gmertca, , ?|emp, an& JUapoleon - Vote Hemp

America, Russia, Hemp,and Napoleonher sailors told the Russians that, although she was ostensiblygoing to clear for New York, she was really going to sail toLiverpool. The Russians confiscated the vessel. While the shipwas under confiscation and awaiting trial, the Liverpool houserefused to cash the bills of exchange which had been paid tothe Ne w York concern for the cargo of the "Thomas." Worthy,who hadfled when the "Thomas" was seized, then mortgagedthe "Thomas" to the Ne w York concern as payment on thesum owed that concern. The New York concern also procureda real bill of sale from John Thomas , the original owner. Th eNe w York concern then sent a captain and crew to Archangelto claim the "Thomas" and sail it away. Levett Harris did hisbest to get the vessel freed and also claimed very heavy damagesfor her detention. Th e final settlement of the case—if thereever was a final settlement—is mercifully unknown. 18Although the British government was conscious of the necessityof smuggling to British survival after the Treaty ofTilsit, the government of George III was also perfectly consciousof the fact that unrestricted smuggling would helpFrance more than Britain. It would restore to Napoleon thataccess to the highways of the ocean that so man y British tarshad died to deny him. The British government therefore tried,with considerable success, to manage the illicit trade by issuinglicenses to all smugglers, British and foreign alike, wh o hadBritish approval. These licenses gave a ship safe passagethrough the British blockade no matter what nationality sheaffected. Without such a license, she was liable to capture.Thus a smuggler, with a license to show the British navy anda set of forged American, Portuguese, Pappenburg, Mecklenburg,etc., papers to show the privateers and custom inspectors116