Commerce
This supplement to the Réplique, or “counter argument”, made by the Deputies representing the French merchants and manufacturers, argues that the rhetoric of the Deputies of Saint-Domingue is not only petulant, but that it also serves as an attempt to deceive the Metropole.
Sipleman pou Replik la, oubyen “Diskisyon kont sa yo di” ke Depite ki reprezante machann Franse yo ak mèt faktori yo bay di ke depite Sendomeng yo te sèvi ak yon bèl langaj ki te sèvi tou tankou yon fason pou bay Metwopòl la koutba. Dokiman sa a retire pwen santral la de kiltivatè kolonyal yo pou mete li sou machann Fransè rich yo, li mande pou yo mete yon regleman sevè konsènan komès ke Asanble Nasyonal la ap fè nan koloni an.
This response from the colonial deputies of Saint-Domingue is a reaction to a report published by French merchants that establishes the amount of grain, among other foodstuffs, necessary to nourish the entire French Empire.
“Repons kout” depite kolonyal Sendomeng yo voye a se yon reyaksyon a yon rapò machann Franse yo te pibliye ki montre kantite grenn, pami lòt pwodwi alimantè ki nesesè pou nouri tout moun nan lanpi a.
Le Marquis Marie-Charles du Chilleau, Governor of Saint-Domingue, proposed this Ordinance to the French legislature one year after his appointment to allow foreign grain to be legally imported into Saint-Domingue. This is the second ordinance issued by the governor in response to the grain shortages in Saint-Domingue, which threatened the planters with famine and malnutrition.
This pamphlet, dating from 1784, outlines the trade laws established in the French Caribbean islands. The nineteen articles ordered by King Louis XVI offer details regarding what may be exchanged during trade, tax laws and the differences in regulation between foreign and domestic ships.
A Colony in Crisis: The Saint-Domingue Grain Shortage of 1789 