any negotiation for a commercial treaty with the United States, viz.

That the commercial intercourfe between the remaining British colonies in North America, or the British islands in the West Indies, and the countries belonging to the United States, as far as relates to imports and exports, should continue on the present footing for a limited number of years.

The committee think that it would not be advifeable for Great Britain to enter into any engagement on this subject for an unlimited number of years. It has been found by experience, that the British islands in the West Indies become every year lefs in want of the provisions and lumber, which they have hitherto obtained from the countries of the United States and a confiderable quantity of provifions is now produced in fome of these islands, particularly in the island of Jamaica. Both provisions and lumber are now sent to a large amount from Great Britain, as well as from the remaining British colonies in America, and provisions from Ireland: and it cannot be doubted, that the provifions and lumber, imported from the United States into the West India islands, tend to diminish the immediate intercourse, as well between these iflands and the British dominions in Europe, as between the faid iflands and the remaining British colonies in America.-Whether it may ever be proper, all circumstances considered, to put further restraints on the imports from the countries belonging to the United States into the West India islands, is a point, which it is not neceffary at present to decide. The policy of Great Britain, in this respect, will depend on future contingencies: but it would be improper, by any stipulation in a commercial treaty, to relinquish for ever the right of taking this subject into confideration, as occafion may require.

The committee will now proceed to the second head,

NAVIGATION.

The fhips of the United States, coming to the ports of Great Britain, have hitherto been permitted by the British government to continue upon the fame footing as before the war. They do not pay the alien's duty, though the ships of all other foreign nations pay it, as before mentioned: They pay, however, Trinity dues, light-houfe duties, and pilotage, as foreign fhips, in all the ports of Great Britain, except London, where they still continue to pay these only as British fhips.

The only restriction, which the government of Great Britain has put on the fhips of the United States, fince the faid States were declared independent, is in the trade carried on by them with the British colonies in America, and the British islands in the West Indies; in the commercial intercourfe with thefe colonies and islands, the ships of the United States are now treated as the fhips of all other foreign nations, and are not allowed to import or export any merchandize whatever.

In a former part of this report, an account has been given of the diftinctions made, to the difadvantage of British fhips, in the commerce with the United States, both before and fince the establishment of the new foederal government. Thefe diftinctions confifted, either of higher tonnage duties on British ships than on other fhips, or of higher duties on goods imported in British ships than in other fhips. It has been stated, that the tonnage duties, impofed by the legiflatures of the feveral States before the establishment of the new foederal government, were, upon an average, 25. 3d. per ton more than were impofed on fhips of the United States: and that the difference of duties on goods, imported in a British ship, was then two per cent. on their value

more than the duties on the like goods imported in fhips of the United States: So that a British veffel of 200 tons would

pay for each voyage 227. 1os. tonnage duty; and for a cargo of the value of 2,000l. sterling, 40/. import duty more than a ship of the United States of the same tonnage, and laden with goods of the fame value.

It has also been stated, that the tonnage duty, imposed by the present congress, on British or other foreign-built vessels, is 25. per ton more than is impofed on fhips of the United States; fo that this distinction is lefs by 3d. per ton, than was imposed on British ships by the legislatures of the several States, previous to the establishment of the new foederal

government.

It has also been stated, that, by an act of the present congrefs, it is required that there shall be paid for the cargoes, imported in British or other foreign fhips, an addition of 10 per cent. of the duties, payable on the like goods imported in a fhip of the United States. The merchants of Glasgow estimate this duty to be & per cent. on the value of the cargo, and confequently 1 per cent. lefs than the distinction made in this refpect by the legislatures of the feveral States before the establishment of the new foederal government; so that a British ship of 200 tons will now pay for each voyage 20l. tonnage duty, and for a cargo of the value 2,000l. sterling, 157. import duty, more than a ship of the United States of the fame tonnage, and laden with goods of the fame value.

The lords of the committee have thought it right to bring these facts and calculations once more under the view of your Majesty, in order to fhew that the distinction in tonnage and import duties, now made between a British ship and a ship of the United States of the fame burthen, and laden with a cargo of merchandize of the same forts and

R

value, is about five-twelfths lefs than it was before the eftablishment of the new foederal government.

There is at prefent no diftinction between British-built fhips and other foreign-built ships.-Ships built in the United States, and owned in part by foreigners, pay 20 cents, or 1od. per ton lefs duty than foreign-built fhips, when they are employed in the over-fea trade, between the United States and foreign countries: In the coafting trade, British ships pay the fame tonnage duty as other foreign-built fhips. The effects produced by the diftinctions made by the government of the United States (even when they were fivetwelfths more than they are at prefent, upon British and American navigation, are fhewn in the table prepared for that purpose, and inferted in a former part of this report: It will be there feen, that the navigation of Great Britain, notwithstanding all those distinctions, has, upon the whole, greatly increased fince the war :-It will there alfo be seen that, of fix different branches of freight, in which the veffels belonging to the inhabitants of the countries now forming the United States, had a confiderable fhare before the war, there are five of which they are now wholly deprived; and, in the fixth or remaining branch of freight, viz. "in the direct commerce carried on between Great Britain and the United States," they retain little more than the fame proportion they enjoyed before the war, though they have endeavoured, in the manner before stated, to favour their own navigation, and deprefs that of Great Britain.

It is certain alfo, that the fhips of Great Britain enjoy other advantages fufficient, in a great measure, to compenfate the unfavourable diftinctions before mentioned:

First-The premium of infurance on a fhip of the United

States, bound to and from America, is much greater * than the premium on a British ship:

Secondly-The difference between the port charges of all defcriptions, fuch as Trinity-dues, light-house duties, and pilotage, paid in the ports of Great Britain (though various according to the ports at which the fhip arrives), is in every one of them very much in favour of a British fhip:

Thirdly-The fhips of Great Britain derive a confiderable advantage from having a more univerfal and extended navigation, while the navigation of the United States is more confined, as their fhips are not permitted to trade to the British islands in the West Indies, and cannot venture with fafety into the Mediterranean, or to the fouthern parts of Europe, for fear of the Barbary corfairs.

But though these advantages may perhaps compensate the distinctions made by the United States to the disadvantage of British fhips; yet it does not follow that no measures ought therefore to be pursued by the government of Great Britain in fupport of the shipping intereft of this country, fo

as to counteract the unfavourable diftinctions to which British ships are now fubject.-As the fecurity of the British dominions principally depends on the greatness of your Majesty's naval power, it has ever been the policy of the British government, to watch with a jealous eye every attempt that has been made by foreign nations to the detriment of its navigation and even in cafes where the interests of commerce, and thofe of navigation, could not be wholly reconciled, the government of Great Britain has always given the preference to the interests of navigation; and it

* In 1791.