404 APPENDIX. 



both in France and in England, during the latter years, has been 

 mainly ascribed to the machine invented in France by M. Jacquard; 

 and the powerful impulse thus given, has been assigned to the 

 Jacquard Loom. This loom performs all those labors which had 

 heretofore been' exclusively confined to the most skilful hands, 

 with important economy of time, and of labor in the preliminary 

 steps, and is so decidedly superior to all other looms, for all the cu- 

 rious varieties of figure-silk weaving, that it has superseded them 

 all, both throughout France and England. 



According to the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, the 

 value of silks imported into the United States during the year end- 

 ing 30th September, 1835, amounted to $16,597,980 ; this being the 

 original or first cost in the foreign countries. During this period, 

 only $486,562 worth of this great amount was exported ; and the 

 actual cost of the above to the American people, or the whole retail cast 

 to the actual consumer, may be estimated at more than $22.000,000 

 for the year. Most of all this was imported from Italy, Switzerland, 

 and from France. Formerly, half our imports were from China. 

 Yet neither the articles of raw silk, nor any of those numerous, sub- 

 stantial, and elegant fabrics, which are composed of part silk and 

 part cotton, or mixtures of silk and worsted, are included in the 

 above amount. In no year previous to 1821 had the annual amount 

 consumed arisen to one fourth of what it was in 1835. But in no 

 year previous to 1830 had the annual consumption arisen to one half 

 this amount ; the increase during fifteen years being fourfold. 



In the year ending September, 1836, the importations of silk 

 amounted to $22,000,000, at the first cost in foreign countries ; and 

 the imports of those fabrics, composed of part silk and cotton, and 

 part silk and worsted, amounted to $6,000,000 more, in that same 

 year. And during ten years previous to 184'0, we had imported more 

 than $40,000,000 of wines, $84,000,000 of iron, and $118,000,000 of 

 silks, comprising an amount equal to $242,000,000, for articles 

 with which we either could have dispensed, or produced by our 

 own industry from our own soil. 



In the year ending September 30, 1839, and during the progress 

 of a very extraordinary bank expansion, the prices and profits on 

 manufactures suddenly rose from this cause, and the importations 

 of that year were, in consequence, exceedingly great, not only of all 

 that we wanted, but of a vast amount also which we needed not; 

 of iron, $12,000,000; of linen goods, $6,000,000; of cloths and 

 kerseymeres, $7,000,000 ; of cotton goods, $14,000,000 ; of silks, 

 $23,000,000, &c. &c. : in all it amounted to $170,000,000 for the 

 year, which was $75,000,000 more than all our domestic exports. 

 Silks and wines alone were not the only agricultural productions of 

 all that vast list of imports. The enormous foreign debt thus in- 

 curred, and the extraordinary deluge of foreign goods thus intro- 

 duced, not only caused the terrible reaction which so quickly fol- 

 lowed, but it paralyzed our agriculture, and, for a time also, it 

 crushed our manufactures. 



Whence came those vast importations ? A large proportion came 

 from Britain, whose laws, in regard to trade, are founded, in a great 

 measure, on monopoly, and not on any reciprocal right; it being 

 the policy of that nation to sell to other nations all the productions 

 of their agriculture, and manufactures, and mines, which they can 



