The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-22


made by thcenemy to ruin our trade, but that
they always proved abortive. You are now to
exchange that for another nrosnect and view
The attacks made upon our commerce by our
own force and by our own wisdom !; that force,
and that wisdom, which had in every form
CIR instance succeeded in frustrating all inva-
sions of our country repelling all attacks on
our trade; turning the commerce of neutrals
into channels the NEST beneficial to our in
terests; and converting to our own purposes
the very bitterest DEGREES of the Frencll
themselves. You viii find that in every quar-
ter we have, by our Orders-in Council, been
crossing and striking in with the enemy's
plans, and supplying those deficiencies in
their orders, which they in vain attempted to
make up. You will see too what the result
has been that the commerce of this once
Aourishing country is now brought down to a
state lower than it ever was expected to reach
even by the most goo:ny prophets, in the
worst times Of our history.
If we now pursue that order which be-
fore followed. and examine this point by the
tests formerly applied to the execution of the
Berlin decree, we shall first be led to the
state of remittances from the continent. Let
me here refer the house to the general tes-
timony of all the witnesses engaged in the
American trade. for a knowledge of the par
ticular course of commerce, which we carry
The manufactures of this country being
bought up oy the merchants, Tin some few
instances they are exported by the manufac-
turers themselves) are sent over to Ameri-
Ca, at two seasons in the year, in what are
called by all the witnesses the stirring and fall
shipments shall not attend to the latter.
but shall take the instances of the spring
shipments, in order to elucidate this subject.
The orders for these are begun to be receiv-
Cd Nd tn1 oa,.lty .l,A ~,
of November. In December and part of ia
nuary, the transmission & preparation OF the
orders proceed, and before the end of the
month of January, each year, the orders for
the spring shipments may be said to be al
most completed. Sometimes, indeed, they
encroach little upon the month of Februa-
ry,- but substantially you may take it, as
proved by all the witnesses, that the orders
are wholly received before the middle of the
month of January. The goods that are thus
sent to America are chiefly manufactures pc
culiar to this country; for example, those of
Manchester, which, indeed, are shipped by
no set ofmen to greater extent, than by the
petitioners now at your bar. The payment
of the goods thus sent over is made in a COM
paratively small proportion in American pro-
duce, chiefly Gotten and tobacco, shipped di-
rectly frcn, !An.er;c:a. K: this cc:.atry. This
proportion amounts in general to about one
will favour me with its intention, when /
State for one year the course of American
trade with the British empire; for that will
be more satisfactory argument, and go
greater way in demonstrating the necessity
of the continuance Of such trade, than if
were to attempt describing it in any other
manner.
In 1904, according TO the official accounts
printed In Anerica, by order of the houses
oscongress, there were shipped from Ame-
RIGA 20 England, Or l shonld rather say to
the British doniinions in Europe, American
p oduce to the amount of nearly three milii-
ons sterling, viz. 2,971 1921. reckoning dol
lars at the usual rate of IS cd. sterling
From the same part of onr dominions, there
appear TO have gone over to America, i'll
that year, goods to the amount of 6,213, 645l.
The exports from America to the British
East Indies amounted in the same year to
29.500l. and the imports to America from
thence amounted to nearly one million ster-
ing, rcips S7S, 1881. The exports from the
-Upited States to the British settlements in
North America amounted to 253, 627l. and
the imports from the latter to 17S 1851
This balance, however, in favour OF Ameri
ca on the trade with our northern colonies,
is only an apparent one. The sums which
have read are taken from the duties OH i'm
portation and plaster of Paris, the chief ar
ticle brought into the United States from our
settlements, being absolutely necessary to
the American farmer in the cultivation ofhis
land, is not taxed, and Of course, is omitted
in the estimate. 1t amounts TO greatly more
than the rest Of the imports from Canada,
&c, and leaves the balance here, as in ge-
neral, against America. The exports to the
British West Indies, during the same year,
amounted to ,585, 1921. and the imports
from thence in return were 1,066,51el. On
this head then there appears to be balance
TO considerable amount in favor of the u.
States. But from this must he deducted the
real balance on the New BruEs ~!3k trade,
at whatever II may be estimated, and even
admitting the full balance as now stated, Of
nearly half million on the West Indian
branch Of the account, the whole trade be-
tween America and or dominions gives
large excess of IMPORTS from ms, over what
we take in rtturn. For even on this view of
She account the total ainount Of the exports
from America to the British empire, in the
year 1904, will be 4,840,058l. and the "a
mount ofthe imports into the United States
from the British empire, 6,437 ,984l being a
bout double the former sum. This great ba-
Lance is moreover rapidly increasing; for, by
taking the average Of the years 1902. '03, e
1904, we find that the excess of imports a.
hove exports was only three millions instead