Holland, she exports to other countries a quantity of old Java, commonly called "government coffee." The extent of the consumption of coffee in Smyrna may be estimated by the fact of 400,000 cups being daily drunk, worth 20,000 piastres, or in our currency, about $1,481 48. The imports are from Mocha, St. Domingo, Havana, and Brazil. The annual consumption is estimated at 3,000,000 okes, or 8,496,094 lbs. Coffee is imported into Constantinople from Brazil and the West Indies, most of it in American bottoms; the principal importations are from Alexandria, however, as might be very naturally supposed. The imports of coffee into Trieste have been very large, and this is accounted for on the ground that large quantites are subsequently transhipped by coasting vessels to other places. The duty per hundred pounds is 21 florins, equal to about 49 cents. The imports from the United States in 1830 were 5,159,700 pounds, but subsequent years show a marked decrease down to the present, when we find her imports from this country amounting to no more than 2,019,540 pounds, valued at about $131,000. In purple was she robed, and of the feast Monarchs partook, and deem'd their dignity increased." From a late Journal we extract the following: "It was recently stated in the French Chamber of Deputies, that the Belgians, a population of four and a half millions, consume twenty-six million pounds of coffee; while the thirty-five millions of French do not consume more than thirty millions of pounds. The French duty on one hundred pounds is more than the common original cost, the Belgian not a tional to the population, the gain would be material tenth part. Were the French consumption proporfor the venders of French sugar, colonial and indige nous." * The very heavy duty on coffee in Naples,' and on other articles in proportion, is ostensibly for the purpose of encouraging domestic manufactures and for revenue, though all writers agree that it has failed in its object. Our only surprise is, that there should be any legitimate traffic among this misguided people. With a coast stretching some thousand miles in extent, the facilities. thus afforded to the smuggler are of a character to enable him to defy the strictest vigilance of the government. The imports into Barcelona are very inconsiderable. The duty operates powerfully in checking the consumption of coffee, and though this article seems to be so far favored as not to be placed among those prohibited, the import duty is eight reals per quintal, or at a rough calculation, about 2 cents per pound if imported in Spanish bottoms, or nearly three times that duty if under a foreign flag. In 1831 the imports did not reach 400 bags. The imports into Venice are principally from Trieste, which indeed furnishes nearly the whole of her entire consumption. We might pause here, to pay a passing tribute to a city rendered classic, if from no other cause, from the muse of Shakspeare, of Milton, and of Byron. The recollections of her former opulence and splendor but too painfully contrast themselves in our mind with her present degradation. Where are now the merchant princes who swayed the sceptre of Who can doubt that Spain, without the commerce over half the civilized world, and pressure of duties under which she has so like the good Antonio, though his means long groaned, would have had a commerce were "in supposition,' "hath an argosy perhaps the most extensive of any European bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies, a power? Her wheat, brandies, wines and third at Mexico, and a fourth for England?" fruits, her wool and iron of the best quality, Where is the Jew, with balances nicely ad- her lead and quicksilver mines, could justed, to claim with scrupulous exactness scarcely have failed to raise her to a proud the clear fulfilment of the very letter of his position among the commercial nations of bond? Where the Rialto upon which the the world. But where imports are proliving mass congregated for purposes of bar-hibited, how can you export? All trade is ter and trade? A spirit of desolation seems to have swept away, as with whirlwind force, every vestige of her former greatness; and the modern traveler, his bosom swelling with emotions, which the crowd of longcherished associations connected with her past history excites within him, stands, like Byron, based upon a principle of reciprocity. What does our trade with Cadiz amount to-the principal commercial seaport of Spain? To nothing, absolutely nothing. Wines and salt make up the sum of our principal commodities. Three-fourths of her foreign trade may be said to be carried on in defiance of law. But let us leave a country which can The new tariff of the Papal States, authorized by his holiness the Pope, on the 2d July, 1846, rethe modification to take effect from the 7th of the duces the present duty on coffee about 13 per cent., same month. We doubt whether this reduction is of a character to improve materially the condition of the country; it is important, however, as an evidence of the remarkable commercial change through which, it is evident, all the states of Europe are passing. scarcely be said to have emerged from the superstition and ignorance of the dark ages, so far as the laws which regulate and control the commerce of nations are concerned, and devote our attention for a few moments to England-England, the proud mistress of the seas, the nursery of art, the patron of genius, and, what should be her proudest boast, mother of this infant Hercules, whom she scarcely thought was destined within a brief space to rival her in commerce, arts, and manufactures. The causes which would induce us to extenuate the miserable policy of Spain and of Italy in bringing destruction upon their commerce and poverty to the homes of their people, she would regard as offensive to her pride and insulting to her dignity. But let us see how stands the case, and wherein consists the difference between them. We subjoin a statement showing the quantity of coffee consumed in Great Britain in each of the years of the census, comparing the consumption with the growth of the population, and exhibiting the influence of high and low duties: 1831 1841. 27,298,322. Thus it appears, that with a duty of 1s. 6d., the use of coffee was confined to the rich exclusively, and the amount consumed in the kingdom scarcely exceeded an ounce for each inhabitant. Prior to this there was a duty of 2s. During the next ten years a material reduction was made in the duty, and the consumption rose nearly 750 per cent. It is curious to trace out the results of this table, for in going on to the ten years succeeding 1821, we find an addition to the duty of 5d., having the effect materially to check the progressive increase of consumption, and if we take the increased population into account, showing no increase at all. A duty of but 6d. was placed upon the article in 1825, and what was the result? An increase in the consumption of nearly 200 per cent., and the revenue considerably augmented. Up to this time there was a discriminating duty in favor of the West against the produce of the East India possessions of 3d., but the consumption having gained so far upon the imports, it was found advisable for the dealer to pay the additional duty upon the 8 10% East India coffee. So clearly evident was it from this and other facts that the supply from the Western colonies was inadequate to the demand, a modification of the tariff took place, by which the production of the East was admitted at the same rate of duty. Hence we observe a still farther increase in the consumption, and if it does not continue, we can only attribute it to the want of an adequate supply.* In an article of such primary commercial importance as this has been clearly evidenced to be, it is somewhat surprising, to say the least, that a duty of nearly double the original cost should be placed upon the article. The following estimate, taken from Porter's Progress of the Nation, exhibits an amount of capital thrown away as effectually as if it had been cast into the sea, in order to take advantage of the privilege of bringing into consumption, at a duty of 9 pence per pound, coffee that was otherwise liable to pay a duty of 1s. 3d. per pound. Freight, insurance, landing and shipping charges on injustice of a duty amounting almost to 55 cents upon every pound of coffee which enters her dominions. The present year has, however, witnessed a great improvement in the Russian commercial system, in the adoption of a new tariff, based upon principles of revenue. By this, articles hitherto saddled with prohibitory duties are admitted into the empire, those with merely high duties lowered, and many commodities previously taxed admitted free. The Austrian policy differs not materially from that of Russia. While Trieste and Venice are comparatively free ports, and all importations for the consumption of their inhabitants are exempt from the exactions of a high rate of duty, no sooner is it attempted to introduce them into the heart of the country, than the full force of her policy is felt in its operation. A duty of about 9 cents is then placed upon the article, and this, too, with a view of protecting domestic manufactures. We propose now to direct attention to our own country, and in doing so, we feel no small degree of satisfaction in boldly contrasting the policy by which she has been governed, with those which have for so long a period of years controlled and directed the commerce of the European States. A fertile field is here presented to our view, rich in the promise of a ripe and abundant harvest. With the view of exhibiting our trade in this article, from an early period, we annex a table, showing the importations into the United States, from foreign nations, and their dependencies, from 1st October, 1806, to 30th September, 1807. a review of the exports from the United States for 1845. Our imports from China in 1835, amounted to 191,534 lbs., valued at $24,649. In 1842, the assumed value was but $1,968; and in 1845, as will appear by the table to which we have already made reference, were but 290 lbs. valued at fifteen dollars. The duty on coffee, in Calcutta, in 1835, was 7 per cent. if imported on a British, or 15 per cent. if on a foreign bottom. It is asserted, on the authority of Mr. McCulloch, that in 1834 Great Britain furnished about sixty per cent. of the imports into China; the United States only about 24 per cent. This may have been true, and doubtless was so at that time, but we are inclined seriously to doubt the existence of such a disparity now. Our exports to China, for three years previous to 1837, were about the same, never exceeding $360,000 till '36-7, when they reached $655,581. But mark the difference in 1844-5. Of manufactured cotton goods alone in that year, we exported to China what was equal in value to $1,496,470, to which, if we add cotton wool, ginseng, lead, and the indefinite number of other articles, which the enterprise and ingenuity of our northern countrymen have thrown into the ports of the "Celestial Empire," amounting by rough calculation to about $1,958,298, we must see the astonishing increase made in that trade within the last few years. The following is stated to be THE COFFEE CROP FOR 1843. Brazil (1,170,000 bags). 10 St. Domingo. 1,705,670 Porto Rico, Laguayra, &c. 10,946,411 British West Indies. 10,247,767 Ceylon.... 2,746,871 East Indies and Mocha. 20,932,324 French colonies Portugal. Mocha, Aden, and other ports on the Red Sea China. All other countries.. 9,795,720 Dutch West Indies.. Pounds 170,000,000 .140,000,000 45,000,000 38,000,000 36,000,000 10,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 .459,000,000 592,072 110,130 58,804,811 We offer no remark upon this statement, farther than to call attention to the sources whence our imports were derived at that period, and the entire revolution which has since been effected in the trade, so far as production is concerned. Nor can it escape special observation, that those countries to which we were then so largely indebted for our supplies, are at this time, in a measure, tributary to us for their own. Holland, France and Russia are striking examples of this fact, as will be made clearly apparent on This may be a fair estimate of the crop of 1843, but it strikes us that 1,170,000 bags of Brazil coffee will yield an amount in pounds equal, at least, to 17,000,000 over this calculation. Though with many of our merchants, 160 lbs. is supposed a fair average for a bag of Brazil coffee, there are others who believe 162 lbs. a truer average. Taking the lowest amount then as the basis of our calculation, Brazil must have produced in that year 187,200,000 pounds, instead of 170,000,000, as has been declared. We have alluded to this fact as we may have occasion hereafter to refer to the estimate in the establishment of our positions. IMPORT, EXPORT, AND CONSUMPTION OF COFFEE IN THE UNITED STATES. A Statement of the quantity and value of Coffee exported into, and imported from, the United States, in each year, from 1821 to 1844, with the consumption in the United States. in conflict with the true interests of the coun try, we pass by the argument, having simply called attention to it, with the view of ena bling the reader to deduce his own conclu sions. With so heavy a speculative demand as was thus created, stocks very naturally accumulated, and were held over. In proof of this, the exports of 1832 amounted to nearly ten times those of the year preceding, and 4,000,000 pounds more than the imports of any year previous to 1831. Thus were the surplus imports arising out of the specu lative demand of that year driven hence for want of an immediate consumptive demand, and the want of capital necessary to hold it. Not the least important consideration in favor of the very heavy export which was made in this year, was the disposition to avail of the drawback; a very important item with those who had embarked in an enterprise so destructive as we can readily imagine this to have been. These two years, 1831 and 1832, we feel bound, therefore, to consider as exceptions to the general and uniform trade of the country, in view of the obvious local causes by which these two years were influenced and controlled. The consumption of the United States, as appears from this table, for the ten years previous to 1831, amounted to 257,972,561 pounds, or an average of 25,800,000 pounds per annum. In 1831, the imports were about sixty per cent. over any preceding year, and the exports only about one-half the exports of 1830, one-third of those of 1827, or one-fourth of those of 1825, leaving for consumption, 76,000,000 pounds, an amount more than double the quantity consumed in any previous year. It is not difficult to conceive, that this state of things was produced by some unnatural cause, to which the uniform laws which regulate supply and demand were made subservient. The excess of the imports of 1831 may be properly attributed to the rage for speculation in this article, in the northern cities, during the exciting agitation of the tariff question in that year, which resulted contrary to the expectations which had been formed, in the passage of the act, known as the tariff law of 14th July, 1832. It was assumed as the groundwork and basis of the operation, that as coffee was an article entering so largely into the consumption of the country, it would be found prudent to enhance, rather than to reduce the The remark of Dr. Adam Smith, with reduty. Of the result, it is unnecessary to gard to drawbacks, that they "do not occa speak. The reduction was made; and the sion the exportation of a greater quantity of prospect which was at one period opened goods than would have been exported had no before them of large stores of wealth, proved duty been imposed," loses some of its force as delusive as their calculations had been su- in making an application of it here. Though perficial. At this distance of time, we expe- the general principle is not to be controverted, rience no difficulty in arriving at the course it will scarcely be denied, that the drawback, of reasoning by which the majority of the members of that Congress were induced to cast their votes in favor of a reduction of the duty on coffee. But as no man, or set of men, may be censured for acts done with the view of protecting their interests, when not in this case, occasioned "the exportation" of large quantities, which there was sufficient capital in the country to have carried into the consumption of the succeeding year. But this we conceive to be a remarkable excep tion, particularly in view of the fact, that the money price in both years were about one other articles now heavily burthened, that and the same thing. would be in a measure relieved. For the following tables of the imports and exports of the United States, for 1844-45, we are indebted to the report of the Hon. R. J. Walker, Secretary of the Treasury. IMPORTS OF COFFEE INTO THE UNITED STATES, The tariff of the 2d March, 1833, commonly known as the " Compromise Bill," admitted coffee free of all duty. The consumption of the United States, for 1833 and 1834, averaged 50,000,000 pounds, or double that of any year in the previous ten years. To what cause, then, are we to attribute the For the year commencing 1st July, 1844, and ending increased consumption of these two years? Coffee was free! It surely will not be argued, that the period was not far enough removed to admit of an effect so momentous. We all know that the largest exports from Rio de Janeiro are in the months of September, October and November; and that one month varies but little from the exports of another. Danish West Indies. West Indies. 66 West Indies. French West Indies. 66 Guiana.. 196,930.. 30th June, 1845. Pounds Value 93,320.... 358,723. 3,925,716. 7,141 41,658 259,694 1,270 87 200. 16 4,815. 312 25,357 Other Sp. West Indies. Brazil.. Argentine Republic. 9,450,588. 78,553,616. From this date commences the direct, rapid progress of that trade, which at this time forms so large a feature in our commerce. The decline in the price of the article, we may attribute to what cause we please; the fact is evident. This decline induced and increased consumption, which in its turn encouraged the production, as will appear, if we examine the exports from Brazil, and reflect for a moment, that more than half she produces is imported into the United States, and here consumed. In pursaing this train, we discover that the increase in the produc tion caused a farther reduction of prices, till we find coffee at this time ranging in price from six to eight cents, and the consumption from places other than its growth and production. Peru.. Asia (generally). S. Sea and Pacific. In a debate in the House of Representatives of the United States, upon the passage of the tariff bill of 1832, a distinguished member of that body, from South Carolina,* held the following language: "In this estimate,' (coffee was proposed to be admitted under a duty of half a cent per pound,)" I regard tea and coffee as being substantially free, as the duties retained are scarcely worth the trouble and expense of collecting them." This remark may have been true at that time, but it can scarcely be doubted, that a low duty equal to that proposed to be levied under the tariff of 1832, would now add to the revenue an amount probably equal to $700,000. We may concede the point, that S. Sea & Pac. Ocean. even such a duty would have its effect upon the consumption of the country, without compromising the position we have assumed; for who can doubt that there are *Hon. George McDuffie. Turkey, Levant, etc. Mexico. Pounds 149,860. Value 12,204 77.891. 5,494 6,292. 544 90,177 5.410 1,493,130. 87,364 1,858,355. 111,538 .2,183,627. 119,617 43,450. 2,600 277,329. 15,388 An examination of these tables produces some curious results. They are such, however, as will strike the general reader without the addition of any remarks from us, We |