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qiMJt, Ti r v. cvrt dignified or dehafed, to that censure of the
h'i . v,h::h their enr-tempt of »r hat- lu jttfl >y incurred.
1 4. Ats of.the laii Aionbly having veiled the Superior
Court* with the folc power of direction of the io.olh and
this Court will Le touch obliged to tlie Centlauen of
t!u- Crr.i (I j ;ry for all the information in their power relative
to ti c extent r.m! fiinatlon of the several roads through this
countrv, together w:th the numher ol hands lobjecl to woi k
o;i the* fame, and the moll proper perldns to be appointed
ovfj frn fc them.
termit me r.ow, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, to address
yiai for a moment on a fubjetl of as high importance as ever
arrcl'ed ihc attention of aft ee people. The difficulties and
ffiliicffes iu with both government and people were involved,
from an unavoidable concurrence of unfavourable incidents,
induced the Honourable the General Affemlly, at their last
fitting, to pals ait ait for the immediate cmiflion of fifty thou
sand pour.du, in paper hi.ls, on a footing of liability never
heretofore chwblifhed on limilar occalions ; but Inch ale the
unhappy prejudices contrailed again!! a paper medium, on
ft: cunof former loss and difappointrueut, that it is to be
feared tfcjit, through lie misapprehension of some well disposed
citl/cii*, and the artifice and influence of the difaffeded, this
wife, politic, and bcnevolenp provision of the Legillature,
will fall fliort of its provident deilination, without the hearty
concurrence of every independent friend to our happy ellab
liflur.ent. Let me therefore, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,
recommend to you, in the mofl ferions terms, to threw your
weight at Icall into the stale our ccnntiVs catife, and,
by endc. foil ring to remove the apprehensions of some very
ref| triable charters among our friends, by difeotmtenaheing
«nd defeating the deligns of our enemies, and giving the paper
iruVoev a cheerful reception and ready passage through every
channel of your commercial intcrcourle, you may manifclt
to the world your independent, your patriotic refutation, as
far as m you lies, to picferve your fellow’ citizens from ruin,
to fuppoit and maintain the honour and dignity of our countrv,
ami to cflablilh its importance upon an honourable and per
manent balls among the other independent nations of the
World.
Von will be leafed now*, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,
to utirc to your deliberations, in the courfeof which, thould
you think, my adiftance in any degree neceilary, you may
dc|t*..d on everything in my power toward faivitating the
important w'ork before you ; for I beg you to be allured,
Gentlemen of the Grand Jnry, that no circumftauce in life
tan give me pie-fore equal tg that of contributing to the
hunoui of my country and the happinefa of my fellow citizens,
objeifs which lhall ever diieCt ray pursuits in whatever
chancier I may have tire honour of lcrving the public.
W.ST] T*H,
Savannah, Oflybcr 3, j;B6.
PHILADELPHIA, September 7,
Having been favoured with the following extrad of a letter
from In* Excellency Thomas jefferfon, Esq ; Miniftcr
Plenipotentiary at the Court of Vetfailles, from the United
itutes, to his /Excellency John jay, Jfcfq • Miniftcr of
Foteiy.n Affairs at New.Yurk, dated May 2 7, 1786. We
take tie carheft opportunity of laying them before
tl:e Public, with an afturauce thltt they are genuine and
authentic.
“As to the article of Tobacco, which had become an im
portant branch of remittance to almuft all the States, I had
the honour of communicating to you my propolition to the
Courts to eliabhib the monopoly of it in their farm ; that the
Count de Vergenne* was, I thought, thorough fcnlibleof the
expediency as this proJolilion, and disposed to befriend it •
that the lencwai i . thelcalc of the farms had been conferment iv
iulj ciu.cd fix months, and was Hill in linpeuce ; but that li>
p owerful were tlie farmers-General, &c. that I delpaired of
preventing the renewal of the farm at that time. Thines
wcie in tins date when M. rlc la Layette returned from
Berlin. On communicating to him what was on the
carrct, be proposed to me a conference with fome’pe.-foiis
weh acquainted with the commercial system ofthis country—
Wc met they proposed the endeavouring to have a Com
mitice appointed to enquire into the folded. The propolition
was to the f ount t,e \ crgeimcs, who be friended it, and had
M. dc La Payette named a member of the Committee ;
he bee.. .e, o. cmnle t.ie athve and truly zealous member
lor uie liberty oi commerce ; others, though w-‘I
not c holing t> oppofc the farm openly. This commh cc Irs
r.:ct from tunc to time, it ibewed an early and deciiivccou
v.uien, t:.at tht wealuics taken by the firm, to put the pur -
•
t
chafe of their Tobacco into the monopoly ca that fide the
water, ?sthefa!c of them waso;i this* tended to the annihi
lation of commerce between the two countries. Various
palliatives were proposed from time to time, I confefs that
I met them all with difference, my object being a radical
cure of the .evil, by difcontinning the farm, and not a mer/V
affuagement of it for the prefeur moment, which rendering it
more bearable, might lessen the removal. In the mean time,
the other branches of the farm rendered the renewal of the 1
leale necessary, and it being said to be too far advanced to
have the article of Tobacco separated from it and suspended, ‘
it was tigned in the month of March, while I was in England,
with a clause, which is usual, that the King may difeontinue
when he pleases, on certain conditions. When I returned,
I found here a memorial from the merchants of L’Orienr,
complaining of. their having 600 hog (heads-of Tobacco on
hand, and of the distresses they were under from the loss
of this medium of remittance. I saw him the 24th instant,
and spoke to him on the fubjeCK He told me there was to
be a Committee held the next day at Berni, the ofthe-
Comptroller-General, and that he would attend it himfelfto
have something done. I allied him if I was to confider the
expunging that article from the. farm, as defparate. He said
that the difficulty of changing so ancieut an rnititution, was
imraenle ; that the King draws from it a revenue of 29
millions of livrcs, that an interruption of this revenue at least,
if not a diminution, would attend a change ; that their finan
ces were not in a condition to bear even an interruption, &c.
Incidents enough, will arise to keep this object in our view,
and to direct the attention, to it, as the only point on which
the interests and harmony of the two countries (so far as this
article of their commerce may influence) wiil ultimately find
repol'e. The Conyuittee met the next day. The only question
agitated was, how heft to relieve the trade under its double
monopoly. The Committee found themselves Tupported by
the presence and sentiments of the Count de Vergennes. Thcv
therefore resolved, that the contract with Mr. Morris, if
executed on his part, ought not to be annulled here ; but
that no similar one (honld ever be made hereafter, that so
long as it continued, the farmers fliould be obliged toptirchafe
from 12 to 15,000 hogiheads of Tobacco a year,- over and
above what they fliould receive from Mr. Morris, from
-such merchants as fliould bring it in French or American
veilels, on the fame 'conditions contracted with Mr. Morris ;
providing however, that where the cargo iliall not be assorted,
the prices Iliall be 38, 3 6, and 34 livres, for the iff, 2d,
and 3d qualities of which soever the cargo may consist. In
calc of dispute about the quality specimens arc to examine
and decide on it. This is indeed the leaf! bad of all the palli- 1
ations which have been proposed; but it contains the feeds of
perpetual trouble.
“It is eafyto forefee that the farmers will multiply difficul
ties and vexations on thofc who thallpropofe to fell to them
by force, and that these will be making perpetual complaints,
so that both patties will be kept on the fret, * If without
fatiguing the friendly difpdfitioiis of the Ministry, thev fliould
give them jufffo much trouble as may induce them to look to
the demolition ofthe monopoly, 4s well as a temporary good.
This determination of the Committee, needs the King’s
order to be carried into effett. I have been in hourly ex
petlatioit of receiving it ultimately confirmed by him, but
as yet it is not come, and the poll will let out to-dav.—Should
it arrive in time, I will enctofe it. Should it not arrive, as
I do not apprehend danger of its being rejetfed, or even
altered materially (feeing that M. de Vergennes approved
of it, and M. de Cotonne acquiesced) I have supposed you
would wifli to be apprized of its fubftancc, for a communi
cation of which, I am indebted to the M. de La Fayette.
'1 hough you cannot pubiith it formally, till you know it is
confirmed by the King, yet an unatuhoratative kind of notice
may be given to the merchants to put them on their guard,
otherwd'e the merchants here, having the firft knowledge of
it, may by their agents purchase up all the Tobacco they have
on hand, at a low price, and thus engross to themfeives all
the benefit. *
“ * !ie Ume letter I mentioned, that tbe Rice of Carolina,
compared vvsth that of the Mediterranean, was better and
dearer. This was on my own observation, having examined
both in the (hops here, where they are retailed. Further
enquiries gave me reafou to believe, that the Rice ofCarolina,
on ns arrival, is fouler and cheaper, ami that it is obliged to
•he cleaned here before it i.s lulcable; that this advances the
price, but at the fatnq time the quality alio, beyond that of the
Mediterranean. Whether the trouble of this operation dis-
the merchant, or the price the cunfumcr, or wbetiiev