Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/300

 284< COMMERCE WITH the difference of freif^ht between the legitimate rates and those of the India Company occasions in the price of some of the staple articles of commerce. The difference between the Company's freight to Bengal, or to China, which is the same thing, of L. 25, and the fair rate of the market of L. 10, is L. 15, which, on a ton of sugar, costing at an ave- rage L. 37, lis. 3d., occasions an advance in its cost of 31 percent. Supposing the Company's rate of freights to Bombay to be L. 22, 10s., and the rate of free trade L. 9, the difference on a ton of cotton, or 1550 lb. costing L. 52, 10s., will oc- casion an advance of 22 per cent. Preserving the same proportions, the freight of the Company to Batavia will be L. 20, that of the free trader L. 8. The difference will enhance the price of a ton of pepper, or 1792 1b. costing L.27, 10s., by 84, per cent. The free trader, therefore, can afford to sell sugar 31 1 per cent., cotton 22 per cent., and pepper Si per cent, cheaper than the India Company. There is, in fact, not a merchant in Britain that would not be happy to risk his capital in an Indian voyage, for the chance of profits equal to the simple difference between the legitimate freisrht and the exorbitant one of our Indian mono- poly. That difference, moreover, is uselessly dis- sipated, — is so much of the national capital wasted to no purpose.