It may be neceffary here to notice the principal restrictions, impofitions, and prohibitions fuftained by the United States in their trade with the different European kingdoms, in contraft with those sustained by them in their trade with the United States.

Of their commercial objects, SPAIN receives favorably, their bread, ftuff, falted fish, wood, fhips, tar, pitch, and turpentine. On their meals, however, as well as on thofe of other foreign countries, when reexported to their colonies, they have lately impofed duties, of from half a dollar to two dollars the barrel, the duties being fo proportioned to the current price of their own flour, as that both together are to make the conftant fum of nine dollars per barrel.

They do not difcourage the rice, pot and pearl afh, falted provifions, ●r whale oil of the United States; but these articles being in small demand at their markets, are carried thither but in a small degree. Their demand for rice, however, is increafing. Neither tobacco, nor indigo are received there. American commerce is permitted with their Ca nary Islands, under the fame conditions.

The Spaniards, and their colonies, are the actual confumers of what they receive from the United States.

The navigation of the United States is free with the kingdom of Spain; foreign goods being received there in their fhips, on the fame conditions as if carried in their own, or in the veffels of the country of which fuch goods are the manufacture or produce.

PORTUGAL receives favourably American grain, bread, falted fish, and other falted provifions, wood, tar, pitch and turpentine.

For flax-feed, pot and pearl-ash, though not discouraged, there is little demand,

American fhips pay 20 per cent. on being fold to Portuguese subjects, and are then free bottoms.

Foreign goods, except thofe of the Eaft Indies, are received on the fame footing in American vessels, as in their own, or any others; that is to fay, on general duties of from twenty to twenty-eight per cent. and confequently their navigation is unobstructed by them. -Tobacco, rice and meals are prohibited.

The Portuguese and their colonics confume what they receive from the American States.

These regulations extend to the Azores, Madeira, and the Cape de Verd islands, except that in thefe, meals and rice are received freely. FRANCE receives favourably American bread stuff, rice, wood, pot and pearl afhes.

A duty of five fous the kental, or nearly four and an half cents is

paid on American tar, pitch, and turpentine. Whale oils pay fix livres the kental, and are the only foreign whale oils admitted. Of the ftates, indigo pays five livres on the kental; their own two and an half: but a difference of quality, ftill more than a difference of duty, prevents its feeking that market.

Salted beef is received freely for re-exportation, but if for home confumption, it pays five livres the kental. Other falted provifions pay that duty in all cafes, and falted fish is made lately to pay the prohibitory one ⚫ of twenty livres in the kental.

American ships are free to carry to France all foreign goods which may be carried in their own or any other veffels, except tobaccoes not the growth of the ftates; and they participate with the French fhips in the exclufive carriage of whale oils and tobaccoes.

During their former government, the tobacco was under a monopoly; but paid no duties, and American fhips were freely fold in their ports, and converted into national bottoms. The firft national affembly took from American fhips this privilege they emancipated tobacco from its monopoly, but fubjected it to duties of eighteen livres fifteen fous the kental, carried in their own, and twenty-five livres if carried in American veffels, a difference more than equal to the freight of the article. The French nation have however offered to enter into a new treaty of commerce with the United States on more liberal terms and in the mean time have relaxed fome of the above restraints and severities.

GREAT BRITAIN receives from the ftates pot and pearl afhes free, while thofe of other nations pay a duty of two fhillings and three-pence® the kental. There is an equal distinction in favour of their bar iron, of which article, however, they do not produce enough for their own use. Woods are free from America, whilft they pay fome small duty from other countries. Their tar and pitch pay 11d. fterling the barrel; from other alien countries they pay about a penny and a third more.

Their tobacco, for Britifh confumption, pays 1s. 3d. fterling the pound, custom and excife, befides heavy expences of collection. And rice, in the fame cafe, pays 7s. 4d. fterling the hundred weight; which, rendering it too dear as an article of common food, it is confequently ufed in very fmall quantity.

The falted fish, and other falted provifions of the United States, except bacon, are prohibited. Bacon and whale oil are under prohibitory duties; fo are their grains, meals, and bread, as to our internal confumptions unless in times of fuch fcarcity as may raife the price of wheat to 50s. fterling the quarter, and other grains and meals in proportion. VOL. I.

American

American fhips, though purchased and navigated by British fubjects, are not permitted to be used, even in our trade with them.

While the veffels of other nations are fecured by standing laws, which cannot be altered, but by the concurrent will of the three branches of the British legislature, in bringing hither any produce or manufacture of the country to which they belong, which may be lawfully carried in any veffels, American fhips with the fame prohibition of what is foreign, are further prohibited by a ftanding law (12 Car. II. 28. §. 3,) from bringing hither all and any of their own domeftic productions and manufactures. A fubfequent act, indeed, has authorised the executive power to permit the carriage of their productions in their own bottoms,at its fole difcretion; and the permiffion has been given from year to year by proclamation, but fubject every moment to be withdrawn on its fingle will, in which event, American veffels having any thing of the kind on board, ftand interdicted from the entry of all British ports. The disadvantage of a tenure which may be fo fuddenly discontinued was experienced by the American merchants on a late occafion, when an official notification that this law would be ftrictly enforced, gave them juft apprehenfions for the fate of their veffels and cargoes which they had dispatched or deftined to the ports of Great Britain. The minifter indeed, frankly expreffed his perfonal conviction that the words of the order went farther than was intended, and fo he afterwards officially informed them; but the embarrassments of the moment were real and great, and the poffibility of their renewal lays their commerce to this country under the fame fpecies of difcouragement as to other countries, where it is regulated by a fingle legislator; and the distinction is too remarkable not to be noticed, that the navigation of the American States is excluded from the fecurity of fixed laws, while that fecurity is given to the navigation of others.

American veffels pay in our ports 1s. 9d. fterling per ton, light and trinity dues, more than is paid by our own fhips, except in the port of London, where they pay the fame as British.

The greater part of what we receive from them is re-exported to other countries, under the ufelefs charges of an intermediate deposit and double voyage. From tables publifhed in London, and compofed from the books of our custom-houses, it appears that of the indigo imported here in the years 1773—4—5, one third was re-exported; and from a document of authority, we learn that of the rice and tobacco imported here before the war, four-fifths were re-exported. The quantities fent here for re-exportation fince the war, are confiderablydiminished, yet lefs fo than reafon and national intereft would dictate. The whole of their

grain is re-exported when wheat is below 50s. the quarter, and other grains in proportion.

The principal facts, relative to the queftion of reciprocity of commercial regulations, between Great Britain and the United States of America, have, by a gentleman who had access to every neceffary information for the purpose, been thrown into the form of a table, which we will infert, in order that the citizens of one country, and the subjects of the other, may have a clear and diftinct view of the fubject.

She prohibits the importation of 002