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Indiana University Studies 
ing that all the enumerated American articles should be ad- 
mitted into the colonies exactly on the same terms as similar 
productions of other British colonies themselves or of the 
mother country. To this stipulation they immediately and 
most decidedly objected. Their reasons were briefly summed 
up as follows: 
The objectionable condition amounts to no less than a stipulation 
that Great Britain shall renounce in favor of the United States, and 
without a return on their side, the power of protecting the staples of 
her own subjects by levying import duties on the like productions of a 
foreign country. In principle such a proposition is evidently inadmis- 
sible. It could not be entertained with credit by any power on which 
it was calculated to operate exclusively. It is directly at variance with 
the practice of all commercial, of all civilized States. It has no prece- 
dent in the commercial relations subsisting between the British dominions 
in Europe and the United States.^^ 
Further, they maintained that on specific grounds the stipula- 
tion could not be accepted by Great Britain without prejudice 
to her own subjects any more than it could be accepted by 
her on general principles without prejudice to her character 
as an independent commercial power. 
Much as the British Government is disposed to cherish and improve the 
relations of commerce and good neighborhood with the United States, 
such sacrifices cannot, in fairness, be expected, even for the sake of those 
objects.^® 
The American proposal having been rejected, Rush next 
invited the British plenipotentiaries in turn to offer proposals 
to be referred to the United States Government. This they 
did, submitting a draft of five articles which might be accepted 
as the basis of a commercial convention between the two coun- 
tries.^^ The chief difference between the British and Amer- 
ican proposals was found in the first article of the former 
which stipulated that no higher duties should be levied on 
American produce than upon produce of the same kind im- 
ported from any other foreign country. 
From a comparison of the American and British proposals it will be 
seen: 
1. That both parties were willing to abolish all discriminating 
duties on either side. 
2. That the British Government was satisfied, and actually offered. 
Am. State Papers, For. ReL, VI, 243, 244. 
VI, 244. 
Ibid., V, 538, 570, 571. 
