. 
» 801.] 
. prefent duties, and the produce of Swedith 
Finland, even wood, into Ruffia Finland 
duty free. Into Sweden, from Ruffia, 
hemp, linen, and tallow, at one-half, ‘and 
linfeed at two-thirds of the duties hitherto 
paid. Then follow fome mercantile re- 
gulations relative to failors, fhips, and 
traders, in the refpective ports of each 
country. In its political principle, it 
embraces and avowedly recognizes the 
bafis of the famous convention entered 
into at Peterfburg, on the 16th of Decem- 
ber laft, commonly called the Northern 
Confederacy, which caufed the memora- 
ble bombardment of Copenhagen. This 
recognition is the more remarkable, as 
Lord St. Helens ftands, we are told, fo 
high in the good opinion of the Emperor 
Alexander at Peterfburg. By the late 
fettlement with Great Britain,®there are 
two very material points which Ruffia has 
obtained; firft, The limitation of the 
‘right of feach: and fecondly, The dimi- 
nution of articles deemed contraband in 
war. 
It is not only that the right of fearch 
is to be exercifed in future by fhips of 
war alone, and not by privateers (a very 
important conceffion):; but the manner in 
which it is to be exercifed is a much 
More important point gained by Ruffia. 
Each merchant fhip of the neutral power, 
failing under convoy, is to produce to the 
captain of the convoy before he fails, a 
paffport, or fea-letter, in a certain form. 
‘Ihe captain is to make no further en- 
guiry. He is to take it for granted that 
the fea-letter gives a true defcription of 
the cargo, and he is not to make any 
fearch. Should this neutral fleet be 
met at fea by a fhip of war of the other 
contracting party, that party being ina 
ftate of war, a boat is to be fent on board 
the captain of the convoy’s fhip, in order 
to verify the papers and certificates that 
are to prove that that fhip is authorifed to 
convoy fuch veffels, laden with fuch car- 
_ goes, and bound tofwcha port. This ve- 
rification made, there is to be no pretence 
for any fearch, unlefs there be good ground 
for fufpicion. But how can grounds of 
fufpicion arife in the mind of the captain 
of the belligerent fhip, unlefs he receives 
private intelligence from his own Govern- 
ment ? But if his fufpicions lead him to 
‘detain any fhip, and if it fhall be proved 
that it has been detained without juft and 
fufficient caufe, ‘* the commander of the 
fhip or fhips of war of the Belligeren, 
Powers fhall not only be bound to mak 
to the owners of the fhip,and of the cargo 
# full and complete compenfation for al} 
State of Public Affairs in September, 1801. 
251 
the loffes, expences, damages, and cofts, 
occafioned by fucha detention; burt hall 
further be liable to an ulterior punifhment 
for every at of violence, or other fault, 
which he may have committed, according 
as the nature of the cafe may require.” 
The fecond great point gained by Ruf- 
fia, is the diminution of the number of 
articlesedeemed contraband in war. In 
the articles enumerated as contraband, 
our readers will find not one which Ruf- 
fia exports, or which Ruffia, Sweden, or 
Denmark, produce. Iron, copper, tim- 
ber, hemp, pitch, tar, fail-cloth, are not 
deemed contraband ; though moft, if not 
all, of thofe articles were formerly con- 
fidered as fuch. 
It appears therefore to us, that Ruffia 
has obtained not only al] that the late 
Emprefs contended for in her declaration 
tothe Courts of London, Verfailles, and 
Madrid, in 1780, but feveral additional 
points of confiderable importance. 
The commerce of Ruffia appears now ta 
have recovered its former fplendour. The 
exportation from the city of Riga only, 
down to the end of July, amounted to 
6,770,638 roubles; and England alone 
has had from that city Rutfian produce 
tions to the value of 2,509,853 roubles. 
EGYPT. | 
Authentic intelligence was fome time 
fince received from General Hutchinfon, 
dated at the Camp before Gizeh, June 21, 
by which we learned, that that General 
meant to ereét batteries in the courfle of 
twenty-four hours, at Gizeh, which was 
on the oppofite fide of the river to Cairo. 
He fays the place is weak, but it co- 
vers a bridge of communication which 
the French have over the Nile, and it is 
therefore effential to have it in their poffef- 
fion; then the General meant to crofs the 
river, and join the army of the Grand 
Vizier, who was encamped near Cairo; it 
was his intention then to beiiege that place, 
which was garrifoned by 4 or 5000 French; 
their works were very extended, and 
would require a much greater number of 
men to defend them. Great delays were 
occafioned in*that operation, from the low 
ftate of the river, and from the bar of the 
Nile at Rofetta, which was trequenily 
impaflable for ten days together, to that 
the march of his men had been much re- 
tarded. The difficuity of procuring pro- 
vifions for the army, and the obftacles 
which he encountered in bringing the 
heavy artillery up theriver, he reprefenis 
to have been very great. 
The General nas, however, 
ligence fince, from the fame caz 
Kk2 
fen! Dnt of 
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