Gazette Of The United States & Evening Advertiser

I am one of those peaceable characters that
seldom attend public meetings; but as one of
my Neighbours told me that the Meeting of
Tuesday evening last at Mr. M'Shane's was
of the utmost importance to every class of citizens,
I consented to go with him.

The business of the meeting was opened by
a little gentleman who after a torrent of declamation,
brought forward a string of resolutions which he had
previously prepared for the purpose.

In the course of his arguments he justly reprobated
the conduct of the British Government for supporting
its cruizers in illegal depredations upon the commerce
of all Neutral Nations, but more particularly upon that of
America—he then stated with a great flow of
language, the propriety and the absolute necessity
for this country meeting Britain with
some kind of Retaliation and that in a way
which he considered to be the least hostile.

This was, to recommend to Congress either
by way of Resolution or memorial; to
make discriminating duties upon the manufactures
of such countries as have no commercial
Treaties with the United States, and the
duties arising therefrom to be appropriated as
a Fund for repaying such Merchants as may
have suffered spoliation from the detention or
seizures of British cruizers. This he supposed
no man could object to, and I confess I thought
it very comforting doctrine, but I was not altogether
satisfied of the Fact, having experienced in the course
of my business, that additional duties upon such
goods as we could neither manufacture or do without,
must, in all such cases be paid by the consumer or person who
wants them.

I keep a Store of what is called Ironmongery,
two thirds of which is of British manufacture,
consisting of locks, hinges, saws, planes,
gimblets, hammers and a great variety
of other articles, few of which can be made
here, and none suitable for this market can be
made in any part of Europe but England; if
so, we must import them from that country,
and if we must have them the whole duties
fall on the purchasers in this country.

If the duties amount to a prohibition, I must
shut up shop and pursue some other business—
willing however to examine this question a
little farther, I called upon my neighbour
who sells Broad Cloths, Velvets, Velverets.
Corduroys, Jeans, Fustians &c. &c. and on enquiry
found his prices were considerably advanced,
viz. Broadcloth from 3s. to 4s.6d. pr. yd.
which he assured me was partly owing to existing
duties, and equally so to the expectation
that Congress would adopt Mr. Madison's resolutions.
He told me he occasionally had
French cloths, but the British were generally
preferred by his customers; and with regard to
Velvets, &c. no part of the world could supply
them on such good terms both as to price and
credit as Manchester in England; but says he
Congress may add to their Duties, I shall add
them to the price, and the people of America,
must pay the whole.

If these are facts, and they really strike my
mind as such, whence are the duties to arise,
from which a fund is to be appropriated to
compensate the loss of our Merchants? is
every man that builds a house to pay the additional
duties on locks, hinges, &c &c: and every
man that wants a coat, and every Farmer or
Mechanick that requires implements or tools
to pay high prices to compensate the Merchant?
for surely the little gentleman won't
assert that we can make those articles in sufficient
quantities for the United States, and if
we must have them, so long must we employ
the British Manufacturers, pay the Tax ourselves
and be laughed at into the Bargain.

I hope Sir, I have not transgressed too much
on the space allotted in your paper to better
writers—if my brother shop-keepers and indeed
people in general, would think more for
themselves, they never would be the dupes of
BUSY POLITICIANS.