Since the opening of the several land-offices for the sale of public lands belonging to the United States, in the year 1796, D. 8,437,531 have been received from the proceeds of those sales, up to the end of 1814. The whole number of acres sold during that period, has been 5,385,467. The purchase money was D. 11,356,688; leaving nearly D. 3,000,000 due to the treasury. There are yet above 500,000,000 of acres of public lands, lying in the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Mississippi, and in the territories of Michigan, Illinois, Alabama, and Missouri. The various taxes laid on in 1815, were considered as war taxes, and necessary to support public credit. The whole revenues of the United States were at that time upwards of twentyone millions of dollars: namely, customs, D. 4,000,000; internal duties, D. 10,159,000; direct tax, D. 6,000,000; public lands, D. 1,000,000; but in 1816 they produced D. 1,500,000. The postage of letters produces a net revenue of about D. 100,000 to the Treasury.

The following statement shows the estimated receipts and expenditures of the United States, at different periods, viz.

The estimates of receipts and expenditure for the years 1818, 1819, and 1820, were made by the committee of ways and means. The net amount of revenue received in 1815 was D.50,906,106; being from customs, D. 37,656,486; internal duties, D. 5,963,225; direct tax, D. 5,723,152; public lands, D. 1,287,959; postage, &c. D. 275,282.

The President's Message, of the 2d December, 1817, states, that after satisfying the appropriation made by law for the support of the civil government, military and naval establishments, provision for fortifications, increase of the navy, paying interest of public debt, and extinguishing more than eighteen millions of the principal within the

present year, a balance of more than six millions of dollars remains in the treasury, applicable to the current service of the ensuing year. The estimated receipts for 1818, from imports and tonnage, amount to twenty millions of dollars; internal revenues, two millions and a half; public lands, a million and a half; bank dividends and incidental receipts, half a million; making a total of twenty-four millions and a half. The annual permanent expenditure for the support of the civil government, army and navy, as now established by law, amounts to eleven millions eight hundred thousand dollars; and for the Sinking Fund, ten millions, leaving an annual excess of revenue beyond the expenditure of two millions seven hundred thousand dollars. The whole of the Louisiana debt may be redeemed in 1819; after which, if the public debt continues above par, five millions of the Sinking Fund will be annually unexpended, until 1825, when the loan of 1812, and the stock created by funding Treasury notes, will be redeemable. The Mississippi stock also will, probably, be discharged during 1819, from the proceeds of public lands; after which, those proceeds will annually add to the public revenue a million and a half, making the permanent yearly revenue amount to twenty-six millions of dollars, leaving an excess of income, above the expenditure, of more than four millions of dollars.

The secretary of the treasury, in his report of the 5th of December, 1817, corroborates this statement, and estimates the expenditure of the year 1818, at D. 21,946,351; namely, civil, miscellaneous, diplomatic, and foreign intercourse, D. 2,069,843; military services, including arrears of half a million, D. 6,265,132; naval service, including a million for the gradual increase of the navy, D. 3,611,376; public debt, D. 10,000,000; leaving a balance in the treasury of D. 8,578,648, on the first of January, 1819.

The following summary, in round numbers, will convey a tolerably accurate view of the capital, income, and expenditure of the United States:

Capital, real and personal....
Income.....

.D. 7,200,000,000

Expenditure, United States...D. 25,000,000
The States...... 20,000,000

National debt....

The capital consists in reality, of Public lands, 500,000,000 of acres, at two dollars per acre

360,000,000

45,000,000

100,000,000

............................... D. 1,000,000,000

Cultivated lands, 300,000,000 of acres, at

ten dollars per acre

Dwelling-houses of all kinds

Total of real property.

. 3,000,000,000

The personal property of the United States consists of the national debt, which, although a debt on the part of government, is

Capital to the stockholders, who are Ame

rican citizens

Banking stock

Slaves, 1,500,000,000, at D. 150 each
Shipping of all kinds

D. 100,000,000

Money, farming stock and utensils, manufactures, household furniture, plate, earriages, and every other species of personał property

1,550,000,000

Naval and military strength.-The establishments of the navy and army, in the United States, are wisely kept upon. a moderate scale; particularly that of the regular military. force. To aspire at such a navy as the principal maritime powers of Europe possess, would be a useless waste of revenue in so young a country. As they have no possessions to protect abroad, nor any views of extending their dominions by foreign conquest, it is deemed sufficient, that ships enough be kept to repel any hostile attempt of those nations of Europe that are weak on the sea; because circumstances exist, which render even the stronger ones weak as to them. Providence has placed the richest and most defenceless European possessions at the very door of the United States, and obliges its most valuable commerce to pass by their shores. To protect either of these, a small part only of any European navy would ever be detached across the Atlantic; and the danger to which the elements expose them there, have been too often fatally experienced by the principal powers of Europe. Hence, a small naval force will at all times be sufficient to cope with such detachments, as well as to protect the American territory, and annoy the commerce of their enemies.

1

At the beginning of the year 1812, previous to the commencement of the late war, the United States navy consisted of three ships of 44 guns, three of 36, four of 32, one of 24, four of 18, three of 16, four of 14, one of 12 guns, and one schooner, besides gun-boats, bombs, &c. Of this number the British captured one of 44 guns, one of 36, three of 32, one of 18, two of 16, three of 14, and one of 12 guns. At present (1818) the American navy consists of five ships of 74 guns, and four of the same rate building; six of 44, and several others building; three of 36, two of 32, one of 28, three of 24, two of 20, thirteen of 18, seven of 16, three of 14, seven of 12, and five of 10 guns, besides thirty-eight of a smaller rate. The chief part of the above naval force, now in commission, is employed in maintaining a strong squadron in the Mediterranean, and another in the gulf of Mexico.

But it

The military strength of the United States lies principally in a well-disciplined militia, which in December 1817, amounted to 800,000 men, infantry, artillery, and cavalry; the greater part being then armed, and measures adopted to arm the whole. At the same period the regular troops had been raised to the number appointed by law, viz. 10,000 men. This little army is divided and stationed in garrisons along the Atlantic coast, from the district of Maine to St. Mary's, in Georgia, a distance of nearly 2000 miles; and on the west, from the great northern lakes to New Orleans, a still greater distance. is to the energy and exertions of their militia that the people of the United States chuse to depend, in case of war; rather than risk the introduction of a standing army, that bane of public liberty. Upon the whole, it must appear obvious, that the United States are now perfectly capable of maintaining their independence; nor is there any single nation, however powerful, mad enough to make an attack, which would infallibly end in disaster and disgrace. The republic contains more than 10,000,000 of free people, and, if invaded, could at a short notice turn out 1,000,000 of fighting men. This fact is well known in Europe, and would, of course, enter into the calculation of any general who might plan an attack on that country. He could not hope for success without, at least, an equal number of men; and it may be safely presumed, that such an army will never be sent 3000 miles on an expedition, which, though successful, would not pay a thousandth part of the expense.

The American ships of war always carry more guns than their rate implies. See page 66 of this Work.

Constitution and government.-The origin of the present system of government in, the United States, had its rise from a general congress which first assembled at Philadelphia, in October, 1774, and was composed of dølegates chosen by the houses of representatives of each of the thirteen old colonies, except Georgia. This colony haying afterwards acceded, the number of members amounted to fifty-four, and a president. In July, 1776, congress, by a solemn act, renounced allegiance to the king of Great Britain, and declared the American colonies to be free and independent states. At the same time they published articles of confederation and perpetual union between the states, in which they took the style of "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"; and decreed, that each state should retain its sovereignty and independence, and every other power and right not delegated to congress.

By these articles, the thirteen United States severally entered into a firm league of friendship, for the security of their liberties, and for their general defence. It was likewise determined, that delegates should be appointed annually, to meet in congress on the first Monday in November of every year. No state was to send less than two, or more than seven delegates; and no person could be a delegate more than three years; nor was he capable of holding any office under the United States, or to receive salary, fees, or emoluments of any kind.. In determining ques tions in congress, each state was to have one yote; and every state was bound by the decisions of congress.

These articles of confederation, after eleven years expe rience, being found inadequate to the purposes for which they were intended, delegates were chosen in each of the United States to meet and fix upon the necessary amend ments. They accordingly met in convention at Philadel-: phia in the summer of 1787, when a new constitution was adopted, of which the following are the outlines:

The Legislative power is vested in a congress of the United States, consisting of a senate and house of representatives.

The members of the house of representatives are chosen every second year by the people of the several states; and the electors in each state must have the qualifications requisite for the electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature. A representative must be twenty-five years of age, and have been even years a citizen of the United States; and be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen. The representatives will hereafter be chosen in the several states in the proportion of one for