honourable gentleman who feconded the addrefs, had, to the approbation of the English, added the diffatisfaction of the French manufacturers, as a concurring argument to prove the good effects which we might expect would follow the conclufion of this treaty. That honourable gentleman was moft fortunately fituated to collect documents of both, of the first, as reprefentative of a great manufacturing county, and of the last, (he imagined) through the medium of fome French connection. He expected, however, that he at least would have refted his arguments on more fubftantial grounds, and being perfonally interested in the profperity of our navy, hoped to have heard froin him in what manner this treaty was likely to increase our maritime strength, and extend our navigation. But the right honourable gentleman had been totally filent on that head; and Mr. Grey added, if he could prove to him, that, fo far from increafing our marine, this treaty was big with abfolute ruin to it, he trufted that he would give up the temporary interefts of manufacturers to those more folid ones, in which confift the power and glory of Great Britain.

It had been contended, that this treaty was to do away our antient jealoufies and antipathies, and introduce a system of amity and good will to be productive of those advantages to both nations, which may be naturally expected to flow from a mutual interchange of good offices. But was this a time for laying afide jealoufies, when our enemy was more than in a fituation to extend that power which must ever be regarded as most dangerous to our interefts? Was there any one who really believed in the fair profeffion and feducing promises of the Court of France? Was there any one that could fuppofe, that, in the advantages held out to us in this treaty, (if advantages they were) fhe could have any but an infidious view?

Aut ulla putatis

Dona carere dolis tenacem?

Mr. Grey faid, that he would not go in fearch of the numberless inftances which might be quoted, where we had been deceived and out-negociated. He had in his hand a recent proof, drawn from the very moment when this negociation was pending, in the midst of these fair profeffions and cordial affurances, in which the right honourable gentleman oppofite placed fo much confidence, which fufficiently proved what the view of France had been in the negociation of this treaty.

A right honourable member (Mr. Flood) who spoke in the fecond debate upon this fubject with equal eloquence and ability, warned this House against enabling France, by the means of this treaty, to fecure to herself the trade of Ame

rica. That right honourable gentleman forefaw, that, by the credit we should afford her, France would be able to fupply her own want of capital, and making herself the depofitary of commerce between us and America, to carry it on in French bottoms, to the equal advantage and increase of her own marine and the diminution of that of Great Britain. But though that right honourable gentleman argued wifely, and forefaw what was probable, it appeared that he little thought that his apprehenfions were actually realized, and that this favourite, he believed he might say this principal, object of the Court of France in the negociation of this treaty, was already in part completed. On the 26th of September the treaty was figned by Mr. Eden; on the 22d of October a letter was written by Mr. de Calonne, with the King's authority, to the American Minifter, Mr. Jefferfon, for this very purpose: it was to this that he alluded in the beginning of his fpeech, and with the leave of the House he would now read it.

A Letter addressed to Thomas Jefferson, Efq. Minifier Plenipotentiary of the United States of America.

SIR,

Fontainbleau, 2nd October 1786.

AS it is the intention of the King to affift the commerce of the United States as much as poffible, I have the honour to communicate to you fome measures which have been adopted in relation to it.

In a letter of the 9th of January 1784 to the Marquis de la Fayette, I acquainted him, that inftead of two free ports promifed to the United States by the treaty, the King had determined to allow them four, which has been just put in execution; and I promised him to give my attention to the customs and duties upon exports which embarrass commerce, obferving to him at the fame time that this object required very great pains in the accomplishment: it is not yet completed. In another letter I informed him, that his Majefty had taken off the duties upon the exportation of brandies, and I hoped that this fuppreffion would be useful to the American commerce; and I promised him also, that the duties of the King and the admiralty, which were to be paid by an American veffel upon her arrival in the French ports, fhould be diminished, and that what remained of them fhould be reduced to a fingle duty, to be regulated according to the number of mafts or the draught of water, and not after the too uncertain eftimation of gauging. This reduction requires an exact knowledge of all the duties which are collected in the ports, and as they consist of a

I

great

great number of different forts, the ftatements which I am now procuring of them are not yet finished.

You know, Sir, that the King has appointed a particular committee to examine into our commercial connections with the United States, and that the Marquis de la Fayette has prefented to them a fyftem analogous to the ideas which are expreffed in your letter to the Count de Vergennes; `but you perceive how imprudent it would be to hazard, by a change of fyftem, the produce of a branch of revenue which amounts to 28 millions, unless it were in a cafe of the greateft neceffity. After a full difcuffion of every circumstance which can operate at this time in favour of the importation of the American tobaccos into France, it has been determined, not that the contract with Mr. Morris fhould be fruftrated, but that after the expiration of it, no contract of the fame kind fhould ever be made, and that in the mean time the farmers general fhould engage to purchase annually about 15,000 hogfheads of American tobaccos, coming directly from the United States in French or American bottoms, at the fame prices and upon the fame terms which are ftipulated in the contract made with Mr. Morris.

You will recollect, Sir, that during the time when refolutions were forming upon the fubject of the applications made in favour of the whale oils, the M. de la Fayette had made a particular agreement with Mr. Sangrain, that he fhould receive remittances of that article to the value of 800,000 livres, and that I had granted him paffports to difcharge this firft cargo from all duties whatfoever; the fame Mr. Sangrain afterwards made a contract with the merchants of Bofton for 400,000 livres per annum for fix years, for which his Majefty promised the same advantages which are enjoyed by the Hanfe towns.

This fubject having been lately examined in a more general point of view, the Miniftry to whom the Committee had given an account of their plan, conformable with the M. de la Fayette's request and your opinion, for the entire abolition of all duties upon oils, have determined that this plan cannot be carried into effect at present by reason of engagements fubfifting with other nations. They have only been able to infure the fame favours and the same moderation in respect to duties for ten years to the whale oil, the fpermaceti, and every thing comprehended under thofe denominations, coming from the United States in French or American bottoms, which the Hanfe towns enjoy.

His Majefty hopes that the commercial connections between the United States and France will become fo extenfive as to induce him to continue the effect of this provifional decree; and as it has been obferved in the Committee VOL. XXI. that

that a confiderable manufacturing duty was collected on the moft favoured whale oil, and indeed upon the oils of this kingdom itself, his Majefty agrees to abolish this manufacturing duty with refpect to the whale oils and fpermaceti coming directly from the United States on board American or French veffels, fo that thefe oils and fpermaceti will only have to pay, in confideration of all duties whatsoever, during ten years, a duty of 7 livres 10 fols, and the 10 fols per livre; this last addition of 10 fols per livre only to continue until the year 1790.

It has been determined to make particular inquiries into the confumption of Carolina rice in France, and to take measures to encourage the importation of it.

In confequence of reprefentations which have been made to him of the confiderable duties laid, upon the pot ash and pearl afh of America, as well as upon the fkins and furs of the caftor, and upon raw hides, his Majefty has fuppreffed all the duties laid upon these articles of the growth of the United States and coming from thence on board of French or American veffels. He will alfo attend to giving due encouragement to all the branches of the fur trade.

His Majefty has alfo confented to discharge from all duties the mafts, yards, timbers of all kinds, the red cedar, the green oak, in a word, all woods made ufe of in fhipbuilding coming from the United States in French or American bottoms.

The Committee having also represented that there was a duty of 5 per cent. upon the purchase of foreign-built veffels, and that this duty was injurious to the fale of American veffels, his Majefty has been pleased to take the matter into his confideration, and to exempt from all duties the purchase of veffels which fhall be proved to have been built in the United States.

His Majefty has granted the abolition of the very heavy duties laid upon trees, fhrubs, and feeds of trees, in favour of all the cargoes of them from the United States and fhipped in French or American veffels.

As it has been reprefented that the ftate of Virginia is procuring a fupply of arms to be made in France for their militia, regulations have been made to take away the prohibitions, which until this time have prevented the exportation of arms and gunpowder, as well as the duties required, in cafes where particular permiffions are granted, and to the United States liberty, when they fhall fo defire, of importing arms, fufils, and gunpowder from France, provided it be in French or American veffels, and that these articles fhall be subject to a very moderate duty, intended only to calculate the exportations. Finally, his Majefty has fhewn

the

the fame favourable difpofition to the request made to the Committee to fupprefs the confiderable duties which exift, at prefent, upon books and papers of every kind. His Ma jefty takes off all dutties upon articles of this kind fent to the United States and fhipped on board French or American veffels.

It is with pleasure, Sir, that I communicate to you these difpofitions of his Majefty, which ferve as a new teftimonial to you of the defire which he has to unite in the most intimate manner the commerce of the two nations, and of the favourable attention which he will always pay to propofals which fhall be made to him in the name of the United States of America.

I have the honour to be, with a fincere attachment,

Sir,

your moft humble

and most obedient fervant,
(Signed) DE CALONNE.

Your nation, Sir, will doubtless be pleafed to find the facilities which the King has granted for the export of Bourdeaux, de Guienne, and de Touraine wines, and the fuppreffion of different duties laid upon them by different decrees of Council, with which the M. de la Fayette will make you acquainted.

Here (Mr. Grey obferved) was a long ftring of conceffions on the part of France, without the ftipulation of a fingle article of reciprocity from America in return. America was not only put on the footing of the most favoured European nations, but greater advantages than any European nation enjoys were given to her by taking off the internal duties upon her oils. She was allowed to import arms, ammunition, and every warlike store, of which the might stand in need; in fhort, fhe received every thing that the kindest friend could give, or the most favoured nation could expect for what did France ftipulate in return? for nothing. But was this the effect of mere principles of benevolence in France? Did France really expect no equivalent? Yes, fhe expected an equivalent in a monopoly of that trade which we once enjoyed, and which fupplied us with two kinds of our commercial marine. She expected an equivalent in the augmentation of her own navy, and the ruin of that of Great Britain. But it might be answered, that these conceffions on the part of France did not interfere with our treaties, and that we could not prevent them. True, we could not; but we could prevent their ill effects in negociating ourselves with America, a treaty that would give us at leaft a fhare in the advantages to be derived from a commercial connection with that country. And here it might be proper to afk Ministers what it was that prevented us from forming fuch a connection?

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