CHAP. VI.]

COMMERCE OF THE EAST.

471

Turkey is an agglomeration of states and pashaliks, with not many elements of cohesion among themselves. Scarcely any country possesses a position so favourable and Turkey. productions so varied and valuable for trade as these provinces; but their government is weak, their resources are undeveloped, their administration is inimical to the progress of trade. Our traders are protected by the exceptional method of a consular jurisdiction, but that only marks the insufficiency and untrustworthiness of the Turkish administration of justice. Of the trade of the Turkish empire there is no collective account. At Constantinople the navigation is large. In 1864 the tonnage entered and cleared exceeded 7,000,000 tons, and many lines of steam vessels traded to that port. Smyrna has imports and exports reaching to 6,000,000l.

The trade of Erzeroum is valued at 2,000,000l., besides a considerable transit trade with the Caucasian provinces and Persia. Aleppo has imports and exports valued at 2,600,000l. Salonica has a trade of nearly equal importance. Then there are Bagdad, Bussorah, and Trebizond; besides Roumelia, Epirus, Rhodes, the Sporades Islands, including the celebrated Patmos; above all, the Moldo-Wallachian kingdom, whose trade is valued at upwards of 10,000,000l.; and Egypt, whose imports alone are valued at 9,000,000l. That Turkey may soon become progressive, commercial, and civilised, must be the desire of all Europe.

Morocco has many natural advantages-a hardy, patient, and industrious population, a climate healthy and temperate, and a most fruitful soil. Tangiers has a trade amount- Morocco. ing to nearly 2,000,000l. Dar-el-Baida, Laraiche, Mazagar, Mogador, Rabat, Taffee, and Tetuan have each many branches of industry, and their exports consist of beans, canary seed, linseed, Indian, corn, and fruit; yet the total value of them is not very considerable.

The external trade of Persia is given at about 4,000,000l. Her exports to Astrachan and Georgia consist in fruits, furs, and caviare. A considerable quantity of opium is produced in Persia, and she also exports raw silk. The British Persia. consul reports that, rich in minerals, capable of producing grain, cotton, silk, and wool to any extent, and possessing

immense forests whence the finest timber might readily be obtained, what Persia requires is internal security and a good currency.

China is largely increasing in commercial importance. In 1848, there were only Canton, Amoy, and Shanghae open as China. treaty ports. In 1868, besides these ports, Foo-chowfoo, Ningpo, Takow, Tamsui, Kui-Kiang, Hankow, Che-foo, Tien-tsin, and New Chang have been opened for traffic. 1868, the imports of the treaty ports amounted to 22,000,000l., and their exports to about 21,000,000l.

In

The exports of Siam are considerable. The value of the Siam. cargoes entered at Bangkok in 1869 was 752,000l., and of cargoes cleared, 1,000,000l.

gress.

United
States.

The trade of Japan is fast developing. The junk trade is extensive. Osaka and Hiogo have been recently opened to Japan. foreign trade, and Yokohama, Nagara, Ki, and Hakodate are becoming of great commercial value. With silk and tea for their outward freights, with new and extensive markets for their imports, and with a supply of coal at hand for their steamers, there appears to be no reason why the foreign settlements at Osaka and Hiogo should not become as large and thriving as those in any other part of Japan. The United States have made a rapid and wonderful proIn 1800 the population of the United States was 5,300,000; in 1830 it was 12,866,000; and in 1870 it reached 38,000,000. The annual value of manufactures in 1820 was 12,553,000l.; in 1860 it was estimated at 400,000,000l. The tonnage of shipping belonging to the United States in 1800 was 972,000 tons; in 1830, 1,191,000 tons; in 1860, 5,354,000 tons; and in 1869 the tonnage amounted to 4,144,000 tons. The imports into the United States in 1800 amounted to 18,250,000l.; in 1836 to 14,125,000l.; in 1860 to 72,432,000l. ; and in 1869 to 86,980,000l. The exports from the United States in 1800 were 14,194,000l.; in 1830 14,769,000l.; in 1860, 80,024,000l. ; and in 1869, 59,573,000l. The value of real and personal property in 1810 was estimated at 376,000,000l.; in 1830 at 752,800,000l.; in 1860 at 2,825,000,000l. The abolition of slavery and the insurrection of the Southern States are great landmarks in the recent

CHAP. VI.] THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

473

history of the United States, and if the high tariff, the enormous financial indebtedness, the reverses in banking and currency which became necessary consequences of so great a revolution, have checked for a time the development of their unbounded riches, we can well trust the shrewdness, common sense, and soundness of mind of the American people for a speedy return to that state of enviable freedom from burdens and unclogged industry under which they made their first and lasting great leap into commercial prosperity.

American

Among the States of South America Brazil holds the chief rank, her imports in 1869 amounting to 19,000,000l. and her exports to 23,000,000l. Bahia is a most important Brazil and commercial port, and so is Para. The navigation of other South the river Amazon is now free to all nations. The States. Argentine Republic has a trade amounting to 10,000,000l., the exports of Buenos Ayres consisting principally in wool and hides. The port of Monte Video in Uruguay has a trade of about 10,000,000l. Guatemala, San Salvador, Guayaquil, and New Grenada have each considerable traffic. The Isthmus of Panama is of great commercial value as the connecting link between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. Mexico has not

much trade, but her mining resources are considerable.

If we now add to these countries the trade of the British Colonies, including chiefly the North American and the West Indies, Australia and British India, whose aggregate British

exports amount to upwards of 100,000,000l., and, exports. above all, the exports of the United Kingdom, which in 1870 amounted to 199,000,000l., we find that the total exports of all. nations amount to an aggregate of upwards of 850,000,000l., more than one-third of which is exported by British traders from the United Kingdom and British India.3

The progress of the British colonies other than India has been considerable, but by no means uniform. The North American group, comprising Ontario and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Elward Island, Newfoundland, British Columbia, and Vancouver's Island, with an area of 632,000 square miles, and a population in 1869 of 4,100,000, had in 1827-31 average annual imports and exports of the value of 7,600,000/., and in 1869 of 29,800,000l., showing an annual increase of 27 per cent. The West India group, with an area of 12,684 square miles, and a population in 1861 of 934,000, had in 1832-36 imports and exports averaging 12,000,000l. per annum, and in 1869 9,000,000l., showing an annual decrease of about 1 per cent. The African group, consisting of Natal, Cape

The future

of interna

Large, however, as is the present amount of international exchange, we cannot say that it has in any manner reached its ultimate extent. Assuming the population of the tional trade. world to be considerably over one thousand million human beings, that at the very minimum they will require food and clothing to the value of ten pounds per annum each, and that not more than half that amount is produced in the same countries in which the consumption takes place, the aggregate exports would need to be above five thousand millions worth of produce and goods, whereas at present they are considerably under one thousand millions. If the productive power of the world is great, the consuming power is still greater. The field of international commerce present and future is very vast, and what we see of its progress gives but a very imperfect idea of its probable expansion. There is one great hindrance to the progress of international commerceit is the maintenance of customs duties as part of the public revenue. In the United Kingdom the customs in 1870 contributed about 20,000,000l. to a revenue of 70,000,000l., or about 28 per cent. within the largest proportion contributed in any country in Europe previous, at least, to the late FrancoGerman war. In Russia the customs contributed 6 per cent.; in Holland 4 per cent. ; in Belgium 7 per cent.; in Spain 8 per cent. ; in Austria 5 per cent. It is for the United Kingdom to take the lead in the great movement of abolishing for ever this financial obstacle to the commerce of the world, and her example will give a fresh stimulus to the extension of a liberal commercial policy.

of Good Hope, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and Gambia, of 223,000 square miles, and a population of about 900,000, had in 1827–31 an average trade of 900,0007., and in 1869 of 6,150,000l., showing an increase at the rate of 14 per cent. per annum. And the Australian group, comprising New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Queensland, with a united area of 2,542,000 square miles, and a population in 1869 of 1,847,000, had in 1827-31 an average annual trade of about 1,000,000l., and in 1869 of 63,000,000l., showing the wonderful increase of 150 per cent. per annum. Including the Straits Settlements, Ceylon, Mauritius, Labuan, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Honduras, British Guiana, Gibraltar, Malta, the British colonies have a total area of 3,571,000 square miles, and a population of 9,600,000, whilst British India alone has 963,929 square miles, and a population of 151,000,000.

Triumphs of Commerce.-Progress of British Commerce.-British Imports. British Exports.-Direction of Exports.-Navigation, Banking, and Currency.-Insurance.-The Home Trade.-Increase of Property.Use of Wealth in the promotion of Science and Art.-Use of Wealth in works of Benevolence.-True Source of British Prosperity.-Influence of Commerce on the Peace of the World.

of com

WE have now concluded our view of the various circumstances which have had a direct or indirect influence on British commerce, from the advent of the great mechanical Triumphs inventions in the cotton manufacture to the present merce. time, a period of about one hundred years of incessant activity, and of almost superhuman effort in the promotion of material progress. What has commerce done for England—ay, for the world during this century? It has stimulated the active powers of man, and developed to an almost unlimited extent the resources of nature; it has promoted enterprise, discovery, and inventions; it has advanced agriculture, mining, and fisheries; it has made the sea the highway of nations, and rendered rivers, canals, roads, railways, and telegraphs instruments of intercourse between the most distant states. Ignorance, prejudice, and wars have thwarted its progress, yet, with its enlightening, diffusive, and pervasive power commerce stretched its action and influence over all regions. From being the humble vocation of the few it succeeded in attracting the attention of whole communities, and where once it was held in contempt as a sordid and mean occupation, the time has come when commerce has become itself a power which exercises a mighty influence on the politics of nations, and in a great measure controls the conduct of states.