which the duties were collected, and which included the repeated voyages made by the same vessels in the course of the year. Since 1792, all vessels employed in the foreign trade have been registered, and those employed in the coasting trade and the coast fisheries have been enrolled, excepting vessels under twenty tons, which are licensed. Annual accounts of the vessels registered, enrolled, and licensed, are transmitted to the treasury department; but as the collectors frequently neglect to make due allowances for vessels worn out, lost at sea, or sold to foreigners, the returns in but few years give the exact amount of tonnage. In 1810, when the amount of tonnage returned was 1,424,783, Mr. Pitkin supposed the true amount to be 1,250,000. Through neglect of this kind, our tonnage appeared, from the returns, to be annually increasing from 1818 to 1829; but in the last mentioned year the records were examined, and it was found necessary to deduct upwards of 500,000 tons, on account of vessels lost at sea, condemned as unseaworthy, or sold to foreigners, in previous years, but of which no return had been made by the collectors of the customs. From 1803 to 1812, the tonnage of newly built registered vessels amounted annually to 74,639 tons; that of enrolled to 28.172: total, 102,811. In 1829, the tonnage of newly built registered vessels was 28,876. In the same year, there were lost at sea, condemned as unseaworthy, or sold to foreigners, registered vessels of the burden of 35,037 tons, making a decrease in that year of 6,161 tons in re gistered vessels. The tonnage of enrolled and licensed vessels built in 1829, was 48,221 tons. The tonnage of vessels of these classes lost at sea or condemned as unseaworthy, in that year, was 8,203 tons, showing an increase of 40,018 tons, in vessels employed in the coasting trade and fisheries.

In 1810, our registered tonnage was about in the proportion of one ton to every 9 inhabitants of the United States. In 1829, it was in the proportion of one ton to every 19.2 inhabitants. When we consider the change that has taken place in the affairs of the world, and the many restrictions that have been imposed on American commerce, both at home and abroad, we cannot be surprised at the difference of these proportions.

The exports of the United States are classed, at the treasury department, as products of the sea, of the forest, of agriculture, and of manufactures. The value of the products of the sea, annually exported, has, of late years, amounted to little more than a million and a half of dollars: those of the forest to upwards of four millions: those of agriculture, between forty and fifty millions: of manufactures, to two or three millions, and, within a few years, to four or five millions. Table 58 contains a specification of the different articles included in each of these classes, and of their value at the place of export, for the year ending September 30, 1830.

Of agricultural products, the principal article of export is cotton. The value of this commodity exported in 1825, was $36,846,649; but this was owing to a rise of price abroad, produced by speculation. In 1818, the value of cotton exported was

$31,334,000; 1819, $21,082,000; 1820, $22,309,000; 1821, $20,157,484; 1822, $24,035,058: 1823, $20,445,520; 1824, $21,947,401; 1825, $36,846,649; 1826, $25,025,214; 1827, $29,359,545; 1828, $22487,229; 1829, $26,575,311; 1830, $29,674,883. More than two-thirds of the cotton exported is sent to Great Britain. France is our principal market for the residue.

Previous to the revolutionary war, tobacco constituted one-third or one-fourth of the whole export from the country. Of late years, it has constituted one-eighth or one-ninth. The value of this article exported in 1830, was $5,586,365. In no year since 1831, has it risen to seven millions; and in 1824, it fell below five millions. Of the tobacco exported in 1830, about $1,500,000 worth was to England; about $1,100,000 worth to the Netherlands; nearly one $1,000,000 worth to France; $750,000 worth to the Hanse towns; $439,000 to Spain; $123,000 to Sweden and Norway; and the residue to various countries.

The export of rice was, in 1818, $3,265,000.. In the next year, it sunk to $2,143,000; in the next, to $1,715,000; and in 1821, it fell to $1,494,307. From thence till 1829, it rose gradually, the value of this article exported being, in 1822, $1,553,482; in 1823, $1,820,985; in 1824, $1,882,982; 1825, $1,925,245; 1826,$1,917,445; 1827, $2,243,908;1828, $2,620,696; 1829, $2,514,370. In 1830, it sunk to $1,986,624. The principal markets for rice are-England, the Netherlands, France, Cuba, and the Hanse towns. The export of flour has, within the last two years increased greatly. From 1822 to 1829, the exports were usually from 800,000 to 900,000 barrels, of which about one half was to the West Indies, more than one-fourth to South America, and the residue to various countries. In 1830 the export of flour amounted to 1,225,881 barrels; and in 1831, to 1,805,205. In the last mentioned year, 879,430 barrels were exported to Great Britain and Ireland; 150,645 to the British North American provinces; 371,876 to the West Indies; 319,616 to South America; and about 70,000 to various parts of Europe, Asia and Africa.

The imports of the United States have, during the last ten years, amounted to about eighty millions of dollars a year; but of this amount about twentyfour millions have been annually re-exported, leaving about fifty-six millions for domestic consumption. The principal imports of the United States are teas and silks, from China; woollen and cotton manufactures from England and the continent of Europe; manufactures of iron and other metals from England; of flax, from England, Germany and France; of wine and brandy from the north of Europe; of coffee, sugar and molasses from the West Indies, and hides from South America. In 1830, the importation of woollen manufactures amounted to about six millions of dollars; of cotton about eight millions; of silk, six millions; of flax, three millions; of hemp, one million; of iron, five millions five hundred thousand; of earthenware, one million; of wine and brandy, two millions; of teas, two millions five hundred thousand; molasses, one

million; sugar, five millions and a half; of coffee, four millions; of spices, five hundred thousand; of fruits, five hundred thousand; of salt, six hundred thousand. A portion of all these was destined for re-exportation. In the two years 1829 and 1830, the value of foreign cottons re-exported exceeded four millions. An account, in detail, of all the articles imported into the United States would exceed our limits. As such as are not admitted free of duty are entitled to benefit of drawback, if reexported within a limited time, nearly every product of every clime occasionally finds its way to the United States; but the principal trade is in the articles already enumerated.

Table 59 exhibits a view of the amount of the commerce of the United States with each foreign country. This commerce, with each country, is in every year liable to be affected by political changes; but under all circumstances, except those of open war between the two countries, the trade of the United States with Great Britain seems to be the most important. Next to that is the trade with France. The trade with the Netherlands is the third in importance of our European branches of commerce. That with the Hanse towns is the fourth. The trade with Spain, once so important, has become inconsiderable: and that with Portugal has dwindled to almost nothing. The trade with Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Denmark, has never been, in ordinary times, of great amount.

The trade to the West Indies is, in the aggregate, of more importance than the trade to any one country of Europe, England excepted. The trade to the single island of Cuba is of more importance than the trade to any of the countries of Europe, except England and France. The imports from the different West India isles amounted in the year 1830 to nearly eleven millions and a half. The exports directly to those islands exceeded nine millions and a half. To these should be added upwards of three millions and a half exported to the British Northern colonies, but destined ultimately to the West Indies. The West Indies are the natural commercial dependencies of the United States. A political connexion with them is not desirable. But it would be very conducive to our interests and theirs, and to that of the European countries which claim sovereignty over them, if all restrictions

were removed from the trade of these islands with the western continent.

Our exports to the new American states, formerly colonies of Spain, in 1830, amounted to nearly eight millions. Our imports from the same countries exceeded nine millions. To these countries the exports were in 1819, only $206,777; in 1820, 241,193; in 1821 they rose to one million; in 1822 they amounted to nearly two millions and a half; and they have gradually risen to the present amount. We have confined our attention, hitherto, to the foreign trade of the United States; not because it is the most important, but because we have no statistical details to show the extent of the coasting and inland trade. Of the extent of the coasting trade, we may have some notion by considering that the amount of tonnage it employs is but little less than that employed in the foreign trade; and that a vessel in the coasting trade makes many voyages while a vessel in the foreign trade makes but one. Of the extent of the inland trade we may form some conception, by considering the amount of wealth that is annually produced and consumed in the country. It has been ascertained by inquiry, that the expense of supporting paupers in the almshouses, is from forty to sixty dollars a year. The annual consumption of those who are not paupers, may then be safely set down at one hundred dollars, a year, on an average. This would require an annual production of wealth to the amount of $1,300,000,000, to satisfy the wants of the community. Only a part of this, however, enters into trade, for many American families consume most of what their own labour and their own farms produce. If only one-half of what is annually produced becomes the subject of exchanges, our internal trade must amount yearly to more than to six hundred millions: if three-fourths, to nearly a thousand millions. This is an estimate which can hardly be considered enormous, if, in addition to the amount of enrolled and licensed tonnage, we take into view the extent of our roads and canals; the facilities for trade afforded by our lakes and rivers; the variety of our soil and products; the science, skill, industry and enterprise of our countrymen; the manner in which foreign trade vivifies domestic, and the perfect freedom of intercourse which subsists among the dif ferent states composing our confederacy.

1798 603,376

294,952

898,328

Period em

5,319,762

1796 40,764,097 26.300,000 67,064,097 1797 29,850,206 27,000,000 56,850,206 1798 28,527,097 33,000,000 61,527,097 1799 33,142,522 45,523,000 78,665,522| 1800 31,840,903 39,130,877 70,971,780 1801 47,473,204 46,642,721 94,115,925 1802 36,708,189 35,774,971 72,483,160 1803 42,205,961 13,594,072 55,800,033 180441,467,477 36,231,597 77,699,074 1805 42,387,002|53,179,019 95,566,021 180641,253,727 60,283,236 101,536,963 1807 48,699,592 59,643,558 108,343,150 1808 9,433,546 12,997,414 22,430,960 1809 31,405,702 20,797,531 52,203,233 | bracingthe 1810 42,366,675 24,391,295 66,757,970 embargo, embargo, 7,230,903 181145,294,043 16,022,790 61,316,833 non impor181230,032,109 8,495,127 38,527,236 (tation, and 1813 25,008,152 2,847,845 27,855,997 non inter1814 6,782,272 145,169 6,927,441 course l'ws 181545 974,403 6,583,350 52,557,753 j & the war. 181664,781,896 17,138,556 81,9 20,452 [Prev.toOct. 1817 68,313,500 19,358,069 87,671,569, 1, 1820, the 1818 73,854,437 19,426,696 93,281,133 returns don't 1819 50,976,838 19,165,683 70,142,521 show the val. 1820 51,683,640 18,008,229 69,691,669 of Imports.] 9,637,999 1821 43,671,894 21,302,488 64,974,382 62,585,724 1822 49,874,079 22,286,202 72,160,281 83,241,541 1823 47,155,409 27,543,622 74,699,030 77,579,267 1824 50,649,500 25,337,157 75,986,657 80,549,007 1825 66,944,745 32,590,643 99,535,388 96,340,075 1826 53,055,710 24,539,612 77,595,322 84,974,477 1827 58,921,691 23,403,136 82,324,827 79,484,068 1828 50,669,669 21,595,017 72,264,686 88,509,824 1829 55,700,193 16,658,478 72,358,671 74,492,527 1830 59,462,029 14,337,479 73,899,508 70,876,920 12,788,742 1831 61,277,057 20,033,526 81,310,583 103,191,124

Note. The estimate for the year 1790 is from the 1st of Aug. 1789.