232 A. D. 1792. 



1792, February, March — The increafing confumption of fugar In this 

 country*, owing in a great meafure to the reduction of the price of tea 

 by the commutation ad, and the increaied demand for it abroad, ow- 

 ing to the deficiency of the French importation from S'. Domingo, had 

 raifed that article to a price far above what had ever been known, fince 

 the extenfive cultivation of it in the Weft-Indies had brought it into 

 general ufe. 



Sugar may be obtained from the Eaft-Tndies in any quantity that all 

 Europe can require, even with the difadvantage of the freight being fo 

 much heavier than from the Weft-Indies, provided the Eoft-'ndia com- 

 pany were placed upon the fame footing with refped to duties and draw- 

 backs as the Weft-lndia planters f . 



The confuraers upon the continent could not continue to buy Britifh 

 fugars at their very advanced price ; and veflels from various parts of 

 Europe, and alio from the United ftates of America, were getting into 

 the trade of importing Eaft-India fugars for the European market. 

 There being thus reafon to apprehend the lofs of the fugar trade, toge- 

 ther with the carrying trade and the other advantages to the commerce 

 and revenue of Great Britain attached to it, the public had for fome 

 years paft looked to the Eaft-India company for afliftance ; in confe- 

 quence of which the directors had ordered fome fmall parcels of fugar 

 home from Bengal :|:, by way of experiment ; and they had repeatedly 

 applied to government for an equalization of the duties upon fugars 

 produced in the Britijh territories in the Eajl-Indies with thofe paid upon 

 the produce of the Brhijli territories in the Wcji-bidies §. But, though 

 it is evident that the great difference in the freight muft give a decifive 

 and permanent fuperiority to the Weft-India fugars, without the addi- 

 tion of a prohibitory duty, the government did not think proper to 

 comply with their requeft [j. 



* Tt was computed in 1792 at two hundred notwlthftanding fuch prodigious prices, tlie com- 



millions of pounds annually. Since 1792 the con- pany, in conftqnence of paying tlie heavy duty, 



fumptlon of tea, notwithftanding the augmented loll money upon the fix^ parcel, and upon the total 



prices, has increafcd very mv:ch ; and conleqnent- of the four they gained only about fix per cent. 

 )y the confumption of fugar has alfo incieafed. J In February 1792 the direftors upon the 



f The duly upon Eall-India fugars was not committee of warthoules drew up a very judicious 

 fixed with any prohibitory view ; fi^r fugar not report, containing a hiftory of the fugar tnide in 

 beino- imported by the company at the time of the Eaft and the Weft, and recommendiiig the 

 eflablllhing the prefent tarif, it was not even named, importation of fugar from Bengal as the means cf 

 and is therefore claffed with manufadured goods ' drawing back lo this country a large portion of 

 non-enumerated at ^"37 : j6 : 3 per/,"ico ad val- ' that foreign trade which it formerly enjoyed,' 

 oiem ; a duty, which will generally operate as a whereby Bengal may be benefited above half a mil- 

 prohibition, lion annually. 



1 In the courfe of the year 1791 four parcels || It is proper to obferve, in favour of the Weft- 



01 fugar from Bengal came to iiand. They were India fugars, that they are paid for chiefly in 



generally very fair and dry, fo as even to ferve in- Britifh merchandize, and that the balance appear- 



itead of loaf fugar for tea ; and, partly owing to ing due to the iflands is moftly expended by the 



the fcarcity, and partly becaufe fome people who proprietors of the plantations rcfiding in Great 



vvilhed for the abolition of the (lave trade were Britain and Ireland, or paid to Britifh capitalifts 



eager to have fugar made by free people, they fold as intereft for the ufe of their money, 

 at from 88/6 to 156/6 per hundredweight : yet, 



