TO THE PRESIDENT.
Philadelphia, December 23, 1791.
Sir,—As the conditions of our commerce with the French and British dominions are important, and a moment seems to be approaching when it may be useful that both should be accurately understood, I have thrown a representation of them into the form of a table, showing at one view how the principal articles interesting to our agriculture and navigation, stand in the European and American dominions of these two powers. As to so much of it as respects France, I have cited under every article the law on which it depends; which laws, from 1784 downwards, are in my possession.
Port charges are so different, according to the size of the vessel and the dexterity of the captain, that an examination of a greater number of port bills might, perhaps, produce a different result. I can only say, that that expressed in the table is fairly drawn from such bills as I could readily get access to, and that I have no reason to suppose it varies much from the truth, nor on which side the variation would lie. Still, I cannot make myself responsible for this article. The authorities cited will vouch the rest.
I have the honor to be, with the most perfect respect and attachment, Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant.
Footing of the Commerce of the United States with France and England, and with the French and English American Colonies.
| France. | Great Britain and Ireland. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wheat flour, &c. | (a) Free | Prohibited till it is 6s. 4d. the bushel. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rice. | (a) Free | 7s. 4d. sterling the kental. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salted fish. | (b) 8 livres the kental. | Prohibited. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salted beef. | (c) 5 livres the kental. | Prohibited. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salted pork. | (d) 5 livres the kental in some ports. Prohibited in others. | 44s. 9d. the kental. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Furs. | (a) Free. | 15 to 20 per cent. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indigo. | (c) 5 livres the kental. | Free. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whale oil. | (a) 7 livres and 10 sous the barrel of 520 lbs. | £18 3s. the ton. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tar, pitch, turpentine. | (a) 2½ per cent. 5 sous the kental, by new tariff. | 11d. 11s. 2s. 3d. B. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ships. | (a) Free for naturalization. | Prohibited naturalization. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (b) Port charges. |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (f) Exports to. | 1,384,246 D. | (k) 6,888,970 D. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (f) Imports from. | 155,136 D. | 13,965,464 D. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (f) Freighted in their vessels. | 9,842 tons. | 119,194 tons. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (f) Freighted in our vessels. | 19,173 tons. | 39,171 tons. |
| French America. | English America. | |
| Wheat, flour, &c. | (g) Prohibited by a general law. Free, by suspensions from time to time. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Rice. | (c) 1 per cent. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Salted fish. | (h) 1 per cent. x 3 livres kental. | Prohibited. |
| Salted beef. | (e) 1 per cent. x 3 livres kental. | Prohibited. |
| Port charges. | Cape Franc, .96} Port au Prince, .40} average. Martinique, .18} .55 | Jamaica, .76 } Antigua, .22 } Barbados, .42 } average. St. Kitts, .43 } .44 Dominique, .21 } |
| Cape Franc, | .96} | |
| Port au Prince, | .40} | average. |
| Martinique, | .18} | .55 |
| Jamaica, | .76 } | |
| Antigua, | .22 } | |
| Barbados, | .42 } | average. |
| St. Kitts, | .43 } | .44 |
| Dominique, | .21 } | |
| Exports to. | 3,284,656 D. | 2,357,583 D. |
| Imports from. | 1,913,212 D. | 1,319,964 D. |
| Freighted in their vessels. | 3,959 tons. | 107,759 tons. |
| Freighted in our vessels. | 97,236 tons. | Prohibited. |
The following articles being on an equal footing in both countries, are thrown together.
| France. | Great Britain and Ireland. | |
| Tobacco. | Free of duty, but under monopoly. | 1s. 3d. the lb. |
| Wood. | (a) Free. | Free. |
| Pot and pearl ash. | (a) Free. | Free. |
| Flax seed. | (a) Free. | Free. |
| French America. | English America. | |
| Corn, Indian. | (c) 1 per cent. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Wood. | (c) 1 per cent. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Salted Pork. | (c) Prohibited. | Prohibited. |
| Horses and mules. | (c) Free. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Live provisions. | (c) 1 per cent. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Tar, pitch, turpentine. | (c) 1 per cent. | Free, by proclamation. |
| Imports allowed. | Rum, molasses generally, sugar, and all other commodities till August 1, 1794. | Rum, molasses, sugar, coffee, cocoa nuts, ginger, pimento, by proclamation. |
NOTES.
(a) By Arret of December the 29th, 1787.
(b) By Arret of 1763.
(c) By Arret of August the 30th, 1784.
(d) By Arret of 1788.
(e) By Arret of 1760.
(f) Taken from the Custom House returns of the United States.
(g) There is a general law of France prohibiting foreign flour in their islands, with a suspending power to their Governors, in cases of necessity. An Arret of May the 9th, 1789, by their Governor, makes it free till August, 1794; and in fact it is generally free there.
(h) The Arret of September the 18th, 1785, gave a premium of ten livres the kental, on fish brought in their own bottoms, for five years, so that the law expired September the 18th, 1790. Another Arret, passed a week after, laid a duty of five livres the kental, on fish brought in foreign vessels, to raise money for the premium before mentioned. The last Arret was not limited in time; yet seems to be understood as only commensurate with the other. Accordingly, an Arret of May the 9th, 1789, has made fish in foreign bottoms liable to three livres the kental only till August the 1st, 1794.
(i) The port charges are estimated from bills collected from the merchants of Philadelphia. They are different in different ports of the same country, and different in the same ports on vessels of different sizes. Where I had several bills of the same port, I averaged them together. The dollar is rated at 4s. 4½d. sterling in England, at 6s. 8d. in the British West Indies, and five livres twelve sous in France, and at eight livres five sous in the French West Indies.
Several articles stated to be free in France, do in fact pay one-eighth of a per cent., which was retained merely to oblige an entry to be made in their Custom House books. In like manner, several of the articles stated to be free in England, do, in fact, pay a light duty. The English duties are taken from the book of rates.
(k)
| Dollars. | ||
| The exports to Great Britain and Ireland, are | 6,888,978 50 | |
| How much they consume, I know not. They certainly re-export the following: | ||
| Dollars. | ||
| Grain, the whole since the law of the last parliament | 1,093,885 | |
| Tobacco, five-sixths, according to Sheffield's tables | 2,295,411 | |
| Rice, five-sevenths, according to same | 552,750 | |
| Indigo, one-third, according to same | 315,887 | |
| Furs, probably one-half | 17,950 | |
| Ginseng, the whole | 32,424 | |
| Mahogany,} not being of our productions should also be deducted | 16,724 | |
| Wine, } | 4,425 | |
| 4,329,456 00 | ||
| Remainder, including their consumption and the unknown re-exportations | 2,559,522 50 | |
The exportations certainly known then, are five-eighths of the whole.