The exportation of brandy produces but little to the revenue. To encourage it, it has been neceffary to take off the impoft, which at present is no more than five fols per hogfhead, whilft wine pays a duty of at least an hundred fols, and in the Bordelois from that fum to twenty-eight livres.*

Government ought to have done the reverse, to have reduced the duties on wines, and augmented them on brandies..

The exportation of brandies, is prejudicial to the confumption of our wines; for it is the bafis of all made wines, in countries where wine is not produced. It is put into a great quantity of water; to which is added, bay berries every where to be found. Wine brandies are indifpenfible in this fabrication, no other can fupply their place, because they only can give to artificial wines, the winy taste which is effential to make them drinkable.

What immenfe gain to ftrangers in this process -and what lofs to France. A barrel of brandy which pays a trifling duty on exportation, whofe transport cofts but little on account of its contracted bulk, may be added to five or fix barrels of water, which coft nothing, and by the aid of fugared

*Government has, fince this work has been written, fufpended the duties paid by the wines of Bourdeaux and Languedoc. This fufpenfion was granted upon a remonstrance, importing that there was an enormous quantity of wines at Bourdeaux, and which the holders dared not export, that they might not be obliged to advance the high duties. This proves, that impofts occafions a stagnatio n.

fugared ingredients, which give colours, may enter into competition with fix barrels of wine, that pay confiderable duties on exportation; and whofe exportation, and tranfport is very expensive.

Therefore, in diftilling and exporting brandies, we work for the intereft of our rivals; we give them an eafy means of doing without our wines. What folly! What would people fay, of an Alchymift, who, having found the philofopher's ftone, fhould communicate his fecret to his rivals, who would make use of it to his prejudice.

And yet this operation fo prejudicial to France, has been favoured by government. It encourager distilleries; that is, it raises up enemies against the meliorating vineyards and wines; and, especially against the art of preferving the latter. It would be much more prudent and advantageous to dif courage diftilleries. In fact, the diftillation of brandies, is for the vineyard proprietor, a last re fource, which proves his ruin.

In the Orleanois, fix barrels at least, of wine are necessary to make one of brandy. The wine of this country, when it is drinkable, is fold on an average, at thirty livres a barrel. The fix barrels produce one hundred and thirty livres, and reduced to brandy they fcarcely produce eighty. Thus the proprietor fuffers a lofs of one hundred. Brandies fent abroad, where they diminish the fale of wine, can bear no exportation duty. Wines on the contrary, pay a confiderable one. Let thefe calculations be anfwered. The English themselves ought not to admit the brandies of France, because, in filling England with artificial wines, they are prejudicial to their wine duties. The prohibition of brandies, would, under this double afpect, be advantageous to both countries.

Befides the profit which would arife to commerce from this operation, the revenue would be greatly. benefited. Receiving nothing on the exportation of brandy, it would receive confiderably on that of wines; for without diminishing their consumption, it would preferve a part of the duties of exportation. Notwithstanding this duty, there would not be lefs fold, because no competition is to be feared.

Thefe duties might be applied to encourage the cultivation of vines, and the art of preferving wine. Better prepared, lefs burthened with taxes, and being cheaper, thefe wines would have a greater confumption in the United States, and cause the use of brandies to be abolished; a greater foreign confumption would employ more hands in cultivation, and render the vine-dreffer lefs wretched.

In a word, our brandies will never have a great call in the United States, and they are prejudicial to the confumption of wines. It is therefore neceffary to difcourage the diftillery of them. If wines become cheaper, if they be better prepared, they will fell better. Therefore the preparation and exportation of them ought to be encouraged.

SECTION

OILS, OLIVES, DRY-FRUITS, &c.

1

These articles are fo many wants with the Americans of eafy fortune, and especially thofe in the northern States. Our fouthern Provinces, which produce fuch delicious fruits, cannot, in this refpect fear any competition. They are alfo articles which have hitherto beft fucceded in adventures made from Marseilles.

Moreover, all that Europe will be able to furnish of them, will find room in the United States; they will accompany our wines and we can join with the fame eafe and certainty of fale, perfumeries, anchovies, verdigrife, &c. as well as an hundred other little things taken by the English from Marfeilles, and of which they have created a want to the Americans.

Lord Sheffield, in his work, makes Spain, Portugal and Italy, furnish the United States with these commodities. I wish he had been fincere enough to give the advantage to France. France is fo generally known to fell these productions in the States of America, that it is equally aftonifhing, this writer fhould have been ignorant of it, or filent upon the fubject. This fact, by proving his

F 4

his partiality, ought to put readers upon their guard against his affertions.

SECTION IV.

CLOTHS.

People governed by a free conftitution are naturally grave and deliberate. They prefer, in every thing they use, goodnefs to elegance, what is folid to that which is fubject to the caprices of mode. Therefore as long as the independent Americans enjoy their excellent conftitution, they will prefer cloaths of cloth to thofe of the moft brilliant ftuffs.

Moreover its beauty, pliancy, ftrength and duration, render it more generally fit for this ufe in any climate whatsoever: cloth fecures the body from the exceffes of cold as well as from those of heat. It refifts rain; in a word, it unites every convenience; and if it be the univerfal cloathing of people in a middling ftate, it offers equally to the rich, but reasonable man, a choice proper to fatisfy his tafte, and to proportion his expences to his

means.

The manufacture of cloths, is in the number of thofe complicated manufactures, which employ throughout the year a great number of workmen by

the

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