COINS. The gold coins in circulation are: The British sovereign and half sovereign; doubloons; the American gold coins, taken at the custom-houses here at the fol.lowing rates. The double eagle. The half eagle.. £4 2 0 2 1 0 10 3 2 The quarter eagle. The gold dollar... 4 The silver coins in circulation are: British silver of every denominatíon; Spanish and American dollars with their several decimal fractional parts; and French five-franc pieces. Dollars are valued by the Bahama act, 2 Victoria, chapter 4, extended to these islands, at the rate of 4s. 2d. sterling. The English shilling and sixpence pieces approximate so nearly to the quarter and eighth of the dollar that they pass current for those coins, respectively. There are no copper coins in circulation; likewise no paper money. SEPTEMBER 30, 1863. In conformity with the obligation imposed on consular officers of the United States to make an annual report at this particular period, I have the honor to lay before you a general statement of the trade, &c., of this consular district for the year ending this day. As is well known to the commercial world, salt is the great staple and nearly the only product of these islands. So far as the quantity of its exports are concerned, this colony, unlike most of its neighbors in the West Indies, has not thus far been a sufferer by the great contest in the United States. As I informed the department under date January 31, 1863, the amount of salt exported from these islands in 1862 was 1,982,576 bushels; exceeding that of 1861 by 622,568 bushels, and that of the most prosperous year heretofore, (1859,) by 78,072 bushels. From October 1, 1862, to June 30, 1863, inclusive, from the port of Grand Turk alone, there were 545,244 bushels exported; and from October 1, 1861, to June 30, 1862, inclusive, there were only 294,752 bushels shipped abroad; showing that the exportations of salt from the port named, for three-quarters of the present commercial year, were nearly double what they were in the corresponding quarters of last year. It should be borne in mind that the staple here referred to commands low and comparatively unremunerative prices. The average price of salt for 1863 has been about seven cents per bushel, exclusive of the government tax of one cent per bushel already borne by the purchaser or shipper, which, as compared with 1862, is about the same. Freight of this staple to the United States has varied from eight to ten cents a bushel. IMPORTS. The total value of the imports of this colony in 1862 was $172,589 90, of which amount $89,252 14 were from the United States, and $83,337 76 from all other parts. EXPORTS. The exports were $157,029 90; to the United States $125,791 22, elsewhere $31,238 68. Of the salt shipped, 1,821,008 bushels were to the United States; 752,408 bushels in British, and 1,068,600 bushels in foreign vessels, eight-tenths of these being American. Generally, of late years, about fivesixths of the staple exported has gone to the United States; the rest mostly to Nova Scotia. VESSELS ARRIVED. In 1862 one hundred and forty-three American vessels entered; forty-three had cargoes and one hundred were in ballast. During the year ended this day 118 American vessels entered the various ports of this consular district; of which number 22 were barks, 47 brigs, and 49 schooners. Aggregate tonnage 23,844. Quantity of salt outward 728,005 bushels. Value of salt outward $52,077 15. As will doubtless be noticed, there is a considerable falling off in the number of American vessels arriving at this colony during the above period, as compared with previous years. Perhaps this fact will best be explained by the enclosed statement showing the number, class, and tonnage of vessels built in the United States and registered at Grand Turk, Turk's islands, from the 1st of October, 1862, to the 30th September, 1863, inclusive. It thus appears that thirty-five vessels, of the aggregate tonnage of 7,627, formerly American, have within the last year been placed under a foreign flag in this colony alone. Quite a number of vessels have also arrived here that had thrown off their American character at other ports. RECEIPTS AND EXPENSES OF THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. The receipts of the colonial government from all sources, for the six months ended June 30, 1863, were $23,560 90, and the expenditures $19,649 20. For the first three quarters of this commercial year the public revenue was $29,232 06, which, as compared with corresponding quarters of last year, exhibits an increase of $8,278 90. Of this amount $15,686 44 was derived from imports, $5,669 86 from exports, and $7,875 76 from other sources. Tonnage and value of cargoes saved from January 1 to September 30, 1863. Tabular statement showing the class, number, and tonnage of vessels built in the United States and registered at Grand Turk, in the colony of Turk's and Caicos islands for the year ended September 30, 1863. # * By an act of the legislative council, which went into operation on the 4th day of July last, the export duty on salt was increased from one-half to one cent a bushel; copies of which were forwarded to the Department of State. By far the most important event, in its bearings on the interests of this colony, that has occurred for several years, was the confirmation, in the month of June last, of the ordinance converting the leasehold of salt ponds in Turk's islands into freehold property. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND-J. H. SHERMAN, Consul. JUNE 22, 1863. In a despatch to this consulate from the State Department, July 23, 1860, signed William Henry Prescot, Acting Secretary of State, (enclosing an opinion of Attorney General Black on the proper fee for issuing invoices, certificates of growth and produce, &c.,) the Acting Secretary says, in conclusion: "It is proper to add that, as the pound of the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Providence, Newfoundland, and Canada is fixed by laws of the United States, uo currency certificate is necessary" * * * * The Acting Secretary seems to have assumed that this colony was a part of some one of the provinces enumerated in the act passed May 26, 1846, and that the value of the pound of this colony was the same, and had been fixed by our laws at the same value as the pound of the provinces named in said act, $4; whereas the value of the pound in this colony is only three dollars and twenty cents, ($3 20.) The value of the American and Spanish dollar is 6s. 3d. in this currency, as established by an act of the legislature. The value of the pound sterling of Great Britain is one pound and ten shillings in this currency. A certificate of deposit issued by the bank or by private bankers here for £1,000 would be cashed (at par) in the United States (on the hypothesis which Acting Secretary Prescot adopted) as $4,000; whereas its par value would be only $3,200. It seems to me that for the protection and convenience of our people the issuing of certificates of currency should be resumed, and continued until its value shall be established by our laws. * JULY 16, 1863. As there are very few articles of merchandise exported from this colony, except those that are duty free under the reciprocity treaty, the act of March 3, 1863, will very rarely apply to them. In answer to the inquiry contained in despatch No. 14 as to "whether tonnage duty is levied upon American vessels entering the ports of the island, or engaged in the fisheries, within your (my) consular district, or whether any other duty in the nature of a harbor duty, or light-house, or any duty of a similar character is imposed upon our vessels," I have to state that a "light duty" of sixpence (eight and a half cents) per ton measurement is levied upon all vessels entering the ports of the island, and that that is the only duty levied by law upon American vessels within my consular district. One rate only (sixpence) is levied for the year from January 1 to December 31. I may be permitted to add, that the above tax is considered unjust by the owners of our fishing vessels, for the reason that the lights are very inadequate for their protection, there being none on either the east or north capes, where they are most required, and that the ports where the lights are established are inaccessible, at night, in bad weather. They are taxed, also, on passing through the "Gut of Canso" a "light duty," sixpence (ten cents) per ton, (as you will have been advised by our consuls in Nova Scotia,) which, added to the tax bere, makes $27 50 light money levied on our vessels of one hundred and fifty tons burden, which I consider a very exorbitant tax when vessels make but one voyage a year, and have no substantial benefit from more than one light. The Nova Scotia tax upon the vessels of this colony has been considered so unjust that remonstrances have been made to that government by the executive of this against it, but no amelioration of the tax has yet been made. DECEMBER 26, 1863. I have the honor to submit the following report for the year ending September 30, 1863: The civil, commercial, and agricultural affairs of this colony have undergone but little change during the past year, 1862. The total amount of the imports and exports from and to all countries have been as follows in sterling currency: Imports, £211,240 18s. Gd. Exports, £150,549 2s. The total amount of imports and exports from and to the United States in sterling is Imports, £46,929 19s. 11d. Exports, £43,466 16s. But a fraction of the carrying trade of the colony is done in American vessels, (the fishing business, of which we have no account, excepted,) as will be seen in the article of oats, which is almost the only article freighted in American vessels from this island. Total amount of oats shipped to the United States, 374,624 bushels. Amount shipped in British vessels, 316,322; in American vessels, 58,302. All other articles are about in the above proportions. There have been no changes in the light and anchorage dues collected from American vessels since my last report. There have been seventy-three (73) vessels (registered, 16,663 tons) built here during the year. I should have stated, while on the subject of the carrying trade, that the total number of vessels entered at the fourteen ports of entry in this colony during the year ending December 31, 1862, was 1,054, of which only 22 were American. The total number of vessels cleared from the said fourteen ports was 1,095, of which the number of American was 27. The large number of American vessels (600 to 800) that are engaged in fishing on the north side of this island during the summer do not enter at nor clear from any of the ports, although they run in and out (many of them) in the course of the season. Two of the United States armed vessels have this season cruised around and entered several ports of this island. I annex a tabular statement showing all the details of the commercial transactions between this colony and the United States during the past year. It will be observed that all the articles exported from this colony to the United States enter our ports duty free, while on the articles imported from the United States duties, amounting to $15,000, are collected. |