HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. 89 



(who was iu treaty with the Nantucket whalemen), recommending this, 

 was immediately sent to America, and after careful investigation of the 

 subject, the arret oi the 29th of December, 1787, ratifying the abatement 

 and promising a further one if the French King found such a proceeding 

 of mutual benefit, was passed. 



But the measure iu this form had a contrary effect from what was 

 intended. "The English," says Jefferson,* "had now begun to deluge 

 the markets of France with their whale oils; and they were enabled by 

 the great premiums given by their government, to undersell the French 

 fisherman, aided by feebler premiums, and the American, aided by his 

 poverty alone. Nor is it certain, that these speculations were not made 

 at tbe risk of the British government, to suppress the French and 

 American fishermen in their only market. Some remedy seemed nec- 

 essary. Perhaps it would not have been a bad one, to subject, by a 

 general law, the merchandise of every nation, and of every nature, to 

 l)ay additional duties in the ports of France, exactly equal to the pre- 

 miums and drawbacks given on the same merchandise, by their own 

 government. This might not only counteract the efl'ect of premiums in 

 the instance of whale oils, but attack the whole British system of boun- 

 ties and drawbacks, by the aid of which, they make London the centre 

 of commerce for the whole earth. A less general remedy, but an effectual 

 one, was, to prohibit the oils of all European nations ; the treaty with 

 England requiring only, that she should be treated as well as the most 

 favored European nation. But the remedy adopted was to prohibit all 

 oils, without exception." t And this on the 20th of September, 1788, 

 only nine months from the passage of the former law.f 



Through the exertions of Jefferson this error, political as well as com- 

 mercial, was remedied, and in December, 1788, the abatement of duties 

 on oils was so arranged as to make the American and the French on the 

 same footing, and cut off' all danger of overstocking from European 



* Jefferson ii, 520. 



t Jefferson, ii, 521. " The annual consumption of France, as stated by a person who 

 has good opi)ortunities of knowing it, is as follows : 



Tons. 



" Paris, according to the registers of 1786 1,750 



" Twenty-seven other cities, lighted by M. Sangrain 500 



"Rouen 312^ 



" Bordeaux 375 



"Lyons 187| 



" Other cities, for leather and light - 1, 875 



5,000" 

 } Jefferson states (ii, 523) that before the war Great Britain had less than 100 ves- 

 sels engaged in whaling, while America employed 309. (This does not take into ac- 

 count Sag Harbor, New York, nor the very important fishery from Newport, Provi- 

 dence, and Warren, in Rhode Island, which Mr. Jefferson seems to have overlooked iu 

 his report.) In 1788 these circumstances were rever.-'fvl, America employing 80, and 

 Great Britain 314. 



