tion 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 thefe 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 chofen the three years last mentioned, as thefe years are fubsequent to the paffing of the act, For the further encrease and encouragement of shipping and navigation; from which time the accounts of the number of veffels, and their tonnage, have been kept with greater accuracy in every part of the British dominions.

Veffels employed between Great Britain and the countries belonging to the United States.

Number and tonnage of the veffels 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

699-91,540

Medium of the average-number, and tonnage

of the veffels entering inwards, and clear- ships.

Tons.

It appears from the foregoing averages, that the number of veffels employed in the direct commercial intercourse between Great Britain and the countries now belonging to the United States of America, has decreafed fince the war 238;

and that the quantity of tonnage has decreased since 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 reafon that the quantity of the tonnage in general appears to be less decreased than the number of ships is:

First, That larger ships 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 ftated, which was then eftimated, for the reafons 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 stated.

It appears, by the foregoing account of the veffels employed in this trade fince the war, that the number of British veffels, fo employed, exceeds the number of American veffels, fo employed, 98 fhips; and the quantity of British tonnage, fo employed, exceeds the quantity of American tonnage, fo employed, 26,031 tons.

As there was no diftinction before the war between ships belonging to the inhabitants of the countries now under the dominion of the United States, and the other parts of the British dominions, it is impoffible to ftate, with certainty, what was the proportion of each description of ships then employed in this branch of commerce.

The veffels, fo employed, were then of three forts: Firft-Veffels belonging to merchants refident in the Britifh European dominions.

L

Secondly-Veffels belonging to British merchants, occasionally refident in thofe colonies, that now form the United States.

Thirdly-Veffels belonging to merchants, who were natives and permanent inhabitants of those colonies, that now form the United States.

The following table will shew the proportion of each description of veffels, claffed in the manner before mentioned, then employed in this branch of commerce, according to the best information that can be obtained :

From the foregoing table it is evident, that the proportion of veffels, claffed under the before-mentioned descriptions, varied according to the different colonies, now forming the United States, with which the commerce of Great Britain was then carried on; the quantity of shipping so employed which belonged, either to the inhabitants of Great Britain, or to British merchants occafionally refident in the said colonies, being much greater in the commercial intercourse, then carried on with the fouthern colonies, than with the northern colonies, particularly thofe of New England.-But, upon the

whole, there is reason to believe, from calculations founded on the foregoing table, as well as from other information, that the proportion of tonnage, employed before the war in this branch of commerce, which belonged to the inhabitants of Great Britain, was about 4-8ths and an half; and the proportion, which belonged to British merchants, occafionally refident in the colonies now forming the United States, was about one-eighth and an half, making together nearly fixeighths of the whole; and that the proportion of tonnage fo employed, which belonged to merchants, who were then natives and permanent inhabitants of the colonies now forming the United States, was rather more than two eighths of the whole. At prefent the proportion of tonnage, employed in this branch of commerce, belonging to the merchants of Great Britain, is nearly fix-eighths of the whole; and the proportion of tonnage, belonging to the merchants of the United States, is rather more than two-eighths of the whole; fo that, in this view of the subject, though the quantity of fhipping, employed between Great Britain and the countries now under the dominion of the United States, has fince the war decreased on the whole in the degree before stated, yet, allowing for this decrease, the share of the shipping which belongs to the merchants of Great Britain has increased in the proportion of one-eighth and an half; (the share of the fhipping, which before the war belonged to British merchants, occafionally refident in the colonies now forming the United States, being transferred to merchants refident in Great Britain), and the fhare of the shipping fo employed, which now belongs to merchants, fubjects of the United States, and permanent inhabitants thereof, is nearly the fame as it was before the war.