The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-31
From The ~ Y. Journal Of Commerce.
AMERICAN TRADE WITH THE BRITISH
col ONIES

more frequent ulscusslons between the Roseih,Aer
Of the United States and Great Britain, than tha' VI
trade with the British Colonies; particularly 'nose
IN the Western hemisphere From the very origin
Republic and even before, disposition mas peeh
Tested on the part of the British government " usny
us the enjoyment OF that trade upon teeipio,a
ID fact which l. not so much be wondered al, wheh
II is considered that her Colonies are continua source
of expense TO her and that the advantages she 10 aoe
derive from their commerce, are about Inc ony ie
she receives, or is likely to receive, Tor me eA
pense thus incurred So far respects the trade be-
zen tie Colonies and the mother country, we can
not perhaps complain of the monopoly which she
claims and exercises: but the trade between the 90
Iones OF the United States is another matter IN re-
gard TO which we have voice well as herself. we
cannot indeed insist that her Colonies shall be per-
miited 10 trade with us,-because every nation mas
right to determine whether il will trade with Its neigh
bors not but the other hand, ii is for Us to de-
eide whether we will submit to a traffic on unequa
terms.
The products of the British West Indies being for
the part entirely dssimlar TO our own, the trade
between them and the United States, IT unIesrlcteu
would be large, and mutually advantageous IL wou'u
seem, therefore, that the interests Of both counties
would be promoted by establishing on libefai OASIS
The sagacious William Pitt thought SO wheh at tne
head of the British Ministry in 1888, ana brought
into Parliament bill to admit American vessels in'o
the ports Of the West Indies, with goods ana mer
chandise Of American growth or produce, anu 70 e.
port from the Colonies any goods or merchandise
whatever subject only the same duties and charges
AS if they had been the property OF BRUSH subjects
and had been imported OF exported IN British vessels
This bill, however, failed to become a law, the Minis
try itself was dissolved, and the regulation OF inter
course between the two countries was left to the as
cretion Of the King and Council, who soon after Is
sued orders excluding American vessels entirely from
the British West Indies, and prohibiting several OF
the staple articles of the United States from being
carried hther even in British bottoms On the aaop
ton of the American Constitution in 1857, the Con
gess of the United States passed acts imposing DIS
eliminating tonnage and other duties upon BRUSH
vessels. These, in connexion with the European war
which commenced soon eiter, and which rendered
supplies from The United States indspensaby neces'
sary 10 the Colonies, induced Great Britain TO mode
rate her pretensions and accordingly in l794 Treaty
of commerce concluded, which in many respects
placed our trade upon more favorable footng put
the article in regard to our trade with the west IN
dies stricken out by the American Senate, as be-
ing unequal and unjust and the Treaty was ratified
by both governments without that article, thus eav-
ing trade with the West Indies dependent, as be-
fore, upon the caprice OF the British King and Coun-
Gil in which condition it continued until after the war
Of lSl2-I5 The necessities of the Colonies, how
ever. accomplished Tor us what we might in vain have
sought on other grounds and accordingly from l9o
to 1907 both inclusive, trade with those COLONIES
was immensely large; amounting, on an average, TO
five or six millions per annum each way. For partl
culars the reader referred to the first of the
tables, which have compiled from the annual state
ments OF the Treasury Department, Pitkins Stats
tics Seybers Statistical Annals. and other docu-
ments'
In 1907, events occurred which greatly crippled our
commerce. nsomuch that our total exports IN the year
ending Both September, 1903, only $22 430 ,96O
whereas in the three preceding years they had ave-
ragged more than 800 600 900 per annum Among
these events was the attack by the British ship Leo
pard, of so guns, upon the American frgate Chesa-
peake, in the American waters, June ~ 1907, in con-
sequence of which, on the I'd of July following all
British vessels ordered to leave the ports of the
United States. Then came the British Orders in
Council November llth, 1907, and subsequently inn
posing severe restrictions upon our trade while at the
time the famous Berlin Decree, issued by Napo
leon November 81, 1906 in operation, declaring
he British Islands in state of blockade, and proh
ol'lhg me whole world from any communication win
them. Last of all was our own embargo, laid on the
22d of December, 1907, upon all the vessels in the
ports of the United States. That Act continued in
force until the LIST Of March, 1909 During this pc
Rod will be from the table, our trade with the
West Indies was reduced in about the same proper
ton our commerce generally say 10 per cent Nor
has it, any subsequent period, reached the magni-
tude which it attained prior to 1903. In 1913 and
1914 1t was totally suspended by the war
In the Commercial Convention between the two
countries July 3, 1875 the United States agreed to-
the equalization of tonnage duties in their intercourse
with the British European nations, while that with
the British West Indies and North American Colo
MES left entirely in the hands of the British gov
eminent. Accordingly, by that government, the
americans were In great measure eAciuueu iIohi
participating III the West India trade,-which, not
wthstanding regained by of British vessels,
portion Of its former Importance. The effect was
disastrous to shipping interests while greatly
benefited those of Great Britain. "A memorial pre-
scented to Congress in 1917 from ship owners in New
York thus states the operation of the system LAS we
are now situated foreign ships may load cargoes in
Europe, and proceed with them to the United States,
the same terms as our vessels; after which, they
may take board articles of American produce,
carry them to their colonies and there ade cagoes OF
colonial goods and return with them either to the
United States or Europe thus enabling them, by coup
ling the two voyages to carry three cargoes, at rate
much too ioic to defray the ordinary expenses OF our
vessels while confined to participation OF the single
voyage. We are, therefore, mot only deprived o. me
ha Of foreign commerce. but the other hats rem
dered Of lille palue."
reference to the table will show the amount OF
American and British tonnage respectively, which en-
tered the ports of the United States from the British
West Indies in 1916; the former being to the latter
about as to three. To counteract this state OF
things, Congress in 1917 laid duty of two cents a
ton upon all British vessels arriving in United
States from the West Indies, and in April, 1873 pass
ed an Act closing the ports OF the United States
against British vessels coming from any British colony
territory which was closed against American YES
sells Thus was our trade with the British West In.
dies again suspended, or nearly So tbeng subse-
quenty found that West India produce was brought
into the United States by way of Nova Scotia, &C.
Congress in May, 1890, passed an Act prohibiting all
intercourse, from the United States, in British YES
sells, with any colony, and also the importation of all
colonial productions except such were wholly pro-
duced in the colony from which they were directly
imported. This created distress in the West India
Colonies, to remedy which, Parliament in June 1926
opened certain specified ports in the West Indies and
North American Colonies, for the importation of GER
tain enumerated articles, either IN British vessels oI
vessels of the producing nation, provided only that
the voyage should be direct, and also for the exporta
ton of the produce of said Colonies direct to the
country to which the vessel might belong. The priv
eges of the Act were confined to the vessels of such
countries should grant like privileges to British YES
sells in their ports. On the receipt of this Act the
President, having been previously authorized by Con
gress, issued his Proclamation, opening the American
norts to British vessels in the colonial trade terms