Newspaper Page Text
their fentimeats thereout The Collector, before he enters
upon the duties of his office, Ihall give bond with good and
fufficient security, in a futn not exceeding for the county of
Chatham, eight thousand pcunds ; for the county of Effingham,
two thousand pounds ; for the county of Burke, four thousand
pounds ; for the county of Richmond, five thousand pounds ;
for the county of Wilkes, eight thousand pounds; for the
county of Liberty; five thousand pounds ; for the county of
Glynn, one thousand pounds ; for the county of Camden, two
thousand pounds ; for the county of Waihington, two thon
fand pounds; for the county of Franklin, cue thousand
pounds j and for the county of Greene, one thousand pounds,
to his Honor the Governor for the time being, and his suc
cessors in office, to be taken by the Superior Court for the
county, or one of the Assistant Juflices of such county, for
the faithful performance of the duties of the said office, and
ihall take the following oath :
“ I A. B. appointed Collector of taxes for the county of
« do solemnly fwcar, that I will faithfully dis
“ charge the duties required of me by law.”
And in case of the death, refufal or negleft of such Col
lector, to enter into such bond, or take such oath, then His
Honor the Governor in Council is hereby authorifed and re
quired to appoint some other person willing to accept the
fame, who shall in manner required by this Aft, enter into
bond, and be veiled with all the powers of this Aft given to
the Collectors herein after appointed : The Colleftor ihall at
tend in each diltrift of the county for the purpose of receiv
ing the taxes 1 ; and ihall give notice in each diltrift, by pub
lic advertisement, as least fifteen days before, of the time
and place where he ihall give such attendance. And if any
Colleftor ihall presume to execute the said office without hav
ing given bond and security as aforefaid, such Colleftor Ihall
forfeit and pay the font of one hundred pounds for every
offence, to be reebvered by any person who shall inform and
sue for the fame.
(To be continued.)
Interejling Letter from Mons de Calonne y Comptroller General
of the Finances of France , to Mr. Jejj'erfon , Minijhr Pleni
potentiary of the United States of /lmrica t dated Fontaine
bleau, October 22, 178 6.
SIR,
AS it is the intention of the King to favour as much as
possible the commerce of the United States, I have the
honour to communicate to you the measures that have been
taken on this fubjeft.
By a letter of the 9th of January 1754, to the Marquis de
la Fayette, I informed him that, instead of two free ports
promised by the treaty with the United States, the King had
determined to grant them four. I gave him hopes at the fame
time that I would direst my attention to the custom-houses,
and the different duties which are prejudicial to commerce,
observing, however, that this- object demanded long iuveiti
gation, which are not yet Completed. By another letter I
informed him that his Majesty had suppressed the duties upon
the exportation of brandy, and I expefted that this suppression
would be ufeful to the American commerce. I promised in
the fame letter that the duties of the Admiralty payable by
an American vessel on her arrival in a French port fliould be
diminiihed and reduced to a Jingle duty, regulated according
to the number of mails, and not by the uncertain estimation
of measurement. This reduftion requires a perfeft knowledge
of all the duties paid inourports, and, as they are of various
kinds, the statements which I have ordered to be made are not
yet ready.
You know, Sir, that the King has appointed a Committee
for the particular purpose of examining our commercial con
nexions with the United States, and that the Marquis de la
Fayette has presented a projeft conformable to the principles
contained in your letter to the Count de Vergennes; but you
will confider how imprudent it would be to expose (by chang
ing the present fyilem) a revenue of 28 millions, upon an
article which is not of the firft neceflity. After long debates
upon the means of encouraging the importation of American
tobacco, it has been resolved not to break the agreement made
with Mr. Morris, but that, after the expiration of this con
trast, a similar one shall be made ; and that in the mean w’hile
the Farmers General fliould be obliged to purchase annually
about fifteen thousand hogtheads of American tobacco, im
ported from the United States in French or American veffets,
at the fame price and on the fame conditions which hive been
stipulated by thecontraft of Mr. Morris.
You will remember, Sir, that, before a regulation could
be made in favour of the importation of whale oil, the M ar ,
quis de la Fayette had taken a particular arrangement vvhli
Mr. Saugrain for the sale of this article to the amount of
800,000 livres, and that I had given him a palTport in order
to render this firft importation free front all duties whatsoever
This fame Mr. Saugrain afterwards made an agreement with
some merchants of Bof on to the yearly amount of 400,0c 0
livres, to last during fix years, for which his Majefly h as
granted the fame favours which are enjoyed by the Haul*
towns.
T his matter having been lately examined more extenfiveh
the Adminifi ration, to whom was communicated theiran 4
your with for abolilhing all duties upon oil, have found that
at present they could not ccufentto it on account of the engage,
meats made with other powers. All that could be done was
to grant during ten years 16 the whale oil, fpermaceti, & c .
imported from the United States in French or American
vessels, the fame favours, and the lame diminution of duties
which have been allowed to the Hanfe towns.
His Majesty hopes that the commercial connexions fcetweea
the United States and France will become so considerable as to
engage him to continue the effect of this determination ; anil
as it has been observed by the Committee, that a great duty
of fabrication had been hitherto paid upon the moll favoured
whale oil, and even upon the national one, his Majesty con.
fentsto abolish the duty of fabrication with relpeft to whale oil
and fpermaceti diredly imported from the United States ia
French or American bottoms, so that this oil and fpermaceti
fliall not pay dtiring ten years any other duty but seven livres,
ten sols, and the augmentation often sols per livre, which
last duty is to cease in 1790.
It has also been determined that particular information be
taken concerning the confimaption of Carolina rice in France,
and that means be deviled to encourage the importation of
that article.
lleprefentations having been made concerning the consider
able duties laid upon potaib and pearl ash, also upon beaver
Ikius and hair, and raw leather, his Majesty has fuppreilei
all duties whatsoever upon thole articles, if imported from
the United States in French or American velTcls. The King
is likewise anxious to give proper encouragement to every,
article of American fur.
His Majesty has moreover confcnted to abolilh aT&utfes
upon mafis, yards, knees for lhipbuildmg, reo cedar, green
oak, and timber of all kinds, imported from the United States
in French or American vessels.
The Committee having represented that a duty was paid in
Trance of five per cent, upon all vessels built in foreign coun*
fries, and that this duty was prejudicial to the sale of Ameri
can (hips, his Majesty has exempted from all duties the pur
chase of ibips built in the United States of America.
Great duties having been formerly laid upon all Ihrubs,
trees, and feed, imported to France, his Majesty has abolifh*
ed these duties when the above articles fliall be imported ia
French or American vellels from the United States.
The King having been informed that the state of Virginia
had ordered the arms of her militia to be made in F'rance,
his Majefly has declared, that the prohibitions which hitherto
have prevented the exportation of arms and gunpowder, as
well as the duties laid upon these articles when exported by
permiflion, lhall be aboliihed ; and that, whenever the Unit
ed States lhall think it expedient to export from France arms,
guns, and gunpowder, they lhall find no impediment in the
law of the country, provided these articles be exported in
French or American vessels. A very final! dbty is only to
be paid in order to facilitate the calculation of exports.
Lastly, his Majesty has with the fame favour,
the application made to the Committee for the fuppreflion of
the heavy duties aftually paid upon books and papers of all
kinds.
The King aboliihes all these duties when the above articles
lhall be exported to the United States in French or Ameri
can vefl'els. '• - -
It is with great pleasure, Sir, that I inform you of the di*
fpofition of bis Majesty ; this is a new testimony of his great
delire to eftablilh-the moll intimate commercial connexion
between the two -nations, and of the favourable attention he
always pays to any proposal made by the United States of
America. I have the honour, &c.
(Signed) DE CALONNE.
P. S. Your nation, Sir, will probably receive with pleasure
the information of the facilities granted to the exportation
of the wines of Bourdeaux, Guyenne, and Touraine, and the
fuppreflion of the duties granted by different arrets of Council,
of which the Marquis de la Fayette will give you notice.