270 [Assembly 



a light freight, find it worth their while, as they must have bal- 

 last, to buy salt for the purpose instead of stones, sand, iron, or 

 the like. If the salt clears itself, after paying prime cost and 

 duties, it will answer as well as other ballast. If it does more 

 than this, it is preferable." 



" From this concurrence of ev^ents, it has happened that the 

 sea ports of the United States have been largely supplied witlr 

 British home-made salts, from Liverpool. Almost two-fifths of 

 all the foreign salt consumed in the United States comes from 

 this part of England. And a material more pernicious in its con- 

 sequences could hardly be introduced among our people. The 

 importation still continues, and the time is come to apprise and 

 warn them of the evil. It is highly to be wished that never a 

 bushel more of that mischievous commodity should be consumed 

 in America. The trade in it ought to be broken up. If the con- 

 sumers of salt were aware of the bad quality of that from Liver- 

 pool, there would be little probability of their continuing to use 

 it or of purchasing a bushel more. 



" Liverpool salt is very imposing to the eye. It is in a fine 

 powdery form, of a tempting color, and possesses all the exterior 

 qualities which allure purchasers, and invite a ready sale. The 

 manufacturers possess in an uncommon degree, the art of prepar- 

 ing their ware most handsomely for market. 



"It has accordingly been bought with avidity, by the Ameri- 

 can merchants and traders, and transported to many into the 

 interior parts of the United States. The snowy whiteness of the 

 material itself, its ready solubility in water, and the mildness of 

 the pickle which it forms, had brought Liverpool salt into gene- 

 ral use for preserving the beef, pork, and butter, of the middle 

 and southern States. 



" The loss of property and of life consequent upon the use of 

 this kind of salt, is prodigious. Experience year after year, has 

 proved it to be incapable of preserving our beef from corruption. 

 Often has this important article of food been found to be tainted, 

 the very autumn in which it has been packed in barrels. More 

 frequently has the beef stunk abominably in the maga$;ines and 

 warehouses of New-York and other cities, on the return of warm 



