The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-08-30
THIRD REPORT
FROM the Committee on The Distihe,ion o,
SUG .AR 81 MOL ASSES
ORDERED TO 81 PRINTED iurH Ju>r 1908.

ORDERED TO e PRINTED 10TH JU>E 1908.
HE COMMITTEES Ghhnintea to e..S.;;;-t- aid
refiort, hoe far and under 7vhat circuan-
stances, it may be practicable and erhe-
dicnt 70 con1fne The DrsTILLERIEs r. The
C17ifed Kingdom TO the use IF SUGAR e
MoLAssEs onLv; and also zvhat other,
ProviSion can be made far The rehcf #
Tire GROWERS Of SUGAR in fhe BRITIsH
WEsT-lND1A Colonies; and 70 yehort
the same, gvith their obae1U 1fiens and o.
ffnfen Mere'1ion, from nine TO time, 10
The House &: and zvho zvere .emko7sered 10
report The MINUTES Of The EVIDENCE
taken 6tfore- them -
HAVE, pursuant to the order Of the house
iurther examined the matters to them re-
ferred and have come to. the fol owing
REPORT.
In the further consideration of the exten-
sive subject referred 10 your committee. IL
has appeared to them, that in the event of a
dlscontinuance of the Embargo, at present
imposed by the United States of America,
material relief might be afforded to the W.
India Colonies, bv some relaxation of the
restrictions to which their trade with that
country is at present subjected. This trade
is, under certain limitations, permitted by
law, and appears to be of the greatest i'm
portance for securing TO tie islands, during
war, regular and adequate supply of Pro-
visions and Lumber, by which latter term is
meant, the various descriptions of Timber
used for buildings and packages for produce.
by tarthe greatest portion of these supplies
has been hitherto imported in American YES
sells, and paid for, partly in Rum and We
ry small quansity of Molasses (the only ar
ticles Of their growth which the Colonists are
allowed to barter,) and partly in specie and
DJliS OF onCh1npR- he latter IS
ment is greatly preferred by the Americans,
who generally insist upon it, and will dispose
OF their cargoes at a considerably less price
when 1T can be obtained. The West Indie 3
are as solicitous to barter, and are often o.
1Nged to press their Rum and Molasses on
she American merchant at a great disadvan-
tagc, III order to get The articles off their
hands, and to avoid the necessity of selling
produce in the Islands at losing price, to
raise money for their purchases. It appears
however in evidence before your committee,
that not above one third of the supplies i'm
ported from America are paid for in this
manner.
The cause of the preference thus shewn
by the merchants of the United States TO a
mode of payment so distressing TO the other
party. is to be found in The limited demand
tor Rum and Molasses, as compared with
the value OF the articles imported, and in the
advantage which smoncv @ bills of exchange
afford in the unrestrained intercourse hici
they are allowed to carry on with the enc
rny's colonies. 1t has been their practice to
sail thither with the money of which they
have drained the British West Indies, and to
Purchase with it Sugar, Molasses and COT
fec, 20 return with these articles to their own
country, and then to export the surplus, be-
yound the demand of the American market
, to every part of the continent of Eurone-.
| One Of the chief causes Of the distress of the
| British ColOnist is to be traced to th, source
| His produce, loaded with war charges. has
been brought holge to glutted market, there
to be sold az low prices, while the produce
I of the enemy, carried il Neutral Bottoms, at
! expences little exceeding the ordinary char
| ges OF peace, has securely reached the con-
! tinental market, supplanting thereby the En-
| glsh trader, who could not stand the compe-
titiOn, under the complicated disadvantages
attending his traffic. The tree commmica-
ton which has existed between the Ameri-
cans and the enemy's colonies, has enabled
| the latter TO procure their necessary sup
! plies at much cheaper rate than they car
| be obtained at in GU" Islands. The truth NJ
this assertion is proved by a statement of the
comparative prices Of lumber and provision,
in Martinique and Trinidad, given in evil
dence by Mr., Marryat, and By an account de.
iivercd in by MIR, Wedderburn, of the pri
Cos OF the same articles M the island of ia
maica.
1t appears by the Evidence contained in I'll,
| Appendix, and seems naturally TO follow fron
TIE above statement, that permission to baFte