tion of persons employed is nearly as 28 to 100; the proportion engaged in agriculture being nearly 22 per cent. that in manufactures only about 3 per cent. and in commerce it is less than 1 per cent. By referring to Colquhoun's Statistics of Britain, a most profound work; it appaers that in a population of 17,096,830, there are 1,302,151 families employed in agriculture and the mines; 970,224 employed in manufactures; 464,500 employed in inland trade; 72,050 in foreign and shipping trade; and 5000 in the fine arts. By supposing that only two in a family are actively employed, which it is supposed is pretty near the truth, the result will be as follows: Proportion to the aggregate populatian. Agriculture and Mines, 2,604,302 15 and one-fifth per cent. It will be perceived that the proportion of agriculturists is considerably less than that of the United States, and accordingly Britain exports no agricultural produce. But the manufacturers are in the proportion of 111 per cent. while in the United States there are only 3: and the consequence is that Britain exports manufactures to the extent of $200,000,000 annually, while the United States imports for home consumption about $30,000,000. But the greatest difference is in the mercantile class. In Britain the merchants employed in the inland trade amount to nearly 5 per cent. of the population, and those employed in foreign commerce amount to nearly 1 per cent. while the whole of the mercantile class in the United States amounts to considerably less than 1 per cent. !!The proof is conclusive that the mercantile class is greatly extended by manufactures. The state which comes nearest to the estimate of what it is supposed the United States ought to be is Rhode Island. There the population is 83,059; 12,559 being engaged in agriculture, 6091 in manufactures, and 1162 in commerce. The aggregate population employed in the three branches is about 24 per cent. and the proportion is 15 per cent. employed in agriculture, 7 per cent. in manufactures, and nearly 1 per cent. in commerce. It is presumed, though the fact is not accurately known, that the aggregate result of the industry of Rhode Island is superior, at present, to that of any other state in the union. We shall now take a view of the commerce of the United States, as a preparatory step to some general remarks on the industry and prosperity of the country. GENERAL ABSTRACT. Imports of Merchandise Exports of Merchandise $54,521,000 54,496,000 Balance against the United States Imports of Specie and Bullion 25,000 8,665,000 General balance of trade in favour of the United States after paying $1,813,000 from the Specie capital 2,388,000 Having now, fellow citizens, submitted these statistical documents on the commerce of the United States, I consider it my duty explicitly to declare that in my opinion the country is at present subject to so many commercial disadvantages, that the national policy ought to be changed by some legislative provision. During the wars in Europe, the United States enjoyed an extensive commerce, which enabled her to dispose of all her surplus raw materials to great advantage; and she had the means of purchasing freely of the manufactures of other nations. After the general peace, the impulse which had been given continued to operate for a considevable time after the primary cause had ceased; and the |