The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-10-20
WEST INDIA TRADE.

from the u s. Consul at Liverpool, who
says he has seen the minister, informs US
that they are to be opened on the terms
of the act of July, 1926" We must there
fore GO back to 1895, to learn how the trade
went on, after the passage of the act re-
ferred to, and which is now to regulate it.
Matters then stood thus:
/. The British held the game in their
own hands-the whole rested on their act
of Parliament, which they could amend,
modify, or repeal at pleasure. 1t was after
the passage of this act that Mr.. Canning
made his memorable declaration,-"t to al
low foreign ship to enter colonial ports at
all, and upon any terms, is boom"
2. Among other things, American salted
provisions, even beef and pork, the staples
of our farmers, fish and whale oil, the hard
earnings of our eastern fishermen, were
RIeIDLY EXCLUDED FROM THE BRITISH
w. Poggs Cd FP rs cart eafty were perisia5ie,
which must necessarily go in small quanti-
ties, and be sold Immediately, however the
market might be. For Instance, flour, which
cannot lie stored long in a tropical climate,
as 1t will become sour, or otherwise spoiled !;
and live stock, which must be sold at once,
or they will eat up their value. In return
for these favors, we opened our ports to all
the productions of the West Indies, exclud
ing none of their staples.
3. The produce from Canada, Nova Sco-
tia, and New Brunswick, went to the West
Indias duty free, but the United States pro-
duce permitted to enter, was taxed with du
ties on its arrival.
These were the general terms on which
the trade proceeded in 1925, and which we
are told must hereafter govern it if we have
it: to all which our government has now
yielded another and most important point
Without securing admission to the West
Indies for our farmers staples, beef and
pork, we have agreed to take off the alien
duties, from British ships on their arrival
here so that the vessels of New Bruins
wick, Nova Scotia, and Canada, after hav-
ing gone TO West India port and sold their
outward cargoes in the islands duty free,
(while the American is taxed on his) may
come into our ports and sell their cargoes
free from any discriminating duties. This
is the meaning of free trade and reciprocity,
as the British understand those words
If such are the terms of the present ar
rangement, the next question is, what are
they worth to the American navigator !?
The Canadian or New BrunSwicker, sells
his cargo of provisions in Jamaica free from
all impost duties, and takes pay in sugar
and molasses-the New Yorker or New
Highlander sells such things as he is per-
mitted to carry to Jamaica, not as his rival
does, duty free, or on payment of light port
charges, but taxed with heavy impost du-
ties, ond takes his pay also in sugar and
molasses. Both vessels leave Jamaica to-
gether for New York, with their return car
goes, and on their arrival, The foreigner,
though he has paid no impost duty on his
outward voyage, is now allowed to come
here also and sell his sugar and molasses to
our citizens, free from any alien duty,-he
enters his vessel at the custom house ofthe
United States the same as an American.
Which of the two, under such circumstan-
ces, cap undersell the other in our own
market, and ultimately drive him from the
trade ? Can the American citizen bear up
under these decided disadvantages
While the ports of the British West In
dies were closed to the direct trade, they
took our produce through other channels,
and very frequently paid in specie for what
they took-the game was then in our hands
We were draining them of their doubloons
through the neutral islands, and in five years
more, unless they had relaxed, should have
drawn their hearts blood out. The British
ministry have seen this, have felt it sorely
the West Indians have implored them
again and again to change the current and
hence their willingness to make an arrange
ment which is every thing to them. An
other consideration mas had an immense
bearing on this resuit-they have been
startled at the rapid advance which we have
made, AID are making, in growing the su-
gar cane on our own soil in Louisiana, Flor
ida, and Georgia. They have seen that
during the interdict which they thought
would distress us, more than half the sugar
and mOlasses consumed in our country has
been latterly from our own soil, and a very
few years more of the same state of things,
would put US beyond the reach of foreign
dependence or competition-and this too
without thus far, diminishing materially, il
at all, our exports. We have also during
the interdct been supplied with sugar and
Inolasses cheaper than we ever were before
the pocket Of every head of family feels
this and it would be well if we could add
that rum has been dearer. The course OF
the trade has been in this way,-a vessel
goes, say from New Haven to a Swedish
island, st. Barts, with an assorted cargo
the drogers come from British islands to st
Barts to buy this cargo of the American
and pay for it in specie. The American
takes this specie, which can be brought in
TO our country duty free, and carries it to
New Orleans on his way home, where he
buys win II American sugar and molasses
with which he proceeds to northern OF
other port. Almost every news paper al
the north, and in the middle and western
states, contains advertisements of "New
Orleans Sugar." New Orleans molasses, y
and generally of preferable quality, along
side of the West India produce.
Our own sugar estates, as these results
show, have, not only thrived, and riyalleG the
West Indies beyond all calculation, but
they have been built up, in part, by the spe-
Gle which we have drawn even from British
sugar planters, in the way just noticed
John Bull has at last come to his senses
and unlocking about him, finds that in his
breaking his neighbours window with rnin-
cas-. But the more important question with
us IS, what do we now pain hv This chnnnn 2