Alexandria Daily Advertiser

IMPORTANT TO MERCHANTS AND PLANTERS.
Extract of a letter to a gentleman in this city from his correspondent in France, dated, "Paris, January 8."
"A total change is about to take place in the administration of the Finances of this country, by the new arrangement, the importation of tobacco by private individuals will be entirely prohibited. I mention this for the information of such of your friends as may be in the habit of shipping to this country."
Let the same change be made in all the other branches of taxation, which is here proposed with respect to the tobacco trade, and the people of France will not be very far removed from the oppression of their ancient regime. The tobacco trade will be put under the care of the farmers general, as it was before the revolution. That is for a particular tax to be paid into the treasury, a set of speculators will obtain the privilege of buying up all the tobacco which is bro't into the ports of France. Government, indeed, if it sees proper, may compel them to extend their purchase to a certain number of hogsheads and at a certain price; about 15,000 hogsheads of American tobacco was the quantity which the farmers general were obliged to purchase annually before the revolution, at a certain stipulated price. But with these particular limitations, the whole tobacco trade of Virginia with France, will be in the hands of a privileged farmers general, or his agent. What will be the consequence? Our merchants who now send their tobacco to France, will either be obliged to relinquish the trade altogether, or they must contract beforehand with the farmers general, agent in this country, at a very reduced price. Competition, the very life blood of trade is annihilated; and the price of the article must receive a correspondent depreciation. Our tobacco trade will in fact be on a worse footing than our late trade with Hayti. There more than one house was allowed the privilege of purchasing our produce : But in every accessible part of France, the farmers general is the only purchaser.
Let this mode of taxation therefore be extended to every branch of the internal revenue, and the farmer's generals will be once more the petty tyrants of France." The odious gabelle will be called from its grave; and a private individual instead of purchasing his salt from the merchant at a low price, must consent to give whatever the licensed tax gatherer may please to ask.
What affects us with astonishment in this case is that Bonaparte whose great object is to increase the commerce of France at the expense of the commerce of England, should lay restraints on the importation of tobacco, from which it is exempted by his rival. Should the same system be extended to many other articles of importation, it will limit not only the commerce, but even the manufactures of his empire. A smaller quantity of the produce of other countries being disposed of in her ports, a smaller quantity of her own manufactures will of course be received in exchange.