Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 71 
Judging from the great dearth of comment in the news- 
papers during the consideration of this bill, there was very 
little interest in the subject on the part of the public in gen- 
eral. Apparently the only opposition was in the South where 
the Norfolk Herald and the Richmond Enquirer censured the 
measure, the reason being, doubtless, that a large portion of 
the vessels from Bermuda visited Norfolk and the ports of the 
South.®® The New England Palladium, however, was of the 
opinion that the act would operate to make the ports of St. 
Jago (Santiago), St. Thomas, and the like more important 
places of deposit; and that the trade with these foreign West 
Indies would be carried on in American bottoms.®^ 
When Lord Castlereagh was informed of the passage of 
the supplementary act, he replied that no unfriendly temper 
was inferred by his Government from the measure : ‘Tar from 
it”. It was considered simply as an American commercial 
regulation adopted to meet the British, and “not incompatible 
with the relations of harmony existing between the two 
nations”.®® Perhaps the reason for his mildness was the fact 
that he held a view similar to the editor of one of the London 
papers, who wrote — ■ 
The business of the American Congress assumes an air not alto- 
gether friendly to our commercial interests ; but affects, in truth, so small 
and so inconsiderable a portion of our general trade, as to be worthy of 
no other notice than as indicating the spirit in which they originate.®® 
Before many months had passed, however, the combined ef- 
fects of the American acts of 1818 and 1820 began to con- 
vince some parts of the British Empire that “the business of 
the American Congress” was worthy of considerable notice. 
Both American and British West India sources agree that 
one of the chief effects of these restrictive acts was upon the 
shipping engaged in the West India trade. Direct intercourse 
between the United States and the British West Indies was 
cut off, and the trade was carried on indirectly. The sup- 
plies for the colonies were carried in American vessels to the 
Swedish, Danish, or Dutch islands, and the produce of the 
British West Indies was brought in British vessels to the same 
islands, and there exchanged. In this trade, of course, Ameri- 
can vessels possessed much the longer carriage. American 
New England Palladium and Commercial Advertiser, April 18, 1820. 
Ibid. 
Am. State Papers, For. Pel., V, 84. 
Quoted in Daily National Intelligencer, May 24, 1820. 
