Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-05
reflections Of a Merchant of Haure, upon tn
Situation Of our Commercial Relations ,oit
the United States.


Situation Of our Commercial Relations ,eih
the United States.
!" Non ad animadvertandum, atoue irrtapdum
Seu az dissertandum atque concliandum."
Inc message OF the President, at the OPEN
ing OF Congress, on the 5th December, 1921,
mas appeared and, in order more CLEARLY to
establish the.nature of the existing CONNER
ciai differences between our government and
that of the United States must first trans
scribe those passages in the message which re-
late to those differences. Here follow the ex-
tracts from fhe,President's Message.1
such has been the situation of our COM
merclai relations with the United States for
TWO years. Let us now examine what their
situation was before that time will omit in
this sketch the difference, which was nearly
equal, between the tonnage duties, which the
vessels of the two nations reciprocally paid in
each Other'spOrts and my observations shall
only bearupo the duties on merchandise, in
.ne two countries, as they existed previously
10 the interruption Of the direct trade.
On the part of the United States, articles
OF the produce or manufactures of France
were only admitted into the ports of the IN
ION, IN French vessels, on paying 10 per cent.
additional on the duties to which those articles
were subject, when imported in American yes
sells.
On The part of France the difference in
tue duties upon the produce of the United
States varied, according to the nature of the
articles, in favour of their mportation in
French vessels. AS it would lead me too far
to enter into all the details on this subject, |
VIII conhne my observations here to the du-
ties on Cotton, which alone forms nine -tenths
OIL the produce OF the growth of the United
States imported into France. Before the
tnen existing difficulties, American Cotton, inn
ported directly into France, paid 1.-THE tenth
lncluded) % francs the 1OOkilogramnnes duty
M French vessels, and 585 francs in American
vessels fin other words, French vessels recejy-
ed premium of 165 the los kilogrammes
upon the direct importation of American
Cotton equal to about 2 SOUS per ID. This
was not the only advantage which French
vessels derived from this discriminating duty (:
u was too great not to lead to another which
was, to enable habitually, French vessels.
loading Cotton in the United States Gor
France, to obtain one cent or rather one sous.
per. III. freight more than the American ships.
Consequently, there were no circumstances
IN which the French flag had not decided
advantage. In fact, when French ship load
ed Cotton in the United States, on account
OF her owners, these latter derived benefit
tberelrom ut 2-3 SOUS per III. on their Cot
ton equal laiterly, and since the fall of the
article, to real boauso of from 10 to 10 per
cent. on the first cost. When, ON the OTHER
hand, French ships only loaded on freight.
The cent additional which they generally oh.
tanned over the vessels Of the United States
gave them sn advantage over these last
which, IN the ordinary proportion Of cents
to 2, amounted 70 no less than 30 per cent
upon the cost Of transportation. From this
state of affairs as they actually existed at the
period first mentioned, arises naturally this
simple question, Coulditte .4,nericons hold out
against such q system? N0-wi be the AN
swer Of every one who will with good faith
make their case his own. Accordingly arte,
having siriven,in VAIN, for several years agaiDs,
= competition which from the depreciation q,
their produce, brcome daily more disastrous
10 them; and after fruitIess Efforts, by means