Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-08-31
WEST INDIA TRADE.
FROM a JAMAICA PAPERl
Ertiuct Of letter from The .age.,t, dated Lon

" Since had the honor of addressing You
under date of 9Th ultimo, the gentlemen con
nected with the East India Trade have been
exerling their utmost efforts for the purpose
oi defeating the small addition of protection
intended by his maiesty's ministers To be grant
ed to the sugar of the West India Colonies in
the consumption of the mothercountry. They
have not only petiiioned Parliament against
the measure. but have, / fear, made some i'm
preston upon the minds of Lord Liverpool
and Mr.. Vansittart, as to the expcdieny of the
addition of two shillings andsix pence pei c,yt
10 the duty upon sugar ofthe East Indies gem
orally for they have not pretended TO object
either to the exclusion of sugar. which is rot
the produce of the British dominions, or 10
the duty OF five shillings per cwt. attaching
upon that sugar which, whether clayed or not,
mas undergone process of refinement cquiva-
lent TO that ofclaying. The main arguments
urged by the East India traders were, that
the arrangement of13I4was nottemporary. hut
permanent; that it was now IA part of the
consolidated Custom Act that lreights had
been reduced both in the one commerce and
IN the other that total exclusion of their ar
hcle from British consumptionwas never con-
templated, and that, under the present pro-
tecflng duty, 1t was with the utmost difficult
" they could so assert their cargoes as to en-
also been heard again by ministers, and, after
answering satisfactorily, as we conceived. the
objections of our opponents, and urging what
seemed to us more than requisite in vindca-
ton ofthe small protection of general duty in
tended for us, we quilted the conference with
declaration to ministers, that, in respect to
the two articles of the foreign and partially
rehned sugars, we could rot acknowledge
that any thing had been conceded to us the
proposed regulations were no more than
the application of the existing law To cases
which had hitherto eluded its vigilance, and
that, If our claim TO an additional protection
as colonies were rejected, we must be left bur
fhened with all our grievances rnalIeyiated by
any redress, and must seek it from the Justice
oi the legislature, in some other siiape-
As the holidays have interviewed since this
conference, am not able to inform YOU what
VIII be finally recommended to Parliament re-
speeding this subject.
The papers winch we called for through
the board of trade have at last been obtained.
Dut are not yet printed 1t shall be my care TO
transmit to you copies as soon as can obtain
them. 1t has somewhat surprised me TO find
that, in the year ending the 18th January last,
the total export OF sugar from Great Britain
IN raw and refined, 1.-THE latter re-
duced to Its equivalent in raw,) to ,G59, 556
cWt. winch is within mere triile as much as
IL has been IN any year since 1876 and un-
wards OF $4,000 cwt. more than the export
OF the year preceding. The total import
from all the British COLONIES was, in the wear
ending the 9Th January last, 36a3,sl9, which
is about 10000 cwt less than that of the
preceding year, and somewhat short of the
importation of the years 1911 and 1919.
Under the present depressed state of the
rum mdrkef,it is ofgreat Importance TO us TO
reach, IN an indirect acay, any portion of that
consumption of the United States, of which.
by the late navigation laws of the too countries.
we cannot, as we once did, avail ourselves in
a d'reet intercourse. | have understood that
doubts are entertained of the legality of the
export of rum from Jamaica to Cuba i'm Bri
fish shipping, and that the board of customs
has referred the question to the law officers of
the crown, who have had it long before them
Tor decision, without reporting upon it. ]
nave therefore recently urged the hoard of
trade to hasten the determination of the law
officers, since, should they be of opinion that
this traffic is not authorized by the existing
laws, cannot see why it should not be le-
galIzed within the present session of Parlia-
ment."
The publication ofthe above in the Boston
Patriot ofthe 18th instant, saccompanied with
the following remarks:
We tins day present our readers with an
interesting article upon this subject We are
not now either prepared or disposed to enter
into discussion of the policy which dictated
our several laws in relation to this trade. Their
object undoubtedly was to protect American
navigation, by placing American upon the
same footing as English vessels, in their trade
with the English West India colonies.
" AS yet this object has been but very par
tally accomplished. We are not, however.
disposed at once to denounce our restrictive
laws, because, their intended operation has
been delayed. 1t ought, upon fair caIetiIa-
ton, to have been anticipated, that consid-
cradle time would have elapsed before the West
Indian Islands would severely feel the incon-
venience, of being debarred from all intercourse
with the United States, and consequently
convinced of their dependence upon our
trade.
That such is now, to a certain extent, be-
ginning to be the operation Cf Our laws, we feel
justified in believing, both by the official arti-
Gle this day published, and by other facts
which we have scenstated inthe British Colo
nia prints. If Britain can be compelled TO adj.
NIT us to participation in the trade TO her
West India Colonies, is AZ object worthy
some effort and some sacrifices. If after a
far trial, the experiment prove abortiye, il viii
then he in season forts abandonment. Il Ger.
tainIy ought not to be abandoned TIL it has re.
ceiyed = fair and complete trial. The Yves
Indian trade is an important nursery of hardy
venturous, and skilful seamen, and is especial
ly important TO New England, as affurding .
market for her most important staples--cm
| ploymcnt to her shipping, and encouragement
to her manufacturing industry. Wecould no
with any complacency see in our ports Eng
lish vessels built by English artists and man
ned by English sailors,bringing ms Che iurpie