No. 216.] 203 



AMERICAN AND FOREIGN SALT. 



By E. Meriam, of Brooklyn, L. I. 



47 Orange-St., Brooklyn, Feb. 10, 1S4S 



To the President and Board of Managers 



of the American Institute : 



Gentlemen — I have heretofore addressed you two communications 

 upon American and Foreign Salt. The first of these, dated October 

 10, 1842, and the second, dated February 10, 1844. In the commu- 

 nication of October 10, 1842, I included a statement of the import 

 of Foreign Salt into the ports of the United States for a period of 

 ten years, ending Sept. 30, 1841, furnished me by the acting Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury of the United States. The largest quantity of 

 salt imported in any one year of the period named, was for the year 

 ending Sept. 31, 1840, being 8,183,203 bushels of 56 lbs. to each, 

 which paid to the government of the United States an import duty 

 of seven cents, in mills, per bushel of 56 lbs. 



I accompanied that statement with an extract from the United 

 States census returns of 1840, showing that the manufacture of salt 

 in the United States for 1839, was estimated at 6,179,174 bushels of 

 56, and 50 lb. each. The bushel in Virginia being 50 lb., and in 

 New-York 56 lb. The quanljty manufactured in New-York was 

 stated at 2,867,844 bushels, and in Virginia at 1,745,618 bushels. 

 Adding the quantity of salt imported to the quantity manufactured, 

 and the two will be found to produce an aggregate of 14,303,377 

 bushels, equal to an average supply of more than three pecks of salt 

 for every man, woman and child, in the United States, accordino- to 

 the census of population as returned, in 1840. 



I have recently received from Washington the following slate- 

 ment: 



House of Representatives, Bee. 15, 1S47. 



Dear Sir: — I inclose you the answer of the Register of the 

 Treasury to the inquiries made by you in regard to the importations 

 of salt. I am yours truly, 



HENRY C. MURPHY. 

 E. Meriam, Esq. 



