338
Total exports, including the articles not here minuted, 349,725,400 liv.- imports, - - 310,184,000
Balance,
39<S4M°° ^-1,729,936 fterling.
Explanation. — The contraband trade of export and import has been calculated, and the true balancefound to be about 25,000,000 liv. (1,093,75c!.,) the provinces of Loraine, Alface ,the three bilhoprics, and the Weft-Indies, not included.
Obfervations.
The preceding accounts of the trade of France , for thefe two years, are corred inall probability in the articles noted; but that they are imperfeCt there is great reafon tobelieve. In 1787 there is an import of raw metals to the amount of above twenty mil-lions : but in the account of 1784 there is no fuch article in the lift, which is plainly anomiffion. And though coals are among the exports in 1784, there are none in the im-ports, which is another omiffion. In the manufactured articles alfo are various omif-fions, not eaftly to be accounted for, though the treaty of commerce explains fome arti-cles, as that of cotton manufactures, &c.: the idea to be formed of the exports and im-ports of France fhould be gathered from an union of the two, rather than from eitherof them feparate. No idea, thus to be gained or acquired by any other combinations,will allow for one moment the poffibility of a balance of commerce of 70,000,000 livres,(3,062,1:001.) in favour of France , which Monf. Necker has calculated it to be, in hisbook, De l'Ad?niniflration des Finances , and which calculation the Marquis de Caflaux,in his Mechanifm des Societes, has refuted in an unanfwerable manner. It will be cu-rious to examine what is the amount of the imports of the produce of land, mineralsexcluded.
In 1784 the imports of the produce of
In 1787 the fame articles
are,
land amounted to,
liv.
lir.
20,884,000
25,9 2 5> 000
Silk,
28,266,000
Silk,
29,582,70°
Hemp and flax,
11,096,000
Hemp and flax,
5,494,800
Oil,
16,645,000
Oil,
25.615,700
Live ftock,
29,070,000
Live ftock and its produce,
18,398,400
Corn,
11,476,600
Corn,
5,651,500
14,142,000
Sundries,
24,860,700
Sundries,
24,206,000
135.5585800
, 55»794j°°o
She may be faid, therefore, to import in a common year about 145,000,000 livres(6,343,7501.) of agricultural products: and thefe imports are a ftriking proof, that Iwas not wide of the truth when I condemned fo feverely the rural ceconomy of France in almoft every particular, the culture of vines alone excepted. For the country, of allEurope, the bell adapted by nature to the production of wool , to import fo immenfely,fhews how wretchedly they are underftocked with Iheep ; and how much their agricul-ture fuffers for want of the fold of thefe five or fix millions, in which they are deficienteven for their own demand. The import of fuch great quantities of other forts of liveftock alio fpeaks the fame language. Their hufbandry is weak and languilhing in every
part