The Committee to whom was referred a Letter from the Honble. Thomas Jefferson Esqr. requesting information relative to the Conduct Exports Imports and other Commercial matters therein Contained. Having taken the same into due Consideration, and obtained such information as they were able to procure (all the Books of the Custom House being Carried away by the British) beg leave to Offer the following Report to the Chamber of Commerce. That on an Average for several years previous to the late war with Great Britain, they find the Annual Product of this State were nearly as follows-- Rice 130,000 Tierces Indigo 500,000 lbs. Naval Stores 15,000 Barrels Tobacco 3,000 Hogsheads Deerskins 1,500 ditto Beef & Pork 5,000 Barrels Indian Corn & Pease 20,000 Bushels Hogsheads & Pipe Staves 800,000 ------ Staved & Squared Lumber 2,000,000 Feet Agness [?] Shingles 3,000,000 That in the Year 1771 They find the Crop of Rice then made, amounted to 130,500 Tierces were Shipped from hence as follows To Great Britain & for Foreign Markets 73,235 1/2 Portugal 14,239 Spain 1,760 Italy 222 British West Indian Islands 30,304 Foreign 975 1/2 Ports in the Continent 9,564 130,500 Your Committee are of opinion That the Annual Products of this State will in a very few Years be as great as ever, and that the Article of Tobacco in particular will far exceed the Quantity ever made.---- By the Prohibition lately laid on our Rice to Portugal & the British proclamation preventing the Transportation of our Produce to their Islands (Except in British bottoms) as well as [2] the opening many markets for our produce which were heretofore restrained.--Your Committee are of Opinion that the Exports of this Country may vary, and that they probably will be Shipped to the Several Ports & in the proportions following-- 130,000 Tierces Rice} 40,000 Tierces to Great Britain 20,000 To different ports in France, Spain & the Mediteranian [sic] 50,000 To Holland, Flanders, the Baltic Hambro & Bremen 20,000 To the Continent & West Indies-- 500,000 lbs. Indigo} 250,000 To Great Britain 150,000 To Holland, Flanders the Baltic Hambro & Bremen 10,000 To this Continent 90,000 To the different ports in France & the Mediteranian [sic] 500,000 3,000 Hhds. Tobacco} 1,000 To Great Britain 1,000 To Holland, Flanders, the Baltic Hambro & Bremen 1,000 To Different ports in France 15,000 Brls. Naval Stores} 10,000 Barrels to Great Britain 2,000 To France, Spain & the Mediteranian [sic] 3,000 To this Continent & the West Indies 10,000 Hhds. Deerskins} 600 Hogsheads to Great Britain 400 To France, Holland, Flanders Hambro & Bremen Corn, Pease, Beef & Pork as well as Lumber of all sorts (Except a small part of the Staves) were chiefly Shipped to the West Indies which is now prohibited to the British Islands except in British bottoms very little of said articles being shipped to other Islands are at most not above One Fifth part of the Lumber. The returns generally made for the Exports from this State are as follows.---- Dry Goods from Europe Wines from France Spain & Portugal Negroes from the Coast of Africa Rum Sugar Molasses & Coffee} from the West Indies [3] But Your Committee are of opinion that the Exports of this State will be regulated by the Imports from each Country.-- The Freights from the Port are as follows. To Great Britain for Rice & Naval Stores 50/ to 60/ p Ton Holland & other European Ports for Do. 55/ to 65/ p Ton To all European Ports for Indigo 1/2 to 3/4 p. pound Do. and Do. for Tobacco 30/ to 35/ p. Hhds. Do. and So. for Deerskins 25/ to 30/ p Do. for Do. in the Hair 3/4 to 1 p. pound---- Your Committee observe that as they are unacquainted with the Burthen which may be imposed on our Trade by foreign powers. They cannot point their remarks, yet they must report That the prohibition Laid on our Rice to Portugal, and being restrained from Shipping in our own Bottoms to the British West Indies are the Greatest disadvantages, and Burthen under which our Trade at Present Labours.----