CHAPTER VI.

IMPORTS into the United States-Their trade with different parts of the world at different periods-Particular account of the trade with Great-Britain, France, and other countries-A comparative view of exports and imports in different years-Value of the principal articles imported at different periods-Amount of cotton and woollen goods imported from Great-Britain in 1806 and 1807, and wines and brandies from France-Origin of their trade with China and the East-Indies-Quantity of teas imported in different years from 1790 to 1812.

HAVING, in the preceding chapters, given an account of the exports of the United States, we shall now, according to the plan proposed, present a view of the imports, together with an account of our trade with the different parts of the world, and its increase since the establishment of the present government. We would here remark, that no returns are made to the treasury department, of the value of the various articles imported, by the collectors of the customs, except those, which pay duties ad valorem; the value of which, at the place of importation, is ascertained by law as follows, viz.-" by adding twenty per cent. to the actual cost thereof, if imported from the Cape of Good Hope, or from any place beyond the same, and ten per cent. on the actual cost thereof, if imported from any other place or country, including all charges, commissions, outside packages, and insurance only excepted."

The goods or merchandize, thus paying ad valorem duties, embrace, as has been heretofore noticed, with few exceptions, all the woollen, cotton, linen, silk, metal, earthern, and paper manufactures imported. The value of these goods, ascertained in the manner before stated, and not the quantity is returned to the treasury department. Of all the other various articles imported, the quantity and not the value is returned to the treasury by the collectors. The treasury books, therefore, do not shew the value of the imports, as they do that of the exports of the United States. This can only be ascertained by a long and tedious calculation from the prices of the various

articles (except those paying ad valorem duties) at the places of importation. To do this, with accuracy, for each year, from the commencement of the government, would require more time and labour than any one would be willing to bestow on so dry a subject. At different times, however, since the establishment of the government, at the request of the national legislature, official returns have been made to Congress, of the value of our imports for short periods. From these returns and the documents accompanying them, and from other calculations, we shall be able, we trust, to present a satisfactory view of the value of our imports and trade with different parts of the world, for the greatest part of the time from the commencement of the government. By a report of the Secretary of State, of the 16th of December 1793, having reference to the year 1792, it appears, that the countries, with which the United States at that time had their chief commercial intercourse, were Spain, Portugal, France, Great-Britain, the United Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, and their American possessions; and that the articles of export, constituting the basis of that commerce, with their respective amount, was as follows, viz.

Bread stuffs, that is to say, bread grain, meal,
and bread, to the annual amount of

Tobacco,

The proportion of these exports which went to each of the nations before mentioned, and their dominions, the Secretary states as follows:

Our imports, from the same countries, are also stated to be-from

The above account does not include the whole amount of our exports at that period, as many articles of smaller value, than those mentioned, are not included.

Tables No. I. and II. annexed to this chapter, give a view of the commercial intercourse of the United States, with foreign countries and their dependencies, from 1795 to 1801 inclusive, exhibiting the value of the exports to each nation, and its dependencies, and the value of the imports from the same, during that period. The exports were taken from the custom-house books, and the value of the imports was made out, with great care and labour, from the prices of the va

* See printed Report of the Secretary of State.

rious articles imported, (except those paying ad valorem duties) at the places of importation.*

From these tables, the following is the amount of the exports and imports of the United States from the year 1795 to 1801 :

During the session of Congress in the winter of 1806, the Secretary of the Treasury furnished the house of representatives with several valuable statements and documents, relative to the trade of the United States with different parts of the world, in the years 1802, 1803, and 1804.

These statements were called for by the house, while various propositions were under their consideration, as to a total, or partial nonintercourse with Great-Britain and her dependencies, for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of our trade with that kingdom, in comparison with the other parts of the world, and to enable the house to see to what extent our commerce and revenue might be affected, by a nonintercourse with the British dominions. From these statements, the annual value of our imports from all parts of the world, on an average of the years 1802, 1803, and 1804, amounted to $75,316,937, and the average value of our exports, for the same period, was $68,461,000. The value of the imports was calculated upon the same principles, as the value of goods paying the ad valorem duties, that is to say, by

* For these valuable Tables we are indebted to the politeness of a gentleman, who has long been one of the principal clerks in the Treasury Department, who has been much conversant with the subjects to which they relate.

adding from ten to twenty per cent. to the prime cost and charges at the places from which the articles were imported; the value of the exports was taken from the custom-house books.

The value of the principal articles imported, was estimated as follows:

Dolls.

Merchandize paying 12 1-2 per cent. ad valorem, 30,732,069

By the same statements, the amount of our commerce with the dit