¥799-] © Monthly Commercial Report. 675 
United States, and the fubfequent American fettlements on the frontiers, have rendered it 
altogether impoffible to prevent this contraband trade. The free navigation of the Miiffippé 
fecured to the Americans by the treaty concluded with Spain in 1796, likewife greatly fa- 
vours their participation in this branch of commerce ; as furs can by that means be tran{- 
mitted either to the United States, or to any part of Europe, as tie merchant choofes, while 
all peltry, which is. conveyed to Montreal, can be fent only to Great Britain; the provifion 
to be exchanged for thefe articles may alfo be bought in the cheapeft market; and, confc- 
quently, at a much lower rate than in Montreal, where the exorbitant duty on all merchan- 
dize landed in Canada, and which Great Britain alone has a right to import, raifes their price 
im anenormous degree. The traffic for furs with the Indians is carried on chiefly with rum, 
but alfo with guns, gun-powder, balls, blankets, fmall coral coliars, fmall filver buckles, 
bracelets, and ear-rings, which are worn by the Indians in proportion as they are more or 
lefs rich. : 
The trade of BirMINGHAM appears to have rather increafed fince our laft report, which 
is probably owing to confidence having been in fome meafure re-eftablithed with refpe& to 
the fituation of Portugal, and of thofe parts of Germany neareft to the feat of war. We have 
however again to notice the enforcement of prohibitory laws refpecting the importation of our 
manufactures into foreign countries. The king of Sweden has lately iffued an edi, in 
confequence of which all foreign manufaétures are feizable, not merely if attempted to be 
imported into that country, but even if they fhould be found in any fhop or magazine what- 
ever. Some failures, and the toppage of goods upon the road, which were deftined for that 
market, have been the confequence of this rigorous enforcement of the prohibition; of 
which, however, no place feels the efteéts fo rnuch as Lubeck, which has hitherto been the 
depot to Sweden for all European articles. Our merchants are eagerly preparing to embark 
again in the Italian trade, in full expectation that that country will now be foon cleared of 
its invaders. The demands for the Eaft and Weft Indies have certainly been upon’the in- 
creafe this year; and we have no doubt that the merchants, trading to thofe countries, will 
find it advantageous to encourage the exportation to markets which may become of confidera~ 
ble importance to. the Birmingham manufactures. 
The known intention of government, to bring forward early in the next feffion of parlia- 
ment fome effectual meafure for reducing the prefent exorbitant price of Copper, has not yet 
had much effect in producing thatend. The Birmingham copper and brafs companies, how- 
ever, relying on the promife of his Majefty’s minifters, have, with the view of alleviating 
_ the lofies which the manufacturers will fuftain until parliament fhall have paffed an A& for 
their relief, generoufly agreed to continue the prices of copper and brafs to the manufaturers 
for three months, the fame asin tle preceding three months, although the price of ore has 
been fo great as to have warranted their making a very confiderable advance. An order of 
council, which has been iffued, prohibiting the exportation of various forts of copper for fix 
months, has given much fatisfa¢tion to the manufatturers, who have no doubt but that this 
meafure of itfelf mutt tend to lower the price of the article, which is the very reafon that 
has induced the mine proprietors to exprefs. their difapprobation of it ; in faét, the interefts of 
thefe two parties is fo entirely oppofite, the one withing to obtain the article as cheap as poffi- 
ble, and the other to get the higheft price they can, that it is not to. be wondered they fhould 
whelly differ in opinion, both with refpect to the caufes of the prefent advanced price of 
copper, and the meafures moft proper for reducing it. Some of the arguments of the perfons 
interefted in the copper mines of Cornwall! againft prohibition of exportation, and the propofed 
admiiiion of foreign copper, are, that the price of copper in England is nearly the fame as in 
the other markets of Europe, and confequently our manufactures are in no danger of being 
underfoldin foreign markets, on account of the high price paid for the material; that there 
has been no attempt to prove that there is any want of copper for the fupply of the navy, the 
merchant fhips, or the manufacturers ; but that on the contrary, it has been acknowledged 
by every perfon interefted, that the home market has been amply fuoplied, and that there 
is every reafon to fuppofe it will continue to be fo, at fuch a price as will afford a reafonable 
profit to the miners and copper makers ; that the price of labour, and of materials confumed 
in the mines, have advanced at leaft 56 per cent. fince 1791 5 and that as mining is always 
attended with confiderable expence and uncertainty, it cannot be fuppofed any one would en- 
gage in it if he did not expect large profits, in cafe the mine in which he was concerned 
fhould prove productive: therefore, that any interference of government tending to lower the 
price of copper, muft check, if not deftroy, the fpirit of adventure, and thereby confequently 
leflen the quantity of copper raifed in Great Britain, and in the end throw the trade into the 
hands of foreigners. It feems however pretty certain, from the number of new mines that 
have been lately opened, that the prefent price of copper affords an‘unufual profit, which, as 
being prejudicial to our manufactures, ought certainly, by fome means, to be reduced. 
The accounts we have before given of the flourifhing ftate of the trade of Hutx, are 
@®rongly confirmed by the following ftatement of the revenue derived therefrom, which 
fhews at oace both its rapid growth and prefent extent. 
Receipt 
