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1817.], that had America been dependent on this country, we could have compelled her to purchase our merchandise, though really higher than that of other states.—Our colonial system was always more liberal than that of Spain; but did all the restrictions, regulations, and guarda-costas, of that power, prevent her colonies from being deluged with the commodities of England, France, and Germany? No custom-house regulations, however rigorously enforced, can ever command or preserve any market; it is solely by the comparative cheapness and quality of the goods offered for sale, that the demand is regulated.

The dread of being deprived of colonial produce, if we had no colonies, appears equally futile and unfounded.—What country can be mentioned, which, though it had no share in the colony trade, ever wanted its products, if disposed to pay for them? Countries possessing extensive colonies are frequently reduced to great difficulties by foreigners refusing to buy their commodities, but when did we hear of any people refusing to sell? This is altogether a visionary danger: the desire to sell has always been, and must always be, as strong as the inclination to purchase.

With the present colonial system the slave trade can only be considered as nominally abolished.—I do not imagine any such keen and determined opposition would have been made to the slave registration bill, if vast numbers of those wretched beings had not still found their way to our islands. But when the cultivation of the sugar cane shall become general in America, it is to be presumed that this infamous traffic will be really put an end to. A government residing on the spot, can see that the laws preventing fresh importations are rigorously executed; but the same thing cannot possibly be effected by a far distant government, whose agents must often be interested in a continuance of the traffic, which they are officially engaged to suppress.

The following table shews the quantity of sugar imported into the United States, and again exported, and, consequently, the quantity of foreign growth consumed in that republic from 1801 to 1812, both inclusive. It is extracted from Mr Pitkins' work, page 255.

Years. Imported. 1801, 143,61 1,596 lbs. 1802, 78,476,165 1803, 85,740,537 1804, 129,969,997 1805, 205,792,755 1806, 200,737,940 1807, 215,836,202 1808, 86,694,229 1809, 64,081,840 1810, 68,368,792 1811, 73,976,609 1812, 72,437,561

Exported. 97,734,209 lbs. 61,180,208 23,323,482 75,096,401 122,808,893 145,630,841 143,119,605 8,962,527 45,297,338 47,024,002 18,268,347 13,927,277

Consumed. 45,877,387 lbs. 17,295,957 62,417,055 64,73,596 82,983,762 55,107,099 72,716,597 67,731,702 18,784,502 21,344,790 55,708,262 58,510,284

Average consumption of foreign sugar in the United States, during the twelve years ending with 1812, 50,279,219 lbs.

M.

London, 5th Mar. 1817.

you can find room for some brief sketches of a view-hunter, who has a little enthusiasm in his line, and who, like not a few of his countrymen, has been a view-hunting lately in France, his memorandum book is very much at your service. The sketches have at least one merit they are warm from the life.

Preparing the race-ground for the races. This raised a train of ideas about the D, S, the fair M, and all that, varied but pleasing.—Pretty clean-looking village of Bridge in the bottom. The country rich with gentlemen's houses and garden-like enclosures. The track was now new to me. This had been the boundary of my former trips on the