to the two nations.
Always distrusting what I say in a language I speak so imperfectly, I
will beg your permission to state, in English, the substance of what I
had then the honor to observe, adding some more particular details for
your consideration.

I find the consumption of tobacco in France estimated at from fifteen to
thirty millions of pounds. The most probable estimate, however, places
it at twenty-four millions.

This costing eight sous the pound, delivered in

a port of France, amounts to...............9,600,000 livres.

Allow six sous a pound, as the average cost of the

different manufactures.....................7,200,000

The revenue which the King derives from this, is

something less than.......................30,000,000

Which would make the cost of the whole... 46,800,000

But it is sold to the consumers at an average of

three livres the pound....................72,000,000

There remain then for the expenses

of collection............................ 25,200,000 livres.

This is within a sixth as much as the King receives, and so gives nearly
one half for collecting the other. It would be presumption in me, a
stranger, to suppose my numbers perfectly accurate. I have taken them
from the best and most disinterested authorities I could find. Your
Excellency will know how far they are wrong; and should you find them
considerably wrong, yet I am persuaded you will find, after strictly
correcting them, that the collection of this branch of the revenue still
absorbs too much.

My apology for making these remarks will, I hope, be found in my wishes
to improve the commerce between the two nations, and the interest which
my own country will derive from this improvement. The monopoly of the
purchase of tobacco in France, discourages both the French and American
merchant from bringing it here, and from taking in exchange the
manufactures and productions of France. It is contrary to the spirit of
trade, and to the dispositions of merchants, to carry a commodity to any
market where but one person is allowed to buy it, and where, of course,
that person fixes its price, which the seller must receive, or reexport
his commodity, at the loss of his voyage thither. Experience accordingly
shows, that they carry it to other markets, and that they take in
exchange the merchandise of the place where they deliver it. I am
misinformed, if France has not been furnished from a neighboring nation
with considerabl