eries, and Wine from the Madeiras or Azores. Before the lading Sugar, Coffee, and many Articles of Colonial Production, Security must be given to convey them to some other British Colony, or to the United Kingdom. These latter Articles being enumerated in the Navigation Acts, have for that reason, been called “Enumerated" Other Articles, not included in the Enumeration, may be exported directly to any Countries of Europe, not being to the Northward of Cape Finisterre.

Amongst other Regulations for securing the due Execution of the Navigation Acts, a Duty was imposed upon the principal Enumerated Commodities when not intended to be conveyed to Great Britain; for it had been found that, under colour of shipping the Articles for another British Colony or Plantation, they were often vended at Sea to the Shipping of other Nations, or transported to Europe direct.

The Enumerated Articles are of Two SortsFirst, such as are either the peculiar Produce of America, or as cannot be produced (or at least are not produced) in the Mother Country; -Secondly, such as are not the peculiar Produce of America, but which are or may be produced in the Mother Country, though not in such Quantities as to afford a sufficient Supply, and have therefore been obtained from European Countries.

By

By confining the Enumerated Articles to the Home Markets, the Merchants are not only enabled to buy them cheaper in the Plantations, and consequently sell them at a better Profit at Home, but to establish between the Plantations and Foreign Countries an advantageous carrying Trade, of which Great Britain was necessarily to be the Centre or Emporium, as the European Country into which the Articles were first to be imported. The Importation of Articles of the Second Kind are so managed as to interfere, not with the Sale of those of the same Kind which were produced at Home, but, with the Sale of those imported from Foreign Countries, because, by means of proper Duties, they might be rendered always dearer than the former, and yet much cheaper than the latter. This was intended to operate as a Discouragement to the Produce, not of Great Britain, but of some Foreign Countries with which the Balance of Trade was held to be unfavourable to Great Britain.*

This System has in view Two Objects-First, the Increase of our Naval Strength; Secondly, the securing to the Parent State all the Emoluments arising by the Monopoly both of the Imports and Exports; and another Advantage is, that we receive from our Colonies all the Products, Raw, and in the first state, and send to them every thing in the last stage of Manufacture. But "Laws, which made the Interest

* Dr. Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

"of a whole People subservient to that of "another residing at the Distance of 3,000 "Miles, were not likely to execute themselves

very readily, nor was it easy to find many on "the Spot who could be depended upon for "carrying them into Execution t."

More effectually to prevent the Frauds and Abuses that had existed to the Prejudice of the British Navigation, and the Loss of a great Part of the Trade of the Colonies, many additional Regulations have been directed to be observed, the most material of which are-that the Masters of Ships coming into or going out of the British Colonies shall report, and, if inward bound, before proceeding to the Place of unlading; that all Ships and Goods shall be subject to the same Rules, Restrictions, Penalties, and Forfeitures to which Ships and Goods in England are subject by 13 & 14 Car. II. c.11.; that Officers shall be appointed as often as may be needful; that no British Ships shall be qualified to trade to the said Colonies unless registered; that no Goods shall be shipped to be carried from one British Colony or Plantation to another, without a Sufferance from the proper Officers, nor conveyed from thence without a Cocket, except laden in Boats or small Vessels under Twenty Tons, and carried within inland Waters, and not farther out to Sea than One League; that no Ship carrying Goods to or

* Mr. Reeve's History of Law of Shipping and Navigation.

from

from the British Colonies, or from one Colony to another, shall be deemed qualified to trade, until the Master shall prove on Oath that she is the identical Ship registered, that she belongs to His Majesty's Subjects, and that no Foreigner has any Share or Interest therein.

It has been deemed expedient, however, to depart in some Measure from the Colonial System, by permitting the Exportation of most of the principal Enumerated Commodities from the Sugar Colonies direct to Malta and Gibraltar, and allowing the Exportation of a great Variety of European Articles from Malta and Gibraltar direct to the said Sugar Colonies, and to Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the Colonies in North America; also Oranges and Lemons from the Azores or Madeiras: To extend also the Trade of the North American Colonies and encourage the Fisheries, the Lading of other Articles is permitted in Ports of Europe South of Cape Finisterre, on board Ships arriving from the said Colonies, either with Articles the Production thereof, or with British American Fish; finally, Dutch Proprietors in Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo, may export the Produce of their Estates to the Netherlands, and import from thence into those Colonies the necessary Articles of Supply for the Cultivation of such Estates, and the Clothing and Maintenance of the Residents thereon, and the Trade to and from the Netherlands may be carried on in Dutch Ships..

Such

Such is briefly the Nature of the Law and Policy regarding "the Trade with Europe," and as none of the Countries South of Cape Finisterre are Manufacturing Countries, it is not considered that any Injury can arise in consequence of the Departure from our Colonial System in favour of those Countries.

With respect to the Trade "between the Colonies," both in the Enumerated and the Nonenumerated Commodities, it is perfectly free, except as to Hats, Wool, and Woollen Manufactures, the Exportation of which is wholly prohibited to any Place; this Prohibition was intended to prevent the Establishment of any Manufactures of such Commodities in the British Colonies, to the Injury of the Export Trade of the Mother Country.

Ever since the Independence of the "United States," the Trade of the British Colonies has been subject to particular Limitations and Restrictions, with respect to its Intercourse with that Country. Having broke off their Political Connexion with Great Britain, and become our Rivals in Trade and Manufactures, it was thought necessary to confine the " Imports" to Tobacco, Naval Stores, and such Articles as the British Colonies did not produce in sufficient Quantities for their Use and Consumption, and which could not be obtained elsewhere, and to confine the "Exports" to some Enumerated Commodities and Goods not prohibited to Foreign Countries

in