Mr. Roscoepresented a Petition of several planters, merchants, and others, at the port of Liverpool, interested in the British West India colonies, setting forth, "That the petitioners have, for a long time past, felt severely the pressure of the heavy duties on Sugar, the produce of the British West India colonies, though they have hitherto endeavoured to sustain them, aware of the exigencies of the public service, and hoping that the period was not far remote, when, by the happy event of the restoration of peace, their burthens would be lightened; and that the petitioners now find these hopes not only rendered distant, by the failure of the late negociation, but by the new Plan of Finance lately submitted to the house by the chancellor of the exchequer, in danger of being altogether destroyed, it being the effect of this plan to render permanent that part of the duties on Sugar which, by the existing laws, would cease with the war, a circumstance which the petitioners view with great alarm; and that these duties press at present with peculiar severity on the petitioners, and all persons connected with the West India colonies, in consequence of those measures of hostility against British commerce, which the recent successes of the enemy have enabled him to enforce in almost all the ports of the continent, whereby exportation has been impeded to an extent hitherto unexampled, and the natural effects of an overcharged market have been and are felt in a ruinous depression of prices; and that the petitioners acknowledge with thankfulness the measures which have already been taken by the house with a view to their 141 relief, but consider them quite inadequate to produce that effectual relief to which the petitioners conceive themselves justly entitled; and that the petitioners humbly suggest the following measures as calculated to afford them further relief; namely, 1. A reduction in the rate of duty on British plantation sugar: 2. That liberty be given to the colonies to barter sugar and coffee, as well as rum and molasses, with the American states, in return for lumber and other necessaries, for a needful supply of which the colonies depend on an intercourse with those states: 3. That permission be granted to the distillers and brewers, to use sugar in their respective processes, when its price, compared with that of grain, may induce them so to do; and therefore praying, that these measures, or such of them as may be deemed expedient by the house, or other measures adequate to the relief of the Petitioners, under their present burthens and distress, may be adopted and passed into a Law."—Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the consideration of the select committee, to whom the petition of several planters merchants, mortgagees, annnitants, and others, interested in the British West India colonies, is referred