FROM THE MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE TO M. DE CALONNE. Sir, Translation. Paris, February 26, 1784. Monsieur, the Comptroller General, will find herewith the statement he was so good as to lend me; and to fulfil his intentions, I submit to him the opinion of the American merchants I have consulted. The duties payable in the free ports are less burthensome from their amount than from their multiplicity; to abolish them entirely, would perhaps be difficult, but they might be at first lessened and afterwards united under one denomination, to be paid at so much for a vessel of three masts, so much for one of two masts, and so on, without troubling themselves about the tonnage. This method will deprive no one of their dues, for the subdivision of the profits can be made by those who claim them. It will prevent the exactions and impositions to which strangers may be liable, will take away all embarrassments of that kind, of which the Americans complain, and will much surpass the English method. This being done, two statements should be made out and sent; one of the old duties and the other of the new regulation, should be inserted in all the American papers. An opportunity soon offers for America, and if M., the Comptroller General, will be so good as to decide on this point, and some others in my letters, I will, with great eagerness, fulfil his views in communicating his resolution. If it will be convenient for him to receive me either Saturday at Paris, or Sunday at Versailles, before or after the council, I shall be happy in waiting on him. I am, &c., LA FAYETTE. FROM THE MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE TO M. DE CALONNE. Sir, Translation. Paris, March 5, 1784. In conformity to the desire of M., the Comptroller General, I waited on M. De Chardon, and though he had been bled twice, he was so good as to occupy himself with our affairs. He did not think the business could be done without having new and more particular staternents; however, from the account he was to render to-day, I hope to receive the letters which will encourage the Americans with respect to the two departments. Besides this letter which the Comptroller General has promised me, I take the liberty to mention that it is now a month since they have received the information at New York, of the four free ports; consequently, vessels may be expected every day; and as nothing remains to be done but a simple formality, it were to be wished that it was finished as soon as possible. I have even detained the American officer, in the hope that the Sunday's journey to Versailles will put it in my power to send the printed copy. In conversing with the Americans on the importation of their flour into the islands, one of them mentioned that we might take measures to have the returns made in part, in wines, or goods of our manufacture. This engagement of contracting with the Americans, may be joined with the excellent idea which M., the Comptroller General, as well as the Count D'Estaign, gave me, of a moderate duty subject to drawback. I have the honor to be, &c., LA FAYETTE. FROM M. DE CALONNE TO THE MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE. Sir, Translation. Versailles, March 8, 1784. I have examined with much attention the representations which you have done me the honor to make to me, on the duties payable by American vessels in the four free ports which his Majesty has assigned them. You complain of these duties being too high, of their multiplicity, and of the facility they will give to bad people to deceive strangers not acquainted with the French language and the customs of the place. You require the suppression of the greater part of them, and that those which are left should be reduced under one single head, payable according to the vessels being of one, two, or three masts, &c., thereby avoiding the detail, which would take place if the duty was laid on according to the tonnage. I must in the first place observe that the duties payable by American vessels in the ports of France are the same as for other foreign vessels, and do not exceed the duties exacted by the English. But you represent that the Americans are not acquainted with the nature and quality of the duties payable in France on their vessels as well as all others. On this subject I can propose nothing for his Majesty's decision before I have verified to certainty in what these duties consist, for whose profit they are levied, and under what title they are established. To come at this knowledge I have engaged his Majesty to issue orders to the Admiralty of the four free ports to furnish without delay, an account certified by them, of all duties whatever payable by American vessels, both on their arrival and departure. When this account comes to hand I shall lay the result before his Majesty, and then will be the moment to propose to him to take measures, as well to diminish the duties as much as possible as to unite under one denomination all which may be left, and make them payable according to the size of the vessel. This will also afford me an opportunity of proving to the United States the favorable disposition of our Court in every thing which interests them. You may be assured I have let no opportunity escape, and the determination that his Majesty has just taken, on my report, to suppress all duties on the exportation of our brandies, is a further proof of the attention given to every part of our commerce with the United States. I flatter myself that you will do justice to the desire I have to prove to you the sentiments of, &c. DE CALONNE. FROM M. DE CALONNE TO THE MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE. Sir, Translation. Paris, May 17, 1784. It has not been possible to obtain the printed copies of the act, relative to the free ports, so quick as you desired. I have the honor to send you twenty-four copies. It has appeared necessary to fix a term when the act should take effect at L'Orient and Bayonne that the Farmers General might have time to form separate establishments between the places which are free and those subject to duties; but you need be under no apprehension that any thing will result therefrom contrary to my letter of the 9th January last which you have sent to America, or that any expeditions which may have been made in consequence will meet any difficulties in either of the free ports. I have provided against this by particular orders, and every proper measure is taken that vessels which sailed within three or four months from America, and which, on their arrival, shall declare they were laden in consequence of what I wrote and you announced, shall immediately enjoy all the advantages of a free port. I have read with great attention the memorial of M. de Coulteux on tobacco. He is very reasonable, but the facts are not admitted. It is alleged, for example, that an American vessel, which was made to pay the expenses of putting into L'Orient uselessly, afterwards carried her cargo elsewhere, and will not return. This fact is not agreed to. The packet St. Mary was cited, but the verification of the fact has proved its falsity, and so with respect to another vessel which had put into the mouth of the Loire. With respect to the two propositions which terminate the memorial, the first to order the Farmers General not to buy tobacco but in France or America; and the second to form a magazine in the port of L'Orient, where the merchant may lodge his tobacco until he can sell it to his greatest advantage, they are susceptible of no difficulty, nor have I had any trouble to get the Farmers General to consent to them. You may, therefore, sir, obviate any uneasiness the United States may have conceived with respect to their commerce with France, it being the intention of the King to remove every obstacle. I have the honor to be, &c., DE CALONNE. FROM M. DE CALONNE TO THE MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE. Translation. Versailles, June 11, 1784. Sir, I have collected together, as I informed you, a list of the different duties payable to the Admiral, to the officers of the Admiralty, to the cities, or to particular noblemen by vessels of the United States in the ports of Marseilles, Dunkirk, Bayonne, and L'Orient, on their arrival and departure. These duties are brought together in a tabular form which shows, at the same time, the title of each receipt, and the law which authorizes it. I have the honor to send it to you that you may communicate it to the United States, and they may mark, in the column of observations, the demands they have to make with respect to each kind of duty. Till this is done it will be impossible to propose to his Majesty, either the suppression, the modification, or the uniting under one head the different duties since the United States themselves are not acquainted with them, and it is indispensable that the amount and nature of each duty should be perfectly known to them. So soon as the answer of the United States comes to hand, I shall lose no time in laying it before his Majesty, and I hope you will do me the justice to believe that the desire of obliging you is increased by that of being useful to the United States. I have the honor to be, &c., DE CALONNE. FROM M. DE CALONNE TO THE MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE. Translation. Paris, June 16, 1784. Sir, Mr. Chardon has just communicated to me the letter you wrote him this morning, in which you demand that the duties payable by American vessels in the ports of Marseilles, Dunkirk, Bayonne, and L'Orient, should be united under one head, payable at so much per vessel of one, two, or three masts. You mention also your desire to take with you to the United States a decision on the suppression or modification of these duties. Notwithstanding the pleasure I should take in doing any thing agreeable to the, United States, and in showing you personally how much concern I take in whatever interests you, it is impossible for me to propose it to his Majesty before your departure. The duties payable by the United States belong to the Admiral, to officers of the Admiralty, and to particular cities, and noblemen-both one and the other would be apt to lay claims of indemnity for the privation or reduction of their duties, and you will agree that it would not be just to reduce them, or even to suspend them, without hearing the parties interested. The same may be urged against reducing the whole of the duties to one denomination, payable at so much per vessel, according to the number of its masts. |