5987.3 
MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. 
be alditional papers refpeéting the illicit trade, which have been printed by order of 
the directors of the Eaft India company, for the uie of the proprietors ; though they 
contain fome facts and obferyations interefting to the parties concerned, furnish little further 
information refpecting the extent or nature of thefe engagements. The following circume 
ftance, as it ftrongly illuftrates the importance of character and reputation in commercial 
life; fhews the propriety of the caution we have juit obferved, in avaiding any obfervations 
affeGting the parties implicated in this bufinefs. A mercantileand banking houfe at Dover, 
of the higheft refpetability being mentioned in the report publifhed by the company, a re- 
port got into circulation, that the partners had all abfconded, and that a large reward was 
offered for the apprehenfign of one of them; the officers of a militia regiment quartered at 
Dover Cattle, and’ many other perfons who had accounts with the houfe alluded to, imme- 
diately took out their balances, and fuch was the run upon the houfe in one day, that they 
were urler the necefiity of fending ta London for £50,000, to be fent with the utmoft dif- 
patch, to meet the expected demands of the following day; which, ata great rifk, in the 
night, they were fo fortunate as to receive: the natural expe€tation, however, of a confee 
quent run, of a ftill more important nature, on their houfe in London, obliged them to make 
ample provifion for tiie fame; the confequence of which every perfon acquainted with 
bufinefe will eafily conceive ; and when fuch effects, which might prove fatal to houfes of 
lefs refources, may be the refult af propagating the flightet fufpicions, it fhould render thofe 
who draw up reprefentations that may be made public, very careful how they introduce 
refpectable characters in an unfavourable point qf view, particularly when the evidence is 
not clear and direét. At the general court, held the 19th June, Mr. DB. Scott, fen. was 
unanimoyfly acquitted of all perfonal imputation refpecting the illicit trade, and we have 
no doubt that many other perfgns mentioned will be found to have had ng improper connec- 
dion with it. : 
There appears at length a profpeét, of at leaft fome relief to the commerce of the port of 
London, by the adoption of the plan for making wet docks in the Ifle of Dogs, as mentioned 
in our report for December laft. A bill for this purpofe, is pending now in parliament, but 
the compulfory claufe for obliging a// Weft India fhips to load and difcharge in the docks, 
meets with much objection; as it would in fact, eftablifh an excluyfive privilege, which 
might not only frequently prove very inconvenient to individuals, but would be a great im- 
pediment to any further attempts to improve the port, however judicioufly planned or evi- 
dently neceflary. : 
The eixeéts of commerce in the advance and improvement of the ports and towns where 
it meets with encouragement, being highly interefting, we fhill endeavour,in addition to the 
particulars of the trade of Hurt already giyen, to point out the ports with which it is prin- 
cipally conneGed, and the provortion of its trade with each country; but this, with the 
pirticulars and extent of its imports and exports, we are ooliged to defer to a future oppor- 
tunity; we cannot however omit to notice at prejent the followinz occurence.—-The Molly, 
Greenlandman, of Hull, arrived home on the rath June, a full fhip. Her arrival is one of 
the earliet remembered, but the quicknefs.of her voyage is ftill more remarkable. She 
left the Humber on the gth of March, but falling in with heavy weather, received fome 
damage, and was obliged to put back for repairs 3 the fet fail the fecond time on the 48ch, 
arrived at Shetland on the 2r{t, and failed thence the 2d of April: made the Weft Ice the 
x3th, and Eait Ice the 27th, and ftruck a fil the fame day 3 got the lat fith on the 221 of 
May. From thefe facts it appears, that the fifhing feafon’ has been earlier at Greenland 
than ufual, and that in proportion to the backwardnefs of the featon here. The weather, 
at Greenland, this feafon, has been particularly favourable ; and it has been frequently ree 
marked, as well of Weft as Eat Greenland, thit the weather is always favourable there, 
when the contrary in this country, am odfervation that certainly deferves attention, ana 
which, if found juft, may be ufefal to perfors engaged in this trade. We have been 
favoured with the following account of the fuccefs of the London fhips, on the 224 of 
May, the day on which the Molly left Greentind. Fith Butts 
Liveiy, Scoot - - Lae eae ers) 
Britannia, Scoot - - Cai esta) 
Prince of Wales Cutter - 3% - €9 
Young Eagle, White -'' <9 “3 ites 
Dingwall, Vickerman = 2) a ae 
Nancy, Morrifon am gf wie 
oe) 
; Horn, C ulfon - ht et 
We noticed in our laf the depreffed ftate of the trade of BrnminGaam, and though the 
gemind fur the home trade las fince rather incroated, yet fo watever foreigg marker the 
