The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-23 00:00:00

THE COMMERCE OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND IRELAND.

In a moment of temporary depression like the present,
it is pleasant -to be presented with one of those well-
authenticated official records which show how steadily
the United Kingdom is increasing in wealth and com-
merce, and how increasingly needful the products of
British skill and industry are becoming every year to
the whole civilised world. Such a return has just been
published, from which it appears that the value of the
exports of British manufactures, in the year 1852, was
upwards of seventy-eight millions sterling (78,076,8541.)
On comparing the exports of 1852 with those of 1822
(36,966,0231.), we find an increase of upwards of forty-
one millions ; with those of 1832 (36,450,5941.), we find
a somewhat greater increase, and with those of 1842
(47,381,0231.), we find an increase of thirty-one millions.
These facts not only show an increase of upwards of forty
millions in the value of our exports in thirty years, but
also show that the rate of increase has been accelerated
threefold during the last ten years. Wonderful as this
rate of increase is, it is small compared with the present
rate, which is not half-a-million a year, as the rate of
increase was from 1822 to 1842 ; nor about a million
a year, as it was from 1832 to 1842 ; nor even a trifle
more than three millions a year, as it was from 1842 to
1852 ; but seven millions in the first half of the preent
year. Even allowing this rate of increase to be very
greatly reduced by subsequent returns, it shows a
vigour of industry and an extent of commerce at the
present time, which render all previous examples of
improvement insignificant.
On examining the items of which the sum total of
seventy-eight millions of exports is formed, they encou-
rage us to hope for a future rate of increase not less ex-
traordinary than thejpresent. The whole exports are as
follows :-
1. British Possessions and settlements £
India .
Australia 4,222,205
North America 3,065,364
West Indies 1,908,552
South Africa
Hong Kong 585,355
Channel Islands 564,453
Gibraltar 510,889
Malta
Mauritius 229,693
lonian Islands 138,642
Honduras
31,760
20,686
7,792
60
—20,082,314
..16,567,737

Ascension and St Helena
Aden
Falkland Islands
Heligoland

2. United States
3. Germany—
Hanseatic
Towns
Prussia
Hanover
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Oldenburg and Kniphausen 31,715
7,890,546
4. Holland
5. Brazil
6. France 2,731,286
7. Turkey, Wallachia, and Moldavia 2,349,446
8. China 1,918,244
9. Foreign West India Islands (Cuba, &c.) 1,629,752
10. Spain

11. Chili
12. Portugal
.._

13. Russia..

1,167,494
1,104,213

14. Belgium
15. Peru
16. Egypt
17. Sardinia
18. Naples and Sicily
19. Buenos Ayres
20. Indian Seas
21. Tuscany
22. Austrian Italy
23. Republic of the Uruguay
24. West Coast of Africa
25. Syria and Palestine
26. New Grenada
27. Denmark
28. Mexico
29. Venezuela
Central America
31. Norway
32. Hayti
33. Papal Territories
34. Sweden
35. Greece
36. Morocco
37. Azores

38. Madeira
39. South Sea Islands
40. Cape Verd Islands
41. Dutch Guiana
42. Algeria
43. Eastern Coast of Africa
44. Ecuador
45. Tripoli
46. African Ports—Red Sea
47. Tunis
48. Greenland

1,099,917

1,076,499
1,024,007
• 955,701
924,225
911,658
837,513
734,805
• 693,749
674,423
615,458
536,358
511,096
502,128
452,436
366,020
273,738
260,699
254,276
251,409
188,231
184,734
152,527
• 110,126
63,479

41,825
33,784
9,561
7,426
6,800
5,542
3,163
2,947
1,138
336
125

£78,076,854

The first and greatest item in this account of exports
is that which shows that the exports to the British pos-
sessions and settlements amounted to 20,082,3141., in
the year 1852, The imports from the colonies were of
at least equal amount ; and, together, they form a
colonial trade more extensive and valuable than that
which Spain, Portugal, and Holland possessed when
they had the monopoly of the gold and silver of the
, West and of the silks and spices of the East.

There are several branches of the colonial trade which
are capable of great extension.
The Indian trade is one of these. It is a trade with
a country containing a hundred millions of people, and
capable of producing every kind of tropical produce.
What is chiefly wanted to increase the commerce with
India is improved meaas of transport from the interior,
to bring down to Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras,
cheaply and rapidly, what is now brought slowly and
expensively on the backs of camels and buffaloes. The
Indian railways, which are in progress, and of which
one length has been opened, will supply this, and will
probably double the trade of India within ten years
after they are completed.
The rise of Australia is the wonder of the age. Last
year the land of gold and fleeces took 4,222,2051. worth
of British goods. It is impossible to tell what it will
take from us this year ; but it is supposed that it will
supply us with nearly fifteen millions in gold, besides
two or three millions in wool. In a year or two the
exports from Australia to England will be of the value
of twenty millions, and its imports will bear some fair
proportion to its exports. This is a trade which may
reasonably be expected to increase for the next hundred
years, probably for the next five hundred. It is a trade
with a country nearly as large as Europe, anti possess-
ing greater riches than Mexico and Peru possessed in
the days of their greatest wealth.
British America, though differing from Australia in
all things, except in the fact of its being in the hands of
the same vigorous and enterprising race, possesses
scarcely smaller resources. Canada has the best situated
river in the world, with corn fields and forests of un-
bounded extent. Her Government is in the bands of
the Canadians, as completely as the Government of the
British islands is in the hands of the British people ' • and,
freed from all grounds of difference with the home
Government, she is proceeding to develope her resources,
with the aid of British capital. The railways which
are now forming in Canada will soon double her pros-
perity by rendering the valley of the St. Lawrence the
great line of personal and commercial intercourse with
the interior of America. The present high price of
grain in England and Europe will give an additional
impulse to the cultivation of Canada ; as the increased
consumption, the liberal price of timber, and the demand
for ships, have given a similar impulse to the timber and
shipbuilding trades of all the North American colonies.
The West Indian colonies have seen both their best
and their worst days.
. _ _

South Africa will gradually become a flourishing coun-
try, with a great trade. It has extensive resources for
grazing sheep and cattle ; and, from the geological re-
semblance of its soil to that of Australia, it will probably
be found to contain gold and copper in abundance. The
vicinity of the warlike Kafir tribes is its most serious
drawback.

The other British possessions are small in extent, and
are rather naval and military positions than colonies.

Hong Kong is a fortress, and a naval position,iopro-
tect the commerce with China ; its commerce depends
on the commerce of that country. The Channel Islands
are also naval positions of some importance, but their
commerce cannot increase to any great extent. Gibral-
tar is the key to the Mediterranean ; but its commerce
will be of little importance, if the Spanish Government
should adopt a more liberal commercial policy, and so
put down smuggling. Malta is the citadel of the Medi-
terranean, and one of the keys of the overland route to
India. Its value to the commerce of the East is very
great, though its own commerce must, like itself, be
small. The Mauritius, though small in extent, is both
a valuable colony and a most important naval position.
The lonian Islands are also valuable, and would become
much more so, if this country should have the misfortune
to be involved in a war with Austria or Russia. They
command the Adriatic. Their commerce is steady, but
does not admit of any very great extension. Honduras
will become a place of importance as the trade across
the Isthmus increases. Its fine woods are, and always
will be, valuable articles of commerce. Ascension and
St. Helena will become coaling stations of great import-
ance, in keeping up the steam communication with Austra-
lia. Aden, though nothing but a rock in itself; possesses
one of the finest harbours in the world, and is invaluable
as a means of keeping up the intercourse with India,
by way of Egypt. The Falkland Islands will probably
become of importance in establishing a steam communi-
cation from Brazil and the River Plate to Chili and Peru.
They may become as valuable to England as Gibraltar,
se I v eess,s ther meanss ot
hf
ecommercial greatnessgreatly
ext we j tdhi
ni ng tthr e-
with foreign
whilst.)ecountries.
of twenty millions,
to the colonies amount to upwards
fifty-eight millions--a those to foreign countries amount to
have committed 8--a Blear proof that this country would
sacrifice the trade of the
blunder if it had consented to
nies. the world for the trade of the colo-
The most flourishing and extensive
reign trade is that with the United
branch of our fo-
nitd States. It is
pdiffi-
cult to assign any limit to the probable
which already amounts to upwards
se extent of a trade
f
and a half, and which is increasing ato th sixteen millions
mil-
lion or two year by year. The demand for
rate of a
for grain and