NETHERLANDSCHE JACK winter
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to In recliency. He Acting Governor whether it is desirable.
b
and
encourage this inevitable result - place the more scrupulous traders at such a disadvantage compared with those who are prepared to risk all the consequences of acting in plain disregard of the Proclamation.
The vagueness of the terms of that document is in itself a hardship; for it is impossible to say what articles may be interpreted as coming under the designation of "Munitions of War". Lead is an article which may undoubtedly be applied to war, and yet the Tea Trade cannot be carried on without it, and many peaceful manufactures would be crippled were its exportation disallowed. So too with Saltpetre, which is used as much for the manufacture of Fire Crackers as for Gunpowder; and it has come to the knowledge of the Chamber that many people engaged in this manufacture are being thrown out of employment by the supply of the raw material having been stopped. Coals, Ship's stores, and even Provisions are being applied to warlike purposes, and might at any moment be retained under the operation of so
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