The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-05
ANNUAL REPORT ON FOREIGN COMMERCIAL RE-
LATIONS.


LATIONS. @+-.....
The annual report of the Secretary of State transmit
ting statement from the Superintendent of Statistics of
the commercial relations of the United States with foreign
nations for the year ending September 3d. 1885, yes
erday communicated to both houses of Congress The
letters Of the Secretary and Superintendent accompanying
the statement are suboined:
DEPARTMENT STATE,
February 4, 1851
Sin: In compliance with the acts of August l6 ls42
and August l8, 1856 have the honor to communicate
herewith report of the commercial relations of the United
States with foreign nations for the year ending September
3d. 1856.
In the report which had the honor to communicate for
the year ending September 80 1885, stated that but
three attempts had becn made comply with the requs
tons Of the act Of 1922 the first by Mr. Secretary Web
ster, 1912; the second by Mr. Secretary Upshur 1913
The recommendation Of Mr. Webster in transmitting
Congress the first of these reports that the work should
be ntrusted to one person. under the direction OF the
partment who should arrange and condense information
commercial subjects from time to time as it should be
received and should have charge of the correspondence
these subjects with agents of the government
also referred 20 and to the fact that action OF Congress
with reference to that recommendation had been had,
well to the failure of the Department of State to receive
reliable Information from abroad for the reports required
was attributed the result that the law of 1912 had lain in
operative for period OF nearly eleven years.
The law itself restricted in its requirements there
was no penalty or the neglect Of consus 70 the re-
preparation Of such information as might be furnished for
transmission to Congress
To obviate these obstacles bill was reported to each
house Of Congress by its respective Committee Com
merce at the last session. and became law and the sta
tscal office of the Department of State which had been
organized two years before for the preparation OF general
report the commercial relations of the United States
with foreign nations in to resolution of the House
of Representatives was, by hat law placed on perma-
nent basis.
The general report referred to was communicated to the
House last March, and ordered TO be printed in quarto
form, under the direction Of this department 1t is vou-
minous work. and the labor of conducting 1t through the
press has prevented the statistical Office from bestowing
that degree of elaboration upon the annual report herewith
transmitted that had been designed The first part of that
general report entitled Commercial Dgess has already
appeared the second part devoted to comparative tariffs
and the third part entitled consular returns embracing
answers OF United States consuls to circulars issued from
THIS department. October 1852 and March l5 1854 will
follow.
This work embraces view of the commercial relations of
the United States with all foreign nations for period of
zen or twelve years. and constitutes body OF commercial
information from which may most advantageousy be con-
tnued the annual reports required by the act of 842
dered operative by that of 1856.
The benefits anticipated from this latter act clearly
set forth n the report of the Committee Commerce of the
mouse accompanying the bill
Asa measure Of economy, not less than of utility, the
accompanying bill recommends itself for consideration III
ms bill becomes law, years will elapse before another
appropriation of ten fifteen thousand dollars will be re-
qusite for the preparation of document so elaborate
and comprehensive the commercial report recently
md to this House, to consider the far greater sum
requisite for its publication inasmuch the annual re-
port each session of Congress- will from year to year. i'm
oody all the information desirable to be made public and
oovate its unnecessary accumulation heretofore unavoida
Ole in the bureaus Of the department With this general
report as starting point the object cont mplated by the
act OF 1912 be attained and the chain of commercial
intelligence from abroad EASILY be kept up BY means
o. the annual links proposed the chain of CONNER
Gs intelligence at homo kept up and for more than
y years has been kept up the annual report of
register Of the Treasury Commerce and For
ngn commerce-he commerce of foreign nations with all
Others and its peculiarly the province Of
department. Of government charged with foreign affairs and
me direction OF consular and diplomatic agents abroad
domestic commerce-the commerce Of the United States
with all other nations and its regustionss the province
department charged with and the direction
VI officers inrusted with its collection and annual
port from the Foreign Office foreign seems
scarcely less important than annual report from the
finance Office on domestic commerce. And ifthese annual
ports on foreign being regularly issued year
M,er year, with the uniformity as those domestic
Sommerce-a general report either subject should be
eemed advisable at intervals of ten twelve years. II
ud be readily prepared from reliable and weldgesed
amassed In the ten annual reports Immediately
peeding in the Office, by the hands, perhaps
anu AZ but uncomfortable extra expense" Y