The Dutch also are accused of
having, in a great measure, made themselves masters of the inland trade of
France. In order to secure to this latter country the direct trade with the
north of Europe, certain plans are suggested in the report; all of which
were objected to by the deputies from Nantes, principally, it would seem,
on the ground, that the Dutch trade to the Baltic was so well settled, that
it governed the prices of all the exports and imports there, and that the
Dutch gave higher prices for French goods than could be obtained in the
Baltic for them, while, on the other hand, they sold at Amsterdam Baltic
produce cheaper than it could be bought in the Baltic. One objection to a
direct trade between France and the Baltic affords a curious and
instructive proof of the imperfect state of navigation at this time, that
is, at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The deputy from Marseilles
urged that the voyage from Dantzic, or even from Copenhagen to Marseilles,
was too long for a ship to go and come with certainty in one season,
considering the ice and the long nights; and that therefore, there is no
avoiding the use of entrepots for the trade of Marseilles. Mr. Anderson, in
his History of Commerce, very justly observes, "that the dread of a long
voyage from the north to the south parts of Europe, contributed, in a great
measure, to make Antwerp, in former times, the general magazine of Europe.
Pages:
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727