1S05»-] Monthly Cmmerdal Report, 391 



cargo, being the produce of ftates at war with Etigland, had not only been landed and paid 

 *he duties, but could not, from the ftate of the markets, be fold in America without lofs, 

 before it ihould be re-ftiipped for Europe ; and whenever this document could not be pro- 

 duced, feizurc was direfled, and condemnation enfued. But the manner in which the feizures 

 have been executed, the Amsricant confider as particularly obnoxious; and they bitterly 

 complain, that after having been permitted to proceed unmolefted lail war, their vefiels 

 iliould now be feized, and condemned 5 and that, without any previous notice, or intimation, 

 to any of their accredited agents, that it was intended to iiifilt upon the produftion of this 

 certificate, is a flagrant dereliftion of good faith, and a violent breach of amicable relations. 



Under this impreffion, the Government of the United States has remonftrated with our 

 Miniftry, in very energetic terms ; threatening to fufptnd all communication with this 

 cnuntry and the Colonies, and to detain an equal number of Britifh veflTels, till reftitution is 

 afforded and the praftice difcontinued. It is faid Lord Hawkefcury has promifed that the 

 fubjedl /hall be ferioufiy invsftigated. 



If our information is correft, we muft indeed confefs, that It is a matter of very critical 

 importance ; and from the fenfation we anticipated it would excite in America, coupled with 

 the jealoufy and difcontent created by the reftriction on their exportations to the Weft 

 India idands, much delicacy and forbearance is required in the examination and adjuftmentof 

 this queftion. The generality of our politicians treat thefe threats with contemptuous in- 

 difference, from the apparent impofiibility of the Americans exiiVing without our manufac- 

 tures ; but fuppofing this to be granted (as we cannot affeft to be ignorant), that America 

 poiTefl'es in herfelf, every elementary article for the produftion of manufadtures, we (hould 

 not, by a narrow policy, compel them to try the experiment, for it muft be recollefted, that 

 they are an induftriout, perfevering people, extremely jealous, and determined to undergo 

 any privation for the aflcrtion and maintenance of their national independence : we fhould 

 then be careful how we force them to this great exertion, the prafticability of which is not 

 doubtful ; for, if they once but partially fucceed, that which neceffity created, their iotereft 

 and their dignity will nurture and fupport. 



The effect of a fufpenfion of intercourfe to our Colonies in v/ar, \frould be inexpreflibly 

 diftreiiing, if not entirely ruinous ; and to ourfelves, a defalcation in the confumption of our 

 BBanufafturcs to the extent of the annual fupply. 



We need have no additional caufe to embarrafs our manufaftory trade, which is now in a 

 wretched condition j and though it might have been politic to dcfpife publicly the meafures 

 direifted by the Emperor of the French as inefficient, to prevent the introdud^ion of ojr ma- 

 nufadtures on the Continent, it cannot be concealed that his regulations have loaded the 

 trade with fuch exorbitant imports and exaftions, that it is almoft ajjnihilated. Recent let- 

 ters from Holland repeat the ftwiinefs with which thefe meafures are executed ; and the 

 Eatavian Gazette is pofitively contradiillng a report of one of oar papers, that BritiJi manu- 

 factured goods would fliortly be admitted into Holland at a duty of 7^ per Cent ; announces 

 the feizure of a large parcel of good* ; and, fo far from any relaxation of the official regula- 

 tions, ftates the vigilance exercifed to be more fevere than ever. 



The evacuation of Hanover, we hope, will reltore us the old channel of communication 

 with Germany. Lord Mulgrave has officially notilied the raifing cf the blockade ot the 

 Elbe, and (ome life and aftivity begins to animate our marktts ; but till it is afcertajned 

 that the intercourfe is unobftru<Sed, the trade will not aflfume that fteadinefs which charac- 

 terifes unimpeded communication. At Hamburg, the merchants hive been exceedingly 

 dJltrelTed by the fcarcity of money j and as it is now difcovcred that our Government mean 

 to make tiieir remittances in fpecie, in*read of Bills, the Exchange has rifen in London 

 3 per Cent. In one poft. 



Our importations of wheat from the north of Europe ftill continue ; thefe, with expedeJ 

 arrivals of ilour from America will, in addition to our own productive harvcft, afford an ample 

 fupply, and may perhaps admit of ftill further redudtians in this ftaple article of life. We 

 alfo obferve, with peculiar pleafure, that at all rhe large fairs throughout this country, many 

 ot the articles of the firft neceffity are on the decline in price, particularly cheefe. 



In our Report for the paft month, we congratulated the com.niercial world on the fafe arrival 

 of the Eaft India and other fleets. The prefcnt i< fcarcely lefi propitious to our national 

 pro/perity. The largeft Leeward Ifland fleet that has come for feme t'me (nearly 300 fail), 

 are got fafely into port ; alfo the laft Jamaica fleet for this year, the fleet from {Quebec, and 

 the valuable ones from P; tctlburg and the Baltic. Thefe laft are of peculiar importance nt 

 the prcfent junflure, being laden with all forts of njval ftqrcs, for the feafonible fvipply of 

 cur dock yar^s and increafing navy. 



A comparatively trifling fet off to thefe advantages is juil announor-d, in the capture of 

 fome of our outward-bound Oporto fleet. The lofs on this ocr^ifion, hnsvcver, is not likely 

 to be at all equil to what it was at firft reported, as it is thought that not mure than eijl.i; 

 have fallen into the enemy's hands. 



The Weft Jr»dia market ftill remains heavy ; and but for the graduil manner in which i; 

 kit been latterly fupplitd by the fleet* keeping vut, it would have been drplorably dull. 



iMOSTHLV 



