TI7E WHALE FISHERY. 139 



" France did not view this transfer with indifference. The scheme for the building up of the 

 fishery at Dunkirk by emigration from Nantucket having proven only partially successful,* it was 

 desirable to inaugurate some other measures to prevent further increase of the business in England. 

 A committee of gentlemen well informed in such matters was instructed to investigate and report 

 on the subject of encouragement of a general commerce with the United States. It was evident 

 that the American whalemen could not be induced to leave their native country if they could sup- 

 port themselves there. The natural inference was, if a market could be opened to their products 

 which would replace the one closed, they would not emigrate. Accordingly upon this point the 

 committee reported in favor of an immediate abatement-af-ilie duty upon oil and a promise of a 

 further abatement after the year 1790. The letter of M. de Calonnes (who was in treaty with the 

 oS T autucket whalemen) recommending this, was immediately sent to America, and after careful 

 investigation of the subject, the arret of the 29th of December, 1787, ratifying the abatement 

 and promising a further one if the French King found such a proceeding of mutual benefit, was 

 passed. 



" But the measure in this form had a contrary effect from what was intended. 'The English,, 

 says Jefferson,! 'had now begun to deluge the markets of France with their whale oils; and they 

 were enabled, by the great premiums given by their Government, to undersell the French fisher- 

 man, aided by feebler premiums, and the American, aided by his poverty alone. Nor is it certain 

 that these speculations were not made at the risk of the British Government to suppress the 

 French and American fishermen in their only market. Some remedy seemed necessary. Perhaps 

 it would not have been a bad one to subject, by a general law, the merchandise of every nation 

 and of every nature to pay additional duties in the ports of France, exactly equal to the pre- 

 miums and drawbacks given on the same merchandise by their own Government. This might 

 not only counteract the effect of premiums in the instance of whale oils, but attack the whole 

 British system of bounties and drawbacks, by the aid of which they make London the center of 

 commerce for the whole earth. A less general remedy, but an effectual one, was to prohibit the 

 oils of all European nations ; the treaty with England requiring only that she should be treated 

 as well as the most favored European nation. But the remedy adopted was to prohibit all oils, 

 without exception.' J And this on the 20th of September, 1788, only nine months from the passage 

 of the former law. 



"Through the exertions of Jefferson this error, political as well as commercial, was remedied, 

 and in December, 1788, the abatement of duties on oils was so arranged as to make the American 



" * 'Nine families only, of thirty-three persons in the whole, came to Dunkirk.' (Jefferson, ii, 519.)" 



" t Jefferson, ii, 520." 



" t Jefferson, ii, 521. ' The annnal consumption of France, as stated by a person who has good opportunities of 

 knowing it, is as follows : 



Ton*. 



'Paris, according to the registers of 1786 1,750 



'Twenty-seven other cities, lighted by M. Sangrain 500 



'Rouen 312$ 



'Bordeaux 375 



'Lyons 187$ 



' Other cities, for leather and light 1,875 



5,000'" 



" } Jefferson states (ii, 523) that before the war Great Britain had less than 100 vessels engaged in whaling, while 

 America employed 309. (This does not take into account Sag Harbor, New York, nor the very important fishery from 

 Newport, Providence, and Warren, in Rhode Island, which Mr. Jefferson seems to have overlooked in his report.) In 

 1788 these circumstances were reversed, America employing 80, and Great Britain 314." 



