In the French islands, vessels under sixty tons were admitted, but this advantage was common to all other nations.
The effect of the difference in the regulations of the two rival nations in respect of navigation, was not so considerable as the secretary of state had supposed.

He had stated the tonnage employed in the intercourse with France and her colonies, at 116,410 tons; and that employed in the commerce with Great Britain at 43,580 tons.

The secretary was led into this miscalculation by taking for his guide, the actual entries of American bottoms from the dominions of each country in the year.

As four voyages are made to the West Indies, while only two are made to Europe, the vessels employed in the former traffic will be counted four times in the year, and those employed in the latter will be counted only twice in the same period.

The deceptiveness of the calculations made from these data had induced a call on the secretary of the treasury for an account of the actual tonnage employed in trade with foreign nations for one year.