7862. SHIPPING (American), British hostility.—[continued].
Great Britain is still endeavoring
to plunder us of our carrying business.
The Parliament have a bill before them
to admit wheat brought in British bottoms to be
warehoused rent free, so that the merchants
are already giving a preference to British bottoms
for that commodity. Should we lose the
transportation of our own wheat, it will put
down a great proportion of our shipping, already
pushed by British vessels out of some of
the best branches of business. In order further
to circumscribe our carrying, the Commissioners
of the Treasury have lately determined to
admit no vessel as American, unless built here.
This takes from us the right of prescribing by
our own laws the conditions of naturalizing
vessels in our own country, and in the event of
a war in which we should be neutral, prevents
our increasing, by purchase, the quantity of our
shipping, so as to avail ourselves of the full
benefit of the neutrality of our flag. If we are
to add to our own stock of shipping only as
much as we can build, a war will be over before
we shall be the better of it.—
To James Monroe.
Ford ed., v, 318.
(Pa.,
1791)
