Сочинения в двенадцати томах. Том 3

The excellent constitution of the Bank of Hamburgh afforded great facilities to her merchants, and enabled them, with the assistance of their own extensive capitals, to establish a chain of correspondence with every commercial town in the different kingdoms and states in Europe, not even excepting Turkey, and from their connections thus formed, they have been accustomed for the last twelve years, to receive regular orders for merchandize of every description, chiefly imported from Great Britain, which notwithstanding every difficulty, which was opposed to their exertions, they circulated in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Turkish dominions, in so much that for a succession of years their imports alone from Great Britain exceeded eight millions Sterl. annually.

After a certain period the chain of connection became so perfectly systematized, and their friends and correspondents were so numerous in every city, town, and village in Europe, that they were enabled by their assistance, stimulated by personal interest, to counteract all the exertions of the French governement, for the purpose of preventing the introduction of Britisch manufactures and other goods into the different countries. Where prohibitory edicts were attempted to be enforced, local influence obtained certificates in every quarter for a triffle, and thus did British manufactures and colonial produce and East India goods find their way to the remotest purchaser in spite of every obstacle.

In addition to this, the same chain of extensive connections enabled the Hambourgh merchants, while the ports of Italy were shut against the British trade, to bring over land the raw silks, and other valuable commodities from that, and other countries, necessary for the manufactures of England, in so much that during the most calamitous period of the last war the supplies of every raw material usually furnished to this country from every interdicted port of Europe, were procured in sufficient quantities through the medium of Hamburgh. And even during the unfortunate blockade of the Elbe, which took place soon after the commencement of the present war, which so much crippled the trade of the North of Europe, it was chiefly through the medium of the merchants of Hamburgh that British goods found their way to the various purchasers and consumers on the continent, since the Danish port of Toningen afforded no facilities of this nature, and it became necessary to transport the goods to Hamburgh at a great expence by land carriage through Holstein, and ultimately in small craft which navigated on the Danish side of the Elbe from Toningen to Hamburgh in consequence of a relaxation of the blockade with respect to such vessels. In all cases it became necessary that the goods should be deposited in Hamburgh, for the purpose of being assorted, previous to their being sent in transit to their various destinations in different parts of Europe.

The departure of the French army from Hanover in October 1805 produced a total removal of the blockade, upon which the trade began to resume its former vigour, and was progressively increasing to a great and beneficial extent, notwithstanding the efforts of the French government to prevent it, when the unjust assumption of the sovereignty of Hanover on the part of Prussia, and the subsequent proclamation of that power prohibiting the introduction of British goods produced a recent order from this government for resuming once more the blockade of the Elbe.

It is here to be observed that the order of the Prussian government simply states

that the ports of the North Sea, as well as the rivers

emptying themselves therein, shall be shut against

British commerce the same as when occupied by the

French troops.

In order therefore to ascertain the true import of this edict, it becomes necessary to inquire, what were the nature and extent of the obstructions offered by the French during the period they occupied Hanover?

It will be found that no instance occured, when the French government attempted to seize, examine or interrupt any vessel passing up the Elbe, altho’ it is certainly true, that within that period three ships were seized by the French soldiery at Cuxhaven, and condemned en militaire: but this outrage had not the sanction of the French government, although it afterwards (when the spoil was divided among the soldiers, and could not be recovered) shamefully connived at what had been done.