56 [Senate 



The quantity of salt manufactured In the United States in 1840, 

 added to the quantity imported in that year, would make an aggre- 

 gate of 14,302,377 bushels, which will give to each man woman and 

 child in the United States a proportion of near seven eighths of a 

 bushel of salt. 



The amount of duty on salt imported in 1840, and secured to be 

 paid to the United States that year, was $617,363.42, which is less 

 than four cents each for every inhabitant in the United States. 



I have carefully examined the New- York price current from 1832 

 to 1841, both years inclusive, to ascertain the price of Turk's Island 

 salt in the New-York market during these years. I selected the 

 months of April and October in each year, as affording a fair sample. 

 The following is the result of my examination; — 



April. October. 



1832, 50 cents. 53 cents per bushel. 



1833, 42 " 47 do 



1834, 40 " 41 do 



1835, 40 " 42 do 



1836, 39 " 41 do 



1837, 43 " 41 do 



1838, 33 " 39 do 



1839, 41 " 40 do 



1840, 36 " 37 do 



1841, 31 " 27 do 



About two fifths of the foreign salt imported into the port of New- 

 York, in 1841, was Turk's Island salt. 



The reduction of the price of the foreign salt by the competition 

 of the American salt, it will be seen, has diminished the price of the 

 foreign article during that period to the consumer, 26 cents per mea- 

 sured bushel, which is a saving to every inhabitant of the United 

 States, on the proportion allotted to each, of abount 16 cents; this 

 exceeds their proportion of duty 12 cents. Thus each consumer is a 

 gainer by the duty. 



The duty on impoi'ted salt became reduced to five cents and eight 

 mills per bushel of 56 pounds, on the first of January, 1842, by the 

 gradual reduction provided for in the compromise act of 1832, and 

 this rate of duty continued until the 30th of June of this year. On 

 the first of July, 1S42, the duty on foreign salt under the same com- 

 promise act, became fixed at twenty per cent on the home valua- 

 tion. 



By the tariff passed by Congress in August, 1842, the duty on fo- 

 reign salt is fixed at eight cents on the bushel of 56 pounds; and 

 should this tariff remain permanent, capitalists will embark in the 

 manufacture of salt by solar evaporation. 



Turk's Island salt is made from sea w-ater evaporated by the rays 

 of the sun. It is delivered on board vessels in sacks of half a bushel 

 each, and costs about eight to ten cents per bushel at the island. 



Bonnaire, Curacoa, Cette, and many other salts imported from 

 abroad, are made in the same manner. 



