its importance to navigation, as an immense article of transportation coastwise, is signally exemplified in Great Britain.
It is known that there are several coal mines in Virginia now worked, and appearances of their existence are familiar in a number of places.
The expediency of a bounty on all this species of coal of home production, and of premiums on the opening of new mines under certain qualifications, appears to be worthy of particular examination. The great importance of the article will amply justify a reasonable expense in this way, if it shall appear to be necessary to and shall be thought likely to answer the end.
WOOD.
Several manufactures of this article flourish in the United States. Ships are nowhere built in greater perfection and cabinet wares generally are made little, if at all, inferior to those of Europe. Their extent is such as to have admitted of considerable exportation.
An exemption from duty of the several kinds of wood ordinarily used in these manufactures seems to be all that is requisite by way of encouragement. It is recommended by the consideration of a similar policy being pursued in other countries and by the expediency of living equal advantages to our own workmen in wood. The abundance of timber proper for shipbuilding in the United States does not appear to be any objection to it. The increasing scarcity and growing importance of that article in the European countries admonish the United States to commence and systematically to pursue measures for the preservation of their stock. Whatever may promote the regular establishment of magazines of ship timber is in various views desirable.
SKINS.
There are scarcely any manufactures of greater importance than of this article. Their direct and very happy influence upon agriculture, by promoting the raising of cattle of different kinds, is a very material recommendation.
It is pleasing, too, to observe the extensive progress they have made in their principal branches, which are so far matured as almost to defy foreign competition. Tanneries, in particular, are not only carried on as a regular business in numerous instances and in various parts of the country, but they constitute in some places a valuable item of incidental family manufactures.
Representations, however, have been made, importing the expediency of further encouragement to the leather branch in two ways: One by increasing the duty on the manufactures of it which are imported; the other by prohibiting the exportation of bark. In support of the latter it is alleged that the price of bark, chiefly in consequence of large exportations, has risen within a few years from about three dollars to four and a half per cord.
These suggestions are submitted rather as intimations which merit consideration than as matters the propriety of which is manifest. It is not clear that an increase of duty is necessary; and in regard to the prohibition desired there is no evidence of any considerable
