Average value of Imports from the Colonies to Great Britain, Britain to the Colonies, now United Si Value of Imports into England from the United States, and States from England, taken from the Custom-h Pennsylvania, John Penn. Maryland, Sir Robert Eden. North Carolina, Josiah Martin. South Carolina, Lord William Campbell. Georgia, Sir James Wright. East Florida, Colonel Patrick Tryon. 7. DATES OF THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE SEVERAL COLONIES. 1. EXPENSE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY War. As the commerce of the United States was interrupted during the revolution, no revenue was raised from this branch of industry to sustain the great and pressing demands of the nation. Nor, indeed, had Congress power to levy a general tax on commerce, this being the prerogative of the several states. The country itself, moreover, in the midst of an oppressive war, was not in a condition to contribute pecuniary aid to the general cause, and the necessary resort of Congress was to loans and paper money. It is not possible to ascertain with certainty the expenses of the revolutionary war. An estimate was made in 1790, by the Register of the Treasury, and furnished to a committee of Congress. The following general abstract will show the results. The estimated amount of the expenditures of 1775 and 1776 is, in specie, Dolls. 90ths. 20,064,666 66 1778 1777 . 1779. 1780 1781 . 1782 1783 24,986,646 85 24,289,438 26 10,794,620 65 3,000,000 00 1,942,465 30 3,632,745 85 3,226,583 45 To Nov. 1st, 1784 548,525 63 Forming an amount total of $92,485,693 15 The foregoing estimates, being confined to actual Treasury payments, are exclusive of the debts of the United States, which were incurred at various periods for the support of the war, and should be taken into a general view of the expense thereof, viz. Army debt, upon commissioners' certifi For supplies furnished by the citizens of the several states, and for which certificates were issued by the commissioners For supplies furnished in the quarter-master, commissary, hospital, clothing, and marine departments, exclusive of the foraging For supplies, on accounts settled at the Treasury, and for which certificates were issued by the Register NOTE. The loan-office debt formed a part Estimated expense of the war, specie Dolls. 90ths. 11,080,576 1 3,723,625 20 1,159,170 5 744,638 49 $16,708,009 75 $5,000,000 00 21,000,000 00 $135,193,703 00 2. EMISSIONS OF CONTINENTAL MONEY. The advances made from the Treasury were principally in a paper medium, which was called Continental Money, and which in a short time depreciated; the specie value of it is given in the foregoing estimate. The advances made at the Treasury of the United States in continental money, in old and new emissions, are estimated as follows, viz. By comparing this amount of paper money issued during the revolution, with the above estimate of the total expense in specie dollars, it will be seen that the average depreciation of the whole amount issued was nearly two thirds of its original value. 3. LOANS AND Grants of MONEY IN FRANCE. The following is a sketch of an account of the Loans, subsidies, and grants of money received in France during the revolution. The fractions of dollars are omitted. and eight sols are reckoned to the dollar. Five livres 1778. February 6.--Cash received from sundry individuals up to this day, including a loan from the Farmers General 4. PRESIDENTS OF THE OLD CONGRESS. Names of the Presidents of the Old Congress, States to which they belonged, and Dates of their Election. Peyton Randolph, Henry Middleton,* Virginia, September 5, 1774. October 22, 1774. * Mr. Randolph was prevented from attending Congress by ill health, and Mr. Middleton was chosen to supply his place, five or six days only before the adjournment. 5. SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF IND Their names, where and when born, age when the tion, dates of their death, and age at that time. John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Massachusetts, Oct. 19, 1735 41 Elbridge Gerry, Massachusetts, Matthew Thornton, Samuel Huntington, Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Stephen Hopkins, William Williams, Philip Livingston, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania, N. Hampshire, 1729 47 Maine, Ireland, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Apr. 19, 1721 55 Connecticut, July 2, 1732 44 Connecticut, Apr. 8, 1731 45 Connecticut, 1726 50 When the next Congress met, May 10th, 1775, Peyton Randol dent, but he held the chair only eight days, when he was o John Hancock was chosen to fill the vacancy. * Samuel Johnson, of North Carolina, was previously elected †Mr. Gorham was elected "Chairman of Congress" on the |
