Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-04-11
SPEECH OF Mr.. CHARLES HUDSON,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
On the Whsat Trade Of the Country.

On the Whea Trade ofhe Country.
HORSE or REPRESENTATIVES,, FEnRuAur rs, 1916.
The House being in Committee of the Whole on the state
Of the Union and having under consideration the bill making
appropriation for the improvement of harbors and rivers
Mr. HUDSON, of Massachusetts, obtained the floor, and
said Mr. Chairman, the rising Of the committee yesterday
YOU pleased To report that the committee had had the
Of the Union generally under consideration and the debate
which had taken place, and that which has followed this
ing have fully justified that report The gentleman from Ala
bama Mr PArsE) and the gentleman from South Carolina
Mr RaErr have both objected to the passage Of this bill
the ground that would make heavy draft upon the Trea
su, and that such scheme Of internal improvements would
defeat the proposed modification of the laws of the
country and they called upon their friends by all that
and dear to themby the of their paIyby their
continuance in poverty all that sacred in the of
Democracy to come forward and save the people from poll
which must the continuance OF the odious
system of taxation As these gentlemen have been INDUCED
in this of remark that shall be allowed fol-
low their example in favor of this BILL because such
improvements facilitate intercourse between different and dis
an sections OF the country and SO promote the interest Of
trade and commerce.
The present. Mr. Chairman, important in the his
tory of country The President the opening of the
session, recommended the abandonment Of that policy which
coeva with Governments policy under which the
ton has and popered We have also been told by the
Secretary of the Treasury that must abandon all protection
OF domestic industry in order to procure the repeal of the
English laws. The British Ministry approve Of the poll
creay, and order his report be published and laid upon
desks Of the members of Parliament valuable document
To promote British interests An effort has been made both
sides the Atlantic change fundamentally the policy Of this
country by the introduction of system which would check
the prosperity Of the people, parayze every interest," and
greatly impair that very which these improvements
calculated to promote We Sir Robert Peel and Sir
Robert alker what the gentleman from South Carolina
mr. RHErT) calls 81 disastrous conjunction bring about
this resua result truly disastrous beloved country
but to Great Britain consummaton deyouty to be wished
As the subject OF the laws has been presented for
sideraion by both Governments propose call the attention
of this committee to this subject and the effect which the
repeal modification of these laws would have the com
of country And regard this question strictly
pertinent to the subject before The grain of the West
must find its way the Atlantic through the very channels
which this bill designed TO improve The wheat trade is
an important item in commerce, and every thing which
affects that trade will render these improvements more or less
necessary.
The subject of the trade of the United States has of
late attracted the attention of people; and although is
Of Importance, confident that its importance has been
greatly overrated From the language which is sometimes
employed might naturally infer that wheat and -four
sttuted portion of the exports Of the country. But
to official documents will show that for series of
years export wheat and flour does not exceed onewen
ueth of our whole export
propose, Mr. Chairman, take brief view Of the wheat
trade Of the United States And here will state, for
ALL that shall the wheat to include flour and in
all my estimates, make barrel of -four equal five bushels
of wheat The wheat crop Of the United States in ls4O
codng to the returns amounted g. 600 bushels
and in 1884, according report ofthe Commissioner
TENTS to IS, $4,000 bushels Of this SO, OOO 900 bushels
which about the average for the last five years. have
ported about onehteenth 400 900 bushels Nearly
tenth Of the whole crop will be required for seed In Great B
tam the estimate has been about three bushels Of seed to the
acre. but with US two bushels TO the would be fair
age for all parts of the country Now, five should take from
the whole crop the required for seed and the
exported, would leave for home consumption 49, 00O 900
of bushels This divided among population say
600 900, would give 9l0h bushels every man.
man, and child in the country. But is manifest that the
consumption of wheat is equal every section. The
black population at the South consume but little wheat and
the agcuturss in the New England States make consera
BILE Of and Indian for bread though the
ton OF wheat Is becoming every year general As far
acquainted in all communities which purchase their
bread stuff wheat the principal article Of consumption and
safely estimate this consumption barrel of -four
or five bushels of wheat per head This class will in
cude the manufacturers and mechancs-those engaged in mi
nng in commerce, in navigation in all its forms and, if
add to these those engaged in the professions and cali
ings other than agriculture and all those residing the wheat
growing sections Of the country win constitute about three
fhs of otr entire population and these viii about
S. 900 bushels of wheat leaving for the other twohs
90 ZOO 900 bushels being about and half bushels per
head This calculation, being general will not hold good in
every soldiers rnons for example, would amount
TO nine bushels of wheat year. and OF popua
also largely consumed manufactures the form of
starch and sizing The manufactures Lowell alone
between four and five thousand barrels Of -four annually
have been thus particular Mr. Chairman, for the purpose
OF showing that the greater part of wheat consumed
home and that the home market is the great whence
the wheat growers derive their support The quantity of
wheat which have abroad for the last twelve IF
teen years, will not exceed per cent Of the quantity
produced will be by the following table made from
he ial