|
|
Account of some of the late Proceedings of All or Most of the
Governors in the Northern Provinces, & beg the favour of You to
Consult & ask the Opinion of such as You shall think proper to be
advised with upon what I am about to communicate to You Very
soon then after War was declared against France a Number of
Privateers were fitted out at New York & other Ports in the Northern
Colonies & sent to cruize among the French Sugar Islands, they met
in general with great Success & brought their Prizes into North
America to be condemned; After Condemnation their Cargoes
consisting principally of Sugar were entered at the Custom House
for Exportation & were really exported to Amsterdam, Leghorn or
some other Neutral Port. The Prisoners that were taken in the
captured Ships were soon after their Condemnation sent back again
to the French West Indies in Carteels or Flags of Truce granted
by the Governor of the Colony into which such Prisoners had been
brought to some of his particular Friends. The Masters of Com-
manders of such Carteel Vessels carried with them sometimes Prize
Goods as Claret &c. & sometimes Spanish Pistoles wherewith having
obtained the French Governor's Leave they purchased Sugars to load
their respective Vessels back to N America; when they arrived on the
Coast it was usual as I have been told for their Owners to send
out a little Vessel with a Letter of Marque to capture them & then the
Sugars being libelled as French Property were in the Courts of Vice
Admiralty condemned as legal prize. Since the French Trade has
been so much ruined that None or very few Captures were to be
made in the West Indies & consequently no Prisoners brought into
the Northern Provinces the Merchants there have pursued the follow-
ing method, they sent their Vessels to Monte Christo a Port in that
Part of Hispaniola which belongs to the Spaniards where they
purchased such Sugars as the French brought thither for their
part of the Island & imported the same into N America in the
manner abovementioned. The Expence however of conveying the
French Sugars from the West End of Hispaniola to the Mount being
very considerable Sugars were consequently sold at Leoganne much
Cheaper than at that place, which being represented to my Neighbour
Governor Denny he found out a Remedy & granted a Flag of Truce
to every Person that applyed for one which (the Enemy being
desirous to encourage the Trade) impowered the Captains that
carried them tho they had no Prisoners on board to go directly into
the French Ports & purchase their Cargoes, for each Flag or Com-
mission for Exchange of Prisoners Mr Denny received a handsome
Douceur & I have been told that Governor Bernard in particular has
also done Business in the same way — By what I can learn all the
Lawyers here are of Opinion that this Trade with the French is not
illegal, & the Merchants in order to shew that it is for the Interest
|
MSS.
Archives
of Md.
Portfolio
No. 4
Letter 54
Hall of
Records
|
|
