The preceding table was first published by Mr. George Chalmers, in his comparative strength of the British empire,' p. 207, which extended to 1784. The subsequent years have been filled up from the later panegyrists of the British commercial system, Rose, McArthur, Brinsted, and the common periodical publications of the day. M'Arthur supplies the facts to 1800. The books are before me, but I take the table, to save time, from Walsh's Review, vol. 1. The exports and imports of some of the subsequent years, will be found among the other tables I shall present to the reader.

The above statements are the values of exported goods as officially delivered in, on entry, by the exporting merchant. But a cus, tom-house entry has long been a proverbial expression. It has been the great aim of the British ministers since the American war, which ended in 1783, to swell as much as they can, the apparent amount of the commerce of the country. Hence for about fifteen or twenty years past, Mr. Irving the Inspector-general of the Customs, has discovered that the value of the goods exported, was upwards of one third more than the entered value upon which the duties and drawbacks were calculated. As to the inference with respect to the exporting merchant, no one thinks of it or regards it. The calculations of Mr. Irving, are made, I believe from a comparison of Custom-house entries, with the actual amount of East India sales, and with the Convoy duty; and are to a considerable degree well founded; but whether to the extent he reports, I know not, as I do not possess the necessary documents to ascertain the fact. The practice is certainly a very inexpedient one; for it throws great uncertainty on the value of the custom-house documents, and it not only opens a door to double invoices for different purposes, but almost renders them necessary.

The three following tables will illustrate this difference of supposed actual value, from the value declared at the custom-house, The first I copy from Mr. Irving's return of April 4, 1803, the second from his return to the house of commons, on May 16, 1811, ordered to be printed 18 Feb. 1812. The third table is from the Monthly Magazine of July 1812, p. 593.

TABLE FIRST.

An account of the value of all Imports into Great Britain for eighteen years, ending January 5, 1803; exclusive of corn and other grain, and exclusive of importation, from the East Indies and China: together with the difference between the official value and the declared value of British produce and manufactures exported, for as many years of the same period as such an account can be made up.

Imports, exclusive of corn and other grain, and exclusive of importations from the East and West

British produce and manufactures exported.

Real or declared value.

Official value.

1798 18,862,188 13 7 19,672,503 0 9 33,148,692 1799 21,386,240 17 10 24,584,213 0 10 38,942,498 1800 22,720,664 11 8 24,304,283 13 6 39,471,203 1801 24,145,500 12 0 25,699,809 6 1 41,770,344 1802 24,436,481 14 11 27,012,108 3 10 48,500,683 1803

1804