102 
lance of our commerce, as unfa- 
vourable to this country, particu- 
larly fuch parts of the inveftments 
in the Eaft Indies as are purchafed 
by the revenues of the Britith fet- 
tlements there; as well as thofe 
parts which are imported either 
from the Eaft or Weft Indies, for 
the purpofe of remitting private 
fortunes acquired there, or as the 
incomes of perfons who, having 
eftates or mortgages in the Weft 
Indies, refide and {pend their in- 
comes in Great Britain. The va- 
lue of fuch part of thefe imports as 
is re-exported, will appear on the 
export fide of the account, and 
ferves to balance the value of the 
fame articles, as {tated on the im- 
port fide; and the whole of the 
mercantile profit, which they leave 
behind, is in itfelf a confiderable 
acceffion of wealth to this kingdom, 
that cannot appear in the cuftom- 
houfe accounts. 
Mr. Irving has delivered it as his 
opinion, that the true balance of 
our trade amounted, on a medium 
of the four years preceding January 
1796, to upwards of 6,500,0001. per 
annum, exclufive of the profits a- 
wifing from our Eaft and Weft In- 
In 1794 
APP EN DAE 
TO 
dia trade, which he eftimates at up- 
wards of 4,000,000l. per annum; 
and exclufive of the profits derived 
from our fifheries. 
But whatever uncertainty may 
ftill remain, in forming an eftimate 
of the true balance of our com- 
merce in any particular yéar, the 
accounts of the infpector-general of 
imports and exports, ferve at leaft 
to afford a good comparative ftate 
of the amount of our commerce in 
different years; for it is fair to pre- 
fume, that the defects are not 
greater in the accounts of one year 
than of another. 
Great however as this balance of 
commerce may appear, it would 
have been ftill greaterin a very con- 
fiderable degree, but from the un- 
ufual fearcity of grain, which made 
it neceflary both for government 
and individuals to import large 
quantities of grain, for the relief of 
the inhabitants of this kingdom. 
In an account delivered by Mr. 
Claude Scott, an eminent corn fac- 
tor, it appears, that for the three 
years preceding January 5th, 1797, 
there were paid to foreign coun- 
tries, for grain imported into this 
kingdom, the following fums, viz. 
aes ae) 0 Li 1,983,856 
In 1795 ae Se ge 1,535,672 
In 1796 — eae 3,926,484 
7,446,012 
Add, imported in 1793, as eftimated by Mr. Scott in his evi- 
dence before the Committee — ~ 1,500,000 
Total’ 8,946,012 
This balance of commerce was alfo rendered lefs favourable, by the 
great fums paid for naval ftores during the war, beyond what are ufually 
paid in time of peace. It appears by an account prefented by the Com- 
miffioners of his Majefty’s navy, that the value of naval ftores, imported 
on 
