The crops of wheat in the United States are rather abundant, and the quality good.  Those of tobacco are not promising as yet.  I have heard nothing of the rice crops.

I am, with very great esteem, Dear Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER LXIX.—­TO WILLIAM SHORT, July 28,1791

TO WILLIAM SHORT.

Philadelphia, July 28,1791.

Dear Sir,

Since my last I have received letters from you as follows: 

*****

Mine to you unacknowledged, were of March the 8th, 12th, 15th, 19th, April the 25th, and May the 10th.  Your two last letters mention the length of time you have been without intelligence, having then received mine of January the 23rd only.  You will perceive by the above, that six letters of a later date were on their way to you.  The receipt of these, with the newspapers, journals, laws, and other printed papers accompanying them, will have relieved your anxiety, by answering several articles of your former letters, and opening to you some new and important matters.  I scarcely ever miss the opportunity of a private vessel going from hence or New York to any port of France, without writing to you and sending you the newspapers, &c.  In the winter, occasions are very rare, this port particularly being blocked up with ice.  The reason of so long an interval between the last and present letter, has been the journey of a month, which that informed you I was about to take.  This is the first vessel which has offered since my return:  she is bound to Havre, and will carry the newspapers as usual.

The difference of sixty-two livres ten sols the hogshead, established by the National Assembly on tobacco brought in their and our ships, is such an act of hostility against our navigation, as was not to have been expected from the friendship of that nation.  It is as new in its nature as extravagant in its degree; since it is unexampled, that any nation has endeavored to wrest from another the carriage of its own produce, except in the case of their colonies.  The British navigation act, so much and so justly complained of, leaves to all nations the carriage of their own commodities free.  This measure, too, is calculated expressly to take our own carriage from us and give the equivalent to other nations:  for it is well known, that the shipping of France is not equal to the carriage of their whole commerce; but the freight in other branches of navigation being on an equal footing with only forty livres the hogshead, in ours, and this new arrangement giving them sixty-two livres ten sols the hogshead, in addition to their freight, that is to say, one hundred and two livres ten sols, instead of forty livres, their vessels will leave every other branch of business to fill up this.  They will consequently leave a void in those other branches, which will be occupied by English, Dutch, and Swedes,