Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-05-11
SELECTIONS.
=. From tAe NorJon Reraidl
THE COLONIAL TRADE.

Liberal and equi' able az the proposition seems to
be In it's terms, yet it, practical effect necessarily
must have been to exclude the vessels and many
OF The productions OF Great Britain from her own
ports, and to grant a monopoly of her West India
tyeae to the United States. This effect would
have been the result OF natural causes, to be found
in The proximity OF the two countries; in the ne
cessIfies OF the West India demands; and in the
Character OF American supplies. Enjoying such
PHYSICAL advantages in the trade, any principle OF
nominal equality musr have operated uutgtfally
IN favour Of the u. States; and the situation of
Inc two parties would never have been 30 dissimi-
lar, as an as, eemsnt upon abs raci equality would
have made IL Great Britain, berefore, never can
accept such = pioposiuoL; but must always en-
deavour to obvisie. by artificial benefits TO herself,
TIE natural advantages The = S possess, in thi-
intercourse.
Her refu,al 10 include in the Treaty of 1915,
any provision upon the subject OF her American
colonial trade, left this trade in the same situation
II had before occupied, in the lime OF Washington,
alter the rejection by The u. States OF The l2th
article of the Treaty Of I19i; and in he time of
JeBer-on, after The reier ton by him OF he Treaty.
oil lSO7 Pfesident Madison, initiating the exams
pie Of both these his illus,rious predecessors, ab-
stained from recommending any prohibition Of
tins trade-snd suffered il 10 remain as it had al
ways been. he ssw very clearly, as they had
done, that 10 the Producers OF the ar jcles required
lor ihis trade, that is 20 say, TO The agricultuIisis
and manufacturers OF the II Sisies, il made not
the isas, difference, whether The products Of their
iabour were transported in one vessel or another.
IN either case their profits would be the game.
de saw, also, a. these his predecessors had done,
that to those employed 10 exchanging these pro-
ducIons OF ours for The products of the labour Of
any othfr country, That Is TO say, to ihs merchants
OF The h. States, it made not the ieast difference,
whether their exchanges were effected by Inc EN-
ployment o! one vessel or another. In either case
, al -,AEs ..A.I4 -
tered a Danish, English or American vessel. And
that to al! the other classes OF our socie,y. save
only TO that employed in transporting the pro.
ducts TO be exch' aged, that is 10 say, the navigat
ing class or ship owner, it made no kline cf d,he-
renee whatever, by whom The transportation was
effected.
To deprive all the other classes Of SOCIETY.
however, Of the beHetls Of a trade which they
then enjoyed, merely berause the navigating class
could noi participate IN 'bese benefits also, seemed
10 h!m . course Of policy unjust in itself, and lit
tie calculated 20 restore harmony TO the discordant
parts OF Tie y. States, which bad already mani
tested some 90 arrangement 10 each other, in conse
9nence Of the effects O: the restrictive system, and
Of the war. There existed, moreover. no wei!
founded expectation that the infection of This GER
tain Injury upon all, would produce any ultimate
beneirIa ELECT 10 any: or thai by the prosira,ion
oil aS'leuIiofe and commerce., navigation could be
protected against the inconvenience ~ then suffer.
ed. MenaceS or prohibitions might po-s bly, make
the matter worse, but would not probably rnnhc
At better. formerly When pres~ed by a dreadful
war, q. B:,ain had Teiuaed 10 conccin sny thinp
which willie .he was be!ligerent and thew neutral
the ~. States could accept; anu recently, when
peace existed, ste had declined to accent a mono
sltioD, OF sp9areat equality and reciprcci,y' which
the u States had offered. Nay, in acceptine tbi.
proposition, a. II cable 10 ler Elrouean rms.
sessions only, The acceptance was ii:.iled in its
/ luratin, ~ fn,r ra,r. u. =.
then, that the menaces or prohibitions Of pcace.
would act upon her more strongly ihan the ac,i,l
pTivations and dangers OF war had done? Or thai
now, when seven years OF non-iniercouise had
proved the IrdeP eBlence OF her West India colo
pies OF the u. STATES, shs would concede m,.e
favourable terms than she Lal been willin. Lefo,e
to grant.
These considerations made it obvious, tha, pro-
hihition. partial and unjust as it mus, b., could
produce nc beneficial effect. Eolhing then re-
manned but To elect between the other alternatives
before meniioned, of buTiheuing tha trade with
discriminating AID heavy duties: or of sbardon,np
it,, a. il then was, TO The navigation Of G Rsiiain
exclusively. Under such a government "a rba, of
the y. States 'bere exist insuperable jnoeIimeots
TO prevent tbs hfst experiment iron, bsjnp ever
tried IN that way, IN which such discrimination h,n
often been found a cCgeni mean of coercion IA O
tber States. BIZ Tie Constitution Of the u. States.
Congress, as well as each OF The States, are p,o,
h,bied from imposing any lax upon exports. IN
du ies Of intended discrimination, IT resor!cl 10 a.
all, must here, therefore, be imposed upm i'm
ports, or upon tonnage. Now, the tGcc, Of all
such dniies, as have before sue,,n, is merely 4,
l Impose new burthens upon ourselves, b.. ,ris,n,,
1.-THE price d the Imported article M or own mar.
! ket ~ the discriminating duty falls upon the ne
gCessaTies OF lie, q becomes q cruel and Oppresgive
lax upon thu poor; and If it enhances the rriee OF
even laSu'is-, wealth itself Will no longer con-
hsume them; and their Importation Of course mus,
Deease. Hence Washington ard Jefferson bad acted
very cautiously In advising the imposition Of ns,v
buribens upon imposts; and had preferred the last
o. ibe tevo alternatives stated. Pfe-iGen. Madison.
equally opposed with them 10 prohibiupn, deter.
mined TO essay the other.
The staple commodr les Of he West Tnli.s.
which are the snlgect OF importation rom lhence
into the u. STATES sre rum, mOiarses, sugar, cof-
fee, cocoa aud pImento. According 10 The tariff
which existed prior to lS07, "hen the restrictive
system commenced, the duties imposed uron these
articles In the rorjs of the IT,. States we're as fol-
low, VIZ. On rum, . duty Of from 26 10 IS cent.
per gallon, according 10 ns proof or strength; on
moiasses s cents yer gallon; on brown sugar "a
cents per pound; On coffee = cents Per pound; d
corns = cents per pound; aud On pimento 4 cent.
per pound. These were the duties payable upon
such articles when imported in vessels Of the t.
=, but II they were imported in a foreign vessel, an
addition OF ten pei cen.um was made TO these im-
posts. The reduction ct revenue 0cca.ionel by
the restrictive system aud the war, had caused =
very great augmentation OF al the duties during
That period, but when peace was agais TestoT
cd, II became necessary to relieve ous citizens
Of such oppressive buftbens. This reduction
was accordingly attempted in 1916. Before
this task was begun, however, the iste Of the