in cbacco, however, stili remains ev. to be on every principle exjeously the interests of the particular exertions will be earnlution on this point. The régie of France upon Ame - without mitigation. This duty is travagant; and as it operates mos United States, it is expected that y estly direct to procure some favorab'. The ostensible obiect of this régie bing nderstood to be revenue, an adherence to it its present amoun be much less injurious, as well to this object as to the trade of run, than to that of the United States; and this will be apparent frohe diminution in the exports of that article from the United States to France, which have diminished, since the year 1827, from 9,553 hogshe s t only 4.813, the average of the exportation in recent years. na From this fact it must be obvious, that a g cater amount of exportaciou of tobacco would be made to that cou try, and consequently a greater amount of revenue would be derived om it by France, if er Coverment would consent to such a reasonable dury as would enable its own citizens to engage in the trade upon beficial terms. If even this were not so, it is nevertheless undeniable that the operation of this high duty is seriously injurious to the interests of the United States, without a corresponding beach to France. The importance of the trade, in the arcle of tobacco, to the citizens of the United States generally, and especially to those in the southern, southwestern, and western parts of the Unic, makes it an object of peculiar attention and olicitude; and the Pat directs that you will spare excation to efcet an advantageon, : rangement upon this subjec.. It is believed that the legislation of the last sessi of Congress has presented airore favorable opportunity for this purpoan has previously occurred in our relatius with France; and also to make a proper appeal to the French Government, net only on the ground of a just and liberal reciprocity, but also on at of a true regard to its own interests. By the act of Congress of the 2d of March last, the sinks, and all manufactures France, of which silk shall be a component part, will be admitted into the ports of the United States, after the 51st of December next, free from ." duty whats over; and after the same day, the excess over 20 per centum of the dr to witch all other articles of the produce and manufacture of France . at p. scnt liable, will be reduced to 19 per cent., and will also be reduced 16 per cent biennially thereafter, until none of the said articles will able to a higher duty than 20 per cent. upon the value thereof. It will be observed. r reov, thai le these reductions are made upon the silks and toes, d oth produce and manufactures of France, the unfavorable di-nation against the silks from places from beyond the Cape of Good H is preserved. These liberal measure is entitle the United S ates to expect that their overtures will be met in a proper pint by the Government of France, and that the advantages thereby oneted may be rendered not only mutual, but permanent between the two nations. It is apparent, however, that in order to secure to France her proper participation in the increase trade which may be expected from these liberal modifications in the American tariff, she must encourage the introduction into her ports of those articles of American preduge, which alone can be exchanged for F, nch produce and manufactures; and that, unless she will consent to do this, she must expect that the trade of the United States will pass into other channels in which those exchanges will receive greater favor. Although it may be contended that the principal modifications recently made in the tariff of the United States, proceeded from a general regard -to our domestic concerns, it is certainly true that this consideration does not apply to the silks and brandies of France, on which, independently of the disposition to favor a liberal commercial intercourse with this country, neither the policy of the Government nor the interests of its citizens would be promoted by a low rate of duty. It is proper, therefore, to reinark, that if these modifications in the American duties should not be met in a correspondent spirit by France, it will scarcely comport with the interests and policy of the United States to continue those advantages, to the detriment of their trade with other countries; or, that seeing that they failed to produce any modification in the régie of France upon American tobacco, they would permit the act of the last session to go into operation. On this account, it will be proper distinctly to present this view of the subject to the French Government, and to request their final decision, in order to enable you to announce it to the President in time for his communication to Congress at the commencement of the next session, or at least as soon thereafter as will enable that body to adopt such measures as they in their wisdom may deem proper, before the period assigned for the operation of the act of the 2d March last. [No. 15.] SIR: Mr. Livingston to Mr. McLane. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, The régie of tobacco will expire in three years, and a party is getting up to produce a declaration that it shall not be renewed. How strong this party may be, I have not yet the means of ascertaining, the deputies not having generally arrived; but some with whom I have conversed think that it will not be renewed. SIR Since my despatch of the 29th, I have had, at his own request, a conference with: a member of the Chamber of Deputies on a subject of great importance to the United States, if the question of indemnity should be settled without producing a rupture: I mean the abolition of the tobacco monopoly. Ever since my arrival here I have been endeavoring, on all proper occasions, to demonstrate its oppressive operation on commerce, the system of speculation which was inseparable from it, and, above all, the undue influence it gave to the direction by the host of officers it required, and the selection intrusted to it not only of the departments in which the culture of tobacco is permitted, but of the favored individuals who are to enjoy the privilege of carrying it on. These considerations seem to have gained proselytes, and on the proposition to renew the régie, which will expire next year, several members, as you will see by the debates, used these and other powerful arguments against it, and with some success, for the project of renewal for ten years was reduced to five; power was given to the directors to increase the proportion of foreign tobacco now imported, and a most important measure adopted, namely, a parliamentary inquest into the whole matter, which, it is hoped, will produce a total abolition of the system of monopoly, and throw the trade open, prohibiting the cultivation of the plant in France, and laying a duty on importation to compensate the loss of revenue sustained by the abolition of the monopoly. The advantages of this to our agriculture and commerce would be so great as to justify some equivalent, if we can secure it by treaty. From 1824 to 1833, inclusive, there have been imported, for the use of the régie, 32,376,541 kilogrammes, equal to about 64,000 hogsheads, or about 6,000 in each year; but as this was only one-sixth of the consumption, the whole present supply would require at least 30,000 hogsheads a year, and the demand will increase with the improvement in quality, when the trash which they use here shall no longer be employed in the manufacture. The object of the deputy was to procure some intelligent, disinterested witnesses to give their testimony before the inquest, which will probably soon be organized. It will be a difficult task here, where the commerce was confined to one or two privileged houses, who made enormous profits. If the indemnity should be provided for, and our usual intercourse re-established, I flatter myself with the prospect of being instrumental in opening a trade that will enable the planters of Kentucky to take a large share in the tobacco supply of this kingdom, which has hitherto been confined almost entirely to Virginia, which provided almost the whole of the limited quantity hitherto imported. You will at once see the advantages of this in all its bearings; hut in order to effect it, I must be authorized to offer a continuance of the discriminating duty, as it now exists, on China silks, perhaps an extension of time to that established by the treaty of 1831 on wines. On the other hand, there is at least a possibility of obtaining a reduction, perhaps an abolition, of the duty on cotton, and some advantages in the introduction of our fish and fish-oils; but all this is subordinate to the treaty question. SIR: Mr. Anderson to Mr. Forsyth. PARIS, October 30, 1837. With respect to the régie, I find that the Government rely on the report of Baron Pasquier, in 1834 (of which I have obtained a copy), for the defence of the monopoly. There is no disposition manifested to depar from the old system. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, CHARLES E. ANDERSON. Secretary of State, Washington. Mr. Cass to Mr. Forsyth. LEGATION ON THE UNITED STATES, Sia: I have not heretofore written to you on the subject of a change in the tobacco-trade of this country, bease your structions upon that subject were received, and attended to, y . Anderson, during my abnce; and he communicated to you the wa of success that had attended his efforts. This result was not cwing to any defect of talent or xertion in him, for I am well, satisfied he did the subject full justice; but difficulties inherent in the inatter itself. The present syst 1 is so interwoven with the revenue, and, in some measure, with the agriculture of the country, that it will be very difficult to procure a clange by argumens endin to show the better effects of an open tle. The existing sys tems aot, and cannot be, defended upon the grounds of its general utity and justice; but it produces a heavy revenue, which would have to Le supplied from some other sour e, at any rate ill the operation of a new system should be equally productive; and I imagine there is a strong indisposition against the imposition of any new taxes. I do not, myself, believe that there is much radional chance of success in any other way than by the arrangement of a corvention in which all the commercial matters between us and France could be regulated, and which should be based alone upon principles of perfect reciprocity. I shall not, however, lose sight of this subject, but shall, from time to time, communicate to you any information I may procure which can be useful. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. JoHN FORSYTH, LEWIS CASS. Secretory of State, Washington. Mr. Cass to Mr. Forsyth. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris, October 28, 1839. Sm: I have the honor to enclose, herewith, a copy of a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, of July 20, a copy of his answer, dated September 26, and a copy of my reply, dated October 28, in relation to the state of the tobacco-trade between France and the United States. The letters from this legation have heretofore communicated to you the fruitless results of the efforts which were made, in conformity with 1 of the United States. e, that it would be of the late ministry. present ministry as init, I called upon ad entered into a generrezarks in relation to ich favored in France, your instructions, to obtain a change in a tide, which should be more conformable to justice as well as to the tere It became evident, from the objections when a useless to renew the discussion during the eve As son, however, after the accession to powth the pressure of ai s in the Chambers we Marshal Soult, the Mir te "Foreign Afair: al conversation with him upon the subject. the exclusive system of trade, beretofore so were at once liberal and practical and I left him, as Mr. Jefferson says he left M. de Vergennes in 1786, under a strong impression that we might hope for some favorable result from a real of the effort at the present time. It is just, however, to the marsr 1, to say, that this im pression was produced, not by any observationsweetly applicable to the obnoxious system of the tobacco-trade, but by the general course of his remarks, concerning the advantage of liberal inciples in commercial intercourse, and the necessity of making some codiacations in the ragulations which have heretofore governed that of Fre...e. That the first impression of any statesian, wi oso opinions bad not been forced upon him by other circumstances then the direer opera or of the anomalous system which controls the sale, the man.ficta, and the production of tobacco in France, would be favorable to a radi.·' change and to a return to better principles, is obvious on the slightes: inspecties perceive by the course of the marshal's observersions i my answers, that the difliculty in the way of any change i in the amount of the revenue pidded by this sy ou, and any substitute would be less productive. But you will letter, and ot to be found the fear that In my interview with lam it was agreed that I should address him letter, expressing, in very gone at terms, the demand I was instrucice to make, and then to ask the appoterment of a person with whom i could. enter inte personel comunica. The reasons for this course are so fully stated in my letter of July 20, to the minister, that it is not necessary I should recapitate them here. I accordingly despatched the letter, and then waited patly, exper mg every da to be informed that a person was appointed. Instead of dis, however, I received commu nication of September 26, and did that de subject had beer aken up, and that I was presented with a' the reasons which could be unged it favor of the support of the system. T reasons, as you will perceive, relate in a great degree to the eficet wich it as upon the commc.cial intercourse betwee) Fience and the United St.es, and are given as evidence of its beneficial operation This branch the subject finishes legitimate topics of examination, and more particularly when it con stiftes a ground of deicuce fo* tuc ainter once of the system. You wil remarks, however, that I bare ca ally avoided the hearing of the general question upon the internal crests 7 France, unles where a slight allusion to them became necessary in onsequence of the position they occupy in the minister's letter. You will appreciate the propriety of this course, and, I trust, approve it It became a question, when I received this letter, what steps I should take whether I should leave it unan, wered, and abandon the subject, or whether I should present a full view of our case in writing, as 1 bad intended and expected to do orally. i soon determined, however, upon |