340 



A. D. 1760. 



There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain from 

 and to foreign countries *, including repeated voyages, 



Inward 

 Outward 



There belonged this year to all the ports 

 of England - 6,105 velTels, of the reputed burthenf of 433,922 tuns, 

 and of Scotland 976 52,818 



Total - 7,081 486,740 



The net amount, paid into the exchequer, of the cuftoms arifmg 

 from merchandize imported and exported in the courfe of the year, 

 including the Weft-India duty of four and a half per cent, was 



;Ci. 969.933: 17- 9- 



There were coined in that part of the year, which was after the ac- 



ceflion of King George III, 2,382 pounds of gold, value in money 



/^l 1 1 ,298 : 1 9 ; and no filver. 



The above ftatement of the imports and exports exhibits the amount 

 of the foreign trade of Great Britain, as it appears in the cuftom-houfe 

 books, without taking into the account that of Ireland or the colonies, 

 except as to their intercourfe with Great Britain ; though their trade 

 with other countries was very confiderable, and was, indeed, the prin- 

 cipal fund which enabled moft of the continental colonies to pay the 

 large balances they owed every year to the mother country. 



There is no poflibility of obtaining any ftatement of the home trade, 

 which is carried on by means of coafting and inland navigation and 

 land carriage, and is, with good reafon, believed to- be a vaft deal 

 greater in value than the whole of the foreign trade J, the people of Great 

 Britain being the hcjl cij/lomers to the maTiiifaBiirers and traders of Great Britain. 



The fums in the cuftom-houfe books are made up from a valuation 

 fettled in the year 1697, when the office of infpedor-general of imports 

 and exports was newly inftituted, which has been adhered to ever fince. 



* In the cuftom-houfe accounts Ireland, Mann, 

 Guernfty, Jerfey, &c. arc reckoBcd among the fo- 

 reign countries. 



\ The following Kota-lene is added by Mr. 

 Dalley, affiilant regiller-general of rtiipping, to an 

 account of veffels belonging to the ports of Great 

 Britain in this, and fome other years, laid before 

 the houfe of commons. 



' The above is the beft account that can be pre- 



• pared, according to the modes then in ufe of af- 



• certaining the tunnage of veffels, which was fel- 

 ' dom done by aftual admeafurement ; and the ac- 

 ♦^count contained only fuch veffels »9 either enter- 



* td, or cleared, at their refpecflive ports once in the 

 ' courfe of each year; confcquentlythofc which were 

 ' abfent from their ports during the wliole year are 

 ' not included.' The real tunnage may in general 

 be reckoned full fifty per cent above the reputed. 



J It has been calculated, though I know not 

 upon what groimds, or whether it is at all calcul- 

 able, that the home confumption of this country is 

 twoanJ-thlny times as much as the exports to fo- 

 reign countries. Ncverthelefs, the foreign trade is 

 generally the only ftandard referred to in fpecula- 

 tion or argument upon the goniniercial profperity 

 Of diftrcfs of the countrj-. 



