The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1857-03-19
Commercial Statistics for 1856.

actions for the past year IS highly credIta-
Bile to American wealth and enterprise. As
a nation, we arc accustomed TO boast OF the
unprecedented success that has attended both
our Governmental and financial apartments
and the figures, while they do not excuse.
certainly cannot condemn, such wholesale
exultation. In commerce, we acknowledge
but one superior; no other nation builds
half many vessels this; our foreign
trade has trbled since 1915, and doubled
stree tS42 while the vessels that annually
flock TO shores from foreign countries
measure their tonnage in millions, and the
value of commodities exchanged in internal
trade is estimated in billions All this is
true and yet does not over-state the truth.
The United States have elements os com
mercial increase unknown III any former peri
cd. or by any other nation. A new country,
a virgin soil our Norther border washed by
1000 miles of inland seas, our great interior
traversed by the Mississippi and its thousands
of miles of tributary streams with 5000
miles of canals, and 10000 miles of railroads
with large annual immi grafton; with schools,
and teaming press. to spread intelligence
and quicken enterprise; with unbounded
liberty of action to stimulate eXertiOn with
new regions rapidly opened up TO successful
and easy settlement, what Is shere to set a
beyond the extension of commerce as far
bevond the present the present Is beyond
the past conception!
In the course of the fiscal year, ending
june 80, 1896, 2l,6S2 vessels have entered
the ports of the United States, measuring
6S72 ,253 tons. an increase of 926,9l4 III
tonnage over the previous year The total
tonnage of the country. June 30th, was t.
S7l, 1913. of which 673,OlS was III steam YES
sells The vessels built during the year were
22l steam vessels, 800 ships and barques,
697 brigs and sehooners, 479 sloops. making
in all l,7O3 vessels, measuring 469, ,39o tons.
The aggregate amount of tonnage owned III
the United States was. in 1880, 1,191,776;
in lS40, 2,lSO,7S4 in 1850, 3 535, ,I54; and
in 1856 4S7l,653. The trade with England,
as shown by custom house reports, is four
fIfths in American vessels, while to the Brit
ish North American possessions 1t Is only
one fourth We absorb four-htths of the
carving trade of France, while to the coun-
tries of Northern Europe we have only half.
The trade with South America goes almost
entirely in American bottoms; the Cuban
trade is ninetv-fve per cent. American, the
Portuguese ouly one-thrd, and the Hamburger
less than one-fltth-
The domestic exports of the wear were
$50, ,5S6,330, an increase of S63,S19,77.--
New York exported 500 S4S,506 /; Louisia-
ia, SS0,576 652; Massachusetts, S29,355,-
6I3; Alabama, S23,726,215; South Carroll
ma, S17 ,35S, PCS Maryland, Sl0,S56, ,637,-
The exports of bread stutts and provisions
amounted to S77,1S7, ,3O1 of cotton, to p
991,175 bales Of 4jl pounds each valued at
SI2S, 49,, ,35l: of rice, to Sl,03S barrels and
5S.66S tierces valued at 81, 800. 233; of to-
bacco, to I7,772 bales, 9 3oi cases, and To-
nrD l. l. - : > Of
products of the forest, S1O.694 Isl; Of man
utactures. S21, ,5Sl ,Oi0: of coin, Sl5,452,
1888; and of bullion S2S, ,6S9,946. Nthese
exports, Sl9J, 81 $50 went to the British
dominions S42 2,594 9t1 TO France $4,000.
512 to Spain, Including Cuba; Sl3, ,l5S,l30
to Bremen and Uamburgh, 50, GO5,255 to
Holland and Belgium.
The imports OF the year were S3l 1863.
9l2. an increase of s53,171.422 over 1875
OF this amount more than two-thirds came
to New York alone and the increase of the
imports at that port is nearly equal to the
whole increase OF the country The imports
ut Massachusetts ports were S43,el 4,oo4: at
Louisiana, Sl6,6S2, ,392; at Pennsylvania.
Sl6,590,O45; and at Maryland, S9,119. .907.
The increase of the exports OF 1896 over
1855 is about 10 per cent. and the increase
of the imports for the same period Is 20 per
cent. 1 he imports of wool and wooden goods
were S33, So. .S57, an increase Of over seven
millions; of foreign cottons and cotton man
ufacturers, $50. 1S0,353 an increase of near
lv nine millions over 1885, but a decrease Of
more than four millions from 1854; Of silk
and silk manufacture, S34 053,Oll, an n
crease of seven millions over 1855. and de-
crease of three millions from 1854; of fax
and linen goods, l1,s96, S6S. We purch
ase indirectly of German States SIC, 49l,-
427, the most of it in wooden goods and OF
Switzerland SS,3oS, ,o7A mostly in silk, piece
goods. and watches. The cash duties re-
ceived at New York during 1886 were S45,-
5l9. 27O, an l. crease OF S11,12l.S63 over
1884.
The total imports of cotton at Liverpool
last wear were 2.oo9, 067 bales, an increase
of 9O,574 in American, aud l6, l09 In other
kinds. OF this importation, 2.251,o42 were
used for English manufacture, and 236,9oO
went to the European Continent, leaving "A
balance of 2SI.43O bales on hand at the
close of the year.
1t is estimated that on the LIST of April
there will be 1890 bales of India bagging
in the country, which is sufficient to cover
25l9 400 bales of cotton, and by the end
of the present year II is estimated that the
import and home production OF bagging will
be sufficient to cover {, ,003, 400 bales OF cot
ton.
The commerce of all the New York can
ais leading TO the Hudson river for the last
wear amounted to 2,77 412 tons. an increase
of So 500 tons over 1855 2,l2S469 tons
came East, and 65o,943 tons went West
The freight coming East is divided in tons
among the following aggregates: The for
est, s5s,o7I; agriculture, l,023, 417-ot
which there were ,I2O 500 barrels of -four,
Il.7s6.33I bushels of wheat, e,5s7 ,7I4 bush