force
it on. Whenever they are in war with England, they must open the islands
to us, and perhaps, during that war, they may see some price which might
make them agree to keep them always open. In the mean time, I have laid
my shoulder to the opening the markets of this country to our produce,
and rendering its transportation a nursery for our seamen. A maritime
force is the only one, by which we can act on Europe. Our navigation law
(if it be wise to have any) should be the reverse of that of England.
Instead of confining importations to home-bottoms, or those of
the producing nation, I think we should confine exportations to
home-bottoms, or to those of nations having treaties with us. Our
exportations are heavy, and would nourish a great force of our own,
or be a tempting price to the nation to whom we should offer a
participation of it, in exchange for free access to all their
possessions. This is an object to which our government alone is
adequate, in the gross; but I have ventured to pursue it here, so far as
the consumption of our productions by this country extends. Thus, in
our arrangements relative to tobacco, none can be received here, but
in French or American bottoms. This is employment for near two thousand
seamen, and puts nearly that number of British out of employ. By the
_Arret_ of December, 1787, it was provided, that our whale-oils should
not be received here, but in French or American bottoms; and by later
regulations, all oils, but those of France and America, are excluded.
This will put one hundred English whale vessels immediately out of
employ, and one hundred and fifty ere long; and call so many of French
and American into service. We have had six thousand seamen formerly
in this business, the whole of whom we have been likely to lose.
The consumption of rice is growing fast in this country, and that of
Carolina gaining ground on every other kind. I am of opinion, the whole
of the Carolina rice can be consumed here. Its transportation employs
two thousand five hundred sailors, almost all of them English at
present; the rice being deposited at Cowes, and brought from thence
here. It would be dangerous to confine this transportation to French and
American bottoms, the ensuing year, because they will be much engrossed
by the transportation of wheat and flour hither, and the crop of rice
might lie on hand for want of vessels; but I see no objections to the
extension of our principle to this article