14 Statistics of the Whale Fishery of New Bedford. Year. 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 No. of vessels • employed. ......... 178....... ...... 208 ....... ....... 205 ........ -..... 213........ —232 ........ Tons. Men. 56,529 92 64,260 31 62,811.67 63,981.91 4470 5176 5086 5239 o 68,835.74 ..............,5679 The number of vessels above stated includes only those actually at sea on the 3lst of December of each year, and not those that were fitting and repairing on that day. Nine or ten vessels have been added to the whaling fleet already in 1840, and the whole nums ber of vessels employed in. that business at the present time, including those now fitting, is about two hundred and sixty. Estimated average value of Sperm Oil for each year. 1835 ................................... 85 cents per gallon1836 .................................... 88 1837 ................................... 90 1838 ................................... 88 1839 .................................... i08 Mark now this regular increase in the quantity and prices connected with this trade These, with a trifling exception, have steadily advanced. While the speculator has been fretting his brief career in the traffic of unreal property, the hardy fisherman has ploughed the broad and beautiful Pacific, and drawn from its fathomless abyss the monarch of the sea, and returned to enrich his beloved country. For such men there has been a reward, and there ever will be. Industry will be rewarded. This is a law of has man condition, established by the Infinite Mind, and when it is trenched upon, be sure that some foul hand hath embarrassed the free action of the social machinery- The des mocrat says in relation to trade—“ hands off—leave to the men of trade to govern prices.” The federalist says—“ Government must incidentally regulate them.”* Which shall be the choice of the people ? This is the issue. Judge ye, which will the most conduce to the permanent prosperity of trade. * There is no telling to what extent a Government may “regulate” private pursuits, if the power be once given to it. As late as 1794 there were persons in France brought to the scaffolb for having “ converted their corn land into pasturage!” The laws of demand and supply were not deemed strong enough by the government, and the hangman was put in requisition. Butour limits forbid going into further detail, and we must stop by noticing someof the minor Objections to the present Administration. The great and leading'measure, namely, the new Treasury Law, to which the opposition object, has been briefly considered. What is the truth regarding the lesser ones? Let us see. • The Expenses of the Government. This is a string harped upon with ceaseless assiduity by the whigs. That the amount of expenditures will naturally increase must be reasonably expected, as the nation increases in population. The Army, the Navy, the Judiciary, the Mail service, the Clerkships in the Departments, must keep pace with the growing wants of a rapidly augmenting population. No sound-minded man does object to it. The simple fact is, that the hue and cry about the government expenses is all electioneering slang. It is amusing—nay, it is absolutely ludicrous—tb hear the “ gentleman’s party” so strongly advocating a parsimonious course. The same gentlemen who are for the assumption of the various state debts by the general government, and who are for lavishing the domain of the nation upon vast schemes of internal improvement, making war upon the spoons in the president’s pantry, and dishclouts in his kitchen! Very happily indeed has the editor of the New- York Evening Signal, (a whig too) placed this matter before his readers. “ Small Business.—The opposition papers are publishing with approbation the remarks of a Mr. Ogle, of Pennsylvania, upon the civil [and diplomatic Appropriation Bill. Our readers will be amused with a few specimens of his speech. Mr. Ogle should be immediately appointed head waiter at the White House. His genius evidently lies that way.” Here we might leave this business—confident that the good sense of the democracy will see through this electioneering trick. But it may be well just to add that al' expenditures are made by authority ®f Congress. The president,has no power to put his hand into the
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