Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 97 
mean exactly what the Administration intended, that is, not 
only foreign countries, but other parts of the British empire 
as well Against this possible interpretation Canning argued 
that both parties must remain “at liberty to raise revenue, 
and to protect their home produce by levying duties on foreign 
imported articles”.28 Nevertheless, he was distinctly informed 
by the American Government that the construction of which 
he observed the word “elsewhere” appeared susceptible, “was 
the construction which it was intended to bear and would re- 
ceive”.^^ 
By this interpretation of the American act, therefore, a 
British vessel from one of the enumerated British colonial 
ports might enter an American port provided it came directly 
from the British colonial port. Coming thus, it might bring 
any articles of the produce of those colonies, provided similar 
articles were not altogether prohibited by American laws from 
being imported from all foreign countries, and provided an 
American vessel might be allowed to export similar articles 
from the British colonial ports on the same terms. It might 
not bring articles from Great Britain or other parts of the 
British Empire. Entering an American port, the British ves- 
sel would be subject to a tonnage and light duty ninety-four 
cents per ton higher than that levied on an American vessel 
from the same port. Its cargo, besides, would be subject to 
an additional discriminating duty of 10 per cent more than 
that levied on a similar cargo in an American vessel from the 
same place. On the other hand, a British vessel, in order to 
be allowed to export American goods to any of the enumerated 
British colonial ports, must first have entered the United 
States directly from one of those ports. A British vessel 
might not, therefore, enter an American port from London 
or Liverpool, and thence clear for the British West Indies. 
Finally, British colonial products might not be brought to the 
United States by way of England ; they could be imported only 
in vessels coming directly from the British colonial ports. It 
is very evident that little effort was made by the American 
Government to meet the objections previously advanced by 
Canning. 
During the next three months the correspondence between 
Canning and Adams on this subject had to do principally with 
28 Am. State Papers, For. Bel., VI, 221. 
^Ubid., VI, 228. 
7—23811 
