And the quantity of Rice fo imported has, in like manner, annually decreased Cwt. qrs. lb. 259,035 3 9 £ 196,526 5:4 Total Decrease, fince the War, in the Value of As long as the countries belonging to the United States were subject to the Laws, that regulate the Trade of British Colonies, the two commodities before mentioned could be brought from thence only to Great Britain: They may be now carried directly to country that has occafion for them. Four fifths of the whole quanany other rity of Tobacco and Rice, imported before the War into Great Britain, were afterwards re-exported for the confumption of other countries; and the Value of these commodities, fo exported, was included in the Annual Amount of the Exports from Great Britain to all countries: It was natural therefore to expect, that by the lofs of this branch of Commerce, the ftate of our Exports in general might be greatly affected. During the three years immediately subsequent to the War, the Value of the Annual Exports from Great Britain to all countries was not quite fo great, as it had been before the War; but in the three years 1787, 1788, and 1789, the value of the Annual Exports from Great Britain was much greater than it had been before the War; and the Exports in the year 1789 greatly exceeded thofe of any former year. Since 1783, there has been, from year to year, a regular Increase of Exports from Great Britain; and the Value of the Exports of 1789 exceeds the Value of the Exports of 1784 £4,400,609 : 10: I. It appears from the foregoing Comparisons of Exports and Imports, that, as the Value of the Exports to the countries now be longing longing to the United States has exceeded the Value of the Imports It is proper in this place to take notice, that all the foregoing Comparisons relate folely to the Trade of Great Britain; and that they do not include the Trade of Ireland with any of the countries before mentioned; and it is right to obferve, that both the Exports and Imports of Ireland, to and from all the faid countries in America and the West Indies, have greatly encreased fince the War, as well in confequence of the independence of the United States, as of the permiffion given in 1780 to the people of Ireland to carry on a direct Trade in the fame manner as the people of Great Britain with the British Colonies in North America, and the British Islands in the West Indies. The Committee will proceed, in the next place, to lay before Your Majefty the beft account they have been able to procure of the Number and Tonnage of the Vessels employed in the different branches of Commerce, respectively carried on between Great Britain and the countries belonging to the United States of America, and the remaining British Colonies in North America, and the British Islands in the West Indies. There are many difficulties in ftating this account: First-The Account of the Number of Vessels employed in this Commerce, was not kept with the fame accuracy before the War as it is at present; and the Account of their Tonnage, as kept before the War, is ftill less accurate. Before the paffing of the Act, For the further encreafe and encouragement of Shipping and Navigation, British V British veffels were not furveyed with fufficient accuracy; and the Account of their Tonnage was taken from no better authority than the declaration of the Mafter: It was then alfo for the intereft of the Mafter to diminish the number of tons of which his veffel confifted; as he was in confequence thereof charged with a smaller fum for pilotage and light-houfe duties. It is fuppofed, that the amount of the tonnage of a ship afcertained in this manner was in general one third less than the real tonnage. Secondly-As before the War the countries, now under the Government of the United States, were British Colonies, the veffels belonging to them, were confidered as British veffels: In the Account therefore of veffels employed in thefe feveral branches of Commerce before the War, there was no diftinction made between the veffels belonging to the people of the countries now under the dominion of the United States, and fuch as belonged to the other parts of the British dominions. All these veffels were equally confidered as British ships. Thirdly-The Committee have not been able to procure Accounts of the Number of Veffels, and their Tonnage, employed in this trade for the fix years before the War, and the fix years fince the War, on which they have formed the averages of the Exports and Imports as before stated: The Accounts which they have been able to procure, and on which they have formed the following averages, are of the years 1770, 1771, and 1772 before the War, and of 1787, 1788, and 1789 fince the War; and they have chosen the three mentioned, as these years are subsequent to the paffing of the Act, For years laft the further encreafe and encouragement of Shipping and Navigation; from which time the Accounts of the Number of Vessels, and their Tonnage, have been kept with greater accuracy in every part of the British dominions, Veffels Veffels employed between Great Britain and the countries belonging to the United States. Number and tonnage of the vessels clearing outwards, and employed yearly in the trade between Great Britain and the countries now belonging to the United States of America, on an average of the years 1770, 1771, and 1772, before the War Number of ditto fo employed, entering inwards, on a like average Medium of the average-number, and tonnage of the veffels entering inwards, and clearing outwards 663-86,745 Medium of the averagenumber, and tonnage, of British and American veffels fo employed, entering inwards, clearing outwards British. and Ships. Tons. Ships. Tons. Ships. Tons: 261-52,595 163-26,564 425-79,159 It appears from the foregoing averages, that the Number of Veffels employed in the direct Commercial Intercourfe between Great Britain and the countries now belonging to the United States of America, has decreased fince the War 238; and that the quantity of Tonnage has decreased fince the War 7,586 tons. The decrease of the tonnage appears to be much less than the decrease of the number of the ships, and the decrease of the tonnage inwards is much greater than that of the tonnage outwards. The reason that the quantity of the Tonnage in general appears to be less decreased than the Number of Ships is: Firft, That larger fhips are now employed in this, as well as in every other branch of Commerce, than formerly. Secondly, The imperfect manner of taking the account of the Tonnage before the War, as before stated, which was then eftimated, for the reasons before mentioned, about one third less than it really was. The greater decrease of the tonnage inwards, compared with that of the tonnage outwards, is to be imputed to the diminished importation of the bulky articles of Rice and Tobacco, as before ftated. It |