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; COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 875
Additions to the Account of the Englifh Commerce.—Auguft 1801.
BY the kind communication of a friend well verfed in the Ruffian commerce, I am
enabled to fubjoin a ftatement of the mode in which the Britifh trade is principally
conducted. »
To enter into all the details of the Ruffian commerce, from the growth of the raw
article in the interior provinces to its arrival at the port for exportation, would require
a diftinét, and indeed, a voluminous treatife. But afew obfervations may give a general
idea of an interefting part of the fubject, namely, the manner in which the commerce
is conducted between Great Britain and Ruflia.
The particular privileges attached to the guilds, into which the Ruffian merchants
are enrolled, appropriate to them the interior commerce of the country.
A foreigner who imports goods into Ruffia, mutt fell them to Ruffians only, and at
the port where they arrive, none but natives being allowed to fend merchandize into
the interior of the empire for fale. A few foreigners, indeed, fettled in Ruffia, and
having connections with natives, do carry on a trade with the interior; but it is con-
trary to law and the goods are liable to feizure.
The late Emprefs, probably with a view to induce foreigners to weave their interefts
more clofely with Ruffia, by engaging their capital in every department of commerce,
propofed certain advantages to thofe foreigners who would infcribe themfelves in guilds,
and put themfelves on the fame footing with her own fubjeéts. The advantages were,
under a commercial point of view, very confiderable. They greatly diminifhed the
heavy duties on feveral articles *, and permiffion was granted to trade into the country,
that is, to carry imported articles to the beft market, and to purchafe the native pro-
ducts either by themfelves or agents. Notwithf{tanding, however, the probability of
being underfold by foreigners, and even by fome few of their own countrymen, a large
majority of the Britifh merchants refufed to refign, or even to rifk that charaéter and
independence which they had fo long and honourably fultained as Britifh fubjeéts, pro-
teed by Ruffian laws,
If their determination did honour to their firmnefs, the event proved (what could
not be forefeen) that it even promoted their intereft. “The Ruflians foon perceived, that
if foreigners, with all their intelligence and large capitals at command, could, like
themfelves, penetrate the country, the principal emoluments would pals into other
hands, and they counteracted the attempts of the new fpeculators. Even when the pri-
vilege was granted to Britifh fubje€ts, by the Treaty of Commerce concluded by His
Majefty’s late minifter at the court of St. Peterfburgh, it was impoffible to derive any
folid advantage from it; for although the right of fending goods into the interior was
no longer dilputed, yet by the revival of corporation laws, till that time confidered as
obfolete, it was found that goods belonging to foreigners in pafling through different
towns would be fubje&t to fuch heavy duties, thatthe Ruflians were able confiderably
to underfell the Britifh merchants who engaged in thefe adventures,
The Ruflians, therefore, asconnected with Britifh commerce, form two diftinét claffes,
firft, the grower of the raw articles, as hemp, flax, &c. or the proprietor of them, as of
tallow, briftles, &c. Thefe are, generally fpeaking, the owners of the foil and of the.
peafants where the articles are produced.
* Foreign merchants were obliged to pay thefe duties in foreign coin, inftead of Ruffian bank notes, or
copper money, which made a difference of 25 or 30 per cent.
5x 2 The
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