The proposal of America was not answered by France, and it was r•ected by Britain ; although it is not easy to conceive what could be the motive for such a determi nation, as it is not even pretended, in the answer to the American ambassador, that the orders in council pro duce any one substantial advantage.
During these great political movements, some events of a miscellaneous description took place. The Indians made an incursion into the western territories, and were with difficulty repelled. The cities of Philadelphia. and New York w ere almost desolated by the yellow fever. The foundation of Washington, the new capital of Ame rica, was laid ; and some changes in the ecclesiastical constitution of the country, but or no very great impor tance, were introduced.
Before we conclude this article, it may be proper to introduce some details, chiefly of a statistical nature, which could not be inserted in the narrative of events recorded in the preceding pages.
In the year 1792, a mint for the United States was established by a law of the congress, and the division and value of the money to be used throughout the pro vinces regulated by statute. The following is a list of the American coins.
Pieces.
The eagle, value 10 dollars, containing 2471 gr. of pure gold, or 270 of standard gold.
The half eagle, value 5 dollars, containing 1231 p. g. or 135 st.
The quarter eagle, 2.1, dollars, containing 61 p. g. or 671 st.
Silver Pieces.
The dollar, value 100 cents, containing 3711 gr. of pure silver, or 416 gr. standard.
The dollar, 50 cents, containing 185i p. s. or 280 st. The quarter dollar, 25 cents, containing 92* p. s. or 104 st.
The tenth of a dollar, 10 cents, containing 37.1. p. s. or 52 st.
The half tenth, 5 cents, containing p. s. or 26 st.
Copper Pieces. The cent, 100th of a dollar4 contains 11 dwts. of cop Per The half cent, 200111 of a dollar, contains 54, dwts. of cop.
In 1804, the amount of the coinage was as follows.
Gold pieces, 43,597 Silver ditto, 191,092 Copper ditto, 1,812,159 Total value,,...371,827 dots.
The revenue of the United States is chiefly der•ed front the duties on imposts and tonnage, and has been gradually increasing in proportion to the increasing pros perity of the colonies.
in 1791, the revenue amounted to 3,329,750 doll.
1795, 6,552,300 1802, 10,50U,000 1804, 11,500,0001805, 12,500000 1808, 18, )00,000 The payments made on the 1st of January 1808, along with those made in the six and a half preceding years, have extinguished 33,580,000 dollars of the principal 01 the funded debt, amounting, in 1796, to 80,000 dollars, being all that could be paid within the limits of the law and the contracts. The principal thus discharged, has
freed the revenue from 2,000,000 of dollars of interest and added that sum to the disposable surplus. Tilt estimate of expenditure for the year 1806 was 3,375,43! dollars ; viz. 942,992 dollars for the military establish. melt, 1,240,000 dollars for the naval establishment 262,550 for expenses of intercourse with foreign nations and 611,911 for miscellaneous expenses.
The growing prosperity of the American states de. pends almost entirely on their commerce. Disturbed b3 no wars of any great importance since their establish. mem as an independent nation, and possessing a spiri of .entcrprize hardly surpassed by that which exist! among the people of Britain ; their ships have visitec every quarter of the world, and opulence, the result o successful trade, has been introduced into all the pro. vinces. Various accounts have been given of the export! from the United States ; but the following tables, pub. fished by authority, and subscribed by the register o: the treasury department, arc considered as the mos. accurate. See Pinkerton's Geography, vol. iii. p. 104.
Of her exports, both of foreign and domestic produce, 22,063,277 dollars arc sent to Britain and her colonies ; 8,245,013 to France and her colonies ; 5,523,428 to I lol land and her colonies; and 4,533,539 to Spain and her colonies.
The exports from America, of her own produce and manufactures, during the year 1805, were valued at 42,205,961 ; of which 16,459,766 went to Great Britain.
Of the value of the imports into the United States. we have seen no very accurate and comprehensive ac counts. According to Dr Barton, the manufactured goods from the British dominions in Europe and Asia, were equal, A. D. 1802, to 27,000,000 of dollars; and those from other countries to 10,000.000. The manufac tured produce, as wine, tea, and salt, distilled spirits. &c. imported from places not British, was equal at the same period to 30,000,000, and that from the British dominions to 3,000.000.