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Indiana University Studies 
regarding the West India trade was in itself no small step for 
them to take in view of the previous attitude of their Gov- 
ernment. 
But, having gained so much, immediately the American 
plenipotentiaries were assailed by doubts and fears. Was it 
proper to agree to a direct trade limited on both sides to cer- 
tain articles of the produce either of the United States or of 
the West Indies? And if the direct trade was thus limited 
to certain articles, should an indirect trade be permitted be- 
tween the United States and Bermuda, Nova Scotia and New 
Brunswick, embracing articles other than those permitted in 
the direct? And, finally, should the United States agree, with- 
out any condition or exception, to the right of Great Britain 
to lay duties on the produce of the United States imported 
into the West Indies which were not laid on similar articles 
imported therein from any part of the British dominions?^ 
Filled with these misgivings, the American plenipotenti- 
aries decided that if there was to be any erring, it would be 
safer to err on their own side of the question. They there- 
fore determined to ask for more than perhaps under all cir- 
cumstances they expected to obtain, and drew up their formal 
proposals regarding the West India intercourse with this in 
mind.^® Two provisions in their formal proposals particu- 
larly reflected this viewpoint: (1) Articles imported from 
the United States into the British West Indies should pay 
the same duties as when imported from any other foreign 
country or place whatever; and articles exported from these 
islands to the United States should be allowed the same boun- 
ties as when exported to any other foreign country or place 
whatever. (2) British and American vessels in the indirect 
trade thru New Brunswick and Nova Scotia might export from 
the United States only those articles which American vessels 
were permitted to export directly from the United States to 
the British West Indies and South America. The former 
provision was in reality a demand that American produce be 
placed upon the same footing in the British West Indies as 
similar articles imported into those islands from British North 
America or even from England herself ; in other v/ords, a de- 
mand that Great Britain should levy no duties to protect the 
® Am. State Papers, For. Rel., IV, 382. 
^^Ibid., IV, 382. 
^Ubid., IV, 385. 
