The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-08-06
Dnn,e9tic.
FROM THE N. Y. Public ADvEarIssa.
OUR AFFAIRS WITH C. BRITAIN.

1 hStore we euter upon discussion OF this sui,
Ject, we would premise, that we do not wish
ny OF our remarks to be understood as defend;,,,
the opinion, thst the administration ought to ..
void an honorable adjust ment of our diflaren.
WIN Mr.. Foster vt It can be ,compiished b.,
| we nave no expectation of such an event ~.
we shall feel no regret at the failure of such
| mission, until by treaty or otherwise, some ~
Irsngemonts can be made on the subject of coun-
'ervs'iing duties. We propose dividing our Oh
Iserva,ious under three heads
4. what would be the effect on the siieoinp
interest ofthe U. S, should all restrict, ions or
our commercial intercourse with Great Britain,
cease ~
What the probable amount of British m,
nuiactures we should import in one yea, And
what the means oi paving for then,
s. What the effect of such import atoms ,Ipon
the manufactures already established within ou,.
country } =,
repeal Of our non importation law would
be ruinous to the American
"a, SHIP OWNERS.
This position we can defend. Already are
our sh'psof very little value. But such an event
would take from that diminished valuation.
Because it would be the interest OF the Amer;
can, as well AS tue British merchant. to employ
BRUSH vessels to carry our produce to market
IL will be recOllected By every ship owner.
that few weeks previous TO our ncnimporta.
ton act,our sea-ports, particularly ~ Y Charles
Oh " odtdHudi, were UIlett with british vfSStta
u hat our own were laid up in dry dock or con.
PEELED to take freight, at two thirds of what it
would cost them To deliver their cargoes at the
destined port How then, some eosling may
ask, Cana British ship MAKE any thing by suci
voyage We answer, for the want of coun
tervailing duties And the federal merchants
are convinced of he fact They also know, tina,
the suisedcres whom fhty sent to Congress, were
the means of preventing this sstre when re
commended by republican administration, an!
when 1t coaid have been ACCOMPLISHED Nv an ar
rangement with G b. But let us simnify ,hi,
case so as to render it Ineligible to the capaci-
ty ofevery man.
An American ship of 800 tons, when balls.
ted, wilicsrry, say two hundred and fifty thou
sand pounds of cotton, for which she receives.
freght OF cents per pound, equal TO five thou
sand dollars, to deliver her cargo in Iiyerpoo'
She takes return freight of salt, coal, crates,
and a few dry goods, for Carrying which she re-
ccIyes two Thousand five hundred dollars Tlis
is more than the average of return ireights. in
what is called good times For performing this
voyage the ship would, therefor surprising ex-
Change at par, receive seyen thousand FIVE hun
dred dollars And if her business ,"as prudent-
y managed, no accident happened to her, and
she did not exceed ,our months of her vnyap..
her owners might, by this operation save The az
selves from loss.
The BIRTHS do not sail as we'll as the Amer
theif tonnage carry larger cargoes. Cotton i'm
ported INTO g, Is. IN al American, pays tzvo cents
per pound duty more than in British bottom.
Sal imported into the U. S., in any vessel, is
tree hom duty. Goals and crates, costing Dut
little, and being bulky, the difference OF duty be
tween foreign and an American bottom is "A trl
fling object.
We will. therefore, suppose that a British
ship OF three handred .ons, arriving in the u
,. with freight OF these articles, of two thou.
sand five hundred dollars. has to pay, in extra
tonnage and duties, one thousand dollars: tn
would reduce her earnings TO fifteen hundred
dollars.
Such ship would carry three hundred thou
sand bounds of cotton, which, at three cents per
poaQd, freight, would be nine thousand dollars
She WOULD, therefore, earn, ten thousand fac hun
| dred dollars tor her owners while An Ameri
can ship, OF the same size, would only earn sew
en- thousand five hundred dollars and the ner.
chaut who chartered or hrej her from
owners, would make profit of three thousand
dollars by the operation, MORE than he would
have made, ifbe had shipped his cotton or
board the American vessel Because, he pay s
sax thousand dollars LESS duty on this cargo IN
| ca, by shipping 1t in British than ne woui6
nave paid, il it had been shipped in an american
bottom. This calculation, we think, il so sim
pie that the way-faring man" may understand
| 1t and understanding it, must know, that on
own vessels would n.vcr be employed to trans
port our produce. while British bottom was u,
our ports.
| We may be told here, that there is not so
| great difference in the duties on some other
articles. admitted. But when we conside
tie bulk of cotton and that the duty on lumber
is, ii possible, still more oppressive, we are con.
vinced there is sufficient difference to destroy
very hope OF carrying our produce to market IN
our own ships. Where then, we ask, the shin
oSoneys of New England, they to derive any
| advantage from unrestricted intercourse with
| &. b +, if the administration cannot make some
dsfinitivearrsngement with their ministry ON tbr
SUBJECT of these unequal d"iies And how is
| the executive 10 accomplish this desirable oh.
ject. unless supported by the american people
IN this Just & reasonable demand
| 1t will be recoilecied that al present our yes
sells are employed ia carrying every pound oi
! produce that is exported from the nation, with
the exception OF few small Spanish We sse ) tn al
occasionally come into our potts. IL is true Mr.
Pickering, some twelve or eighteen months
since, stated that the British government would
! exclude our vessels from their ports that they
would not submit to our becoming Carriers foI
them but as the prediction las never been We
rihcd, we must conclude the Colonel was s,sisin
l/oymed.
Even our freighting business to Spain anC
Porlugsi, poor as It Is, would be rendered sill
| worse by the introduction OF British vessels nr
TO our ports because haying no employment vi
home, many OF theta would come here uadei
charter for these places and If they came IL
ballast or with salt, would have no entry duty ia
pay, except Tonnage. 'fney would, there lore
IN OtIr % Nyu Dorts. be on "A tOntiufr with a.. Al