generally, are made little, if at all inferior to those of Europe. Their extent is such as to have admitted of confiderable exportation,

An exemption from duty of the feveral kinds of wood ordinarily ufed in these manufactures feems to be all that is requifite by way of encouragement. It is recommended by the confideration of a fimilar policy being purfued in other countries, and by the expediency of giving equal advantages to their own workmen in wood. The abundance of timber proper for fhip-building in the United States does. not appear to be any objection to it. The increafing scarcity and the growing importance of that article, in the European countries, admonish the United States to commence, and systematically to pursue measures for the prefervation of their stock. Whatever may promote the regular establishment of magazines of fhip-timber is in various views defireable.

SKINS.

There are fcarcely any manufactories of greater importance to the United States than of this article. Their direct and very happy in, fluence upon agriculture, by promoting the raifing of cattle of dif, ferent kinds, is a very material recommendation.

It is pleafing, too, to obferve the extenfive progrefs they have made in their principal branches; which are fo far matured as almost to defy foreign competition. Tanneries in particular are not only care ried on as a regular business in numerous inftances, and in various parts of the country, but they conftitute in fome places a valuable item of incidental family manufactures.

Representations however have been made to the government, im porting the expendiency of further encouragement to the leather branch in two ways; one by increafing the duty on the manufactures of it, which are imported; the other by prohibiting the exportation of bark. In fupport of the latter it is alledged, that the price of bark, chiefly in confequence of large exportations, has risen within a few years from about three dollars to four dollars and a half per cord. The exportation of this article will however be checked by the improve ments made in this article of manufacture in Europe, and by the extenfion of them to the States.

Thefe improvements are,-1ft, A more judicious ufe of the bark itself, by extracting more of its qualities by boiling it after it has been taken out of the pits in the hitherto common method of ufing it. This method, if attended to properly, will render two thirds of the quantity heretofore used unneceffary.-2dly, The fuperceding the use of bark in tanning altogether by the introduction of articles of lefs ex

pence

pence in its ftead, for which a patent has been obtained by an inhabi◄ tant of England.

It is however, perhaps an additional reafon for the prohibition, that one fpecies of the bark usually exported from the United States is in fome fort peculiar to the country, and the material of a very valuable dye, of great use in some other manufactures, in which the United States have begun a competition.

There may also be this argument in favour of an increase of duty. The object is of importance enough to claim decifive encouragement, and the progress which has been made, leaves no room to apprehend any inconvenience on the score of fupply from fuch an increase.

It would be of benefit to this branch, if glue, which is now rated at five per cent. were made the object of an excluding duty. It is already made in large quantities at various tanneries; and, like paper, is an entire economy of materials, which, if not manufactured, would be left to perish. It may be placed with advantage in the clafs of articles paying fifteen per cent on importation.

GRAIN.

Manufactures of the feveral fpecies of this article have a title to peculiar favour, not only because they are most of them immediately connected with the fubfiftence of the citizens, but because they enlarge the demand for the most precious products of the foil.

Though flour may with propriety be noticed as a manufacture of grain, it were useless to do it but for the purpose of fubmitting the expendency of a general system of inspection throughout the ports of the United States, which, if established upon proper principles, would be likely to improve the quality of their flour every where, and would raise its reputation in foreign markets. There are, however, confiderations which stand in the way of fuch an arrange

ment.

Ardent fpitits and malt liquors are, next to flour, the two prin cipal manufactures of grain; the firft has made a very extenfive, the last a confiderable progrefs in the United States in respect to both, an exclufive poffeffion of the home market ought to be fecured to the domestic manufacturers as faft as circumftances will admit. Nothing is more practicable, and nothing more defirable.

An augmentation of the duties on fpirits imported into the States would favour as well the diftillation of fpirits from molaffes as that from grain; and to fecure to a nation the benefit of a manufacture, even of foreign materials, is always of great, though, perhaps, of fecondary importance.

It

It would therefore be advantageous to the States that an addition of two cents per gallen be made to the duty on imported fpirits of the firft clafs of proof, with a proportionable increase on those of higher proof; and that a reduction of one per cent per gallon be made from the duty on fpirits diftilled within the United States, beginning with the first clafs of proof, and a proportionable deduction from the duty on thofe of higher proof.

It is afcertained, that by far the greatest part of the malt liquors confumed in the United States are the produce of their domestic brew eries. It is defirable, and in all likelihood attainable, that the whole consumption should be supplied by themselves.

The malt liquors made in the States, though inferior to the best, are equal to a great part of those which have been usually imported; the progrefs already made is an earneft of what may be accomplished; the growing competition is an affurance of improvement; this should be accelerated by measures tending to invite a greater capital into this channel of employment.

To render the encouragement of domestic breweries decifive, it may be adviseable for the government to fubftitute to the present rates of duty eight cents per gallon generally; and it will deferve to be con fidered by them as a guard against invafions, whether there ought not to be a prohibition of their importation, except in cafks of confidera ble capacity. Such a duty would banish from their markets foreign malt liquors of interior quality, and the best kind only would continue to be imported until fupplanted by the efforts of equal skill or care in the States.

Till that period, the importation fo qualified would be an useful ftimulus to improvement; and in the mean time, the payment of the increased price, for the enjoyment of a luxury, in order to the encou ragement of a most useful branch of domestic industry, could not rea fonably be deemed a hardship.

As a farther aid to the manufactures of grain, though upon a smaller fcale, the articles of ftarch, hair powder, and wafers, may with great propriety be placed among thofe which are rated at fifteen per cent. No manufactures are more fimple, nor more.completely within the reach of a full fupply from their domeftic fources; and it is a policy, as common as it is obvious, to make the importation of them the objects either of prohibitory duties, or of exprefs prohibition.

FLAX AND HEMP.

Manufactures of these articles have fo much affinity to each other, and they are fo often blended, that they may with advantage be con

fidered

fidered in conjunction. The importance of the linen branch to agricul ture-its happy. effects upon household industry-the ease with which its materials can be produced in the United States to any requifite extent-the great advances which have been already made in the coarfer fabrics of them, efpecially in the family way, conftitute claims of peculiar force to the patronage of the American government.

This patronage may be afforded in various ways; by promoting the growth of the materials; by increafing the impediments to an advantageous competition of rival foreign articles; by direct bounties or premiums upon the home manufacture.

First. As promoting the growth of the materials.

A ftrong with naturally fuggefts itself to the friends of America, that fome method could be devised of affording a more direct encouragement to the growth both of flax and hemp, fuch as would be effectual, and at the same time not attended with too great inconveniencies. To this end, bounties and premiums offer themselves to confideration; but no modification of them has yet occurred, which would not either hazard too much expence, or operate unequally in reference to the circumftances of different parts of the Union, and which would not be attended with very great difficulties in the execution.

Secondly. As to increafing the impediments to an advantageous competition of rival foreign articles.

To this purpose, an augmentation of the duties on importation is the obvious expedient; which, in regard to certain articles, appears to be recommended by fufficient reasons.

The principal of thefe articles is fail-cloth, one intimately connected with navigation and defence; and of which a flourishing manufactory is established at Boston, and very promifing ones at feveral other places.

It is prefumed to be both safe and adviseable for the American government to place this in the clafs of articles rated at ten per cent. A strong reafon for it refults from the confideration, that a bounty of two-pence fterling per ell, is allowed in Great Britain upon the exportation of the fail-cloth manufactured in that kingdom.

It would likewise appear to be good policy for the States to raise the duty to seven and a half per cent. on the following articles: drillings, ofnaburghs, ticklenburghs, dowlas, canvas, brown rolls, bagging, and upon all other linens, the first cost of which, at the place of exportation, does not exceed thirty-five cents. per yard. A bounty of twelve and a half per cent. upon an average, on the exportation of fuch or fimilar linens from Great Britain, encourages the manufacture of them, and inVOL. I.

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creafes

creases the obstacles to a successful competition in the countries to which they are fent.

The quantities of tow and other household linens manufactured in different parts of the United States, and the expectations which are derived from fome late experiments, of being able to extend the use of labour-faving machines in the coarfer fabrics of linen, obviate the danger of inconvenience from an increase of the duty upon fuch articles, and authorise the expectation of a speedy and complete fuccefs to the endeayours which may be used for procuring an internal supply.

Thirdly. As to direct bounties, or premiums upon the manufactured articles. To afford more effectual encouragement to the manufacture, and at the fame time to promote the cheapness of the article for the benefit of navigation, it would be of great ufe for the American government to allow a bounty of two cents per yard on all fail-cloth which is made in the United States from materials of their own growth; this would alfo affift the culture of thofe materials. An encouragement of this kind, if adopted, ought to be established for a moderate term of years, to invite to new undertakings and to an extenfion of the old. This is an article of importance enough to warrant the employment of extraordinary means in its favour.

COTTON.

There is fomething in the texture of this material, which adapts it in a peculiar degree to the application of machines. The fignal utility of the mill for fpinning of cotton, not long fince invented in England, has been noticed in another place; but there are other machines scarcely inferior in utility, which, in the different manufactories of this article, are employed either exclufively, or with more than ordinary effect. This very important circumftance recommends the fabrics of cotton, in a more particular manner, to a country in which a defect of hands conftitutes the greatest obstacles to fuccefs.

The variety and extent of the uses to which the manufactures of this article are applicable, is another powerful argument in their favour.

And the faculty of the United States to produce the raw material in abundance, and of a quality which, though alledged to be inferior to fome that is produced in other quarters, is neverthelèfs capable of being ufed with advantage in many fabrics, and is probably susceptible of being carried, by a more experienced culture, to much greater perfection, fuggests an additional and a very cogent inducement to the vigorous purfuit of the cotton branch in its feveral fubdivifions.

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