5733. NAVIGATION, Protection of.—[further continued] .
I participate fully of
your indignation at the trammels imposed on
our commerce with Great Britain. Some attempts
have been made in Congress, and
others are still making to meet their restrictions
by effectual restrictions on our part.
It was proposed to double the foreign tonnage
for a certain time, and after that to
prohibit the exportation of our commodities
in the vessels of nations not in treaty with
us. This has been rejected. It is now proposed
to prohibit any nation from bringing or
carrying in their vessels what may not be
brought or carried in ours from or to the
same ports; also to prohibit those from
bringing to us anything not of their own produce,
who prohibit us from carrying to them
anything but our own produce. It is thought,
however, that this cannot be carried. The
fear is that it would irritate Great Britain
were we to feel any irritation ourselves.—
To Edward Rutledge. Washington ed. iii, 164.
Ford ed., v, 196.
(N.Y.,
1790)
