THE

Commercial and Agricultural Magazine.

No: FT. OCTOBER; 9% FV ol.L

On the Suppart recently granted by PARLIAMENT and the BANK of England, to the WEsT INDIA MERCHANTS of LIVERPOOL and LoNDON.

To the Editor of the Commercial and Agricultural Magazine.

SIR, HERE is ſo much SucaAR conſumed in my“ houſe, that, even when it was at its loweſt price, I felt it a very bur- thenſome article of family expence. Since, within theſe few laſt years, its price has been o enormouſly enhanced; I have often loſk all patience,—if a tart or a pudding was ſet on my table ſuſficientiy

ſweetened,—if I ſaw a lump of /ugar, of more than the ſize of 2

Pea, put into a cup of tea or cofec,—if I obſerved one of my chil

dren to eat a /ugared plumb, or heard my wife talk of preparing or

purchaſing conſerves. 1 found myſelf ſufficiently ina diſpoſition to exult in the proſpe& of a diminution in the“prices of our fágars, when Parliament reſolved to withhSld the wonted drawback upon theiïf-re-exportation. Ï was charmed to hear&f the German ex- tration of ſugar from the ſugar beet, a plant ofcommon European growth. And, to confeſs the truth, I felt ſomewhat ofa vengeful fatisfa@ion, when I firſt learned; that, on account of the unuſual greatneſs of the crop of laſt year, and the fullneſs of the market, our

Weſt India Merchants were likely, after ſo much proſperity, to

experience ſome temporary difficulties; and that the märket-value

of ſugar was about to fall, at once, from its enormous eXceſs to a

very trifle.

Áfter all this, Sir, my ſentiments, in regard to the BRITISH TRADE IN SUGAR, have, within theſe laſt eight days, under- gone a total change. The ſudden diſtreſs of the Weſt India mer- chants of London and Liverpool; their application to Parliament for relief, and to the Bank for ſupport; the outcry that oppoſed their ſucceſs; and the inconveniences which are felt‘n this citys in conſequenge of it; have moved ine to reflect more ſeriouſly and impartially upon the whole matter, than I. had before done.—L could not but own to myſelf, that /e/f-intereft and irritated perſona! feeling, not a juſt conſideration of the true policy of Britiſh trade, had-prompted my former animoſity againſt the inflated proſperity of the planters ahd ſugar merchants. And I am now inclined“to think; that, if T ſhall be able to repreſent to-you, and your rcaders, with ſufficient force and clearneſs, my reaſons for a change of ſen« timents; you will concur with me in my preſent opinion; and will

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