The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-18

by House document No. 10 of the present session,
Pase 10 Turning 70 page 232, we 6nd the pum-
Der foreign vessels that entered The ports Of Cape
vincent! oawesaIehie, oswego, Gsnssee, Niagara,
Chanpain, and Sackett's HsrboT was 1877, with an
aggregate tonnsge Of 273, 796. These ports arc on
l-akes Ontario and Chanplain, and The river 81.
Lawrence. Add TO these entries 81 foreign vessels
which entered Cuyahoga on Lake Erie. and Detroit
on the river Of that name. with an aggregate tonnage
Of 1903 and We have 1874 foreign vessels, wilb an
aggregate tonnage OF l0l entering interior lake
and nyer ports, on waters constituting the boundary
oe'ween US and Upper Canada. These vessels ere
ioi e most part steamers, running between the ports
on uhe BRUSH side and our own, and stopping at
several points IN each direction, and always COUNT
"s 1n1 enuy and one clearance each mp. Thus,
WIN pe perceived, that the number of foreign yes-
sells entering the United States from the BRUSH
North American provinces, after deduoling those
engaged IN the lake trade Is reduced 10 256S, with
az aggregate tonnage Of l62,647.
by turning again to document No, 10. poge 232,
we hnd 500 foreign vessels entering he district OF
passamaquoddy, with aggregate tonuage OF
54,4l2, or an average Of rs tons per vessel The
district OF Passamsquoddy lies upon the confines Of
New Brunswick; and from its position and the
average axe Of the foreign yessels catering IL they
changes, The aggregate number Of foreign vessels
rom the British North American provinces 10 now
shraok below 1000. One more reference 10 tho
same page Of The document. and | shall dismiss
thls pari ofthe subject We knd ,265 foreign yes
tonnage q iOI, a3i. o. an average Of 50 ions psr
vessel large portion Of these are small erafl,
sehooners and soops from Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick, laden with plaster, wood, and coal
Portland, Gloucester, Salem, and New York have
their share Of these visitors fo.a tho British pro-
vtnees The whole Of thu portion ofthe foreign ton-
mage entering the United Staies II thas scc9unled
Tor, and the foreign vessels legitmaiey engaged in
our external trade are reduced 70 |. 32e
Throxing entirely out Of view the commercial in
tercourSe between the United States and the North
American colonies Of Great Britain, in the vessels
OF both, the vessels and tonnage engaged in the
commerce Of the United States with al other eoun-
tries, would stand tolows Vessels OF the United
States, 526li foreign vessels, ,325-about four 10
one; Tonnage OF the United States, 1851, l27i
foreign tonnage, 4t6 9l5-Inore than three TO one
To show how fallscous cursory examination Of
our commercial statements would prove as cri.
teron OF the trade Of the country, il Is only neees-
sery TO look at the port Of Cape Vincent, a ANAL
place near the head Of the river ST Lawrence at
which the lake steamers touch. BY the return
(page 236) ,337 appear have entered IT, with an
aggregate tonnage OF 33l S67. almost riyaling New
forh m entries and tonnsse BY turning 10 page
2iO OF the same document il appears that the ton.
mage belonging TO the city Of Neg York is $50, 1859,
while that Of Cape Vincent is 2,67O. While the
revenue collected at New York exceeded eighteen
millions Of dollars, that collected at Cape Vincent
was s779 and few cents, or about an average of
half dollar for each foreign vessel entered in the
district exhibit the details Of this case TO prove
how deceptive the returns are when assumed as a
criterion OF the extent OF our commerce. II is only
by careful analysis Of them that the truth can be
reached and false impressions removed.
One word more on this subject Of tonnage Il bas
been supposed that large portion Of the trade car
ried on oy foreign vessels was circuous-that IT,
that foreign vessels were in the habit Of coming here
with cargoes not the produce OF the countries TO
which they belonged, and that they were in tho
habit OF departlng with cargoes for other countries
than those TO which they belonged This is, 10
some extent, true; but the amount Of this creuitous
intercourse is much less than has been supposed
have taken the trouble to look into this branch OF
our commerce have analysed the commercial
tables for the purpose Of asceraining where the for
elgn vessels, which enter our ports, come from and
where they 60 when they clear Ii has cost some
labor, out It Is fully repaid by the result or 5,557
foreign vessels entering the United States in lsl5
o3SU came from the countries 10 which they be-
onged, and POI from other countries; and of s. $50
which cleared from the United States, 5.354 sailed
or their own countries and 800 for other counrieC
man those to which they belonged. Thus, it wr
oe seen, that the direct trade in foreign yessels h.
tween the United States and those countr,ea 4,
which the vessels belong, constitutes more than
nlneteen-twentieths Of the whole Throwino. Nh,
British North American provinces out of he 40
count the crcuitous trade in foreign vessels con-
sututes less than oneTslxth Of the whole amount of
N
But II Is not alone 70 the number or American
ana foreign vessels engaged in our foreign COM
merce that we are to look for the proportion in
which they participate in it. We must see also
What they carry; and now proceed to show to
what extent the commercial exchanges of the conn
try are carried on in foreign vessels The statsti-
cal facts shall state taken from the letter of
the Secretary of the Treasury transmitting the an
npa report oil commerce and navigation, printed ar
louise document No. 10 of the present session of
often referred to. At page AZ it will be seen that
the value OF the exports Of domestic products du-
ring the year ending the 30th Of June IS45
amounted to 99299,7 76. OF this amount as.
as5,l23 were exported in American, and s23,Sl6,-
653 In foreign vesselsor more than three 10 one in
favor of American vessels. During the same De-
riod the value Of the exports Of foreign products.
articles imported into the United States from for,
eIgn countries and re-exportcd, Amounted to AIS
346 $50, Of which amount Sll 459 ,3l9 were export
sa IN American, and $3,s87,5ll in foreign vessels;
or little less than three to in favor of American
vessels For these details refer TO page 95 of the
same document. The whole value Of our exports,
domestic and foreign, STA 646 $685. and Of this
amount, Ss6,942,442 were exported in American,
ana w, l64 IN foreign vessels or three millions
ana and half more than three to one in favor of
the former This is respectable proportion,
though not so large is desirable; but our exports
constitute only part Of the foreign trade of the
country, and that part which can with least
pe Ahcn AZ q criterion OF the whole, as
further investigation will show. II is to the i'm
ports rather than to the exports that we must look
Tor the extent Of our participation carrying to and
from our own ports the products which make up
the foreign commerce Of the country. Our imports
are chiefly for our own consumption; thew are
purchased for the most part on our account, and
for these reasons they are imported principally as
Is naturally to be expected, in our own vessels.
Our exports to some extent are purchased on for
eign account, and they ratur ally carried out in
foreign vessels IN like proportion.
~ referring to page 1913 Of the same document,
It will be seen that the value Of our imports for the
year ending the 30th June, lS45, amounted to s1I7
254 564. Of this amount, 43S 48I were brought
IN American, and S14Sl6,O83 in foreign vessels. or
nearly TO IN favor OF American vessels. In car
fore, there is very large difference in favor of our
,wn vessels.
Taking the imports and exports together. thew
mount to 1921 ,9O1 ITO or this amount, Sls9 $50
,23 were carried in American, and $40, $40 247 IN
oreign vessels, or nearly Al to in favor of The for