7861. SHIPPING (American), British hostility.—
The British Parliament have a
bill before them for allowing wheat, imported
in British bottoms, to be warehoused free. In
order further to circumscribe the carrying business
of the United States, they now refuse to
consider as an American bottom any vessel not
built here. By this construction, they take
from us the right of defining, by our own laws,
what vessels shall be deemed ours, and naturalized
here; and in the event of a war, in which
we should be neutral, they put it out of our
power to benefit ourselves of our neutrality, by
increasing suddenly, by purchase and naturalization,
our means of carriage. If we are permitted
to do this by building only, the war will
be over before we can be prepared to take advantage
of it.—
To President Washington. Washington ed. iii, 249.
Ford ed., v, 322.
(Pa.,
1791)
