Manufactured leather; leather saddlery; gilt, silvered, or plated buttons; cutlery; glassware; scissors and buckles of steel; scissors, plated, gilt, or silvered; cotton cloth; woollen cloths; and cotton stockings. Silk stuffs (unies) pay a duty of, per 100 kilo. Crape of silk Gauze, of pure silk 1,760 francs. 2,090 66 3,740 Yet, notwithstanding these excessive high duties and prohibitions, if France should send leaf-tobacco, the produce of its soil, into Germany, it would, according to the actual tariff, be admitted into the zoll-verein at the same rate of duty as the tobacco of the United States. The word "prohibition" is not known in the tariff of the United States. CUBA. In the Spanish colony of Cuba, the duties levied on German produce and manufactures vary from 21 to 27 per cent. on a fixed valuation in that colony, and not a single article of the produce or manufactures of Germany is admitted free, or at a lower rate of duty than 21 per cent; yet the tariff of the zoll-verein levies the same duty on the leaf-tobacco of the United States, where their manufactures are so liberally treated, as they do on the tobacco of Cuba; and even more, for as the quality is better, and the cost of the leaf-tobacco of Cuba greater than that of the United States, the duty being 5 thalers per centner on both, it naturally follows that the Cuba tobacco is in fact favored by the actual tariff, to the detriment of that of the United States. RUSSIA. The disastrous effects to German industry of the illiberal policy shown in the late tariff of that country, are so well known and so severely felt by the manufacturers of Germany, particularly of Silesia, that they require, on my part, neither comment nor enumeration. 3d. The following will show that a greater amount of the produce and manufactures of Germany are admitted free of duty in the United States than of the produce and manufactures of England, in proportion to the extent of our commerce with either of those countries. By examining table No. 1, it will be seen that the annual average importations of German produce and manufacture into the United States for two years, say from 1st October, 1834, to 30th September, 1836, were as follows: Consequently, of $7,420,096, annual average total of direct or indirect importations of German produce and manufacture into the United States, there was an annual average amount of $4,802,673, admitted free of duty, being equal to 65 per cent. of the total amount. GREAT BRITAIN. From Great Britain there were imported into the United States, during the same period, from 1st October, 1834, to 30th September, 1836, according to official statements, an annual average amount, as follows: Consequently, the amount admitted into the United States from Great Britain, free of duty, was equal to an annual average of about 33 per cent. 4th. I will now proceed to my fourth proposition, viz: that the balance of trade is and has been against the United States and in favor of Germany, more so than with France or England, in proportion to our trade with either of those countries. I will, however, first state my views respecting the manner that the balance of trade between two countries ought to be examined, as it will be on that basis that my conclusions will be founded. In arriving at the balance of trade between two countries, the produce and manufacture of one country, and which arrive in the other in the same shape in which they were originally exported, having undergone no change in their nature by their passing through a third country, are the only proper articles to be taken into consideration in arriving at the said balance. Were a different course to be pursued, the ramifications of commerce are so numerous, it would be utterly impossible ever to arrive at a practical knowledge of the balance of trade with any country. I make this remark, from having frequently heard it argued in Germany, that the cotton-twist from England imported into this country, having probably been spun partly from American cotton, should enter into the calculations of the balance of trade between the United States and Germany. The same reasons which would authorize such an assumption, would also be equally good in favor of bringing into the balance of trade between Germany and the United States, the raw wool which is annually exported from Germany in large quantities to England, and after having been there manufactured either into yarn or cloth, is from thence exported in a new shape to the United States; and certainly no writer on commercial statistics would venture his reputation by contending for, or admitting, the correctness of such a course of reasoning. With this understanding, I will proceed to show the state of trade between the two countries: During the two years from 1st October, 1834, to 30th September, 1836, there was an average annual importation into the United States (as will be observed on page 16), direct from Germany, or through Holland and France, of German produce or manufacture, amounting to $7,420,096 By the official statement from the Treasury Department, there were exported, during the same period, direct to Prussia and the Hanse Towns, and other ports of Germany, of the domes To which are to be added, the raw cotton and leaf- Leaf-tobacco $3,021,640 800,000 212,880 And, also, must be added, the leaf-tobacco through Belgium 107,000 4,708,520 2,711,576 Making an annual balance of trade against the United States, for an average of two years, of equal to 4,067,364 Prussian thalers, or 37 per cent. against the United States. From the 1st October, 1836, to the 30th September, 1837, there were imported into the United States (as mentioned on page 18) of German produce and manufacture - $8,700,000 And there were exported, direct to Prussia and the Hanse Towns, and other ports of Germany, of the domestic produce of the United States To which are to be added, the raw cotton, leaf-tobacco, &c., from England, being the produce of the United States Also, the following, through Holland: Leaf tobacco Tobacco stems Raw cotton Rice South Sea whale oil And, also, the leaf-tobacco, through Belgium - $2,668,915 850,000 263,280 20,232 603,520 9,693 204,510 80,000 4,700,150 3,999,850 equal to Prussian thalers, 5,999,775, or 46 per cent. We thus see that the balance of trade for the average two years, from the 1st October, 1834, to the 30th September, 1836, was 37 per cent. against the United States; and from the 1st October, 1836, to the 30th September, 1837, it had increased, and amounted to 46 per cent. against the United States. I will now show that the balance of trade between the United States and England, and also France, has not been so much against us as our trade with Germany. GREAT BRITAIN. From the 1st October, 1834, to the 30th September, 1836, the average annual importations for those two years into the United States, from Great Britain, were as follows: From England From Scotland From Ireland $67,414,326 2,007,773 525,623 -$69,947,722 $53,615,054 The annual average exportations from the United States, of its 18,332,668 Making an annual average balance, of those two years, against the United States, of 26 per cent. From the 1st October, 1836, to the 30th September, 1837, there was imported into the United States, from England, Scotland, and Ireland, as follows: From England $43,566,757 1,118,410 131,776 -$44.816,943 And there were exported from the United States, of its domestic produce, to England, Scotland, and Ireland, during the same period, From which is to be deducted the amount of the raw produce of the United States, shipped from England, &c., from the continent, Making a balance of trade in favor of the United States, of being equal to 6 per cent. FRANCE. From the 1st of October, 1834, to the 30th of September, 1836, the average annual importations for those two years into the United States from France, were as follows: From French Atlantic ports From Mediterranean ports $28,047,329 1,718,067 29,765,396 8,542,672 making a balance of trade against the United States of equal to 33 per cent. From the 1st of October, 1836, to the 30th of September, 1837, there were imported into the United States from France, as follows: making a balance of trade against the United States of equal to 11 per cent. 5th. The following will show, that when the duty of 5 thalers per centner was first laid on by Prussia on our leaf-tobacco in 1818, it only amounted to about 25 per cent. on the first cost of the said article; whereas, in consequence of a great diminution in the price of same during the ten years, from 1826 to 1835, inclusive, the said duty has averaged 67 cent. since 1826. per 17,350,914 1,150,000 16,200,914 2,132,700 |