Part 2

Whether the _New England_ People have succeeded well in this Enterprize, may appear by the Method they have taken to exalt their own great Industry, and Parsimony, by asserting that their Fellow-subjects of the Sugar Colonies are a most luxurious, profuse People. Thus it often happens among some Orders of People on the Banks of the River _Thames_; that to exalt their own Virtue, they tell the World their Neighbours are——no better than they should be.

The Inhabitants of the Sugar Colonies, ’tis said, are very rich and very luxurious. That the Product of the Colonies is of the richest Sort, and is a Mine to _Great Britain_, is allowed, and has been fully proved; but that the Proprietors of the Soil and Manufactures are far from being rich, is evident from the Proofs already made to the Parliament, that they do not clear five Shillings for every hundred Pounds weight of Sugar they make.

This the _New England_ Traders would think but a moderate Profit upon one of their short Voyages: But it is too much for an Inhabitant of the Sugar Colonies, who runs infinite more risque in the heat of the torrid Zone; does the Duty and is liable to all the Hazards of a Camp, in time of War; and in time of Peace, lives the most careful Life of any of the Inhabitants under the Sun. That this is truly the Case of the Planter in the Sugar Colonies, all Mankind that are well acquainted with them will attest: but it may be evinced, from the Nature of a _West-India_ Estate itself, which is subject to Ruin by the _French_; to Fire from the combustible Nature of the Sugar Canes, which are its Product; from the vast Buildings and Materials for making Sugar and Rum; from the like Expence in Negroes, Cattle, and Mules; from the risque of Mortality in this part of the Property, which is always half the Value of a well-settled Plantation; and lastly the Expence of feeding; the Care, Anxiety, and prudent Conduct of governing two or three hundred Negroes with strict Justice and Humanity, and with Advantage to himself, is the Station of a Planter: And is not this a Station that requires as much Fortitude, Industry, and Oeconomy, as catching Fish, or buying Skins from the _Indians_ of _New-England_? In short, without a good Share of all the Qualifications necessary to Conduct an Affair the most complicated in its Nature, surrounded with Difficulties and Hazards; and in which the nicest Oeconomy and Order must be observed, it is impossible a Planter can reap any Profit from his Estate. Therefore if Planters are rich, they must be the best Oeconomists and the most industrious Men in the World.

But let us hear what all Gentlemen that have travelled to the Sugar Colonies, and to _New England_, will say of the Inhabitants of both. To them let the Appeal be made, as being impartial Observers of a Country, to which they are attached by no prejudice of Education. It will appear by their Testimony, that the Inhabitants of the Sugar Colonies are a polite People, being generally educated in _England_, in the best manner. And if Virtue and Morality be the Result of a good Education, they are as well entitled to both, as the Subjects of _England_; and more than the People of _New England_, who are educated in their own mean Seminaries.

To all impartial Strangers I appeal, whether the Inhabitants of the _British_ Sugar Colonies are not the most benevolent, hospitable People in the World; and whether every Stranger, and especially _Englishmen_, be not received there with singular regard? On the contrary let them say whether the Inhabitants of _New-England_, and especially of _Boston_, do not always express a _Jewish_ Antipathy to Strangers; even to their Fellow-subjects of _England_, and the Sugar Colonies, whom they call by the invidious Name of Foreigners, and indeed treat them accordingly.

But perhaps Hospitality is not in the _New-England_ Catalogue of Virtues; but stands for a Vice, and goes by the Name of Luxury or Profuseness.—This Mistake of Hospitality for that Vice, was perhaps the Reason why the _New England_ People thought it applicable to the Inhabitants of the Sugar Colonies.

But let their Sentiments be as they may, all wise Men will infer from the Observation of social Virtues in a Colony, that private Virtues of all Kinds, must abound there too: and every Legislature will cherish and encourage such a People, as being the best of Subjects.

Thus far the most plausible Reasons offered by the _New England_ People in their Case, have been considered; and ’tis presumed fully confuted: but as there are some Reasons of the like Kind, publish’d in the Case of _Rhoad Island_ &c. it will not be improper to give them also a short Answer.

In the case of _Rhoad Island_ there is a Calculate made of the Import of Sugar from _Barbadoes_ to _Great Britain_ amounting in the Year 1730 to 22,769 Hogsheads, valued at 340,396 _l._ An immense net Profit (says the Author) for such a small Island, and therefore the _Barbadians_ have no Reason to complain _&c._ The Reason this Author gives for thinking all that Sum to be net Profit is because it was averr’d by a Witness at the Committee of the House of Commons, That the Rum and Melasses of a Sugar-Plantation bears the Charges of it; and therefore all the Sugar is net Profit.

Those that aver this would do well to give us a Calculation of the annual Charge of a Plantation, which it is certain they are entirely ignorant of. Till they can make out their Assertion from such a Calculation fairly stated, ’twill be sufficient to deny what they alledge, and tell them, that if _New England_ Traders take Rum from Foreigners, and Melasses to be distill’d into Rum by themselves; then the Rum and Melasses will be so far from bearing such a Charge, that on the contrary they will bear no Charge at all; but the Melasses must be given to Hogs as the _French_ used to do, till _New England_ taught them how to make a better Profit of it.

By the Assistance of the _New England_ Traders the _French_ now have that great Advantage, and the _French_ Plantations are encreased above one third in the annual Value, purely by that pernicious Trade. This Encrease to Foreigners is a proportionable Diminution of our own Sugar Colonies, and consequently a Disadvantage to _Great Britain_.

But is the Product of that little Island _Barbadoes_ no less than 340,396 _l._ brought into the Ports of _Great Britain_ in one Year? What then must be the net Product of all the Sugar Colonies?——an immense Sum no doubt. And is this all brought into the Ports of _Great Britain_? What a Fountain of Treasure must this be to the Kingdom, even by the Confession of the Enemies to our _British_ Sugar Colonies! Do therefore the _New England_ Traders imagine that the Parliament of _Great Britain_ will sacrifice this immense Treasure to the Advantage of a few _New England_ Distillers? Or if it was a Disadvantage to all _New England_ (from whence _Great Britain_ derives no Advantage in comparison of that) would it not be just Policy to support the Sugar Colonies? But when the present Opposition is consider’d as founded on a Trade with the _French_, the natural and implacable Enemies of this Kingdom; what honest _Englishman_ can look upon it without Disdain? especially after it has appeared evident from Reason, from undoubted Testimony, and even by the implicit Confession of the _New England_ People concerned in this Opposition, that the _French_ have encreased one third _per Annum_ in their Wealth, by this very Trade. That our Sugar Colonies have declined in Proportion has been proved already; and to compleat the Misfortune, the _New England_ Traders have drain’d even the _British_ Sugar Colonies of all their current Cash, for no other Purpose but to purchase Melasses and Rum of the _French_. This is a Fact known by all the Inhabitants of the Sugar Colonies, some of which are now in _London_ ready to prove it in the most solemn Manner.

But after all, say these Opposers of the Bill for the Encouragement of the Sugar Colonies: If _New England_ does not supply the _French_ with Lumber and Horses, they will supply themselves from their own Northern Colonies.

Let them do so if they can, it will cost them dear, and in some measure prevent or at least postpone the Ruin of our Sugar Colonies: for every Body that knows those Parts of the World, can determine what a long expensive Voyage it will be from the _French_ Northern and Western Colonies to their Sugar Islands; and therefore their Lumber must come so dear, that they will chuse rather to make their own Lumber out of hard Wood of their own Growth, as they did formerly, till _New England_ supply’d them in a better Manner. This very Expedient would put a considerable Stop to the Growth of the _French_ Sugar Colonies, because it would employ one quarter Part of their Labourers, now employ’d in the Sugar Manufacture.

It has been before proved that _New England_ may still carry on its Lumber Trade to as good Effect to our _British_ Sugar Colonies: but as that Country is open’d the Lumber Trade must in time decrease to the great Disadvantage of the _British_ Sugar Colonies. But supposing this Prohibition of the _French_ Trade for Lumber should occasion some Decline of it at present, cannot the industrious _New England_ People turn their Hands to nothing else? Cannot that People pursue Agriculture in order to supply the Sugar Islands with all kinds of Corn, so as to make it unnecessary to raise it of their own Growth? By such a Pursuit the _British_ Manufacture of Wool would be in less Danger of being transferr’d to them. Can’t they plant Hemp and Flax to make Cordage and Sail Cloth, both for their own Navigation and that of _Great Britain_; and by that means take off the Necessity of our trading with Foreigners for those Commodities?

This I apprehend would be an honest Method of acquiring Wealth to themselves, and of being a useful Colony to _Great Britain_ and to its Sister Colonies. But nothing less will satisfie this unnatural Daughter, than the supplanting her Mother-Country in Navigation and Trade; and subverting her Sister Colonies, by a Trade with our natural Enemies the _French_.

That all these Consequences will follow from the present Bent of the People of _New England_, unless a Parliamentary Interposition prevents it, has been made plain in the foregoing Pages: And it may be as easily proved, that in case the _British_ Sugar Colonies should fail, and a War with _France_ happen, that _New England_ itself would lose all their _Indian_ Trade and Fishery for want of a sufficient Supply of Rum and Melasses; and that therefore the present Opposition to the Bill for the Encouragement of the _British_ Sugar Colonies, is absolutely inconsistent with the Interest of _New England_ for the future, and at present to the irreparable Damage of _Great Britain_.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _Vid._ the Case of the _Brit. Nor. Col._

[2] As by a Witness at the Bar of the House of Commons.

A

LETTER

TO A

Member of the HOUSE OF COMMONS.

_SIR_,

As the Bill for encouraging our Sugar Colonies, which is now before You, is certainly of very great Consequence, and the Sentiments of several Gentlemen are widely different in regard to it; and as a great many Gentlemen of the House of Commons have never had the Necessity or Opportunity of acquainting themselves with Trade and Navigation, and some others that are acquainted with Trade in general, yet may not be so well acquainted with the particular Branches of Trade that must be affected by this Bill, as I am who have resided in the _West Indies_ and the _Northern Colonies_, and have, by a long Experience, acquainted my self with the Nature and Importance of the Trade of those parts, therefore have now to beg (as I still trade to these Places, so that it could not be proper for me to appear for either Party at the Bar of your House) that you will allow me to give you my Sentiments thereon. I know a Notion has already prevail’d too far, that this Bill is only calculated to inhance the Price of Sugar, and consequently Gentlemens Estates in the _West Indies_: Indeed it may, in some measure, do this, and this is very necessary; but this is far from being the only Advantage this Bill proposes; and, with leave, I will lay before you some of a more publick Nature that must be the Consequence of this Bill, and then I will leave you to judge of the Reasonableness or Unreasonabless of it. This Bill proposes to enable the Subjects of _Great Britain_ to recover what they have lately lost, viz. the supplying foreign Markets with Sugar, which is now wholly engross’d by the _French_, our Rivals, to the vast Prejudice of the Trade and Navigation of this Kingdom, and almost to the Destruction of our Sugar Colonies, that have been so prodigiously advantagious to the Trade, Navigation and Revenue of this Kingdom, and thereby to retrieve our Sugar Colonies from that languishing Condition they are at present reduc’d to, an prevent that Destruction that seems to threaten them. Now the Method proposed in this Bill to effect this good End, is to prevent the Subjects of _Great Britain_ (residing in our Northern Colonies) from taking from the _French_ their Rum and Melasses, which they can no where have any other vent for, notwithstanding all the superficial Pretences that have been made to the contrary, which I shall take notice of presently, after I have premis’d, that this is giving the _French_ at least twenty five _per Cent._ upon the whole Produce of their Sugar Colonies, and thereby enabling them to afford their Sugar (by the other Advantages they have over us) at foreign Markets, cheaper than our own Sugar Colonies can. It is finding them with Plantation Necessaries, and finding them Money to pay for them, _viz._ their Melasses and Rum, which otherwise they must throw away as formerly; and could they be supply’d with Lumber from any of their own Settlements, (which, I say, they cannot at three times the Price they now have it) yet it would answer the End; for they must pay for such Supplies in Cash or Sugar, to the very great Inhancement of the Price of their Sugar which they send to _Europe_. Pray let me give you a fit Comparison, which is, let the Brewers throw away their Small-beer, their Grains and their Barm, pray how would that affect the Price of strong Beer and Ale? And this is the very case with the _French_ Sugar Colonies; they have not, nor can have any Demand for it but from our Northern Colonies.

But let us see where the Adversaries of this Bill finds them a Vent for it; they say they will distil it into Rum, and send it to Cape _Breton_, _Quebeck_ and other _French_ Settlements; but I do tell you, Sir, that the making and importing of Rum is prohibited in all the _French_ Northern Colonies in the strictest manner, in favour of _French_ Brandy, which they are abundantly supply’d with, and so cheap, that they have no Necessity for Rum, nor can it be supposed that the _French_ will ever allow it to be imported into these Colonies. We may as well suppose that this Kingdom will leave the sole Supply of foreign Markets, with woollen Manufactures, to _Ireland_.

Again, they say that the _English West India_ islands is not able to supply Rum for the Use of all our Northern Colonies, that is, for their own Consumption, their Fishery and their _Indian_ Trade: Their own Consumption, they say, is great, particularly in Harvest. Alas! what can it be for a Fortnight, or say a Month, and then it’s no more necessary in Harvest there than here; for all over the Continent where I have been, and where there is any Harvest they have good Beer, as cheap, both small and strong, nay cheaper than we of this Kingdom, they paying none of the great Duties on Malt and Beer as we do; nay they have it so plenty, that they send large Quantities of strong Beer to the _West Indies_, which they can do cheaper than we can from hence, by being exempted from the Duty of Malt and Beer, as I said. Besides they abound with Cyder, Then pray judge of the great Consumption there must be of Rum, or the Necessity there must be for such Quantities in such a Country.

Next is, the great Quantities they insist on, necessary to carry on their _Indian_ Trade: Now, during the time I resided among them, I never found more Rum necessary, than a small Quantity to treat them with when they come to trade, or perhaps to sell them while they stay and trade, but I never could learn that they ever bought and carry’d away any; and I believe Brandy and Rum, or Malt Spirits are equally acceptable to them; however a small matter serves their turn. The Goods they chiefly trade for, are Blankets, Strouds, Duffils, _&c._ as it is plain from what a Gentleman told you that had resided a great while at _South Carolina_, that they traded with eight thousand _Indians_, and yet nine hundred Hogsheads of Rum was the most they ever imported in one Year, both to supply their Home Consumption, all their Trade with these eight thousand _Indians_, and to trade to other Ports with; and yet this is a Colony that is the hottest, has the largest Harvest of Rice, _&c._ and not supplied so well with Beer, _&c._ as the other Northern Colonies are.

So let us allow this Colony of _South Carolina_ these nine hundred Hogsheads, _North Carolina_ one thousand Hogsheads, _Virginia_ and _Maryland_ three thousand Hogsheads, _New York_ and _Philadelphia_ four thousand Hogsheads, _Rhode_ Island and _New England_ ten thousand Hogsheads, which Calculation, both by their respective Custom-house Accounts, and by the largest Estimates that ever has been made, are too large, and yet the whole amounts but to eighteen thousand nine hundred Hogsheads. I know you have been told, that all our Sugar Colonies could not supply them with Rum; nay, one of their People that never saw the _West Indies_ (or knew any thing of the Sugar Colonies) told you that our Colonies could not supply them with one fifth; now it is plain, that both the _French_ and the _Dutch_ don’t make near so much as we do; but admit they did, and those Northern Colonies had all that was made by them and ourselves, all would but supply two fifths. God knows what they must do for the other three fifths. I think you was told by the same Person, that fifteen thousand Fishermen were employed in the _New England_ Fishery, and another Gentleman who last Year told you, that the Fishery consisted of ten thousand, this Year told you that it consisted of one hundred and fifty thousand; I do allure you all these, and other things you have heard, are equally true.

Since which you have had a particular Calculation of the Number of Vessels and Men employ’d in that said Fishery, and I assure you, even that Calculation is too large, in the whole not less than five hundred Men; for he allows six Men to every Shallop, and five is generally their Compliment; and yet that Calculation makes but six hundred and sixty Shallops, besides small Boats, and four thousand, four hundred and sixty Men.

The same Person told you, that the _English_ Sugar Colonies, under their present Improvement, did make forty thousand Hogsheads of Rum _per Annum_, and could make (had they Demand for it) about fifty five thousand Hogsheads _per Annum_, besides what those large Tracts of uncultivated Land would produce, should they have Encouragement to settle, that are in the Leeward Islands and _Jamaica_.

You were also told, that the _New England_ People, thus taking from the _French_ their Melasses, Rum and Sugar, and supplying all the other Northern Colonies, as well as _Newfoundland_, _Great Britain_, _Ireland_ and _Africa_ with large Quantities thereof, was a very great Hurt to the Revenue; for if these Places were not thus supply’d, they must be supplied from our own Sugar Colonies, then every thousand Pound Value of Rum or Melasses, of our own Growth, must pay His Majesty a Duty of forty five Pounds, and every thousand Pound Value of Sugar, a Duty of one hundred and twenty Pounds. He might have added, at the same time, that it was likewise a great Hurt to the Trade and Navigation of this Kingdom, as well as to the Sugar Colonies; that we cannot supply those Places with Rum, Sugar and Melasses of our own Growth, and in Ships and Vessels of this Kingdom, without the Disadvantage of paying for our Rum and Melasses a Duty of four and a half _per Cent._ and for our Sugar a Duty of twelve _per Cent._ when _New England_ can supply all the Markets with Rum, Sugar and Melasses of foreign Growth, without paying any of these Duties. Pray what Advantage must this be in Trade? Undoubtedly was it not for this Advantage they have over us, a great many of our Vessels that miss a Freight of Sugar in the _West Indies_ for _London_, would take some Rum, Melasses and Sugar, and go to _Newfoundland_, and barter it for Fish or Oil, and then proceed to some other Market with it, and might probably employ themselves to Advantage, or might with a little Rum, Sugar and Melasses, go to _North Carolina_, &c. and barter for a Cargoe of Pitch, Tar and Skins and bring to _Great Britain_; but here likewise we are rival’d by the _New England_ People, and must be; for we have no Place allow’d us to carry foreign Melasses to, without paying Duty, and then of distilling them into Rum, without paying Excise, and it is a Paradox to me that they should, to the infinite Damage of so many of his Majesty’s good Subjects, and to she vast Prejudice of the Publick.

They tell you likewise that they cannot get Rum _&c._ for their Lumber in our Sugar Colonies, at any reasonable rate; neither can they get a Price for their Lumber: ever since I knew the _English_ Sugar Colonies, the Price of both Rum and Lumber hath been govern’d by the Crops; when the Crops are large the Lumber must be dear, and Rum cheap; on the other Hand when the Crops are small, Lumber must be cheap, and Rum dear; (this is the Case every where.) You was told that in _Barbadoes_ in the Year 1718, Rum was sold for nineteen Pence _per_ Gallon, and the Year 1724, Rum was sold at ten Pence half Penny _per_ Gallon; tho’ at the same time the Person told you, that he would not be understood to think that Rum was fallen so much since that Time; but the Price was greater or less as the Crops were so.

As for their telling you, that they cannot get Rum _&c._ at our islands; and therefore are forced to go down to the _French_. Not one Vessel in ten that goes to the _French_ ever touches at our Sugar Colonies first; (as they pretend) and if one of them by chance touches at _Barbadoes_, it is either to learn if there is a Possibility of Liberty to trade to the _French_ islands, or for some other end; and not to sell her Cargoe. But as I said before, not one in ten that designs for the _French_ islands, but goes directly thither.