TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 137 
progress of that intercourse is more minutely traced, first to the period 
of the independence of the United States and afterwards to the year 
1836. It appears from these data, that so long as the British American 
provinces continued under the operation of our colonial system, and 
while their trading was consequently limited to this country, the in- 
crease of their imports and exports bore an inedequate proportion to 
the increased number of the colonists. In 1749, when the population 
of the provinces was 1,046,000, the value of their imports and exports 
was £2,117,845. In 1774, when the struggle for independence was 
begun, the population was estimated at 2,803,625 ; and if the trade had 
increased in an equal degree, the amount of imports and exports should 
have been £5,676,523, instead of the actual amount £3,964,288 : thus 
showing a virtual falling off of 30 per cent. In 1790, when the first 
census of the United States was taken, the population was 3,929,328, 
and the amount of trade with England £4,622,851. In 1835, the po- 
pulation was estimated at 14,784,589, and the trade with England 
amounted to £25,671,602. Comparing this increase of population 
and trade respectively with the number and amount ascertained at 
different intermediate periods, the following results are presented. 
Increase per cent. in 1835 
of 
Chat ae Le 
Population. Trade. 
Compared Wnt. 19D) ss.26 50k adeweecnmnate IDC eas. vais 455 
” USOO Me a.iah Wa atiacewere’s ontoet WO wk acetate l TT 
” RO eee eis, cob mnunns asd OANiane cue'e smn eness 146 
9 LBZ ben tee cetacean cceh ORO vec tes seccesee! ZOD 
» LASO tees cbe bia ME. seeds SF 
The growth of the American cotton trade is traced from its begin- 
ning in 1787 to the year 1836, in which we received from the United 
States 218,615,692lbs. of raw cotton, valued at ten millions sterling. 
Other tables are given, showing the tonnage of shipping employed in the 
foreign trade of the United States, distinguishing American and Bri- 
tish vessels from those under all other flags. These tables are followed 
by an historical sketch of the progress of the British trade with Ame- 
rica, and of the causes and cousequenees of the interruptions to which 
it was exposed through the issue of Napoleon’s Milan and Berlin de- 
crees, and the retaliatory steps to which those measures led. The me- 
moir closes with a statement of the proportions which the trade be- 
tween England and the American republic bore to the whole foreign 
trade of each country respectively in each year, from 1821 to 1835. 
In the appendix are tables, drawn from our official returns, showing the 
actual value of British manufactures shipped to the United States in 
each year, from 1805 to 1836; the quantities of the chief articles of 
American produce imported, and the quantities and value of the chief 
articles of British manufacture exported to the United States in each 
year, from 1827 to 1836 ; together with parallel statements compiled 
| from returns made to Congress by the American executive govern- 
ment. 
