Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 19 
vised ratification only ''on the condition that there be added 
to the said treaty, an article, whereby it shall be agreed to 
suspend the operation of so much of the 12th Article as re- 
spects the trade which his said Majesty thereby consents may 
be carried on between the United States and the Islands in 
the West Indies in the manner and on the terms and condi- 
tions therein specified''. And the Senate advised Washington 
to proceed without delay to further negotiations with the 
British Government on the subject of this trade.^^ 
The President, consequently, consulted Jay regarding 
points which the latter might think fit subjects for further 
friendly negotiations on the West India trade with Great 
Britain.^® In reply. Jay mentioned one or two points, but 
stated his opinion that the present moment was unfavorable 
for negotiations. He believed the British Government would 
be strongly inclined to avoid the risk of appearing to be ap- 
prehensive of the United States, as might be the case if it . 
multiplied facilities to the latter at that particular time. Fur- 
ther, he doubted the policy of introducing into the negotiations 
any propositions which might defer the ultimate ratification 
of the treaty so late as to prevent the British Government 
from issuing orders to evacuate the ports by the time orig- 
inally specihed.^^ This view seems to have prevailed, for with 
Great Britain's consent the treaty was ratified with the Brit- 
ish West India article expunged. As a consequence the trade 
with those islands was left in the same condition as before the 
opening of negotiations. 
Altho the failure to gain the admission of American navi- 
gation to the British West Indies on terms acceptable to the 
American Government legally meant the continued loss to 
American shipping interests of that fruitful branch of their 
trade, the situation was not so bad as it appeared on paper. 
Early in 1793 war had broken out between France and Great 
Britain, and in the years following, until the return of peace, 
British shipping was so greatly in demand in the East and 
elsewhere that the navigation acts were not enforced in the 
British West Indies. Proclamations of the governors of va- 
rious of these islands began to appear almost at once inviting 
Gibbs, Administrations of Washington and Adams, I, 208. 
Correspondence and P^lhlic Papers of John Jay, IV, 188. 
Ibid., IV, 189-191. 
Gardner, Hist, of Jamaica, 241. Am. State Papers, For. Rel., VI, 254, 255. 
