A ■ • 
 
 State of the Trade 
 
 Carried on with the 
 
 f‘k E N C H, 
 
 On the Ifland of Hi s pan i o la, 
 By the Merchants in North America, 
 Under Colour of F L A G S of TRUCK' 
 
 Occafioned by feme Captures of the faid Flags, 
 lately made by His Majefty’s Ships, under the Com¬ 
 mand of Admiral COTES. 
 
 By a MERCHANT of London. 
 
 §iieis paria rjfe fere placu:! peccata, lahrcmt 
 ®uitm ver.tum ad vermi eft. 
 
 Hor. 
 
 L 0 N D 0 pj : 
 
 Printed for \V. Owex, at Hon 
 to be had at the Pamphlet 
 Excbxwe. 1760. 
 
 '■'.•■Head, temple-Bar, and' 
 Shops, under the Royal- 
 
 [Pxire Six-Perce'J 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 A 
 
 State of the Trade 
 
 Carried on by the 
 
 FRENCH, 
 
 On the Ifland of Hispaniola, &c. 
 
 I N a nation like this, whofe wealth, fplen- 
 dor, and power, intirely depend on its 
 commerce being properly fupported and 
 encouraged, no attempt ought to be made, to 
 put a flop to it, unlefs on the moft mature 
 confideration, and the moft exadt fcrutiny, 
 it fhould appear to- be manifeftly injurious to 
 the public. And altho’ fuch a difquifition is 
 often attended with great difficulties (as in the 
 cafe of the Eaji India company’s trade, where, 
 in order to form a proper judgment of its 
 utility or inconvenience, you muft not only 
 have an eye to the money and other commo¬ 
 dities that are primarily exported from hence, 
 B and 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 and to the returns made for the fame imme¬ 
 diately from the Indies ; but alfo confider to . 
 what places the goods fo imported are again 
 fent, and what returns are made for them; 
 and fo on almoft ad infinitum) yet that is not 
 the cafe in any commerce, where the adven¬ 
 ture is finally concluded in the courfe of a 
 few months, and a ballance ftruck, by which 
 it may be eafily feen what quantity of cafti is 
 brought into the kingdom, more than is ex¬ 
 ported ; that being the fure criterion, by which 
 we may judge with truth and precifion of the 
 advantage, or difadvantage, of any particular 
 branch. But it is fo common for people to 
 judge by appearances only, without having 
 the means of information in their power, 
 or leifure or attention fuffkient to enable them 
 to gain a competent knowledge of the cir- 
 cumftances which are neceflary to be known, 
 in' order to form a juft opinion of the fads 
 they either cenfure or applaud; and felf-inte- 
 reft, and popular prejudices are fo apt to biafs 
 and miflead the greater part of mankind, that 
 I am not furprized at hearing many exprefs 
 their wifhes, “ that the flags of truce, which 
 “ have lately been taken in the Wejl Indies, by 
 “ fome of his majefty’s (hips, under the com- 
 “ mand of admiral Cotes, returning from Hif- 
 “ paniola to North America, laden with fugars 
 “ and 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 “ and other valuable commodities, purchafed 
 of the French, maybe condemned as prizes' 
 •“ to the captors“ to prevent,” fay they, 
 “ for the future, the iniquitous trade carried on 
 “ by our colonifts, to the prejudice of their 
 “ mother-country.” If that aflertion be true, 
 if the trade thus carried on by the .merchants, 
 in North America be found prejudicial and in¬ 
 jurious to the nation, may their wifhes be gra¬ 
 tified : But if,. on the contrary, it (hall appear 
 to be of the greateft benefit to the kingdom,', 
 and the main fource from whence we have; 
 been enabled to fupport the extraordinary de¬ 
 mands for cadi, that have been made upon us 
 in order to enable his majefty to cany on the, 
 prefentjuft and neceffary, but mod: expenfive 
 war, how much does it deferve encourage¬ 
 ment ? and how much is the public injured 
 by the commanders of fuch of.his majefty’s 
 (hips of war, as are employed in taking flags. 
 of trace, and enriching themfelves at the ex-' 
 pence, of their fellow citizens, and the com¬ 
 monweal ? inftep^.of ufing the power they are 
 intruded with, for the protection of the trade, 
 and commerce of his majefty’s fubjedts a- 
 gainft the enemy, whofe privateers are little 
 worth looking after, when their value is com¬ 
 pared with that of a cargo of fugar and in- 
 dico. In order that the public may judge 
 B 2 whether 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 whether the commerce abovementioned be 
 pernicious or beneficial, I (hall, with the ut- 
 mod impartiality, and the drifted regard to 
 truth, give an account of the method in 
 which it has been carried on; and ader (hew¬ 
 ing, as briefly as poflible, fome of the benefits 
 the nation has reaped by it, endeavour to ob¬ 
 viate the only objeftions I have ever heard 
 made thereto. 
 
 During the prefent war, many Englijl: 
 (hips have been made prize of by the enemy 
 in the Well'Indies, and many of the enemy’s 
 (hips have been taken by the privateers of 
 New Fork, Philadelphia, Bo/lon, and other our 
 colonies in North America, and the crews im- 
 prifoned; but as they were fo difperfed over 
 the whole continent, that a: confiderable num¬ 
 ber could not eafily be collefted together at any 
 one place, fo they mud have languiflied in 
 prilon in North America, while the crews of 
 ourveffels, which were taken by the enemy, 
 were dying in the goals of the French 
 iflands; where, from the exteflive heat of the 
 climate, clofe confinement ignore infupport- 
 able than elfewhere j or the government mud 
 have been put to a very confiderable expence, 
 in having them exchanged. But private mer¬ 
 chants were informed, that if they could oh- 
 • ~ fain 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 tain flags of truce from time to time, to car¬ 
 ry the French prifoners to the ifland of Hifpa- 
 niola, they fliould not only have an equal num¬ 
 ber in exchange, but moreover (hould be al¬ 
 lowed a liberty of trading for the commodities 
 of the country; which, as the French could 
 not fend to France themfelves, on account of 
 the prodigious infurance they are obliged to 
 pay on their veffels bound to Europe, were of 
 little or no value to them, and might be pur- 
 chafed at a moft reafonable rate. Upon this 
 confideration, a number of gentlemen engaged 
 to carry l'uch prifoners to the ports of Leoganne , 
 Cape Francois, Port au Prince, and other French 
 ports in Hifpaniola, and bring back an equal 
 number in return, without any expence to 
 die government. Accordingly flags of truce, 
 have been granted by the governors of the fe- 
 veral provinces in North America to a great 
 number of veffels, which have proceeded on 
 their refpeftive voyages, loaded with fuch 
 goods as they thought moft proper to pur- 
 chafe their cargoes of fugars and indico at their 
 ports of deftination in the abovementioned 
 ifland of Hifpaniola . The commodities car¬ 
 ried from the continent for the above purpofe, 
 chiefly confifted of printed linnens and cot¬ 
 tons of Englijh manufacture, Irijh linnens, 
 woollen cloths, printed callicoes, Ihoes, ftock- 
 . ings. 
 
( 10 ) 
 
 ings, fpices, French prize wines, and Spa- 
 tiijh piftoles, reduced to the weight of 3 dwts. 
 12 gra. which pafs in Hifpaniola for 30 livres. 
 Thefe commodities yield from 50 to 10 0 per , 
 cent, profits and with the produce thereof 
 have thofe veflels procured their .cargoes of 
 fugars, which have been purchafed from 5 to 
 10 livres per hundred weight; fo that, fuppo- 
 finga cargo, with which one of thefe veffels 
 was loaded at Philadelphia, New-Tork, or 
 elfewhere in North America , to be worth 
 1000/. fterling, and to fell at 50 per cent. 
 profit, it is worth, at Port au Prince , or any 
 other French port in Hifpaniola , more than' 
 60,000 livres. This lum, at 10 livres per 
 cent, for MuJcovado fugar, will purchafe 600 
 hogfheads of that commodity of one thoufand 
 weight each, which are fent to Holland, and 
 fold at the rate of, from 40 s. to 50 s. fieri. 
 per hundred weight; or one hoglhead with 
 another for about 251. and the produce re¬ 
 mitted to England, and there laid out in Ehglijh 
 goods, to be exported for North America; fo 
 fhat for about 3I. 5s. fieri, the nation re-' 
 ceives the fum of 25/. fieri, or near hooper 
 ■ cent. befides the advantage the nation receives, 
 by employing fo many fhips and mariners un- 
 molefted by the enemy. It is faid, that on a 
 moderate computation; not fo little as4bo,ooo/. 
 fterling’s worth of commodities of Britifi ma¬ 
 nufacture, 
 
( II ) 
 
 nufadture, or the produce of our colonies, 
 have, during this war, been thus fent.to the 
 French iflands from North America-, which 
 muft bring back into this kingdom, the enor¬ 
 mous profit of 3,200,000 /. That the fadt 
 here reprefented is true, any gentleman may 
 fatisfy himfelf, by enquiry of the merchants, 
 who trade to New-Terk, or Philadelphia, who 
 can neither be ignorant of the channel, thro’ 
 which their remittances come, nor of the extra¬ 
 ordinary call that hath been made for goods of 
 Englijh manufadture, for thofe markets; in- 
 fomuch, that all the manufadturers find it 
 out of their power to fupply the demand; from 
 which it is extremely evident, what prodigious 
 advantage refults to this kingdom from this 
 commerce. In fhort, we may with truth af¬ 
 firm, that Jiijpaniola, thus circumftanced, is 
 equally valuable to the Britijh nation, jn the 
 hands of the French, with any of our own 
 iflands, and much more fo than Guadaloupe ; 
 the conqueft of which (tho’glorious) coft no 
 finall quantity both of blood and treafure. 
 Thefe advantages muft neceflarily be loft, if 
 the veffels abovementioned, which now are, 
 or hereafter {hall be taken, be condemned; 
 and the trade will be intirely put a flop to. 
 
 Zeal,. 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 Zeal, not according to knowledge, in fome, 
 and lelf-interefl: in others, have been the occa- 
 iion that this trade hath been deemed perni¬ 
 cious and prejudicial. But let us examine their 
 objections with impartiality and candor, and 
 give them no more than their due weight 3 
 and it will be clearly feen which fcale will pre¬ 
 ponderate. The objections I have heard are 
 thefe, viz. That under pretence of carrying 
 other goods, the flags carry provilions and 
 warlike ftorcs to the enemy—That by bring¬ 
 ing fuch quantities of French fugar into Eu¬ 
 rope, from the French iflands, we injure our 
 own — And laftly, that unlefs the French 
 were fupplied by us, they could not carry 
 on their fugar-works, but mull entirely 
 abandon them, or perhaps would furren- 
 der themfelves up, and feek protection from 
 this nation. 
 
 In anfwer to the firftobjeCtion, nothing more- 
 need be laid, than to deny the faCt; which, 
 I believe, might with juftice be done; as few, 
 if any veflels, carry provilions; and none, that 
 I ever heard of, have carried warlike llores. 
 That the French in Hifpaniola have been fup¬ 
 plied with fome provifions from the moll: 
 northern of the American colonies, and the 
 ifland 
 
C *3 ) 
 
 iflarid of Jamaica *, but not by the flags of 
 truce, is true; for if I am rightly informed, 
 the French do not infift on a velfel’s having a 
 flag that brings them provifions, but they are 
 prote&ed and countenanced without. Severe 
 laws have been made to prevent the colonies 
 from carrying provifions to the French , or even, 
 to neutral powers, as it hath been deemed by 
 the legiflature a pernicious trade; and by, thofe 
 laws, perfons carrying it on are liable to pu-, 
 niftiment.. But whether it might not be more 
 politic, to permit the French and neutral 
 iflands to be fupplied with provifions from 
 North America, rather than prohibit it, may 
 be worth the confideration of the legifla- 
 ture, from this obfervation, viz. that from the 
 illahd of Hifpaniola, where they have of late 
 been byfome means or another fupplied with 
 provifions, few or no privateers have been fit¬ 
 ted out, to annoy or diftrefs our commerce; 
 
 C whereas. 
 
 * A trade with Hifpaniola hath been conftantly carried 
 oh this war by flags of truce from Jamaica, but the re-: 
 turns have been chiefly made in indigo; whether the 
 gentlemen in Jamaica have influence enough with the 
 commanders of his majefty’s {hips to caufe them to wink 
 at it; or whether a more interefting motive hath been 
 the reafon thofe {hips have not {hared the fame fate with 
 thofe of North America , I am not able to determine; but ’ 
 few, if any, have been taken. 
 
f H ) 
 
 whereas, from'fhe ifland of Martinice, where 
 they are not fuppiied by the fame means, they 
 have equipped fo many privateers, as to injure 
 our trade to the Leeward 1 /lands in the moft 
 eflential manner; and have taken fo many vef- 
 fels laden with bread and flour from North 
 America tO-our 'Weft India iflands, the-only 
 places they have the liberty of fhipping to, 
 that thofe commodities, during the courfe of 
 the War, have been cheaper in Martinico 
 than at the places of their growth. Add to 
 this, that Monto Chrifti, a Spanijh port, front 
 whence the French part of the ifland of 
 Hifpaniola may be eafily fuppiied with all kind 
 of provifions and neceflaries, is open both to 
 Spanifi and other European veflels, who may 
 always fupply the French by that channel with 
 whatever fcnecefiary for them, without a poffi- 
 bility of our preventing it any other way, than 
 by coming to a rupture with Spain (the pro¬ 
 priety of which meafure is what I am not a 
 judge of) and I believe it is from thence that 
 . tins French hayebeen fuppiied this war. But 
 not to infill: on this at all, if any flags are taken ‘ 
 with provifions, the captain and freighters will 
 doubtlefs incur the penalty of the late aft of 
 . parliament; die feverity of which will furely 
 prevent liich a trade, if it is put in force. But 
 - ought 
 
( i5 ) 
 
 ■ought that to be a reafon for condemning thole 
 who do not carry on fuch a trade ? _ 
 
 ' ■ The next objedion is, that the bringing fo 
 much fugar from the French iilands hurts 
 our own. 
 
 The annual importation of fugar from 
 all our iflands, on an average, amounts to 1 no 
 more than 64344 hoglheads; and the annual 
 confumption in Great Britain only, to 58773 
 hoglheads, calculating each hogfhead to weigh 
 14 hundred weight. Ireland confumes 15000 
 hoglheads at leaft; mANorth America as much; 
 fo that we confume ourfelves annually upwards 
 of 24000 hoglheads more than our own iflands 
 will fupply *. In order to make good which 
 C 2 de- 
 
 * An account of the quantity of raw fugar imported 
 from Cbrijbm 1745 to Cbri/lmas 1755, diftinguilhing 
 each year. 
 
 To Chnjlma 
 
 1746— 
 *747 — 
 1748- 
 
 75jM49 1 
 
 981,449 
 933,296 : 
 914,044 
 
 825,947 
 
 -.837,083 1 
 •i.h-7,939 
 
 .369 
 
 >'77>3 6 9 
 
deficiency, recourfe muft be had to foreign 
 markets; and in fail, Ireland is fuppliedwith 
 Brazil fugars from Lijbon, and North America 
 from th ^French iflands, even in time of peace-)-. 
 
 So 
 
 An Account of the quantity of raw fugar exported from 
 Chrijlmas 1745 to Chrlftmas 1755, diftinguiflftng 
 each year. 
 
 Cwt. qr. lb. 
 
 To Chrijlmas 1746- 93,244 0 22 
 
 17+7- 51.885 1 1 
 
 ly4 8-115,727 1 n 
 
 1749 -'128,107 2 6 
 
 1750 -107,964 o 22 
 
 i 7S ,-. 43,769 3 6 . 
 
 1752 - 35,712 2 16 
 
 1753 - 55.687 2 6 
 
 J754- 42,3i8 2 17 
 
 1755—■—* I05>030 o • 2 4 
 
 779.947. 1 *9 
 
 The acquisition of Guadaloupe, and the quantity of 
 French prize fugars fraudulently imported, as of the 
 growth of that ifland, or repacked and imported as the 
 produce of our own iflands, rendered it abfolutely impof- 
 fible to know with any degree of certainty the quantity 
 imported of the growth cf our own iflands fince the war; 
 which are the reafons why the above account is not conti¬ 
 nued to this prefent time. 
 
 11 would not be underftood to mean, that neither /re- 
 land nor North America are fupplied with any from North 
 America -,, but I believe, if we allow that the half of their 
 
( I 7 ) 
 
 So that we are In reality no otherwife benefit¬ 
 ed by the exports from our fugar colonies, 
 than as they keep the calh among ourfelves, 
 which muft otherwife be lent abroad for the 
 purchafe of foreign fugars, but do not add a 
 penny more to the common flock. ’Tis true, 
 indeed, the gentlemen who have large eftates 
 in our Weft India iflands, may fay, we Ihould 
 get a great deal more money for our fugars, 
 provided no French fugars were to come into 
 Europe, which is undoubtedly true ; but from 
 whom would they receive this additional pro¬ 
 fit ? would it not be from the fubjefts of Great 
 Britain, who, as is before obferved, ufe more 
 than all our iflands can produce ? and fuppo- 
 fing the EngHJh did not bring the French fugars 
 into Europe , would it from thence follow, that 
 the French fugars would not come to market 
 af all ? .Would notithe Spaniards, the Danes, 
 the Dutch, and other nations, who now only 
 lhare with us in this branch, have it all to 
 tfiemfelves; and as effedtually keep the price 
 down in foreign markets, as at prefent ? fo that 
 Great' t [Britain alone would pay advanced prices 
 on fugars, to the benefit of the planters and 
 gen- 
 
 confiimption is fupplied from our iflands, it is more than 
 we ought to do, especially, if we confider, that of the 
 trifling quantity exported from hence, much-the grcateft 
 part is fent to Ireland. 
 
( i8 ) 
 
 gentlemen who have eftates in our iflands; 
 the, profits of which, at the prefent prices their 
 produce fells for, are vaftly large, compared 
 to' thofe of any landed eftates in Great Bri¬ 
 tain. If the fadt is as above reprefented, furely 
 the private, emolument of a few particular 
 gentlemen in our Wejl India iflands, will not 
 be a fufficient reafon for putting a. flop to a 
 branch of commerce, by which the nation ia 
 fo confiderably. benefited. Indeed, if the 
 produce of our iflands, or if the fugars made 
 in our iflands were fo reduced in price, by the' 
 quantity of French fugars brought to market in 
 Europe,, that the iflanders could not receive a 
 profit fufficient to enable them to carry on their 
 works, they would have reafon to complain, 
 and their objection would have great weight. - 
 But is either of thefe the cafe ? will any one 
 be hardy enough to aflert it ? It is well known, 
 that in. the firft inftance they do not in all the . 
 iflands produce fufficient for our own con-- 
 fumption; and let the opulence, riches, and 
 I: had almoft faid, undue influence of the 
 Wejl Indians, anfwer the other. 
 
 -But, fay the gentlemen who are very fan- 
 guine in their endeavours to put a flop to the 1 
 North . Americans, trading with the Enemy, 
 
 “ If. we were to prevent the French in Hif- 
 
■( 19 ) 
 
 “ paniola from being fupplied with provi- 
 “ fions, cloathing, and other neceflaries of life 
 from thence, they would not be. able to 
 “ carry on their fugar-works in that ifland, 
 
 “ and mull of conference be abfolutely. 
 
 “ ruined j or perhaps, to prevent that, would . 
 
 “ furrender themfelves to his majeftys forces,. 
 
 “ and put themfelves under the protection of 
 “ the Britijh government.” But furely this 
 notion is too chimerical to be entertained by >. 
 any but thofe of heated imaginations. As. 
 
 I have before obferv’d, if we did not fupply." 
 them, would it follow from thence that no.; 
 body elfe would ? Would the Spaniards ,1 
 Dutch, Danes, and Swedes, let flip fo favoura¬ 
 ble an opportunity of inriching themfelves ? • 
 How does Martinico fupport itlelf.? Happily, 
 for the Dutch we carry; on no trade there.. 
 However we will for a moment . fuppofe; 
 (though without, granting it) that unlefs the' 
 French■ were fupplied with neceflaries from-: 
 America they would.be obliged to abandon. ' 
 their plantations in Hifpaniola-, how would', 
 this nation be benefited? Would our trade-- 
 be more extenfive? Would more of our 
 fhips be employed ? Would the confumption 
 of our manufactures be more, confiderable ? 
 or Ihould we, on a balance of the account of 
 profit and lofs, find' that the nation gained 
 money 
 
money fey this diftrels of our enemies ? Or 
 would they be thereby lefs enabled to conti¬ 
 nue the war ? Rather would not the contrary' 
 of all thefe happen, and this nation be de-' 
 prived of thbfe fums of money which have 
 in a great meafure fupplied us with the 
 means of paying thofe • fubfcriptions which 
 were fo readily made, to enable his majefty to 
 profecute with vigour and effed this juft and' 
 neceffary war 1 And I am well affured, that' 
 if our planters in the Weft-Indies are afked, : 
 Whether,, out of ip livres per C. for fugars, 
 any thing can be faved (over and above what 
 is fuflicient to fupport and cloath the negroes ■ 
 of their plantations) to anfwer the calls of 
 government, or any other emergencies; they ’ 
 will anfwer in the negative. And indeed, 
 if we. may .judge of the benefit that would 
 accrue;'to us from the abfolute acquifition of • 
 the-whole ifland, from'-the advantage we have 
 received by the poffeflion of Guadeloupe, we 
 have no reafon to wifh the French would • 
 furrender it, unlefs we are to keep it after the • 
 peacef -Will not the-con dud of the inhabi¬ 
 tants of Hifpdniola be the fame, after tire 
 furrender of itj as that of the inhabitants of ; 
 Guadaloupe hath been ? Should we not then • 
 find- the abfolute poffeflion of the whole ’ 
 ifland • much' lefs- advantageous. to us; than 1 
 
having the produce of-it on fo cheap terms 
 as abovemention’d * ? But it is combating the 
 air to. argue againft fads which can fcarce 
 pofltbly happen. I fliall therefore fay no 
 more on this fubjed, but leave my readers to 
 reflea, whether there is the leaft ground to 
 exped the French can be drove to fuch ftraits 
 as to deliver fo plentiful an ifland up to their 
 inveterate enemies, when their friends the 
 Spaniards are fo near at hand ; but fhall pro¬ 
 ceed to recapitulate the many difadvantages 
 that will be the confequence of prohibiting 
 flags of truce from North America from trad¬ 
 ing with the enemy. 
 
 In the firft place die nation will be de¬ 
 prived of the fum of 1,500,000 /. per ami'. 
 which is at leaft the profit upon 'the fugars 
 thus purchafed at Hifpaniold-, neither fo many 
 
 P fliips 
 
 * It is notorious, that fmce we have'been in pofleflion 
 of Guadeloupe, and the inhabitants' have 'had .the advan¬ 
 tage of an open[ trade with-the Englifli i: that one-third, 
 part of the produce of their fugars hath-.-bepn fuffipipnt. 
 to maintain them, to wHicJi amount they tpke of our 
 manufactures; the amount of the remainder muft' be. 
 paid for in cafh, whidh they "keepin their-own halids,t 
 or remit to their friends in. France,: whereas, if they.can, 
 in Hifpaniola barter their whole produce (qr-lulhcieht to- 
 fupport themfelves and negroes, : tis as much as tKeycatf 
 obtain, and more they do not expcft. 
 
fliips or feamen will be employed in -the 
 commerce of this nation, to the great injury 
 of our marine — The northern colonies 
 will not be able to fupport thofe provincial 
 troops which they have hitherto raifed, cloath- 
 ed, and paid, at an immenfe expence, to aiEft 
 his majefty’s forces againft the common ene¬ 
 my, or to make their remittances to England ; 
 the bad confequences of which will be fevere- 
 ly felt by the whole nation, as (if the war 
 continues another year) many of the principal 
 merchants in this kingdom will be abfolutely 
 difabled (without receiving the remittances 
 from North America , which ought in courfe 
 to come home before the latter end of this 
 year) to anfwer thofe demands, which the 
 emergencies of ftate muft neceffarily make 
 upon them. From the late aft of parliament 
 made in the 30th year of his prefent majefty 
 to prevent the exportation of provifions to 
 neutral ports, which ftill continues in force 
 againft the Americans } they are at prefent 
 prohibited, from vending thofe commodities 
 at all; our own iflands, the only places 
 they have liberty of ihippingto, having in 
 general been fo. over-ftocked thefe eighteen 
 months paft, that fcarce ..any body has at¬ 
 tempted to lend-any prpvifions there, thafc 
 hath not been' obliged to fell diem at a lofs. 
 
So that the provinces, of the Majfachiifets , 
 New-England, Neiv-Tork , both the Jerfeys, 
 Penfykania', and the upper parts' of Mary¬ 
 land, (vvhofe only ftaple commodity hath been 
 praviftons) if this, trade is flopped, will be 
 deprived of the only means left them to 
 make their remittances to England, for the 
 goods heretofore fent out. This will be not 
 only an immediate detriment to the mer¬ 
 chant both here and there, but will have this 
 further bad confequence, that the. merchant 
 here, not being either able or willing to in- 
 creafe his debts in'a country from which he 
 can receive no remittances, will refufe fend¬ 
 ing any more goods to America ; which 
 will put the Americans upon manufacturing 
 their own apparel, to 1 the irretrievable detri¬ 
 ment of our own ftaple: nor 'will any one 
 imagine fuch an apprehenfion' to be ill- 
 grounded, when he is informed, that befides 
 the making coarfe cloths, both linrign and 
 woollen (tho’ but in an inconfiderable quan¬ 
 tity at prefent)' there are upwards of 8.0000 
 pair of ftockings worth from 2 s. 6 d. togs. 
 fterling a pair, manufactured in and within 
 ten miles of the city of Philadelphia. Nor 
 can any laws reftrain them from continuing 
 to increafe their manufactures, unlefs at the 
 fame time they' can be.-employed in fome 
 , D 2 other 
 
( 24 ) 
 
 other bufinefs that will be equally beneficial 
 to them, at the fame time that it may not 
 injure, but. be of advantage to the mother- 
 country v 
 
 , Such, I apprehend, is this trade mt'n Hif- 
 paniola for fugars, and in time of peace fuch 
 would be the encouraging them to plant 
 vine-yards, hemp, flax, and other fuch like 
 commodities j — but to return, 
 
 ’ There, is another reafon ftill behind, which 
 feems to me to render the condemnation of 
 flags of truce not only impolitic, but in the 
 higheft degree unjuft; winch is, that this 
 . trade lias been carried on with at leaft the 
 implied, confent and approbation of the go¬ 
 vernment. For it cannot be fuppofed fliat 
 his majefty’s governors in North-America , 
 who granted flags of truce to private mer¬ 
 chants to carry "French prifoners to Hifpaniola , 
 and bring back others in return at their own 
 expence, were ignorant that in fo doing 
 they had a view to their own private advan¬ 
 tage. Nor could they be ignorant how 
 that advantage arofe; when, the flags re¬ 
 turned to the ports from whence they firft 
 proceeded,- and there made regular entries, 
 at the feveral cuftom-houfes, of the refpedtive 
 cargoes 
 
( 2 5 ) 
 
 cargoes^ of. foreign. fugars with which they 
 were loaded. . 
 
 Thefe circumftances prove to demonftration 
 that the perfons,who have been concerned in 
 that trade,-,have, not thought it illegal,, or,any 
 ways contrary to the intereft of thegoverhment. 
 But, on the pther hand,, they looked on thefe 
 flags as licences to carry.onfuch a trade with 
 the enemy j a trade, that it is fo apparently 
 the intereft of. thefe kingdoms to encourage 
 by. aU.ppffible means. - And they. were rcpn- 
 firnied in this opinion, and.many people, who 
 doubted whether it was legal, were encourag¬ 
 ed to engage in it, from perceiving, that tho’ 
 many of thefe fhips were taken by the Englijh 
 privateers-in North America, at the firft of die 
 war, yet by the unanimous opinion of all, the 
 judges of every court of admiralty. in- North 
 America, not one of them hath been condemn¬ 
 ed, but difcharged without the leaft hefltatiqn, 
 upon a fuppofition that a traftick of fo great 
 utility to the nation was hot die trade intend¬ 
 ed to be prohibited by his majefty’s proclama¬ 
 tion, wherein he forbids his fubjedts intercourfe 
 with the enemy. That fuch a fuppofition was 
 a natural one, and what they were well jnfti- 
 fied in making,, on a review of the edndud 
 of the mother country, both in this and for- 
 • , mer; 
 
( 26 ) 
 
 filer wars, will, I believe, be granted me by 
 any impartial enquirer, who will Confider, that 
 in the reign of her late majefty queen 
 when an adt of parliament * was made to 
 prohibit commerce with the French it was 
 fo prejudicial to the interell of' the nation, 
 that the legiflature thought proper to' fepeai 
 that-adt, fo far as related to the importation of 
 Wines from France -j-; the reafon given' for it 
 was, that it was prejudicial to her majefty’s re¬ 
 venue (an incovenience furely vaftly inferior 
 to what the nation would experience from put¬ 
 ting a-flop to this commerce J) and in that,'as 
 Well as in' the fubfequent wars between us and 
 France;^ obacco has always been aliowed to be 
 fent to the enemy, on account of the profit 
 the nation received therefrom, which is faid'to 
 be not lefs than 2 50,000 l. per annum. If that 
 is a fiifficient reafon for allowing us to export' 
 tobacco to the enemy, will not the.reafonfof 
 fuffering the abovementioned trade be 'fix 
 times as ftrong in proportion to the profit, 
 " which 
 
 , . 13. . f 9 Ann. c.Si ' , 
 
 - t it is-iiotorious, that in the late war with Spain', s 
 ttade -with the enemy in New Spain , was fo far from being 
 eft^eineifilltcit,' that admiral -V-ernm, when on the coaft,. 
 gave thelhips of his majefty’s fubje&s all the countenance 
 andproteftion he poftibly could, 'in their perfecution of it.- 
 
(2 7 ) 
 
 which is fix times as great ? That a total inter- 
 courfe was not intended to be prohibited,' let 
 any one judge from the quantity of French 
 cambricks legally imported, and for which 
 calh, to a very large amount, is annually fent 
 out of the kingdom; from the bills upon 
 Paris, and other parts of France , that are pub- 
 lickly negociated every week upon th c Royal 
 Exchange, and from the French news-papers, 
 which are brought over by every Flanders 
 mail. It muft, I fay, from thefe fads, be 
 fufficiently clear, that his majefty’s proclama¬ 
 tion can only, be intended to prohibit filch a 
 commerce with France, as is prejudicial, to the 
 intereftof the nation; whether this is fuch, let 
 the impartial determine: nay, let our fugar- 
 planters themfelves be the judges, whether 
 there can be a more effectual method of de- 
 ftroying the French in the ifland of Hifpaniola, 
 than- thus buying their commodities at fo low 
 a price. What remonftrances lliould we not 
 have from them, on account of their calami¬ 
 tous fituation, if they were obliged to fell 
 their fugars in Jamaica, &c. at 7 s. fid. or 
 10 s. per C? 1 will be bold to affirm, fuch a 
 trade carried on with the French, will, in the 
 courfe of a few years, more effectually ruin 
 them, than ten fuch victories as that fo glo- 
 rioufly gained laft year on the plain's of Miridem 
 After 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 ' After what has been faid, will it not appeal 
 Cruel and unjuft to condemn the veflels above- 
 mentioned to have been taken carrying onfuch 
 trade with the enemy, confidering the counte¬ 
 nance and encouragement that have been thus 
 given by his majefty’s governors to' thofe who 
 have engaged in it; and who, if their veflels 
 and cargoes now taken be confifcated, will 
 not only be ruined themfelves, but will in’ 
 their fall crufli many of thofe merchants in 
 Englandi ’.yr ho are connefted with them in 
 Ihipping-their goods-upon credit,, withoutbe- 
 irig the- ieaft concerned with them in the a- 
 bove commerce (which however there'could 
 riot be any reafon to think illegal) and can 
 there be a .more effectual ftep taken to flop the 
 circulation of ca(h in this metropolis (where 
 already the wheel moves with the utm’oft dif¬ 
 ficulty) than thus to dam up the moffconfider- 
 able fource from whence our riches flowPHow- 
 ever, if thofe whole province it is to judge of 
 thefe matters find fuch mifchievous confe- 
 quences arifing from this commerce, as may 
 render it expedient to put a flop to it, it may be 
 dbne without ufing any rigour by prohibiting 
 the ! gbverhors in North America to grant flags 
 of truce to the French illands for the future, 
 which would effe&ually anfwer the purpofe. 
 -J/i-'- I therefore 
 
( 29 ) 
 
 I therefore flatter myfelf with hopes, that 
 although by the Arid letter of his majefty s 
 proclamation, thefe veffels, with their car¬ 
 goes, may be liable to confifcation; yet that 
 the lords of appeal will remember that good 
 maxim of the law “ fummim'jm, fuinma in- 
 “ juria which, _ if they fhould be condemn¬ 
 ed, will be moft fatally verified, not more to 
 the detriment of individuals, than of the 
 jpublick. 
 
 FINIS.