FURTHER PROOFS.

TO throw fome light on these two contradictory accounts, and to obtain fuch information as might affift his Majefty's judgment in deciding to which of the two the greatest attention ought to be paid, the committee thought it right again to examine the faid two merchants; who said, they never confidered the prices current, as published in the Kingston Royal Gazette, as very exact-That they are apt to continue them from one paper to another; and that they have known the actual prices to vary during the time that the prices have appeared in the Gazette to be the fameThat, befides, they are generally the highest retail prices, and at the longest credit, which is commonly about twelve months-That the retailer is generally paid for the several articles in produce; and that the American factor or supercargo is paid in produce, if he will take it, if not, money, or bills of exchange, which is generally the cafe, and he has a right to make his 'option-That the aforefaid prices current of the 20th of March were agreeable to the prices fent from their house at Kingston in Jamaica, which they said undoubtedly deserved the moft credit, in preference to thofe published in the Kingston Gazette, being prices taken from real fales, and fent over to them for their conduct in trade. And being asked, If they could affign the cause of the difference between the faid prices current sent them, and those published in the Kingston Gazette ? they said, Theyimagined that the former were the cargo prices, paid for in cash; the latter, the retail prices, with profit and credit.-The truth of the prices current on the 20th March, and the average prices before the war, last stated, and the reft of the evidence of the faid two merchants, was confirmed by the teftimony of another merchant of great experience in this trade.

The committee state, That they have not been able to procure the fame ample information of the condition of his Majefty's other islands in the West Indies, with refpect to lumber and provifions, as of the island of Jamaica; nor have the planters and merchants produced any account of prices current in Barbadoes or any of the Leeward Islands-That in refpect to the addrefs of the affembly of Antigua, of the 9th of October 1783, to the governor of that island, the mischiefs and calamities which they apprehended would follow from the restrictions of his Majefty's order in council have been thought only imaginary; and, as a proof that their fears were not founded in reason, an account hath been produced to the committee, of what American produce had been imported into that island in the space of one month after the publication of the faid order in council; by which it appears, that from the 6th of October to the 12th of November last, twenty-one veffels had entered there, with fundry articles of American produce, containing, among other things, 1,679 barrels of flour, 606 barrels and 174 kegs of bifcuit, 580 bushels of corn, 256,000 feet of lumber, 34,650 staves and heading, 1,928,000 shingles, and 484 cedar posts, befides other fmaller articles.

Information was alfo given to the committee, that by letters from Barbadoes, dated the 21ft of March, it appears that there were no particular complaints there, at that time, for want of any of the articles they are supplied with from America-That lumber was felling for about 97. currency per thoufand, and flour pretty reasonable-That several fhips had arrived at Barbadoes from America, and others were expected-That one ship belonging to Bristol had arrived from Pifcataqua a fhort time before, laden with lumber.A merchant, who had two brigs going from Virginia with lumber and flour, informed the committee, that his correfpondent in Virginia wrote to him, on the 13th of March,

D

that he was afraid the flour imported into Barbadoes would be a lofing article."

An account has been alfo received from Roseau in Dominica, dated February 3, 1784, giving an afsurance, that there were then more merchant veffels there, than there were during the five years the French were in poffeffion of that island.

And it was reprefented, that great numbers of the ships before mentioned, which had brought plenty of lumber and provifions to Jamaica, had first touched at the several ports in the Leeward Islands, in their way down to Jamaica; and, as they had brought part of their cargoes from thence unfold, it was inferred they must have left plenty there.

The following account of prices current at London, on the 2d of December laft, and at Philadelphia on the fame day, of the following articles, was produced to the committee.

Sterling

£.13 10 6 Ster". £.13 9 3

By this account it appears, that an affortment of the foregoing goods could at that time have been purchased very near as cheap at London as at Philadelphia; and they could have been carried cheaper from London than from Philadelphia ; for the price of freight from England to the West Indies is 30 per cent. less than from Philadelphia: But it was obferved, that this account could not be depended on as a standard of prices for the future.

Information was alfo given to the committee, That a great part of the rum cafks lately made use of in Jamaica were puncheons, that carried out dry goods from Great Britain, or puncheon packs.

That the price of puncheon packs here at present, is from 13 to 145. fterling, which is equal to 18 or 19s. currency; and that, including freight and the charge of fetting them up in Jamaica, they can be afforded there at the rate of from 25 to 30 fhillings currency; and that, during the time. lumber and ftaves were cheapest at Jamaica, puncheons never fold for less than from 25s. to 30s. currency; at which rate the planter generally fells the puncheon with the rum in time of peace.

Proofs in Support of the Second Allegation.

IN support of the second allegation, viz. "That the sup plies which the fugar colonies receive from the dominions of the United States of America, are in many instances, and at many seasons of the year, not to be had from any other country, at any price whatever; and that, in many other inftances, fuch fupplies are not to be had from any other. places, but at prices wholly ruinous ;"

The planters and merchants produced to the committee, an account of the total import from North America, into the British West India islands, in the years 1771, 1772, and 1773, distinguishing the quantities imported from the United States of America, from the quantities imported from Canada, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland; which account is inferted in the Appendix, No. 2.-One of the objects for producing this account was, to fhew the great value of these imports, which they estimated to amount annually to above 700,000l. Iterling. Another object was, to fhew how very fmall a proportion of these imports were brought from Ca

nada, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland (the only colonies in North America that now remain under the dominion of Great Britain). And, in order to prove that the West India islands could not be fupplied with corn from Canada, the planters and merchants alledged, that there was then a fhip loading in the river Thames for Canada, which actually carried out flour-That during the late war, the army in Canada amounted to no more than 15,000 men, and that the province could not fupply them, but the whole supply was sent from England-That in one year the army was distressed, because the contractor relied upon the produce of the province for their fupply.

They alfo alledged, that the crops of wheat in Canada are always uncertain, and that Canada is at this time nearly in the fame ftate of cultivation as when it firft came into our poffeffion-That no British subjects have fettled there, one family alone excepted-That the number of its inhabitants. may amount to 100,000, mostly Catholics, and not possessing any fpirit of induftry. They acknowledged, however, that in the years 1772, 1773, and 1774, when the fouthern parts of Europe were in great diftrefs for corn, a large exportation from Canada had been made, and in one of those years to the amount of 400,000 bushels.

In order to fhew, that the West India islands could not receive a proper fupply of lumber from Canada, they alledged, that though the white oak from Canada is very good for ftaves, the other fpecies of lumber were of an inferior quality, and always fold in the West Indies at a lower price than that imported from other parts-That they want hands in that colony to get wood, the price of labour being from half a dollar to a dollar per day.-With respect to Nova Scotia, they alledged, that though the increase of inhabitants lately gone there may in time lead to fome fupply of grain, lumber, and other articles from that colony, yet at