It was known as the "Labor Circular," and was sent to the consular officers in Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, and Denmark. It read as follows: GENTLEMEN: With reference to the circular addressed to you in August, 1877, in respect to the trade of the United States with foreign countries, it is now deemed desirable that you should make inquiries and report in regard to the following points, viz: Ist The rate of wages usually paid to laborers of every class, but with more especial reference to agricultural laborers, mechanical laborers, and those upon public works and railways. 2d The cost of living to the laboring class, or the prices paid for what may be termed the necessaries of life. 3d So far as practicable, a comparison of the present rates with those prevailing during the past five years, both as to wages and cost of living. 4th Such information as may be obtainable touching the present state of trade, whether prosperous or otherwise; the amount and character of paper money, if any, as circulation; and the amount and character of coin, with the relation borne by paper and coin to each other. 5th And lastly, such information as may be obtainable as to the business habits and systems of your districts. It is desired that the information which may come to your knowledge on the foregoing points should be embraced in a report to the Department, to be made as soon as may be practicable. I am, etc., F. W. SEWARD, The result of this circular was the publication, by order of Congress, the following year, of the volume known as "Labor in Europe," the precursor of the exhaustive report in three volumes which appeared in 1884. Since the organization of the present Bureau of Statistics numerous other special reports, following the same plan, have been printed, the largest and most elaborate of which are the volumes, profusely illustrated, entitled "Cattle and Dairy Farming of the World." The volumes of "Commercial Relations issued by this Bureau were authorized by the Act of August 18, 1856. In the same year, before the passage of that Act, appeared four large volumes entitled “Report on the Commercial Relations of the United States with all Foreign Nations; Edmund Flagg, Superintendent; Prepared and Printed under the Direction of the Secretary of State in Accordance with Resolutions of the Senate and House of Representatives." The resolutions had voted $10,000 to defray the expense. In his introduction, Mr. Flagg, "Superintendent of the Statistical Office," stated: Three reports on "the privileges and restrictions of the commercial intercourse of the United States with foreign nations" similar to the present, have appeared since the establishment of this government. The first was communicated to the House of Representatives, December 16, 1793, by Mr. Secretary Jefferson, in conformity to “instructions" of that body, February 14, 1791, and embraces what is equivalent to some eight or ten octavo pages. second was communicated to the Senate by Mr. Secretary Forsyth, December 18, 1839, in compliance with a resolution of that body of December 19, 1838, and comprises seventy-four octavo pages. The third and last report was The communicated to the House of Representatives by Mr. Secretary Webster, March 29, 1842, in accordance with resolutions of that body of September 3, 1841, and January 31, 1842, and forms a document of nearly six hundred pages. In addition to these reports, three other commercial compilations issued by the government should be named— to wit:-the "Commercial Digest," transmitted to the Senate by President Monroe, December 7, 1819, conformably to a resolution of that body, March 3, 1817; theDigest of Commercial Regulations," showing the 66 changes" in such regulations subsequent to the Digest of 1819, prepared by Mr. Secretary Adams, in accordance. with a resolution of the House, January 21, 1823, and communicated to that body January 30, 1824; and last, the "Digest of Commercial Regulations" prepared and printed, in three volumes, under the direction of the Secretary of State, in compliance with a resolution of the House, March 3, 1831; the first volume being completed for transmission to that body, May 28, 1833, and the second and third volume in 1836. But in neither of these works last named, was it required to communicate specifically "the privileges and restrictions of the commercial intercourse of the United States with foreign nations," by which requirement the former were characterized. The four volumes of the report were divided into three parts-"Commercial Digests," "Comparative Tariffs," and "Consular Returns." In 1857 appeared the first volume of the "Commercial Relations," the title page reading: "Report of the Secretary of State, Transmitting a Statement from the Superintendent of Statistics of the Commercial Relations of the United States with Foreign Nations, for the Year Ending September 30, 1856." The volume was on the same plan as that now pursued, being composed of statistical reports giving information of the condition of trade in their districts by the Consuls. While it is now edited and prepared in the Bureau of Statistics, its distribution is a function of the Bureau of Rolls and Library, which also has in its custody the laws of the United States. Under the terms of the Act creating the Department of State bills, orders, resolutions, etc., passed by Congress and approved by the Presi |