With respect to the West India commerce, I must apprise you that this estimate does not present its present face. No materials have enabled us to say how it stands since the war. We can only show what it was before that period. This is most sensibly felt in the exports of fish and flour. The surplus of the former, which these regulations threw back on us, is forced to Europe, where, by increasing the quantity, it lessens the price; the surplus of the latter is sunk, and to what other objects this portion of industry is turned or turning, I am not able to discover. The imports, too, of sugar and coffee are thrown under great difficulties. These increase the price; and being articles of food for the poorer class (as you may be sensible in observing the quantities consumed), a small increase of price places them above the reach of this class, which being very numerous, must occasion a great diminution of consumption. It remains to see whether the American will endeavor to baffle these new restrictions in order to indulge his habits, or will adopt his habits to other objects which may furnish employment to the surplus of industry formerly occupied in raising that bread which no longer finds a vent in the West Indian market. If, instead of either of these measures, he should resolve to come to Europe for coffee and sugar, he must lessen equivalently his consumption of some other European articles in order to pay for his coffee and sugar, the bread with which he formerly paid for them in the West Indies not being demanded in the European market. In fact, the catalogue of imports offer several articles more dispensable than coffee and sugar. Of all these subjects, the committee and yourself are the more competent judges. To you, therefore, I trust them, with every wish for their improvement; and, with sentiments of that perfect esteem and respect with which I have the honor to be, dear Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant.
ESTIMATE OF THE EXPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
| TO EUROPE. | TO WEST INDIES. | TOTAL. | |
| Louis. | Louis. | Louis. | |
| Fish | 107,000 | 50,000 | 157,000 |
| Fish Oil | 181,688 | 9,562 | 191,250 |
| Fish Bones | 8,400 | . . . . . . | 8,400 |
| Salted Meats | . . . . . . | 131,500 | 131,500 |
| Live Stock | . . . . . . | 99,000 | 99,000 |
| Butter, Cheese | . . . . . . | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| Flour, Bread, 660,000 barrels | 330,000 | 330,000 | 660,000 |
| Wheat, 2,210,000 bushels | 331,000 | . . . . . . | 331,000 |
| Indian Corn | 30,000 | 61,000 | 91,000 |
| Rice, 130,000 barrels | 189,350 | 70,650 | 200,000 |
| Indigo | 51,700 | . . . . . . | 51,700 |
| Tobacco, 87,000 hogsheads | 1,306,000 | . . . . . . | 1,305,000 |
| Potash, 20,000 barrels | 49,000 | . . . . . . | 49,000 |
| Peltry | 184,900 | . . . . . . | 184,900 |
| Flax Seed | 79,500 | . . . . . . | 79,500 |
| Hemp | 21,000 | . . . . . . | 21,000 |
| Iron, Copper | 84,000 | 6,000 | 90,000 |
| Turpentine, &c., 60,000 barrels | 29,410 | 1,800 | 31,250 |
| Timber, Lumber | 82,000 | 164,000 | 246,000 |
| Hops, 300 | 216,500 | . . . . . . | 216,500 |
| Miscellanies | 22,000 | . . . . . . | 22,000 |
| 3,302,448 | 941,552 | 4,244,000 |
ESTIMATE OF THE IMPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
| FROM EUROPE AND AFRICA. | Louis. 3,039,000 | l. 0 | s. 0 | ||||
| Woollen cloths of every description, | } | ||||||
| Linens of every description, | } | ||||||
| Hosiery, Hats, | } | ||||||
| Gloves, Shoes, Boots, Sadlery and other things of leather, | } | ||||||
| Silks, Gold and Silver Lace, Jewellery, Millinery, Toys, | } | ||||||
| East India goods, | } | ||||||
| Porcelaine, Glass, Earthenware, | } | ||||||
| Silver, Copper, Brass, Tin, Pewter, Lead, Steel, Iron in every form, | } | ||||||
| Upholstery, Cabinet Work, Painters' Colors, | } | ||||||
| Cheese, Pickles, Confitures, Chocolate, | } | ||||||
| Wine, 2,000 tons, at 100 louis, 200,000 louis, Brandy, Beer, | } | ||||||
| Medicinal Drugs, Snuff, Bees' Wax, | } | ||||||
| Books, Stationery, Mill Stones, Grind Stones, Marble, | } | ||||||
| Sail Cloth, Cordage, Ship Chandlery, Fishing-tackle, Ivory, Ebony, Barwood, Dyewood, | } | ||||||
| Slaves, Salt, 521,225 bushels, at 24 sous, 26,061 louis 6 livres, | } | ||||||
| FROM THE WEST INDIES. | |||||||
| Louis. | l. | s. | } | 927,438 | 8 | 8 | |
| Salt, 500,484 bushels, at 24 sous | 25,020 | 4 | 16 | } | |||
| Fruits | 2,239 | 12 | } | ||||
| Cocoa, 576,589 lbs., at 12 sous | 5,798 | 12 | } | ||||
| Coffee, 408,494 lbs., at 16 sous | 15,249 | 14 | 8 | } | |||
| Sugar, 10,232,432 lbs. | 168,007 | } | |||||
| Molasses, 3,645,464 gallons, at 24 sous | 186,281 | 19 | 4 | } | |||
| Rum, 3,888,370 gallons, at 2 livres 14 sous | 437,441 | 15 | } | ||||
| Ginger, Pimento | 1,395 | 1 | 4 | } | |||
| Cotton, 356,591 lbs., at 24 sous | 17,829 | 13 | 4 | } | |||
| Skins | 7,870 | 6 | } | ||||
| Indigo, 4,352 lbs., at 5 livres 8 sous | 979 | 4 | 16 | } | |||
| Ivory, Turtle Shell | 247 | 4 | 16 | } | |||
| Lignum vitæ, Sarsaparilla, Fustic, Annotta | 5,170 | } | |||||
| Logwood | 13,624 | 21 | } | ||||
| Mahogany | 23,280 | } | |||||
| 3,966,438 | 8 | 8 | |||||