134 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC., 



immediately after the receipt of the British Act, opened the Ports of 

 The United States to British Vessels engaged in the Colonial trade, 

 subject to a like restriction, and upon terms which were deemed to be 

 of reciprocal and equal advantage, but retaining our discriminating 

 duties. The retention of the discriminating duties was made the 

 subject of complaint and discussion on the part of the British Gov- 

 ernment. The measure was justified by ours, as being only a fair 

 equivalent for the imposition of protecting duties on American 

 produce in all, and export duties in some, of the Colonies. 



The King had authority, by Act of Parliament, to interdict the 

 trade to all Nations which refused to allow privileges to British Ves- 

 sels engaged in the Colonial trade, equal to those granted to Foreign 

 Vessels by the Act of the 24th June, 1822, and, also, to impose counter- 

 vailing duties ; but neither power was then exercised. 



The Act of Congress of the 1st of March, 1823, was the next mate- 

 rial step in the movements of the 2 Governments. At the period of 

 its passage the 2 Countries were engaged in an extensive and valuable 

 trade between The United States and the Colonies, by virtue of the 

 British Act of Parliament and the President's Proclamation, our dis- 

 criminating duties remaining unrepealed, but continuing to be a cause 

 of complaint on the part of Great Britain. 



The influence which the passage of this Act has obviously had upon 

 the course of affairs in relation to the trade in question, together with 

 the circumstance that the closing of our Ports was the effect of its 

 terms, renders it important that its provisions should be distinctly 

 understood. They were in substance the following. 



1st. It continued the suspension of the Act of 1818 and 1820, already 

 effected by the President's Proclamation, and opened our Ports to a 

 direct trade only with such of the British Colonial Ports as had been 

 opened to us by the Act of Parliament of June, 1822, subject, as things 

 then stood, to the payment by British Vessels of our alien or discrimi- 

 nating duties. 



2ndlv. It put forth a claim which had been previously advanced 

 by us in pur Negotiations upon the subject, but always resisted by 

 Great Britain, viz; that no higher duties should be imposed upon 

 the productions of The United States in the British Colonial Ports 

 than upon those of Great Britain herself, or her other Colonies, and 

 which had been levied for the protection of their own produce. This 

 was done by giving an authority to the President to suspend the pay- 

 ment of our discriminating duties by British Vessels coming from the 

 Colonies, upon being satisfied that no such duties were levied in the 

 Colonies on our produce, and by declaring that, until such evidence 

 was given, payment should continue to be exacted. 



3rdly. It restricted the trade to such British Vessels as had come 

 directly from the Colonial Ports, and had not touched at any other 

 Port after they left the Colony. 



4thly. It declared that its provisions should only be in force so 

 long as the privileges granted by the Act of Parliament of June, 

 1822, were allowed to our Vessels, and that if at any time thereafter, 

 the trade, or any part of it, was prohibited to us by Great Britain, 

 through an Act of Parliament or Order in Council, and that the fact 

 proclaimed by the President, each and every of its provisions should 

 cease, and the Acts of 1818 and 1820 be revived and in full force. 



