174 A-^- ^737' 



in return ; and that Canada is a barren country, and its river only na- 

 vigable in the fummer months. 



Whereas formerly we fupplied even France, as well as Holland, Ger- 

 many, Italy, &c. with fugars ; it is chiefly by the above means that we 

 are now almofi; folely confined to the home confumption of Great Bri- 

 tain ; being in a great meafure excluded from Ire-land, (by clandeftinc 

 importations) and from our own American colonies, who, inflead of car- 

 rying their produd to our fugar colonies, as formerly, now carry the 

 fame to our rivals, in exchange for their rum and melaflxis. 



With refped to Barbados, in particular, they are at a great expenfe 

 in their fortifications and their militia, without any charge to the crown ; 

 befide the 4^ per cent in fpecie, which they pay to the crown on all their 

 exports, amounting to about L 10,000 yearly. Moreover, Barbados 

 employs conftantly 1000 of our own feamen, and 10,000 tons of our 

 {hipping: and the kingdom gains annually from this fmall ifland L95,ooo 

 flerling. Whereas the French and Dutch pay much lower duties than 

 Britifh fubjeds do, both at home and in their plantations. 



Of late the Dutch have extended their colonies at Surinam, Efekebe, 

 and Barbicies, (places on the continent, in the province of Guiana) mak- 

 ing much greater quantities of fugar, rum, and melafl^es, than formerly ; 

 a great part of which they fell to our northern colonifts in return for 

 horfes, provifions, and lumber. 



Laftly, it was aflJerted, that the produce of our fugar iflands may be 

 eftimated and valued at Li, 500,000 per annum, which is fo much addi- 

 tional wealth to Great Britain : and that the adtual and direcfl annual 

 gain arifing, one way or other, to Great Britain, from our fugar colo- 

 nies, can be no lefs than i ,200,000 per annum ; arifing from the vafl: 

 quantities of Britifl^ manufadures confumed by them, from the like ma- 

 nufactures and produd fent to the coafl of Guinea for the purchafe of 

 negroes for the iflands, from the accumulated freight of the ftiipping 

 employed in thofe two branches, the gain on the fugars re-exported, the 

 cuftoms, the commilfion, the vidualling and refitting of the fliips, &c. 

 It was alfo alleged, that four fifths of all the gains of a fugar plantation 

 center in Great Britain, and the other fifth formerly centered in the 

 northern colonies folely, but now one half of that fifth is taken away 

 in cafli, and carried to the French plantations, to buy their fugar, rum, 

 and melalfes. 



On the other hand, the following arguments were urged in behalf of 

 ■the Britifti northern colonies, viz. New-England, Rhode-ifland, New- 

 York, Pennfylvania, and the Jerfeys. 



As all the fugar, rum, and melafles, of our fugar ifles are taken off at 

 high prices by Great Britain and the northern colonies, it would be very 

 impolitic to obftrud the later from taking melafl^es, and even rum, from 

 the French iflands, for the fupply of their Indian trade, and much more 



