Number and Tonnage of ditto, fo employed, entering Ships, Medium of the Average-Number and Tonnage of British Veffels, entering inwards, and clearing outwards Tons. 171-16,331 156-14,513 The Account of the Number of Veffels, from whence these Averages are taken, includes their repeated Voyages. The Number of Veffels fo employed has encreased since the War 137 Ships, being seven times more than it was before the War: And the quantity of Tonnage has encreased 13,517 Tons, being thirteen times more than it was before the War. Many of these Veffels before the War belonged to the Inhabitants of the Countries, which were then British Colonies, but are now under the Dominion of the United States: They can now only belong to British Subjects, resident in some part of your Majesty's prefent Dominions: A part of these Vessels therefore may be confidered as a new acquifition in confequence of the Order in Council before mentioned. The great Encrease of these Veffels is to be imputed to the improvement of these remaining Colonies, in confequence of the great number of Refugees, who have reforted thither: It is to be imputed also to the more frequent Intercourse, that fubfifts at present between these Colonies and the British Islands in the West Indies, and to the great number of fhips belonging to these Colonies, or to fome other part of Your Majesty's prefent Dominions, which go from Newfoundland to the British Islands in the West Indies with fish, a branch of Freight, which was almost wholly engroffed before the War, by Merchants, who were permanent inhabitants of the countries countries then British Colonies, but which are now under the dominion of the United States, and from which Branch of Freight the subjects of these States are at prefent entirely excluded. As the Result of the foregoing Deduction, the Committee have thought fit to cause the following Table to be prepared; Allowance is therein made for the repeated Voyages, which the Veffels, employed in these different Branches of Trade, are supposed to make in each year; and the Number and Tonnage of the Veffels is reduced in due proportion. This Table will fhew Your Majefty, at one view, the Encrease and Decrease of Vessels and Tonnage employed in these various branches of Navigation, and how far the Balance on the whole is at prefent in favour of Great Britain. ift. Veffels, and their Tonnage, employed between Great Brit 2d. Veffels, and their Tonnage, employed between Great Britain America bject, were tes in were This de of 'e no how have 3d. Veffels, and their Tonnage, employed between Great Britain Ports 4th. b the (a) Veffels, and their Tonnage, employed between the remair 5th. (¿) Vessels, and their Tonnage, employed between the British 189. 6th. (c) Veffels, and their Tonnage, employed between the remaini the Weft Indies Tons. The Committee think it will throw further light on this Subject, if they lay before Your Majesty an Account of the Veffels that were built in the Ports of the countries now forming the United States in the year 1772, compared with the Number of Vessels that were building in the Ports of the faid States in the year 1789. This Comparison will prove to Your Majefty, how greatly the Trade of Ship-building has declined in these countries fince they were no longer a Part of Your Majesty's Dominions, and consequently how very much the Number of Ships, belonging to them, must have decreased. An Account of the Number of Ships and Brigs built in the Ports of the United States in the year 1772, compared with the like Veffels building in the faid States in 1789*. *In the Account of Ships and Brigs built in the Ports of the United States in the year 1772, which has been laid before the Committee, there is no Specification of the Numbers built in each of the New England Provinces, but a Total only of the Number and Tonnage of Veffels built in all these Provinces: and Mr. Bond, Conful at Philadelphia, who fent the Account of the Veffels building in 1789, has not given the Tonnage of the Eleven Veflels then building in the provinces of New Hampshire and Maffachufets' Bay: So that it is not poffible to make a Comparison of the Quantity of Tonnage of which the Veffels in the foregoing Table confifts. The |