APPENDIX, C.: Imports and Exports of the United States, from the 1st of October, 1789, to the 30the of September, 1838, taken from documents accompanying the Secretary of the Treasury’s annual Report to Congress, of the 3d of December, 1839.

*The imports and exports for 1839 are thus estimated by the Secretary, the exact returns not having been received by him.—Author.
Years.	Total Value of Imports.	Total Value of Exports.	Domestic.	Foreign.
1790	$23,000,000	$20,205,156	$19,666,000	$539,156
1791	29,200,000	19,012,041	18,500,000	512,041
1792	31,500,000	20,753,098	19,000,000	1,753,098
1793	31,100,000	26,109,572	24,000,000	2,109,572
1794	34,600,000	33,026,233	26,500,000	6,526,233
1795	69,756,268	47,989,472	39,500,000	8,489,472
1796	81,436,164	67,064,097	40,764,097	26,300,000
1797	75,379,406	56,850,006	29,850,026	27,000,000
1798	68,551,700	61,527,097	28,527,097	33,000,000
1799	79,069,148	78,665,522	33,142,522	45,523,000
1800	91,252,768	70,971,780	31,840,903	39,130,877
1801	111,363,511	94,115,925	47,473,204	46,642,721
1802	76,333,333	72,483,160	36,708,189	35,774,971
1803	64,666,666	55,800,033	42,205,961	13,594,072
1804	$85,000,000	$77,699,074	$41,467,477	$36,231,597
1805	120,600,000	95,566,021	42,387,002	53,179,019
1806	129,410,000	101,536,963	41,253,727	60,283,236
1807	138,500,000	108,343,150	48,699,592	59,643,558
1808	56,990,000	22,430,960	9,433,546	12,997,414
1809	59,400,000	52,203,231	31,405,700	20,797,531
1810	85,400,000	66,757,974	42,366,679	24,391,295
1811	53,400,000	61,316,831	45,294,041	16,022,790
1812	77,030,000	38,527,236	30,032,109	8,495,127
1813	22,005,000	27,855,997	25,008,152	2,847,845
1814	12,965,000	6,927,441	6,782,272	145,169
1815	113,041,274	52,557,753	45,974,403	6,583,350
1816	147,103,000	81,920,452	64,781,896	17,138,556
1817	99,250,000	87,671,569	68,313,500	19,358,069
1818	121,750,000	93,281,133	73,854,437	19,426,696
1819	87,125,000	70,142,521	50,976,838	19,165,683
1820	74,450,000	69,691,669	51,683,640	18,008,029
1821	62,585,724	64,974,382	43,671,894	21,302,488
1822	83,241,511	72,160,387	49,874,185	22,286,202
1823	77,579,267	74,699,030	47,155,408	27,543,622
1824	80,549,007	75,986,657	50,649,500	25,337,157
1825	96,340,075	99,535,388	66,944,745	32,590,643
1826	84,974,477	77,595,322	53,055,710	24,539,612
1827	79,484,068	82,324,827	58,921,691	23,403,136
1828	88,509,824	72,264,686	50,669,669	21,595,017
1829	74,492,527	72,358,671	55,700,193	16,658,478
1830	70,876,920	73,849,508	59,462,029	14,387,479
1831	103,191,124	81,310,583	61,277,057	20,033,526
1832	101,029,266	87,176,943	63,137,470	24,039,473
1833	108,118,311	90,140,433	70,317,698	19,822,735
1834	126,521,332	104,336,973	81,034,162	23,312,811
1835	149,895,742	121,693,577	101,189,082	20,504,495
1836	189,980,035	128,663,040	106,916,680	21,746,360
1837	140,989,217	117,419,376	95,564,414	21,854,962
1838	113,717,404	108,486,616	96,033,821	12,452,795
1839*	157,609,560	118,359,004	100,951,004	17,408,000

Note.—For the early years the aggregate of the value of imports does not appear on the official statement, and has been estimated at different amounts by different persons; and thus that column will not always correspond with former reports. But the difference will not be found so great as to affect materially any general result. [In former reports it is stated, that prior to the 1st of October, 1820, the official returns do not show the value of imports. Previous to 1796, the returns of exports did not discriminate between domestic and foreign productions.—Author.]

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remarks on the foregoing table.

It will be perceived that from the year 1789, to the year 1807 inclusive, the foreign commerce of the country experienced a gradually progressive increase. This was emphatically in the United States, the period of free trade. Scarcely an article was burdened with a duty higher than fifteen per cent.; and although numerous spoliations were committed during this period, by the British and French, who between them, captured upwards of a thousand vessels, yet the profits of trade and navigation were sufficiently inviting, to encourage our merchants to extend their operations.

On the 18th of April, 1806, the non-importation law was enacted, having a prospective operation.

On the 22d of December, 1807, a general embargo was laid, which continued until the 1st of March, 1809, when it was repealed by the passage of the non-intercourse act, which remained in force, until the 18th of June, 1812, when war was declared against Great Britain. The effect of these successive measures is shown in the table.

The restoration of peace consequent upon the treaty of Ghent, of 24th December, 1814, the news of which reached New York on the 11th of February, 1815, set commerce again in motion; and had it not been for the restrictive system which was commenced in 1816, and continued by successive enactments in the years 1818, 1824, and 1828, the imports and exports at this day would probably have exceeded two hundred millions of dollars.

In 1833, the compromise act was passed, providing for a gradual reduction of duties; and since that period, it will be perceived, there has been a great augmentation of trade, swelled in amount, it is true, in particular years by speculative excitement, but exhibiting for the last six years so great an excess over the six years immediately preceding, as to prove incontestibly the beneficial effects of a reduction of duties.

For the use of those who may wish to calculate the rate per head of the imports or exports at different periods, the following table is given of the population of the United States at the several periods mentioned.

1790	3,929,328.
1800	5,309,758.
1810	7,239,903.
1820	9,638,166.
1830	12,838,670.

The census of 1840, which has not yet been completed, it is supposed, will give about 17,000,000 as the present population.—Author.

*

This prophecy was fulfilled in the year 1833.

*

This direct tax was laid on the 25th of March, 1831.

*

The North American Review took the restrictive side of the question in January, 1830, the month in which this article was written.

†

The author of this Report was Henry Lee. Esq., the gentleman who received the vote of South Carolina, for the Vice Presidency of the United States, in 1832.

*

The author of this Exposition was Mr. Calhoun, late Vice President of the United States.

*

John Sarchett, of Philadelphia, is the individual here alluded to.

*

This is a truth well known in reference to cotton. The English manufacturer is seldom obliged to pay more for it, than the American manufacturer of the Northern states, and what little difference does at times exist, is of trifling account.

*

In June, 1834, Congress reduced the weight of pure gold contained in an eagle, from 247 1-2 to 232 grains, retaining its equivalency to ten silver dollars.

*

Since the reduction of the duty on the wine of Madeira, the exports to that island have been as follows—

1829	$175,074
1830	155,719
1831	171,563
1832	145,667
1833	119,341

This statement shews an increase, but one so small, as to prove, incontestibly, the difficulty of restoring a commerce once lost.

*

By the annual Commercial Statement of the year ending on the 30th September, 1829, subsequently published, it appears that the quantity of flour exported to England, Ireland and Scotland was 221,176 barrels, equal to 1,105,680 bushels, besides 4001 bushels of wheat. 251,564 bushels of corn, and 130 barrels of Indian meal—being less than the one-tenth of what was imported.

*

Fifty kilogrames are equal to one hundred and ten and one-quarter pounds avoirdupois.

*

The following are the amounts of imports and exports to and from all parts of the world, as furnished by the Reports of the Secretary of the Treasury. Prior to 1821 the value of imports was not given.

	Imports.	Exports.
1821,	62,585,724	64,974,382
1822,	83,241,541	72,160,281
1823,	77,579,267	74,699,030
1824,	80,549,007	75,986,657
1825,	96,340,075	99,535,388
1826,	84,974,477	77,595,322
1827,	79,484,068	82,324,827
1828,	88,509,824	72,264,686
1829,	74,492,527	72,358,671

*

Imports from 1821, when the value was first shown by the custom-house returns

1821	$62,585,724
1822	83,241,541.
1823	77,579,267
1824	80,549,007.
1825	96,340,075.
1826	84,974,477.
1827	79,484,068.
1828	88,500,824.
1829	74,492,527.
1830	70,876,920.

*

The width of this cloth is usually about a yard and a half.

*

This address was written by the late Henry D. Sedgwick, Esq. who was present at the meeting.

*

The total value of cotton goods shipped to India, from the United States, during the years 1826-’27-’28-’29, was $12,710.