1801.) State of Commerce in France, 155

find this worthy of inſertion in a publication ſo uſeful as your Maoazine, of which I am a great adm.rer,

ithout being attached to French principles, but rather to more patriotic ſentiments for England, I refided this year a few months in France, where I made ſimilar remarks on the ſtate of that country, of which your friend gave you a moſt minute in- formation; yet I ſtepped farther, and began to trace the origin of that uncommon induftry; I ſought particularly for the cauſe of the prohibition of manufaéÆured goods, and found that the ficſt ſtep towards it was abſolutely entercd into by this country. I cannot refrain from thinking that by prohibiting the trade with France, the emigrant party applied theiy uſual power of perſua- ſion. I beg you will believe that 1 am moſt affuredly the friend of every Freoch emigrant, who combines honour with his miſ- fortunes z yet the major part of them has been of the ancient no- bility, and even thoſe brought up in the mercantile line bave, in adviſing this nation to break up the bands of trade with France, only ſoothed their ſorrow, without either having the knowledge required to judge about commercial affairs, or, if they had, with a view to ruin France.- If then this couid not be obtained even at that time, when the French nation deſpiſed their own government, why was it, or ſhould it be continued, io lay all poſſible difficul- ties in the way to trade with France dire&? Many articles are yet prohibited to go there, as cotton wool, dyers wood,&c. yet they go in any quantity, unconcerned what becomes of them, to Hamburgh, Bremer, or Embden;'it cannot therefore be ſaid that articles are prohibited to be exportcá to deprive the French there- ol, becauſe, by paying a moderate profit to the Hamburghers, they are furniſhed almoſt with every commodity they are in need of. Sugars, coffee,&c. of late are permitted to go dire&, yet ſtill under difficulties which continue an impediment to trade, though in fa to che national good;. for whilſt thoſe difficulties frighten or at leaſt check the ſpirit of the(induſtrious) Engliſh merchant, the Amcricans and Hamburghers take the advantage of that loath- ſomenels in trade, and ſupply France, by Icaving England a bulk of merchandiſe, to keep which, the intereſt of money, and Ware- houſe rent alone, amount to prodigious ſums. I therefore am perfe&ly convinced that whilſt this country endeayours to injure France, it 1s only checking its own trade; and here it will not be improper to ſay a few words upon a free trade with France. In this caſe there would ariſe a perpetual demand for all kinds of produce, becauſe, by way of France, ail Italy, all Switzerland, and all the environs of the Rhine, would provide themſelves, which would occaſion a ſteady market, far preferable to the terrible changes to which the preſent commerce. is expoled; there would be no extraordinary riſe in the articles, unleſs ſuch as are occa- ſioned by bad crops; on the other hand, there is no fear of ſuch a decline, as to be forced to make loans from government tp keep