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Report on Domestic and Foreign Tonnage for the Years 1789, 1790, 1791, and 1792, [7 January 1794]

Report on Domestic and Foreign Tonnage
for the Years 1789, 1790, 1791, and 1792

[Philadelphia, January 7, 1794
Communicated on January 8, 1794]1

[To the Speaker of the House of Representatives]

The Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the Order of the House of Representatives of the 3d. instant,2 Respectfully Reports.

The Statements A & B herewith transmitted.3 The Statement A exhibits a comparative view of the Domestic and Foreign Tonnage, aggregately taken, according to the inward Entries at the several Custom-Houses, with an extension to the year 1789, as far as that was embraced by the Regulations of the United States, and also to coasting and Fishing Vessels, which gives an entire View of the progress of our Navigation from the time the Laws of the present Government began to operate, to the end of the year 1792. It was presumed that the additional matter contained in this Statement, though not within the letter, was within the general intent of the Order of the House.

The Statement B is added to present the Subject more in detail for the years 1791 and 1792, the forms of the Treasury not permitting the carrying this Statement further back, without greater delay than would probably comport with the object of the order.

The other Statement required by the order is in a Course of preparation and is expected to be ready by the Close of this or the commencement of the ensuing Week;4 but not being within the general results of the Treasury forms, and requiring recourse to a number of distinct documents, it demands more time than was requisite to the other Statements; and it was imagined, that it might be more satisfactory to the House to receive them separately, than to wait for the preparation of all.

All which is humbly submitted.

Alexander Hamilton
Secy. of the Treasury.

Copy, RG 233, Reports of the Secretary of the Treasury, 1784–1795, Vol. IV, National Archives.

1[Philadelphia] Gazette of the United States & Evening Advertiser, January 8, 1794. The communicating letter, dated January 7, 1794, may be found in RG 233, Reports of the Secretary of the Treasury, 1784–1795, Vol. IV, National Archives.

2On January 3, 1794, the House, on motion of William Laughton Smith of South Carolina, ordered “That the Secretary of the Treasury report to this House a comparative view of the tonnage employed in the trade between the United States and foreign countries, for the years one thousand seven hundred and ninety, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, and one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two: Also, that he report the actual tonnage of vessels of the United States, employed in one year, between the United States and foreign countries” (Journal of the House, I description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States (Washington, 1826), I. description ends I, 26–27).

3These enclosures are printed in ASP description begins American State Papers, Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States (Washington, 1832–1861). description ends , Commerce and Navigation, I, 250–51. Statement A is entitled “Statement exhibiting the quantum of Domestic and Foreign Tonnage entered into the United States, from the 1st of August to the 31st of December, 1789, and for the years 1790, 1791, and 1792”; Statement B is entitled “Statement of the Tonnage of Vessels entered into the United States during the years 1791 and 1792, designating the quantum of Domestic and Foreign Tonnage belonging to each nation.”

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