Page:Account of the dispute between Russia, Sweden & Denmark, and Great Britain.pdf/8

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O thoſe who fancied we could not do Ruſſian produce we beg the reader's attention to the following ſtatement, which will ſhew that we are by no means without reſources for obtaining  the articles for which we trade with Ruſſia, and if the new channels into which the trade may be thus forced, ſhall be found advantageous, it will probably never be wholly recovered by that or the other countries Of Iron, we take from Ruſſia and Sweden about 50,000 tons annually; one third is from the latter country Our own forges produce about 50,000 tons mere; a ſtop being put to the importation, will be an encouragement to our forges, or founderies, when it is known they only wanted such a circumſtance to furniſh double the quantity they now do. It is the cheapneſs Ruſſian iron that cauſed it to be imported; a few years ago, when the late Empreſs prohibited a number of Engliſh articles, this government was ſtrongly ſolicited to lay duties on Ruſſian iron, even by the merchants concerned in the trade; it was alſo repreſented, that we ſtood in no need of importation from Ruſſia. Swediſh iron, on account of its peculiar quality, is indeed very uſeful, but by no means indiſpenſible. With reſpect to Hemp, it is well known that the Italian hemp is the beſt in Europe, though it does not take tar ſo readily. Egypt has always been famous for hemp and flax, and ſupplied till the French got poſſeſſion of it, Leghorn, Syria, Asia Minor, Constantinople, Smyrna, &c. with large quantities; the East Indies can ſupply us with any quantity, as well as many other countries; nor is there any reaſon why it ſhould not grow at home. It does not impoveriſh land, as ſome have repreſented, more than wheat; perhaps not ſo much. In Ruſſia, the beſt hemp grows in the northern parts. There certainly exiſts no reaſon why we ſhould import flax from Ruſſia, at leaſt it ing of a poſitive