Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-13
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.


WASHINGTON. ID. c.. Aug 10, 1850.
Hon. John Sherman, Secretary Of the
Treasury
Sir,-I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt eff letter addressed to YOU by the
Hon. Edward Mcpherson. under dare of Aug.
|, 1880. and referred to me for reply. l re-
spectfully submit the following statement in
the order OF the questions propounded. The
expl ession 1.-The Southern States" in each
case refers to the States mentioned in Mr..
McPherson's letter. viz: Virginia. West
Virginia, North Carolina. South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana. Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and
Kentucky.
The internal commerce of this country
vastly exceeds in magnitude its foreign com
merce. The commerce upon railroads alone
is about twenty times as great As our for
egn commerce. About ninety per cent. Of
our internal commerce now finds the means
of transportation on railroads. The only
means of measuring the relative magnitude
of the internal commerce of the Southern
States is bv the number of freight cars en-
ployed. This affords a pretty correct basis
of estimate upon the subject. According to
Poor's Railroad Manual for 1879. Gan ac
credited authority, the total number of the
freight cars employed on the railroads of the
United States was 423.0l3 cars. of which
number 81 ,24s cars, or 40 per cent were
employed on railroads in the Southern States
referred to. The total tonnage of vessels
employed in the internal commerce of the
United States. on water lines of Transports
ton, including the coastwise trade on the
ocean and the inland trade on rivers and the
great lakes, amounted during the year ended
June 80. 1879. to 2,67S,O67 tons. of which
242, 54S tons, or nine per cent. was owned in
the Southern States mentioned. The rec
Ords of the bureau Of statistics show that the
total value of the exports of merchandise
from the United States during the year
ended June so, 1880, amounted to 1885,. 633.
595. and that the value of the exports from
ports south of the Potomac river amounted
to S1ss. 500, III, or 22.57 per cent. of the to-
tai exports of merchandise from the United
States. OF the total exports of the South.
the value Of the exports of cotton amounted
to Sl5S, 1874 ,526, or 81 per cent. of the total
exports Of the Southern States. The cotton
shipped to Northern States, as well as ex-
ported from the South to foreign countries,
appears to be moved chiefly by Northern
capital. 1t is stated by the secretary of the
New York Cotton Exchange, that "a very
small percentage of the crop is moved by
So1thern capital" and tina: call that is taken
North is controlled by Northern capital
while that exported to foreign countries is
controlled either by foreign or Northern cap
ital." The yalue of the imnorts of MERIDIAN
disc into the United States dnrinp the year
ended June 30. 1850. amounted TO sGG7 i53
302. of which the value imported at ports
south of the Potomac river amounted IN ak
934 ,39l, or 2.3S per cent.
The total revenue of the national govern
June 30. 1879 amounted TO sI3s' 2Sl ols Of
which 90 sOG 3Gs or Ia nor con, wos noi,oo ~
ed at ports of the Southern states named
The commissioner of Internal rovonno hos
supplied me with the following information
The internal revenue receipts of the United
States during the year ended June 30. lssO
which can be apportioned among the several
States and Territories. amounted TO s1IG
s4s. 22l. OF this amount. $40 339 AGA or y
per cent. was collected in the Southern Statos
OF the amount collected in the Sonthorn
States. S19. 462. a54. or % nor cont was
realized from spirits and tobacco.
According to the latest information fur
nished by the Post Office Department The r..
tai weight of mails carried on railroads in tho
United States amounted to55I 37o Ike nonods
of which "a 394 s35 nounds orr 10 No. s'a,,.
was TRANSPORTED on railroads in tho Sor,harn
States
The most recent source of inform,,;o, IN
regard to manufactures is the census Of $50
During that wear the total value of tho ,,an
ufactures of the country amounted % e.
49,. 3a5. 442. of which sa;7 700 ga or cI ~.
cent, was the product of the Southern S,a,ns
The census of 1870 show. that tho v,,,'o IS
the products of mining amounted to sI5o
sos, 1894, of which s.. 996, O52. or "a ner cont
was the product of the Southern Sta,es
According to the last report of tho comn-
troller of the currency the total d;scornts fs
the entire country on the second of Oc,obar
1870 was ss-s soa 90 sL:u 81 -, n 80 o
Or or c S-lo per cent, was OF banks in the South
of the State and National banks of the conn.
try on the second of October, 1879 was
1914, lO3, 223, of which 1923 AIS. 4o6. or a.
per cent. was issued bv banks in the Sou,b-
ern States The total deposits IN SAVINGS
banks in the United States during the six
months ended March 81. 1878. amounted to
s7s3, 1851. of which 80 5o7 4o3 ar not
quite four-tenths of one per cent, was depos-
tied in banks of the Southern States.