At the COURT at the Queen's Palace,

the 6th of June 1804; Prefent,

The KING's Moft Excellent MAJESTY in Council.

in an

HEREAS in pursuance of the Powers vefted in His Majefty by an Act, paffed in the 42d year of His Majefty's reign, intituled, "An Act for "enabling His Majefty to permit the Importation and Exportation of certain "Goods and Commodities into and from the Port of Road Harbour in the Island "of Tortola, until the rft day of July 1803, and from thence until fix Weeks after "the commencement of the then next Seffion of Parliament," His Majefty was pleafed, by His Order in Council bearing date the 16th day of August 1802, to permit, and did thereby permit, during the time limited by the faid Act, the Importation into the faid Port of Road Harbour, in the Ifland of Tortola, one of the Virgin Islands, from Countries and Plantations in America and the Weft Indies, belonging to or under the dominion of any Foreign European Sovereign or State, of all fuch Articles, Goods, and Commodities enumerated in certain Acts, paffed in the 27th, 32d, and 33d years of His Majefty's reign, as are permitted by the faid Acts to be imported into the Port of Naffau in the Ifland of New Providence, one of the Bahama Iflands, and alfo the Exportation thereof from the faid Port of Road Harbour in the Ifland of Tortola aforefaid, in the fame manner, and fubject to the fame Duties, Rules, Regulations, Conditions, and Restrictions, and to the fame Penalties and Forfeitures for the breach thereof, as are provided in the faid Acts, or any of them, refpecting fuch Importation into the faid Port of Naffau, in the Inland of New Providence, and the Exportation from thence to this Kingdom, and fubject alfo to the Conditions, Rules, and Regulations thereinafter mentioned; that is to fay, That before any Sugar or Coffee, the produce of Tortola and its Dependencies, fhall be permitted, or fuffered to be shipped or laden on board any Ship or Veffel, each and every Package fhall be ftamped or marked by the proper Officer of the Cuftoms, in Roman letters, of not lefs than two inches in length, with the words BRITISH PN.

That all Sugar and Coffee, not being the produce of any of the British Plantations, Ilands, or Territories, fhall, upon importation into Road Harbour, be laid on land and examined, and shall be depofited in fafe and fecure Warehouses, under the joint locks of His Majefty and the Owner or Proprietor of fuch Sugar and Coffee, and the fame fhall not be afterwards fhipped and laden on board any Ship or Veffel unless directly from fuch Warehoufes (upon due Entry thereof being first made) under the care and infpection of the proper Officer of the Cuftoms; and before any fuch Sugar or Coffee fhall be permitted, or fuffered to be shipped or laden on board any Ship or Veffel, each and every Package fhall be ftamped or marked by the proper Officer of the Cuftoms, in Roman letters of not less than two inches in length, with the word FOREIGN, and fhall alfo be numbered progreffively:-AND whereas the faid above-recited Act, paffed in the 42d year of His Majefty's reign, has been by another Act, paffed in the laft Seffion of Parliament, continued until the 25th day of March 1808, His Majefty is thereupon pleafed, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to permit, and doth by this His Order in Council permit, until further Order, the Importation into the faid Port of Road Harbour in the Ifland of Tortola, one of the Virgin Islands, from Countries and Plantations in America and the West Indies, belonging to or under the dominion of any Foreign European Sovereign or State, of all fuch Articles, Goods, and Commodities, as were by His Majefty's faid Order in Council bearing date the 16th day of Auguft 1802, permitted to be fo imported into the faid Port of Road Harbour, and alfo the Exportation thereof from the faid Port of Road Harbour, in the Ifland of Tortola, fubject to the fame Duties, Rules, Regulations, Conditions, and Restrictions, and to the fame Penalties and Forfeitures for the breach thereof, as were expreffed and contained in His Majefty's faid Order in Council bearing date the 16th day of Auguft 1802.

And the Right honourable the Lords Commiffioners of His Majefty's Treasury, and the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, are to give the neceffary Directions herein as to them may reípectively appertain.

(A true Copy.)

Inspector General's Office, Cuftom-Houle, London, 17th March 1806.

(Signed)

W. FAWKENER.

RELATING TO

PAPERS.

PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

RELATING TO

TRADE AND FOREIGN PLANTATIONS.

(Remiffion of the DUTY on Foreign Linens.)

Ordered to be printed 9th June 1806.

Lift of PAPERS, in purfuance of an Order of The Honourable

the Houfe of Commons, dated 30th of May 1806.

(1.)-COPY of a MINUTE, dated 24th June 1805, of the Lords of the Committee of Council appointed for the Confideration of all Matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations, on an Application for a Remiffion of the Duty on Foreign Linens exported to the Free Ports in the Weft India Islands pa. 3. (2.)-LETTER of 24th June 1805, tranfmitting the faid Minute to the Secretary of the Treasury

P. 4.

(3.)-REPORT of the Right Honourable the Lords of His Majefty's moft Honourable Privy Council for Plantation Affairs, dated 31ft May 1794, refpecting the intercourfe between His Majefty's West India Islands, and the United States of America

ibid.

[3]

(1.)

Copy of a MINUTE, dated 24th June 1805, of the Lords of the Committee of Council appointed for the Confideration of all Matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations, on an Application for at Remiffion of the Duty on Foreign Linens exported to the Free Ports in the West India Islands.

At The COUNCIL CHAMBER, Whitehall,
the 24th of June 1805.

By the Right Honourable The Lords of the Committee of Council appointed for the Confideration of all Matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations.

RESUMED the confideration of the Memorial of the Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures of the city of Glafgow (received from Boyd Alexander, Efquire, Member for that place) ftating, that in confequence of the very heavy duties now impofed on Foreign white, chequered, and ftriped Linens when imported into this country for re-exportation to the British Free Ports in the Weft Indies, their trade with the Spaniards from thofe Ports is not only greatly injured, but will, in all probability, be foon transferred into the hands of Foreigners altogether -And praying a remiffion of the Duties impofed on the above-mentioned Articles when fo imported.

Read Report of the Commiffioners of the Customs in Scotland on the faid Memorial.

Refumed alfo the confideration of the Petition of the Merchants of Glasgow on the fame fubject.

Read a further reprefentation of the Merchants of Glasgow and others, trading to the West India Free Ports, and of the Agents for thofe Free Ports, ftating, amongst other things, an Account of the quantity of Linens, British, Irish, and German, exported to the faid Free Ports from 1798 to 1804, both years inclufive; and alfo, an Account of the Quantity of Linen Cloth, and the value thereof, ftamped for fale in Scotland, in the years 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804. And likewife, a State of the Irish Export of Linen on a feven years average, ending with 1798, and alfo in the years 1802, 1803, and 1804.

The Committee having had occafion lately, when the policy of the Free Port Acts was under deliberation, to enter very fully into the confideration of the importance to this Country of encouraging the Trade with the Spanish Colonies, are of opinion, That in the cafe now before them, the benefit to the Revenue arifing from the amount of the duty retained on Foreign plain, ftriped, and chequered Linen, is not an object of fufficient confequence to be put in competition with the danger of lofing a part of fuch a Trade, by breaking in upon the affortment of Cargoes for it; in the making up of which, Foreign Linens appear to be indifpenfably neceffary, in order to the carrying it on fuccefsfully; the Committee are therefore of opinion, that it would be expedient to fubmit to the confideration of Parliament to allow the Drawbacks on German and Ruffian, ftriped in colours, or coloured chequered Linens, to the extent to which they ftood under the 27th Geo. III. ch. 13. leaving the Drawbacks, as at prefent, on the other Foreign Linen; but the Lords cannot recommend any alteration in the Drawbacks on loured Foreign Linens, except fuch German Linens as may be chequered or ftriped, the Thread or Yarn of which the fame fhall be made being coloured, stained, or dyed, before the manufacture: and, in the event of the Lords Commiffioners of the Treafury concurring in opinion with this Committee on the fubject, the Committee are further of opinion, that it may be expedient for the Lords Commiffioners of the Treafury to refer it to the Commiffioners of the Customs to make Tables of the portion of Duties to be retained, conformably to the above-mentioned fuggeftion.

206.

Copy