CHAPTER XI.

TONNAGE of the United States-Amount employed in foreign trade, and in the coasting trade, at different periods-Increase of American tonnage, from 1763 to 1810-Tonnage owned in each state, in 1810, and in the ports of Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charleston--Vessels built, from 1804 to 1813-Comparative view of American tonnage, with that of other nations-Amount of foreign tonnage, in American for eign trade, at different periods, and the nations to which it belongedAmerican navy, January 1st, 1816.

THE increase of the tonnage of the United States has been without example, in the history of the commercial world. This has been owing to the increased quantity of bulky articles of domestic produce exported, to the increase of their population, and to the extent of their carrying trade.

The actual tonnage was not ascertained, at the Treasury Department, until the year 1793. Previous to that time, the only account of the tonnage kept at the Treasury was that, on which duties were collected, and which included the repeated voyages made by the same vessels in the course of the year.

The following is the amount of tonnage on which duties were collected from 1789 to 1792 inclusive, with its employment, in the foreign trade, coasting trade, and fisheries :

In consequence of acts of Congress passed in 1792 and 1793, no vessel can be employed, in foreign trade, unless duly registered by

the Collector of the district, where such vessel belongs, and the own er obtains from the Collector a certificate of such registry; and no vessel can obtain a register, unless she was built in the United States, or has been taken and condemned as lawful prize, and is owned by an American citizen.

No vessel can be employed in the coasting trade, unless duly enrolled or licensed by the Collectors of the districts. This register, enrolment, or license, specifies the tonnage of each vessel, and an account of each vessel so registered, enrolled, or licensed, is annually transmitted by the Collectors, to the Treasury department.

There are also other vessels employed in foreign trade, owned by citizens of the United States, but which, on account of being foreign built, or some other cause, are not entitled to a register, or to be considered as American vessels. These vessels have however papers called sea letters, and are therefore denominated sea letter vessels. In 1806, the tonnage of vessels having sea letters, and employed in foreign trade, was eighty-seven thousand tons.

The following duties on tonnage are paid in the United States, by permanent acts.

American registered vessels, pay 6 cents per ton upon entry,
Coasting vessels, 6 do. do. per annum,

On the 1st of March, 1817, an act was passed, entitled "An act concerning the navigation of the United States," (and which was particularly noticed in Chapter VIII.) by which registered vessels are to pay fifty cents per ton, unless the officers and two thirds of the crew are American citizens; and coasting and fishing vessels, (with certain exceptions,) are to pay fifty cents per ton, unless three fourths of their crews are American citizens.

American vessels not registered (having sea letters) 50 cents per ton upon entry.

American built vessels, owned by foreigners, 30 cents per ton, and 50 cents light money.