Newspaper Page Text
From the New-Orlcans Gazette.
We trust none of our readers will be deterred by the
great length of the following article from giving it an at
tentive perusal. It developes projects ot the last im
portance to the growers of cotton, tobacco, rice and indi
go, in the United States —-projects which, if cflcctcd,
will produce a revolution in the commerce of those arti
cles, and eeprive the Americans o* a mailcet for them
in every part of the world except their own country. —
Probably this domestic market will be adequate to the
quantity of those productions that will he raised in this
country by the time these monopolizing schemes of
t| ie British can be realized, suejj is the wide spreading
progress of American population, In the mean time it
will he well to keep a watchful eye upon the view's of
our rivals, in order that they uiay be rendered nugatory
mul harmless in their effects upon ourselves. To judge
of the practicability of supplying the European market
w'ith East India cotton, it vik he necessary only to ad
vert to the immense amount of that article, shipped
from Bengal for England, even before the late additions
to the British empire in the northwest of India. To
show the extent to which its cultivation may be carried,
it is stated that the highest wages given in Hindustan to
fillers of the earth is only abokt one dollar and fifty cents
per month. By the occupation of Sanger island at the
mouth of the Ganges, it us r<Aloubt intended to com
mence the cultivation of the finer species of cotton, in
order to supplant our lea-islands*, the soil and climate of
Sanger island are said to be at least well adapted to that
purpose as those ot any part ot the United States.
ihom a bbxgal PArr.n.
Considerations on British Commerce , -with reference parti
cularly to British India,, the United Stated of America,
and the Slave Trade.
The causes which tend to the decline of rich,
and powerful states, are counteracted in the in
stance of Britain by her policy.
Firt —By her social institutions, which to dis
pense industry and talent in Great Britain, the
reward of wealth and distinction, and consequent
ly assure to the community a constant succession
of able and active members.
Second —ln her trans-marine dominions, which
not only constitute an extension of agriculture
and increase to her trade, but by the direct and
relative employment of seamen, contributes most
of the advantages, without the expense and civil
evils of a standing military force lor defence.
Third —ln the excellence of the internal sys
tem, w hich is contrived with so much wisdom
that the consumption of the fruits of her whole
commerce throughout the world, is not equal in
amount to the consumption in Great Britain; and
although the greatest portion of the consumption
is of foreign productions originally, wool perhaps
alone excepted; yet the compound value of ma
nufacturing industry, added to the original cost
of the raw commodity, being on an average as
ten prices on the manufacture, for one price on
the raw; this powerful activity, and the immense
body of the population sustained by it, gives a vi
vacity to circulation, which is one oi the greatest
sources of her wealth, security and power.—
These foots are so evident that they require no
further elucidation to the judicious and intelli
gent reader.
Relatively to those dominions, chiefly, it.is now
proposed to examine some of the particulars of
the British commerce; the enquiry 1 heads to re
marks on the trade of the United states of Ame
rica, and also brings the slave trade ii\to a point
of view, in which it does not appear to have been
hitherto considered.
Europe depends upon the countries within and
adjacent to the tropics, for vast supplies of agri
cultural produce; principally raw materials for
manufacture.
* A tropical, or other trans-marine farm within
jhc British dominions, is in effect, a British farm,
j with the advantage common to every other Bri
tish farm, of producing that within the empire,
for which a foreign nation must be paid out of the
productive labor of Great-Britain—with the fur
ther advantage of employing the mariners who
convey the produce to market.
The British tropical dependencies exceed in
the production of most of their staple articles, for
home consumption; they of themselves, give to
Great Britain the character of an export country,
and her power will be in proportion to her inde
pendence of supply from othev nations, for her
own consumption, and to the extent of her ex
ports to the market of Europe, directly or indi
rectly, from her tran -marine dominions.
The market repays not only the charge for la
bor, the cost of the manufactures used in the cul
ture, and preparation of the produce, the rent of
land and taxes, but also the cost and equip
ment of ships employed for conveyance and the
wages of seamen.
Fin nier, the vender of the trans-marine pro
ductions in the foreign market, selects the goods
which are to he invested in return —lie ranks w ith
the best customer of the manufacturer, and the
power of control over the vender, is, therefore, an
object of political science: a foreign ship arriving
at Amsterdam or Hamburgh, from the east or
from the west, will seek to invest the manufac
tures of the continent in return; a British ship, in
a like situation, may be required to receive her
return cargo, at a port of the united kingdom;
and without being restricted in any other respect,
will export a cargo with the best probability in
favor of the British manufacturer.
Great Britain can reduce her demand upon fo
reign labor for her own use and consumption; she
can embrace, in a proportion of great interest,
the market of Europe for tropical productions;
in proportion to that increase she will he enabled
to influence the investment of the returns; and the
means necessary to those important ends are in
unison with the best dispositions for promoting
the interests of society.
Tropical agriculture resolves itself into two
divisions, eastern and western,
y The eastern division is cultivated chiefly by
; free laborers. The western division by
une. slaves; the former at the lowest, the lat-
rate of cxpcncc.
■ ii.
gulatiun of trade generally be adopted, other na
tions, through the resources of their tropical ag
riculture and navigation, which Great Britain lias
humanely abandoned, will make the largest ad
vances in political power.
’Ehe effect of that limitation to British industry
is seen in the increased activity of the foreign
planter. In Cuba—in the Brazils—the impulse
is sensibly fell; by effecting the demand for the
produce of the toil of slaves, only can the trade
of slaves be prevented, when abandoned by all the
governments now existing; this is also the policy
of those states which may yet be formed in Mex
ico and the country south of that province within
the possible view of the philosopher or states
man.
With a soil and climate rich and various, sup
posing equal distances and facility of navigation,
and equal political encouragement, the native
free and uhexpensive lahol’of the east, must have
prevented the first demand of Europe, upon the
foreign compulsory and expensive labor of the
west. In the present improved state of naviga
tion, equal political encouragement being suppos
ed, the labor of the west, even with th^fd van
tages of less distance, high ca
pital and skill, and effective establishments must
yield to the labor of the east.
The subsequent examination will establish the
conclusion: sugar, cotton, l ice, indigo, coffee and
tobacco only, (bcUKj the leading staple articles
common to the eaTOWind west) are expressly re,-
ferred to in this memoir.
Hilast India sugar is become to some an
artiste of consumption in the united kingdom, al
though liable to the payment often shillings per
cwt. duty more than sugar imported from the
British West-India plantations; and is in exten
sive demand for the market of Europe, even w ith
the increased charge of transit by the way of
Great Britain..
East India cotton wool (the produce of the is
land of Bourbon excepted) until the scarcity
of the other cotton occasioned by the American
embargo, was for most purposes, rejected by the
British spinner. At that period its qualities were
more nicciy investigated, and the demand, incon
sequence, became regular and extensive, and is
increasing both for domestic and foreign con
sumption. The importation of Easi-Inciia cot
ton wool, to Great Britain, during the first six
months of the year 1817, was upward* of fifty
thousand bales, in value equal to three hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars.
East India rice, from various occasional and
temporary causes, lias been lightly esteemed in
the British and other European markets. Under
the advantages of reduced freight and expedi
tious carriage, the prospect may be entertained
of that article becoming to the European nations
and to the western colonists, a cheap auxiliary
in domestic economy, and in seasons of distress
an unfailing resource.
East-Imlia rice contains more nutriment, will
keep longer, and can he delivered at market
cheaper than the Carolina rice.
Upon an experiment recently and carefully
made with an equal weight of East India and of
Carolina rice, the former was found to produce
a considerably greater increase of weight, when
boiled, and the food is obviously mole nutritious.
Persbns who have resided in liqlla prefer the
East India rice for their tables. Tie European,
habituated to the Carolina rice, preiers the latter.
But would the same preference continue, if the
East-India rice were carefully ck Lined without
breaking the grain; if the same card and attention j
were directed to its preparation fsr market, as
the Carolina rice receives? The defects of the
East India rice are occasioned by the mode of
separating it from the straw, which,is to this day
that of treading out by the feet of kinc.
Duly considered, the presumption arises, that
the trade in rice is at command of Great Britain,
through her India provinces, and it offers em
ployment to her shipping, sustenance to her po
pulation, domestic and colonial; sustenance to her
neighbors, and acti\ity to her commerce. Sup
pose the cost of a ton of rice, at Calcutta, to be
51. and the value on the European quay to be
21/. or 2 d per lb. the consumer will pay 16/. or
or sixteen parts in 21, to the navigation of the
carrying country.
Such are some of the indications of the power
of the Asiatic cultivator to meet the demand of
the European market, in the great staples of su
gar, cotton, and rice, even under disadvantages
front the want of move active superintendance of
the European; w ith the full emjoyment of that
superintendance the progress of the indigo trade
more plainly shows the extent of this power.—
The coflee plantations of Java, sufficiently mani
fest the capability of India in regard the produc
tion of coffee.
The culture of indigo, in the East-Indies, has
been particularly fostered by the East-India com
pany, and has succeeded in excluding ail others.
The quantity of indigo, imported into Great-
Biitain from the East-Indies, in the year 1783,
was 93,047 pounds, which by progressive imports
had increased in the year 1802 to 2,364,199 lbs.
India , from remote antiquity, is known to have
been fruitful in the most valuable productions,
and is acknowledged, from the first introduction
into Europe, to have excelled in the silky ‘cottony
and other manufactures ; her productive powers
arc equal to any supposable demand upon her
soil, population, and industry; her richest pro
vinces are British; [the whole of Hindustan has
been brought under the British authority since]
and if it be indeed desirable to consummate the
slave abolition, if it be indeed desirable to assure
to Great Britain the command of lhe market of
Europe, associated as that object is with the trade
in manufactured goods; if it be desirable to as
sure to Great Britain the indisputed and blood
less empire of the seas; the East-India trade,
through the medium of the B.iitish carrier, ought
to receive all the impulse consistent with the pro
tection of British West India interests, the pre
servation of which is demanded by every consi
deration hot involving the further importation of
slaves.
The power of the United States of America
results chiefly from planting and navigation—and
since the acknowledgment of the American in
dependence, the current of the British policy has
in a high degree been favorable to American in
terests.
Those state§, when British colonies, were pos
sessed of the British market, for the produce of
their plantations. The change from provincial
allegiance to independence and commercial ri
valry, has not been sufficiently marked; and the
high rate of freight incident to the monopoly of
the East India company, too long prevented com
petition between the Asiatic and American plan
ter, and precluded the British people, from con
tinuing to draw from within their own empire,
their accustomed supplies. The cotton wool,
rice and tobacco of America, under a different
system, w'ould have found cheaper substitutes in
the cotton, rice of India.
Under the during the late wxfr in
Europe, of the principle of public law, by which
the trade between Europe and her colonies, is in
time of war restricted, as to the several states, to
the modes under which such trade is Conducted
during peace, and under the advantages which
were conceded to her, by the imWimercial treaty
of 1794, particularly by the 13th JA'tiflkJft’ that
treaty, respecting the American imeremirse with
British lUdia, the navigation fothe United States
has been equally favored: when the orders of
council, of NovembeY 1807 were issued, the Eu
ropean market was supplied with tropical pro
ductions, chiefly through the medium of the
American flag, especially with the productions
of the east, at a period too, when by gross anom
aly the individual British merchant was virtually
excluded from the East India trade.
Such are some of the benefits which have been
enjoyed by the American in preference to the
British Asiatic and European subjects; the ef
fect has been felt in the recent conflict between
the two countries, and in that conflict it is easy to
discern the seminal principle of future w ars, the
frequency and duration of which will depend up
on their relative naval power.
Great Britain is then directed by the best max
ims of policy, by counsels which flow from the
heart to the head, by counsels which are alike
prompted by feeling and by the understanding,
to,extend her eastern agriculture and commerce;
and thus to preserve to her, own wealth, her own
people, and her own revenue, the vast resources
of lief own dominions, of which a rival now car
ries off the richest portion.
fThe regulations which are at present presum
ed to be necessary to that purpose, and to in
crease and confirm the influence of Great Bri
tain in the markets of Europe, are necessarily
comprehensive in their plan. In number and
-character they are few and simple.
li is suggested, that direct intercourse in Irt
ish ships only, be permitted between the several
British presidencies in India and the ports of Eu
rope, for sugar, coffee, rice, tobacco, and all such
other articles as upon due consideration shall not
be excepted, subject only to the following con
ditions: —
That the ship shall touch at Gibraltar or Mal
ta if bound to a port south of Cape Finisterre,
or at Falmouth or Cowes, if bound to a port
north of that point; not to pay any duty, hut to
shew that she is navigated agreeably to British
! law. And that she shall not receive for a desti
! nation, beyond the limits of Europe, any return
cargo, except at Malta, Gibraltar, or a port of
the united kiugdoml!
That cotton wool and rice he imported from
the British settlements in the East into
the united kingdom, free of duty; im
portation of tobacco from India, he at
a reduced duty, and that the free all ar
; tides, the growth and Euro
! pean continent, ,Jbe permitted Great
Britain, under the provisions aS wmon
ly called the warehousing adflpio fori
tifcles are already dire® fcie be
tween Europe and othSß^Rs.
Fir it —That
coffee, might tn|^ rejuejßf the
British West li^Kflanter.
Second — the trade,
the British ports be dimin-
Thir^^Y hat the free importatiW of rice
might interfere with domestic agriculture, and
that a duty is therefore expedient by way of reg
ulation.
Fourth —That the duty on cotton wool is low
and upon all cotton exported for foreign use, paid
by the foreign consumer.
Fisth —That the United States of America re
ceive British goods in payment for their planta
tion produce, and that the Asiatic is to be paid
in money.
Sixth —That the introduction of foreign man
ufactures, even to be re-shipped, would bring
such manufactures into mischievous competition
with the British manufactures.
It is answered to the objections, in the order in
which they, stand.
Answer to the objection, as to British West India sugar
and coffee.
1. —The East India suga* and coffee areal
ready conveyed direct to the continent of Europe,
in foreign ships, and that the home consumption
of East India sugar might be disallowed, when
ever the price of British West India sugar should
render such regulation necessary to the protec
tion of the West India planter.
Answer to the objection that the business of the British
ports would be diminished.
2. —That it is essentially in the nature of com
merce to avoid unnecessary charges; and a slight
observation of the present state of commercial
relations, sufficient to shew, that, if Great Britain
will not carry on a direct trade in certain descrip
tions of commodities, other nations will so trade-
Answer t 6 an objection that domestic agriculture re
quires to be protected ag-ainst the importation of rice.
5. That it is well known by experience, that
the British poor will not substitute nee for h jusc
ho/d bread, if the latter he within their means of
purchase, and if bread he not within their means
of purchase, the voice of nature dictates that the
supply ot other food should he permitted at the
cheapest rate.
Answer to the objection that the duty on cotton wool is
low, and in part paid by the foreign consumer.
4.—— I hat cotton wool is the basis of the most
extensive of the British manufactures —
That the cotton fabrics Constitute the principal
clothing of the poor; and therefore cannot be
produced too cheap. That the effbrtmf the peo
ple of the United States of Americafand of all
Europe, are strongly directed to competition
with Great Britain, in cotton goods, and Mat it is
therefore expedient to levy any duty on the raw
material to be purchased in a state of manufac
ture by the foreign consumer.
Answer to an objection that the American is a better
customer than the Asiatic.
s.—That the effects which arc in progress in
the United Sta%s-of America, to ejUablish manu
factories, the coAigent nature
of # thc demand
‘lntuit the upon tin
mereial capital, -ad gjl
lh- ir s£<®nd
That the of the British
manufacturer upon|M^coUonlimitations of
America, is to he oi
evils to which he can
That dependence of simply,
would enable the United AmoricV\at
any time, to cause distryMj|Wßbiay through--
out the
That when shall nave estab
lished the roi‘|gMßmmactory, a doublemperffive
to war with Great Britain, w ifljgfdffeft namely,
in the conscious power of distrcwhfflfer by with
holding the supply of the and of
underselling iyrtyi When de
p: ■ • nl ‘ and tin’
That the de?.
is not confined to the^9H^^^mistricnj 4 fMiSA^i a * ,>
districts confined enTTA mcn^k
should be extensively
with her, if offering the cheapest and
that the speculation of some increase, or diminu
tion of American demand for British manufac
tures, cannot he allow ed to interpose to the pre
judice of objects incomparably more important.
That the Asiatic does purchase some of the
European exports, and that a considerable pro
portion of the cost in England of the raw produce
of India is constituted by freight, paid in support
of British navigation, and by profit to the British
merchant.
Answer to the objection that the free transit of foreign
manufactures would be mischievous to the British
1 manufacture.
6.—That permission to assort a cargo in Great
Britain from her ow n productions, in combination
with all the other productions of Europe, would
influence very powerfully the direction of foreign
property to British consignment.
That it is well known, that extensive consign
ments of foreign produce are made to the conti
nent of Europe, in consequence of the request of
the continental manufacturers, which consign
ments, upon every other consideration, would be
directed to the ports of Great Britain.
That the foreign demand for British manufac
tures, must depend essentially upon the relative
quality and price.
That the trade of transit, as proposed, would,
by the increased attraction of foreign capital, tend
to augment the demand for British in all
branenes in which competition can be maintain
ed, and that if cornpetion cannot be maintained,
the demand on the part of the unrestricted con
sumer must necessarily cease. That such trade
would give employment to British ships on their
return from the ports of Europe, and again on
their outward voyage from Great Britain.
Os the production of the tropical regions of the
globe, sugar is of the most considerable export
value, as it is certainly the most bulky.
From the annual value of sugar, refined and
consumed in the raw state, in Great Britain, not
less than six millions sterling , it may be inferred
that the demand of the northern and southern di
visions of America, and the continent of Europe,
is an object of great magnitude. That to supply
that demand, labor to a vast extent must be
brougV into action, a large commercial marine
be created, and important interests arfli relations
be coffee, rice, and tyjfffcco, are re
spectively to sugar, ijsf 1 extent of value
and bulk, hut similar considerations in theiv
relative proportwk go‘ * ,
Cotton wool is important*as ah'agri
cultural as the subjedt of exten
sive employmenyo’ shipping, hut as sale of
the most extensjjrcof all tfc: manufactures —The
annual consuffytion of in Great Brit
ain, upon of five years, endihg on tee
31st December 1816, 340,03.0 hags,
equal, z* a low valuation, to six millions sterling.
marine carrier of those bulky and
valpiible products is most preparccftfor future
cutest, or is best capacitated to control nations
into peace; the latter is the high and glorious
privilege of Great Britain, if she duly improve
the advantages offered in her Indian provinces.
From Asiatic soil sugar and coffee are to be
produced to keep in check the plantations of the
foreign West India islands, the Brazils, and other
parts of America—from Asiatic soil, cotton , rice,
and tobacco are to be produced to maintain com
i petition with the produce of the U S. of Amer
ica.
In Asiatic ports are to be freighted the ships