an elaborate article on the subject, yet, so abundant are the materials furnished in the official report of Mr. Shattuck, that we have concluded to lay before our readers a full and comprehensive view of the commercial industry, and vast wealth of that most enterprising people. The figures and facts here presented, are compiled almost entirely from the work of Mr. Shattuck; and we take this opportunity of tendering our thanks to that gentleman for so valuable a contribution to the local statis. tics of the country.* The manufacturing industry of a people is a means of wealth which has been considered as deserving of particular notice. Facts on this subject were collected by authority of the United States in 1840, and by that of the state of Massachusetts in 1837 and 1845. If anything were needed to show the imperfection of the statistics collected in connection with the census of 1840, the statement of the manufacturing industry of the people would seem to be sufficient. By comparing the abstracts of 1837 and 1845, some difference will appear-some important branches of industry were omitted in both periods; and among others, periodical works, printing-presses, books, and clothing, which are among the most important branches of manufacture in the city, appear not to have been noticed at all in 1845. The aggregates from this table appear thus : It might be inferred, from this statement, that the manufacturing industry of Boston was not as great now as in 1837; while the opinion of the best judges on the subject, formed without actual enumeration and investigation, is, that it is nearly double!. COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY. Under this head, Mr. Shattuck presents five tables, compiled from the annual statements of the commerce and naviga. tion of the United States, from records at the custom-house in Boston, and from other authentic sources of information. Table I. contains the number of arrivals and clearances, specifying the tonnage and crews, since 1825, compiled from the annual statements of the commerce and navigation of the United States. With this statement, may be contrasted the following:-In 1748, 500 vessels cleared from Boston for, and 430 entered from, foreign ports. In 1784, the entries of foreign and coasting vessels were 372, and clearances 450. In 1794, the foreign entries were 567; in 1795, they were 725; and in 1806, they were 938. X The Democratic Review for June, 1846, notices the work of Mr. Shattuck as follows: "The subject of social statistics, as connected with the mere numbers of the population on which our glorious institutions are based, has received, hitherto, far too little attention. The want of facts, well authenticated, in relation to the business, births, deaths, marriages, dwellings, domestic condition, occupations, progressive wealth, government, and general health of the population, of different localities, has been severely felt for a long period of time; and efforts have been made to supply them on the part of the federal, and some of the state governments of the Union, in imitation of the more elaborate works of some of the governments of Europe, but hitherto with little success. The valuable work of Mr. Shattuck embraces all these subjects of inquiry, and more information of a most desirable nature. The results are such as reflect the highest credit on the skill, industry, and perseverance, exhibited by the able author and compiler. In the ninety-six pages of the work, is embraced a view of the capital of New England, at once comprehensive and minute, affording the most satisfactory evidence of the great prosperity of the Athens of America. We sincerely trust that the great success which has attended the labor of Mr. Shattuck, will tempt other cities, as well as states, to add to the information conferred upon the public by him. He modestly states, that a portion of the information embodied in the work bears but indirectly upon its main object.' In this, we differ from him. There is no species of statistical information, in relation to the people, which is not of the highest interest." TABLE I-COMMERCE. Statement of the Number of Vessels, the Tonnage and the Crews, entered and cleared at Boston. ENTERED. CLEARED. Year. American. Foreign. Total American and Foreign. Total American and Foreign. Crews. Crews. Crews. Crews. No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. Men. Boys. Men. Boys. Men. Boys. Men. Boys. 1826, 134,854 4,755 139,609 94,282 1827, 118,604 4,798 123,402 89,401 1828, 111,439 5,595 117,034 92,630 1829, 117,608 4,827 122,435 92,418 1830, 108,668 4,663 113,328 93,408 1831, 116,762 9,612 126,374 100,111 1832, 136,369 21,442 157,811 148,178 1833, 149,550 29,013 178,563 157,825 1834, 763 154,941 307 28,144 1,070 183,085 988 156,837 1835, 754 158,712 6,959 334 404 35,708 1,860 160 1,158 194,420 8,819 494 1,148 181,293 8,545 337 1836, 779 168,646 7,197 409 602 56,038 2,836 315 1,381 224,684 10,033 724 204,334 9,540 1,358 353 1837, 853 188,367 7,666 559 691 53,910 2,970 307 1,544 242,277 10,636 866 1,367 184,373 8,784 393 1838, 747 161,596 6,644 477 488 37,303 2,231 226 1,235 198,898 8,875 703 1,143 163,714 7,973 310 1839, 865 189,126 7,596 588 575 41,430 1,949 263 1,440 230,556 9,545 851 1,356 195,674 9,656 66 1840, 864 191,752 7,825 423 643 53,581 3,402 308 1,507 245,333 11,227 731 1,353 181,593 9,392 1841, 1,019 224,969 9,161 439 711 66,354 4,048 129 1,730 291,323 13,209 568 1,544 234,843 11,939 1842, 849 197,481 8,029 361 870 78,885 4,941 1,719 276,366 12,970 361 1,574 225,416 11,779 1843, 455 100,815 4,213 217 488 43,691 2,869 943 144,506 7,082 217 963 140,760 7,302 1844, 879 199,505 8,077 386 1,018 89,483 5,853 1845, 9291 207,452 8,398| 322 1,286 101,491 6,945 1,897 2,215 288,988 13,930 386 1,814 257,163 13,082 308,943 15,343 3221 2,000 249,914 12,806 NOTE. The financial year was altered in 1843, to end June 30, instead of September 30, as it had before ended; consequently, that year includes three-quarters, only, in this, and the table of imports and exports of Boston and Massachusetts. Table II. contains the number of foreign arrivals and clearances, specifying the countries from which they came, obtained from the same source. TABLE II-COMMERCE. Statement of Foreign vessels which arrived and cleared during the years 1840 to 1845, inclusive. Total,..... 9 75 737 4,681 1 5,503 9 74 733 4,674 1 5,491 Table III. contains the number of arrivals and clearances at the port of Boston, for each of the six years, 1840 to 1845, compiled from records kept by an individual, and designed to include all vessels, except, perhaps, a few loaded with wood and lumber. TABLE III.-COMMERCE. Statement of the Arrivals and Clearances at the Port of Boston, exclusive of the British Mail Steamers, during the six years, from January 1, 1840, to December 31, 1845 inclusive TABLE III.-Continued. Statement of the Arrivals and Clearances at the Port of Boston, exclusive of the British Mail Steamers, from January 1, 1840, to December 31, 1845, inclusive. NOTE.-Many vessels, sailing under coasting licenses, clear at the custom-house only when carrying debenture goods-hence, the number of arrivals largely exceeds the clearances. This table is compiled from a daily account kept by an individual, and is designed to include all vessels, except, perhaps, a few loaded with wood and lumber. It is more full and correct than any that could be obtained at the custom-house. Table IV. shows the amount of tonnage owned by Boston, Massachusetts, and the United States, in each year, since 1825. TABLE IV.-COMMERCE. Statement of the Tonnage of Boston, Massachusetts, and of the United States. Table V. shows the imports and exports, and the revenue of Boston; and, side by side, the imports and exports of Massachusetts, since the year 1824. TABLE V.-COMMERCE. Statement of the Imports, Exports, and Revenue of Boston, compared with the Imports and Exports of Massachusetts. 1843, 20,662,567 1844, 22,141,788 1845, 21,591,877 9,370,851 5,249,634.00 22,781,024 10,351,030 These interesting facts show that the foreign commerce of Boston has not increased in proportion to its increase of population. They however show that it more than maintains its relative commercial rank, when compared with Massachusetts and the whole nation. This is proved by the following deductions from this table, and from Tables II. and IV. :— Of the per centage of all the commerce of the United States, This does not indicate precisely the amount of commerce of Boston, since a large amount of tonnage, in parts of vessels, is owned there, which is not registered, or does not enter at that port. In his appendix, Mr. Shattuck gives a table, which contains the particulars of each voyage made by the British mail steamers. These packets are so intimately connected with the prosperity of Boston, that he deemed it advisable, though attended with considerable labor, to present the details at length. The summary of each year appears thus :— The average length of the 110 voyages made in the five years and a |