202 TOBACCO. 



" 2nd. The ever-increasing crops of the article, thus also 

 increasing the supply of the particular sorts especially 

 suitable for the American market. 



" The recent animation in this trade has undoubtedly 

 furthermore been stimulated by the removal of the 10 per 

 cent, discriminating duty, formerly payable thereon, being 

 a product of the East Indies, exported from the west of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



" This will be clearly evident when I state that many 

 shipments, aggregating large quantities of this tobacco, 

 purchased or ordered for months last past, were purposely 

 delayed until late in December, so as not to arrive until 

 after the law abolishing the discriminating duty had gone 

 into effect. 



" This unlooked-for introduction and now so considerable 

 export of this staple into the United States has begun to 

 be viewed with great disfavour by cultivators or growers 

 of ' seed-leaf ' tobacco in the United States. 



" They apprehend, as I am informed, that the imports of 

 Sumatra tobacco into our country will increase still 

 further in the near future, and seem to consider this 

 would prove greatly detrimental to their interests. 



"I am hardly in position or prepared to express an 

 opinion as to how well grounded or justified their fears 

 really are, and, moreover, am inclined to believe that the 

 interested parties are the better judges of this matter, but 

 so far as I can possibly make myself serviceable by giving 

 information which may assist them in reaching correct 

 conclusions on the subject I deem it my duty to do, and 

 do cheerfully. 



" Such information may possibly also be of some value to 



