nevertheless true that the real gain of the United States has been nearly in proportion as their imports have exceeded their exports. This will be evident from a simple statement in respect to a single voyage. A vessel carries a cargo of flour to Spain or Portugal, say five thousand barrels. This was valued in 1811, at $9 50 cents per barrel, making the value of the cargo, at the place of exportation, $47,500. This flour would bring the shipper in Spain, say fifteen dollars per barrel, making the value of the cargo at a foreign port, $75,000, the difference being $27,500. This difference arises from the necessary charges on the voyage, including freight, insurance, commissions, &c. and perhaps, also, a profit more or less, according to the state of the market. If the avails of this cargo should be brought home directly in money, the value of the imports arising from it would of course be $75,000, exceeding the value of the original cargo before its exportation, $27,500. If this cargo were shipped in an American vessel, and entirely on account of the American merchant, this difference would be a gain to the United States. It is obvious, indeed, that unless the avails of the cargo, when sold in a foreign port, are sufficient to cover the expense of shipment in addition to the first cost at the place of exportation, it must be a losing voyage.

Returns, however, are not often made in money alone; the avails of an outward cargo are generally vested in some foreign articles and imported into the United States in our own vessels. The freight and other expenses on the return cargo, with a reasonable profit, are included in the value of the articles, and go to increase the difference between the estimated value of the imported and exported cargo. As most of our exports consist of bulky articles, and are carried in our own ships, the profit from freight alone has been very great. In 1811, one million four hundred and forty-five thousand and twelve barrels of flour were shipped from the United States, the average freight could not be less than two dollars per barrel, making for the whole quantity $2,890,024. When we add to this the freight on tobacco, rice, cotton, lumber, beef, pork, fish, &c. &c. &c. the whole must amount to many millions.

The imports are partly again exported, and the rest consumed in the United States. The quantity and estimated value of those ex

ported are contained in our custom-house books, and are annually reported to congress from the treasury department, and Tables Nos. I. II. and III. shew the amount of goods paying duties ad valorem, together with the quantities of spirits, molasses, wines, teas, coffee, sugar, and salt, imported and exported at different periods.

From these it will be seen, that the value of merchandize paying duties ad valorem, and the quantities of foreign spirits, molasses, wines, teas, coffee, sugar, and salt, annually consumed in the United States at different periods, were as follows, viz. :

The consumption of foreign articles has increased, with the increase of population, and in the articles of coffee and sugar particularly, the ratio of increase has been in proportion to the wealth, as well as the population of the country.

The increase of American population, it is believed, has been, without example, in the annals of the world. From 1749 to 1790, a period of forty-one years, the increase was, from little more than a million, to nearly four millions. By the first enumeration under the present constitution, in 1790, the number of inhabitants

The numbers in each state, in each of these years, may be seen in tables No. IV. V. and VI.

The whole quantity of sugar consumed in the United States, for some years past, must have been about seventy millions of pounds. In 1810, about ten millions were made, in the territory of Orleans, now state of Louisiana; and in the same year, according to the returns of the marshals, more than nine millions and a half of sugar were made from the maple tree, in the United States.

Sugar plantations have been, and still are increasing in Louisiana; and it is stated, by those well acquainted with the subject, that, in 1814, not less than fifteen millions were made in that state; though but a small proportion of the lands there, suitable for sugar, have yet been planted with cane.

The culture of the sugar cane has lately been introduced into the state of Georgia; and the experiments already made have been attended with the most flattering success. In 1805, Thomas Spalding, Esq. a gentleman of wealth and enterprise, in that state, procured one hundred cane plants from the West-Indies, for the purpose of trying them on his plantation, on an island near the sea coast of Georgia. After repeated trials, in which he was guided, principally, by his own judgment and experience, he completely succeeded. About three years since, he made a small quantity of sugar of a good quality; and in 1814, he had one hundred acres in cane, which produced seventy-five thousand weight of prime sugar, and four thousand gallons of molasses; and but, for the want of boilers, which, on account of the war, could not be brought to his plantation, would have produced one hundred thousand weight. The culture of the cane is found not to be more laborious than cotton, and is not liable to so many accidents. One thousand pounds per acre is not considered a great crop. This at ten cents, would be one hundred dollars. Almost every planter, along the sea coast of Georgia, is now turning his attention, more or less, to the culture of the sugar cane; and from experiments already made, the cane is found to grow luxuriantly, as far north as the city of Charleston, in South-Carolina.

There can, perhaps, be little doubt, that, at a period not very far distant, a sufficient quantity of sugar may be made, within the limits of the United States, for the consumption of the inhabitants.