Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-01-17

= =
pns Of shipping for its Importation. It
! nustSalso be observed that the deductions
above mentioned being calculated by the al
J lDwances on fishery and drawbacks; and the
allowance being in fact, greater titan the a.
mount OF duty on salt employed in the cod
fishery, the quantity of imported salt actu-
/ alv consumed in the United States is great
er than appears by the statement.
The statement B. is intended to shew the
gross amount of salt, annually imported
for the years 1902 1907, and the coun-
tries from which imported. The manner
III which the accounts are kept at the trea-
sury has rendered it more convenient to
give the amount in this instance Tor the
years ending the soth September, than for
calendar years.
1t will be perceived by the statement A.
that the domestic establishments have not
INCREASED, even in the same ratio as the po-
pulation of the United States, Tor the ave.
rage of their consumption Of imported salt,
is greater for the last than for the inst years
Of the statement. Considering also the re-
gularity of the importations, and the well
known fact that the article has been princl-
pally imported as ballast frem England,
there is reason to believe that the quantity
Of salt now in the country is very made
quate to the supply Of the present year
and | am confident that there can be no rea-
sonable expectation of the deficiency being
supplied for that year from internal resour-
CeS.
am therefore clearly Of opinion, that
every encouragement should be given to
immediate ilnportatiors, and that measures
should al the same time be adopted ior the
purpose of insuling, for the succeeding
years, supply from domestic establish
rlents.
The only means Of promoting immediate
importations, appear to be, first, either to
except salt from the operation OF the nom
intercourse act, or 70 put off the general
operation Of that act till the first of July
next; which last alternative appears in eve
~ rcsDect the most eligible secondly, to
authorize the President to permit Amerl-
can vessels to proceed, during the contlnu-
ance OF the embargo, 10 such foreign ports
as may DC designated by law, fol the sole
purpose of bringing in cargoes OF salt.
TIE internal resources must be drawn
from either the salt springs in various parts
OF the Western states, from the Onondago
springs IL the state of New-York, or from
the Atlantic shores.
The high price of salt in the western
states does no; arise from the actual ex-
pence incurred in manufacturing the article;
for ii docs not cost more than IS cents per
bushel al tn. Indiana or Wabash Saline;
and vet its market price has not been less
than two dollars. 1t follows that the price
is kept up by reason of the quantity made
being much less than the actual demand,
and therefore that no considerable addition
can be expected from that quarter; none
certainly beyond the wants OF that part OF
the country.
The quantity Of salt made at the Onon-
daso Springs may certainly be considerably
increased. Ihave been informed that about
3oO,ooo 0us!. are now annually made =
tia the am ount, perhaPs, might be increased
10 100000. On that subject, however, |
canno. form positive opinion but am sa-
tisfied tlat The most sanguine calculations
fall very short of the annual consumption OF
the United States, and that the principal
resource 70 be relied on is the increase OF
establishments on the sea shore. These may
be multiplied in numerous places from Mas
sachusetts to Georgia; and although the
repsal of the law laying duty OH importa-
ton has checked their progress, experience
has proven that capital might be advantage
ously ,mployed in that manufacture.
think that nothing more is necessary to IN
duce at present the application OF capital