It became necessary to relieve the two
countries from the fatal effects of this double monopoly. I had the
honor of addressing a letter, on the 15th day of August, 1785, to his
late Excellency, the Count de Vergennes, upon this subject, a copy of
which I do myself the honor herein to enclose. The effectual mode of
relief was to lay the commerce open. But the King's interest was also
to be guarded. A committee was appointed to take this matter into
consideration; and the result was, an order to the Farmers General, that
no such contract should be made again. And to furnish such aliment as
might keep that branch of commerce alive, till the expiration of the
present contract, they were required to put the merchants in general on
a level with Mr. Morris, for the quantity of twelve or fifteen thousand
hogsheads a year. That this relief, too, might not be intercepted from
the merchants of the two suffering nations, by those of a neighboring
one, and that the transportation of so bulky an article might go to
nourish their own shipping, no tobaccos were to be counted of this
purchase, but those brought in French or American vessels.
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