The Virginia Gazette

Maryland, Feb. 10, 1737.

Mr. Parks,

I have seen with much Pleasure in the Pennsylvania Gazette of February 28, what has been designed and justly expected a long while, an open and publick Examination of the Proposal about Tobacco, now under the Consideration of the Planters: And, as a Planter my self, would heartily thank the Gentleman, if known to me, for his tender Concern for us. The Truth of a Point so material, will most certainly by that Manner be better cleared and ascertained, than by oblique and hidden Opposition, or private Insinuations.

As Calculation is the surest Means of explaining Matters of this Nature, when founded upon true Grounds, so I doubt not, the Gentleman has made his, upon the best he has been able to find. If they are true and solid, so Shall be his Building, or (as he calls it) his Plan; if they are false, or beside the Question, the Building must fall to the Ground: Instead of the promis'd Demonstration, we shall find only a loose and unproved Assertion; instead of being deterred from a disadvantageous Contract, we unwary Planters may be seduced to refuse a very advantageous and necessary one.

The Gentleman resolved to Shew the Loss the Planters shall be under, by accepting of this Proposal, begins with the Supposition, that the Loss of Weight must only be imputed to the deceitful way of Weighing with Steelyards; and he very confidently affirms, that the Tobacco, if weighed with Scales here, will actually go to Sale, very near the same Weights at London, Trett and Drafts deducted.

It is a Pity the Gentleman has forgot the accidental Damages, which the Buyer according to this Proposal take upon themselves; the unavoidable Pilferage, and the Waste they run the Risque of. These Circumstances, so material in the Proposal, so considerable and inducing to the Planters, were not to be omitted, and deserved a better Answer for, than a bare Assertion contrary to evident Facts, and to constant and general Experience.

Instead of his meer groundless Assertion, when the Gentleman pleases to be known, he shall be convinced by positive Testimony of Persons here of an undoubted Exactness, who weigh constantly their Tobacco with Scales, that Hogsheads have lost from One Hundred to Two [hundred?]. Let us take the Half for the common Loss, including Trett, Drafts, c. what becomes of the Gentleman's Calculation?

It was to be hoped, that the Calculation would have been made upon that Sort of Tobacco which is in Question, dull Leaf Tobacco, of good Quality, but yet dull: Instead of that, we are told of a Demonstration, that Tobacco sold from Two Pence Three Eighths to Four Pence, will clear more than if sold according to the Proposal. After what has been said of the Loss of Weight, this too may be boldly denied, of Tobacco sold at Two Pence Three Eighths, even at Two Pence Half Penny. But the Gentleman's Business was to prove, that Tobacco sold at London, at Two Pence Farthing, clears more than if sold according to the Proposal; instead of which, he proves, that if dull Tobacco can be sold at Two Pence Three Farthings, or even Four Pence, we shall be Losers by accepting of Five Pounds Sterling for every Hogshead of 600 lbs. A Conclusion, which I hope did not want any Demonstration.

A Calculation by which it is shewn, that the Planters taking Five Pounds an Hogshead instead of Fifty, Sixty, or Seventy Shillings they get more commonly, shall be great Losers, even Losers of Six Pounds, Ten Shillings and Six Pence, upon every Hogshead cannot but be very curious, and may perhaps be useful to those few Persons who have the good Fortune to be favoured with such Prices: But it is to no Purpose here, since the Proposers neither ask nor want that Sort of Tobacco.

For my own Part, I don't know how much the high Price of some few Hogsheads pick'd out of Thousands, may delude Persons willing to be deluded; but after a fair and exact Review of my own Accounts of Sale, and of many of my Friends, who ship some 40, 50, or more Hogsheads, I have convinced my self and others, that even with the Help of those high-rated Tobaccos, the Parcel taken all together has not cleared so much as the Price now offered.

I have seen Accounts of Tobacco sold, even to the French, at One Penny Seven Eighths, Two Pence, and Two Pence One Eighth, and don't question but the Gentleman has seen the like which he should not have forgot in a fair Calculation, as he has done, beginning at Two Pence One Fourth, as if it was the lowest Price of Tobacco. If the French take the worst Sort, as the Gentleman affirms, let him explain to us, what is the Sort which is sold at home from One Penny One Fourth to Two Pence One Eighth; let him explain, how it may happen, that the Price which is now offered, which is less than Two Pence One Fourth to the French, brings in the Country, for Fifteen Thousand Hogsheads, Seventy Five Thousand Pounds, as much, if not more, than the Totality of our Crop. If the Gentleman's Calculation is right, and the Price of Tobacco must be taken at a Medium from Two Pence Farthing to Four Pence, the whole Crop of Maryland must amount to about 200,000 l. Sterling. Is the Gentleman not in the Case, where proving too much, one proves nothing at all.

The Question then, for being fairly stated, required another Calculation, to be added by the Gentleman.

We are told in a printed Memorial, that the French Farmers neither will nor can give for Tobacco above Two Pence One Fourth, nor even so much: We are told, they can command the Price at home, and that this Proposal is now made in no other View by them, than of the Preservation of the Trade saving both themselves and the Planters. These might be esteemed bare Assertions, did they not unhappily too well agree with our constant Experience, these many Years the present Farmers have managed the Farm of Tobacco.

Almost every Year they threatened to reduce the Price, and they have done it, every Year our Merchants have promised and strove to raise it, or at least to keep it up; with what Success every Body knows too well. Even now, the same Merchants assure us unanimously, that it has not been in their Power to raise the Price above Two Pence One Fourth, that if the French had deferred to buy, they would have been under the Necessity of selling at any Rate, even at One Penny a Pound, that the Shortness of the Crop can hardly keep the Price at Two Pence One Fourth; and that even at Two Pence One Fourth, the French refuse the Third Sort which is as much as to say, that they have reduced the Price below Two Pence One Fourth.
To the unquestionable Facts, confirmed by our last Accounts of Sale; the Gentleman opposes his Opinion. He will, by no Means, admit the French can do so much; let us then shew him, that Reason here agrees exactly to the Facts; and that even without Respect to the Quantity, the French can reduce the Price of Tobacco, without any Blame to the Merchants, who can't help it. It is a melancholy Truth, but it is material to us to know it.

The Farmers are always supplied with Tobacco for above Three Months, since they don't use to sell it manufactured, but about Three Years old; they may if they please to make use of new Tobacco, say Two Years without buying One Pound in England. If they do, what is the Consequence? Upon every Hogshead a Merchant receives, he must advance Five Pounds Sterling ready Money, for Freight, Charges, Duty, &c.

If then the Farmers stop their Commission at London, for One Year only, there remains in the Merchant's Hands the Fifteen Thousand Hogsheads they were used to buy, consequently 75,000 l. of Money advanced and dead; if Eighteen Months 112,500 l. if Two Years 150,000 l. Are the Merchants either willing or able to advance such Sums? Are we able to be all that Time without such a Part of our almost only Income; and are the Merchants either able or willing to advance yet further, and supply us with the Goods we cannot be without? If the Gentleman can give a true Demonstration of that Possibility, we shall readily join with him in the Hope of raising the Price of our Tobacco at home, and be thankful for such a happy Discovery.

Till then, as his Calculation, erroneous as in other Respects, must be builded upon that false Supposition, and upon Hopes supported by no Proofs, and contradicted by sad Experience, we shall beg Leave to differ from him in Opinion, and ask another Calculation:

What shall be the Loss, both of the Planters and of the Country, if this Proposal being once refused, the Farmers reduce the Price at London to Two Pence, even below. When he has compared that Danger and the Probability of it, with his Hopes and their Grounds, I suppose he will no more oppose a Proposal which is attended with no other Dangers, than those, mere Fancy and private Views have been pleased to contrive; which gives us a certain and ready Vent for so great Part of our Tobacco; a good living Price in ready Money; and which takes the French out of the Way, the only Buyers who can withstand our Merchants, and reducing the Price of their own Tobacco, lower and influence the Price of all the Remainder.

So far I thought fit for the Present, to reply the Gentleman's Letter, whose Fallacy may appear even to the most ordinary Planter: If he pleases to communicate other Objections, I shall be very ready either to solve them, or to acknowledge my Mistake, having left behind in that View, many other Reflections and Facts about that Matter, which I shall willingly submit to my Countrymen's Consideration.

We have not a long while to deliberate on this Proposal: From our refusing or accepting of it depends our Unhappiness for the Future, or our Welfare.

An ingenious, friendly, and public Communication of Thoughts, shall most certainly clear this Matter of Importance, and set it in true Light; which must be, and is, as I suppose, the only View the Gentleman aims at.

But for avoiding the Length and Trouble of further useless and unquestioned Demonstrations, it shall be, methinks, necessary for the Gentleman to answer first the following Queries: If he has any to propose, I shall likewise endeavour to answer them.

1. Why has the Gentleman made his Calculation upon Hogsheads only of Nine Hundred and One Thousand: and why not upon Hogsheads of Eight Hundred and Seven Hundred, which are more generally to be met? Was it Forgetfulness, or a fear of finding the Proposal no less Advantageous upon smaller Weights?

2. Why and upon what Grounds does he affirm, that Damages, Pilferage, and Waste, amount to no more than a Loss of Thirteen Pounds upon every Hogshead? Is that not contrary both to Reason and general Experience? How does it happen that the Deceit of Steel-yards is always against the Planter, and never in his Favour?

3. Why, having made his Calculation upon Tobacco sold from Two Pence One Fourth to Four Pence, has he not made another Calculation from Two Pence One Fourth to One Penny One Fourth, a Price met commonly enough by dull Tobacco, and dull Tobacco being in Question?

4. How a Contract may be disadvantageous to the Country, which shall bring in yearly 75,000 l. for about Half a Crop of this Province, when it is generally believed the Totality brings no more?

5. Why Eleven Shillings an Hundred (or so much and more is now offered) are to be looked at as a low and unacceptable Price for dull Tobacco, when even Ten Shillings an Hundred have been, and are reputed a very good Price, and seldom given in ready Money or Bills, but on particular Occasions?

6. Why, all his Calculation being grounded upon the Supposition of raising the Price at home from Two Pence One Fourth to Four Pence, has he forgot to prove his Supposition? Does he judge it from the last hasty Sale at Two Pence One Fourth, which must have vastly increased the Stock of French; or does he insinuate to us, that by the Merchants own Confession, that they were not able to raise the Price above Two Pence One Fourth, is a contriv'd Supposition. Is it not plain, that the French remaining at that Rate the third Sort for the first Time, have even this Year reduced the Price below Two Pence One Fourth?

7. And finally it is asked, If upon the Refusal of this Proposal, the Farmers stop their purchase at home, and reduce the Price to Two Pence a Pound, or below, what shall be our Condition here; and how much the Country shall be obliged to Persons who, moved by Prejudices or other Views, have made their Business to oppose it by all sort of Means?

A Calculation, shewing the Difference between the French Proposal, and the usual selling of Tobacco at London, viz.

l. s. d.

900 lbs- reduced to 800 Sold at London,

N. B. The Reduction is a moderate one for Freight. Drafts, Samples, Damages, and Waste; and from the Nett Proceeds are deducted the Charges as usual in the com-

700 lbs. of Tobacco on the French Propofal, will clear 03 08 00