An Account of the Dispute between Russia, Sweden & Denmark, and Great Britain/Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
PAUL, who had made himſelf Grand Master ⟨of⟩ the Malteſe order of St. John of Jerusalem wiſhed to poſſeſs the iſland alſo. And when ⟨it⟩ ſurrendered to this country he propoſed a plan to the Britiſh court for to give it up, but before an anſwer could reach him, Buonaparte had been beforehand, and with the effrontery of a Frenchman offered to reconquer and give it to him. This offer, which a child might have ſeen the impoſſibility of his fulfilling, was greedily accepted by Paul. Peace with the French Republic was concluded by him, and notwithstanding of a poſitive treaty existing between the two nations, in which it was declared that ſhould Britain and Ruſſia go to war, the ſhips and merchandice of each country ſhould be allowed to be withdrawn by their proper owners; Paul made no ſcruple at detaining the ſhips and merchandiſe, and impriſoning the crews.
While theſe things were going forward, Denmark and Sweden who had allowed a contraband trade to be carried on under the ſanction of their flags, went readily into the meaſure of armed neutrality in order to carry on openly an aggreſſion which they had hitherto diſguised.
Contraband Goods, in time of war, conſiſt in every article neceſſary in fitting out armaments, or equipping ſhips, and every implement of war,—That theſe are proper to be conſidered as contraband is evident, becauſe if they are carried into the ports of one nation, it materially injures its antagoniſt, and tends to lengthen out a war. Alſo, when a ſtate grants convoy, to veſſels that have no fear of being captured, the very appearance of a convoy is a kind of proof that it is charged with illegal commerce, or there would be no occaſion for it.
Sweden, though united with the armed neutrality in 1780, did not ſcruple afterwards, when engaged in war with Ruſſia to enforce the contrary principle.
Ruſſia, Sweden and Denmark, readily agreed to the principle of Search in 1793, and treaties with theſe powers were then ratified. Denmark, who firſt openly broke that treaty, and on whom fell the juſt vengeance of Britain, that deceitful power, after entering into a ſolemn engagement with Admiral Dickſon, not to grant convoys, nor protect contraband goods, did not ſcruple two months after, to avail itſelf of the opportunity of the expected co-operation of Ruſſia and Sweden, to overthrow the code of maritime laws eſtabliſhed for centuries among the commercial nations of Europe.
This armed neutrality, which was deemed by Britain as a declaration of, was ratified in the month of December 1800.
RUSSIAN ARTICLES.
TO thoſe who fancied we could not do ⟨without⟩ 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 ⟨all⟩ 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 ⟨of⟩ 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 ⟨is⟩ certain that we can do without it. Egypt produces ⟨the⟩ fineſt, but Ireland may grow much greater ⟨quantities⟩ than at preſent, and we may be ſupplied with it ⟨from⟩ many countries. Tallow. Formerly we took ⟨alone⟩ from Ruſſia, this is now become an article of ⟨great⟩ importance to that country; in some provinces ⟨they⟩ kill oxen merely to boil their meat to get out all ⟨the⟩ tallow. The higher the Iriſh ſell their tallow, the ⟨cheaper⟩ they can afford to ſell their beef. Oil of our ⟨fisheries⟩ might, in many inſtances, be ſubſtituted for ⟨tallow⟩, and oil may be converted into a ſubſtance as ⟨hard⟩ as tallow. We take 12 or 15,000 tons, and it is ⟨duty⟩ free. Other nations together take about one ⟨third⟩ of this quantity. Ravenducts. We take 80,000 ⟨pieces⟩, worth about 100,000l. Sterling (at preſent more.) Drillings, thirteen thouſand pieces. Diaper, ⟨for⟩ 5000l. ſterling. Broad and narrow linen, for ⟨about⟩ 5500l. ſterling. Flems linen, 80,000 or 90,000l ⟨ſterling⟩, about 40,000 pieces. Foreign nations, a quantity much less conſiderable. The prohibition of ⟨theſe⟩ articles would be very encouraging to our own manufactures. Deals. We take for about 200,000l. ⟨though⟩ forty years ago we took none from Ruſſia. Other articles are of very little importance. The importation into Ruſſia of Britiſh manufactures, which all pay enormous duties in their ports, are become, by ⟨the⟩ numerous prohibitions, very trifling, ſo that the balance in favour of Ruſſia, and againſt this country, ⟨is⟩ two millions ſterling.