14 
Indiana University Studies 
States and the territory of other powers in North America 
and the West Indies on a more beneficial and permanent foot- 
ing'. But no definite action was taken. 
Nevertheless, the Government did not remain inactive in 
this matter. Within three months after the passage of the 
discriminating tonnage act, even before he had a secretary of 
state, Washington himself wrote to Governeur Morris, who 
was then in England, desiring him to converse with the Brit- 
ish ministers to find out whether they were inclined to a treaty 
of commerce with the United States, on any, and what, terms. 
In regard to the British West Indies, Washington strongly 
impressed upon Morris the fact “that the privilege of carry- 
ing our productions in our vessels to their islands, and bring- 
ing in return the productions of those islands to our ports 
and markets, is regarded here as of the highest importance”, 
and warned him to “be careful not to countenance any idea 
of our dispensing with it in a treaty”. As a result of the 
conversations which Morris had with the British ministers, 
the American Government was finally forced to infer that 
Great Britain was not disposed to enter into any arrange- 
ments merely commercial at that time. Morris believed that 
the British Government was divided, and that those who 
wished to be on the best terms with America were outnum- 
bered by those “whose sour prejudices and hot resentments” 
rendered them averse to every intercourse except that which 
might immediately subserve a selfish policy.^^ 
Meanwhile petitions were presented in Congress from 
places as widely separated as Portsmouth and Charleston, 
praying Congress to do something to prevent foreigners from 
carrying American goods to places where citizens of the 
United States were prohibited from carrying them, until 
finally the House, early in 1791, ordered the Secretary of State 
to report regarding the privileges and restrictions of the com- 
mercial intercourse of the United States with foreign nations, 
and what measures he thought proper to be adopted for the 
improvement of American commerce and navigation.^® When, 
almost two years later, Jefferson submitted his lengthy report 
on this subject, his recommendations in regard to the situation 
in the British West Indies were summed up as follows: 
Senate Jour., 1 Cong., 1 Sess., .52, 86, 87. 
State Papers, For. Rel., I, 122, 121, 126, 127. 
House Jour., 1 Cong-., 2 Sess., 65. Ihid., 1 Cong-., 3 Sess., 60, 78. 
