STATISTICAL VIEW OF THE COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: ITS CONNECTION WITH AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURES: AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE PUBLIC DEBT, REVENUES, AND EXPENDITURES OF THE UNITED STATES. WITH A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE TRADE, AGRICULTURE, AND MANUFACTURES OF THE COLONIES, PREVIOUS TO THEIR INDEPENDENCE. ACCOMPANIED WITH TABLES, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTS OF THE WORK. BY TIMOTHY PITKIN, A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. SECOND EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. こ PUBLISHED BY JAMES EASTBURN & CO. NEW-YORK. ADVERTISEMENT. A SECOND Edition of a Statistical View of the Commerce of the United States is presented to the public. The Statements and Tables, as far as practicable, are brought down, to the close of the year 1816. A few of the Tables in the first edition are omitted, to make room for others, deemed at present more important. A view of the public debt is given, to the first day of January, 1817, and of the revenues and expenditures, to 1816. The valuations of houses, lands, and slaves in the several States, which have been completed, since the publication of the first edition, are also included. The result of the valuation shews an increase in the value of houses and lands, in the United States, since. 1799, unexampled, in any country. The tariff of duties established in April, 1816, and a particular account of the American trade with Chifrom June, 1800, to January, 1803, are added, by way of Appendix. na, The new state of the world, in consequence of the late general peace in Europe, has rendered a minute acquaintance with the present commercial policy of foreign nations, as well as with the wealth and re sources of the United States, more than ever necessary, to the American merchant and statesman. A new Chapter is added, giving an account of some of the commercial regulations, affecting American commerce which have, either been renewed or adopted, by foreign nations, since the general peace; including also, a concise view of the operation of some parts of the commercial convention with Great-Britain, on American navigation-to which is added, a summary of the acts lately passed, by the national legislature, tending to give permanent security, to the commercial and navigating interests of the United States. The favourable reception of the first edition, and the liberality experienced from a generous public, as well as from numerous individuals, have induced the author, to present to the public a corrected and enlarged Edition. CONTENTS. A spirit of commercial enterprise led to the discovery and settle. ment of America-Policy of the European nations with respect to their American Colonies-Trade of the Colonies restricted at dif- ferent periods-Report of the Board of Trade, concerning the trade and manufactures of the Colonists, in the year 1731 and 1732-Colonies restricted in some manufactures-Bounties given on the importation of certain articles into England, the produce of the Colonies-Population, exports, and imports at different peri- ods—Plan of union agreed upon, by Commissioners from several Colonies-Tonnage and vessels built in the Colonies about the year 1770. 1 Commerce interrupted, during the American revolutionary war— Old Congress no power to regulate commerce, or to levy duties on imports-Amount of the public debt in 1783-Requisitions upon the states for the payment of it not complied with-Power to levy certain duties on imports not granted to the old Congress by the states-Depreciation of the public debt-Exports from the United States to Great-Britain, and imports from Great-Britain, from 1784, to 1790-Distressed state of the country-Meeting of Com- missioners at Annapolis in 1786-Adoption of the new Constitu- tion, and the organization of the government under it in 1789. |