A. D. 1783. 39 



are Ruffian lubjeds, or to fubjeds of Spain or Portugal. But a quad- 

 ruple duty (or 1 8 rubles) was impofed on the wines of Spain and Port- 

 ugal, if imported in veflels not belonging to Ruffian *, Spanifh, or 

 Portuguefe, fubjecfts, or if not imported diredly from Spain or Portugal. 

 This article at onee cut off the profitable carrying trade between Ruffia 

 and the fouthern parts of Europe, hitherto enjoyed by Britifh veflels. 

 And feveral Britifli merchants complained that it §, and many other ar- 

 ticles of the tariff, were introduced by a declared enemy of the Britifh 

 commerce for the exprefs purpofe of diflreffing it. 



There belonged this year to all the ports 

 of England - 6,877 veflels of the reputec 

 and of Scotland 1,465 



puted burthen of 589,668 tuns, 

 80,134 



Total 



8,342 



669,802 



There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from 

 and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages, 



Inward 

 Outward 



The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and- 

 a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of the year, 

 was from the cuftom-houfe in London - ^^2,768, 320 7 4 



and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 80,000 o o 



Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain ;,^2,848,32o 7 4 



There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year 

 ;^4, 860 pounds of gold, value - - ^^227,083 10 o 



and no lilver. 



* The law does not require the men to be na- 

 iuralborn fiibjefls, nor the veflels to be built in 

 Ruflia. It is therefor ufual for the commanders 

 of veflels belonging to Lubeck, Dantzick, Ham- 

 burgh, &c. to take out papers of burgherfliip in 

 fome Riiflian town for themfelves and half the 

 number of their feamen, whereupon their veflels 

 and themfelves are confidered as Ruffian in refpcft 

 to duties, &c. 



N. B. The flatements of the Ruflian commerce 

 for this and feveral fubfequent years, together with 

 n number of valuable obfervations upon the com- 

 mercial conneftion between Ruflia and Great 

 Britain, were obligingly communicated to me from 

 his manufcriDtcolieftions by William Eton Efquire, 



who refided many years in Ruflia as fecretary of 

 the Britidi miflion. 



$ Candour mull allow that Ruflia has as good 

 a right as Great Britain to make navigation laws ; 

 and that the rcftriftions complained of are copied 

 from our own famous navigation aft, with a con- 

 fiderable alleviation of the rigour of it. The fame 

 apology cannot, however, be offered for the injur- 

 ious duties upon goods, which though bearing an 

 appearance of impartiality as not particularizing 

 any nation, aie evidently leveled againft the Bril- 

 ifli trade, being pcculiarl/ heavy upon thofe ai- 

 ticles which are imported folely, 6r principally, 

 from Great Britain. 



