Proportionate Values of British Trade with Colonies and with Foreign Nations

Table 1. Exports of Home Produce only (in thousands of pounds, *i.e.*, 100 = 100,000).
Years.	Total Value of Exports of British and Irish Produce.	Amount.	Per Cent. of Total.	Amount.	Per Cent of Total.
		Exported to Foreign Countries only.		Exported to British Possessions only.
	£	£		£
1856	115,827	82,527	71.2	33,300	28.8
1857	122,066	84,911	69.6	37,155	30.4
1858	116,609	76,386	65.5	40,223	34.5
1859	130,412	84,268	64.6	46,144	35.4
1860	135,891	92,226	67.9	43,665	32.1
1861	125,103	82,858	66.2	42,245	33.8
1862	123,992	82,097	66.2	41,895	33.8
1863	146,602	95,723	65.3	50,879	34.7
1864	160,449	108,735	67.8	51,714	32.2
1865	165,836	117,629	70.9	48,207	29.1
1866	188,917	135,198	71.6	53,719	28.4
1867	180,962	131,162	72.5	49,800	27.5
1868	179,678	129,813	72.2	49,865	27.8
1869	189,954	141,881	74.7	48,073	25.3
1870	199,587	147,773	74.0	51,814	26.0
1871	223,066	171,816	77.0	51,250	23.0
1872	256,257	195,701	76.4	60,556	23.6
1873	255,165	188,836	74.0	66,329	26.0
1874	239,558	167,278	69.8	72,280	30.2
1875	223,466	152,374	68.2	71,092	31.8
1876	200,639	135,780	67.7	64,859	32.3
1877	198,893	128,970	64.8	69,923	35.2
1878	192,849	126,611	65.7	66,238	34.3
1879	191,532	130,530	68.2	61,002	31.8
1880	223,060	147,806	66.3	75,254	33.7
1881	234,023	154,658	66.1	79,365	33.9
1882	241,467	156,641	64.9	84,826	35.1
1883	239,799	156,322	65.2	83,477	34 8
1884	233,025	152,149	65.2	80,876	34.8
1885	213,045	135,115	63.4	77,930	36.6

Table II. Exports of all kinds (in thousands of pounds, *i.e.*, 100 =100,000).
Years.	Total Value of Exports.	Amount.	Per Cent of Total	Amount.	Per cent, of Total.
		Exported to Foreign Countries only.		Exported to British Possessions only.
	£	£		£
1856	139,221	12,525	73.6	36,696	26.4
1857	146,174	15,738	72.3	40,436	27.7
1858	139,783	6,570	69.1	43,213	30.9
1859	155,693	16,042	68.1	49,651	31.9
1860	164,521	17,988	71.7	46,533	28.3
1861	159,632	14,493	71.7	45,139	28.3
1862	166,168	10,744	72.7	45,424	27.3
1863	196,902	11,932	72.1	54,970	27.9
1864	212,588	16,892	73.8	55,696	26.2
1865	218,832	17,285	76.4	51,547	23.6
1866	238,906	11,738	76.1	57,168	23.9
1867	225,802	12,440	76.4	53,362	23.6
1868	227,779	14,061	76.4	53,718	23.6
1869	237,015	15,123	78.1	51,892	21.9
1870	244,080	18,689	77.3	55,391	22.7
1871	283,575	28,014	80.1	55,561	19.6
1872	314,589	28,980	79.1	65,609	20.9
1873	311,005	29,857	77.1	71,148	22.9
1874	297,650	29,740	73.8	77,910	26.2
1875	281,612	24,957	72.8	76,655	27.2
1876	256,777	16,627	72.7	70,150	27.3
1877	252,346	16,594	70.0	75,752	30.0
1878	245,484	13,491	70.7	71,993	29.3
1879	248,783	12,274	73.3	66,509	26.7
1880	286,415	24,887	71.5	81,528	28.5
1881	297,083	20,402	70.8	86,681	29.2
1882	306,661	24,323	69.9	92,338	30.1
1883	305,437	25,036	70.4	90,401	29.6
1884	295,968	27,664	70.2	88,304	29.8
1885	271,404	15,979	68.5	85,425	31.5

In parallel column with these interesting tables we place the following record, referring our readers at same time to the long lists we gave in previous Almanacks of the Colonial Import Tariffs. These are levied principally upon articles of English Manufacture, upon yarns, woven fabrics, metals, earthenware, glass, leather and oils.

In several of the Colonies administered from Downing Street (called Crown Colonies) tariffs upon com, flour, butter and fish, meat and rice are in vogue, our West Indian fellow-subjects especially being oppressed by heavy Customs Duties upon these food materials, whilst the self-governing Colonies of Australia all tax rice, butter, tea, and sugar, and shut out bacon and hams with heavy duties.

Our Home Government (directed hitherto by Parliaments dominated by the Landed Interest) sets the example for all this folly by exacting Customs Duties upon the produce of almost every country of the globe.

The declared value of the whole of the British Imports which in 1885 had to pay Customs Duties was £28,893,295, and they came from the following countries:

Under Foreign Rule.

	£
China	6,086,334
France	6,886,617
Spain	2,906,276
United States	2,714,464
Greece	1,486,001
Portugal	1,960,547
Brazil	532,850
Holland	1,277,804
Central America	718,981
Turkey	713,300
Germany	415,364
Belgium	176,712
Italy	227,898
Ecuador	104,241
Columbia	35,135
West Africa	60,855
Mexico	78,816
Japan	128,268
Hayti	15,616
Egypt	17,771
Russia	5,152
Denmark	6,443
Australia	14,774
Venezuela	4,089
Norway	3,360
Peru	4,241
Chilli	6,015
Other Countries	62,459
	£26,639,383

page 161

Table III. Imports of all kinds (in thousands of pounds, *i.e.*, 100 =100,000),
Years.	Total Value of Imports.	Amount.	Per Cent of Total	Amount.	Per Cent of Total.
		Imported from Foreign Countries only.		Imported from British Possessions only.
	£	£		£
1856	172,544	129,517	75.1	43,027	21.9
1857	187,844	141,661	75.4	46,183	24.6
1858	164,584	125,970	76.5	38,614	23.5
1859	179,182	139,707	78.0	39,475	22.0
1860	210,531	167,571	79.6	42,960	20.4
1861	217,485	164,809	75.8	52,676	24.2
1862	225,717	160,434	71.1	65,283	28.9
1863	248,919	164,235	66.0	84,684	34.0
1864	274,952	181,208	65.9	93,744	34.1
1865	271,072	198,231	73.1	72,841	26.9
1866	295,290	223,084	75.5	72,206	24.5
1867	275,183	214,449	77.9	60,734	22.1
1868	294,694	227,700	77.3	66,994	22.7
1869	295,460	225,044	76.2	70,416	23.8
1870	303,257	238,425	78.6	64,832	21.4
1871	331,015	258,071	78.0	72,944	22.0
1872	354,694	275,321	77.6	79,373	22.4
1873	371,287	290,277	78.2	81,010	21.8
1874	370,083	287,920	77.8	82,163	22.2
1875	373,940	289,516	77.4	84,424	22.6
1876	375,155	290,822	77.5	84,333	22.5
1877	394,420	304,866	77.3	89,554	22.7
1878	368,771	290,835	78.9	77,936	21.1
1879	362,992	284,049	78.3	78,943	21.7
1880	411,230	318,711	77.5	92,519	22.5
1881	397,023	305,483	76.9	91,540	23.1
1882	413,020	313,589	75.9	99,431	24.1
1883	426,892	328,210	76.9	98,682	23.1
1884	390,019	294,206	75.4	95,813	24.6
1885	370,968	286,566	77.2	84,402	22.8

Table IV. Imports and Exports together (in thousands of pounds, *i.e.*, 100 = 100,000).
Years.	Total Value of Imports and Exports.	Amount.	Per Cent of Total.	Per Cent, of Total.
		Total Value Imported from, and Exported to, Foreign Countries only.		Total Value Imported from, and Exported to, British Possessions only.
	£	£		£
1856	311,765	232,042	74.4	79,723	25.6
1857	334,018	247,399	74.1	86,619	25.9
1858	304,367	222,510	73.1	81,827	26.9
1859	334,875	245,719	73.4	89,126	26.6
1860	375,052	285,559	76.1	89,493	23.9
1861	377,117	279,302	74.1	97,815	25.9
1862	391,885	281,178	71.8	110,707	28.2
1863	445,821	306,167	68.7	139,654	31.3
1864	487,510	338,100	69.3	149,440	30.7
1865	489,904	365,516	74.6	124,388	25.4
1866	634,196	404,822	75.8	129,374	24.2
1867	500,985	383,889	77.2	114,096	22.8
1868	528,473	401,761	76.9	120,712	23.1
1869	632,475	410,167	77.0	122,308	23.0
1870	547,337	427,114	78.0	120,223	22.0
1871	614,590	486,685	79.1	128,505	20.9
1872	669,283	524,301	78.3	144,982	21.7
1873	682,292	530,134	77.7	152,158	22.3
1874	667,733	507,660	76.0	160,073	24.0
1875	655,552	494,473	75.4	161,079	24.6
1876	631,932	477,449	75.6	154,483	24.4
1877	646,766	481,460	74.4	165,306	25.6
1878	614,255	464,326	75.6	149,929	24.4
1879	611,775	466,323	76.2	145,452	23.8
1880	697,645	523,598	75.1	174,047	24.9
1881	694,106	515,885	74.3	178,221	25.7
1852	719,681	627,912	73.3	191,769	26.7
1883	732,329	543,246	74 2	189,083	25.8
1884	685,986	501,870	73.2	184,116	26.8
1685	342,372	472,546	73.6	169,826	26.4

Under British Rule.

	£
India	4,412,780
Ceylon	1,232,424
West Indies	855,557
Hong Kong	434,305
Guiana	218,486
Australia	41,541
Aden	56,096
Channel Islands	32,708
Cape of Good Hope	56,390
Straits settlement	6,862
Malta	7,265
Gibraltar	3,913
Mauritius	5,265
Canada	10,862
Isle of Man	423
Honduras	700
Other places	4,727
	£7,380,304

Summary.

	£
Foreign States	26,639,383
British Possessions	7,380,304
	£34,019,687

It thus becomes clear that the Free Trade sermons so constantly preached to foreign nations and to her colonies by Great Britain, are all spoiled by the practice not agreeing with the precept. It is the old case of "Don't do as I do but do as I tell you," and every people under the sun (as is seen by the epitome) must realize our hypocrisy in posing as a Free Trade Nation while taxing their products.

As some gauge of the extent of Colonial retaliation for British Import duties we ask attention to the statement on foregoing page. Though not based on any comparable ground (the statistics for such comparison not being available), it will enable our readers to form some estimate of the mischief done to the Mother Country's Trade by "our kin beyond the seas," between whom and ourselves there should at least be no tariff hostilities.

Total Imports and Exports of Merchandise, Bullion, and Specie.

	1860.	1865.	1870.	1875.	1880.	1885.
Imports.
	Merchandise	£210,530,873	£271,072,285	£303,257,493	£373,939,577	£411,229,565	£370,967,955
	Bullion and Specie	22,978,196	21,462,211	29,455,668	33,264,789	16,253,883	22,810,166
	Total Imports	£233,509,069	£292,634,496	£332,713,161	£407,204,366	£427,483,448	£393,778,121
	Exports.
		Merchandise	£164,521,351	£218,831,576	£244,080,577	£281,613,323	£286,414,466	£271,403,694
Bullion and Specie		25,534,768	15,092,524	18,919,690	27,628,042	18,889,503	21,783,105
Total Exports		£190,056,119	£233,924,100	£263,000,267	£309,241,365	£305,303,969	£293,186,799
Total Imports & Exports		£423,565,188	£526,458,596	£595,713,428	£716,445,731	£732,787,417	£686,964,920

The statistics of Exports and Imports of Bullion for 1855 were not obtained.

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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 14

Proportionate Values of British Trade with Colonies and with Foreign Nations