UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL & STATISTICAL REGISTER. EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD. VOL. I. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1839. The following prospectus was submitted to, and received the approbation of, several intelligent merchants of this city, previously to the commercial embarrassments of the country, which rendered it expedient to defer the commencement of the work until they should disappear, as we hope is now the fact. PROSPECTUS. The subscriber, induced, by a consideration of the importance of the commerce of the United States, and the very large and respectable portion of the population engaged in it, to believe, that a periodical devoted, entirely, to the interests of merchants, would meet with encouragement, has concluded to offer, for their patronage, the following prospectus of a Weekly Journal, to be entitled THE UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL AND STATISTICAL REGISTER. Among all the well conducted "Prices Current," and other vehicles of intelligence, relating to passing events, there is no publication to which the merchant or statesman can refer, for that permanent kind of information respecting the commerce of the United States, which is often of importance to persons engaged in mercantile pursuits. Such a desideratum it is the object of the proposed publication to supply-by furnishing, in a convenient form, a repository of documents, facts, and statistical information, of every kiud, connected with commerce. It will also serve as a channel for communicating the views of mercantile men on points of national policy, which persons engaged in commerce are most competent to understand and estimate. Enlarged views of the rise, progress, and present condition of commerce, in connexion with its collateral subjects, will be furnished, which, while they are useful to the merchant of the present period, will prove instructive to those whom he is qualifying to succeed him. The work will also embrace a considerable amount of information in regard to the colonial and revolutionary history, in which (especially the lat ter) the American merchants enacted so conspicuous and important a part. The establishment of Mercantile Libraries, and other commercial associations, is indicative of a disposition to obtain and disseminate information, especially among the juvenile portion of our citizens engaged in commercial pursuits, and encourages a hope that the publication now offered, will also merit and receive a share of public favour.. The following outline of the plan of the work will exhibit its general nature. 1. Statistical Tables of the foreign commerce and navigation of the United States, and of each state, furnishing VOL. 1.-1 No. 1. in considerable detail, comparative views of their past and present condition. 2. Documents and facts in relation to the early history of the commerce of the United States, especially, those tending to illustrate its important influence in effecting the independence of the country. 3. Statistical tables of internal commerce, by means of canals, rail-roads, and steamboats-also reports embracing the rise, progress, and present state of internal improveThe coal trade will receive special attention. ments. 4. Commercial Treaties between the United States and other countries. 5. Reports to, and acts of, Congress, and the state legis. latures; as well as of the public departments, in relation to commerce. 6. Important Judicial decisions of cases establishing commercial principles and practice. 7. Account of moneys, weights, measures, and exchanges of different countries. Also, operations of the mint and condition of the currency in the United States, 8. A description of the most important articles of mer. chandize, with some account of the countries which pro duce them, and of the mode and extent of their culture or manufacture, especially in the United States. 9. An account of the various Banks and Insurance com. panies of the United States, exhibiting their capitals, dividends and periodical statements. 10. An account of the principal Exchange and other commercial associations or institutions. 11. Modes of transacting business with different countries, embracing commissions, allowances, port charges, &c, 12. Naval record of remarkable circumstances and facts attending merchant vessels; also of improvements in their construction, and in the general principles of navigation. 13. Notices of the navy of the United States, as connected with the honour of the country and the protection of its commerce. 14. Well written original and selected essays or papers on commercial subjects, and temperate discussions of na tional questions affecting the commercial interests of the United States. 15. Biographical and obituary notices of eminent mer. chants, 16, Miscellaneous information, calculated to be useful or instructive to merchants. 17. Financial operations and condition of the United States, and of the different states; and also their general statistics. 18. Occasional and comparative sales of Stocks. 19. Statistics of manufactures and agriculture as con. nected with commerce. CONDITIONS. The work shall be printed weekly-upon an Imperial sheet, of good quality, in octavo form; and each number to contain 16 pages-forming two volumes per annumeach volume to be accompanied by an Index. N. B. The present number is intended as a specimen of the size and appearance, and in some measure, (as far as a single number can show it) of the nature of the work-and is now forwarded to merchants and others throughout the United States, with a respectful request that they will pa The price to subscribers will be Five Dollars per annum, payable at the termination of the first volume, and after-tronize it. Gentlemen who receive this number and intend wards on the first of January of each year. No subscriptions for less than a year. Subscribers out of the principal cities to pay in advance. The work will be commenced as soon as a number of subscribers sufficient to justify the publication shall have been obtained-the Editor reserving the privilege of furnishing at his leisure, as many extra numbers prior to the first of July next, as will, with the regular numbers, complete the twenty-six numbers of the First volume. It will be delivered to subscribers in the city, and deposited in the post office for those at a distance, (unless otherwise ordered,) as soon as possible after publication. to subscribe, will please to retain it as the first number should the work proceed, and inform the subscriber of their intention-free of postage. It is perhaps proper to say to persons not residing in the city, that the subscriber has been regularly educated, and for many years pursued business, as a merchantand that he has also had considerable experience in conducting a statistical work as Editor of the Register of Pennsylvania, for eight years.-The plan of which work will be in general pursued in this. NUMBER OF MERCHANTS IN THE UNITED STATES. Desirous of ascertaining the number of persons engaged in commerce, we had recourse to the census of 1820; the only return which has ever been made, showing the general occupations of the citizens. There is some uncertainty whether that return included only the principals engaged in any one pursuit, or extended to all employed. From this return, however, the following table has been constructed; and in ascertaining the proportions, we have embraced all the white population over 16 years of age. TABLE. Showing the "Number of Persons actually engaged in Commerce," in each State, according to the Census of 1820. Also their relative proportion to the white male population of each State, respectively, over 16 years of age; and likewise to the whole number of persons engaged in Commerce in the United States. Also of the principal Town or City of each State. Proportion in No. of Proportion to No. in each the whole commer-Proportion to State enmale popula-each State, to Principal commercial town cial per- whole male tion over 16 the whole city or district in each state. sons in population commerce, in years of age, No. in the U each town over 16 years 1820. in each State. States. or city. in each city. NAMES OF STATES. gaged in 1 in 17 68 5 62 New Haven,# 93 Windsor, New York City and Co., 39 Newark, Pennsylvania, Delaware, 533 27 136 Christiana Hundred, 112 17 1839.] NUMBER OF MERCHANTS IN THE UNITED STATES. From the preceding Table we discover several interesting facts- 1. The whole number of persons engaged in commerce in the United States, in 1820, was 72,397-being in the proportion of 1 to every 28 of the white male population over 16 years of age. 2. The greatest number of commercial persons then resided in Massachusetts, although the largest proportion to the white population was to be found in Louisiana, being in the former state 1 to 11, and in the latter 1 to 4. Yet, taking the relative proportions in each state to the whole number in the United States engaged in commerce, the proportions of these two states are nearly reversed--being in Massachusetts 1 to 5, and in I.ouisiana 1 to 12; still leaving Massachusetts first as to number and relative proportion, to the whole. Boston, (and indeed every other city) must yield to New Orleans, there being 1 to 14 in the latter, and I to 4 in the former city in proportion to white male population of each over 16 years of age. Marblehead, however, bears precisely the same proportion to population as does New Orleans-and so also does Nantucket, nearly. From the American Daily Advertiser. Mr. POULSON-In answer to the inquiries of your corre- Both these voyages she was commanded by Captain now are. 3. New York (state), next to Massachusetts, contained Mr. POULSON--In your paper of Saturday I noticed a the largest number of persons engaged in commerce,although the proportion to population is considerably less than that short account of the American Frigate Alliance,-on referof many of the other states, being only 1 to 38. In pro-ring to my private journal I find the following sketch from portion, however, to the whole number in the United States, the pen of Commodore Barron, which I was permitted to copy in 1831. If of moment you can use it. Your obedient servant, she was next to Massachusetts, I to 8. 4. Pennsylvania, as to number, held the third rank-in proportion to population was rather greater than New York, though in proportion to the whole in the United States she was rather less, say 1 in 10. C. C. B., January 13, 1839. "The Continental frigate Alliance was built at Salisbury, on the river Merrimack, in Mass. The Alliance with 5. In Maryland, the proportion to the population was 1 to 15, being greater than either New York or Pennsylva-France in 1778, induced our government to give her that nia, and with regard to the whole in the United States the proportion is exactly the same with that of the population, say 1 to 15. A reference to the table will exhibit at a view, the relative rank of the other states, both with regard to population and the whole number engaged in commerce in the United States. 6. We likewise discover from the table, the same facts respecting the different chief towns or cities of each state of these, as to number engaged in commerce, New Orleans held the first, Philadelphia the second, New York the third, Boston the fourth, and Baltimore the fifth rank. In proportion to population they stood in the following order New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston; Boston, Portsmouth, Richmond, and Alexandria; Baltimore, Portland, Natchez, and Lexington; Philadelphia and Mobile; Cincinnati, New York. It is to be regretted, that information on this subject was not obtained when taking the census of 1830, that a comparison might have been made of the increase or decrease in different places during those ten years-which, no doubt, would have exhibited, with regard to some places, a very different result. We hope it will be attended to in the census of 1840. Of the relative amount of business in each state, as ascertained by the imports and exports, we shall, in the pro gress of the work, be able to make a more satisfactory exhibit. For the present, the following statement must suffice, showing the relative amount exported in 1829, and imported in 1821, by each person then engaged in commerce in each of the following states, according to the number so engaged. Amount exported by each South Carolina, $3432 Amount imported in New York, Georgia, 3083 New York, 1444 Maryland, 1385 Massachusetts, Louisiana, 1215 Maryland, Virginia, 1011 Louisiana, Massachusetts, 828 Georgia, Pennsylvania, 811 Virginia, While convoying the sloop of war -, Captain Green, from Havanna, having on board the was chased by a 74 and a large class sloop of war. The 74 money which founded the Bank of North America, she and our sloop sailed alike, but the English sloop was far superior to either, and no doubt would have overtaken and captured Captain Green's vessel had it not been for the masterly manoeuvres of Commodore Barry, who compelled her to sheer off by occasional engagements, thus preserving the money which contributed so much to the happy termination of our war with England. At the close of the war the Alliance was bought by Robert Morris. Captain Green with Dale as chief mate, made the first voyage ever attempted from Philadelphia to China. In the Indian Ocean they met a small Yankee schooner, hailing "from Salem." Captain Green asked what charts they had, and to his astonishment received for answer none," but we've got Guthrie's Grammar. 66 The voyage was performed out of season, and is believed to have been the first ever made outside of New Holland. Commodore Barry, while commanding the Alliance, was chased by the Chatain 25, from off the capes of Delaware; it was said on this occasion the ship went 15 knots, and run down the English sloop of war Speedwell, while attemptAfter many wonderful escapes ing to prevent her escape. from the enemy and long and perilous voyages, the Alli ance died a natural death in the port of Philadelphia. COLONIAL TRADE WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 1179 The following Table, compiled from Witworth's "Trade 1152 of Great Britain," Macpherson's " Annals of Commerce," 1114 and Anderson's "History of Commerce," exhibits an in853 teresting view of the trade between the American Colonies, 541 and the mother country from 1697 to 1776, which in fact, 469 formed almost the only commerce of this country, prior to 239 the revolution. |