It therefore behoves every man who values his country to exclaim against any measure that will produce such further relaxations of the former system. The evidence recently adduced in opposition to the late energetic measures of government, proves the truth of these observations, and a reference to the examination of Mr.Rathbone of Liverpool on the orders in council bill will show how ruinous the new system has been to the British shipping interest. It is to Great Britain that America owes her present prosperity, and from no other country will she ever receive the same advantages, for, as it has been before stated, we furnish her with a capital and protect her with our navy. The object of these remarks is to prove, that the balance of trade between Great Britain and the United States is very little in favour of the former, and that the trade of America with the continent of Europe is not advantageous to this country: indeed it may with propriety be said, and which experience proves, that since the United States began to extend their shipping and commerce, and especially during the last six years, they have paid this country worse for the manufactures and other articles we have exported there; and for the truth of this assertion an appeal may confidently be made to the persons concerned in this trade. It must be obvious to every person conversant in commerce, that America carries on half her trade with British capital, and which she does on speculative voyages, the time and returns whereof being uncertain, the creditors in Great Britain must remain unpaid for a very considerable period beyond the usual credit; and therefore all the advantages arising from that trade are with America only, in as much as the enormous increase of her shipping tends to swallow up the British capital, and enables them to derive those profits from it, which the regular return of that capital, in her legitimate trade as formerly carried on, gave to the exporters from Great Britain. Previous to dismissing this part of the subject, it may be useful to notice the reproach which has been thrown, even by an advocate of America + on the British government, for some of the indulgences which have been so improvidently * See printed Minutes of Evidence, p. 78. in its confined meaning, in any opinion he may publish, must also suppose the absence of common sense quanton L'on ne vaut dans ce monde que ce que l'ont veut valoir, biondest It is also observed, if a few years must determine the fate of this country, and it can hardly be supposed that merchants, "naturally more interested in preserving than in acquiring, "should be occupied with collecting a few paltry profits from "their trade, at the expence of their dearest interest. It would be the folly of a man expecting to get rich by the plunder of his own wreck. Improbable as this supposition may appear, how often does it happen, that when the vessel is in extreme distress, the infatuated crew, instead of uniting in exertion for their general preservation, become insubordinate and regardless of each other's safety, commit excesses, and whilst intoxicated meet their fate, and Luta" Give themselves o'er contentedly to drown the -Such, it is to be lamented, has often been the conduct of misguided individuals, who, rather than forego the gra tification of their ambition or the furtherance of their own views, have impeded the measures of protection and defence adopted by the state, and suffered the transient feelings of the moment to outweigh more important considerations; regardless of the permanent interests of their country, and the love they ought to have felt for the general welfare. "Our wisdom must be such, as doth not propose "to itself our own particular, the partial and immoderate de"sire whereof poisoneth wheresoever it taketh place; but "the scope and mark, which we are to aim at, is the public "and common good." નવી હા polg In the passage, particularly referred to, it is stated, "a candid consideration of the history of this trade, can leave no doubt on what side the encroachments so much talked of began; instead of imputing the complaints of the Ame ricans to their desire of availing themselves of OUR dangers for the ungenerous purpose of advancing extravagant pretensions; WE should rather ACCUSE OURSELVES of taking advantage of the unprotected state of her commerce to Mr. Baring's Introduction, p. 4. † Bank's Island Queens. Hooker. 5 Mr. Baring's Examination, p. 97, harass it by a systematic course of the most arbitrary inconsistency!!?? Again, the respect which is shewn to other classes of the community, is not greater than that borne to the Shipping Interest, and the expressions applied to the exertions of the West-India merchants*, to relieve the depressed state of the planters, as well as to other great commercial bodiest, evince such an antipathy to every thing not immediately connected with American interest, that it must produce on the public mind the correct conclusion, that every sacrifice, consistent with national honor, has been made by Great Britain to America, and convince them more strongly. of the baneful effect of "the system of concession," which has been so justly and universally reprobated by every true Engdishman; whilst the greatest caution and delicacy is observed towards the United States, and not to wound the feelings of the great body of merchants in America, who, honest souls! so little "deserve the unjust insinuations in which writers on this subject have so illiberally indulged ‡.' 22 The importance of this subject will, it is trusted, excuse the length of this digression, which may, with some propriety, be concluded in the words of this writer, that, "it is to be hoped no minister will be withheld, by political cowardice, from administering equitably and impartially, between the different commercial interests of the country; and that where the encouragement of our shipping requires restriction and monopolies, which I by no means deny, that their efficacy and utility will be thoroughly investigated." The other British settlements near to the King's colonies in North-America, are Cape Breton, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland. CAPE BRETON is separated from Nova Scotia by a narrow Саре strait, called the Gut of Canso, which is the communication Breton, between the Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence; it was ceded to Great Britain in 1763, and erected in 1784 into á separate government: there is a great proportion of arable land in this island, which abounds in timber and hard wood, such as pine, beech, birch, maple, spruce, and fir. The island may be considered as the key to Canada, and the 9 Mr. Baring's Examination, p. 121. # Ibul. p. 56. + Ibid. p. 168. § Ibid. 171. Prince island. very valuable fisheries in its neighbourhood depend for their protection on the possession of it; as no nation can carry them on without some convenient harbour of strength to supply and protect them, and Louisburgh is the principal one for those purposes. Great advantages are now derived from the coal mines in this island, which are situated near the entrance of the harbour, the works of which, and the fisheries constitute the chief employment of the inhabitants, but without trading at present directly to the British West India islands both Cape Breton and Prince Edward's Island serve to encrease the exports of Nova Scotia; they likewise supply Newfoundland with cattle, and with proper encouragement, would rival some of the more opulent colonies in articles of agriculture. PRINCE EDWARD'S ISLAND is situated in the gulph of St. Edward's Lawrence near the northern coast of Nova Scotia, and was formerly called St. John's, but which was changed in 1799 in compliment to his Royal Highness the DUKE of Kent. This island abounds with timber of various kinds, beech, birch, particularly the black birch, (betula nigra.) It is the largest of the deciduous trees, and is common throughout the island; it is much used in the northern States of America, for ship-building; it is nearly of the colour of light mahogany, and takes as good a polish.-A few cargoes of this kind of timber have recently been exported from the island to Li verpool and other ports in the North of England, and also to Scotland and Ireland where it is much approved; several attempts have lately been made to introduce it into the London market, but the timber merchants appear to be against it, and they have too much the command of the trade to render it practicable to introduce a new article without their concurrence, unless it is encouraged by bounties, or otherwise promoted by government. This wood is admirably adapted for stocking fire arms, and is nearly, if not quite equal to walnut-tree, (which is used for that purpose) and can be supplied at one third the usual cost of that article* The other kinds of timber are, alder, maple of different species, namely, the white, red, and the rock or curled maple, (acer saccharinum). The latter is highly beautiful, is close grained, and susceptible of high polish; that which is called *See An Account of Prince Edward's Island, by John Stewart, esq also Lord Selkirk on Emigration. |