8456. TOBACCO, Monopoly in France.—
I take the liberty of offering to your attention
some papers * * * written by * * *
merchants of L'Orient, and others, some of
whom are citizens of the United States, and
all of them concerned in the trade between the
two countries. This has been carried on by an
exchange of the manufactures and produce of
France for the produce of the United States,
and principally for tobacco, which, though on
its arrival here, confined to a single purchaser,
has been received equally from all sellers. In
confidence of a continuance of this practice,
the merchants of both countries were carrying
on their commerce of exchange. A late contract
by the Farm has, in a great measure, fixed
in a single mercantile house the supplies of
tobacco wanted for this country. This arrangement
found the established merchants with
some tobacco on hand, some on the seas coming
to them, and more still due. By the papers now
enclosed, it seems that there are six thousand
four hundred and eight hogsheads in the single
port of L'Orient. Whether the government May
interfere, as to articles furnished by the merchants
after they had notice of the contract before
mentioned, must depend on principles of
policy. But those of justice seem to urge that,
for commodities furnished before such notice,
they should be so far protected, as that they
may wind up without loss, the transactions in
which the new arrangement found them actually
engaged.—
To Count de Vergennes. Washington ed. i, 547.
(P.
1786)
