Connecticut western news., 1879-11-19
The Commerce of the Country.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS-wHAT COUNTRIES BUY THE MOST OF OUR GooDs--sHIPPING AND ANNEXATION.

BUY THE MOST OF OUR GooDs--sHIPPING
 AND NAVIGATION.
 The annual report of General Joseph Nimmo, ir., Chief of the Bureau of Sta tistics, in regard to the foreign com merce of the United States, has been published. From this report it appears that the total specie value of the inn ports and exports of the United States in 1878 -'79 was larger than ever before, except in 1873 and 1874. The value of the exports of domestic merchandise from the United States was greater than during any previous fiscal year in the history of the country.
 From 1863 to 1873 tho value of inn ports of merchandise into the United States largely exceeded the value of the exports of merchandise; the excessIrang ing from $39, ,371 1868 in 1863 to $182,- 417, ,491 in 1872. During the years ended June B, 1876, 1877, 1878 and 1879, how ever, the value of exports of merchan- exceeded the value of the imports, the excess increasing rapidly from year to year. The imports of merchandise fell from $642, ,136, 21O during 1873 to $437,- O51, ,532 during 1878.
 The excess of exports during the last four years has amounted to $753. 271,- 475. The specie value of the exports has exhibited a steady and rapid increase since the year 1868. The value of do- nestle exports during the year ended June 30, 1869, amounted to only $275,- 166,697, but during the year ended June 30, 1879, to $698, $40, ,790.
 During the year ended June 30, 1879, the exports of domestic merchandise to the British Isles amounted to $346, ,485,- 881 and constituted 50 per cent. of the total value of exports of domestic mer- chandise. The value of these exports to the British Isles fell from $383, ,606,- 911 during the year ended June 30, 1878, to $346, 485, ,881, during the year ended June 30, 1879, decrease of $37,- l21, ,O3O. The principal falling off was in cotton, wheat, corn and lard, but the quantity of each of these articles was about the same as during the preceding fiscal year.
 The value of the exports to France increased from $52, 4S9, ,918 to $88, 194,- C41 during the same period, an increase of $33, ,904 ,123. The inere .se consisted mainly of wheat.
 There was very considerable increase in the value of exports to Russia, Srain and the Hawaiian Islands.
 The exports of bread and breadstuffs during each of the last two years have exceeded the value of the exports of any other commodity. This is especially noticeable from tEe fact that, during every preceding year since 1921, except during the war period Q861 to 1S65) the value of the exports of raw cotton ex- ceeded that of any other commodity. From 1921 to 1860 the exports of raw cotton constituted 59 per cent. of the total value of exports and 1866 to 1877, inclusive, AS per cent. During the last two fiscal years, they amounted to about 25 per cent of the total value of the ex- ports.
 The excess of the value of American exports in the trade with Great Britain amounted during the year ended June 30, 1879, to $240, ,289, ,627. The value of the exports to the United Kingdom dur ing the year appears to have been more than three times as great as the value of the imports therefrom.
 The tonnage of the United States on the 3Oth of June, 1879, was as follows |: Sailing vessels, 2,993, 429 tons steam vessels, l, ,176,172 tons; total tonnage, 4,169,6O1. There was an increase of 948, 342 tons in sailing vessels as con- pared with that of the previous year, and an increase of 8,494 tons in steam vessels. The employment of tonnage on the 30th of June, 1879, is shown as follows In the foreign trade, 1, ,451 ,505 tons in the coastwise trade, 2, 598, 183 tons in the cod fisheries, 79, ,885 tons ; in the whale fisheries, 40, OPS tons; total tonnage, 4,169,601. During the last fiscal year the shipping engaged in the foreign trade decreased 137, 943 tons the shipping engaged in the coastwise trade increased 1O1, ,O13 tons.
 The vessels built during the year ended June 30, 1879, amounted to 193,. O3O tons, as against 235, ,5O4 tons built during the preceding year. The quan- tity of iron vessels built in this country during the last five years amounted to only 97,872 tons, whereas the iron ship building of Great Britain during the last five years reported amounted to 193, 710 tons. The iron vessels built in the United States amounted to 26, 96O tons during the year ended June 30, 1878, and to 2,OO7 tons during the year ended June 30, 1879. There has been very little iron sail tonnage built in this country, and none since the year 1871.
 Of the total tonnage entered at ports of the United States during the year ended June 30, 1879, 49.11 per cent. en- tered at the port of New York, 826 per cent. at Boston, 9.55 per cent. at Phila- delphia, and 9.98 per cent. at Baltimore. The tonnage entered at these four ports during that year amounted to 10, 4S9, ,66C tons, and constituted 76 19 per cent. ot the total tonnage entered at seaports of the United States.
 1t IS well to look at all sides of 6 subject before you indulge in an opinion Curran once said to Father Leary: "] wish reveran1 fa&hor &bo4 x,o,, ~roro Ct