sively regulated for fiscal purposes, were now also used as a means
of directing the course of commerce, shipping and industry.
On the other hand the vigorous development of Norwegian
commerce was considerably hampered by the system of privileges
obtaining in the 17th century, by which some towns were greatly
favoured, sometimes at the expense of other towns, which the government
even went so far as to try to suppress in favour of the
privileged townBBjj e.g. by ordering its citizens to remove to the
other town — sometimes at the expense of country districts, for
instance, of Einmarken, the northernmost district of the country.
The increases in the customs duties were also felt to be rather
heavy, especially the export duty on timber, which was
considerably increased at the beginning of the 17th century, and
also the old export duty on fish.
The promising commencement of a revival of the national
commerce and shipping received a serious blow from the protracted
Great Northern War (from 1709 to 1720) in which about one
third of the Norwegian mercantile marine was lost.
After 1720, Norway had peace, almost without interruption,
for 87 years. During this time our commerce and shipping advanced
very considerably, although at first quite slowly. About
the year 1750, the Norwegian mercantile marine was again of
about the same size . as before the great war; commerce, during
the years 1750—1760, increased greatly, thanks to the unusually
abundant herring-fisheries, which, however, afterwards again decreased;
the timber export was large, and the production of copper
was considerably increased. The aggregate value of Norwegian
exports (at the prices then ruling) was probably about kr. 10,000,000
per annum during the period 1750—1770. The imports probably
represented a similar amount, of which 3 or 4 million kroner were
represented by cereals, to the quantity of about 2.2 million bushels,
chiefly imported from Denmark, that country having had, from
1735 to 1788, with a few interruptions, e.g. during bad years,
the monopoly of importing grain to southern Norway, the most
populous part of our country.
During the last quarter of the 18th century, and the first few
years of the 19th century, the commerce of Norway had reached
an extent such as it had probably never before had. During the
North American War of Independence (1776—1783), the prices of
our export goods were considerably increased, and the neutral
position of our country gave an opportunity for a profitable transit
trade, our territory being used for storing purposes. During the
European wars caused by the Erench Revolution, our country also
derived great advantages from its neutral position, until we ourselves,
in the year 1807, were drawn into the war. During this
period several reforms were introduced in our commercial legislation,
greatly benefiting the economic condition of the country, e.g.
the repeal of the Danish grain monopoly on Norway, the release
of the commerce on Einmarken (1787), thé decree of 1793 relating
to credit storage and a less burdensome customs tarif (1797).
At the beginning of the 19th century, however, the bad condition
of the state finances necessitated some new imposts which nevertheless
were hot so heavy as to prevent a further improvement
in our commerce, the timber-export to England being especially
large. Our whole timber-export during the years from 1804
to 1806, some especially brisk trading years, amounted on an
average to 35,000,000 cubic feet, while the grain import during
the years 1799 to 1808 amounted on an average to 2.6 million
bushels.
The last part of the 18th century was a period of growth
in Norwegian shipping, sufficient to mark it as an epoch in its
development. In 1792 the Norwegian mercantile marine had grown
up to 860 vessels with a total of about 110,000 tons’ burden.
In 1806 our mercantile marine even counted 1,650 vessels with
an aggregate burden of about 180,000 tons, some of which,
although not very many, properly belonged to foreign countries.
As a consequence of the rapid growth of the Norwegian mercantile
marine, trade with our country, towards the end of the
18th century, was carried on in Norwegian vessels to a much
greater extent than it had previously been. Whereas even as late
_ as about 1770, most of the timber exported from the chief port
of export, Drammen, was shipped in Dutch vessels, during the last
few years of the 18th, and the first few years. of the 19th century,
about one half or more of our timber-export was carried on
in Norwegian vessels. A large part of the fish-export about the
year 1800 was also carried on in Norwegian vessels.
The flag of the Dano-Norwegian monarchy, the old Danish
colours, was well known in most European countries, and might
be seen in Asia, America and Africa. During the years 1800 to
1803, the European ports outside the monarchy were visited