Star.
London, England, 1824-07-20 00:00:00

THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

FROM THE GLASGOW COURIER.
We lay before our Readers to-day, from a Parliamen-
tary Return, a document of which every Baton may
be.proud, and a-statement of the greatest importance,
namely the Imports and Exports. of Great Britain, dis-
tinguishing every country and place to which these are
sent, and from which these are brought. Before no-
ticing the important and particular details, it is neces-
sary to observe, that the exports and imports we here
insert, are exclusive of the trade of Ireland, which
stand thus:
Imports from all parts - - X 6,020,975 3 8
Exports to do. - - - 8,091,113 18 2
but. as the greater part of her trade is with Great Bri-
tain, the real imports and exports of the United King-
dom and of the Empire, taking the imports and exports
of other parts thereof, with all other parts. except with,
Great Britain, by the official value, will stand thus ; viz.,
With all parts. Imports. Exports.
Great Britain - X 35,751,688 X 43,804,372
Ireland 1,207,442 674,815
East Indies - 4,249,558 5,040,390

West Indies, -with Spanish
Settlements and United 2,500,000 2,000,000
States and B. America -
Trade—Empire - 5843,708,688 ‘51,519,577
After the trade let us next consider the Revenue and
Expenditure of the Empire—

Great Britain and Ireland
East Indies
All other Colonies, say

Revenue. Expenditure.
- £63,415,592 £56,704,607
- 21,981,521 17,199,090
3,600,578 3,249,298

Revenue—Empire - £88,997,691 £77,152,995
There appears a 'very striking difference between the
official and declared value of our exports, but the dif-
ference evidently proceeds from an erroneous scale being
applied to the exports of cotton goods, in which the of-
ficial value is about Ten Millions more than the de-
clared value. When Ibis scale was fixed it might have
been very correct, but from the reduced price of goods,
it being now wrong, we can see no reason why it should
not be altered.
A still more striking difference appears in the exports
and imports, the former being twenty-three millions more
than the latter; but then, we must take into account,
that in this excess is included the error of ten millions
in cotton goo.is just mentioned, and also £9,211,927
vaina in foreign and colonial produce. Under this head
there are several very obvious blunders; thus, we im-
port rum, value £428,298, and export value £551,466,
though it is well known we retain more than one half
of the import. We import India Piece Goods, value
£111,251, and, after all we retain, we export
£1,029,891 ! Coffee we import £2,754,861, and, not-
withstanding we retain above one half, . we export
£1,871,012. These and many other instances of a similar
nature, -hew some gross inaccuracy in the scale by which
the value is taken, and accounts for the great apparent
difference between the exports and imports. These in-
accuracies sh )uld be rectified.

A very sulking fact appears from our import list,
namely, that in an importation of thirty millions, eight
millions come from our West India Colonies, and when
we add the direct imports from these Colonies into Ire-
land, £430,000, we have eight and a half millions froth
these possessions; Lona fide their produce, or considci-
ably above one-fourth of all the imports of the United
• Kingdom. Last year the imports stood higher, and
were at least nine millions. When we recollect that
nearly foot millions of our exports to the Continent of
Europe ate the productions of these Colonies, we will
perceive they ate of more value to our trade than
the Whole Continent of Europe. These undeniable facts
should be kept before the eye of every British Legisla-
tor and of every British merchant, and be endorsed on
the back of every sheet containing anti-colonial peti-
tion.; in Great Britain. The present valuable returns
also show us the value and extent of our direct trade to
all South America. It was, in 1822

Brazils

Txports to. Imports from.
,C 1,974,559 .€1,047.525
2,016,276 495,704
1,332,563 566,11.1

Spanish America
Foreign West Indies