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are suffering at the rate of ten millions per annum ! It has 

 heen known that money for commercial purposes has heen 

 worth 6 per Cent., and that within the last ten years ; which 

 would make the hurthen equal to the large sum of fourteen 

 millions per annum ! 



In addition to the effect thus caused on the general affairs 

 of the country, by a sudden and unforeseen demand for 

 food, there are many serious obstacles to its being procured 

 under such circumstances. 



Many foreign countries have permanent laws which 

 prevent any excessive export of Corn, and others, in self- 

 defence, having before them demands for an immediate and 

 large supply of food for a country so densely peopled as 

 this, are obliged to create them, and thus act on the 

 defensive to prevent their own population from being reduced 

 to short allowance by the influence of English gold. They 

 thus either prohibit the export altogether, or levy a duty on 

 export, which, if it does not amount to a prohibition, has 

 the effect of filling their national coffers, at the expense of 

 our consumers. This is the case, especially at the present 

 time, in many of the Continental and Mediterranean ports, 

 from which this country in ordinary times has had, and 

 under ordinary circumstances of demand always would 

 have, a regular supply, and that more or less in exchange 

 for our manufactures. Again, if the Foreign Governments 

 do not take the precautions adverted to, we are still left in 

 the hands of the foreign merchants and holders of Grain, 

 whose prices are always proportioned to the urgency of our 

 necessities, and which are, as has been before shown, in the 

 inverse ratio to our means of payment. Add to all this, 

 (in proof of which we have only to refer to our present 

 experience,) that shipping cannot be found to convey the 

 food with sufficient promptitude to supply such sudden, 

 unforeseen, and large deficiencies. Within a very short 

 period, the freight in New Orleans, for a quarter of Wheat, 



