promoted in every refpeft. They had their agent eftabliihed at
the Cape, and not the fmalleft article of Eaftern produce, not
even the moil trifling prefent, was allowed on any confideratioa-
to be landed, without a pofitive declaration, in writing,,, from
their faid agent, that the landing of fuch article did not interfere
with, nor Was in any ihape injurious to, the concerns of his employers.
It was, indeed, one o f the firft objects of the crown,
after taking pofleffion, to confult the interefts of the Eaft India.
Company in every point of view; not only in providing for
their conveniency and fecurity, by its happy poiition and local
afcendancy, but by opening a new market and. intermediate-
depofitary for their trade and commodities. It was even pro-
pofed to place the cuftom-houfe under their foie direction, m>
order to preclude- any grounds of complaint. In a word, in.
every point of view, except that of appointing the civil eftabliih-
ment, the Cape might have aaually been coniidered as a fettle-
ment of the Eaft India Company... '
Leaving, however, the queftioa of privilege to be difcufled'by
thofe who are better informed, and more interefted in its de-
cifion than myfelf, I proceed to enquire,
To what extent the Cape of Good Hope might have-been:
rendered advantageous to the interefts of the Britiih empire, as
an emporium of Eaftern produce ?— as furniihing articles of export
for confumption in Europe and the Weft Indies ?— as taking,
In exchange for colonial produce, articles Of Britiih growth and.
manufacture ?
And,
And, laftly, to confider the important advantages that might
he derived from it, as a central depot for the Southern Whale
Filhery.
It is a-point of too intricate and nice a nature-for ..me to -decide,
how far it might be advifeable for Great Britain to efta-
blilh at the Cape an entrepot for-Indian produce, in the hands,
and under the direction, of the Eaft India Company, and Ihall,
therefore, content myfelf with barely fuggefting fomç of
the probable confequences that might refult from fuch a
meafure.
The grand objection againft making the Cape an emporium
between Europe and the Eaft Indies, and between the Weft
Indies, America, and Afia, is the prejudice it would neceflarily
occafion to the fales of Leadenhall-ftreet, and the confequent
diminution of hisMajefty’s cuftoms; for, though the Eaft India
Company might be made relponfible to the crown for the duties
on the amount of its fales at the Cape, yet the intention of
the emporium would entirely be defeated,, if the duties demanded
there fo far enhanced the value of the Indian commodities, as
to make it equally eligible for foreign Ihipping to proceed to
India, or to refort to the London market. And if thefe duties
were reduced, it would obvioufly be attended with a , lofs to the
revenues of the.crown; unlefs, indeed, the augmentation of
the fales, in cqnfequence of the meafure, ihould be found to he
adequate to the reduction of the duties.
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