Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-08-09
Si88,756

Why, the tonnage required to be en-
ployed in foreign commerce by one sim
gle manufacture, in one county, is more
than would be required to import all the
woollcns that we ever imported from
England in any one year. Yet we are
told, this policy is to diminish our foreign
commerce; when, in truth, there is nc
calculating, hardly no conceiving, the
extent to which it will enlarge it. 1t is
true our foreign tonnage is somewhat
less than it was years ago, when it was
made large by the then extraordinary
state of the world, and when we had in
our hands the commerce Of other nations.
With the final period to that state of
things, when these nations resumed their
commerce, our foreign tonnage sudden
ly fell off, and reduced itself to what was
permitted to it by the general COMPETE
ton: il was much reduced. But, from
that period to the present, it has been
progressively increasing, and is now ra-
pidly increasing. Though that tonnage
is somewhat less than it was ut fire time,
and for the cause JUST mentioned, yet our
commerce is vastly greater than it was
then, or ever has been, as is cyinced by
the revenue it pays; it has been made
thus greater by this very policy.
But the effect Of this policy OH foreign
commerce, vast as it is, rs nothing-it is
the rivulet to the flowing tides of the O.
cean, compared to it's effect OH the do
mestic commerce. This, the domestic
commerce, it may said literally to create
for it enIarges it to magnitude by the
side Of which the foreign dwindles into
comparative insignificance. In England,
the estimate of Adam Smith made the
home-trade to the foreign, rs fifteen to
one: both have grown since, astonishing
y-the home the most, and both by this
policy. The honorable gentleman from
Tennessee admits that the coasting ton
mage is increased, and well he may, io,
it has doubled within few years; bu,
surely that gentleman need not be in
formed, that the coastmg tonnage en-
ployed is no criterion even of the coast
ing commerce: for the cargoes have in
creased in value much faster than the
tonnage has Increased in amount. The
coastng vessel that transported lumber
and other gross products, now transport.
cotton. The two hundred thousand bale:
required by our manufactures is Of more
value than the whole Of the coasting com.
merce was, or would be, " hhout them. -
Then reflect upon the value OF the re.
turns to the coasting trade from that very
cotton, in cotton fabrics, to iour-iold a.
mount Of the cotton itself, and you see a
once that the growing amount of the ton.
mage employed is no criterion of the
growing amount Of the coasting com
merce. But the coasting commerce it
self, though some criterion, is no Inc a
sure of the total amount OF the domestic
commerce. The separate internal trade
by internal communication, IL to be ad
ded, vastly exceeding the amount of thu
coasting. Hero / beg leave to recu
again to- the woolen manufacture o
Worcester county, now, for the illustra
tion of the effect Of this policy on the do
nestle, as then did for its effect OIL til,
foreign trade. There is required for III,
supply ofthat manufacture, annually
2,530,0Oo pounds of wool,
52,Il2 do. cotton, for warp OF sat
! inets,
! 10000 do. pct and pearl ashes,
! 81, 300 do. pastel and woad,
II 75,5l7 do. alum, ,copperas, blue Wit