Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-04-04

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kept them two years and quarter I'D the
warehouses of the Company, and Tor 'his
warehousing be was charged sum not less
than I4OUl to 1901. (hear, hearJ-a sum
which would not be charged the warehouses
of any other country in Europe: tor he was
certain that for warehousing the same goods
for the same time, in any other country, the
charge would not have exceeded 3OOl.; and
if he were to have placed them in any OF
the uptown warehouses, the expense could
not have amounted to more than 4OUl.
(Hear, hear.) Ii was impossible to carry
on trade with such 'Testrictions.-His own
trade, therefore, in this respect, very con-
slderably declined. There were two gen.
tIemen with whom he had large dealings,
and they used to ship large quantities OF
British goods in British vessels, to British
ports; one of them was new settled IN
France, and now shipped the same goods
in foreign vessels 10 foreign ports. he haV-
ing been deferred from trading TO this port
by the very high dock and warehouse du'
ties. The same decrease was visible in
great part Of our trade with the Brazils. In
fact we saw ourships pass by our own ports
and carry their cargoes to others. Let the
meeting look to the private iIade with India,
of which SO much has been said, and from
which so much was very naturally expected
at the time it was opened, and they would
find an immense decrease, caused, he had
no doubt, in great degree by the immense
dock and warehouse duties. In the year
1918 there were engaged in this trade
1900 tons Of shipping. In 1919 it was
reduced to 81 900, and in 1920 to As, $50
tons. This was not to be wondered at
when the meeting knew that the East India
Ccmpany's charges were not less than IFS.
per ton; and it was his firm belief that a
great deal of what was lately done in this
trade by British ships, was now carried on
by foreign vessels, land for foreign market
In the American trade. also, we had to re-
greet very considerable decline. Former
ly this port was the great depot for Ameri-
can produce -; but now there was only
brought to port what was sufficient for our
own consumption. 1t might perhaps be said
that great part of this depression arose
from our transition from war to peace, He
would admit. that part of il might be at
tributed to that cause, but he would still
maintain that great portion of il was ow
ing to the monopoies OF our dock compa-
MES, and that if the charges of those COM
panies were moderate as they ought to be,
(the end of their original establishment being
now fully established) it would have the
effect of producing very material improve
ment in our trade. The docks would thus
be, what ii was intended they should be an
encouragement to the warehousing system,
and source of great security 10 CONNER.
cial property, and not, as they now were,
source Of great emolument to particular in.
"Widuals, prodne ing restriction upon trade
generally. This was once the case 10 Hol-
land; but we were much better calculated
to form tire great emporium of foreign mar
kets than ever Holland was-our insular
situation gave us an advantage.
The nature Of our government, which
would prevent the danger arising 10 COM
niece from the too frequent rapacity of des-
potic pnwer-our central situation. Sc
favourable for our communicating with all
the other great ports of Europe-the mild
hess OF our climate, under which our rivers
were navigab!e at all seasons, while some
potts on the opposite shore were frozen up,
and to these he might add the highly hon
durable character OF British merchants-all
these were advantages which we possessed
and which would naturally draw the pro.
duce of other countries into our port, and
render US the emporiuH of the commerce
of the world. When We possessed such
advantages, ought we to consent TO the con-
,inuance of a system OF monopoly which
was calculated only TO deprive US of the be-
neh' naturally 10 be exiecled from tEem?- =
He felt convinced, that it all the produce
OF Asia and America were shipped here, il
would sell better than being divided among
the other ports Of Europe. The great ca.
pita which our merchants possessed would
enable them to keep the imports longer, un.
i'll they could sell TO more advantage; and
he had not a doubt that if the charges OF
docks and warehousing were properly re.