having been to exclude American manufactures and increase those of Canada, the Canadian revenue derived from goods of American origin will, under the present system, be gradually diminished. It is estimated, that the saving in the expense of collecting revenue would, under a free system, be, to both countries together, nearly $500,000 annually; and the profits which, under adverse systems, would go into the hands of lawless smugglers, would be the honest gain or saving of consumers and legitimate dealers. As a system of national defence, the economy of this plan can scarcely be estimated. In 1849 the Hon. WILLIAM HAMILTON MERRITT, having been requested by the Governor-General of Canada to bring under the consideration of the United States the condition of the commercial relations between this country and Canada, stated that an extension of the principle of reciprocity to the manufactures of the United States and Canada could be obtained at any future time, if deemed desirable by the United States. The dissatisfaction with the present treaty has arisen from its incompleteness. The Committee on Commerce in the House of Representatives, 1853, regarded a limited and partial reciprocity as being reciprocal free trade. Had the reciprocity been actual and perfect, the hope would have been realized which was expressed in the report presented by the Hon. DAVID L. SEYMOUR, as chairman of that committee, in the following words: "They confidently present this measure as a system of broad and comprehensive international trade, mutually beneficial to the commercial interests of both countries. They recommend it as a peaceful method of gathering up and putting to rest for ever many vexed questions and possible future causes of contention between Great Britain and ourselves, while the colonies, bound to us by a commercial alliance which removes all causes for changing their present political position, as the pulsations of a common social and mercantile vitality beat through our joint body politic, become hostages to insure our permanent peace with Great Britain, and through her with the whole European world." The adequate and permanent settlement of the vast questions implied in the commercial relations of the United States and the British North American Provinces and possessions would be one of the greatest and most comprehensive events of the age, and will probably continue to receive due attention from the present Congress. NOTE.-Upper Canada made strenuous objections to the restrictive system. It was intended to "interfere somewhat with the existing close relations between Western Canada and the United States;" and without discussing the domestic politics of the Province, it is useless to affect ignorance that sectional differences, and a desire to force the trade of the Upper Province to Lower Canada, were prevailing motives of legislation. The Boards of Trade in Upper Canada petitioned, ineffectually, in the following words: "Your petitioners are of opinion, that so uncalled-for and unwise a scheme is calculated to affect the existing pleasant commercial relationship between Canada and the United States in the working of the reciprocity treaty, the advantage of which to this Province is well known to your honorable house, inasmuch as the proposed policy of the Inspector-General practically shuts the door to the admission into Canada of the leading articles of commerce hitherto purchased in the great markets of the United States, and forcing Upper Canada to import via the St. Lawrence, or otherwise pay an enormous increase of duty." COTTON CROP OF THE UNITED STATES. I. STATEMENT AND TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THE Year Ending 81st August, 1861. II. PRODUCTION OF EACH STATE IN 1850 AND IN 1861. III. PER CENTAGE OF PRODUCTION IN EACH STATE. IV. EXPORT FROM EACH PORT. V. CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1847-1861. Decrease from crop of 1860, 1 013,684 bales; 1859, 195,395 bales. Increase over crop of 1858, 542,124 bales. EXPORT OF COTTON TO FOREIGN PORTS, Total crop of the United States as before stated,... ..bales, 8,656,086 Add stocks on hand at the commencement of the year, 1st Sept., 1860: In the Southern ports,. In the Northern ports,. Makes a supply of....... Deduct therefrom The export to foreign ports,. Less, foreign included,.. 3,127,568 3,126,867 Stocks on hand, 1st September, 1861: In the Southern ports,... 87,574 In the Northern ports,... Burnt at New-Orleans, St. Marks, Charleston and Philadelphia,. Taken for home use north of Virginia,.. .bales, 650,857 Taken for home use in Virginia and South and West of Virginia,.. Total consumed in the United States, (including burnt at the ports,) 1860-61,... Estimate of the amount of cotton consumed the past year in the States South and West of Virginia, and not included in the receipts at the ports. Thus: North Carolina, bales,. South Carolina,. Georgia,. Alabama,. Tennessee,. 1859. 1860. 1861. 1858. 1857. 1854. 1855. 1856. 20,000.. 18,500.. 22,000.. 25,000.. 26,000.. 29,000.. 80,000.. 33,000 18,000.. 20,000.. 21,000.. 24,000 12,000 10,500.. 15,000.. 17,000 23,000.. 20,500.. 25,000.. 23,000.. 24,000. 26,000.. 28,000.. 32,000 5,000.. 8,000.. 10,000.. 11,000.. 12,000 6,000. 5,500. 6,500. 7,000. 9,000.. 10,000.. 13,000.. 15,000.. 17,000 6,000 4,000.. 26,000.. 42,000.. 88,000.. 89,000.. 45,000. 49,000.. $2,000 85,000 117,500 117,000 125,000 148,000 154,000 170,000 On the Ohio, &c.,..... 38,000 Total to Sept. 1, bales, 105,000 To which, if we add (for the past year) the stocks in the interior towns 1st September, (say 6,200 bales,) the quantity detained in the interior, (say 25,000 bales,) and that lost on its way to market, (9,000 bales,) to the crop as given above, received at the shipping ports, the aggregate will show, as near as may be, the amount raised in the United States the past season-say, in round numbers, 3,866,000 bales, (after deducting 300 bales new crop received this year to 1st ult.,) against The quantity of new cotton received at the shipping ports to 1st September was, in STATEMENT SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF COTTON CONSUMED YEARLY IN THE UNITED STATES, FROM 1847 TO 1861. Louisiana,.. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE PRODUCTION OF COTTON IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE YEARS 1860-61 AND 1849-50, AND PER CENTAGE OF EACH STATE AT THOSE PERIODS. Per centage. 178,737 .. 7.24 22.87 |