The inhabitants of those colonies have acquired their prefent condition, which at beft is mediocrity, by a continued exertion of induftry and frugality, under a climate and a foil, which yield their bleffings to perfevering exertion alone. The Weft India planters have ever been in a different fituation, and can afford to wait a reafonable time for the accomplishment of thofe expectations which are juftly entertained by the colonists; in the interim, they ought to give a fair equivalent for the articles of which they ftand in need, and not expect, at an inferior price, commodities whose value the imperious circumstances of the times have tended to enhance. The northern colonists have struggled with all the difficulties incident to a young country, and they are now arrived at a period, when, if duly encouraged, they may be enabled to reap the fruits of their honeft labour: but reftricted in their trade to the Mediterranean by an ancient regulation, which obliges them to land their cargoes in fome English European port, before they can proceed on homeward-bound voyages, and burthened also in the manner here ftated in the Weft India trade, the petitioners cannot contend with the Americans, but look forward with the moft diftressful profpects to means of procuring a future fubfiftence, unless his Majefty, in his goodness, fhall be pleased to afford them protection and relief. They therefore anxiously hope, that the obfervations contained in this memorial may not appear unworthy of the attention of his Majefty's minifters, but that whatever temporary indulgences may be granted to the American citizens, the British colonists, agreeably to their former folicitations on that fubject, may be permitted to return to America, without entering at any port in Great Britain. My Lord, Halifax, Jan. 30, 1805. WE the Committee of the merchants and inhabitants of Halifax, Nova Scotia, who prefented to Lord Hobart, your Lordship's predeceffor, a petition praying that the British colonifts might have the exclufive right of supplying his Majefty's Weft India islands with fish, have lately feen, in print, a letter written to your Lordship by G. W. Jordan, Efq. Colonial Agent for Barbadoes, containing obfervations on our petition, and the memorial annexed to it; we think it our duty briefly to answer thofe obfervations, and to enforce the object of our petition. 66 Mr. Jordan's first remark is founded on a misconception or perver fion of the allegation of the petitioners; we affert in our memorial "that in the islands of Barbadoes, Antigua, Saint Kitt's, and Jamaica, a ftranger's duty, of two and a half per cent. is imposed on "imports, and that in the island of Saint Vincent, British fubjects, exclufively, are fubject to a duty of three per cent.;" no charge is therefore made, that the duty is not general in the island of Barbadoes; the charge is clearly confined to the fingle island of St. Vincent. We are not alarmed, my Lord, at the reference made by Mr. Jordan to papers which were not intended for his infpection, but for private information only; since thofe papers contain no other facts than fuch as can be proved. The practice in the West India islands of keeping the ports always open to the Americans, amounts, in our apprehenfion, to the grant of a free trade; and that goods of foreign manufacture are by these means introduced into the islands, no one who is at all acquainted with the character and practices of the American traders can doubt. We lament that, even in these colonies, into whose ports no American veffels are admitted, except fishing veffels, which by treaty are allowed to refort to our coafts, fuch quantities of foreign goods do find admittance, that it is to be feared more than half the East India goods consumed in this province is supplied from the neighbouring States of America. We do not, as Mr. Jordan is pleased to affert, claim a right of felling our own commodities at our own prices in time of war; but we contend that, when the article of fish is furnished from the northern colonies, in abundance, although increased in price by the war expences, the Welt India colonists ought not, on that account, to require or permit the introduction of it from foreign states, and in foreign bottoms; especially as the fish is generally paid for in the produce of the islands, of which the planters take careto raise the price in proportion. That these northern colonies can fupply the islands with their whole confumption of fish, and at reafonable prices, can be easily proved, and that they are, therefore, entitled to do fo, exclufively, Mr. Jordan himself admits. The right of the Weft India colonists to obtain from the American States all articles of the firft neceffity, which they cannot adequately obtain from the dominions of Great Britain, is not difputed by us; but we affert that the article of fish can be adequately obtained from the British colonies. That the allowing fupplies to be imported in American bottoms has been deftructive to the British carrying trade, has been lately demonftrated by a very able writer on the fubject; and that the indulgences granted to the Americans have injured the fisheries, and greatly reduced the tonnage and feamen employed in these colonies, we can affert from our own fad experience. An infpection into the imports and exports of the island of Jamaica for one year, as laid before their House of Affembly, and published in the Jamaica almanack for the last year, will fhew how large a portion of the Weft India carrying trade is engroffed by the Americans. If, my Lord, we have stated in our memorial, that it is, now, more advantageous for the merchants of this colony to difpofe of their fish in the United States, than to fend it to the West India islands,—we have made it a subject of complaint; and at the fame time have set forth the reasons why the Americans rival us in that trade. Were our commerce with the islands placed on a fair foundation, the fame British ships would convey our fish thither, which now carry it to the American markets. But burdened as that trade is with infurance against the enemy, and confined as it is, and ought to be, to a fair dealing in legitimate merchandize, we contend in thofe ports with the Americans at every disadvantage. Had Mr. Jordan fairly observed on our petition and memorial, he would not have afferted that the pofitive affirmation in the former, "that these provinces can fupply the West Indies with fish," was fhaken by a fubfequent obfervation, "that, under certain circum ❝ftances, the trade and fisheries of these colonies would be ruined, which, with encouragement, might be almoft, if not entirely, con"fined to British subjects." The obfervation refers expressly to the trade in all the articles enumerated in the memorial; the affirmation is confined to the fingle article of fish. One reading of the paragraph referred to will entirely refute Mr. Jordan's remark. Having already, my Lord, obferved that the increase of the price of fish occafioned by war is no just ground for the introduction of that article, from foreign ports, and in foreign vessels, we shall not follow Mr. Jordan in the curious inference he undertakes to draw from our admiffion that in war time the Americans can underfell us in fish. So little are we difpofed to require an extravagant price for our fish, that we moft readily would accede to Mr. Jordan's proposal, of fixing the maximum price of cod fish at eight dollars in time of war. And, indeed, could we obtain even three fourths of that price, generally, during the war, the fisheries would foon flourish again, and the islands be at all times amply supplied with fish. On the two facts with which Mr. Jordan closes his observations, we shall only remark that the former is conceded by us as to the flour and grain imported into Nova Scotia from the United States; and it is perfectly confiftent with our memorial, in which we confess that this province is deficient in the articles of wheat and corn. The other fact we must dispute; and although we are not provided with documents to ascertain the tonnage employed between the British North American provinces and the West India Islands for the particular year 1791, yet we are furnished with returns of the tonnage employed in the trade to and from the West India islands for the year 1792, and entered at the Cuftom Houfe in Halifax, being for one only of the two diftricts into which this province is divided, and which we beg leave to infert as follows: It is, therefore, incredible that in the year 1791 only 4837 tons were employed in the trade between all the British northern provinces and the Weft India islands, when, in the subsequent year, it appears by an authentic return, that in one diftrict, of one province, upwards of fix thousand tons were actually engaged in that commerce. Here, my Lord, we conclude our observations on Mr. Jordan's Letter, nor fhall we prefume to intrude on your Lordship's patience further than to state one fact which muft demonftrate the efficiency of the British colonies, or at least of British shipping, to fupply the demands of the Weft India markets. From the year 1785 to the year 1794 American ships were excluded from the Weft India islands, yet they were during that period fo well provided with articles of the firft neceffity, that fhips from these colonies were frequently unable to find a fale for their cargoes in our own islands, and were obliged to refort to foreign islands for a market. By returns collected from the merchants of this province, engaged in the Weft India trade, we find that the prices obtained by them for cod fish from the year 1785 to the year 1792 inclufive, never exceeded five dollars per quintal; and fometimes fell fhort of half that fum. In the year 1793 we meet with a fingle inftance of cod fish felling for fix dollars, but the common price, even in that firft year of the war, was not more than three and a half dollars per quintal. The cheapness, therefore, of this article, clearly proves the abundance of it in the West India Islands, and confequently that the allowing the Americans to import fish in American fhips was not a measure of neceffity. We have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, Moft obedient and most humble fervants, (Signed) William Sabatier, The Right Hon. Lord Camden, &c. &c. &c. William Smith, No. VII. No. VII. NEW BRUNSWICK. Addrefs refpecting the Ilands in Paffamaquoddy Bay. To the Honourable GABRIEL G. LUDLOW, Esquire, President of his Majesty's Council, and Commander in Chief of the Province of NEW BRUNSWICK, &c. &c. THE joint Address of his Majesty's Council and the House of Representatives of the Province of New Brunswick, in General Assembly. SIR, HAVING long entertained a confident hope, that the possession of Moose Island, Dudley Island, and Frederick Island, in Passamaquoddy Bay, usurped by the State of Massachusetts, would never be sanc tioned by any act, or avowed acquiescence on the past of his majesty's government; but that his majesty's indisputable right to these iflands would in due time be effectually asserted; it is with very great concern that we now find from a passage in a letter from Mr. Merry, to your honour, stating the communications made to him by Mr. Madison, the American secretary of state, on the subject of these islands, that the United States do actually consider their present possession as having been so sanctioned; and that they are prepared to construe his majesty's forbearance in this behalf as having already warranted their claim of an entire right to these islands. 66 In the letter above referred to, Mr. Merry, states, “that the American minister observed to him, that since his majesty's government "have allowed the United States to remain in possession of the above" mentioned islands, the waters which surround them, to the distance "to which the jurisdiction of any territory is usually understood to "extend, ought equally to be considered as American; and added, "that although he could not properly refer, on this occasion, to the "convention between his majesty and the United States, concluded in "London, on the 12th of May, 1803, because it had not been ra66 tified, nevertheless, by that convention, the islands in question 66 were declared to belong to the United States; an arrangement which "would probably be confirmed whenever the matter of the boundary "line between the two territories, should again be brought into dis"cussion; the more so, because it was not the article respecting |