V. Account of the Real or Declared Value of the various Articles of the Manufacture and Produce of the United Kingdom exported to Foreign Countries in 1828 and during each of the Eight Years end. ing with 1837; specifying their Value, the Countries to which exported, and the Value of those annually shipped for each.

Isles of Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, and Man

Totals .

329,428 344,036 324,634 317,496 335,934 360,665 351,612 318,609 320,017 36,812,756 38,271,597 37,164,372 36,450,594 39,667,347 41,649,191 47,372,270 53,3€8.572 42.070,744|

Remarks on the above Tables.- Foreign Competition.-It is seen from the last of the above tables, that the falling off in the exports in 1837 was almost entirely owing to the decline in the exports to the United States, which fell off from 12,425,605/. in 1836, to 4,695,225/. in 1837. But this extraordinary decline was wholly owing to accidental causes, or to the pecuniary difficulties in which the mercantile class in the United States were involved in the latter part of 1836 and 1837, through the previous abuse of credit, and the revulsion occasioned by the universal stoppage of the banks. It was clear, that how severe soever in the meantime, any check to commerce originating in such circumstances would be of a very evanescent description; and, in point of fact, its influence has already almost ceased to be felt, and our exports to the United States were last year almost as large as ever. We subjoin An Account of the Real or Declared Value of the principal Articles of British and Irish Produce and Manufactures exported in 1837 and 1838.

It is obvious, from this and the previous tables, that the statements that have recently heen put forth with so much misplaced confidence, as to the influence of foreign competition on our trade, and the consequent decay of our exports, if not wholly unfounded, are, at all events, very grossly exaggerated. Provided tranquillity be maintained at home, and that Britain continues to be exempted from that political agitation that is the bane of industry and the curse of every country in which it prevails, we have nothing to fear from foreign competition. Our natural and acquired advantages for the prosecution of manufactures and trade, are vastly superior to those of every other country; and though foreigners do excel us in a few departments, and may come to excel us in others, so that the character and

channels of our trade may, in consequence, be partially changed, there is not so much as the shadow of a foundation for supposing that its amount will be at all affected. On the contrary, it is all but certain that it will continue to augment with the augmenting wealth and population of the innumerable nations with which we have commercial relations.

Our restrictive regulations are the only thing from which (supposing tranquillity to be preserved) it is at all reasonable to apprehend any serious injury; and though their influence has been much modified during the last few years, it were much to be wished that it were still further diminished. They not only tend to lessen exportation, by diminishing importation, but give a handle to all sorts of misrepresentation, and enable a clamour to be raised when there is really little or no foundation for one. This has been very strikingly evinced in the recent discussions as to the Corn Laws. All parties, manufacturers and agriculturists, seem generally to entertain the most erroneous notions as to the influence of these statutes. The truth is, that, in ordinary years, it is now, thanks to the spread of agricultural improvement, all but imperceptible. During the six years ending with 1837, the average price of wheat in Great Britain was 50s. 2d. a quarter; and we are bold to say, that not a tittle of evidence has been, or can be produced, to show that this price would have been reduced 5s. a quarter had the ports been all the while open to unconditional importation from abroad. Hence, were our manufactures really declining, or in a perilous state, which happily they are not, it is idle to suppose that this decline or danger could be obviated by the repeal of the Corn Laws. The influence of the latter is now nearly restricted to years when the home crops are deficient, and then, certainly, it is very injurious. Seeing, therefore, that the agriculturists have nothing to fear from the opening of the ports, sound policy would suggest that foreign corn should be admitted at all times for home consumption, under such a reasonable constant duty (5s. or 6s. on wheat and other grain in proportion) as may be required to countervail the burdens peculiarly affecting the land; and were this done, and the timber duties equalised, the sugar duties placed on a fair footing, and some of the more oppressive duties in our tariff, as those on brandy and hollands, adequately reduced, the foreign competition to which we might be exposed would be productive of nothing but advantage. Such competition is, in reality, the vivifying principle of industry, curis acuens mortalia corda. It gives a new stimulus to the inventive powers, at the same time that it supplies new products and new modes of enjoyment to reward the labour of the industrious. It must ever be borne in mind that the amount of the exports from a country always depends upon, and is, in fact, measured by the amount of its imports; and while the magnitude of the latter continues to increase, and we freely open our ports to the products of all countries and climates, we may be sure that our exports will equally increase, and be found in every market.-Sup.)

[The tables which follow (and which give a very interesting and satisfactory view of the commerce of the United States), with the exception of what is expressly stated to have been copied from Mr. Hazard's Commercial and Statistical Register, are derived from the reports to Congress of the present Secretary of the Treasury.

It was intended to have added to them a table exhibiting a comparative view of the commerce of our principal ports; but to prepare such a table with the desirable degree of accuracy has been found impracticable; and the reader must be left to gather the information on the subject, afforded by this work, by consulting the articles relating to each of those ports separately.-Am. Ed.

A Statement exhibiting the Value of Imports into and Exports from the United States, during the Years 1834, 1835, 1836, 1837, 1836, and 1839.

"The following table, compiled from Witworth's 'Trade of Great Britain,' Macpherson's Annals of Commerce,' and Anderson's History of Commerce,' exhibits an interesting view of the trade between the American Colonies and the mother country, from 1697 to 1776, which, in fact, formed almost the only commerce of this country, prior to the Revolution."-Hazard's U. S. Com. und Stat. Reg., vol. i. p. 3.

Years.

Experts.

£

1697 26,292

1698

31,251

1699 26,669

New England.
Imports.
£
£
£
68,468 10,093 4,579
93,517 8,763 25.279
127,279 16,818 42,792
91.918 17,567 49,410)

£ 3,317

2,720

1,477

86,322 18,547 31,910
61,625 7.965 29,991
59.608 7,471 17,562
74,896 10,540 22,291

4,608
5,220
4,115
5,160
2,430

1.309
4,210
7-6
2,120

617 1,277 38

Georgia.

£

£

Exports. Imports. Exports. Imports. Exports., Imports. Exports. Imports Expors. Imports. £ £ £ £ £ 2,997 227,756 58,796 12,374 5,259 10,704174,053 310,135, 9,25 18,462 17,064 198,115 205,078 12,372 11.401| 1700 41,456, 18.529.317,302 173,481 14,658 11,003| 1701 32,656 12,003 235,738 199,683 16,573 13,908 1702 37,026 9,342 274,72 72,391 11,870, 10,:00 1703 33.539 9.899 144,928 196,713 13.197 12,425 1704 30.823 11,819 264,112 60,458 14.667, 6,621 1705 22,793 62,501 7,393 27,902 7,206 116,768 174,322 2,698 19,78 1706 22,210 57,050 2,819 31,588) 11,037 149,152 58,015] 8,652) 4,00 1707 38,793 120,631 14,293 29,855 14,365 207,625 237.901| 23.311 10.492 1703 49,635) 115,505 10,847 26,899 6,723 213,493 79.061 10,340 11,996 1709 29,559 120,319 12,259 34,577 5,881 261,668 80,208 20,431 2,521) 1710 31,112 106,338 8:03 31,475 8,591 188,429 127,639 20.793 19,613 1711 26,415 137,421 12,193 28,856 19,408 273,181 91,535 12.871 20,406 1712 21,699 128,105 12,466 18,521 1,471 8,464 297,911 134,583 29,391 20,015 1713 49,991 120,778 14,428 46,470) 178 17,037 206,263 76,304 32,419 23,967| 1711 51,511 121,258 29,810 44,643 2,663 14.927 280,470 128,573 31.250, 23,712 1715 66,555 164,650 21,316 54,629 5,461 17,182 174,756 199,274, 29,158 16,631) 1716 69,595 121.156 21,971 52,173 5,193 21.842 281,343 179,595 46,287 27,272 1717 58,598 132,001) 24,534 44,140 4,499 22,505, 296,881 215,962 41,275 25,058 1718 61,591 131,885 27,331 62,966 5,558 22,716 316,576 191,925 46,385 15,811 1719 51,452 125,317 19,596 56,355 6,564 27,088 332,069 164,630 50.373 19,630 1720 49,205 128,769 16,836 37,397 7,928 24,531 331,482, 110,717 62,736 18,290 1721 50,483! 114,524 15,651 50,751 8,037 21,548 357.812 127,376 61,859 17,703 1722 47.955 133,722 20,118 57.478 6,882 26,397 283,091172,754 79.650 31,374 1723 59,339 176,186, 27,992 53,013 8,332 15,992 287,997 123,533, 78,103) 42.216) 1721 69.585 168,507 21,191 63,020 4,057 30,321 277,314 161,894 90,501 37.839 1725 72,021 201,763 21,976 70,650 11,981 42,209 214.750 195,884 91,942 39,182 1725 63,816 200,-82 38,307 81,566 5.960 57,634 324,767 185,9-1 93.453 43.934) 1727 75,052 187 277 31,617 67,452, 12,823 31,979,121,588 192,965 96,055 23,254 1723 64,639 191,590 21,141 81,634 15,230, 37,478 113,059 171,092 91,175 33,067 1729 52,512 161,102 15,833 61,760 7,431 29,799 386,171 108,931 113,329 58,306 1739 51,701 208,196 8.740 64,356 10,582 48,592 346,823 150,931 151,739 61,785 1731 49,018, 183,167 20,756 66,116 12,786 44,260 408,502 171,278 159,771 71,145) 1732 61,095 216,600 9,411 65,540 8,521 41,698,310,799 145,289 126.207 58,298! 1733 61.983 181,570 11,626 65,417 14,776 40,565 403,19 156,177 177,845, 70,16) 1734 $2,252 146,160 15,307 81,758 20,217 54,292 373,090 172,086 120,166 99,658 1735 72,599 189,125 14,155 80,405 21,919; 48,801 394,995 220,381 145,348 117,837 1736 66.785 222,158 17,914 86,000 20,786 61,513 380,163 201,794 214,083 101,147 1737 63,347 223,923 16,833 125,833 15,198 56,690 492,216-211,301 187,758 58,986 1738 59,116 203,233 16,228 133,438 11,918 61,450 391,814,258,880 141,119 87,793 1739 46,601 220,378 18,459 106,070 8,134 54,452 444,654 217,200 236.192 94,415 1749 72.3891 171,081 21,498 118,777 15,048 56,751 341,997 281,42 265,560 181,821 1741 60,052 198,147 21,142 140,430, 17,158 91,010 577,109|248,582 226,830 221.270 148,899 13,536 167,591 8,527 75,295 427,769 264,186 151,607 127,063 172,461 15,067 134,487 9,596 79,340 557,821 328,195 235,136 111,499 143,952 14,527 119,920 7,446 62,214 402,709 234,855, 192,594 79,141 140,463 14,053 54,957 10,130 54,20 399,423 196,799 91,847 86,815. 209,177) 8,841 86,712 15,779 73,699 419,371 282,545 76,897 102,809 1747 41,771 210,640 14,992 137,954 3,832 82,404,492,619 200,088 107,500 95,529 1748 29.748 197,652 12,358 143,311 12,363 75,330494,852 252,624 167,305 160,172 1719 39,999 238,256 23,413 265,773 14,944 238,637 431 618 323,600 120,499 164,085 1750 48,455 313,659 35,632 267,130 28,191 217,713 508,939 349,419 191,607 134,037 1751 63,287 305,974 42,363 218,941 23,870 190,917 460,085 217,027 245,491 138,214 1752 74,313 273,310 40,618 191,030 29.978 201,666 569,453 325,151 288,264 150,777 1753 83.3959 315,523 40,553 277,864 38,527 245,644 632,575 356,776 164,634 213,009 1751 66,538 329,433 26,663 127,497 30,649 214,647 573,435 323,513 307,235 149,215 1755 59,533 311,796 28,055 151,071 32,336 144,456 489,668 285,157 325,525 189,887 1756 47,359 381,371 21,073 250,425 20,091 200,169 337,759 334,897 222,915 181,7807 1757 27,556 363,404 19,168 353,311 14,190 168,426 418,881 426,687 130,889,213,919 1758 30,204 465,691 14,260 356,555 21,363 260,953 454,362 438,471 150,511 181,002 1759 25.985 527,037 21,684 630,785 22,401 498,161 357,228 459,007 206,534 215,255, 1760 37.802 599,647 21,125 480,106 22,754 707,998 504,451 605,882 162,769 218,131 1761 46,225 331,225 48,648 259,570, 39,170 204,067 455,083 545,350 253,002 254,587 1762 41.733 217,385 58,882 258,016 38,091 206,199 415,709 418,599 181,695 194,170 1763 74,815 255,851 52.998 238,560 35,228 284,152 642,294 555,391 282,306 250,132 1761 88,157 459,765 53,697 515,416 36,258 436,191 559,508 515,192 341,727 305,808 31,325 18,338 1765 145,819 451.299 54,959 382,349 25,148 363,368 505,671 383,224 385,918 234,709 34,183 29,165] 1766 141,733 409,642 67,020 330,829 26,851 327,314 461,693 372,548 293,587 296,732 53,074 67,268 1767 128,207 406,081 61,422 417,957 37,641 371,830 437,926 437,628 395,027 244,093 35,856 23,334 1763 148.375 419,797 87,115 482,930 59,404 432,107 406,048 475,984 508,108 289.868 42,102 56,562 1769 129.353 207,992 73,466 74,918 26,111 199,906 361,592'485,362 587,114 306,600 82,270 58,310 1770 148.011 394,451 69,882 475,991 28,109 131.881 435,094 717,782 278,907 146,273 55,532 56,193 1771 150,381 1,420,119 95,875 653,621 31,615 728,744 577,818 920,326 420.311 409,169 63,810 70,493 1772 126,265, 21,830 82,707 343,970 29,133 507,909 52,404 793,910 425,923 449,610 66,083 92,406 1773 121,624 527,055 76,216 289,214 36,652 426,448 589,803,328,904 456,513 311,859 85,391 62,932

562,476 80,008 437,937 69,611 625,652 612,030 528,738 432,302 378,116 67,617 57,518
71,625 187,018 1,228 175,962 1,366 758,356 1,921 579,349 6,245 103,477 113,777
55,050 2,318
1,421 365 73,226
13,668 | 12,569

Imports into the United States from the 1st of October, 1789, to the 30th September, 1838.