FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



261 



are being paid such enormous amounts for our 

 products, the wisest financial legislation is de- 

 manded to properly guard the industries by 

 which the country is being so rapidly enriched : 



Statement showing the imports of merchandise into 

 the United States, by montJis, for the three calen- 

 dar years 1878, 1879, and 1880. 



Statement showing the value of the exports of domes- 

 tic merchandise from the United States, by months, 

 during the three calendar years 1878, 1879, and 

 1880. 



Statement showing the value of the imports of specie 

 (coin and bullion) into the United States, by 

 montJis, during the three calendar years 1878, 

 1879, and 1880. 



Statement showing the value of the total trade (mer- 

 chandise and specie combined) of the United 

 States for the three fiscal years ended June 30, 

 1878, 1879, and 1880. 



The increase in the business of the country 

 is also indicated by the following statement 

 showing the value of the imports and exports 

 of the United States carried in American ves- 

 sels and foreign vessels from 1856 to 1880 : 



From this table it will be seen that the total 

 value of imports for 1880 was $743,481,765, 

 and of exports $845,990,328 a total of exports 

 and imports of $1,589,472,093. 



Gratifying as is this large increase of our 

 foreign trade, and its great value for last year, 

 it is worthy of note that, with all our resources 

 and trade, the United Kingdom of Great Brit- 

 ain and Ireland in 1879 had a total foreign 

 trade of more than $3,000,000,000, the exports 

 of British products alone for that year amount- 

 ing to more than $1,000,000,000. 



While the trade with foreign nations has 

 been increasing at this remarkable rate, the 

 internal commerce and industries of the coun- 

 try have probably increased in greater propor- 

 tions, but no statistics pertaining thereto are at 

 present available. 



The results of the tenth census, which will 

 soon be published, will present interesting in- 

 formation on this matter. 



The following statement shows the number 

 of failures throughout the United States by 

 geographical divisions during the years 187& 

 and 1880, together with the amount of liabili- 

 ties as shown by the report of the Mercantile 

 Agency of New York : 



