of Sugar and Coffee
to be exported from the islands should be
strictly confined to mere barter for the value
of the Lumber and Provisions received from
the United States.
Your committee beg leave to observe, that
variation in the mode of payment cannot
thus affect either the colonial or the ship
ping interests of the Kingdom. An inter
course is actually permitted between the
Islands and the United States, by which the
former have been chiefly furnished with the
Lumber and Provisions they required; and
reference to the evidence of Mr. Lyon will
shew how small Quantity of the supplies
have been procured from his majesty's North
American possessions, or have been imported
in British shipping 1t is presumed that,
during the war at least, there exists no in
tention on the part of the British Govern
ment Of disturbing this connection. The pro
Iposed variation in the mode of payment, If
its amount be restricted within the limits OF
mere exchange, and the export of the arti-
Cles be confined to the vessels bringing the
supplies, cannot increase the quantity of neu-
trail shipping, or materially discourage the
cultivation OF our possessions on the continent
of America. Should it even partially have
these effects, let the great possible advanta-
ges on the one hand be set against the ut
most extent of the apprehended loss on the
other, and it is conceived that the house will
have no difficulty in forming It's judgment
As to the shipping interest It is obDions that
a forced diminntion of the cultivation of those
islands would be of the greatest injury, while
| a measure tending to prevent such q redil-
ton must be of the greatest benefit, in as
far az it must leave them at present the con
tinuance of their outward freigbts undimi-
nished, and secure to them the whole of the
homeward freights in the event Of return
of Deace.