Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 27 
stated that notwithstanding the scandalous violation on the 
part of American individuals and the shameful cupidity used 
by them to afford supplies to the enemy, the most severe dis- 
tress and want were experienced in all the British West Indies, 
the greater number in the neighborhood of St. Bartholomew’s 
being at times but one remove from starvation.®^ The fact 
of the case seems to be that the embargo did work a hardship 
upon the inhabitants of the British West Indies, but, on the 
other hand, it interrupted a prosperous business for many 
American merchants and shippers and hence the outcry. 
Further evidence of the dependence of the British West 
Indies upon the United States for supplies was brought out 
during the War of 1812. Within two weeks of the American 
declaration of war, the British Government made Bermuda a 
place of deposit for all of the islands, allowing the import of 
American products to that island in ships of any country in 
amity with Great Britain, British ships to distribute such 
goods from Bermuda to the West India islands.®^ Some four 
months later a still further step was taken when an order in 
council gave governors of the British West India islands the 
right in case of serious embarrassments to grant licenses even 
to American vessels to bring products from the United States 
to those islands.®® 
To meet this situation. President Madison, early the next 
year, recommended to the consideration of Congress the ex- 
pediency of an effectual prohibition of any trade whatever 
by citizens or inhabitants of the United States under special 
licenses, and also a prohibition of all exportations from the 
United States in foreign bottoms.®^ Finally the Committee 
on Foreign Relations took the matter up and recommended a 
bill, which became a law on August 2, 1813, making it illegal 
for any citizen or inhabitant of the United States to obtain or 
use either directly or indirectly, a license, pass, or other instru- 
ment granted by the Government of Great Britain, attaching 
a very heavy penalty, the forfeiture of a sum equal to twice 
the value of the ship and merchandise in addition to a fine of 
from $1,000 to $5,000.®^ A little later, in 1813, this act was 
^^Ihid., Y, 88. 
^Ubid., IV, 411. 
^^Ihid., Ill, 607. 
Richardson, Messages and Papers, I, 522, 523. 
Reports of Com. on For. Rel., IV, 524, 525. Public Statutes at Large, III, 84-86. 
