expressed to be but for one year, yet I hoped they would
find their advantage in renewing and continuing it: for that if they
intended really to admit it for one year only, the fishermen would not
find it worth while to rebuild their vessels and to prepare themselves
for the business. The Count expressed satisfaction on the view of
commercial exchange held up by this article. He made no answer as to the
continuance of it; and I did not choose to tell him, at that time, that
we should claim its continuance under their treaty with the Hanseatic
towns, which fixes this duty for them, and our own treaty, which gives
us the rights of the most favored nation. 5. Tobacco. I recalled to the
memory of the Count de Vergennes the letter I had written to him on
this article; and the object of the present conversation being, how
to facilitate the exchange of commerciable articles between the two
countries, I pressed that of tobacco in this point of view; observed
that France, at present, paid us two millions of livres for this
article; that for such portions of it as were bought in London, they
sent the money directly there, and for what they bought in the United
States, the money was still remitted to London, by bills of exchange:
whereas, if thy would permit our merchants to sell this article
freely, they would bring it here, and take the returns on the spot,
in merchandise, not money. The Count observed, that my proposition
contained what was doubtless useful, but that the King received on this
article, at present, a revenue of twenty-eight millions, which was so
considerable, as to render them fearful of tampering with it; that the
collection of this revenue by way of Farm, was of very ancient date, and
that it was always hazardous to alter arrangements of long standing, and
of such infinite combinations with the fiscal system. I answered, that
the simplicity of the mode of collection proposed for this article,
withdrew it from all fear of deranging other parts of their system; that
I supposed they would confine the importation to some of their principal
ports, probably not more than five or six; that a single collector in
each of these, was the only new officer requisite; that he could get
rich himself on six livres a hogshead, and would receive the whole
revenue, and pay it into the treasury, at short hand. M. de Reyneval
entered particularly into this part of the conversation, and explained
to the Count, more in detail, the ad