44 
Indiana University Studies 
belonged to the citizens and subjects of that country of which 
the goods were the growth, production, or manufacture. The 
provisions of this bill, however, were not to extend to vessels 
of foreign nations which had not adopted similar regulations.^^ 
Tho veiled in general language, the bill was aimed solely at the 
British colonial system. Its operation would prevent vessels 
owned in Great Britain from importing into the United States 
any West India products either from the British West Indies 
or indirectly thru England or the North American colonies. 
Products brought from the British West Indies would have to 
be brought either in American vessels or in vessels belonging 
to British West India merchants. This bill would not prevent 
British vessels from carrying a cargo of American goods from 
the United States to the British West Indies, however. In 
this respect it was weak in that it permitted the continuation 
of the triangular trade route. To hasten matters along while 
this bill was being considered, another with the same general 
purpose was passed by which a discriminating tonnage duty of 
$2 a ton was levied on ships from places to which American 
vessels were not ordinarily allowed to go.^^ 
So far as the latter went, it had the hearty approval of the 
American shipping interests, but they felt that more vigorous 
action on the part of the Government was needed.^^ To im- 
press Congress with this need, merchants, ship-owners, and 
others interested in foreign commerce held meetings during 
January, 1817, in New York, Hartford, and Portsmouth. They 
drafted petitions and submitted memorials to Congress on the 
subject. Newport even held a town meeting to urge upon Con- 
gress the need for more stringent measures. The general con- 
tent of all the memorials was that altho a considerable benefit 
would no doubt result from the additional tonnage act, the sit- 
uation demanded the total exclusion of vessels and merchandise 
from territories from which American vessels were excluded, 
and the prohibition of all foreign vessels from clearing a cargo 
from America for any port to which American ships were 
not permitted to trade.''^ But before these memorials could be 
presented to Congress, the Senate Committee on Foreign Re- 
Annals of Cong., 14 Cong., 2 Sess., 356, 357. 
Public Statutes at Large, III, 344. 
Newport Mereury, Dec, 28, 1816. Neiv York Courier quoted in Providence Gazette, 
Dec. 28, 1816. 
"‘‘^Neiv York Evening Post, Jan. 18, 1817. Connecticut Courant, Jan. 28, 1817. 
New Hampshire Gazette, Feb. 11, 1817. Rhode Island Republican, Jan. 29, 1817. 
