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cording to the nature of their offences; and as capital condemnations are very rare, this is the most ufual manner of punishing their criminals. Thele culprits are diftinguished by an iron collar, with a hook projecting over their heads.

According to the hiftorians of Berne, this town was built by Berchtold V. Duke of Zæringen; and was, from its foundation, an imperial city. Upon the death of the Duke in 1218, the Emperor Frederic 11. conferred upon the inhabitants confiderable privileges, and drew up alfo a code of legiflation, which forms the bafis of their prefent civil laws. The liberty which this town enjoyed, attracted great numbers of inhabitants from the adjacent country, who found here a fure afylum from the oppreffion of the nobles. From its firft foundation, Berne was engaged in perpetual wars with its neighbours, and for fome time with the house of Auftria: notwithstanding which, the town continued to aggrandife itfelf by degrees, and confiderably to enlarge its territory. In the year 1352, Berne acceded to the Helvetic

confederacy; and fo great was its power, even at that early period, that it obtained the fecond rank after Zuric, among the allied ftates. Since the acquifition of the Pays de Vaud, the domains of this canton form nearly the third part of Swifferland, and about the fourth of its actual popula tion: it contains about three hundred and fifty thoufand fouls, befides about eleven thousand in the capital. By the introduction of the reformation into the town in 1528, the government acquired a large encreafe of its revenues, arifing from the ecclefiaftical poffeffions, which were very confiderable. Not long after that period, the whole canton followed the example of the capital, and the reformed religion was univerfally established throughout its extenfive dominions.

The Pays de Vaud having been conquered from the houfe of Savoy, as the German divifion of the canton was from the ftates of the empire; juftice is adminiftered, and the taxes regulated in those two provinces by a fet of laws and cuftoms peculiar to each.

Confiderations on the prefent State of the Intercourfe between his Majefty's Sugar Colonies and the Dominions of the United States of America.

his celebrated" John's," it is neceffary to understand,

LORD Sheffield, in his celebrated

American States, having laid down this general pofition, "That the West Indies may be fufficiently fupplied with the articles of American produce from Canada, Nova Scotia, and St. John's, and that therefore thefe fettlements fhould be encouraged in preference to the American States; The Weft India Planters and Merchants have publifhed a pamphlet, figned by their Secretary, in refutation of this pofition; and as the fubject will probably foon occupy the most ferious confideration of Parliament, we have taken the earliest opportunity of laying before our readers the following extract, which, as far as we are able to judge, contains every information neceffary for the fully comprehending this very important bufinefs; but, which places in a very different point of view from his Lordship, the real and true interefts of Great Britain and her fugar colonies.

In order to judge of the truth of the general propofition, "That the Weft Indies may be fufficiently fupplied with "the articles of North American produce "from Canada, Nova Scotia, and St. VOL. VI. June 1784.

First, What the annual confumption of American produce in the British fugar colonies really amounts to; which his Lordfhip's tables, blending the exports to the foreign, with thofe to the British islands, do not fhew.

Secondly, How much thereof used to be fupplied by thofe provinces which now form the United States, and how much by thofe which remain British.

And Thirdly, To review the prefent state of the remaining British North American colonies, and fee how far their present or probable produce may be expected to exceed what they heretofore produced, or prove at all adequate to the demand.

There is extant an official return from the Commiffioners of the Cuftoms, dated the 15th of March, 1775, which affords a complete aufwer to the firft and second heads of this enquiry, and an authentic view of the confumption of the British fugar colonies in time of peace. It contains an account of the importation into thofe colonies, from North America, in the years 1771, 1772, and 1773, the totals of which, for all the three years add ed together, ftand as follows:

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An Account of the total Import from North America into the British Weft India Islands, in the years 1771, 1772, and 1773; taken from an official Account figned by Mr. Stanley, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Cuftoms in London, dated March 1775. From the Colonies now forming nada, No-New

the Uunited States.

From Ca

From

Lumber.

va Scotia.foundland

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From hence it appears, that the fupply from the provinces now forming the United States, was immenfe; whilft the fupply from thofe which remain British was, before the last war, quite trifling, except in the fingle article of fish from Newfoundland, with which the independence of the American States has no connection, and of which there is nothing now to hinder the importation as formerly. This comparative view is corroborated by another account extracted from the Cuftom-house returns for the year 1772, by which it appears, that of one thoufand two hundred and eight cargoes of lumber and provifions imported that year from North America into the British fugar colonies, only feven cargoes came from Canada and Nova Scotia; and it is further confirmed by Lord Sheffield's table, No. 7; by which it appears, that of feven hundred and one topfail veffels, and one thoufand fix hundred and eighty one floops, cleared outwards from North America to

1,540 . 620 3992

the British and foreign West Indies in the year 1770, only two topfail veffels and eleven floops were cleared from Canada and Nova Scotia. It ftands therefore incontrovertible, that previous to the late war, the fupplies to the Weft Indies, afforded by thofe North American colonies which now remain British, did not amount to a proportion of the whole confumption of the fugar colonies in any degree worthy of national attention. It remains to examine, how far their present state differs from what it was then, or affords a rational ground for believing those colonies at all adequate to the fupply of the West Indies.

And firft, as to Canada.

The navigation of the river St. Law rence opens in May, and clofes in Novem ber; during which fhort feafon of intercourfe, the prevalent wefterly winds and frequent calms greatly impede the paffage up the river, and render more than one voyage in the year to and from the Weft Indies impracticable. The trade affords

до

no outward-bound freight from Britain to Canada, beyond what the ships returning from Canada to Britain can carry out; and confequently, all fhips fent thither from Britain, to carry lumber or provifions to the West Indies, must go in ballast at a ruinous expence.

The climate renders the crops of wheat very precarious. When in the ear a kind of mildew moft commonly affects it, and deftroys the fairest expectations of plenty. The quality is far inferior to the wheat of either Great Britain or the middle colonies of America, and upon competition fells accordingly. Its produce in flour is nearly twenty-eight pounds of fine flour per buthel of wheat. No quantities of winter wheat have ever been fown in Canada, though fome experiments of that kind have been tried without any remarkable fuccefs. The history of the exportation of wheat and flour from Canada is as follows. Before the year 1772 there was none.

Bushels In 1772, There were exported of Wheat.

To Great Britain,

To the British colonies, To the fouthern parts of Europe,

Total

In 1773, To Great Britain,
To the British colonies,
To the fouthern parts of
Europe,

Total

In 1774, To Great Britain,
To the British colonies,
To the fouthern parts of
Europe, about
Total

5,940 22,811

126,056

154,807

3,300

30,711

320,545

354,556

49,871

1,004

412,619

463,494

In 1775, 1776, and 1777, the export was quite inconfiderable; and fince that time, no wheat has been exported; nor, before that time, any flour.

In 1778, about three thousand barrels of flour were fhipped for Halifax and New York, where the war had occafioned it to be very dear, and no more was exported. In 1779, 1780, 1781, and 1782, the fcarcity in Canada was fuch, that all exportation of bread, flour, or wheat, was prohibited. In the beginning of Summer 1783, about one thoufand five hundred barrels of flour were exported to Halifax and Newfoundland, and none to any other

place; but the crop again proved bad.—Flour at Quebec was, by the laft advices, at thirty fhillings per hundred weight; and there was, at the time of Lord Sheffield's laft publication, a fhip loading in the river Thames for Quebec, which failed the beginning of April Taft.

No trace appears, but in his Lordship's affertion, of the forty thousand quarters, or three hundred and twenty thousand bufhels of Canada wheat, that used to be imported to Philadelphia and New York annually, before the revolt.

There are many good mills in Canada, and fome very capital ones, and no want of the means of grinding any quantity of wheat they have to grind.

During the whole war, the army in Canada was obliged to be fupplied with complete rations of provifions from Europe, except a part of one year's fupply of flour, for which the produce of the country was relied upon; and that fmall extra demand raifed the price from eighteen fhillings to thirty fhillings per hundred weight, and qccafioned great scarcity.

Thus it clearly appears, that for the laft nine fucceffive years, Canada has had no wheat or flour worthy of notice to export. Its greatest export, viz. that of the year 1774, amounted to a mere trifle, compared to the demands of the fugar colonies. And although it be true, that, in favourable feafons, an overplus of grain, beyond the con fumption of the inhabitants, may now and then happen, yet fuch overplus can never be relied upon; and the frequency of dif appointment muft prove an infurmountable bar to new inhabitants fettling with a view to the cultivation of wheat.

With respect to lumber, the quality of every fpecies of the pine of Canada is vaftly inferior to the pine timber of the middle and fouthern colonies, and does not fell in the Weft Indies for much more than half the price. The navy-board was lately led to believe, that mafts might be had from Canada; and fent out a furveyor to examine them; but he found none fit for the fervice. The white oak staves of Canada are of good quality, but they are manufactured to a fize fit for the London market, which takes off the whole. The price of labour, which runs from a half dollar to a dollar per day, renders the cutting red oak flaves, or other low priced lumber impracticable at any price which the fugar colonies can afford to pay for it, in a country fo difficult of accefs as Canada.

There has not been a single fhip built in the province fince fome years before the

Nnn 2

late

568 Produce of N. Scotia and St. John's not equal to their Confumption

late war; nor, according to the latest ad- it from the fettlements made in Frenchvices, is there a fingle one building. All they have attempted is, boats and fmall veffels, fit for the navigation of their own river.

And finally, the state of population precludes all hope of a speedy increase of fupplies. Not more than two or three British families have purchased lands for cultivation, fince the province was first ceded to us by France: The few loyalifts who have lately gone thither are chiefly trading people: And the French Canadians, in number about one hundred thousand fouls, have not yet exhibited any fuch figns of fpirit or vigorous induftry, beyond what is neceffary for the fuftenance of life, as to warrant any expectation of their furmounting all the difadvantages of climate, and furnishing a fupply at all extenfive to other countries. In short, any confiderable additional produce muft undoubtedly depend upon additional hands, not now exifting in the province,

Secondly, as to Nova Scotia.

It has never yet produced grain fufficient for the fuftenance of its inhabitants, which, at the commencement of the late war, did not exceed twenty-feven thoufand fouls; but are recently increased to about fixty thousand fouls, by the emigration of loyalifts from the United States.

It has never yet exported any lumber worthy the name of merchandize; and fo far from having any to export, it appears by the latest advices, that a confiderable importation was taking place from the American dominions on the oppofite fide of the Bay of Fundy.

It has never yet built any fhips beyond the fmall craft employed in the fishery, and other fervices upon its own coaft; and, confidering that there are at prefent few or no fhip-builders among the inhabitants, if ship-building in Nova Scotia were to be pufhed, it must be principally by artifans emigrating thither from Great Britain and Ireland.

It has never yet afforded any fupply of black cattle to any other country whatever. The quality of its timber is variously fpoken of and very little known; but there is reafon to believe, that all the pine fpecies, especially thofe growing on the peninfula, are inferior to thofe of the middle and fouthern provinces of America. And although this colony may, with great encouragement, in time become inhabited and productive, yet at prefent it affords nothing for exportation but what may, by indirect means, be brought into

man's Bay, and other parts of the province of Maine, in the American dominions, from whence the run across the mouth of the Bay of Fundy to Port Roseway, now called Port Shelburne, is only about fixty or feventy leagues.

Thirdly, as to the Island of St. John.

It has never yet produced food for its own inhabitants, in number about 2000 fouls.

It has never exported any thing that can be confidered as merchandize, the produce of the island.

Its fishery is no better than that of Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, whilft its fituation within the Gulph of St. Lawrence shuts it up from all intercourfe for more than five months in the year; and its fog, more impenetrable than even the fog of Nova Scotia, renders the country too uncomfortable to hope for population, while lands remain unoccupied in happier climates.

Upon the review of this actual state of the British North American colonies, it is difficult to treat a deliberate and perfever. ing attempt to imprefs the public with an opinion, that the wants of the fugar colonics may be fupplied from thence, with that refpect which the West India planters and merchants wish to preferve upon the prefent occafion. To fuppofe thofe colonies at all productive for the purposes of a fubftantial exportation is to anticipate the flow effects of many years of that fteady and expenfive fyftem of encouragement from the mother country, which raifed the other North American colonies to independence; and to fuppofe that at any time their produce can be rendered adequate to the Weft Indian demand, appears vaftly beyond what the climate and other natural difadvantages can ever admit, under any encouragement whatfoever.

The truth is, that the fugar colonies can alone be supplied with lumber from the dominions of the United States, and that they cannot either well or cheaply be fupplied with many effential articles of provifion from any other country. Flour in particular will not keep in the West Indies, and requires a conftant fupply by as short a voyage as poflible: Even in the voyage from England it frequently grows four; and live ftock of all kinds obviously require a thort voyage at a favorable feafon of the year. Without thefe fupplies, the cultivation of the fugar colonies cannot be carried on; and whether the circumftances of the cafe do or do not admit the intercourfe, thereby created, to be confined to

British

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