Page 359 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

345.

occupation of the Northwest, based his arguments on the neces­

sity of the Northwest fur trade to American commerce. Citing

the existence of Russian and English trading-posts on the

Coast, the Congressman claimed that without similar estab­

lishments American fur traders could not compete successfully

with the Europeans. From the beginning of his campaign to

occupy the Columbia River, Floyd connected American interest
in the Northwest with American trade at Canton. He reported

to the House in January 1821 that the American fur trade to

China annually amounted to over seven-hundred-thousand dollars
. 19
f't s.
in pro 1 Floyd further argued that American settlements
in the Northwest, such as Astoria, would "open a mine of wealth

to the shipping interests. II This potential wealth rested

on a trade which consisted "principally of things which will

purchase the manufactures and products of China at a better

profit than gold and silver; and if that attention is bestowed

upon the country to which its value and position entitle it,

it will yield a profit, producing more wealth to the nation

than all the shipments which have ever in any one year been

1820, Jan. 25, 1821, Annals of Congress, 679, 953, 958-59.
For a discussion of the question of the Northwest in American
1
policy in the 1820 s, see Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of
the Northwest Coast (2 vols.; San Francisco, 1884), II,
Chaps. 'X:v, 'X:-JI, 'X:vII.
19
u.s., Congress, House, 16th Cong., 2nd sess., Jan.
25, 1821, "Columbia River, Occupation by U.S., 1821, report of
committee, Annals of Congress, 946-58. The report also
suggested that Chinese immigrants could staff the American
establishments until enough American settlers arrived.