In any event, it seems evider: that the interests of French industry, in its relations with foreign trade, woute injuriously affected by the proposed change. Under the system of oncours, a number of foreign merchants contributing to the supply of the régie, when they come to invest the proceeds of their sales in return cargoes, thy support, by their corepetition, the price of the petion, and manufactures of France, ard by diffu ed and multiplied agencie, give, at the same time, increased employment to the merchants of France. A monopoly of the supply, granted a single contractor. ob nusly excludes all these collateral advantages, wh" it is not perceived tɔ present any advantage over the svstem concours, in reference ei r to the mality or price of the sup plies of foreign tobacco; the best anity both for the quality and price of a commodity being generally for in a tree competition of sellers. If abuses of any sort have occured under the concours, they cannot be attributed, I presume; to the principle of the system, but must have arisen from dnquencies which the vigilan of the administration, under such regulations as the enlightened superion nce of your excellency should prescribe, would doubtless be adeplat to correct.

In illustration of some of the prece ng views, I beg leave to invite your excellency's attention to the general state of the commercial relations between France and the Umit Staics. An interesting document, annexed to the late report to his Majesty on the administration of the finances, while it exhibits the high mortance of the commerce of the United States to France, shows that the present state of that commerce is very unfavorable to the United States, France selling annually to the United States sixty-six millions of her productions and manufactures, and buying of them only forty-nine millions of theirs; thus leaving a balance against the United States of seventeen millions annually, to be paid in money. This result is undoubtedly attributable to the striking difference in the regulations of the two countries concerning their commercial intercourse with each other. While France, by the operation of her tobacco monopoly, has reduced the trade of the United States with her in that article from thirty thousand hogsheads, its former amount, to five thousand, the present consumption of the régie, and has imposed discriminating duties in favor of the cottons of other countries, to the disadvantage of those of the United States, the United States, drawn to France by ancient recollections and a since e desire to consolidate their friendship by the ties of commercial intercourse, have progres sively reduced their tariff of duties on all the princ pal productions of French industry; and in regard to the most important of those productions, the silks of France, have favored them by a signal discrimination, in imposing a duty of thirty per cent, on the silks of India and China, while those of France pay a duty of twenty percent. only.

The Government of the United States has always hoped, and still hopes, that his Majesty's Government will find it consistent, with a just view of its own interests, to relax a system operating so unfavorably to the interests of the United States. It certainly would not be prepared for a measure, which, instead of mitigating, would add to the injurious effect of existing regulations; and however anxious to mu iply and extend all its friendly reiations with his Majesty's Government, it might feel itself constrained, in the interest of its own citizens, to cultivate and encourage other channels of trade, offering more equality. The minds

of many merchants in the United States have already taken this direetion, and a petition was presented to the Congress at Washington, during its last session, demanding a removal of the discrimination now inade in favor of the silks of France, by arguments founded on the present unfavorable balance of trade between the two countries, and setting forth the comparative advantages of other chancels of commerce for the sup ply of the same wants. I need not remark to your excellency how much these arguments would be strengthened by the adoption of a measure, which, in the present unfavorable state of the trac, bety, on the two copies, would occasion a furt reduction in the value of the: exports of the United States to Franc>,

If any other guarantee then the equitable. nd conciliatory sentiments expressed by your excellency, were wanting to assure me that a measure threatening such a detriment to the commerce of the United States, without correspondent advantages to France, would not be adopted, I should find it in the promptitude with which, in 1786, upon the representation of the American minister, an order was issued by his Majesty's Government to the farmers-general, which, among other things, expressly prohibited them from entering into any contract of the kind sow propose 4.

I avail myself, with pleasure of this occasion to express to you; exedlency the high consideration with which I have the honor to be your excellency's most huole and most obedient servant,

His Excellency BAROI DE MONTBEL,

WILLIAM C. RIVES.

Minister of France.

(No. 42.]

Mr. Rives to Mr. Van Buren.

PARIS, August 19, 1830 SR: In my despatch yesterday, transmitting a copy of the communication I had addressed to the late Minister of Finance, respecting the proposed change in the system of supplying the regie with American tobacco, expressed the hope that my representations would have the effect of finally preventing the adoption of the change proposed. In this, it seems, I was deceived. I have just learned that the new Minister of Finance pronounced his decision yesterday morning in favor of the change, and that, in all probability, it will be carried into effect.

I have the honor, &c., c.,

SR: The sickness of Mr. Harper, about the time of the sailing of the jast packet, prevented me from sending you then the enclosed copies of

notes addressed by me to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance on the tobacco question, and of their answers, as it did also of the regular transmission of the duplicates of former despatches and of the journals.

Although I had heard, as I informed you in my supplemental despatch of the 19th ultimo, that the Minister of Finance had pronounced his decision in favor of the proposed change, yet, as nothing of an irrevocable nature had yet been done, I thought it expedient to call the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as that of the Minister of Finance, to the subject. At the same time, as the question was of a peculiar character, appertaining rather to their system of internal economy than to that of ordinary diplomatic relations, I did not feel myself authorized to press it farther than by asking a candid consideration of the views I had presented in my communication to the late Minister of Finance. The decision taken, although we cannot make it a matter of grave complaint (and I am inclined to hope that its effects may not be quite as injurious as my first views of it led me to anticipate), yet serves to mark the narrow spirit which actuates this government in regard to commercial questions, and of all others, I fear, in which money is involved.

Mr. Rives to Compte Molé.

PARIS, August 18, 1830.

MONSIEUR LE COMTE: I would not intrude upon your excellency's time at a moment when, I presume, it is much occupied with other affairs, if the occasion were not of immediate urgency. A proposition, affecting an important branch of the commerce between France and the United States, and of a nature calculated to carry a serious prejudice to the interests of the United States without a correspondent benefit, in the view I have taken of it, to France, is now depending, I am informed, in the ministry of finance. The same proposition was under the consideration of the late Minister of Finance, and, upon his invitation, I presented to him in writing those views of the measure which had been already expressed by me verbally. I beg leave to submit to your excellency a copy of that communication, and to invoke your excellency's consideration of it in the persuasion that, unless I have unconsciously fallen into great error in the views there presented, his Majesty's Government will find, in a just appreciation of its own interests as well as in an equitable regard to those of a friendly power, abundant motives against the adoption of the measure proposed. In your excellency, I feel assured that the question will meet with every disposition to judge it fairly end candidly, as well as that your excellency will not regard with indifference any thing which has in view a just conciliation of the interests of both countries.

I seize with pleasure this occasion, &c., &c.,

Mr. Rives to Baron Louis.

PARIS, August 18, 1830.

The undersigned, Minister of the United States, has the honor to present his respects to his excellency, Baron Louis, his Majesty's Minister for the Department of Finance, and begs leave to invite his excellency's attention to a communication addressed by him on the 20th July last, to the late Minister of Finance, a copy of which he takes the liberty herewith to enclose.

The subject of that communication is one of much interest to an important branch of the commerce between France and the United States, and will, he doubts not, receive the candid and equitable consideration of his excellency.

The undersigned seizes, with eagerness, this occasion, &c.,

His Excellency Baron Louis,

Minister of Finance.

Count Mole to Mr. Rives.

[TRANSLATION.]

W. C. RIVES.T

PARIS, August 24, 1830.

SIR: I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write on the 18th of this month. I hastened to communicate with Baron Louis on the project contemplated by the late Minister of Finance, and against which you reclaim, of confiding for the future to a single contractor the purchase of the American tobacco, which is annually made to the account of our administration.

Not having a sufficient knowledge of the facts to pronounce as yet a positive opinion on the subject, I deemed it necessary to beg Baron Louis to enlighten me. But, at the same time, I expressed to him a desire that your reclamation should be examined with all the interest and cordiality compatible with the relations, mutually advantageous and friendly, which exist between France and the United States, and which it is so desirable to render more and more intimate.

Receive the assurances, &c.,

MOLE.

Baron Louis to Mr. Rives.

[TRANSLATION.]

PARIS, August 31, 1830.

SIR: I have received the letter which you did me the honor to address me on the 18th instant, and by which you remind me of the communication which you sent to my predecessor on the 20th of July last, concerning the change contemplated in the manner of making the purchase of foreign tobacco necessary for the consumption of Frauce.

I have the nonor to acquaint you that the question, after having been maturely examined under every point of view, has just been decided, and that the povision of foreign tobacco necessary for the supply of the adainistration of indirect contributions, will be put for the future in adjudication, in, che single lot. The trade has been informed of this new regulation by a notice inserted in the Monitor of the 19th of this month. Receive, sir, the assurances, &c., the Minister of Finance,

LOUIS.

SIF. It's to of the for th

Mr. Van Buren to Mr. Rives.

[EXTRACT.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington. November 8, 1830.

hoped, and expected, that the late changes in the organization ernment of France may render ti, present froracle period vision and amelioration of the general commercial policy of the s, with respect to each other. In that case, I can only refer general instructions of this apartment. of 20 July, 182 still indica e the views and wishes of the President on that subject 'n oder to the 'mprovement of that occasion by correspondent exertions en your part to cure the introduction of such changes into that policy as may cond to the mutual advantage of the parties, and to a still more extensive and beneficial intercours between them. They cannot be more usefully employed toward that end, than in procuring a relaxation of that policy, with respect to the ruinous monopoly, and the burdensome regulation, which France still adheres to, in her régie upon our tobaccocs. You are so fully and intimately acquainted, 1 all its details, with the nature and extent of the export trade of this country, which is thus injuriously affected by the monopoly and regulations referred te, and are so thoroughly impressed with the importance of a modification of them, which may relieve it from the shackles under which it is new ear ried on, with increasing let.quor, and rapidly progressive divir on in the quantity, that it is only necessary to refer you, upon the pesat occasion, to the suggestions in your general instructions in relation to that truly important interes, as especially illustrative of the President's wish upon the subject.

Mr. McLane to Mr. Livingston.
[EXTRACTS.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, June 3, 1833.

Ar important, if not the incst important object of your icsion, will be to immove the commercial regulations between the two countries, and produce some amelioration in the onerous duties imposcarpon certain product.ons of the United States, upon their introduct into the pers

of France.