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TH E
M E R C H A N T S ’ M A G A Z IN E
AND
COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
A PR IL,
1 862.
SOMETHING ABOUT S II K.
O. A.
W.
There is a nasty, little, loathsome, squirming worm, Pkalaena Bombyx
by name, who lies in the sun all summer, and stuffs himself from morning
till night, for weeks together. Having eaten all that he can hold, and
more than he can digest, he begins to suffer the natural effects o f reple
tion, and looks at life from a morbid stand-point;— mulberry leaves are
turning yellow, and there’s nothing particular left to live for, so he de
liberately wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down to
pleasant dreams. But nature never grows morbid, and seldom sleeps;
little atomies of worms and men turn sulky, and try to shirk their destiny;
nature, like Mynheer Y on Clam’ s memorable cork leg, “ goes on the
same as before.”
W hile Phalaena is drowsing the golden hours away, his wings are grow
ing ; and presently the ugly grub that crawled prostrate, floats off upon
the summer air, as light and free as the thistle-down. For a few days it
rejoices in its new-found freedom, and then expires,— leaving behind a
moderate family o f four or five hundred wormlets, to perpetuate its name
and imitate its example. These, in their turn, concentrate all their ener
gies upon food, with an ardor that is touchingly human. An unerring
instinct teaches them that the more mulberry juice they put into their
little insides, the more winding-sheets they can spin around their little
outsides, and that this is the chief end o f life. Yet not one in a hundred
of them ever emerges again from his living tomb ; the hand of man is
raised to arrest the progress o f nature. A certain number of cocoons are
VOL. X L v i.—
no.
iv .
21
322
Something about Silk.
[April,
left undisturbed, to insure tbe stock for another season, and all the others
are watched with unceasing care. As soon as the last inch o f silky fila
ment is spun from the stomach of the worm, the cocoon is complete, and
is plunged into warm water, to accomplish the double purpose o f killing
the insect and softening the gluey substance which attaches the threads
to each other. Sometimes a thread twelve yards long is wound from a
single cocoon ; but if the worm is left to eat its way through, the silk
is cut in a thousand places, and is worthless. The peculiar adaptation
o f the Bombyx worm and the mulberry tree to each other, is one of the
many mysteries of natural history. Thousands o f experiments have been
tried, without success, to produce the silk from the worm without the
tree, and from the tree without the worm. There is no other leaf that
the Bombyx will touch, except the lettuce, and that produces inferior
cocoon s; there is no other insect that can be induced to eat the mul
berry leaf except one little creature which makes no cocoon ; and the in
vention of man has exhausted itself in the vain effort to procure the silk
direct from the soft fibres of the mulberry. It is the immutable will of
nature that the brightest and costliest fabrics in the world,— the sails of
C l e o p a t r a ’ s golden barge, the purple banners of the chivalry o f the
crusades, V ic t o r ia ’ s coronation robe, and E u g e n ie ’ s gorgeous train,
should all have their origin in the shroud of a grub.
The first people to discover the capabilities o f the silkworm and its
cocoon, were the Chinese. Whatever we may think o f the intellects of
the Celestials, it is certain that where tiresome, toilsome patience over
detailed minutiae is required, they show themselves equal to the occasion.
They have enormous indefatigability over there, beyond the Great Wall.
When Mr. T a u r u s (J oh an n es ) sent them, a few years ago, a little pre
sent o f the finest cambric needles England could make, with the popular
Hornerism attached, “ See, what a good boy am I !” — our transmural
brethren returned them with the compliments o f the season, and with
eyes bored through the points. And this is no more than a fair specimen
of their skill in all microscopic arts ; they like them, and excel in them.
They like to put their eyes out over grotesque embroideries ; they like
to put a thousand strokes upon a half inch o f carving, where ten would
do as w ell; they like to prepare hundreds o f thousands of pounds of tea,
where every leaf is picked separately, rolled by itself, and packed one at
a time.
The extreme laboriousness of the whole silk process in those remote
days, when there were no machines but fingers, would have dismayed
any nation but one where the men were almost as numerous as the worms,
and could live on nearly as little. For ever so many centuries, eight or
nine, China monopolized the entire silk culture and trade, selling her
products at an immense price, and preserving great secrecy with regard
to the whole process. The silk was sent, with other articles o f oriental
manufacture, in great caravans o f loaded camels, across the vast waste of
.country which stretched between China and Persia; from there to Con
stantinople, and thence to Rome. The expense of transporting it across
this weary length o f land by these slow-travelling creatures, and the
original cost o f it in China, combined to make it o f enormous value by
the time it arrived at Rome, and for a long time it was considered to be
o f the same worth as gold, and was sold weight for weight. The Ro
mans knew nothing of its origin, supposing it to be grown from some
1862.]
Something about Silk.
323
rare shrub, as cotton or flax grow, but they delighted in it as a new ex
travagance, and as a novel and costly insignia o f rank. The passion for
it grew so rapidly, that the emperor T ib e r iu s , passed a law forbidding
any man to wear so essentially feminine a fabric. This checked the de
mand for it for a tim e; but when, in the third century after C h r is t ,
H e l io g a b a l u s , weakest and wickedest of noodles, was made Emperor of
Rome, he revived every foolish and criminal custom o f past times, besides
inventing many new ones. Among the most absurd of the latter, was
the Senate o f Fashion, to which the patrician ladies of Rome were
elected, for the discussion o f dress, deportment, ancient etiquette and
other solemn topics. The article which T ib e r iu s had prohibited, was
pronounced, by this grave tribunal, to be highly decorous and becoming,
and H e l io g a b a l u s himself was the first to sustain the judgment o f the
court by appearing in an entire suit o f silk. The court followed suit,
literally, and the custom soon became universal. The increased demand
stimulated a greater supply, and the prices for it gradually lessened.
After a while, somewhere in the sixth century, two Persian monks,
who had resided a long time in China, and had made themselves thor
oughly conversant with the whole art of silk culture, offered, in considera
tion of certain gifts and promises from the Emperor J u s t in ia n , to bring
the eggs of the silkworm to Constantinople, and to personally superin
tend their domestic affairs. The attempt was successful, and so this new
and very important branch o f industry was established in Europe, al
though within very narrow limits. Western Europe was then groping
its way through the murkiest part o f the dark ages. C h a r l e m a g n e ,
whom H a l lam compares to a light-house upon a rock in the midst o f a
dark and seething sea, was not yet erected, much less trimmed and lit.
England had no existence, and the Saxon heptarchy ate and squabbled,
conquered each other, and were conquered in turn, all in barbaric con
fusion.
Whatever progress was made in society or arts, was confined to Con
stantinople and Rome, and the adjacent countries. The climate of Greece
was found to be extremely favorable to the raising o f silkworms, and
Athens, Corinth and Thebes, -were soon renowned for their success in
this pursuit. Where H o m er had sung, and P h id ia s had chiseled, and
L e o n id a s had fought, and P a u l had preached, where Mrs. X a n t ip p e
had been always “ on a rampage,” and the benign S o c r a te s had shrugged
his shoulders resignedly,— there these new heroes were installed. Imper
vious though they were to historic associations, and quite unimpressed by
the marble glories o f ancient Greece, there was yet something in the
classic air that had its influence. They ate with the appetite o f E p ic u r u s ,
spun like the Fates, and emerged, when they were let, like P s y c h e . For
several hundred years they flourished in these academic shades, employ
ing and enriching numbers of the people. The nation now no longer
rushed to Delphi and Dodona with pestering questions about the way to
fortune, for the path lay plain before them ; or, if they did, it is supposed
that the oracle, when punched, responded “ Bombyx !”
But the poor insects were destined to a violent transfer from their phi
losophic abodes, and the king o f Sicily, R o g e r II., was the ruthless in
vader. He sacked the cities and bagged the worms, and deposited them,
with numbers of their masters and mistresses, in his own capital, Palermo.
Here the Greek exiles carried on the culture, by the king’s command,
324
Something about Silk.
[April,
and Sicily became a new centre o f progress, from which the manufacture
slowly extended into other European countries, although the cultivation
was, as yet, nowhere attempted but in Spain.
Silk was still considered a fabric of great value and rarity, and kings
sent it, among their costly gifts and tributes, to each other. A t a grand
ball, given at Kenilworth Castle, in 1286, two noblemen’ s ladies wore
silk mantles, which occasioned a wide flutter of commingled admiration
and envy among the assembled guests, and formed an era in the march
of fashions. From that date there existed such a thing as a silk mantle,
rare and radiant though it was, to be desired and sought for. Occa
sionally there came one as a gift to a prince, or one was brought back
on the return of a foreign embassy. Three hundred years after, the
church dignitaries began to wear silk on all State occasions, and kings
and queens when they could get it. Hear what old J ohn S t o w e sayeth
upon the matter: “ In the second yeere o f Queen E l iz a b e t h , 1560, her
silke woman, Mistris M o u n tag u e , presented her majestie, for a new
yeere’s gift, a paire o f black silke knit stockins, the which, after a few days
■wearing, pleased her highness so well, that she sent for Mistris M oun
t a g u e , and asked her where she had them, and if she could help her to any
more, who answered, ‘ I made them very carefully o f purpose only for
your majestie, and seeing these please you so well, I will presently set
more in hand.’ ‘ D o so,’ (quoth the queene,) ‘ for indeed I like silke
stodkins so well, because they are pleasant, fine and delicate, that henceforth
I will wear no more cloth stockins
and from that time unto her death,
the queene never wore any more cloth hose, but only silke stockins ; for
you shall understand that King H e n r y the Eighth did wear only cloth
hose, or hose cut out of elle-broade taflaty, or that by great chance there
came a paire o f Spanish silke stockins from Spain. King E d w a r d the
Sixte, had a payre o f long Spanish silke stockins sent him for a great
present
Soon after this, when H e n r y of Navarre was monarch o f France, a
Frenchman by the name o f D e S e r r e s , wrote an enthusiastic treatise
upon silk culture, which excited much attention. Many people in the
vicinity o f Paris planted mulberry trees and attempted silk-growing.
They were not as wise then as they have lately shown themselves to be.
Recently, when several new varieties of fish were imported from China,
to make gay the waters o f the Bois du Boulogne, a Chinese fisherman
was also imported, “ to direct their hygiene and superintend their con
duct among the barbarians.” If the silk fanciers had been so prudent
as to secure the services of a professor o f entomology, all things might
have gone smoothly; as it was, they were ignorant o f the management
o f both trees and worms. The mulberry is subject to many diseases,
from the unnatural way in which it is stripped of its foliage. Rust, mil
dew and honey-dew assail it in turn ; the leaves which are attacked by
the two former must be thrown away ; those covered by honey-dew may
be used after being carefully washed and dried. W ith a sublime un
consciousness o f all this, they gathered the leaves indiscriminately, which
gave the Bombyxes very bad stomach-aches indeed, and often ended in
the early death of the .most promising specimens ; besides this, they for
got to parboil the cocoon till a few minutes too late ; the moth ate its
way out, the thread was cut and the silk ruined. In short, all their zeal,
and all their efforts, respited in a huge amount o f grubs, moths, eggs,
1862.]
Something about Silk.
325
empty cocoons and no silk. They tore up the mulberry trees in a rage,
and the worms perished by starvation. This was an especial triumph
for S u l l y , H e n r y ’ s minister, for he loathed luxury and all its appurte
nances, and had used his whole influence among the people to excite
their discontent, and to crush the enterprise. Not so with the king;
he was clever enough to see that if the scheme were a practical one,
France would secure a certain and always increasing source of income.
After a long consultation with D e S e r r e s , he resolved to test the matter
again, and went so far as to uproot the royal orangery and stock it
with mulberry trees, for the purpose o f showing the nation his confidence
in the success o f the plan. So high an example could not but be followed.
Experience had proved a thorough teacher, and the process began anew
and was carried on successfully.
H e n r y was as wise in religious as in political matters, and about this
time he granted liberty o f conscience to all his protestant subjects by the
well known edict o f Nantes. The majority o f these protestants were
found among the artisans and mechanics o f France; great numbers o f
them were silk weavers; and the fact, that after all their persecution they
were guaranteed an unmolested life, infused a vigor and enthusiasm into
their pursuits, which could never have been felt by men who were living
under a public ban, or carrying a death secret in their hearts. The silk
manufacture increased very rapidly, and so did the protestants. Within
a century after the first planting of the mulberry trees, there were eighteen
thousand looms in operation in Lyons alone. But alas, Louis the Four
teenth was now on the throne;— burdened with the knowledge that he
fully deserved purgatory, and stimulated by the fear o f being sent there, he
could think of no other way so sure to atone for a myriad of court vices,
as a good sharp persecution o f heretics. Mass was good, but Massacre
was better. It is true that C h r ist rebuked P e t e r for cutting off the ear
of M a l ch u s , and healed the wound with a touch o f his pitying finger;
but that was quite another matter, indeed, from cutting off a protestant’s
head, and things were different now-a-days. Still, he was a “ most Chris
tian king,” and severity would have been unbecoming, so he only revoked
the edict, and ordered every protestant to leave the kingdom within fif
teen days. There wras a kindness about this, that puts us in mind o f that
shown to the blind S am son by his Philistine captors, when they let him
amuse himself with the tread-mill; or, what is more secular, but quite as
much to the point, o f T om T humb and the O g r e , when the latter pro
posed that they should have a race home, and the one that got there first
should eat the other. They had fifteen days in which to leave the king
dom, or,— what ? I f you wish to know, go to the records o f that time, to
the most impartial accounts that have ever been written o f it. Read, if
you can, the lists o f hundreds and thousands of beings, many o f them
delicate women and little children, who died upon the scaffold, who were
minced to bits by the swords of the dragoons, who perished in the hard
ships of the galleys, who starved in loathsome dungeons, who died from
nightly exposure to winter storms, whose hands and feet were slowly
roasted, whose ribs were broken in one at a time, whose lips were burnt
with red-hot irons, or whose hearts broke with the cruel loss o f all that
had made life lovely.
Four hundred thousand protestants poured out their life-blood to wash
away the sins o f the Grand Monarque; the sacrifice was sufficient, in
326
Something about Silk.
[April,
deed it was more than enough ; and to prevent a waste o f so much merit,
and bring forward his own end of the account, the king permitted him
self a few small extra peccadilloes for the rest o f his life. How the bal
ance struck at last, is an item not to be found in the records of earth.
Four hundred thousand other protestants escaped, and o f these, eightythousand skilful workmen took refuge in England. The entire com
merce of France was crippled, many of her trades were crushed out of
existence, more than half o f her silk weavers were gone, and the looms
of Lyons had decreased to four thousand. After having deliberately
parted with a large piece o f her back-bone, France felt the need of the
discarded vertebrae, and would fain have had it back again, but it was too
late. The most solemn and brilliant promises could not induce the best
artisans to return. England reaped a grand harvest in reward for her
hospitality towards the exiles ; many pursuits, hitherto unknown in Great
Britain, were introduced and carried on by them, and the silk manufac
ture in particular, which up to that time had been extremely crude and
imperfect, was brought to the highest perfection.
Nearly thirty thousand refugees settled in Spitalfields or thereabouts,
the majority of whom were weavers, penniless and homeless; they were
at first relieved by an appropriation of Parliament, but their skill and
diligence soon placed them quite beyond all need of assistance; owing to
them the silk trade prospered exceedingly, and by the year 1713 more
than 300,000 persons maintained themselves by it. The children’s chil
dren of these weavers still live where their forefathers established them
selves. You may know their dwellings throughout Spitalfields by the
long rows o f windows in the upper stories, for the poor weaver must
catch every ray of light that can pierce the smoky canopy o f London, and
at the best, his eyes are red and tired with straining. It is a weary life;
all the bright hours o f the day are spent in close application to the loom,
for he must make silk while the sun shines ; there is constant stooping
of the back, constant moving o f the arms, constant watching with the
eyes, and even the feet must do their share o f work.
The weaver grows pallid, and haggard, and bent, and his wife and
children wear their lives away over the finer and smaller silk fabrications,
tassels and gimps, and buttons, netted fringe and twisted cords.
In Lyons their life is, if possible, harder still. There, the ninety
thousand weavers work from four in the morning till nine at night,
crowded into great factories, that “ resemble bee-hives, with their tiers
of cells.” Each cell has a window, and each window lights a machine.
Yet, toilsome as these lives are, and striking as is the contrast between
the sallow, crooked artisan, and the flashing, brilliant-hued fabrics into
which he weaves his health and strength and life, their condition is a
hundred times better than it was forty years ago. Until that time the
silk looms were very complicated, and not only was the weaver himself
compelled to ten-fold exertion, but their numerous cords and pedals re
quired constant guidance. These must be managed by young children,
under-grown women, or stunted boys. Whatever was very small, and
very nimble, and very uncomplaining, would answer. All day long,
through weary, weary hours, the same distorted attitude must be re
gained ; they grew blanched in the heavy shadow of the loom ; they
breathed a death-giving atmosphere, composed of exhalations of ma
chinery-oil, and feathery floating silk fuzz; they crouched, in painful,
1862.]
Something about Silk.
327
cramped positions, till nature gave up her struggle for straightness, and
lay aggrieved and ashamed under many a crook and twist, that soon
fastened the victim to a bed o f sickness, or, more kindly, laid his body
of pain in the grave. Whoever looked upon this frightful amount o f
misery longed to relieve i t ; to free the children from deformity and early
death, and the parents from undying remorse. But longings accom
plished nothing,— pity was not relief,— and what philanthropists had
sighed over in vain, was at last attained by a poor artisan, J oseph
M a r ie J a c q u a r d , “ the child of the people, the child o f the loom.”
He
labored long and faithfully in silence ; but his toil was crowned at last
with success. A certain change in the form of the loom, a certain in
genious way of securing the threads, cancelled the need o f more than
one attendant for each machine, and greatly lightened the labors of that
one. J a c q u a r d was diffident and retiring, and had no knowledge o f the
means of securing public attention or favor ; but he showed the result of
his invention to one friend and another, and the piece of work passed as
a curiosity from hand to hand, till at last it arrived at Paris. In the
mean time J a c q u a r d , busy about other things, had almost forgotten his
own invention, and the new loom had long lain in a corner o f his shop,
broken and disordered, when suddenly he was summoned before the
prefect of Lyons, and told to exhibit his machine. He demanded three
weeks time to restore it to a working condition again, and, on the ap
pointed day, presented himself and his loom for the prefect’ s inspection.
This amiable functionary was delighted with it, more especially because
he was able himself to continue the web which the weaver had set up.
The machine was sent to Paris, and by the next mail came an order for
the presence of the inventor. Governments have an untender w7ay o f
conferring benefits; without a word of explanation, J a c q u a r d was seized,
in a maze of terror, carried post-haste to Paris, under the escort o f a
guard, and thrust suddenly into the presence o f N ap o le o n and his min
ister, C a r n o t . The latter, with his usual bluntness, exclaimed, “ Is this
the man, then, who pretends to do what Heaven has made impossible,—
tie a knot with a tight thread ?” Quite appalled by the new and sac
rilegious light in which his dear invention was held up to him, the poor
weaver shook in his sabots, and could find nothing to say ; but he put
his machine in motion, and vindicated his aspersed piety by proving that
Heaven had not made the matter impossible to him. That fact estab
lished, he was presented with a big medal and a little pension, both o f
which he carried, chuckling, home to his wife.
The loom was adopted everywhere, except in Lyons. The Lyonnese
could not believe that one o f their own ignorant artisans had achieved
so great a triumph. They scoffed at J a c q u a r d and mobbed his house ;
they tore his machine to pieces, burnt the wood, and sold the iron for its
weight.
His wife died, and, in all his sorrows, not one hand was
stretched out in sympathy, not one compassionate word was spoken.
He went away, heavy-hearted, to an isolated cottage, where he lived
alone, with his medal and his pension, and where he died, solitary and
despised. When Lyons found that rival cities were excelling her in the
quality and rapidity o f their manufactures, she adopted the new loom
too ; but J a c q u a r d was not there to see,— the web of his life had been
finished long before,— so the people, with tardy repentance, said, “ Poor
J a c q u ard !” — and put up a bronze statue o f him in the public square.
328
Something about Silk.
[April,
Since then, many varied improvements, o f less importance, have been
made, here and there, in both the manufacture and culture of silk. There
is hardly a civilized nation which has not experimented, more or less, in
both pursuits; to see with what success, we need only look at the present
political position o f this masterful insect, Bombyx. He clings with un
changing fondness to China, his own, his dear, his native land, and that
empire furnishes every year more than a third o f the whole silk produce
o f the world. Italy stands next in the rank of cultivators, and from her
vast cocooneries sends out one-fourth o f the entire supply; France and
India contribute each one-tenth; Japan, Persia and Spain give a lesser
fraction, and the other nations come straggling after, with their smaller
quotas. In our own country, twenty years ago, the .annual crop was
more than sixty thousand pounds of cocoon s; ten years ago it was less
than eleven thousand. In several other places the decrease has been
almost as great, and manufacturers have quaked a little with fear of a
diminished supply. But there is no ground for any such apprehension;
the crop has lessened only in the most northern boundaries of its culti
vation. The resources o f China, Italy, India or Spain are not yet half
developed, and there is no definite limit to the amount of silk they might
produce, if they were stimulated to it by an increased demand. All
things are in their favor, climate, soil, and the experience of years. If
there be, indeed, any clanger of an insufficient supply, let the silkgrowers of these countries call a convention for the discussion o f the
subject,— a new Diet of Worms, in fact,— and exhort each other to greater
efforts.
The Bombyx is a coy creature in cold climates, and needs the seduc
tive influences o f warm suns and soft winds to make him put forth his
best energies. However well or ill the more northern countries of
Europe may succeed in the attempt, we doubt whether silk-growing
can ever be made a thoroughly profitable enterprise in the United States.
O f course it will be dabbled in by that select class o f persons who rejoice
in new ways o f spending money and wasting time; but we think few
others will persevere in it. And why should they 2 The mission o f
America is not to grow silk. Granaries are better than cocooneries; for
the world needs bread more than it needs silk. A land that fills its own
barns and storehouses, till they run over with fullness, and has still
enough of its bounteous profusion left to pour corn and oil into the gar
ners of the nations, holds a first place among the earth’s Great Reapers,
and gathers in a more noble harvest than any,— even the lives of hunger
ing men.
1862.]
329
Post Office Finances.
POST
HOW HAS THE POSTAL
OFFICE
REVENUE
FINANCES.
BEEN
AFFECTED
BY
REDUCING THE
RATES OF POSTAGE ?
B y P liny M iles.
I n 1845 the rates o f letter postage, which for some thirty years had
ranged from six to twenty-five cents, were reduced to five and ten cents.
In 1851 another reduction was made— single letters being charged three
cents, if pre-paid, and five cents when not pre-paid. In 1855 the charge
was fixed at three cents, pre-payment compulsory, for distances under
3,000 miles, and ten cents when sent beyond that distance. Under the
old high scale of charges, which existed up to 1845, the rates o f letter
postage must have averaged not far from fifteen cents; so that our
present postal tax may be stated at one-fifth the average rate previous to
any reductions. The letters and other mail matter sent to and from
California are estimated at about one-fiftieth part o f all that passes
through the Post Office ; so the California postage has little perceptible
effect on the postal revenue. Our letter postage being only one-fifth
the amount per letter that our citizens had to pay previous to 1845, it
becomes an interesting, and, at the present time, an important subject of
inquiry to learn what effect these reductions have had on the Post Office
finances. The people have obtained great advantages by the reduction
o f postage, as they have sent an equal number o f letters at far less cost,
and have necessarily taken advantage of low postages to increase their
business, friendly, and social correspondence, very largely. As business
correspondence is both large and expensive among a people where a
very great number are engaged in commercial and manufacturing pur
suits, and as many families are separated by migrations and facilities for
travel, it would be difficult to compute the very great and wide-spread
advantages which low postages have conferred on the people of the
United States.
The number of letters sent through the Post Office
during the last ten years o f high postages, ranged from twenty-five to
forty millions annually, while, under low postages, the postal correspond
ence last year was estimated at 160,000,000 to 170,000,000 letters.
Cheap and uniform, postage in England tells a far more favorable story,
as the one rate is o f greater convenience than several, and as two cents
(a penny sterling) is a lower and more popular charge than three. The
number o f letters sent by post, in Great Britain, in 1839, the last year
o f the high rates, (which averaged twelve cents a letter,) was 76,000,000,
while the official report o f last year (1861) gave the enormous number
of 564,000,000 letters. From 1847 to 1857— ten years— the popula
tion o f London alone wrote and sent through the post 920,000,000
letters, while, during the same ten years, the people of the entire United
States only wrote 888,000,000 letters ; being a less number for 25,000,000
Americans than for two and a half million Londoners.
330
P ost Office Finances.
[April,
But I set out to exhibit the effect o f reduced postage on our Post
Office finances.
As postmasters are paid by a commission on the
amount o f money received, and as labor in the Post Office is abridged
by making the rates uniform, and by a simplification of duties, it is
evident that a million o f dollars costs the government no more with
low rates than with high.
On the 11th o f March, 1858, the chairman o f the Committee of
Ways and Means addressed a letter to the Postmaster General, (Hon.
A. V. B r o w n ,) asking him to communicate to the committee the effect
that had been produced on the Post Office revenue by the various re
ductions o f postage. There is no law or penal enactment compelling
Postmasters General to be able statisticians and good financiers. If
there were, I greatly fear that quite a number of these functionaries
would end their careers in the penitentiary. It is, however, to be re
gretted and deplored, as a national calamity, that the ignorance or dis
honesty o f a cabinet officer, having the control o f that important De
partment o f the government, should, through his blunders, his incapacity
or otherwise, convey, by a fallacious report, a false impression, which
controls Congress and future Postmasters General for years, and thus
prevents enlightened legislation on a matter as important as a good
postal system and cheap rates o f postage. W e have actually paid many
million dollars more in postages, under the lowest rates, than we should
have paid either under the high rates in vogue previous to 1845, or un
der the somewhat reduced, but comparatively high charges of five and
ten cents, from 1845 to 1851. And the double advantage of augmented
postal revenues to the Post Office Department, and of cheap postages to
the people, have been disguised, falsified and kept out of sight by a fal
lacious report, sent forth by a high government official, and referred to as
a conclusive argument, whenever a reduction or an equalization o f post
age is asked for or discussed. It is a fact worth noticing, that heads of
the Post Office Department, as well as members of Congress from the
Southern States, almost invariably oppose, with all their might, any and
every reduction o f postage, while the senators and representatives from
northern States as uniformly vote for low postage.
What would be thought of the capacity or shrewdness o f a merchant
who should attempt to satisfy himself o f the good or bad policy of an
extensive change in his business premises and business arrangements, by
looking at the effect produced on his income for only a few months or a
single year ? Perhaps the income o f the entire year had been greatly di
minished by the very changes that were introduced on purpose to give
a permanent benefit. The late Postmaster General has made a greater
error than that. He has not only based his entire calculation regarding
the postal revenue for a period that ranges over eighteen jmars, by con
sulting the figures for only three separate years, while the revenue for
these three years happened to be accidentally favorable for his purpose.
The following example will show the mode o f reasoning adopted, and the
fallacy of the conclusions arrived a t : A man has an income in the year
1846 of $6,000, and this income in the year 1851 happens to be $0,000,
and at once the problem is solved, by saying his income increased during
six years fifty per cent., without paying any attention to the income dur
ing the intervening years between 1846 and 1851. The same man, or
another, has a business that in 1852 yields him $6,000, and this business
1862.]
331
Post Office Finances.
in 1857 is found to produce just $6,000, and no more, and forthwith it
is decided that he has made no progress, while the entire term of years
has not been consulted at all. The complete statement will be fully ap
preciated by seeing it in tabular form, as follows:
Year .
Income.
1846,........ . $ 6,000
1841,........
5,100
1848,........
5,400
1849.........
5,100
1850,........
4,800
1851,........
9,000
Total,...
. $36,000
Gain or Joes.
..
..
Year.
1852,........ .
$ 300 loss. 1853.........
1854.........
600 “
900 “
1855,........
1,200 “
1856,........
3,000 gain 185lj........
. . no gain.
Income.
$ 6,000
6,300
6,600
6,900
1,200
6,000
Total,... . . $39,000
Gain or Loss.
..
..
$ 300 gain.
600 “
900 “
1,200 “
. . $3,000 gain.
Because the income happened to be $9,000 in 1851, it does not follow
that the entire period from 1846 to 1851 had been one of prosperity.
Neither does the circumstance that occurs in the next period, where the
income in 1852 is $6,000, and is the same sum in 1857, prove that there
had been during that period no increase or prosperity. To see the exact
state of the case, and how the income was affected or stood during the
six years, we must distribute the loss or gain equally over the entire
period, and if there is a substantial gain or tendency to increase, we must
place the figures, not on the level o f a general average, but in a regular
ascending series. The true condition of the two periods would then
stand thus:
Year.
Income.
1846,........ . .
1841,........
1848,........
1849.........
1850,........
1851,........
$ 6,000
6,000
6,000
6,000
6,000
6,000
Total,.. . . . $36,000
Gain or Loss.
..................
.................
.................
..................
..................
..................
Year.
Income.
Gain or Loss.
1852,........ ..
1853,........
1854,........
1855.........
1856,........
1851,........
$ 6,000
6,200
6,400
6,600
6,800
1,000
$ 200 gain.
400 “
600 “
800 «
1,000 “
Total,.. . . $ 39,000
.. $3,000 gain.
The final results are the same as before. In the one case the gain in
1851 is distributed over the previous years to cancel the loss, while the
increase during the second period is distributed by a regular gradation
or arithmetical progression over the six years from 1852 to 1857.
In our national affairs, whether we look at the customs receipts, the
proceeds of sales o f public lands, postal revenues, or other finances, we
shall find fluctuations; the income sometimes from known, and often
from unknown causes, being higher or lower in some years than others.
The normal condition o f postal, as well as other national revenues, must
be that of continual increase, so long as the country is rapidly and con
stantly increasing in population, wealth and business. But a year of
bad crops, a wide-spread pestilence, a devastating war, or a financial cri
sis may, for one or more years, diminish or affect any or all branches o f
national income very materially. It is a pregnant and significant fact,
that in Great Britain, where postages are low and uniform, and the Post
Office meets the wishes of the people, the increase o f correspondence and
postal revenue is many times greater than the increase o f population,
while in the United States the postal revenue and the number o f letters
[April,
P ost Office Finances.
332
do not increase much faster than the number o f the people. Here we
have not the most popular low rate o f postage, and our postal system is,
in many particulars, inconvenient and unsatisfactory. In Great Britain,
one year with another, there are twenty-four million letters written each
year over and above the number the year previous, while the average in
crease in the United States is only seven millions annually. During the
last six or eight years o f the high rates of postage— previous to 1845— our
postal revenue remained almost entirely stationary. The people wrote
few letters, (not one-tenth the number written in England with a two
cent rate,) and sent them outside the mails as much as possible. Our
postal revenue in 1839 was $4,417,614, and in 1845— the last year of the
high rates— it produced $4,439,842. Because there was a decrease in
going at once from 1839 to 1845 without regarding the intervening
years, it does not follow, nor can we justly conclude, that there was a
positive and actual decrease. The Postmaster General takes the acci
dentally diminished revenue of 1845 (the last year o f the old period of
high rates) and goes at one bound to the year 1851— the last year o f the
first era o f low postages, (five and ten cent rates,) and a year that hap
pened to have a very high postal income. Then he goes at another
bound six years more to the last year previous to the time he made the
statement, and the sixth year of the second era of low postages, (three to
five cents,) and that year (1857) the postal revenue happened, from some
causes, to be a low year in finances. And because the nominal per centage of increase from the revenue o f 1845— a false basis— to the revenue
o f 1851— another false basis— (without regard to any o f the intervening
years of either period) happens to be greater than the nominal increase
from the revenue o f 1851 to the revenue of the year 1857, our Post
master General at once decides that, though the first reduction of postage
gave a greatly increased revenue, that increase had not been kept up after
the subsequent and further reductions o f postage in 1851 and 1855.
Now, having seen the utter fallacy of the argument from such a basis, let
us see what the facts are. The following tabular statement gives a view
o f the
Postal Revenue during the last years o f the high Rates o f Postage.
Year.
1839,
_
1840,
_
1841,----1842,___
1843,___
1844,___
1845,....
Actual Revenue.
Revenue with
regular Increase.
Increase or Decrease.
$ 4,477,614
4,543,522
4,407,726
5,029,507
4,296,225
4,237,288
4,439,842
....
....
....
....
___
___
$ 65,908
69,888
551,893
181,389
240,326
37,722
Total,. . $31,431,724
....
$ 88,426 increase,
increase,
decrease,
increase,
decrease,
“
“
___
___
___
___
___
___
____
$ 4,477,614
4,481,825
4,486,035
4,490,246
4,494,457
4,498,668
4,502,879
___
$31,431,724
The total net increase over the revenue for 1839 during the six follow
ing years was $88,426, and this increase is distributed, in the last column
o f figures, by a regular gradation or arithmetical progression over the in
come of the entire period. The amounts foot up the same. The regu
lated revenue o f 1845 is $4,502,879, and on that sum, as a basis or
1862.]
333
Post Office Finances.
starting point, the calculations respecting the increase o f evenue dur
ing the next six years— 1845 to 1851— must be based. Had the increase
or progress of the revenue been regular, instead of being more or less
spasmodic or irregular, the actual revenue for the year 1845 would have
been the above mentioned sum. W e will now see the figures for the
next period, being the
Postal Revenue during the first term o f low Postage.
Year.
1845,___
1846,___
1847,___
1848,___
1849,___
1850,___
1851,___
Actual Revenue.
$ 4,502,879
4,089,090
4,013,447
4,161,078
4,705,176
5,552,971
6,727,867
Total. . . $ 33,752,508
Revenue with
regular Increase.
Increase or Decrease.
...
...
...
...
..
$413,789 decrease,
U
489,432
U
341,801
202,297 increase,
u
1,050,092
u
2,224,988
$4,502,879
4,609,181
4,715,484
4,821,787
4,928,090
5,034,392
5,140,695
$ 2,232,355 increase,
. . . $ 33,752,508
W e see that the regulated revenue in the last column— where the in
crease of the receipts, year by year proceeds, by a regular ascending
series— shows the income for 1851 to bo $5,140,695. This is the true
basis to start upon and make our estimate o f the increase o f revenue for
the next period of six years ending with 1857.
Postal Revenue during six years o f the last term o f low Postages.
Year.
Actual Revenue.
Revenue with
regular Increase.
Increase or Decrease.
1851,
_ $5,140,695
1852,
_
5,784,527
1853,___
5,940,724
1854,___
6,955,986
1855,___
7,342,136
1856,
___
7,620,822
1857,___
8,053,952
$ 643,832 increase,
800,029
“
1,815,291
“
2,201,441
“
2,480,127
“
2,913,257
“
$5,140,695
5,657,551
6,174,407
6,691,263
7,208,120
7,724,975
8,241,831
Total,.. $ 46,838,842
$ 10,853,977 increase,
. . $46,838,842
..
Does this look as if the reductions o f postage had proved a failure,
even when reckoned on the most sordid basis o f financial accumulation ?
I confess I can’t see it. Our late Postmaster General made out, by the
shallowest and most fallacious reasoning that ever humbugged a Con
gressional committee, that the last reduction of postage (in 1851) proved
deleterious or disastrous to the finances of the department by checking
the increase that had been going on during the first period of low postal
charges— 1845 to 1851. W e see by the figures I have given (and all
copied from official reports) how utterly false and baseless these preten
sions are. The total gain or increase in each period over and above the
legitimate revenue o f the last year of the previous period, and the in
crease per annum, as well as the per centage o f increase, will be seen in
the following figures:
334
[April,
Post-Office Finances.
Period.
1839 to 1845,___
1845 to 1851,___
1851 to 1857,___
Total gain
or Increase.
Increase
p er annum.
$ 88,426
2,232,355
10,853,977
$ 14,738
372,059
1,808,966
Total gain
p er cent.
Annual
gain p er
cent.
.05 . .
.008
14.00 . .
2.3
60.00 . . 10.0
The increase o f postal revenue was one-twentieth o f one per cent, dur
ing the last six years of high postages; fourteen per cent, during the six
years forming the first period o f low postages, and sixty per cent, during
the next six years, (1851 to 1857,) or the period o f lowest postages. In
amount the revenue showed a total increase of postal income over the
revenue of 1851 of more than 810,800,000, while the gross income dur
ing the previous six years had only exhibited an increase o f a little over
two millions dollars. During the last six years o f high postages the ex
hibit was infinitely worse, the increase being only $88,426 ! Extend the
calculation to 1860, and the result is equally encouraging with the pro
gress from 1851 to 1857. The gross increase over the income o f 1851,
for the nine years ending with 1860, was $15,664,541, or an increase of
81 per cent.
Now let us make one more calculation, and see how the postal revenue
from 1851 to 1860 would have been at the rate of increase that prevailed
from 1845 to 1851. W e undoubtedly have a right to assume, that at the
same rates of postage (five and ten cents) prevailing during that period,
(1845 to 1851,) the same or a similar rate o f increase would have continued.
There is no instance on record o f a reduction o f postage rates in any
country that did not, in a very limited number o f years, give a perma
nent augmentation o f postal revenue, and far beyond what would have re
sulted from former high rates. This is true to my personal knowledge
o f the postal systems of Prussia, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, France,
Spain, Great Britain and the United States. But let us see how our
postal revenue stood, or rather progressed, during the period o f our low
est postages— from 1851 to 1860— and how it would have been at the
slower rate of increase that prevailed from 1845 to 1851, but which was
far more rapid than the increase (before 1845) during the last years of
high postages.
Postal Revenue, during nine years o f the lowest Rates o f Postage.
Year.
1851,
1852,
1853,
1854,
1855,
1856,
1857,
1858,
1859,
1860,
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
Total,
Revenue as it was.
Revenue by
regular increase.
$5,140,695
5,784,527
5,940,724
6,955,986
7,342,136
7,620,822
8,053,952
8,186,793
7,968,484
9,218,067
$5,140,695
5,603,034
6,065,372
6,527,711
6,990,049
7,452,388
7,914,726
8,377,065
8,839,403
9,301,743
$ 67,071,491
____
$67,071,491
Revenue, as it
would have been
at rate o f in
crease from 1845
to 1851.
___
___
___
___
____
___
___
___
___
___
$5,140,695
5,246,997
5,353,300
5,459,602
5,565,905
5,672,207
5,778,510
5,884,812
5,991,115
6,097,418
____$51,049,866
1862.]
Post Office Finances.
335
In adding up the columns, the revenue for 1851 is omitted. The
actual state o f our postal finances appears to be th is: during the nine
years of the lowest rates o f postage— 1852 to 1860, inclusive— there was
a gross increase, over and above the legitimate revenue o f 1851, to the
amount o f $20,805,236, while, at the ratio o f increase during the higher
rates of postage— from 1845 to 1851— the augmentation of revenue
would have been only $4,783,611. In other words, the people o f the
United States, during the last nine years, paid to the Post Office, in
postages, over s i x t e e n m i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s ($16,021,625) more than
they would have paid at the higher rates o f postage— five to ten cents—
prevailing from 1845 to 1851.
A leading London newspaper, in commenting on the vastly increased
revenue (and dividends o f eight per cent, per annum, in place o f four) o f
the Brighton Railway Company, and all in consequence o f greatly re
duced fares to the public, made use o f this expression : “ The case appears
to be this, that the more the fares are reduced the more money the com
pany make.” The same is literally true o f our Post Office— as far as we
have gone— in reducing our rates o f postage. If my figures, and the de
ductions made from them, are fallacious, I am willing, and more than
willing, that they should be corrected; but if they are substantially cor
rect, let no man pretend, on the experience o f the past, that our Post
Office finances have suffered in consequence of reductions o f postage. If
only a certain sum is paid into the Post Office, by the people, for
postage, then what they have not paid remains in their pockets, and
can be used in any other way, or paid out for any other purpose. If the
Post Office is not a help and a hand-maid to commerce and trade, it
better be abolished, and let the express companies carry our letters. If
the people show no appreciation o f the boon of low postages, then let it
remain at any figure— or figures, rather, for there are a good many of
them— where it now is. If, on the other hand, they have sent a hun
dred millions more letters annually since postage was reduced; if they
have, at each reduction o f postage, poured more and more money into the
Post Office treasury ; and if they have petitioned Congress, by numerous
memorials, to equalize our letter postage, on the uniform scale of two
cents, then pray let the bill introduced by Mr. H u tch in s be passed and
become a law. I f Postmasters General, or Post Office committee-men do
not appreciate the wants, and will not answer the prayers and pleadings
of the citizens of our great cities and densely populated communities at
the North and East, because they happen to be denizens o f the non
letter-writing, less social, less commercial and less literary regions of the
South or West, then “ we must blow our nails together, and fast it fairly
out, for our cake is dough on both sides.” But, some day, more appre
ciative men will arise, and give us a good Post Office, with the single uni
form rate of two cents. If just two cents is not the highest popular
price for articles o f great and universal demand, and that are consumed
by the million, how do we account for nearly six hundred millions o f let
ters sent annually by post, in Great Britain, at that exact sum, while the
Americans barely write a hundred and seventy millions, at three cents ?
If two cents is not a universally popular price for the million, how does
it happen that our daily newspapers, which are published a't that price,
get a circulation o f 50,000 to 100,000 copies, while no daily paper in
the English language, at three cents per number, ever printed 20,000
336
P ost Office Finances.
copies? Disguise it as we may, slur over the facts, or get up false
figures, to prove that high postages ever did or ever will give as large
a revenue as low, the great fact stands out boldly on the face of
all postal experience, that the lowest rates of postage ever tried, in
each and every country in the world, have proved the most profitable.
A leading editor thinks the postage better remain at three cents.
Has he read the late Postmaster General’s false figures and falser logic ?
or, has he never seen the financial exhibit disclosed in this article?
There are several minor facts that I have omitted, and which would
make the argument for low postage still stronger; one is, that the very
great reduction of postage on regular newspapers and periodicals, by the
act of August 30, 1852, has made a permanent reduction in the annual
postal revenue o f about $500,000— the postages from that source falling
from over a million to about six hundred thousand dollars a year, and
there remaining. The rates of postage proposed in Mr. H u tch in s ’ bill
will only equalize the rates on printed matter, without any average re
duction. The same may be said o f the other rates; for, by this bill, all
the one cent rates now charged— for drop letters, transient newspapers,
<fcc.— are raised to two cents. But if we call the equalization o f letter
postage to a uniform charge o f two cents a clean and simple reduction,
and nothing else, I assert, without any fear o f contradiction, that every
single day’s experience o f reduced postage rates, in this country and
every other, proves conclusively that the smallest sums in'postal charges
have ever been found the most profitable. There are many men, with
out doubt, who will still cling to the idea that there must be more
money made at a higher than at a lower rate. But where are the facts
to prove it ? They do not exist, except in the brains of those who can
not or will not see that fifteen dimes are more than a single dollar.
The fact that our national legislature has established a scale of postal
rates, wherein numerous articles and packages are sent through the mails
for one cent— a rate that is of itself unremunerative— as a set-off to the
three cent postage on letters, is a virtual acknowledgment that two cents,
as an average charge, is high enough. In utter defiance of all principles
o f public and private economy, our Post Office compels us, here in NewYork, to remember and pay the following twelve distinct rates:
1. Letter delivered by carrier, 3 c. extra.
2.
3.
4.
6.
A forwarded letter, 3 cents extra.
Dead letter returned, 3 cents extra.
Circular delivered by carrier, -i c. extra.
Ordinary letter, prepaid, 3 cents.
6 . Local or drop letter, 1 cent.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Mail letter put in lamp-post box, 4 cts.
Printed circular, 1 cent.
Small pamphlet, 1 cent.
Transient newspaper, 1 cent.
Two papers in one package, 2 cents.
Newspaper to Europe, 2 cents.
The new postal bill abolishes the three first-named “ extra” charges, as
they bring no financial return commensurate with the trouble and annoy
ance they occasion. All o f the remaining items o f the eleven different
rates are reduced or raised to the one uniform postage o f two cents, with
a two-cent stamp to pay it. If those who use the mails but little cannot
appreciate the great simplicity and immense economy of this change, the
residents o f New-York can. The citizens o f New-York City pay onetenth of all our postal revenue, an amount more than equal to three
ordinary States; and they have asked, in numerous public meetings,
resolutions and memorials, to be relieved from a vexatious system, that
brings no more revenue than will the one simple, economical, uniform
charge provided in Mr. H u tch in s ’ bill.
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
337
H A R B O R D E F E N C E S ON G R E A T L A K E S A N D R I V E R S .
H arbor D efences on L akes and R ivers proposed as a measure likely to promote peace —
R apid advance in P rosperity of N orthwestern States—-Increase of P opulation—V alue
of R eal and P ersonal P roperty —I ncrease in P olitical P ower —T onnage and V aluation
of V essels engaged in Commerce of L akes akd now building —A ggregate of I mports and
E xports of L ake T owns—T he great importance of the N orthwest, and the little aid it
has received from the F ederal T reasury —P lan of D efences : F irst. TnB establishment
of SnoRE D efences. S econd. T he establishment of a N ational F oundry on the U pper
L akes. T hird . T he E nlargement of the I llinois and M ichigan Can al for Military
purposes.
consider the following very able report o f the Hon. I s a a c N.
(chairman o f the “ select committee on defence o f great lakes,
and rivers” ) of so much importance that we publish it entire. The ex
cellent map which accompanies this number o f the M e r c h a n t s ’ M a g a
zin e will, at the same time, be found of great assistance in the study o f
the general subject of lake defences.* The report is as follows:
W
A
e
rn old
The line between the United States and the British possessions in
North America, running from the Gulf o f St. Lawrence on the east, and
extending west through the river St. Lawrence, thence through Lake On
tario, Niagara River, Lake Erie, and thence westerly through the great
lakes to and beyond the frontier settlements, presents a boundary line
running through these great lakes and rivers o f more than three thousand
miles in extent.
The feeling o f good neighborhood, of reciprocity o f interests, and of
mutual good will, had been growing up, and, with slight disturbance, had
continued since the close of the war o f 1 8 1 2. For nearly half a century
we have regarded our Canadian neighbors as our good friends, with whom
we desired to establish the kindest and most intimate business, commer
cial and social relations. In the great lines o f railway and water commu
nication between the east and west, combinations and connections have
been established of mutual advantage. A treaty o f reciprocity has been
entered into. Some of our great thoroughfares o f trade and travel have
not avoided the Canadian territory, all indicating a willingness to break
down or disregard division lines, and to live on terms o f mutual good
will. During this period the few scattered and imperfect defensive works
and fortifications which had been constructed on the frontier had fallen
into decay, and in some instances the military reservations around our
old forts had been converted into station grounds and depots o f railways.
W e had come to regard it as scarcely within the range o f possibility that
we should go to war with our neighbor over the line. This very neglect
o f the means o f defence recent events have indicated has increased the
danger and liability o f war; so that it seems that the best security for
peace is to be prepared for war. The defence o f the great lakes and rivers,
* In the department of statistics of trade and commerce for this month will be
found the report of the trade and commerce of Chicago, Toledo and Buffalo for the
past year—matters of especial interest in connection with this report.
VOL. XLVI.— NO. IV.
22
338
[April,
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
therefore, is suggested by the president to the consideration of Congress
as a measure likely to promote peaceful relations between the two na
tions. As such, and with the sincere desire that nothing may ever
disturb the peaceful relations so happily heretofore existing, and so im
portant to the growth and development o f both countries, we urge defen
sive measures on the consideration of Congress. The rapid advance in
the prosperity of the British provinces, and more especially o f the United
States since the close of the war o f 1812, furnishes a striking illustration
of the blessings of peace. The population of the United States, in 1815,
was 8,638,131 ; in 1860 it was 31,148,571. The Stages of Indiana,
Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas,
have been admitted into the Union since 1815, and in the following
order:
Indiana, in .....................................................................
Illinois, in ......................................................................
Missouri, in ....................................................................
Michigan, in ..................................................................
Wisconsin, in ................................................................
Iowa, in .........................................................................
Minnesota, in.................................................................
Kansas, in ......................................................................
1816
1818
1821
1837
1848
1846
1857
1860
The Northwestern States to-day have a population o f 9,073,055.
The Northwest has sprung into existence, and developed the propor
tions o f an empire since the close of the war o f 1812.
It may not be improper to take a brief survey o f the growth and pres
ent condition o f the Northwest and its commerce to show the value and
importance of the interests we are now about to ask the government to
defend. Before doing so, however, a brief description o f the lakes may
not be uninteresting.
Nearly midland o f the North American continent there extends a vast
chain o f lakes and rivers three thousand miles in extent, connected on the
east by the St. Lawrence with the Atlantic ; and nature has provided that
these vast highways o f commerce may be connected by a ship canal
across a narrow portage with the Mississippi River and its tributaries on
the southwest.
Lake Superior is a vast inland sea of 32,000 square miles, and 2,000
miles o f coast, 420 miles long by 160 broad.
Lake Michigan, with 22,000 square miles o f surface, 1,200 miles of
coast, 320 miles long by 82 wide.
Lake Huron, with 24,000 square miles of surface, 2,000 miles o f coast,
260 miles long by 110 broad.
Here we have three great seas o f near 80,000 square miles o f surface,
and 5,000 miles of coast.
These bodies of water find an outlet through the river and Lake St.
Clair, and the magnificent straits of Detroit into Lake Erie, 90 miles from
Lake Huron. Lake Erie, 250 miles long and 60 broad, discharges its
waters down the falls o f Niagara into Lake Ontario, 180 miles long and
60 broad, and thence the waters of these great lakes find their way to the
ocean through the St. Lawrence.
It is a very remarkable fact, that the portage between these great lakes
and those streams which find an outlet in the Gulf o f Mexico, is not more
than eight to twelve feet above the level o f Lake Michigan, and within
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Divers.
339
ten miles of Chicago. The Chicago River, running into Lake Michigan
and the Des Plaines River, finding its way into the Mississippi through
the Illinois, are within a stone’s throw o f each other, and, indeed, in high
water, the Des Plaines finds an outlet into Lake Michigan, so that small
boats pass directly from Lake Michigan into the Des Plaines. This portage
between Lake Michigan and the navigable waters of the Illinois River
has been cut through by the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and needs but
widening and deepening to open a ship channel from the Mississippi to
the lakes, the most important work fo r either military or commercial pu r
poses yet suggested on this continent. This frontier line, from the west
end o f Lake Superior to the St. Lawrence, is over three thousand miles
in extent.
The committee now ask attention to the growth o f the Northwest and
its present commercial importance.
The shores o f these great lakes where now swarm the busy populations
o f the most active and enterprising people perhaps in the world, were,
at the period of the war o f 1812, covered with dark and gloom y forests,
filled with hostile savages. Here ranged the great Indian warrior, T ecumseh, and on the shores o f these waters he made the last desperate
struggle for the hunting grounds o f his race, now so rich in agriculture,
trade and commerce.
The following table shows the growth in population o f the Northwest
since 1820:
N
P o p u l a t io n .
W hen
A d m it t e d .
am e.
1820.
U n i t e d S t a t e s ,.
O h i o , ...................
I n d i a n a ,..............
M i s s o u r i ,............
I l l i n o i s ,................
M i c h ig a n , . . . .
W is c o n s in ,.. . .
I o w a ,....................
M in n e s o t a ,........
P e n n s y l v a n i a ,.
N e w - Y o r k ,____
N o v . 29,
D ec. 11,
A u g . 10,
D ec.
3,
Jan. 26,
M a y 29,
D ee. 28,
--------
1802
1816
1 82 1
1818
1837
1848
1846
1857
1830.
1840.
1850.
1860.
9 ,6 3 8 ,1 3 1 1 2 ,8 6 6 ,0 2 0 1 7 ,0 6 9 ,4 5 3 2 3 ,1 9 1 ,8 7 6 3 1 ,1 4 8 ,5 7 1
5 8 1 ,4 3 4
9 3 7 ,9 0 3 1 ,5 1 9 ,4 6 7 1 ,9 8 0 ,3 2 9 2 ,3 3 9 ,5 9 9
9 8 8 ,4 1 6 1 ,3 5 0 ,9 4 1
3 4 3 ,0 3 1
6 8 5 ,8 6 6
1 4 7 ,1 7 8
6 8 2 ,0 4 4 1 ,1 8 2 ,3 1 7
3 8 3 ,7 0 2
1 4 0 ,4 5 5
6 6 ,5 9 6
4 7 6 ,1 8 3
8 5 1 ,4 7 0 1 ,7 1 1 ,7 5 3
5 5 ,2 1 1
1 5 7 ,4 5 5
3 9 7 ,6 5 4
3 1 ,6 3 9
2 1 2 ,2 8 7
7 4 9 ,1 1 2
8 ,8 9 6
3 0 ,9 4 5
3 0 5 ,3 9 1
7 7 5 ,8 7 3
4 3 ,1 1 2
1 9 2 ,2 1 4
6 7 4 ,9 4 8
1 7 2 ,0 2 2
6 ,0 7 7
1 ,0 4 9 ,4 5 8 1 ,3 4 8 ,2 3 3 1 ,7 2 4 ,0 3 3 2 ,3 1 1 ,7 8 6 2 ,9 0 6 ,3 7 0
1 ,3 7 2 ,8 1 2 1 ,9 1 8 ,6 0 8 2 ,4 2 8 ,9 2 1 3 ,0 9 7 ,3 9 4 3 ,8 8 0 ,7 3 5
....
....
Table showing the population o f the following cities and towns from 1820
to 1860, inclusive.
Cities
and
T owns.
1820.
1830.
1840.
1850.
1860.
Oswego, N. Y .,.. . .
992 . . 2,703 . . 4,665 . . 12,205 . . 16,816
Rochester, N. Y .,....................... 9,269 . . 20,191 . . 36,403 . . 48,204
Buffalo, N. Y .,............................ 8,653 . . 18,213 . . 42,261 . . 81,129
Dunkirk, N. Y .,...................................................................................
5,615
Erie, Penn.,...........
635 . . 1 , 3 2 9 . . 3 , 4 1 2 . .
5,858..
9,419
Cleveland, Ohio,.. .
6 0 6 . . 1,076 . . 6,07 l . . 17,034 . . 43,417
Toledo, Ohio,................................................. 1 , 2 2 2 . . 3 , 8 2 9 . . 13,768
Detroit, Mich.,___
1 , 4 2 2 . . 2 , 2 2 2 . . 9,102 . . 21,019 . . 45,619
Milwaulde, W is.,.......................................... 1,712 . . 20,061 . . 45,254
Chicago, 111.,....................... . .
. . . . . . 4,470 . . 29,963 . . 109,263
St. Louis, M o.,___ 10,049 . . 14,049 . . 16,469 . . 77,860 . . 160.780
340
[April,
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
Table showing the true value o f the real estate and personal property
according to the seventh census, 1850, and the eighth census, 1860, re
spectively.
Real and Personal.
Real and Personal.
1850.
States.
Indiana,..............................
$202,650,264
Illin ois,...............................
156,265,006
23,714,638
Iowa,...................................
Kansas,*......................................
....
Minnesota,*..................................
....
Missouri,.............................
137,247,707
O hio,...................................
504,726,120
W iscon sin,...............................
42,056,595
59,787,255
M ichigan,..........................
$ 1,126,447,585
1860.
....
....
....
____
$528,835,311
871,860,282
247,338,265
31,327,895
52,294,413
501,214,398
1,193,898,422
273,671,668
257,163,983
$ 3,957,604,697
The following table shows the population and area o f the Northwest in
1850 and 1860. The table o f population in 1850 is copied from the
compendium of the United States census of 1850, page 40 ; the table of
areas from the same documents, page 36 ; the table o f population in 1860
from census returns:
States.
Population in
1850.
Population in
1860.
O h io ,............................. 1 , 9 8 0 , 3 2 9 . - 2 , 3 3 9 , 5 9 9 . .
Indiana,........................
988,416 . . 1,350,479 . .
Illinois,..........................
851,470 . . 1,711,753 . .
391,654 . .
749,112 . .
Michigan,......................
W isconsin,....................
305,391..
775,873..
192,214..
674,948..
Iow a,..............................
Minnesota,...................
6,077 . .
162,022 . .
Missouri,.......................
682,044 . . 1,173,317 . .
Kansas,..........................
.............
107,110 . .
Nebraska,......................
.............
28,842 . .
Per cent, o f
Area in
increase in
square miles. Population.
39,964..
18.14
33,809 . .
36.63
55,405 . .
101.03
56,243 . .
88.38
53,924..
154.00
50,914..
251.14
34,591 . . 2,565.65
67,380..
72.30
114,798 ...................
335,882 ...................
Total,.................... 5,403,595 . . 9,073,055 . . 842,910 . .
5,403,595
67.9
Increase in 10 years,............................ 3,669,460
It is estimated that o f this increase, 1,329,066 is the natural increment;
the balance, 2,340,394, by emigration— the Northwest filling up with the
hardy industrial classes coming hither from Europe and the older States.
Population of the United States in 1850, 23,191,876 ; in 1860,
31,429,891 ; increase, 35.52 per cent.
The increase o f the population o f the Northwest during the last ten
years has been 67.9 per cent., while the ratio o f increase in the whole
country has been 35.52. The population of the Northwest by census o f
1860 was 28.85 per cent., or nearly one-third. Of the total increase in
the population of the country, 44.67 per cent, was in the Northwest alone.
* No returns for 1850.
1862.]
341
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
An increase at the same ratio during the present decade will give the
Northwest, in 1870, a population o f 15,212,622, an increase of 6,139,567.
Massachusetts, the most densely populated of all the States, has 157.8
inhabitants to the square mile. A like density o f population in the
Northwest would give us a population of 133,011,198. A density of
population equal to that o f England (332 per square mile) would give an
enumeration of 279,846,120.
The following table will show somewhat o f the advance o f the North
west in political pow er:
Electoral Vote. JBeprcongrees.‘ >
States.
O hio,...................
Indiana,.............
Illinois,.............
Michigan,...........
W isconsin,.........
Iow a,...................
Missouri,...........
Minnesota,. . . .
Kansas,.............
1852.
1864.
. 23 . . 21
. 13 . . 13
. 11 . . 15
8
.
6 ..
.
5 .. 8
.
4 .. 7
.
9 . . 11
. 3
. 3
1851.
Popular Vote f o r President.
1861.
1852.
Total,............. . 71 . . 89 . . 57 . . 71 . .
. 57
. . . . 71 .
Increase,. . . .
.
Total of U. S r
..
234
233
442,441
272,143
339,693
154,749
152,180
128,331
165,518
34,799
922,141 . . 1,689,902
—
. . 922,141
. 14 .....................
. . 18
..
1860.
. . 21 . . 19 . 353,428
.
. . 11 . . 11 . .
183,134 .
. . 9 . . 13 . 155,497 .
82,939 .
. .
4 .. 6
. .
3 .. 6
64,712
.
16,845
.. 2 . . 5
.
65,586 . .
.. 7 . 9
.
. 1 ••
....
.
. 1
—
..
3,126,398
..
767,761
4,662,170
The popular vote of 1852 is copied from the census compendium,
(1850,) p. 50 ; that o f 1860, from the census returns. Under the old
apportionment (1850) the Northwest had 24.31 per cent, of the mem
bers of the House of Representatives, or a fraction less than one-fourth.
Under the census o f 1860 she is entitled to 30.47 per cent., or nearly onethird. A t the presidential election of 1852 the Northwest cast 29.46 per
cent, o f the popular vote. In the presidential election o f 1860 she cast
36.24 per cent, o f the popular vote— more than one-third. In the elec
toral college, in 1860, the Northwest cast 23.14 per cent, o f the vote for
president and vice-president. In 1864 she will cast 29.23 per cent, of
all the States, if no new State is admitted in the mean time.
The following table shows the standing o f the loyal States in respect
to political power in 1852 and 1860 :
1852.
Popular vote for president,.............
Electoral votes,.................................
Under the new census,....................
2,583,918
205
....
1860.
. . 3,805,640
..
....
..
210
In 1852 the Northwest cast 35.68 percent, of the popular vote for
president in the loyal States, and 34.63 per cent, o f the electoral vote.
In 1860 she cast 44.4 per cent, o f the popular vote, and in 1864 will
342
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
[April,
have 40.63 per cent, o f the votes of the loyal States in the electoral
college.
Chicago, being one o f the commercial centres o f the Northwest, it is
proper that some space should be devoted to her commerce.
The value o f imports into Chicago, in 1860, as per
Board o f Trade report, was......................................... $ 97,067,616 89
Value o f exports for same period,...................................
72,713,957 24
Aggregate value o f imports and exports,....................... $ 169,771,574 13
The value o f the imports into Chicago, in 1858, as re
ported b y Col. G r a h a m (Senate Document, part 3,
pp. 890, 891, 36th Congress, 1st session) to the
United States government, was................................... $ 99,032,362 12
81,052,420 05
Value o f exports for same period,...................................
Aggregate value of imports and exports.........................§ 180,084,782 17
The apparent deficiency in 1860, as compared with 1858, is doubtless
owing to the fact that the valuation o f the articles is placed higher in
Colonel G r a h a m ’ s report than the same articles are valued by the Board
o f Trade in 1860, as the quantities received and shipped in the latter
year greatly exceed, in most cases, those o f 1858.
It is believed that the valuation of receipts and shipments in 1861
greatly exceed that o f the commerce o f 1860, (although the prices o f
produce are lower,) inasmuch as the rebellion has diverted to Chicago an
immense trade which was formerly concentrated at St. Louis, Cairo, NewOrleans, and other points on the Mississippi River.
Tables from the Board o f Trade Report, January 1, 1861, showing the
tonnage and valuation o f the vessels engaged in the commerce o f the
Lakes in 1859 and 1860.
AMERICAN BOTTOMS.
Year.
1859.
68
48
72
43
64
833
1,198
Number and Rig.
Tonnage.
steamers,.........
propellers,
tugs,.................
barks,...............
brigs,................
schooners,. . . .
46,240
55,657
7,779
9,666
30,452
173,362
___
___
___
____
____
____
$ 1,779,900
2,217,100
456,500
482,800
456,800
4,378,900
323,156
____
$ 9,811,200
Valuation.
1862.]
CANADIAN BOTTOMS.
Number and Rig.
Tonnage.
Year.
1859.
843
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
54
16
17
15
14
197
steamers,...............
propellers,.............
tugs,........................
barks,......................
brigs,......................
schooners,.............
Valuation.
21,402
4,127
2,921
5,720
3,295
32,198
..
..
..
..
..
..
$ 989,200
140,500
184,800
134,000
78,400
778,300
3 1 3 ................................. 69,663
1 ,1 9 8 ................................. 323,156
..
..
$2,305,300
9,811,200
Total, 1 , 5 1 1 ........................................
392,819
.. ..
$12,116,500
AMERICAN BOTTOMS.
I860.
75
190
44
76
813
steamers,...............
propellers,.............
barks,.....................
brigs,......................
schooners,.............
47,333
57,210
17,929
21,505
172,526
..
..
..
..
..
1 ,2 1 6 ................................. 316,503
..
$2,439,840
3,250,390
584,540
484,250
5,233,085
.
$ 11,992,105
CANADIAN BOTTOMS.
77
27
23
16
217
steamers,...............
propellers,.............
barks,.....................
brigs,......................
schooners,.............
25,939
7,289
7,882
3,815
31,792
..
..
...
..
..
$ 1,499,680
407,290
246,480
94,380
898,560
360 .................................
76,717
1 ,2 1 6 ................................. 316,503
..
..
$ 3,146,390
11,992,105
Total, 1,576 ................................. 393,220
..
.
$ 15,138,495
The following is from the report o f the Board o f Trade o f Buffalo:
U nited States and Canadian T onnage.
Statement o f the tonnage o f the Northwestern Lakes and River St. Law
rence, as compiled from the Marine Register o f the Board o f Lake Un
derwriters fo r 1861.
Description.
No.
UNITED STATES TONNAGE.
Average
tone.
Tonnage.
Value.
Steamers,.
71 . . 40,125 . . $ 1,493,300 . .
Propellers, 182 . . 56,203 . .
2,597,100 . .
Barks,. . .
44 . .
18,331
447,300 . .
B rig s ,....
70 . .
20,613
407,600 . .
Schooners, 789 . . 174,015 . .
4,496,800 . .
Sloops,.. .
10
345
5,750 . .
Total,.. 1,166 . . 309,632 . . $9,447,850
565
308
416
294
220
34
No. of
men.
. 25
20
. 12
. 11
. 10
.
4
.
Total
men.
..
..
..
..
..
..
1,775
3,640
528
770
7,890
40
14,643
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Divers.
344
[April,
CANADIAN TONNAGE.
Description.
Tonnage.
No.
Steamers,.
76 . .
Propellers, 21 .
Barks,. ..
18 .
Brigs,----16 .
Schooners, 200 . .
Sloops,.. .
5 .
Total,..
336 . .
Average
tone.
Value.
24,544
4,748
6,787
4,258
30,885
283
No. of
men.
. . $ 1,175,600 . . 321 . .
207,800 . 226 . .
.
.
189,500 . . 377 . .
.
93,500 . . 266 . .
.
752,100 . . 154 . .
.
6,100 . . 56 . .
25
20
12
11
10
4
Total
men.
...
..
..
..
..
..
1,900
420
216
176
2,000
20
71,505 . . $ 2,414,600 .
3,732
Total o f United States and Canadian tonnage :
Number o f vessels,...........................................
1,502
Total tonnage,..................................................
381,137
Total value,....................................................... $ 11,862,450
"Whole number o f men,...................................
18,375
The United States tonnage exceeds that o f the Canadian as follow s:
Excess
Excess
Excess
Excess
in
in
in
in
number o f vessels,...........................
amount o f tonnage,........................
value,................................................
number o f men,..............................
830
238,127
$ 7,033,250
10,911
Below is given the number o f United States and Canadian vessels now
building on the northwestern lakes and the River St. Lawrence at the
present tim e:
Number o f vessels building, January, 1862.
Rig.
UNITED STATES VESSELS BUILDING.
Number.
Tonnage.
S t e a m , ........................................
P r o p e l l e r ,...................................
S a i l , ............................................. .
T o t a l , ......................................
Value.
3
22
32
____
____
____
1 ,7 0 0
____
8 ,2 1 0
2 1 ,0 4 9
____
____
$ 1 1 9 ,0 0 0
5 7 4 ,7 0 0
9 4 7 ,2 0 5
57
____
3 0 ,9 5 9
____
$ 1 ,6 4 0 ,9 0 5
CANADIAN VESSELS BUILDING.
S t e a m , ........................................
S a i l , ..............................................
1
7
____
____
410
3 ,0 4 0
____
____
2 8 ,7 0 0
1 3 6 ,8 0 0
T o t a l , '. ...................................
T o t a l U . S. a n d C a n .,. .
8
65
____
____
3 ,4 5 0
____
3 4 ,4 0 9
____
1 6 5 ,5 0 0
1 ,8 0 6 ,4 0 5
P r e s e n t U . S. t o n n a g e ,. . . 1 ,1 6 6
V e s s e ls b u i l d i n g , ...................
57
____
____
3 0 9 ,6 3 2
____
3 0 ,9 5 9
____
$ 9 ,4 4 7 ,8 5 0
1 ,6 4 0 ,9 0 5
T o t a l , ...................................... 1 ,2 2 3
____
3 4 0 ,5 9 1
....
$ 1 1 ,0 8 8 ,7 5 5
P r e s e n t C a n a d ia n to n n a g e ,
V e sse ls b u i l d i n g ,...................
336
8
____
____
7 1 ,5 0 5
____
3 ,4 5 0
____
$ 2 ,4 1 4 ,6 0 0
1 6 5 ,5 0 0
T o t a l........................................
344
____
7 4 ,9 5 5
____
$ 2 ,5 8 0 ,1 0 0
1862.]
345
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
The following table, copied from Colonel G raham ’ s report, (Senate
Ex. Doc. No. 16, 34th Congress, 3d session, p. 405,) shows the value o f
the enumerated articles of merchandise and agricultural produce received
at and shipped from the various collection districts, and which passed
over the St. Clair flats during the year 1855 :
D istricts.
Shipped.
Received.
C hicago,................................. $91,771,717
Milwaukie,.............................. 14,065,507
Detroit,...................................
676,764
T oledo,*.................................
145,325
Cleveland,]............................
2,354,683
Erie, Pa., (32,391 tons coal,)
Buffalo,...................................
2,867,407
Oswego,...................................
19,200
Ogdensburg,..........................
9,940
98
08
50
00
50
10
00
00
$ 111,910,545 16
Total receipts and shipments,
$21,928,530 91
8,738,936 75
21,005,936 75
9,247,812 15
116,955 00
76,560,000 00
$ 139,257,160 81
111,910,545 16
$ 251,167,705 97
Total value o f merchandise and agricultural produce known to have
passed over St. Clair flats during the 230 days o f navigation in 1855,
$251,167,705 97; amount per day, $1,092,033 55.
To this may be added the tonnage o f the several districts enumerated
trading over the St. Clair flats. This tonnage, (vide Colonel G raham’ s
report, p. 456,) in 1855, was 195,375 tons.
The first cost o f these vessels, (p. 408,) and their equipments, amounts
to $8,553,750; add value o f merchandise and produce, before given,
$251,167,705 50. Total capital interested in St. Clair flats in 1855,
$259,721,455 50.
The total amount, in money, which accrued in freights over the St.
Clair flats in 1855, in American vessels, was $13,766,840. I f this esti
mate is incorrect, it is because it is too low. Full fifteen per cent, o f
this, says Colonel G raham , (p. 408,) accrued from the obstructions at the
flats; so that the cost to our commerce in 1855, o f these obstructions,
was $2,064,226. O f this, $865,509 fell upon the commerce o f Chicago
alone. Colonel G raham (p. 404) estimates the cost o f a channel, 600
feet wide, through the flats, at $532,991 68 ; over $332,000 less than the
obstructions cost the city o f Chicago in that one year. He recommended
the appropriation of the above amount, for the following reasons:
1. The annual amount o f commerce and navigation requiring a free
passage over St. Clair flats, (pp. 409, 410, aggregate given above.)
* The books at Toledo show no shipments from that port over St. Clair flats
which are not included in receipts at other enumerated ports.—(Colonel G raham ’ s
report.)
f This falls far short of the whole. It is believed that the value of the shipments
from Cleveland, over St. Clair flats, was full $15,000,000.—( Vide Colonel G raham ’ s
report, p. 406, notes.)
346
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
[April,
2. The importance o f improving the channel over the St. Clair flats as
a necessary element in the military defence of our national frontier, (pp.
409, 410.)
Col. G r a h a m ’ s report (Mess, and Docs., 1 8 5 9 -6 0 , part 3,) gives th e
following as the aggregate imports and exports, by lake, at the several
lake ports in 1858 :
Imports,...................................................................... $ 148,775,218 66
Exports,......................................................................
123,875,812 60
Total lake commerce (American) in 1858, $ 272,651,031 26
The following shows the total commerce (by lake, canal and rail-road)
o f the various lake ports in 1858 :
Imports,...................................................................... $456,149,482 91
Exports,......................................................................
374,156,880 54
Total,...................................................................... $ 830,306,363 45
Table o f aggregate imports and exports o f lake towns fo r the year 1858,
compiled by Colonel G r a h a m , (Senate Doc., 1st session, 3 6 th Cong,,
pp. 919— 1,090.)
C h icag o,..................................... ..................... $ 180,084,782 17
Waukegan,................................. .....................
1,265,500 10
1,636,265 05
Kenosha,..................................... ......................
9,924,297 15
R acine,....................................... ......................
41,349,293 90
Milwaukie,................................. .....................
1,002,226 00
Sheboygan,............................... .......................
991,294 86
Manitowoc,................................. .....................
Michigan C ity,.......................... .....................
5,669,829 85
588,609 30
New-Buffalo,.............................. ......................
863,054 30
St. Joseph,.........................................................
Grand Haven,............................ ......................
4,702,346 46
67,160,116 91
T oled o,....................................... ......................
54,361,144 10
Sandusky,................................... .....................
Cleveland,................................... .....................
106,100,578 46
E r ie ,............................................ ......................
15,275,955 35
90
Dunkirk,.....................................
82
Buffalo,...................... .................
Oswego,....................................... ......................
34,610,876 62
21,547,450 50
Ogdensburg,............................... ......................
There are several other places included in Colonel G r a h a m ’ s statistics
not embraced in the above.
Colonel G r a h a m ’ s report (p. 128) states that the losses on the western
lakes in 1855 amounted to $2,800,000.
The report of the New-York Canal Commissioner, S am u el B. R u g g le s ,
in 1859, concurred in by Canal Commissioner C h a r l e s II. S h e r r il l ,
( N . Y . Ass. Doc. 1859, on page 20,) says that in 1853 the western com
merce passing through the Erie Canal was $136,598,734. On page 21
the same report says, “ the proportion (o f forest products) already con
tributed by Canada and the West, is more than one-third o f the whole
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
347
amount of the products o f the forest (excluding ordinary fine wood) car
ried on all the canals, including even the Champlain, and the ratio is
constantly and rapidly increasing in favor of the West.” On page 22 of
this report, Mr. R uggles says, “ the W est is among us and upon us, in
full vigor, defying all the power of party politicians, however persevering,
to shut out the truth, that within the next twenty years the property to
be carried through this State to and from the W est will amount at least
to twenty-five hundred millions of dollars, if not a much larger sum.”
Colonel G raham unqualifiedly asserts that our lake commerce exceeds in
value our foreign commerce.
The following extracts from H unt’ s M erchants’ Magazine , conceded
to he one o f our most reliable statistical journals o f the country, may be
interesting:
“ In the rapidly developing greatness o f North America, it is interest
ing to look to the future and speculate on the most probable points o f
centralization o f its commerce and social power. Including with our
nation, as forming an important part o f its commercial community, the
Canadas and contiguous provinces, the centre o f population, white and
black, is a little west of Pittsburgh, situated at the head of navigation on
the Ohio River. The movement of this centre is north o f west, about in
the direction o f Chicago. The centre o f productive power cannot be
ascertained with any degree o f precision. W e know it must be a con
siderable distance east and north o f the centre o f population. That cen
tre, too, is on its grand march westward. Both, in their regular progress,
will reach Lake Michigan. Is it not, then, as certain as any thing in the
future can be, that the central power o f the continent will move to, and
become permanent on, the border of the great lakes ? Around these
pure waters will gather the densest populations, and on their borders will
grow up the best towns and cities.
*
*
*
*
*
“ It can scarcely admit of a doubt that the domestic commerce o f
North America bears a proportion as large as twenty to one o f its foreign
commerce.
“ A t the present rate o f increase the United States and the Canadas,
fifty years from this time, will contain over one hundred and twenty
millions of people. I f we suppose one hundred and five millions, and
that these shall be distributed so that the Pacific States shall have ten
millions and the Atlantic border twenty-five millions, there will be left
for the great interior plain seventy millions. These seventy millions will
have twenty times as much commercial intercourse with each other as
with all the world besides. It is obvious, then, that there must be built
up in their midst the great city o f the continent; and not only so, but
that they will sustain several cities greater than those which can be sus
tained on the ocean border.”
The commerce o f the lakes during the past year has, in consequence
of the blockade of the Mississippi, been far greater than any previous
year. The trade and commerce o f the lakes has been measured by the
means of transportation. Every railway was pressed to its utmost ca
pacity, and there was not a single vessel on the lakes but was in service
carrying forward the products o f the Northwest to the seaboard. The
receipts o f grain at Chicago alone amount to the enormous quantity o f
54,093,219 bushels.
In 1860 the receipts were 36,504,772 bushels*
The increase at Milwaukie and other ports has been in the same ratio.
348
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
Accurate statistics o f the present commerce o f the various lake towns
arc not at command; but the growth o f Buffalo, Rochester, Erie, Cleve
land, Toledo, Detroit, Milwaukie and Chicago, are all indexes of the rapid
advance of lake commerce and the agriculture o f the West, and in the
aggregate reach a magnitude which is entitled to the most favorable con
sideration o f Congress.
Your committee have given but a very imperfect sketch o f the won
derfully rapid growth and present importance o f the Northwest.
It
abounds in all the elements o f a great and prosperous country. It has
thus far been the great agricultural section, but, with its inexhaustible
supplies of coal, lumber and metals, it will, ere long, become a great man
ufacturing country. The iron and copper o f Lake Superior are attracting
the attention o f the world.
The Northwest has grown by the energy and industry o f its own hardy,
free people, receiving less aid from the federal treasury than any other
section. Its harbors, though filled with a commerce in comparison with
which that o f the now rebel, and lately petted and favored seaboard sec
tion, sinks into insignificance, have yet been neglected, because the water
on which that commerce floated was fresh. Its defences have been aban
doned and have fallen into decay.
As compared with the South, the Northwest has literally received
nothing from the national treasury.
The South has had navy yards, fortifications, custom-houses and har
bors, costing millions o f dollars. There has been expended on the Gulf
o f Mexico and the Florida coasts more millions o f dollars than the northern
frontier has received thousands. The East, too, has had, and very pro
perly, fortifications, forts, armories, navy-yards, depots, arsenals and ships.
The Northwest asks simply justice, but not even that at this time. In
the midst of this war she asks only that some o f her most important lead
ing and exposed points be fortified and placed in a condition o f defence;
that an armory and foundry be established on the lakes to enable her to
have the means o f arming her citizen soldiers, and that navy-yards be
established so that naval stores may be collected.
The committee urge these defences as not less important to New-England and the great middle States o f New-York and Pennsylvania, than to
the Northwest itself. The vast agricultural products o f the W est find
their way to the Atlantic along the great canals and railways running
through these States.
New-York, possessing the Hudson River, (next to the Mississippi, per
haps the most important river in the Union,) has expended, to connect it
with the lakes, over forty millions o f dollars. The Hudson, the NewYork canals, and the great lakes, have made the city o f New-York the
commercial metropolis o f the nation. It has thus been brought into
water communication with all the interior, and by means o f the Illinois
and Michigan Canal and the Illinois River, there have been brought to
her wharves and warehouses the agricultural products not only o f the
vast territory lying around the lakes, hut also those o f the valleys o f the
Mississippi and Missouri. So that the figurative orator o f New-England
(C hoate) was scarcely extravagant when he described her as holding in
one hand the vast commerce of the West, while, with the other, Venice
like, “ she wedded the everlasting sea.”
Pennsylvania, also, has, by her canals and railways, connected her great
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
349
city of Philadelphia with these great inland seas. The security of these
waters and our national supremacy on these lakes, the protection o f our
northern frontier, are quite as important, therefore, to the East as to the
West, and it is time that the fact was recognised by the government that
the shore line of the lakes, 6,250 miles in extent, is scarcely inferior in
importance to the Atlantic coast. W e trust that our friends o f the East
will recognise the fact, that the W est attained its majority and that its
provincial history terminated with the census o f 1860. Our brethren of
the East will not forget, when asked to vote for defences to these lakes,
that these waters, now bearing to the ocean such vast products, have
been the scene o f the most brilliant naval triumphs which adorn our
history.
Fully one-half of the soldiers now in the field in defence o f the flag
and our nationality have been drawn from the Northwest. H ow gal
lantly the soldiers o f Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Min
nesota, and the other Northwestern States are fighting, every battle-field
bears its testimony<
The republic has naturally three great systems of navigable waters.
The Atlantic on the East, the lakes on the North, and the Mississippi on
the West. B y means of the New-York canals and the Illinois and Michi
gan Canal these are all united by water communication.
It may not be out of place, in this connection, and at this crisis in our
national affairs, to recall the provisions of the ordinance of 1787, which
declared “ that the navigable waters of the Mississippi and the St. Law
rence, and the carrying places between them, shall be common highways,
and forever free from any tax, duty or impost thereon.” This guarantee
of a free outlet, east and south, the Northwest will, under all circumstances
and at any cost, insist upon. The value and importance o f these vast
water communications, the most magnificent on the globe, have been
immensely increased by the network o f railways, which extend from the
lakes south and west, all over the vast inland, bringing to these waters
the agricultural products o f more than half the continent.
Chicago
alone has no less than thirteen great trunk railways radiating from her as
a common centre, and bringing to her docks the products of every farm
between the lakes and the Rocky Mountains.
P lan of D efence.
In regard to the general plan o f the defences o f the lakes and northern
frontier, the committee have conferred with the general commanding the
army, and Brigadier-General T otten, o f the engineer department, and
have adopted, to a considerable extent, their suggestions.
W e respectfully urge upon the consideration o f Congress the following
plan o f defences of the northern frontier:
First. The establishment o f shore defences at some commanding posi
tions. This will require the erection of some new fortifications, and the
repair and completion o f some already located.
Second. Taking into consideration the great superiority in the Ameri
can merchant marine on the upper lakes (meaning all the lakes abovetho
falls of Niagara) in ships, steamers and sailors, we regard our supremacy
on the lakes as dependent in a great degree upon our having the means
at hand of arming the merchant marine on short notice. To this end the
350
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
committee recommend the establishment o f a national foundry on the
upper lakes, and three naval depots, one on Lake Ontario, one on Lake
Erie, and the other on Lake Michigan.
Third. W e earnestly recommend for military, not less than commer
cial purposes, the improvement o f the harbors on the lakes, the dredging
out and widening of the channel over the St. Clair flats.
Fourth. The enlargement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal.
I. In regard to Shore Defences.— The entrance to Lake Superior is
through the Saulte St. Marie Canal, a work which cost about two millions
of dollars, and it is too important to be overlooked. The mineral region
o f Lake Superior is probably richer in iron and copper than any other in
the world ; and the iron has been found to be superior in quality for many
purposes to any other known. These mines have been rapidly developed,
and now constitute a most important national interest. Old Fort Brady
is represented as commanding the entrance to Lake Superior, and an ap
propriation for its repair, or a new fort more eligibly situated for the pur
pose, is recommended.
A military road from B ay de JFoquet, on Green Bay, to Marquette, or
some other point on Lake Superior, and an early completion o f the rail
road from Appleton to Lake Superior, wrould afford additional communi
cation with this great lake ; and both o f these are o f great importance
for military reasons, and are earnestly recommended to the favorable con
sideration of Congress. Probably the most important strategic place on
the lakes is the Straits of Mackinaw. This strait constitutes the door to
Lake Michigan, around which lake lie the States o f Michigan, Indiana,
Illinois and Wisconsin, with an aggregate o f population amounting to
nearly five millions. On its shores are the towns of Grand Haven, Muskegan, St. Joseph, Michigan City, Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Racine,
Milwaukie and Green Bay, with many others rising rapidly into import
ance. The commerce o f this lake will exceed $200,000,000 per annum.
The great granary o f the union has its depots on the borders of this lake.
It can be defended by adequate fortifications at the Straits o f Mackinaw,
about three miles wide. Fortifications at the Straits o f Mackinaw close
the opening or entrance into this great inland sea. When the vast inter
ests thus secured are considered, it is obvious that Lake Michigan and all
its shores and cities should be defended on the threshold at Mackinaw.
The importance of having a great inland sea, like Lake Michigan, con
verted into a secure harbor, where fleets and navies may be gathered in
security, where may be collected magazines o f arms and munitions and
provisions, can scarcely be exaggerated. Lake Michigan, entirely within
our own territory, unapproachable by land, and inaccessible by water by
any foreign enemy, except through a narrow strait or entrance, is a posi
tion of immense importance, and the policy of closing up its entrance is
too obvious to need illustration. Mackinaw should be made the Gibral
tar o f the upper lakes.
Upon the importance o f this locality, we insert the following extract
from a communication o f General T otten :
“ As to the stronger works, I consider one at Mackinaw to be indis
pensable. This will be the principal watching point of the upper lakes.
Here war steamers will call to refresh, to communicate with each other,
to find shelter, to lie in wait, &c.
“ It is hardly to be supposed that a hostile naval expedition, coming
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
351
out o f Georgian Bay, would venture towards the upper lakes, or down
Lake Huron, certainly not into Lake Michigan, while this point o f obser
vation and rendezvous is occupied by our superior squadron. The fort
here must be adequate to protect this anchorage, and the defences of
the island should be such as to defeat any enterprise designed to wrest
it from us by superior force.”
The committee are clear in their judgment that, in view of the vast im
portance of Mackinaw, and the interests there to be defended, the gov
ernment should take immediate means to close the Straits o f Mackinaw
against the entrance o f any hostile fleet. Fort Gratiot fully commands
the entrance to Lake Huron, and should be immediately reconstructed
and put in a condition to control this gate to Lake Huron. The lower
entrance to the straits, or River Detroit, from Lake Erie, is already well
guarded by Fort Wayne. This should be completed and receive its
armament. The report o f General T otten, in which the committee con
cur, recommends additional appropriations and defences at Buffalo, to
wit, the completion o f Fort Porter on the bluff between Buffalo and
Black Rock, and the mounting o f its armament for the protection o f the
entrance from Lake Erie into Niagara River, and the construction o f a
tower and shore batteries at the mouth o f Buffalo harbor; also an appro
priation for Fort Niagara, the construction o f defensive works at the
mouth o f the Genesee River, and the repairs of Fort Ontario at Oswego ;
also, appropriations for other defensive works on lakes Erie and Ontario
and the River St. Lawrence, and for the construction of Fort Montgom
ery on Lake Champlain. The committee will report bills to carry out
these suggestions and recommendations.
It will be observed, in regard to Lake Ontario, that we have no access
to that lake from the upper lakes, except through foreign territory; our
superiority in shipping, therefore, on the upper lakes, would be unavail
ing on Lake Ontario. It is, therefore, important that, in addition to the
fortification o f exposed points, additional provisions should be made for
securing and maintaining our supremacy on that lake. The committee
recommend the establishment o f a naval depot on Lake Ontario for
arms, munitions and naval stores. The possession o f this lake is o f the
utmost importance. These great arteries of trade, the Erie Canal and
New-York Central Rail-Road, are within a day’s march o f nearly the
length o f Lake Ontario, and for a considerable distance within a few miles
o f its shores. The importance o f lake defences to the State o f NewYork has already been alluded to. It will not be forgotten that, in the
war of 1812, her borders were the scene o f bloody battles. Buffalo, now
the queen city o f Lake Erie, then a small village, was burned. Oswego
was captured, and Lake Champlain and Niagara River the scene of some
of the most stirring events o f the war.
W e should pursue no aggressive p o licy ; on the contrary, cultivating
amicable relations with all nations, yet at the same time we should look
carefully to our defences.
The Secretary o f State well said, “ that any nation may be said to vol
untarily incur danger in tempestuous seasons when it fails to show that
it has sheltered itself on the very side from which the storm may possi
bly come.” And the President o f the United States spoke wisely when
he said, “ it is believed that some fortifications and depots o f arms and
munitions, with harbor and navigation improvements at well selected
352
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
[April,
points upon our great rivers and lakes, would be o f great importance to
our national defence and preservation.”
The committee also recommend that fortifications be erected at the
entrance o f Maumee Bay, Put-in Bay, and on the adjacent islands in Lake
Erie.
Put-in Bay, the harbor where P erry ’ s fleet was moored previous to
the battle of Lake Erie, is one o f the most important and accessible har
bors on the lake. It is especially convenient for vessels overtaken by
storm on the lake, perfectly safe, and easy of access from any direction.
The harbor o f Toledo is one o f the best and most important on Lake
Erie. It is formed by the estuary o f the Maumee River, and is o f suffi
cient capacity for the entire lake marine, perfectly safe and land-locked,
and accessible through Maumee Bay from the lake.
Toledo is naturally the key to a large portion o f the Northwest, com
manding the agricultural wealth o f northern Ohio, southern Michigan,
northern Indiana, central Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, and through the
rail-roads and canals o f which it is the terminus, affording ample means
o f distribution over a large, well-cultivated and rapidly-improving por
tion of our country.
Seven rail-roads, connecting with Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincin
nati, and all intermediate places, terminate and concentrate at Toledo.
This, also, is the terminus of the longest continuous line o f canals in the
world ; the Miami and Erie connecting with Cincinnati, and the Wabash
and Erie connecting with Evansville on the Ohio, a distance of more than
one hundred miles below Louisville. In extent, variety and value of
commercial operations, Toledo, in proportion to its size, has no equal in
this country.
The harbor o f Erie, (Presque Isle Bay,) on Lake Erie, presents high
claims to consideration as an important position in our system of lake de
fences. In regard to this point, J. J. A b e r t , colonel o f topographical
engineers, in a report to the Secretary o f War, says :
“ This extremely fine harbor, one o f the most valuable on the lake, in
reference to military and naval advantages, (the only harbor, in fact, on
this lake in which a fleet can be assembled, and where it can be com
pletely protected against weather or an enemy,) is also one o f the points
o f connection between the commerce o f the Atlantic and the Western
States and the lakes, by means o f canals and rail-roads already made, or
in the course of construction in the State o f Pennsylvania.”
And G. W . W illiams, captain o f topographical engineers, in his re
port to the chief engineer, speaking of this harbor, says :
“ It seems to fulfil, to a great extent, certain requisite conditions (as a
site for a naval rendezvous) than any other upon the lake. Its compara
tively central position would enable it with facility to extend its succor
promptly to any point on the lake. The ease with which it might be
entered under any circumstances o f wind by the plan projected for its
improvement, its facilities of intercourse with the most densely populated
parts of the country, and above all, its remarkable conformation as a con
venient secure harbor, characterize it as the site for a naval rendezvous o f
the highest order. *
* Thus, its freedom from ice at the earliest
opening of spring, enabling vessels to enter upon active duties, whilst yet
they would be ice-bound at the lower end of the lake— its iand-locked
area containing about six square miles o f good anchorage, with a depth
averaging twenty feet— the interposition o f Presque Isle as a guarantee
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
363
from hostile surprise, its comparatively central position arc its peculiar
advantages, and indicate it as a point that cannot be too highly appreci
ated by the general government.”
II.
The second proposition, in regard to the defences o f the northern
frontier, is the establishment o f a national foundry on the upper lakes, and
o f naval depots. Attention has already been called to the superiority of
the American lake marine over that o f Canada on the upper lakes. In
1861 the number o f American vessels, of all descriptions, on the upper
lakes, was 1,166 ; of Canadian, 326. Our superiority was 830. Our
superiority in tonnage was 238,126 tons. Our superiority in sailors,
10,911. This superiority, without arms, is unavailing, and would only
invite attack, and the immense merchant marine unarmed would furnish
rich prizes to British gunboats. Great Britain has been collecting an
abundance of the best arms in Canada. The lakes are utterly without
arms, what few there were having been taken to the Mississippi. It is,
therefore, of the utmost importance that means o f arming these vessels,
and the fortifications to be constructed, should be furnished at the earliest
possible period. Fortunately, we have all the materials for the manu
facture o f arms and ordnance o f the best quality at command, and skilled
mechanics and artisans ; so that, with proper action o f the government,
the work of making heavy guns may be immediately begun. We insert
the following extract from the official report of Messrs. M orris, o f the
navy, and T o t t e n , o f the army, on this p oin t:
“ Nearly all the steam vessels, and many sailing vessels, could be very
soon prepared to carry heavy guns, and some o f them could carry several
without inconvenience. If, therefore, the government shall make deposits
of ordnance and ordnance stores at convenient posts, and be prepared to
officer and man the vessels which they could purchase, the naval control
of these important lakes may be considered secure against any attack.”
In this connection, the committee desire to call the attention o f Con
gress to the fact, that such is the nation’s need of ordnance, that we are
told by very high authority that it will require three years, with all
the means, public and private, now at the command of the government,
to furnish the ordnance necessary to arm the fortifications now con
structed, or in the process o f construction. The committee, therefore,
earnestly recommend the immediate establishment o f a foundry on the
upper lakes. This foundry, the committee recommend, should be located
at Chicago. Some of the reasons why, in our judgment, it should be
located there, are as follows : Chicago is the great centre o f the region to
be supplied with arms, and its facilities for cheap and rapid distribution
are unequalled. She has direct water communication, by lake, canal
and river, with every portion o f the West. Thirteen great trunk railways
radiate from her as a common centre, with more than 6,000 miles of
railway; and upon these rail-roads, centring at Chicago, the govern
ment can obtain 16,000 cars for transportation. Chicago is, concededly,
one of the greatest railway centres on the continent. She can obtain,
by cheap and convenient water connection, the best ores and metals for
guns, aud especially the inexhaustible ores of Lake Superior, which it
should be the policy o f the government to develop. W ith the best
materials at command, with an abundant supply of labor and mechanical
v ot. xlvi .— no. iv.
23
354
[April,
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
skill, Chicago, in the judgment o f the committee, combines more ad
vantages for the location than any other point.
In regard to the necessity of a manufactory o f ordnance, as o f primary
importance to the defence o f the northern frontier, the committee call
the attention o f Congress to the following remarks from the communica
tion o f General T o t t e n :
“ The great superiority of our steam and other merchant vessels on the
upper lakes, (including Lake Erie,) any portion of which may be promptly
converted into war vessels, greatly simplifies defensive arrangements on
the shores of these lakes. But that this superiority may be assumed
with the requisite promptitude, before these means have been surprised
and destroyed by the earlier readiness o f an enemy, there should be at
hand, actually stored and kept in perfect condition, all the means for
converting these large and swift steamers, &c., into vessels o f war— that
is to say, all the armament and its supplies,” &c.
*
*
%
*
*
*
*
“ Moreover, if, for want of adequate protection o f this nature, the
towns and cities had to resort to local defence, these, in many instances,
could only be made sufficient at great expense,” etc.
The committee are permitted to quote the following paragraph from
a communication o f General M c C l e l l a n :
“ The accumulation of ordnance material in appropriate localities is
highly important, and measures for the establishment o f a national
foundry and manufactory of small arms in the Northwest should at once
be taken. Chicago is a suitable point for these establishments.”
Means of arming the merchant service o f the lakes is thus presented as
o f primary importance.
The lakes are to-day naked o f arms ; we therefore urge the immediate
establishment of this national work, and a collection o f naval stores at
three points: One on Lake Michigan for the upper lakes, one on Lake
Erie and one on Lake Ontario.
These measures are of the more importance because o f the existence of
treaty stipulations between the United States and Great Britain, limiting
armed vessels in the lakes. This treaty, concluded in 1817, contains the
following provisions:
“ The naval force to be maintained upon the American lakes by His
Majesty and the government o f the United States shall henceforth be
confined to the following vessels on each side, that is :
“ On Lake Ontario, to one vessel not exceeding one hundred tons
burden, and armed with one 18-pound cannon.
“ On the waters o f Lake Champlain, to one vessel not exceeding like
burden, and armed with like force.
“ On the upper lakes, to two vessels not exceeding like burden, and
armed with like force.
“ All other armed vessels on these lakes shall be forthwith dismantled,
and no other vessels o f war shall be built.
“ If either party should hereafter be desirous o f annulling this stipula
tion, and should give notice to that effect to the other party, it shall
cease to be binding after the expiration of six months from the date of
such notice.”
Whether this treaty includes Lake Michigan, which is entirely within
our own territory, may perhaps admit o f doubt.
1862.]
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
355
Great Britain has, by means o f her Canadian canals, facilities for bring
ing gunboats and vessels o f war from the St. Lawrence and the ocean into
the lakes. This is an advantage not to be overlooked. These advantages
can only be equalized by the enlargement o f the Illinois and Michigan
Canal. The canals around the rapids of the St. Lawrence are built to
pass vessels, from the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario, 186 feet long, 44-Jfeet beam, and 9 feet draught. The Welland Canal, around the Falls o f
Niagara, connecting Lakes Ontario and Erie, is capable o f passing vessels
142 feet long, 26 feet beam, and 10 feet draught. It is understood that
the British government possesses a large number of gunboats capable of
being taken through these canals.
W e must command the outlet of Lake Huron and the entrance into
Lake Erie by Fort Gratiot and Fort Wayne, provide arms for our lake
craft on the upper lakes, and by these means secure and maintain our
superiority.
III.
Reference to the advantages growing out o f the Canadian canals
brings us to the consideration o f the importance o f the enlargement o f the
Illinois and Michigan Canal fo r military purposes. It will be observed,
that while we are prohibited from placing vessels o f war on the lakes,
Great Britain can accumulate gunboats at her pleasure on the St. Law
rence, and by her canals bring them into Lake Erie. W e must remedy
this by widening the Illinois and Michigan Canal. A s early as 1822
Congress authorized the State of Illinois to open a canal through the
public lands, to connect the Illinois River with Lake Michigan.
In
1827 a quantity o f land was granted to the State o f Illinois for the pur
pose of aiding in opening this canal.
The work was surveyed and commenced in 1836. It begins at Chicago
and runs to La Salle, the head o f navigation on the Illinois River, a dis
tance of ninety miles. It was originally designed to make what was
called the deep cut, which was to use Lake Michigan as a feeder. The
work was more than half completed on this basis, but owing to financial
difficulties, the original plan was postponed, and it was completed in
1848 on the high level, and fed by the Calumet, Chicago, Des Plaines,
Kankakee and Fox Rivers.
The realization of the grand idea o f a ship canal from Lake Michigan
to the Mississippi, for military and commercial purposes, is the great work
o f the age. In effect, commercially, it turns the Mississippi into Lake
Michigan, and makes an outlet for the great lakes at New-Orleans, and
o f the Mississippi at New-York. It brings together the two great sys
tems of water communications o f our country. The great lakes and the
St. Lawrence, and the canals connecting the lakes with the ocean on the
east, and the Mississippi and Missouri, with all their tributaries, on the
west and south. This communication so vast can be effected at small
expense, and with no long delay. It is but carrying out the plan of
nature. A great river, rivalling the St. Lawrence in volume, at no dis
tant day, was discharged from Lake Michigan, by the Illinois, into the
Mississippi. Its banks, its currents, its islands and deposits can still be
easily traced, and it only needs a deepening o f the present channel for
a few miles to re-open a magnificent river from Lake Michigan to the
Mississippi.
Had this ship canal been open, its cost would have been nearly or
350
Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers.
[April,
quite saved during the past year, in the saving o f the expenses o f the
expenditures on the Mississippi. The gunboats for the Mississippi ex
peditions could have been readily and cheaply obtained at the great ship
building ports on the lakes. This canal opened, and instead o f two fleets
o f gunboats, one for the defence o f the western rivers and the other for
the defence o f the lakes, you may make one fleet answer both purposes,
as necessity may require. It would enable the government to concen
trate the military resources o f the great lakes and the Mississippi and
its tributaries on either, or any where, as occasion might require. The
opening o f this canal would place us on an equality with Great Britain,
in enabling us to bring from the Atlantic even the means o f defending
the lakes and rivers. Great Britain, with a wise sagacity, expended
many millions on her Canadian canals. The enlarging of the Illinois
and Michigan Canal will give us equal advantages, at far less cost.
The Military Committee o f this House being, as it is understood, about
to report in favor o f this work, we forbear to dwell upon the subject fur
ther, and will only add our hearty concurrence in their recommendation.
The improvement o f the harbors of the great lakes, and the widening
and deepening o f the channel across the St. Clair flats, are o f immediate
and pressing importance, not less for military than commercial reasons.
No great commercial interest in the world has ever grown so rapidly, and
with so little encouragement on the part o f the government, as the lake
commerce. The construction o f a canal around the Falls o f Niagara is a
work national in its character, and which but awaits the return o f peace
and prosperity o f the country to receive the attention of Congress.
In regard to the upper Mississippi, the committee desire to call the
attention o f Congress to the fact, that an appropriation o f $50,000 was
made in March, 1861, for the construction of a military post in or near
the valley of the “ Red River of the North,” or so much thereof as might
be deemed necessary by the Secretary o f War. The long line of frontier
between British North America and the State of Minnesota is without
protection by our government, while Great Britain has two forts : one on
the north shore of Lake Superior, (Fort William,) another (Fort Gary)
on the “ Red River of the North,” about fifty miles north o f the inter
national line. In view o f these facts, and of such unexpended appro
priation in the hands o f the Secretary o f War, we trust this frontier will
receive the early attention o f the W ar Department, which, in the judg
ment o f the committee, it is justly entitled to.
The great interests which your committee ask Congress to protect are
peculiar in their position in, and in their relations to, the republic. The
Northwest is inland. It has, as its great channels o f communication to
the ocean, the great rivers St. Lawrence and Mississippi, and the canals
and railways connecting the lakes and the ocean. It can never consent
to become isolated from either o f these great outlets ; no foreign territory
must ever intervene between it and the mouth o f the Mississippi. W ith
•one hand it clasps the East, and with the other it grasps the South, and
lit will hold this Union together. The Northwest is as much in earnest
in determination to preserve this Union as traitors are to destroy it.
The Northwest believes that our nationality is worth all the blood and
all the treasure which it may cost to preserve it, and she places her all of
men. and money at the command of the government for that purpose.
1862.]
357
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
STATISTICS
OF
TRADE
AND
COMMERCE.
1. T rade and Commerce of San F rancisco. 2. Ciiicago and its T rade for toe past Y e a r .
3. T oledo—its importance— the Shipments and R eceipts for 1861 compared w ith pre
vious Y ears. 4. T rade and Commerce of B uffalo .
TRADE
AND
COMMERCE
OF
SAN
FRANCISCO.
T h e San Francisco Mercantile Gazette and Prices Current, o f Janu
ary 10th, has in it a very full review of the trade and commerce o f
San Fraucisco for the past year, from which we mate the following
extracts:
T
onnage
M
ovem ent
of
the
P
oet
d u r in g
the
Y
ear
1861.
The tonnage entering and clearing from the port of San Francisco,
during the year 1861, has been as follow s:
A
r r iv a l s .
Vessels.
American vessels arrived from domestic ports,.. . .
American vessels arrived from foreign ports,. . . .
American vessels arrived from whaling voyages,.
Foreign vessels arrived from foreign ports,............
Total,.......................................................................
1,644
208
15
113
1,980
Tons.
..
..
..
..
389,040
161,509
4,521
44,163
599,233
The arrivals of tonnage, from all quarters, for the past four years, have
been as follows:
Years.
Vessels.
Tons.
1858, . . . 1,441 . . . . 467,529
1859, . . . 1,713 . . . . 598,631
Years.
Vessels.
1860, . . . . 1,682
1861, . . . . 1,980
Tons.
. . . 538,201
. . . . 599,233
The following figures exhibit in gross the quarters whence the above
arrivals occurred, with the exception of whalers, which are included
elsewhere :
F rom
Domestic Atlantic ports,. .
Domestic coast ports,........
Foreign ports,.....................
1858.
1859.
114,321 . . 157,076
158,336 . . 208,816
193,542 . . 229,263
1860.
1861.
. . 129,950 . . 121,342
. . 205,408 . . 267,698
. . 199,534 . . 205,672
It will be seen from the above that the tonnage movement of this
port, in 1861, was greater than in any preceding year since 1857, and
the excess will be found in the arrivals from domestic coast ports, which
show an increase, within the term specified, of about seventy-five per
cent. This gratifying progress indicates forcibly the rapid development
of interests located upon the sea-coasts, for the accommodation of which
this carrying-trade is requisite.
Vessels.
208
298
13
103
American vessels clearing for whaling voyages,.. . .
Tone.
..
..
.,
.,
434,757
622
P
M
assen g er
ovem ent
of
the
P
149,349
243,625
2,835
38,948
ort.
Statement of the number o f passengers, by sea,, arriving at and departing from the port o f San Francisco, during the first, second, third and
fourth quarters o f 1861 :
1st Qr.
Arrivals,. . . . . . . 4,547
Departures, . . . 2,699
Gain, . . . . . .
1,848
2d Qr.
3d Qr.
4th Qr.
Total.
..
..
11,263
2,974
..
..
7,304
2,760
..
..
7,706
5,523
..
..
30,820
13,956
..
8,289
..
4,544
..
2,183
..
16,864
The net gain in population seaward, during 1860, was 16,185; in
1859, 13,402 ; in 1858, 12,746 ; in 1857, 7,857.
E
xports
other
than
S p e c ie .
The destination and value o f exports during the past three years—
specie, bullion and silver ore not included— have been as follows:
To
N ew -Y ork,...........
B oston ,..................
'Great Britain,. . . .
Australia,..............
Vancouver Island,.
M exico,...................
P eru,.......................
China,....................
Sandwich Islands,.
Japan,....................
Other countries,. .
T otal,.....................
1859.
1860.
1861.
i>1,418,100
S 1,933,542
29,100
730,497
1,199,320
682,490
156,606
252,061
358,538
514
706,185
945,898
874,726
1,579,826
968,149
133,087
623,319
188,591
24,586
1,260,715
S1,605,034
98,345
2,838,004
1,056,401
1,177,152
1,094,930
163,264
711,841
288,877
15,577
838,647
! 8,532,439
19,888,072
$5,533,411
1862.]
359
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
E
xports
of
T
reasu re.
The following is a statement of the amount and destination o f treas
ure exported from San Francisco during the year 1861 :
Total,........... $ 47,640,462 65
U
n it e d
1860.
1861.
$ 35,661,500
57,795
2,672,936
3,374,680
94,200
75,659
300,819
40,679
19,400
28,245
37
93
20
27
00
94
00
57
00
00
$42,325,916 28
S tates B
ranch
M
$32,628,010 60
4,061,779
3,541,279
60,220
9,000
349,769
7,700
7,100
11,900
46
17
00
00
17
00
00
00
a>
'<35
■<r
T
Ox
CO
To
1859.
New-York,......... .$ 39,831,937 32
314.500 00
New-Orleans,.......
England,...............
3,910,930 37
3,100,755 68
China,...................
Japan,................. .
34,000 00
26,000 00
Manila,...............
Panama,.............
279,949 28
Sandwich Islands,
142,190 00
Mexico,...............
Other countries,.,
40
in t .
The operations of the branch mint in San Francisco, for the past year,
show a great excess over the year preceding. The comparison is as fol
lows :
Gold Deposits.
1860, .................................oz. 587,831.93
1861, ............................. oz. 820,512.04
Total Coinage.
____
____
Gain,........................ oz. 232,680.11
$ 11,442,000
16,126,000
$ 4,684,000
The coinage has been as follows :
Double eagles,. . . .
Eagles,....................
Half eagles,...........
Quarter eagles,.. . .
Total coinage,
15,385,000 Half dollars,.. .
95.000 Quarter dollars,
90.000 Dimes,.............
60.000
$459,750
19,000
17,250
$ 16,126,000
Y
ie l d
of
the
M
in e s .
The yield of the mines during the past year has been very considerably
less than that of 1860 and previous years. W e believe that the productive
capability o f the mines has been but little, if at all lessened, but that the de
creased yield is accounted for by the amount of labor expended in mining
for other metals, and by the improvement o f the condition of miners,
who, as their families gather around them, bestow more o f their labor in
agriculture, and in other ways calculated to increase their comfort and
independence, and to render their mode of life more like that to which
they were accustomed in the communities which they left to come to
this State. The vast improvement which is everywhere taking place in
t he style of buildings in the cities, towns and camps throughout the
mines, and the ran id increase of the number o f families there, the breadth
360
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
[April,
o f land occupied as farms and gardens, and the attention that is paid to
fruit culture and stock raising, show how much o f the capital that for
merly used to he sent to the East for the support o f families there, is
now retained and invested. Thus, in Yuha, one o f the oldest and most
central mining counties in the State, agriculture and stock-raising are
both already nearly equal, if not superior, in importance to the mining
interest, and the same is the case in other large districts where mining is
still actively and successfully prosecuted. The great and rapidly-increas
ing amount o f exports of California productions, other than gold and
silver, also exhibit why one large portion o f the same rate o f gold shipments
formerly made are no longer necessary, and the diminished amount of
receipts of foreign and Eastern goods and products show how fast the
people of this State are becoming self-supporting agriculturists, woolraisers and manufacturers.
The product of the Washoe mines cannot, at present, he definitely
ascertained; but, from authentic sources, we have derived information
warranting a conjecture that the yield o f the past year has not fallen
short of $2,500,000, reduced to bullion, besides ore exported, which will
be found specified in our tables. This great interest is yet in its early
infancy.
C
opper
and
C
oal.
In glancing at the list of our mineral productions, some of which have
assumed importance only during the past year, we cannot omit referring
specially to the discoveries o f copper in Calaveras county, where veins of
this valuable metal have been opened in richness and extent almost unequaled. The head quarters of this region are about thirty miles from
the thriving inland city of Stockton, and, we doubt not, soon to be con
nected with that city by rail-road communication. An interest of so
much value must ere long command the readiest means o f access. On
referring to our schedule of exports, copper ore will be found already figur
ing notably, though the discoveries are o f hut recent date, and the work
of development hardly begun.
A still more important discovery is the great industrial agent— coal—
inexhaustible deposits o f which have been found in our immediate vicin
ity. Numerous companies have been formed, and a respectable amount
of capital embarked in the working o f these mines, and the product is
already in market competing with importations. A s yet, however, the
quality of the coal is not adapted to all requirements. Comparatively
speaking, the surface only has been penetrated; at a greater depth, it is
presumed a much better article will be found, as experience has proved
in other cases; but even the superficial excavations now made have fur
nished a quality adapted to many uses, and at a cost which will insure a
very large consumption at home, although it may not find a place among
our exports.
Q uicksilver.
The decision rendered last January by the United States District Court,
in favor of the claimants to the “ New Almaden Mine,” and the conse
quent re-opening of the same, have given a new impetus to this branch o f
1862.]
361
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
our commerce. By reference to figures below, it will be seen that tlio
export of this metal is largely in excess of that o f the preceding years.
The yield of the above mine, amounting to nearly three-fourths o f the
whole product for this year, sufficiently explains the matter.
The following shows the yield o f the four mines actually worked:
N. A lmaden.
N. I dkia .
E nriqueta.
Flasks.
Flasks.
Flasks.
1,819
2,272
2,192
1,678
776
800
458
273
7,961
2,307
1st quarter,. . .___
2d quarter,.. . ,___
3d quarter,... ___
4th quarter,..,___
4,354
8,692
9,934
9,225
..
..
..
..
Total,.. . . , . . .32,205
Guadalupe .
Flasks.
.
.
.
.
658
650
600
650
2,550
Being a total production o f 45,023 flasks of 75 lbs. each, Spanish
weight, for the year, from the four mines.
Total production in 1861,...................................................... 45,023 flasks.
Exports in 1861,............................................ 35,995 flasks.
Stock here 1st January, 1862, (in excess of
stock on 1st o f January, 1861,) esti
1,050 “
37,045
“
mated at....................................................
Showing consumption in this State,.....................................
Or an average o f about 665 flasks per month.
7,978 flasks.
From this exhibit we judge that the demand has been equal to the
supply, and we doubt not a market could be found for a much greater
yield. W e quote the price at 40 cents for export, or $30 for flasks of
75 pounds.
The exports and destination o f quicksilver during the past year have
been as follows:
To
Flasks.
New-York,..........................
England,..............................
Mexico,................................
Australia,............................
China,..................................
Japan,..................................
Total,..........................
..
600
. . 2,500
.12,061
. . 1,850
. .13,788
50
To
Flasks.
P e ru ,.............................
Valparaiso,...................
Vancouver Island,.. . .
Panama,........................
Central America,.........
......... 2,804
......... 2,059
.........
116
.........
57
.........
110
___ 35,995
The exports previously for six years, were as follow s:
Flasks.
Flasks.
1855,................................... .27,165 1858,............................ .........24,132
1856,................................... .23,740 1859,............................ ......... 3,399
1857,................................... .27,262 1860,............................ ......... 9,348
The value of our exports of this metal, for the year 1861, was
$1,079,850.
S alm on
and
other
F is h e r ie s
in
1861.
The spring salmon commenced running in January and continued until
August, when the fall run commenced and continued until November.
362
[April,
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
The lateness o f the rains this year has made this a long fishing season,
and the catch in consequence has been unusually large. Some idea
o f their abundance may be gathered from the fact, that at S t r o n g &
W a l t o n ’ s fishery, on Rogue River, with 180 fathoms o f seine, 6,000
salmon have been landed at a single haul; while at D u n c a n & Co.’s
fisheries, on Eel River, with 120 fathoms o f seine, 2,600 salmon, making
140 barrels, were secured at one time.
The following is the year’ s packing, compiled from reliable sources:
Rogue River fisheries,................................................ 1,586 bbls.
Chetcoe’ s
“
600 “
Smith’s River “
900 “
Eel River
“
1,200 “
Sacramento
“
1,500 “
Total,..................................................................... 5,786 bbls.
The average ruling prices for 1861 have been, for first class salmon,
3£ cents per pound, and for smoked salmon, 6 cents.
In our estimates above we have not taken Oregon or the north coast
fisheries into account; they have, doubtless, been large, probably aggre
gating 2,000 bbls.
The business of mackerel catching has not been prosecuted with much
vigor the past year, owing to the very low prices ruling for Eastern,
which have rendered it so unprofitable that for the present the trade may
be considered at an end.
Large quantities o f herring are caught upon the coast, and some atten
tion is being paid to smoking, drying and otherwise curing them for
market; but the trade is so limited that the business is easily overdone,
market glutted with an over supply and prices ruinously low. As with
nearly all other California products, so with their fisheries. They require
a market. Their supplies are excessive. They want more consumers at
home and customers abroad.
W
ool.
The following statistics show the extent of shipments o f wool for the
y e a r:
To New-York,........................................................... 13,244 bales.
B oston,....................................
1,547 “
England,.............................................................
1,193 “
Other countries,..................................................
3 “
Total,......................................................... 15,987 bales.
The elips for the last seven years are estimated as follows :
Y ear.
For 1 8 5 5 ,................................
1 8 5 6 , ..............................
1 8 5 7 , ..............................
1 8 5 8 , ..............................
1 8 5 9 , ...............................
1860, ..............................
1861, ..............................
Pounds.
360,000
600,000
1,100,000
1,428,351
2,378,250
3,260,000
4,600,000
Increase p er cent.
....................
66
83
30
66
37
41
1862.]
TH E
363
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
T R A D E
AND
COMMERCE
OP
CHICAGO.*
The report of the trade and commerce of Chicago, for 1861, by S e t h
C a t l i n , Secretary of the Board o f Trade o f that city, is very full and
interesting. The great increase shown in the receipts and shipments o f
flour and grain is the most remarkable feature o f the exhibit. In 1860,
the amount o f flour shipped was 698,132 barrels, and that was more than
had been shipped any previous year ; but in 1861, the number o f barrels
forwarded was 1,603,920, being an increase o f about one million o f bar
rels over the previous year. The grain (wheat, corn, oats and rye) shipped
in 1860, amounted to 27,350,640 bushels, but in 1861 the shipments of
grain reached the unprecedented amount o f 42,235,728 bushels.
The system o f grain inspection, introduced by the Board of Trade in
1858, and improved from time to time, has, we are told in this same re
port, been carried to a great degree o f perfection, proving of vast benefit
to all who handle the grain. The inspection books show that, out o f the
grain received, there has been inspected as follows :
In 1858 received, 14,032,291 bushels.
1859
“
14,728,542
“
1860
“
32,824,958
“
1861
“
45,970,687
“
Inspected, 7,294,800 bushels.
tt
it
8,987,806
It
tt
27,101,768
it
It
43,870,065
Thus it will be seen that the amount inspected has, from year to year,
been increased, until now almost the entire receipts are inspected. W e
may, therefore, conclude that the advantages of this system are fast be
coming more generally known and appreciated.
The two following tables show the receipts and shipments o f certain
leading articles during the past three years :
Table showing the amount o f Receipts at Chicago o f certain leading arti
cles fo r the past three years.
1860.
1861.
Flour,.................
W h e a t,............
it
Corn,.................
it
Oats,.................
it
% e , ..................
It
B arley ,.............
H o g s ,............. .............. No.
It
Cattle,...............
Lumber,............ ............. M.
it
Shingles,...........
tt
Lath,..................
Seeds,................
Salt.....................
H id e s,............. ............. lbs.
High W in e s,.. .
C o a l,.................
L e a d ,............... .............lbs.
tt
W o o l,...............
1,479,284
17,385,002
26,369,989
2,067,018
490,989
457,589
675,902
204,579
249,309
79,356
32,637
7,742,614
390,499
17,196,293
89,915
211,586
14,554,743
1,184,208
.
..
..
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
..
.
.
..
.
713,348
14,427,083
15,262,394
2,198,889
318,976
617,619
392,864
177,101
262,494
127,894
38,601
7,071,074
255,148
17,604,078
62,126
170,397
12,315,260
859,248
1859.
..
726,321
..
8,060,766
..
5,401,870
..
1,757,696
..
231,514
..
652,696
..
271,204
..
111,694
..
302,845
..
165,927
..
49,102
..
5,241,547
..
316,291
. . 18,614,246
..
29,431
..
131,204
.. 14,351,179
..
918,319
* The map in this No. of the Magazine, together with the report of the committee
on “ Harbor Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers,” (page 337,) will be found of
great interest in connection with these trade reports of Chicago, Toledo and Buffalo.
364
[April,
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
Table showing the amount o f Shipment at Chicago fo r certain leading
articles fo r the past three years.
1861.
F lo u r ,........................barrels,
1,603,920
15,835,953
W heat,................... bushels,
Corn,..........................
“
24,372,725
“
1,633,237
O ats,..........................
“
393,813
R y e , ..........................
Barley,........................ “
226,534
H o g s ,..............................No.
289,094
Cattle,.............................. “
124,146
Lumber,............................ M.
264,830
Shingles,............................“
135,803
Lath....................................“
45,661
S e e d s,............................. lbs.
7,438,485
Salt,............................barrels,
319,140
H id e s,.............................. lbs. 12,277,518
H ig h W in es,.............barrels,
111,240
Coal................................ tons,
20,093
Lead................................. lbs.
16,854,706
1,360,617
W o o l,................................ “
1860.
1859.
..
698,132 . .
686,351
. . 12,402,197 . . 7,166,698
. . 13,700,113 . . 4,349,360
. . 1,091,698 . . 1,185,703
..
156,642 . .
134,404
..
267,449 . .
486,218
..
227,164 . .
110,246
..
97,474 . .
37,584
..
286,485 . .
313,144
..
131,043 . .
203,297
..
41,744 . .
45,868
..
6,055,563 . . 4,647,960
..
172,963 . .
257,847
. . 14,863,514 . . 16,413,320
..
65,223 . .
29,529
..
20,364 . .
19,886
..
8,392,066 . . 8,725,747
..
839,269 . .
934,595
C
for
a p a c it y
of
W
areh ouses
at
C
h ic a g o
G
r a in
H
a n d l in g
and
S t o r in g
.
The great capacity and number of the grain warehouses at Chicago
will be seen from an examination o f the following table :
E levating
warehouses .
Capacity to reC apacityfor ceive and ship Capacity to
Storage.
per day.
ship per day.
Bmluls.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Stnrges, Buckingham <fc Co., A .,..............
“
“
B , ..............
Flint & Thompson,...................................
“
R. I. R. R „ ...............
Charles Wheeler & Co., G. <fc C. TJ. R. R
Hunger & Armour,...................................
Hiram Wrheeler,........................................
Munn & Scott............................................
Orrington Lunt <fc Brother,.....................
Ford & Norton,........................................
George Stnrges & Co., Fulton Elevator,.
Walker, Washburn & Co.,.......................
Sturges, Smith & Co.,.............................
Armour, Dole & Co.,...............................
700,000
700,000
160,000
700,000
500,000
600,000
450,000
200,000
80,000
100,000
100,000
75,000
700,000
850,000
Total,................................................
5,915,000
N
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
65,000
65,000
25,000
65,000
50,000
50,000
60,000
30,000
30,000
40,000
25,000
30,000
65,000
85,000
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
1,795,000
675,000
There will he finished previous to opening of navigation:
Munn & Scott, (new house,)................ 600,000 . . 55,000
................ 300,000 . . 40,000
L. Newberry <t Co., “
225,000
225,000
50,000
200,000
125,000
100,000
150,000
75,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
60,000
225,000
225,000
ote .—
..
..
200,000
100,000
Although the capacity o f these warehouses would almost seem to be
unnecessarily large, yet, during the past season, the business transacted
has required the constant use o f all of them, and at times they have been
very nearly full. For instance, on
1862.]
365
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
F lour,
W heat,
Corn,
Barrels.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Oats,
Bushels.
E ye & B ar.,
Bushels.
April 6, there was in store, 64,897 . . 1,856,954 .. 1,968,333 .. 578,843 ...............
“ 13,
“
“
57,275 .. 1,646,528 .. 1,991,724 .. 528,636 .. 194,289
Dec. 21,
“
“
26,304 .. 1,791,066 .. 1,483,534 .. 237,907 . . 139,428
Thus it will be seen that there was, at the first date specified above,
about four million five hundred thousand bushels of grain, and sixty-four
thousand barrels of flour in store.
W e annex a table showing the disposition of hogs received at Chicago
the past year.
D
is p o s it io n o f
I I o g s in 1 8 6 1 .
Live.
179
Shipped by Lake.................................................
Forwarded by Chicago & Rock Island Rail-Road,
874
“ Illinois Central Rail-Road,......... ,
189
542
“ Chicago, Burl’gton & Quincy R.R.
“ Chicago & Milwaukie Rail-Road,
8,754
“ Michigan Southern Rail-Road,... 62,306
“ Michigan Central Rail-Road,.. . . 45,423
“ Chi., Pittsburgh <fc Ft. W. R. R .,. 98,715
Dressed.
..
..
216,982
2
7
17
15,883
46,245
9,958
Total.
179
874
..
191
..
549
..
8,771
..
78,189
..
91,668
. . 108,673
72,112
289,094
379,903
irted and on hand,............
6,905
Cut by packers in the city,,
Total,,
675,902
Table showing the range o f prices at Chicago, o f Flour, Wheat, Corn and
Oats, during each month o f 1 8 6 1 .
F lour.
Flour.
F lour.
W heat.
Corn.
Oats.
Pure White
Spring,
White
Winter,,
Red Winter,
Extra Club, and Yellow,
Ko. 1.
Months.
p er barrel. p er barrel.
p er barrel. p er bushel, p er bushel. p er bushel.
January, $2 75® $4 40 .. $4 25®$5 00 .. $5 25® $5 75 .. $0 80@$0 S3 .. 29 ®30 . ■17 @17%
F eb...... 2 75® 4 30 .. 4 25® 5 00 .. 5 25® 5 75 .. 0 78® 0 83 .. 23 ®29 . ■IT @17%
March,.. 2 75® 4 20 .. 4 25® 5 00 ., 5 25® 5 75 .. 0 SO® 0 86 .. 27 @29 . . 14 @16
A p ril,... 2 75® 515 .. 4 70® 5 50 ... 5 25® 6 25 .. 0 85® 0 98 .. 27 ®35 . . 13 @20
May,__ 3 00® G50 .. 6 25® 6 50 .. 5 75® 7 25 .. 0 93® 1 23 .. SO @46 . . 14 @24
June,... 1 50® 4 15 .. 4 25@ 5 00 . . B00® 6 50 .. 0 61® 0 74 .. —
. . 12^@15
July,.... 1 50® 4 00 .. 4 25® 5 00 .,, 5 50® G50 .. 0 5S® 0 73 .. 24 @26 . . 13 @16%
August, . 1 50® 4 25 .,, 3 75® 4 25 . . 4 50@ 5 CO .. 0 6G® 0 76 .. 22 @26 . . 14 @17
Sept.,— 2 25® 4 50 . . 3 75@ 4 90 . . 4 40® 5 00 .. 0 62® 0 79 .. 20%@23% . . 13 @14
October,. 2 15® 4 50 . . 4 00® 4 25 . . 4 50® 5 00 .. 0 71® 0 80 .. 21 @22 . . 15 @17
Nov.,__ 2 25® 4 15 . . 3 75® 4 50 . . 4 40® 5 00 .. 0 G9@ 0 73 .. 20#@ 23# . . 14 @18
Dec.,...... 2 25(g) 3 80 . . 3 75® 4 25 . . 4 37® 4 75 .. 0 6G® 0 73 .. 23 @ 24# . ■17%@18%
THE
TRADE
AND
COMMERCE
OF
TOLEDO.
W e have received, in the Toledo Blade, a carefully prepared statement
of the trade and commerce o f Toledo for 1861.
The past year, we are told, has been one of great commercial pros
perity to that city, in spite of the troublous times on which we have fallen.
In .fact, the rebellion itself has proved a benefit to her trade, in that,
Southern channels having been closed, the products which have hereto
fore naturally found an outlet over Southern waters, has been forced to
seek Northern channels leading to the seaboard. A good illustration of
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
366
[April,
this idea— or, we might say, proof o f it— is found in the total grain
receipts at Toledo the past year, compared with the previous one. In
1860, the receipts were, (reducing flour to wheat,) 14,504,903 bushels;
hut in 1861 they amounted to 18,706,500 bushels, showing an increase,
the past year, of 4,201,597 bushels. This, it is said, “ although very
flattering, is below what it would have been had the facilities o f the lines
bringing the grain from first hands and conveying to Eastern markets
been more abundant.”
Aside from the heavy business thus transacted, the past year has been
one of prosperity to this western city. W e have not the data showing
the precise number o f buildings erected during the year, but “ probably
the number is nearly double that of any former one, while their charac
ter, both of dwellings and stores, is, in almost every respect, far superior
to those put up in former years.”
The following tables show that Toledo* is one o f the most important
cities of the West, in fact, considering its size, it certainly has no equal
in the extent and value o f its commerce.
Receipts o f certain leading articles at Toledo fo r the years
1861.
Flour,.......................... bbls. 1,406,476
W heat,..................... bush. 6,277,407
Corn,........................ “
5,312,038
Oats,........................ “
41,418
Barley,.................... “
12,064
R ye,........................
“
31,193
134,909
P ork ,.......................... bbls.
Beef,.......................... “
30,370
Lumber,.......................... ft. 34,949,018
Cattle..........................No.
73,520
Ilogs,.......................... “
180,480
Sheep,........................ “
32,100
1860.
....
800,768
5,272,690
5,333,751
125,708
115,992
32,787
140,340
66,819
45,368,536
54,124
115,020
11,440
Shipment o f certain leading articles at Toledo fo r the years
1861 .
Flour,....................... bbls.
Wheat....................... bush.
Corn,..........................
“
Oats,..........................
“
Barley,.................... “
R ye,...........................
“
Cattle,....................... No.
H ogs,.........................
“
S heep,.......................
“
1,372,117
6,283,936
5,074,366
46,171
6,607
29,610
83,849
178,369
18,886
1 860 .
-----....
803,700
5,033,336
5,299,026
-----50,133
66,730
123,686
19,192
The importance o f Toledo as a grain-receiving and shipping port will
be more clearly seen from the following tables :
* For a description of Toledo and its surroundings, see
vol. x l v ., page 668.
M erchants ’ M agazin e ,
1862.]
367
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
Table showing the receipts o f Grain at Toledo, during the year 1861.
Flour, to wheat, bushels,..................................... 7,032,380
Wheat,
“
6,277,407
Corn,
“
5,312,038
Oats,
“
41,428
Rye,
“
31,193
Barley,
“
12,064
Total receipts in 1861,.....................................18,706,510
In store, January 1st, 1861,............................
271,051
Total supply,...................................................... 18,977,551
Receipts o f Flour and Grain at Toledo, with the sources o f supply, f o r the
year ending December 31si, 1861.
Wheat.
Flour.
Mich. South. R.R.,..
Toledo k Wab. R.R.,
Detroit <fcMil. R. R .,.
Canal,.......................
Lake,.........................
Teams,.....................
Manufactured,..........
Corn.
Oats.
Bye.
Barley.
bushels.
bushels.
\
bushels.
barrels.
bushels. bushels.
752,309 2,450,320
200,440
13,888
8,185
265,461 1,675,107 3,922,857
24,527 19,994
56,111
153,749
1,625
610,747
367
50
212,370 1,428,428 1,107,630
2,647
805
1,328
25,000
112,000
....
22,587
....
Total, 1861,.......... 1,406,476 6,277,407
“
1860,..........
800,768 5,272,690
5,312,038
5,333,751
41,428
129,689
31,193
32,787
852
1,196
10,016
....
12,064
115,992
Table showing the shipments o f F lour and Grain, from Toledo, during
the year 1861.
Flour,
barrels.
Shipped by lake,........ 1,128,709
By Cle. & Toledo R.R.,
243,037
By Bet. & Toledo R.R.,
365
To Cincinnati,............................
By canal,...................................
Total shipments,. . . .
1,372,111
Wheat,
bushels.
Corn,
bushels,
Oats,
Bye, Barley,
bushels, bushels, bushels.
6,160,756 4,768,867 21,925 11,773 .
96,335
304,055
4,246 17,837 1 607
4,783
1,444
.................................
. . . . . . . . 20,000
. . . . 5,000
22,062. . . .
.............
6,283,936
5,074,366
46,171
29,610
6,607
The following table will show the prices o f flour in Toledo and NewYork, on the first o f each month, in the years 1860 and 1861 :
1860.
D ates.
January,..................
February,...............
March, ...................
A p ril,......................
M ay,.................
June,.......................
J u ly ,........................
A ugust,...................
September,.............
O ctober,.................
Novem ber,.............
Decem ber,.............
P rice in Toledo.
$ 5 50 @ $ 5 75
5 25 @
5 75
5 25 @
5 75
5 25 @
5 50
5 55 @
5 75
.......@
5 62|
5 50 @
5 75
4 75 @
5 25
4 90 @
5 00
5 00 @
5 25
5 25 @
5 50
5 00 @
5 25
Price in New- York.
....
----....
....
....
....
$ 5 75 @ $
5 60 @
5 85 @
5 80 @
6 15 @
5 90 @
5 75 @
5 20 @
5 95 @
5 65 @
5 75 @
5 20 @
5 88
5 75
6 00
6 00
6 25
6 00
5 80
5 35
6 15
5 75
5 80
525
368
[April,
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
1861.
Dates.
Price in Toledo.
J a n u a r y ,......................
$ 5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
F e b r u a r y ,...................
M a r c h ,.........................
A p r i l , ...........................
W a y ,..............................
J u n e , ..........................
J u ly ................................
A u g u s t ,.......................
S e p t e m b e r ,...............
P rice in New- York.
$ 5
5
5
5
25
50
25
25
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
.... @
4 50 @
D e c e m b e r , ................
AND
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
4 50 @
4 50 @
O c t o b e r ,......................
N o v e m b e r ,................
TRADE
00
00
00
00
00
00
50
40
COMMERCE
____
____
$ 5 75 (§ r $ 5 85
5 70 @
5 75
____
5 40 @
5 50
50
75
25
00
00
25
00
------____
5 65 @
5 25 @
5 75
5 40
____
____
____
____
____
5
4
4
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
____
6 00 @
6 05
5 00
____
5 70 @
5 90
OP
BUFFALO
40
95
85
05
80
FOR
@
@
@
@
@
50
00
95
10
90
1861.
W e had hoped to he able to give, this month, a full report of the
trade of Buffalo for the past year, but have been disappointed in not
receiving expected returns. The report o f the committee on “ Harbor
Defences on Great Lakes and Rivers” 'will, however, be found to contain
many statistics interesting in this connection. The following tables we
take from the pamphlet “ published by direction o f the Buffalo Commit
tee of Public Defence
A
r r iv a l s
and
D
epartures
by
L
ake
at
B
uffalo
No.
American vessels entered,. .
Foreign vessels entered,. . .
American vessels cleared,..
Foreign vessels cleared,........
Coasting vessels entered,.. .
Coasting vessels cleared,. . .
T otal,.................................
R
e c e ip t s
at
.
in
1861.
Tonnage.
1,134
631
1,123
602
5,201
5,175
1,107,328
53,140
1,100,637
49,952
1,826,253
1,825,935
. 13,866
5,963,245
.
.
.
B
uffalo,
1861.
Below is a statement o f the receipts at Buffalo from the West, by
water, of the principal articles, during the season o f navigation of 1861.
The lake opened this year on the 13th April, and the last arrived at this
port on the 14th December.
'___ bbls. 1,909,557 Oats,........... . . . . bush. 1,703,188
U
___
“
45,048 Barley,........
276,601
U
___
“
49,730 % e , .............
329,942
____ “
104,829 Lumber,.. . . ............. ft. 49,075,393
____ “
13,509 Staves,........ .........No. 23,707,120
a
“
6^365 Cattle,...........
26,921
F ish ,........... ___
u
H ogs,...........
30,325
C oal,...........
u
29,173
Wheat,........ . . . bush. 26,585,723 Sheep,.........
“
20,872,860 W ool............
28,423
Corn,........... . . .
Flour,.............
P ork ,...........
B e e f,...........
W h isk e y ,...
1862.]
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
369
A dd to the above receipts of flour and grain by lake the amount o f
same received by rail-road, and reducing the flour to wheat, we have about
62,000,000 bushels as the receipts for 1861. To elevate and discharge
this grain, they have in Buffalo seventeen grain elevators, with storage ca
pacity varying from 120,000 to 600,000, and an aggregate o f 3,500,000
bushels. Three new ones are being erected, which, it is said, will give
them during the present year storage capacity for 4,000,000 bushels.
FLOUR
AND
GRAIN
IN
FRANCE — OFFICIAL
TABLE.
The following is a detailed account o f the quantities o f grain and flour
imported into France in the last three years, or that taken for French con
sumption :
Special Commerce.
W heat , Spelt, A c.
1861.
1860.
Quintals *
Quintals .
Quintals.
220,783
38,674
23,045
2,057
8,168
1,384
5,797
192,218
49,116
552,552
131
1,275
3,667
250,988
95,897
541,242
1,049,780
8,639
83,285
136,861
538,443
R u ssia,...............................
Zollverein,..........................
Belgium ,.............................
E n glan d ,...........................
Turkey,...............................
Egypt-.................................
United States,....................
Algeria,...............................
Other countries,...............
2,635,565
1,411,094
267,383
1,578,510
769,191
175,849
1,571,826
229,633
562,567
Total, ......................................
9,201,618
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
91,296
228,224
383,860
569,871
..
..
19,389
64,637
32,129
86,397
Total o f grain,..................... 10,474,869
..
743,794
..
2,070
396
Eye ...................................................
Maize,............................................
B a rley ,...............................
O a t s , ..............................................
F lour
of
..
..
1859.
2
120,761
24,507
..
1,817,008
W heat, Spelt, A c.
R u ssia,...............................
England,.......................................
S pain ,.................................
Turkey, .........................................
United States,...................
Algeria,...............................
Other countries,. . . . . . . .
11,292
274,156
163,919
23,352
183,573
14,174
84,018
Total,...............................
Other sorts of flour,.........
754,484
1,408
..
••••
..
..
1,980
125
1,410
2,925
3,400
4
6
2,464
460
1,046
3,052
.i
..
8,906
1,732
10,432
477
..
..
..
Subjoined is an account of the exports o f grain and flour in the same
three years: Special Commerce, that which is exclusively French:
* The quintal is nearly 2 cwts.
VOL. X L V I.---- NO. IV .
24
[April.
Statistics o f Trade and Commerce.
370
Special Commerce.
W heat , Spelt , &c.
Zollverein,..........................
Belgium,............................
England,.............................
Switzerland.........................
Other countries,.....................
1861.
1860.
Quintals.
Quintals.
1859.
Quintals.
10,983
16,145
209,739
84,763
54,412
..
..
..
..
..
100,109
104,907
1,307,724
295,516
54,267
..
..
..
..
..
152,638
456,936
2,306,225
214,673
183,733
Total,..............................
376,042
..
1,862,523
..
3,314,205
R y e , ...................................
M aize,.................................
Barley,............................ . . .
O ats,...................................
83,590
28,336
99,081
32,297
..
..
..
..
382,059
309,214
340,306
99,286
..
..
..
..
561,341
93,609
417,651
119,127
Total of grain,...............
619,346
..
2,993,388
..
4,505,933
Belgium,.............................
E n glan d ,............................
Italy,...................................
Spain,.................................
Switzeriand,........................
Algeria,"..............................
Other countries,...............
15,872
93,536
.......
1,394
61,532
38,346
95,809
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
108,423
804,136
10,858
6,795
120,273
49,708
145,213
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
127,185
1,446,068
34,155
15,398
97,670
128,084
155,12Q
Total,..............................
Other sorts o f flour,........
306,489
3,858
F lour
op
W heat, Spelt, &c.
I m p o r t a t io n s
l o n ia l
in t o
G
r a in
G
reat
and
B
r it a in a n d
F lour
Wheat.
qrs.
1848,..................
1849,..................
1850,..................
1851,..................
1852,..................
1853,..................
1854,..................
1855,..................
1856,..................
1857,..................
1858,..................
1859,..................
1860,..................
1861,. . ..............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2,477,366
3,872,568
3,754,592
3,831,836
3,068,892
4,949,314
3,468,605
2,686,188
4,101,829
3,475,237
4,275,435
4,023,578
5,906,181
6,966,844
Total 14 years,. .56,858,465
..
..
1,245,406
20,771
Ireland
for fourteen
930,265
1,281,517
1,165,876
1,209,844
995,479
1,035,072
1,029,304
1,044,192
1,156,789
1,732,005
1,878,313
1,709,197
2,308,284
1,875,574
19,353,711
F
2,003,680
7,314
o r e ig n
s in c e
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
1,577,023
2,189,161
1,286,263
1,821,513
1,479,890
1,554,434
1,356,379
1,224,281
1,788,211
1,158,751
1,762,319
1,321,632
1,543,321
1,855,659
21,918,837
and
Co
1847.
Flour and
Wheatmeal.
cicts.
Indian Corn.
qrs.
Oats.
qrs.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
of
years
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
1,731,974
3,483,294
3,855,058
5,363,478
3,921,634
4,662,898
3,739,167
1,940,237
4,038,235
2,212,168
3,665,078
3,354,796
3,147,603
4,625,328
49,740,948
1862.]
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
JOURNAL
I.
OF
M INING,
MANUFACTURES
371
AND
ART.
I ron M anufacture of the U nited K ingdom. II. L a w relating to D ealers
M etals in G reat B ritain . III. A nthracite Coal T rade of the U nited States.
nual R eview of the L ake Superior Copper M ines.
THE
IRON
M A N U F A C T U R E
OF
THE
U N ITE D
in
IV.
Oli>
A n
KIN GDOM .
T he following tables, which we take from the Ironmonger* o f London,
will be found to contain much reliable information.
In deducing conclusions from the facts which they reveal, the writer
remarks : That it will be seen that there are now fewer blast furnaces in
operation, than during any o f the five preceding years. A s compared
with last year, there are thirty-two less— seventy-nine fewer than in Jan
uary, 1860; a decrease o f eighty-four from the number in 1859; of
ninety-four, as compared with 1858; and eighty-nine less than in 1857.
This is, undoubtedly, a great falling o f f ; and though from the increased
make per furnace, the diminution in the pig iron made, is o f less amount
than the decrease in the number o f furnaces in blast, the production of
iron must still bo considerably less than in previous years.
Looking at the districts from which the decrease arose, we find that it
is mainly due to two— South Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and South
Wales. Comparing 1862, the year o f the least, with 1858, that o f the
greatest number of furnaces in operation, we find a decline, in the case o f
South Staffordshire and Worcestershire, of forty-five furnaces, or 30 per
cent. In South Wales, the decline in the same periods was forty fur
naces, or more than 24 per cent. In Scotland there is a decline, as com
pared with 1859 and 1861, but of not nearly so large an amount; and
Shropshire, Derbyshire and the Forest of Dean, also show a slight dimi
nution.
The decreased production o f South Staffordshire is easily accounted
for. The scarcity and consequent cost o f its iron ores, and its distance
from any port, incapacitate that district from successfully competing with
other iron-producing localities, in the production o f the cheaper kinds
o f iron, in which the raw material (the pig iron) forms a very large pro
portional element, as compared with the cost o f manufacture. Hence,
its mills and forges being mainly employed to produce iron o f better
quality and more expensive manufacture, the quantity of pig iron used,
in proportion to the value o f the finished iron produced, is less. Again,
the hematite pig iron of the Lancashire and Cumberland district forms a
most valuable mixture with South Staffordshire iron, and is very largely
consumed in that district. It will be seen below, that there is a very
large increase in the number o f furnaces making this iron ; and the new
* The Ironmonger is a very valuable monthly trade circular, published at 24 Bow
Lane, Cannon-street West, London, b y J ames F ir t h , publisher.
372
[April,
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
furnaces in the Lancashire and Yorkshire district are o f extraordinary
capacity, some yielding as much as four hundred tons per week.
The decrease in the make o f South Wales is mainly due to the grow
ing competition o f the Cleveland district in the production o f railway
and other kinds o f iron. It is true, that the number o f blast furnaces
in the northeastern counties does not show an increase, but these include
the smaller furnaces in Yorkshire; and there has been an undoubted in
crease in the production o f iron on the Tees, whilst its improved quality
has made that district a very powerful rival to South Wales.
S y n o p s is
of
B
last
F
urnaces
B
in
the
U
n it e d
Gross 27o.
Furnaces .
D istricts.
Wolverhampton and Bilston district,. ... 128
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Northamptonshire,.
.
of
B
last
D istricts.
F urnaces
in
G
53
29
10
6
11
40
11
16
11
1
4
15
. . . • 280
___
207
124
5
124
___
----___
86
10
51
. •. • 533
___
354
37
—
reat
Forest o f Dean,.
id,
..
..
3
58
25
14
3
2
22
. . 124
5
. . 124
Total, Great Britain,
Out o f blast.
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
....
., ..
....
....
B
r it a in
,
1861
Make o f each,
p er v: eek.
..
..
reat
75
33
22
3
23
47
11
14
25
3
2
22
Furnaces
in blast .
Wiltshire,.. . . . .
G
of
In blast.
,...
....
• •••
••. •
....
,,,,
,.,.
....
....
Total, Great Britain,....................... . 887
ie l d
in g d o m
62
32
9
34
87
22
30
36
4
. 210
. 15
. 175
Y
K
.
r it a in
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
919,620
148,720
23,400
527,800
104,000
167,440
27,300
14,040
114,400
.. 1,310
..
2,046,720
..
..
145
90
150
..
..
..
934,960
23,400
967,200
..
385
..
3,972,280
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
135
130
150
175
80
230
175
135
100
Yield p er
annum .
1862.]
F
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
u r n a c e s in
B
l a s t in
G
reat
B
r it a in a t t h e
373
com m encem ent
of each
OF THE FOLLOW ING YEARS :
D istricts.
1857.
1858.
1859. 1860.
1861.
1862.
South Staffordshire and Worcestershire, 147
North Staffordshire,.................................
20
Shropshire,................................................
27
Forest o f Dean,..........................................
5
Derbyshire,................................................
26
Northumberland, Durham & Yorkshire, 94
. .
Northamptonshire,...................................
W iltshire,...................................................
153 147 135
23
22 23
26
25 25
. .
5
5
25 28 27
89 94 99
3
3
3
2
3
1
114 108
25
23
25
22
4
3
17 22
78
83
2
3
4
2
Total, England,................................. 324
South Wales,.............................................. 162
North Wales,..............................................
9
Scotland,..................................................... 127
333 332 334
164 147 147
6
6
6
124 125 132
289 280
139 124
5
6
131 124
622
627 617 612
565 533
Total, Great Britain,........................
An important increase has taken place in the shipments o f pig iron
from the Middlesborough or Cleveland district. B rowne’ s export list
gives the following returns o f the shipment o f pig iron, foreign, from
Middlesborough, the Hartlepools and Stockton, during the year 1861 :
P oets.
1859.
Middlesborough,.......................... tons, 25,224
Hartlepool and W est Hartlepool,. . .
8,197
Stockton,...............................................
20
1860.
..
44,581 . .
. . 18,060 . .
...........................
1861.
71,481
22,540
390
33,441 . .
62,641 . .
94,411
Increase in 1860,......................................................
29,200 ..................
Increase in 1 8 6 1 ,.,............................................................................
31,770
The yield of pig iron for the year 1861, and the quantity o f coal, iron
ore and limestone employed in its production, form a question of no little
interest. Applying to the above figures, the most trustworthy estimates
that can be formed, will make the pig iron produced last year in Great
Britain 3,972,280 tons, or, in round numbers, four millions of tons. O f
this aggregate yield, England produced 2,046,720 tons, Wales, 958,360
tons, and Scotland, 967,200 tons. Taking the separate districts, the year’ s
make o f Staffordshire and Worcestershire may be estimated at 919,620
tons, o f which North Staffordshire contributed 161,460, Northumberland,
Durham and the Stockton and Darlington district, 527,100, Cumberland
and Lancashire, (on the hematite district,) 167,440 tons, Shropshire,
148,720 tons, Derbyshire, 114,440 tons, Forest o f Dean, 23,400 tons,
Northamptonshire, 27,300 tons, and Wiltshire, 14,040 tons.
To make this immense quantity o f iron, there would be consumed by
the blast furnaces about 12,000,000 tons o f coal, 9,000,000 tons o f iron
stone, and about 3,000,000 tons o f limestone.
Supposing the whole o f the furnaces now erected to have been in blast,
the produce for a year would be nearly 6,500,000 tons of pig iron, which
would require for its production nearly 20,000,000 tons of coal, 14,000,000
tons o f ironstone, and near 5,000,000 tons o f limestone.
374
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
TH E L A W R E L A T IN G TO DE A LER S IN
[April,
OLD M ETALS IN G R E A T B R IT A IN .
W e learn from the Ironmonger that very great satisfaction is being
expressed by the manufacturers of Birmingham, Sheffield and W ol
verhampton, at the existence o f the new law relating to dealers in old
metals. For many years past employers have been seriously plundered
by their work-people, in consequence o f the facilities which the ma
rine-store dealer enjoyed o f purchasing the proceeds of such plunder,
and on account, further, o f the many difficulties which were in the way
o f successfully punishing either the thief or the receiver. B y the new
law, however, which came into operation with the new year, many o f
those difficulties are overcome. Steps to improve upon the existing law
were first taken by the Birmingham Chamber o f Commerce, efficiently
aided by Mr. K y n n e r s l e y , the stipendiary magistrate o f that town. B y
these it was felt, that what was wanted was a provision which, in the case
o f goods reasonably supposed to be stolen,would cast upon the person in
whose possession they were found the onus of proving that he had acted
honestly and with due caution in purchasing them. Although, in the
opinion of its originators, the existing bill was “ greatly mutilated and
defaced” in passing though Parliament, yet they agree that it will be
found to be a vast improvement upon the previously-existing laws.
The leading provisions o f the measure are the following : A “ dealer in
old metals” is defined to mean any person dealing in, buying or selling
old metal, scrap metal, broken metal or partly-manufactured metal goods,
whether he deals in such articles only, or together with second-hand
goods and marine stores. A complaint being made to a justice, that
the complainant believes old metal to be kept or secreted in the shop or
house o f a dealer in old metals, the justice may empower a constable, by
special warrant, to search for and seize all such metals; a summons is to
be then issued to the metal dealer, and if he cannot satisfactorily account
to the justice for his possession o f the articles in question, he may be
fined £5 for the first offence, and £20, or three months’ imprisonment,
for the second offence; or, as at present, he may be proceeded against
by indictment at Quarter Sessions. When a dealer in old metals has
been convicted under the section just mentioned, the justices may order
him to be registered for three years in the police-books; and on every
subsequent conviction, the period of registration may be extended for
three additional years. When any such registered dealer removes to
any other town, he must give notice to the police of the town to which
he has removed, in order that the unexpirecl period of registration may
be completed, notwithstanding the removal. A metal dealer who has
subjected himself to registration is placed under the direct supervision
of the police, who may search his premises at any time, without special
warrant. The dealer must keep a book, in which he must enter an
account of all old metals in his possession, specifying the names, ad
dresses and occupations o f the purchaser, the vendor and the persons to
whom the goods may have been afterwards disposed of. He must not
purchase old metal before nine in the morning or after six in the evening,
or from any person under sixteen years o f ag e; nor shall any person under
that age be employed upon his premises, lie must keep every article
purchased by him, and “ without changing the form in which it was
when so purchased, or disposing o f the same in any way, for a period of
1862.]
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
375
forty-eight hours after such article has been purchased or received.” He
must give immediate notice to the police o f the receipt or possession o f
any stolen property, o f which a description may have been left with him.
Finally, at any time when he may be required, he must produce to the
police the books containing entries of' all his transactions. In certain
cases, an appeal is allowed to the Quarter Sessions; and it is provided
that the act shall extend to England' only. The measure, would, un
doubtedly, have been more effectual, had it provided for the preliminary
registration of all old metal dealers, and had it authorized the police to
make searches without special warrant; but the latter difficulty will no
doubt be got rid o f by the police assuming the responsibility of taking
action in cases o f strong suspicion.
This new act will do a great deal, it is thought, towards preventing
the enormous frauds hitherto carried on by the assistance o f marine-store
dealers. A marine-store dealer is “ a person who is willing to buy what
ever a pawnbroker would decline, from its suspicious appearance, or its
want of value to advance money upon.” O f the latter class of articles,
rags, bones, bottles, worm-eaten furniture and worn-out apparel may be
taken as examples. O f the former class, old metal, scrap metal and
metallic goods of all kinds in process of manufacture, whole, broken or
defaced, form a large item in the dealer’ s business. The marine-store
shop is always open for transactions, which the parties to them find it
desirable to conceal from the knowledge of the police. Men, women
and children bring, in the early morning and in the dusk o f evening,
scraps and pieces o f valuable metal for sale, the vendors being often of
an age, and the time being an hour at which all dealings with pawn
brokers are absolutely prohibited by law. No questions are asked by
the dealer, who finds his account in buying the metal at a price far below
its real value, though high enough to tempt the seller to a repetition of
the th eft; and inconvenient investigations are avoided by dropping the
more valuable metals into a “ hot pot,” or crucible, always kept close at
hand upon the fire. The marine-store dealer, as a rule, knows perfectly
well that the metal thus disposed o f has been stolen. He knows that
silver, brass, copper, German silver and other metals of certain forms or
stages of manufacture, cannot be honestly come by, because in the ordi
nary course o f business they would not be permitted to leave the work
shop or the rough warehouse. But the dishonest dealer is emboldened
by impunity, and by the difficulty o f identifying half-finished articles,
which are commonly produced in countless profusion by hundreds of
different manufacturers. In many instances the maker of the goods
does not even know that he has been robbed, until the annual “ stock
taking” discloses the discrepancy between the metal purchased during
the year and the quantity remaining in stock or accounted for by
use. The discovery o f the theft, however, by no means implies the de
tection of the thief. Where many hands are employed, and especially
wkere there are many children, the manufacturer is obliged to rest con
tented with knowing that he has keen robbed, and that the thieves are
among his own people. Increased vigilance prevents or lessens the
depredations for a little time, but after a while this supervision slackens,
from the impossibility o f thoroughly applying it, and the thefts go on as
merrily as ever.
It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to add, that this evil exists in this
376
[April,
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
country as well as in Great Britain; and would it not be well if some of
the provisions o f the act above referred to were incorporated into our
statute b o o k s!
ANTHRACITE
COAL
TRADE
OF T H E
UNITED
STATES.
In the Miner's Journal we find an official statement o f the quantity of
anthracite coal sent to market in 1861, together with the semi-anthracite
and bituminous that is moved towards tide-water. The anthracite trade
shows a decrease o f 584,109 tons, and the semi-anthracite and bitumin
ous trade a decrease o f 419,340 tons, making the aggregate decrease in
1861, 1,003,449 tons.
Tons.
The aggregate supply o f anthracite reaches.. . . 7,474,908
Semi-anthracite and bituminous,........................
826,177
Imported, (estimated,)..........................................
240,000
Total,...............................................................
8,541,085
All o f which was destined for the seaboard, except about 400,000 tons
o f anthracite from Shamokin, Scranton and Pittston, which was sent into
the interior o f Pennsylvania and New-York.
1861.
1860.
S c h u ylk ill R eg io n .
Tons.
Tons.
1,460,832
B y Reading Rail-Road,......................
Trevorton Coal,...................................
—
1,871,548
..
B y canal,................................................
From Pinegrove,...................................
1,183,570
*53,059
3,270,516
..
2,697,459
100,000
730,642
..
..
883,632
111,073
743,672
1,821,497
..
1,738,377
382,341
52,965
701,523
252,273
827,954
..
..
..
..
..
253,757
53,241
629*657
270,822
833,497
L ehigh R egion.
B y canal from Lehigh,........................
B y canal from Wilkesbarre,............... ...........
B y rail-road,.......................................... ...........
W yoming R egion.
Canal South,.......................................... ...........
do. N orth ,.......................................... ...........
Pennsylvania Coal Company,.............. ...........
Scranton North,................................... ...........
do.
South, ................................. ...........
* The actual quantity of coal which had it8 outlet at Pinegrove in 1861, was
167,950 tons, but the balance is reported in the Reading Rail-Road and canal ton
nage.
1862.]
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
377
1860.
1861.
Tons.
Tons.
Delaware and Hudson Company,............... .
Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Rail-Road,. .
499,568
40,000
..
..
726,644
*30,000
Shamokin region,............................................ .
2,756,624
210,108
..
..
2,797,621
241,451
Total anthracite........................................... . 8,059,017
7,474,908
..
7,474,908
100,652
78,208
90,188
186,903
..
..
..
..
91,380
81,000
49,477
267,390
455,911
..
489,247
788,909
240,697
..
..
336,930
240,000
1,485,517
A dd anthracite,.............................................. .. 8,059,017
..
..
1,066,177
7,474,908
Total of all kinds,...................................... .. 9,544,534
8,541,085
..
8,541,085
Decrease in 1861,...................................... .
584,109
Semi-A nthracite .
Stone Mountain, (H. T h o m a s , ) .......................... .
Lykens Valley,
do.
....................
T revorton,........................................................
Broad T op ,....................................................... .
B ituminous.
Cumberland Coal,.............................................
Im ported,......................................................... .
Total decrease, 1861,................................. . 1,003,449
Up to 1857, Schuylkill Region furnished more than one-half the
quantity o f anthracite coal sent to market, but she is rapidly falling be
hind in this respect, as the following figures will sh ow :
Torn.
Furnished in 1861, from Schuylkill Region,............. 2,697,459
Other anthracite regions,.............................................. 4,777,449
Total tonnage,............................................................. 7,474,908
The W yom ing basin, which sent but 1,952,603 tons to market in 1857,
sends this year 2,908,694 tons, and exceeds the tonnage sent from
Schuylkill Region in 1861 by 211,235 tons.*
* Not official, but will not vary much from the actual quantity.
378
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
[April,
The following is the loss and gain for the year:
Gain.
Loss.
Schuylkill region,............. .............
Lehigh,............................... .............
W yom ing Basin,...............
Shamokin,..........................
Total tons for 1861,........................
573,057
94,193
.
.•
.
.
••••
51,798
31,343
667,250
83,841
..
83,141
584,109
W e append the following, which will show the extent o f the different
coal fields in acres, (which, however, gives no adequate idea of the quan
tity of coal deposited in each district, because that depends on the num
ber o f veins in the district, their thickness and depth below water level,)
together with the production of each district in 1861, compared with
1860:
THE ANTHRACITE COAL FIELDS.
The first, or Southern coal district, embracing the Schuyl
kill, Pinegrove and Lykens Valley regions, con tain .. .
The second, or middle coal field, comprising the Lehigh,
Shamokin and Trevorton regions, contain.....................
The third, or northern coal field, comprising the W yom ing
Basin, contain......................................................................
Total,
75,950 acres.
85,525
“
76,805
“
238,280 acres.
From these districts there were sent to market in 1860 and 1861 the
following quantity o f coals, showing the increase in each district:
1881.
1860.
1st District,.. . 3,449,376
2d D istrict,... 2,021,753
3d D istrict,... 2,856,896
L A K E
..
..
2,869.839
1,918,232
2,908,694
S U P E R I O R
C O P P E R
Increase .
Decrease .
................ 579,537
...............
103,521
51,798 .....................
M IN ES.
W e have received the annual review for 1861, o f Messrs. D upee, B eck
& Sayles, Boston, o f the Lake Superior copper mines, from which we
make the following extracts :
In relation to the mining interests o f Lake Superior, the year just now
closed, will be long remembered as having witnessed the most extraordi
nary fluctuations in the prices o f ingot copper, producing thereby the
extremes of adversity and prosperity. This metal was sold, in July, at
17 cents per pound, cash— the lowest price in the market since 1850.
To-day, holders refuse 27 cents, cash. Before the present stock has
passed into the hands of manufacturers, and, consequently, before the
profits of mining in 1861 can be accurately ascertained, the prices may
have advanced to figures exceeding the maximum o f 1857, or 30 cents
1862.]
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
379
per pound, four months. These fluctuations in prices have not been the
result of speculation, but have been caused by the disturbances of trade
all over the world. The ordinary consumption o f copper in the United
States has usually been estimated at twelve thousand tons per annum.
Lake Superior produced, in 1860, sis thousand tons. The remainder
was obtained principally from Tennessee, Canada and Chili. The open
ing of the lake navigation, in May last, brought upon the market, already,
in consequence o f the civil war, overstocked with foreign copper, the
accumulated product o f the previous six months. The necessities o f
several companies required immediate sales, reducing the price, in one
instance, to the low rate named above. But the disastrous prices were,
after all, followed by positively beneficial results to the mining interests.
A most rigid system o f economical management has been inaugurated,
so that every manager can give an estimate, closely approximating to the
truth, of the cost per pound o f ingot copper produced by his mine. A
new impulse has been given to the study o f the machinery for profitably
reducing the lower grades of stamp-work, and to the substitution o f rail
ways, in the mines, for handbarrows and heavy chain work. On the
other hand, the low prices o f copper in the American markets induced
enormous shipments to the markets o f Europe, especially to those o f the
continent, where its peculiar qualities o f ductility and toughness procured
for it the preference in the finer manufactures. In Rotterdam, Antwerp,
Havre and Paris, the brands of the several American smelting works are
as well known as in Boston and New-York. The exportation o f copper
continued until the price rose to 21 or 22 cents, (November.) Large
purchases by the Federal government caused a rapid advance to 25 cents,
(December,) and American copper was actually reshipped from Havre to
New-York.
Since the tariff o f August last, importations from Chili, the main source
o f the supply o f copper from abroad, have gradually declined, and such
is the derangement of foreign commerce, that the supplies from that
country must be comparatively small for many months hence. From all
these premises, there will bo a short supply, unless considerable lots can
be returned from abroad, free of duty, till the opening of navigation, in
May, 1862.
Looking back upon the past year as the most disastrous, financially,
since 1837, those interested in the mines o f Lake Superior may congratu
late themselves that but few o f the adventures have been suspended, that
but few calls have been made upon the shareholders, and that nearly all
the mines now in progress are earning dividends, or, at least, are selfsustaining. A careful inspection o f the published reports of the principal
companies shows, that the cost o f production, including every item down
to the charges o f the commission merchant, need not exceed, hereafter,
13-J cents per pound, at the richer mines, nor more than 18, or, possibly,
19 cents, at the poorer mines.
Yet the business o f mining, at Lake Superior, is but in its infancy.
The same energy which has developed successfully the lead, iron, coal,
silver and gold o f the United States, will yet solve, with a similar measure
o f success, the problem o f mining for copper in the richest and most
extensive deposits of that metal yet discovered in the world.
380
[April,
Journal o f Mining, Manufactures and Art.
Estimate o f production o f ingot or refined copper, in tons o f two thousand
pounds, from, the mines o f Lake Superior, from 1 8 4 5 to the close o f
navigation in 1861.
Average
p er ton .
Tone.
Value.
From 1845 to 1854, inclusive, (Mr. J. D.
W
h it n e y ’ s
fig u r e s ,)........................................
'7,642
From 1 8 5 5 to 1857, in c lu s iv e ,........................ 1 1 ,3 1 2
Shipments of 1858, 4,100 tons, less 600
tons included in 1857,............................
Shipments of 1859,.....................................
“
1860,......................................
“
1861,......................................
Total,.
18,954
$ 500
$ 9,477,000
3,500
4,200
6,000
7,400
460
460
420
420
1,610,000
1.932.000
2.520.000
3.180.000
$ 18,719,000
40,054
Statement o f the average cash prices o f Lake Superior ingot copper, in
January, July and December, from January, 1857, to December, 1861,
inclusive.
1857.
1858.
January,.. . . • 8 8 *
July,............. • 2 5 *
December,.. . 2 0
. . . . 19*
... . 2 2
. 23*
24
22*
23
1861.
1860.
1859.
.. ..
...
. . ..
..
24*
. . •• 21*
..
20
,. . . .
....
___
19*
17*
25
Comparative table o f shipments o f rough copper from Lake Superior,
during the seasons o f 1859, 1860 and 1861. The weights o f the bar
rels have been deducted, and the results are given in tons, (2,000 lbs.,)
and tenths.
1859.
Keweenaw district,......... . . 1,910.3
Portage
“
........ . . 1,533.1
Ontonagon
“
........ . . . 2,597.6
Porcupine Mountain,.. . . . .
....
Sundry mines,..................
Total,............................ . . .
6,041.
1861.
1880.
.. ..
.. ..
.. ..
..
1,910.8
3,064.6
3,610.7
20.5
7.6
___
____
___
____
___
2,169.9
4,708.6
3,476.7
....
8,614.2
____
10,355.2
—
The gradual rise, through the month o f December, o f the price o f
ingot copper, has given more strength to the market for mining shares,
and values have risen steadily, without much excitement. The best
feature of the market is, that buyers and sellers look with much more care
than formerly into the merits of the stock in which they operate. Hence,
while there are some anomalies of prices, higher or lower, relatively,
than the actual conditions warrant, the cases of extraordinary differences
are not more common than in other classes o f stocks. In other words,
the probabilities of profit and loss are getting to be as intelligently dis
cussed in mining as in manufacturing or rail-road investments.
1862.]
The Cotton Question.
381
THE COTTON QUESTI ON.
I. Surat
Substitute for A merican Cotton. II. L iverpool Cotton R eport. III. A c
E ngland of L agos, and the T reaty retween G reat B ritain and D ocemo, K ing of L agos. IY . F rench Stock of Cotton. Y. Cotton in the U nited States .
no
quisition
by
SURAT
NO
SUBSTITUTE
FOR
A M E RIC AN
COTTON.
I t is certainly a little wonderful to see the apparent ignorance that
exists on the subject o f cotton, in circles usually well informed. Before
our present civil war, there w'as in the minds o f all, as well defined a dif
ference between Surat and Orleans cotton, as between good and bad
wheat; the Orleans always commanding, as it does to-day, from two
to four cents a pound more than the Surat. Now, however, the world is
suddenly trying to m ate itself believe that this difference is merely ap
parent ; that bad wheat is just as good as good wheat. The Manchester
Examiner, for instance, tells us approvingly, that “ it has been recently
stated in public by several gentlemen o f recognised authority, that cot
ton is grown in India equal in quality to the cotton o f America, but that
a foolish ■prejudice existed in this district against its use.” Another
European authority speaks with wonder and disapproval of the strange
“ disinclination" there is among spinners to use Surat, or East India cot
ton. These views appear also to be adopted by a large portion o f Ameri
can writers, until now it would almost seem to be the settled opinion o f
this country, that Surat cotton can and will supplant American cotton,
as soon as this “ foolish prejudice,” or “ disinclination,” is removed.
But let us look at this question o f American and Surat cotton a mo
ment, and see what the facts o f the case really are. And in the first
place, we will admit, that there is a “ prejudice” against Surat cotton—
that it exists now, that it existed last year, and that it always has existed.
So, also, there is a “ prejudice,” as we said before, (and, strange enough,
it has always been so,) against bad wheat and sour bread. Besides, there
is a wonderful peculiarity in this prejudice, as we have also intimated
above. Men have carried this mere sentiment, as it is called, so far, as
to be willing to give always one-half more for American cotton than Su
rat, that being about the same difference that exists in the price o f dif
ferent grades of flour. No one, however, had discovered that all this
arose from “ prejudice,” until within the past year, when the supply from
America was cut off. Does not this fact remind one o f the historic
case o f the fox, who did not discover the grapes were sour until he found
he could not reach them ? Only think, too, what the proposition is we
are asked to believe; it is in substance this— that there is a preference
in England in favor o f something American, that leads the Englishman
to pay one-half more for it than he would for his own India production,
and this we must call “ prejudice.” It is, however, hardly necessary to
say, that such an assertion is the weakest nonsense (if we may be per
mitted the expression) that was ever uttered. I f the English spinner has
382
The Cotton Question.
[April,
a preference for American cotton— if he will pay more for it than for Surat— it is not because o f “ prejudice
it is for the simple reason that it
is worth more to him. This proposition is beyond dispute.
But, again, there is another class of English journals that are trying to
congratulate themselves on the idea, that if the blockade is continued
much longer, English capital and intelligence will have been brought to
bear on the cotton fields o f India, increasing their produce and improv
ing their communication, until American cotton will be superseded by
that from the East. W e see it even stated in one English journal, “ that
the American plantations are practically abolished. The doubt till now
has been, whether the cotton trade with America might not be resumed
any day, after some turn in the fortune o f war. The possibility o f such
resumption has now almost disappeared.” Other journals (equally wise)
tell us, that England is, or very soon will be, no longer dependent upon
America for cotton; that she will raise it for herself, <fcc. There is just
one grain of truth in this proposition, and only one. The present rebel
lion and blockade has demonstrated, that, when prices are high, cotton
can be obtained in considerable quantities from many sources, where it
has not been before, to any extent, planted, and that India can thus be
induced to greatly increase the supply. In confirmation o f this idea, we
would refer to the last number o f the M e r c h a n t s ’ M a g a z i n e . But only
to this extent can it be said that England is not dependent upon the
cotton crop o f America— she can exist without it. But let the present
war once cease, and the blockade be raised, prices will go down, India
cotton will be crowded out o f the market, and the same old “ prejudice”
for American cotton be found to exist as strong as ever.
Then, again, there is still another class, who tell us the present war is
driving the English to improve and modify their machinery, so that they
will be able soon to use the India cotton for many purposes for which it
has hitherto been deemed unfit. This is very likely possible, but we
cannot see that it affects the real question, the relative value o f produc
tion of the two countries. Any modification in machinery that may be
made must be of benefit to both alike, and nothing can be invented which
will make an inferior article equal to a superior one.
The whole question seems, then, to be narrowed down to th is: Is
American superior to India cotton ? The idea that there is, as all
admit, a “ prejudice” against Surat cotton, or, more properly speaking,
a preference for the American staple, would appear to settle the question.
An Englishman does not pay more for an American than an India pro
duction, unless, as we stated before, he is getting what is more valuable
to him. No “ prejudice” will lead the close-calculating spinner to throw
away money in so senseless a manner. But it is not necessary to rest on
this strong presumptive evidence, for the facts are simple and evident.
The fibre o f the American cotton is longer, more silky and more even
than the Surat, and, in addition to all this, it is much cleaner. This
latter fault might be in a measure remedied, but in the process o f clean
ing, one-fourth to one-fifth of the whole quantity o f the Surat is lost, or
becomes what is called “ waste;” whereas, the proportion of “ waste” in
American cotton is seldom more than one-seventh or one-eiylith. Thus
a pound of American cotton makes much more cloth than a pound of
India. Then, again, the India staple, being much shorter fibre, requires
more twisting, and, therefore, cannot be worked into yarn so fast. And
1862.]
The Cotton Question.
383
still again, there are comparatively few purposes to which the short,
peculiar fibre of the Surat cotton can be p u t; it cannot be used to make
any thing but the coarser class o f goods, unless mixed with a large pro
portion of the American. Could any thing else be required to determine
the relative value of these two staples, or to prove that the moment the
American cotton appears in the market again, it will resume its old posi
tion o f superiority ?
It has been thought by some that the India cotton can be improved
by greater care and cultivation. This is probably so, but only to a cer
tain extent. Its fibre may possibly bo made a little longer, and it can
be brought to market cleaner ; but it never will be equal to the Orleans
or American. The attempt to make it so has been tried very many
times. Crops have been raised from seed taken from America. The
first season it is generally found to be more like the Orleans, but almost
immediately the plant seems to degenerate, and to approximate more
and more, each succeeding year, to the indigenous article. Even Mr.
C l e g g , (the secretary o f the Cotton Association,) who, a few months
ago, extolled the India cotton, now says it is a failure. In fact, the
experiment has been tried so many times heretofore, that to state its
failure again, is only reminding our readers of what they all know must
happen— the Surat being in India a natural production, and the Orleans
an artificial production.
There is also another reason why India cotton cannot supplant Ameri
can, (even if it were equally good,) which is to be found in the fact, that
the cost of transmission is and must, in all human probability, ever be
such, that the Orleans can be delivered at Liverpool really cheaper than
the Surat. Four pence a pound is sufficient to induce the American
planter to raise and ship all he can, whereas, the same price for Surat
will not induce the Bombay merchant to send forward any that is not
grown near the sea-coast. The means o f communication may be, of
course, improved in India, but even the most sanguine have not dared to
predict that cotton from the interior o f that country could ever be de
livered at Liverpool for less than five pence per pound. To find the
solution o f this problem, it is only necessary to bear in mind the means
o f communication the Southern States possess ; its rail-roads, but more
especially its net-work of rivers, so extensive that almost every planter has
the power to slide the bales of cotton from his packing-shed directly into
the vessel that carries it to the port o f shipment. In this fact, taken in
connection with what has been said above, we find ample proof that
America will always furnish the cheapest and best cotton that can be
any where obtained.
India certainly can never compete with her.
Africa, when it becomes settled and civilized, is more to be feared.
W e have thus reviewed this subject, not that we had any thing
especially new to present, but because the facts referred to appear to
have been lost sight o f by many, within the past year, in attempts to see
if there were not sources from which our present necessities might be
supplied. High prices have, and always will, o f course, induce the culti
vation of cotton in many sections where it would not otherwise be
attempted. Thus, if this war were to be continued, Southern Illinois*
* tV e have received, during the past month, from I). H a d h u l d , Esq., now of
Washington, a specimen of cotton grown in Southern Illinois. The sample was a
good one, being quite silky, but the fibre was short, and not very even.
384
[April,
The Cotton Question.
might, and probably would, find the cultivation o f this staple to her ad
vantage. When, however, our country is again enjoying the blessings
o f peace, we think other productions will be found more profitable, not
only there, but in many other places which now promise so faithfully
and fairly to increase our supply, and that the South will be found still
to rule the market.
L IV E R P O O L
COTTON
REPORT — SUPPLY
IN
EUROPE.
The following is a copy o f the annual report o f Stolterfoht, S ons &
Co., Liverpool, o f the cotton trade o f the Liverpool and other European
markets, during the year 1861, and embracing comparisons with former
years. W e omit the last few sentences o f the report, being of no gen
eral interest:
L iverpool, December 31, 1861.
In this our usual annual report o f the cotton trade o f Europe, the re
turns from the continent are to the latest period they could reach us in
time.
Import, Stock and Consumption o f Cotton in Europe, expressed in thou
sands o f Bales, fo r the year ending December .31, 1861.
West
East Egyp United
States . Brazil. Indies . Indies . tiun .
541
Stock, 1st January,.. . .M. bags,
Import to 31st December, 1 861 :
Great Britain,............................ 1,842
521
France,........................................
98
H ollan d,....................................
Belgium .....................................
27
153
Germany,...................................
9
Trieste,.......................................
30
G enoa,........................................
82
Spain,.........................................
Total.
14
5
193
29
782
99
11
22
986
19
75
21
166
44
15
8
97
41
3,035
604
173
48
323
64
45
108
1,334
335
164
1
4,400
479
1
..
..
4
..
..
3
..
..
. .
11
..
15
M. bags,.................... 2,762
142
^Deduct intermediate shipments,
103
1
37
M. bags,.................... 2,620
541
A dd stock from above,...............
102
14
37
5
999
193
163
29
3,921
782
Total supply,................... M. bags, 3,161
429
Deduct stock, December 31, ’ 61,
116
28
42
2
1,192
398
192
15
4,703
872
Total deliveries,.................. M. bags, 2,732
88
40
794
177
3,831
* Of the exports, those marked * were to France, Holland, Belgium, Trieste, Genoa
and Spain, and are comprised in the imports to those places; and those marked f
were to the Baltic, &c.
1862.]
The Cotton Question.
385
United
West
East EgypStates. Brazil. Indies. Indies. tian.
Deliveries:
In Great Britain,........... M. bags, 1,691
F ra n ce,.....................................
494
H olla n d ,...................................
96
Belgium,.....................................
28
Germany,...................................
160
Trieste,.......................................
16
G enoa,.......................................
34
Spain,.........................................
92
f Surplus export— Great Britain,
121
Total deliveries,............. M. bags, 2,732
Price of middling, Orleans,.........
Total deliveries in 1860,.............
82
1
14
22
in
42
1
355
19
89
21
168
45
16
2
79
13
1
2,253
578
185
49
331
71
50
111
203
40
794
177
3,831
.,
3
4
1
88
Total.
.,
..
.,
10
January 1, 7 §d ; December 31 12d.
3,384
125
46
524
145
4,224
Price middling Orleans, I8 6 0 ,...
January 1, 6^d.; December 31, 7§d.
Stock 31st December, 1861:
Great Britain,.............M. bags,
France,........................................
Holland,.....................................
Belgium,.....................................
Germany,...................................
Trieste,.......................................
G enoa,.......................................
Spain,.........................................
283
124
7
1
4
1
1
8
27
••
.•
M. bags,....................
Stock December 31, 1860,.........
1
••
...............
378
6
3
2
699
131
10
1
11
4
3
13
398
15
872
193
29
782
. .
1
1
..
••
..
6
1
2
2
429
28
2
541
14
5
.•
••
10
1
,,
..
..
2
D eliveries per W eek.
In Great Britain,..............................
France,...........................................
Holland,*.......................................
Belgium,.......................................
Germany,.......................................
T rieste,.........................................
G en oa,..........................................
Spain,.............................................
Surplus of export— Great Britain,.
1860.
50,633
11,942
2,250
1,231
5,904
1,482
1,385
2,039
4,365
Total deliveries,........................
81,231
V OL.
x l v i .—
NO. II.
25
1861.
43,332
11,114
3,558
942
6,365
1,365
961
2,134
3,903
• •••
73,674
386
[April,
The Cotton Question.
T otal E xport of C otton from G reat B ritain.
1859.
1860.
1861.
United States,..........bales,
Brazil,..................................
East Indies,........................
Egyptian,............................
142,000
8,000
273,000
14,000
....
____
____
....
250,000
8,000
346,000
4,000
....
____
____
....
263,000
2,000
410,000
3,000
Total,....................bales,
437,000
____
608,000
____
678,000
The following synopsis o f the cotton trade since 1826, divided into
average periods o f seven years, as showing its marvellous growth, we
think may have some interest in the present unexampled position o f that
trade. The first line contains the average crop of the United States dur
ing each seven years ; the second, the total average supply o f all kinds in
Europe and in the United States; the third, the average consumption of
the United States, of Great Britain, of France, and of the rest of the con
tinent ; the fourth, the total average consumption in all Europe ; and the
fifth, the positive (not the average) stocks held at the end o f every sev
enth year in Europe :
Statement in T housands of B ales.
1826
1833
1840
1847
1854
1832.
1839.
1846.
1853.
1860.
900
Crop in United States,...................
General supply in Europe and U. S., 1,275
Consumption:
132
In United States,........................
759
In Great Britain,........................
260
In France,...................................
158
On the Continent,......................
Total in Europe,........................ 1,177
Stocks in Europe at the end of
297
each seventh year,......................
1,353
1,835
2,057
2,519
2,512
3,145
3,412
4,232
230
1,034
331
221
1,586
334
1,390
417
313
2,120
525
1,592
380
540
2,512
662
2,196
509
897
3,602
412
622
821
782
to
to
to
to
to
and, for the sake of the strong contrast, we give the respective figures o f
1826, 1860 and 1861:
1860.
1826.
Crop in the United States,.................. M. bales,
General supply in Europe and the U. a , ............
Consumption in the United States,. .
“
in Great Britain,.........
“
in France,.....................
"
on the Continent,. . . .
Total, consumption in Europe,...........
Stocks, in Europe,.................................
710
988
100
560
281
129
970
447
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
4,676
5,481
812
2,633
621
970
4,224
782
1861.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
3,656
5,232
650
2,253
578
1,000
3,831
872
It will be seen from this, that while the production o f the United States
has kept pace with the growing wants of the world, the supplies from all
other countries have remained stationary, except within the last year.
The extent of the last crop of the United States remains uncertain, as
the export was interfered with, but it was undoubtedly considerably loss
. than the previous one. It is said, however, that not all o f it has come
1862.J
387
The Cotton Question.
forward, and that, for instance, in the Atlantic States there are large quan
tities of the old crop retained on the plantations.
Having received so much less from the United States, viz., 931,000
bales, the total import is short by 514,000 bales, although from India we
have had an increase o f 426,000 bales.
The deliveries are less by 380,000 bales in Great Britain ; in all Europe
by 393,000 bales. The reduction in the deliveries has only taken place
since the month of October; up to that time they had been in excess of
those of last year. The explanation is, that spinners, seeing the entangle
ment in America, increased their stocks largely until O ctober; but when
the price of middling Orleans cotton advanced to 12d., and there also ap
peared some chance of an accommodation, and when afterwards the
“ T ri-.nt” affair occurred, they limited their purchases far within their
actual requirements ; it is owing to this that the stocks in the ports prove
considerably more than had been anticipated. Our own was found to
exceed the estimate by 86,000 bales, (o f which 74,000 bales are Ameri
can ;) a very welcome addition, although it is to be apprehended that the
stock in the spinners’ hands must, in consequence, be very lo w ; some of
the larger spinners are still, however, provided for months in advance.
That the stocks prove unexpectedly larger than any we have had before,
is a matter of serious congratulation under present circumstances.
The cotton business in the manufacturing districts has not been profit
able the present year; the extension of many o f the old mills, and the
building of new ones, (consequent on the thriving business of the prece
ding years,) is, therefore, a matter of regret, and it is so far well that any
further extension o f the production has been stopped. As for the con
sumption being reduced in consequence o f the high price of the raw ma
terial, we doubt whether that has taken effect already, except in the
coarser productions, such as cotton bands, ropes, wrappers, &c., in which
cheapness is a material condition; for clothing material it is, however,
still the cheapest o f textile fabrics, and the world will not go unclothed.
The stagnation in the Manchester market arises from the hesitation o f
the middlemen and dealers, who bear the brunt of the high prices in the
first instance to keep up their stocks; they rather sell out in hopes of
something turning up in their favor, and will only again enter into the
market when compelled by necessity. The consequence has been an aocumulation o f stocks in the Manchester warehouses ; and to counteract
this, “ short time” has been rather generally adopted, probably to the ex
tent of one-third.
The trade o f the country has certainly suffered from the disturbances
in the United States, but not to the extent that might be supposed, for
the deficiencies to one country have been made up by increase to other
countries, and thus the total value o f exports during eleven months still
amounts to £115,000,000, against £123,000,000 last year. O f cotton
fabrics, the export has been, up to the 1st December,
1859.
Calicoes, & c.,............. yds. 2,340,000,000
O f Yarn,....................... lbs. 176,000,000
I860.
2,473,000,000
181,000,000
1861.
2,373,000,000
169,000,000
During the present month the export has, however, suffered a considera
ble decrease.
The cotton business in France has continued to be beneficially pursued.
388
The Cotton Question.
[April,
as the mill-power has not been greatly extended, and this accounts for
the manufacturers having been able to work at full time so much longer
than in this country. Complaints, however, have been heard from thence
for some time past, and the working hours have been reduced by, per
haps, at most ten per cent. Their manufacturers are even more repugnant
to go to short time than ours, on account of the difficulty in replacing
the men if once dispersed. The French spinners have been hitherto well
stocked, but they have latterly drawn upon their reserves; otherwise
stocks in the ports would not show so well. Although they have im
ported a little more Indian cotton, still it does not appear that that de
scription answers their purpose.
In Switzerland and the south o f Germany the mill-power has been
considerably increased o f late years; most of the mills have gone at full
time until lately, when the losses became rather too serious, and short
time is now practiced to about ten per cent. The spinners have kept up
large stocks, say from four to six months, hut they are now reducing
them. In the north of Germany the business has not been so profitable,
as they are largely dependent on the American markets for the sale o f
their productions. The consumption o f Indian cotton in these parts is
still extending, owing to the high price o f American cotton ; but German
spinners will find, in future, strong competitors in English spinners for
this description, to which these will be driven, in the first instance, by
necessity, and, by dint o f their perseverance and ingenuity, they may,
perhaps, discover means of manipulating it more successfully than
hitherto.
Belgium is stationary, and has worked this year less than usual.
In Spain, the cotton manufacture is extending, but it has suffered this
year from the want and the high price o f the raw material.
Russia is still in a chronic state o f financial difficulties, and has im
parted only 162,358 bales, against 178,540 bales last year, and 252,000
in 1859.
The cotton industry is at last threatened with what has often been
apprehended, and which is more to be dreaded than a failure of the
cereal crops. A “ cotton famine” is in prospect, and finds us still unpro
vided with means o f drawing supplies from other quarters than the
United States. The numerous schemes which are now starting up may
provide a supply a few years hence, for it is proved that the plant can
be grown in many quarters o f the g lo b e ; but this very circumstance,
and the fact that it has not been grown, augurs badly for the future.
The United States have, by the advantage o f their soil, climate, and their
admirably arranged system, overcome and distanced all rivalry, and they
may do so again unless other countries have had time to let the cultiva
tion take firm root. To India we have chiefly to look for supplies, but
from the interior o f Africa, with a vent on the east coast, perhaps some
considerable supplies might also be obtained, as well as from the southern
parts o f Spanish America, where, for hundreds o f miles along the Salado
River, the cotton plant grows wild and abundantly. But to obtain cotton
from those parts where it is first to be introduced, and where the laborers
must be imported, we must acknowledge we have little hope. Some
attempts have been made to mitigate the existing want by adopting jute
to the production of certain of the coarser fabrics, and, to a certain
extent, it has been found practicable.
1 8 6 2 .]
The Cotton Question.
389
India, with the impulse which has been given, and with its internal
communications constantly extending, is the only place whence we can
expect, with certainty, large supplies. The present crop is described as
an abundant one, and, by paying such prices as would put the native
consumer and the Chinese out o f the market, we may perhaps increase
upon this year’ s import, and obtain 1,200,000 bales. From all other
sources, it is useless to expect more than 400,000 hales, and if we add
our present stock of 870,000 bales, we have a supply for next year of
2,470,000 bales against the wants o f Europe o f 3,800,000 bales, and this
would, at any rate, keep all the mills going at half time during the next
twelve months.
It were much to be desired that the quality o f Surat cotton should be
so improved as to overcome the disinclination which exists in the English
mills against its use. An opinion prevails that the staple is injured by
the bales being compressed so very tightly, the wool loses its natural oil,
and comes out tangled and in flakes, else how is it that the native Indian
and Chinese manufacturers can produce such beautiful fabrics from this
very material which we despise.* I f the American cotton were com
pressed as tightly, the staple would no doubt also be injured; and the
impression that it would be so is shown by the circumstance that the
most valuable American cotton (the Sea Island) is never compressed.
W e are told, as one reason why the German spinners can make the
Surat cotton more extensively useful than has been done hitherto in
England, that their machinery is better arranged for it, and moves at less
speed than here, and if this should add, perhaps, twenty per cent, to the
cost in wages, it would be more than compensated by the lower price of
the cotton. The cloth may, perhaps, not be so good as that made of
American cotton exclusively ; but if we have not got it, we must do with
out it as well as we can.
ACQUISITION
OF
LAGOS.
The most important and masterly stroke of the past year, in the way
of increasing the supply o f cotton for Great Britain, is the acquisition,
by England, “ o f the port and island and territories o f Lagos.” It will
be remembered that this island is situated upon the western coast of
Africa, in Upper Guinea. The soil is profuse in all the vegetable growths
o f the tropics. Cotton is indigenous, and the nature o f this staple pro
duced in that region and throughout the coast is much nearer the Ameri
can varieties than that obtained from India and other sources. This
“ port and island and territories of Lagos” was thus ceded to Great Brit
ain by “ D o c e m o , King o f Lagos,” who, in consideration o f this cession
of territory, is now entitled to receive an “ annual pension from the Queen
* In our remarks on American and Surat cotton, (page 381,) we have briefly
shown how absurd it is to speak of a “ disinclination” or “ prejudice” existing
against the use of Surat cotton in English mills. It is not necessary, therefore, to
repeat those remarks here. A very evident answer, however, to the question pro
posed by Messrs. S tellerfort , S ons & Co., is found in the well-known fact, that the
cotton thus manufactured was grown in gardens constantly watched, making it,
therefore, a very different article from the “ despised” Indian cotton brought to
market. So much labor spent upon the staple would, of course, increase its price
many times.—Ed. M. M.
390
The Cotton Question.
[April,
o f Great Britain, equal to the net revenue hitherto annually received by
him.” The following is a copy of the treaty, taken from The African
Times. O f course, the professed object o f this new acquisition was the
suppression of the slave trade, & c .:
“ Treaty between N orman H. P edingfold, Commander o f Her Majesty's
sloop P rometheus, and Senior Officer o f the Bights Division, and
W illiam M cCoskry, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Acting Consul,
on the part o f Her Majesty the Queen o f Great Britain, and D ocemo,
K ing o f Lagos, on the part o f himself and Chiefs.
“ A rticle I.— In order that the Queen of England may be the better
enabled to assist, defend, and protect the inhabitants of Lagos, and to
put an end to the slave trade in this and the neighboring countries, and
to prevent the destructive wars so frequently undertaken by D ahomey
and others for the capture o f slaves, I, D ocemo, do, with the consent and
advice of my council, give, transfer, and by these presents grant and con
firm unto the Queen of Great Britain, her heirs and successors forever,
the port and island o f Lagos, with all the rights, profits, territories, and
appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging, and as well the profits
and revenue, as the direct, full and absolute dominion and sovereignty of
the said port, island and premises, with all the royalties thereof, freely,
fully, entirely and absolutely. I do also covenant and grant that the
quiet and peaceable possession thereof shall, with all possible speed, be
freely and effectually delivered to the Queen of Great Britain, or such
person as Her Majesty shall thereunto appoint, for her use in the per
formance of this grant; the inhabitants o f the said island and territories,
as the queen’s subjects, and under her sovereignty, crown, jurisdiction
and government, being still suffered to live there.
“ A rt. II.— D ocemo will be allowed the use of the title of king, in its
usual African signification, and will be permitted to decide disputes
between natives o f Lagos, with their consent, subject to appeal to British
laws.
“ A rt. III.— In the transfer o f lands, the stamp o f D ocemo affixed to
the document will be proof that there are no other native claims upon i t ;
and for this purpose he will be permitted to use it as hitherto.
“ In consideration o f the cession, as before-mentioned, of the port and
island and territories o f Lagos, the representatives of the Queen o f Great
Britain do promise, subject to the approval o f Her Majesty, that D ocemo
shall receive an annual pension from the Queen of Great Britain, equal to
the net revenue hitherto annually received by him ; such pension to be
paid at such periods and in such mode as may hereafter be determined.
[Here follow the signatures.]
“ Lagos, August 6.”
COTTON
AT
LIVERPOOL.
The following table shows the amount of cotton imported at Liverpool
since the first of January, and the amount on hand January 31st, 1862,
compared with the same period last year:
1862.]
The Cotton Question.
391
1862.
\
Bales.
Stocks at commencement o f each year,. . . . . . 622,600
Imported since 1st January,.......................... . . 69,732
___
____
545,679
333,247
Stocks, January 31st:
American,.......................................................... . . 216,890
Surat,.................................................................
Brazil,.................................................................
Egyptian,..........................................................., . . 11,190
W est Indian, & c.,...........................................
690
___
___
----___
____
484,780
133,470
14,060
25,690
1,830
___
659,830
___
___
260,000
76,000
___
336,000
T otals,..........................................................., . . 546,440
Cotton at sea from America,..........................
From India,......................................................
Total,............................................................. . . 108,000
COTTON
IN
THE
UNITED
1861.
Bales.
STATES.
The past month has -worked a great change in the prospective supply
o f cotton from the United States. Sealed up, as the crop appeared to be
thirty days ago, within the States producing it, by a large army and
strong fortifications, there was little promise for the future. But since
the first forward movement of the government forces began, their success
has been so decided, and followed up so rapidly, that now nearly the
whole of Tennessee, with the country bordering on the Cumberland and
Tennessee rivers, have been recovered. These advantages, well improved,
as we have no doubt they will be, must soon give us control of the cot
ton crop. Not the least favorable symptom is the apparent Union feeling
which has been exhibited through a portion of the States opened, and we
hope we shall soon be again enjoying the blessings o f unrestricted trade
with that section of our country.
W e have prepared the following table, showing the amounts of cotton
shipped from Tennessee (including, also, Hickman, Ky.,) for the years
1860, 1861:
1861.
Bales.
1860.
Bales.
Shipments from Memphis,................................. 369,85V
“
“ Nashville,................................. 16,471
“
“ Columbusand Hickman, Ky.,.
5,500 . . . .
Stock, September 1st, at Memphis,....................
1,671
Burnt and manufactured at Memphis,...............
...................
Total,...............................................................
393,499
391,918
23,000
4,500
1,709
1,482
____ 422,609
Thus it will be seen that under favorable circumstances we can antici
pate the receiving o f only about four hundred thousand bales o f cotton
from the districts opened. The success, therefore, that our army has
met with, although great, is valuable as much, perhaps, from the future
success it promises, as from the actual relief to the manufacturing world
that will be obtained. It may be that the wants of the planters about
[April,
The Cotton Question.
392
that region will induce many to send their cotton to market through Ten
nessee, who have formerly shipped their crop through New-Orleans or
elsewhere. I f such were the result, it might increase many times the
usual supply from Tennessee ; but we have no real grounds at present for
any such supposition or conclusion. W e think, however, that it cannot
be many days before other important movements will be made, and other
points gained, so that speculations on probable results from the present
successes would be of little value.
The threats made in the South of burning their cotton we do not think
will be acted upon to any great extent. These threats are made by the
leaders, or under their direction, to frighten Europe. Their misguided
and deceived followers may, in some instances, be led to act thus; but
if they do, it will be more from the fear o f those that rule over them than
any other feeling. The people themselves, South, must know soon that
they are being grossly deceived by their leaders, and that the govern
ment has only one object in this war, and that is to put down rebellion;
that their property is safe if they will only cease to rebel against its au
thority. Knowing this, they will not attempt to destroy what can be
preserved out of the general wreck. It is, therefore, perhaps well that
the most o f the cotton is still on the plantations where it was raised, and
is not stored in any one, two or three places. I f it were thus stored, the
Confederate government might burn i t ; but as it is, scattered over the
whole South, and in the hands o f those who raised and still own it, they
will undoubtedly preserve the crop until they find it can be brought safely
to market.
The extraordinary export o f cotton from Liverpool to the United
States, noticed in our last, has been entirely suspended. In fact, some
return shipments have already been made. One lot of five hundred bales
o f American cotton (first, of course, shipped from America to Liverpool)
was in January last reshipped to America, and the first o f this month was
again, and across the very dock at which it arrived on reaching the
United States, reshipped to Liverpool. H ow many more times it will
cross the ocean in its present shape is uncertain, so long as the market
is subject to its present fluctuations. The cessation o f the export from
Liverpool was one of the results of the settlement o f the T rent affair,
and the return shipments noticed above are the result o f the fall of the
price of cotton here, consequent upon the late success of the government
forces in the West.
The following table shows the receipts at and exports from the port of
New-York, from January 1st to March 8th, 1861:
Receipts.
January,......................bales,
February,.................... “
March 1st to 8th,___
“
Total,......................bales,
Exports.
8,423
11,982
313
....
20, ^18
....
406
1,830
360
2,596
Journal o f Banking, Currency and Finance.
1 8 6 2 .J
393
JOURNAL OF BANKING, CURRENCY AND FINANCE.
1. City W eekly B ank [Returns, N ew -Y ork , P hiladelphia , B oston and P rovidence . 2.
W eekly Statbment B ank of E ngland . 3. N ote Circulation of the U nited K ingdom. 4.
R eturns of B ank of F rance. 5. Q uarterly Statement of the B anks of Ohio . 6. P ublic
D ebt of the U nited States.
CITY
N ew -Y ork B anks.
Date.
WEEKLY
BANK
RETURNS.
( Capital, Jan., 1862, $69,493,577; Jan., 1861, $69,890,475.)
Loans.
Specie.
Circulation. Net Deposits.
Weekly
Clearings.
January 4,. . .$ 154,415,826 $ 23,983,878 $8,586,186 :$ 111,789,233 $ 100,642,429
«
11,. .. 152,088,012 25,373,070 8,121,512 113,889,762 105,634,811
tt
18,. .. 149,081,433 26,120,859 7,369,028 113,327,160 107,732,780
tt
25,. .. 145,767,680 26,698,728 6,828,017 110,874,786 100,001,959
February 1,. .. 144,675,778 27,479,583 6,404,951 112,057,003
93,791,629
tt
8,. .. 143,803,890 28,196,666 6,077,417 110,637,557 113,216,297
tt
15,. .. 141,994,192 28,114,148 5,762,506 110,430,475 105,102,177
tt
22,. .. 139,950,958 28,875,992 5,489,496 109,079,076 111,346,066
Marcli
1,. .. 137,674,238 29,826,959 5,363,944 107,974,499 109,854,823
«(
8,. .. 133,055,148 30,436,644 5,869,206 103,715,728 113,512,576
P hiladelphia B anks.
Date.
Loans.
Specie.
{Capital, Jan., 1862, $11,970,130.)
Circulation.
Deposits.
Due to
Banks.
Due from
Banks.
Jan. 6, .$31,046,537 !$ 5,688,728 $2,145,219 $ 21,396,014 $3,645,956 $ 1,796,805
it
13, . 31,145,938 5,692,123 2,162,152 21,324,510 3,992,952 1,702,716
tt
20, . 30,601,160 5,733,450 2,120,756 20,698,496 4,120,261 1,575,116
tt
27, . 30,385,606 5,821,323 2,121,146 20,058,098 4,209,006 1,858,688
Feb. 3, . 30,385,319 5,884,011 2,144,398 20,068,890 4,572,872 1,707,136
tt
10, . 29,974,700 5,923,874 2,191,547 19,032,535 4,890,288 1,587,481
it
17, . 29,388,544 5,849,354 2,191,512 18,692,182 4,661,442 2,052,031
tt
24, . 29,280,049 5,867,686 2,230,605 18,777,300 5,205,203 1,935,414
Mar.. 3, . 29,393,356 5,881,108 2,343,493 18,541,190 5,218,383 1,828,383
a
10, . 28,083,499 5,869,730 • 2,575,503 17,375,771 5,131,834 1,733,169
( Capital, Jan., 1862, $38,231,700; Jan., 1861, $38,231,700.)
Due fr o m
Due to
Date.
Loans.
Circulation.
Banks.
Specie.
Deposits.
Banks.
Jan. 6,..$65,612,997 S$ 8,920,486 $6,451 587 $ 27,093,839 $9,187,924 $ 8,701,873
a 13, . 64,704,039
8,580,607 6,612,512 25,642,994 9,634,227 8,805,255
it 20, . 64.409,585
8,585,277 6,549,871 25,441,327 9,547,319 9,018,388
a 27, . 63,025,191
9,593,545
B oston B anks.
Feb. 3, .
it 10,
.
tt
17, .
it 24, .
Mar. 3, .
62,628,793
62.840,600
62,587,788
62,053,640
61,678,500
8,562,175
8,529,483
8,514,600
8,410,890
8,341,588
8,364,500
6,284,268
6,260,299
6,616,000
6,469,309
6,580,205
6,318,700
24,030,776
23,500,321
22,784,700
22,034,974
21,515,228
21,208,500
9,727,783
9,892.600
9,653,725
9,625,869
9,681,500
( Capital, Jan., 1862, $15,611,650.)
Due to
Specie.
Circulation. Deposits.
Banks.
8,727,348
8,766,415
8,965,500
8,315,887
8,644,360
8,982,600
PfioviBENCE B anks.
Data.
Loans.
Jan. 11,.........$19,356,800 $ 408,TOO $
“ 18,......... 19,238,700 402,900
Feb. 1,......... 19,160,600 394,700
“ 15,......... 19,109,400 394,800
Mar. 1,......... 18,920,500 407,500
“ 15,......... 18,998,600 408,500
D m fro m
Banks.
1,889,600 $3,054,600 $1,099,800 $915,400
1,890,300 2,899,200 1,071,500 898,500
1,811,100 2,950,500
871,800 925,500
1,784,000 2,762,200
911,100 1,081,000
1,791,200 2,924,400
953,900 1,283,000
1,848,100 2,946,800 1,103,200 1,484,300
394
Journal o f Banking, Currency and Finance.
B AN K
OF
[April,
E N G L A N D .
W EE K LY STATEMENT.
Date.
Circulation.
Public
Deposits.
Private
Deposits.
Coin and
Bullion.
Securities.
Jan.
«<
1, £ 2 0 ,8 1 8 ,1 9 0 £ 7 ,345,833 £ 15,0 36 ,0 6 2 £ 3 0 ,4 1 9 ,7 3 0 £ 1 5,961,439
4 ,5 4 2 ,9 7 4
1 8,206,488
3 1,022,505
16,046',017
8, 21,0 86 ,6 7 5
15, 21,460,925
4 ,5 8 3,35 3
1 6,480,452
29,5 09 ,8 6 4
1 6,291,626
22, 21,697,928
5,4 6 7,34 0
15,366,081
2 9,4 64 ,7 2 0
1 6,350,939
29, 21,1 83 ,3 7 6
5 ,753,063
14,751,486
28,6 96 ,4 5 6
16,2 80 ,3 6 9
5,788,441
F eb . 5, 2 1,4 2 7 ,5 5 4
2 8 ,8 34 ,3 5 2
15,9 56 ,9 0 3
14,1 79 ,9 1 7
4 ,8 8 4,98 9
15,526,334
29,010,241
16,0 42 ,9 4 9
12, 21,2 36 ,3 1 2
5,3 9 7,14 4
1 5,085,843
28,7 71 ,8 1 2
15,894,405
19, 2 0,7 72 ,7 2 6
ie
u
((
N O TE
CIRC U L A T IO N
IN
TH E
U N ITED
R *te of
Discount.
3 p r. ct.
2i “
2}
“
H
“
2J “
24 “
21
2i
“
“
K IN G D 0 M.
The following returns show the state o f the note circulation o f the
United Kingdom during the four weeks ending January 11, 1862, com
pared with the previous month :
Dee. 14,1861.
Jan. 11,1862.
Bank o f England,..........................
Private banks,.................................
Joint-stock banks,..........................
£ 20,049,895
3,354,503
2,908,938
____
....
....
£ 19,881,890
3,246,833
2,837,464
Total in England,...................
Scotland,..........................................
Ireland,..............................................
£ 26,313,336
4,647,725
6,407,249
____
____
___
£ 25,966,187
4,293,601
6,171,277
United Kingdom ,..................
£ 37,368,310
___
£ 36,431,065
And, as compared with the month ending the 12th of January, 1861,
the above returns show a decrease of £371,590 in the circulation o f notes
in England, and a decrease o f £1,122,816 in the circulation o f the United
Kingdom. On comparing the above with the fixed issues of the several
banks, the following is the state of the circulation : The English private
banks are below their fixed issue £1,101,075, the English joint-stock banks
are below their fixed issue £464,893, total below fixed issue in England,
£1,565,968; the Scotch banks are above their fixed issue £1,544,330;
the Irish banks are below their fixed issue £183,217. The average stock
o f bullion held by the Bank of England in both departments, during the
month ending the 8th of January, was £15,843,684, being an increase of
£827,230 as compared with the previous month, and an increase of
£3,104,280 when compared with the same period last year. The follow
ing are the amounts of specie held by the Scotch and Irish banks during
the month ending the 11th January: Gold and silver held by the
Scotch banks, £2,614,253 ; gold and silver held by the Irish banks,
£2,485,320 ; total, £5,099,573, being an increase o f £5,565 as compared
with the previous return, and a decrease o f £53,630 when compared with
the corresponding period of last year.
1 8 6 2 .]
Journal o f Banking, Currency and Finance.
BANK
OF
395
FRANCE.
The Moniteur, of February 14, has published the following returns o f
the Bank of France, made up to the 13th February. The figures o f the
previous month, and of the corresponding period in 1860, are added:
D ebtor.
Capital of the bank,....................
New ditto,...................................
Profits in addition to capital. (Art.
8, of Law of June 9, 1857,).......
Reserve of the bank and branches,
New reserve,................................
do.
in real property,. . . .
Notes and circulation of the bank
and branches,...........................
Drafts drawn by the bank on the
branches, or the branches on
bank, and payable at Paris or in
the Provinces,...........................
Acknowledgments for money de
posited, and payable at sight at
Paris or in the branch banks,...
Treasury account current creditor,
Accounts current at Paris............
do.
in the branch banks,
Dividends payable,......................
Interest and dividends on securi
ties transferred or deposited,...
Various discounts and interest at
Paris and in the branches,.......
Re-discounts of the last half-year
at Paris and in the branches,...
Sundries,.....................................
Feb., 1862.
F.
C.
Jan., 1862.
F.
c.
91.250.000 0
91.250.000 0
91.250.000 0
91.250.000 0
91.250.000 0
91.250.000 0
2,316,503
12,980,750
9,125,000
4,000,000
2,316,503
12,980,750
9,125,000
4,000,000
1,857,786
12,980,750
9,125,000
4,000,000
57
14
0
0
57
14
0
0
Feb., 1861.
F.
C.
22
14
0
0
797,335,925 0
762,148,725 0
735,839,025 0
8,227,858 73
5,597,709 50
5,795,185 49
5,778,383
86,426,828
180,598,207
36,173,216
1,987,144
0
64
52
0
75
5,071,590
75,734,947
148,348,878
27,979,018
7,356,060
0
28
30
0
75
8,924,044
64,181,132
167,625,382
28,773,967
1,997,120
0
86
96
0
75
2,256,876 50
7,451,767 61
2,347,883 64
5,736,150 28
2,547,064 1
4,786,670 67
2,727,525 79
1,908,987 4
2,727,525 79
16,334,870 37
1,820,678 65
2,336,277 81
Total,........................................ 1,340,079,356 96 1,272,220,410 32 1,234,890,905 19
Creditor.
Cash and bullion,........................
Cash in the branch banks,..........
Commercial bills due yesterday,
to be received to-day,.............
Commercial bills discounted at
Paris, including 72,996,452f. 9c.
from the branch banks,............
Do. by the branch banks, payable
where discounted,....................
Advanced on deposit of bullion,..
do. in the branch banks,..........
do. on French public securities,
do. in the branch banks,.........
do. on railway shares and bonds,
do. in the branch banks,..........
do. on credit Foncier bonds,...
do. in the branch banks,..........
do. to the Government on agree
ment of June 30, 1848,...
Government stock reserved,.......
do. disposable,.........................
do. permanently invested, (law
of 9th June, 1857,).........
Hotel and furniture of bank,.......
Real property of branch banks,...
Expenses of management of the
bank and branches,.................
Sundries,......................................
Feb., 1862.
F.
c.
Jan., 1862.
F.
c.
Feb., 1861.
F.
c.
108,608,916 77
245,667,204 0
87,510,386 57
219,171,666 0
92,529,257 82
289,854,265 0
911,160 43
807,101 74
567,349 63
344,337,360 40
324,458,134 34
217,152,235 63
317,997,868
14,411,039
2,020,300
39,314,200
7,228,000
39,478,000
16,779,100
242,300
153,800
350,844,904
15,199,561
2,299,100
17,511,900
6,961,600
30,251.500
15,831,100
263,300
138,900
255,085,948
30,479,521
5,823,900
21,126,000
13.491.400
39,925,600
24.381.400
506,100
310,000
0
79
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
o
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
30,000,000 0
12,980,750 14
27,151,698 93
30,000,000 0
12,980,750 14
27,163,698 93
60,000,000 0
12,980,750 14
53,708,840 38
100,000,000 0
4,000,000 0
5,920,128 0
100,000,000 0
4,000,000 0
5,821,027 0
100,000,000 0
4,000,000 0
6,110,389 0
250,558 30
22,626,972 20
82,951 5
20,922,829 47
438,105 94
6,419,854 82
Total,....................................... 1,340,079,356 96 1,272,220,410 32 1,234,890,905 19
396
Journal o f Banking, Currency and Finance.
QUARTERLY
STATEMENT
OF
THE
BANKS
[April,
OF
OHIO.
The statement o f the banks of Ohio, as made to the Auditor of the
State, for the quarter ending on the first Monday in February, compares
as follows with the same quarter last year:
Feb., 1862.
Specie,......................................................................
Exchange,......................................... . .
Notes of other banks,..........................
Discounts,...............................................
Bonds of States and United States,.
Capital,....................................................
Safety fund,...........................................................
Circulation,............................................
Deposits,................................................
Due to banks and bankers,.................
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
*3,153,722
2,011,027
1,331,325
10,882,500
2,546,584
5,195,950
1,682,136
9,217,519
5,024,917
296,631
Feb., 1861.
___
____
____
___
____
____
_____
____
____
____
$2,225,969
1,591,319
834,993
10,897,323
1,195,355
5,691,700
709,100
8,062,084
4,026,029
807,471
The following is a comparison o f the several classes o f banks :
I ndependent B anks.
Feb., 1862.
Specie, ............................................... ........................... $ 179,967
Exchange,...................................... ...........................
227,281
Discounts,...................................... ........................... 1,252,765
Stocks and b o n d s ,. . ............ ...........................
830,531
575,000
Capital,............................................ ...........................
Circulation,
.......................... ....................
682,876
Deposits,............................... ....................
1,274,648
_____
_____
_____
_____
____
--------
____
Feb., 1861.
$ 141,986
112,914
1,198,748
483,200
450,000
274,700
724,203
F ree B anks.
Speeie,................................... ....................
Exchange,............................. ....................
Discounts,...................................... ...........................
Stocks and bonds,.................... ...........................
Capital,............................................ ...........................
Circulation,................................... ...........................
Deposits,......................................... ...........................
6 233,703
288,849
767,614
901,243
516,450
766,977
888,465
____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
$ 182,997
372,042
1,548,396
708,155
1,137,200
619,372
“ * **
State B anks.
Specie,.............................................. ........................ $ 2,722,051
Exchange,...................................... ........................
1,494,896
Discounts,...................................... ........................
7,980,502
Stocks and bonds,.................... ........................
814,809
Capital, ............................................ ........................
4,104,500
Circulation,.......................... ........................
7,767,666
Deposits,............................... ..................
2,861,803
_____
_____
_____
$ 1,900,984
1,106,362
8,150,179
_____
_____
_____
____
4,104,500
7,068,012
2,294,501
A decrease in the capital o f the free banks, of about half a million, is
shown; but this is probably owing to an omission o f the returns o f the
Bank o f the Ohio Valley.
1862.]
397
Journal o f Banking, Currency and Finance.
P ublic D ebt of the U nited States on March 1st, 1862.
W e have prepared the following table, showing the present public
debt of the United States, from official sources:
Loan o f 1842,____
“
1847,____
“
1 8 4 8 ,....
“
1858.......
“
I 8 6 0 ,....
“
1 8 6 1 ,....
Texan indemnity,.
Texas debt,.. . . . .
Oregon W ar debt,
$2,883,364 11
9,415,250 00
8,908,341 80
20, 000,000 00
7.022.000 00
18,415,000 00
3.461.000 00
112,092 59
307,900 00
----------------------- $ 70,524,948 50
Treasury notes issued under acts prior
to 1857,.................................................
Treasury notes issued under act o f
December 23d, 1857,........................
Treasury notes issued under act o f
December 17th, 1860,.........................
Treasury notes issued under acts o f
June 22d, 1860, and February and
March, 1861— two years,....................
Treasury notes issued under acts o f
March 2d, July 17th, and August
5th, 1861, for 60 days— temporary
loan,........................................................
$105,111 64
664,200 00
9,933,950 00
7,767,600 00
3,993,900 00
22,464,761 64
Three years’ bonds, dated August 19th,
1861, issued under act o f July 17th,
1861,.....................................................$50,000,000 00
Three years’ bonds, dated October 1st,
1861, issued under act of July 17th,
1861,..................................................... 50,000,000 00
Three years’ bonds under act o f July,
1861,..................................................... 50,000,000 00
Twenty years’ six per cent, bonds,
dated July 1st, 1861,......................... 50,000,000 00
----------------------------
United States notes, issued under act
of July 17th, 1861,.......................‘. ..$ 5 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 00
United States notes, issued under act
o f February, 1862,.............................. 10,000,000 00
----------------------Total,
200, 000,000 00
60,000,000 00
$ 352,989,710 14
Journal o f Nautical Intelligence.
398
[April,
JOURNAL OF NAUTI CAL I NT E L L I GE NC E .
I. G alantry L ight-H ouse, N ewfoundland .—II. F ixed L ight
G ulf of Suez .
on
Z afarana P oint, R ed 8 ea ,
N ewfoundland.— G alantry L ight-H ouse.
O fficial information has been received that from and after August 10th,
1862, the present fixed light on the point o f Galantry will be replaced by
a flashing light, (flashes every 20 seconds,) varied by a red flash succeed
ed by two white flashes. Latitude, 46° 45' 3 0 "; Longitude, 56° 7' west
o f Greenwich. The light is elevated 210 feet above high water, and will
have a range of 18 miles. The light will be obscured on the north by
the high bluffs o f St. Pierre.
Range lights fo r entering from the southeast.
From and after October 1st, 1862, the entrance to the roadstead o f
St. Pierre from the southeast will be marked by two small fixed lights,
one of which (a white light illuminating o f the horizon) will be situated
on the rocks at Cannon Point instead o f the present beacon, and the
other (a red light) on the level north o f the city.
The white light will be elevated 36 feet above high water, having a
range of 6 miles, and the red light will be elevated 63 feet above high
water, with a range of 3 miles.
The line joining these two lights will mark the best water between the
extremity o f the Bertram Rocks and Isle aux Chiens.
The position of the red light is such that any one coming from Colombier and turning into the northeast channel, upon seeing it to the left o f
Cape l’Aigle, will be in no danger from the shoals off Cape Rouge.
The present light at Galantry will be discontinued during the three
nights preceding the time fixed for the exhibition of the revolving light,
i. e., on the 7th to 8th, 8th to 9th, 9th to 10th August, 1862.
F ixed L ight on Z afarana P oint, R ed S ea , G ulf of S uez.
Official information has been received, that on and after the 1st day o f
January, 1862, a light would be exhibited from a light-house recently
erected on Zafarana point, on the western coast o f the Gulf of Suez,
about 52 miles to the southward o f the town o f that name.
The light is a fixed white light, placed at an elevation o f 83 feet above
the level of high water, and should be seen, in clear weather, from the
deck o f a vessel, at a distance of fourteen miles.
The illuminating apparatus is dioptric, or by lenses, o f the first order.
The tower is round, built of stone, and 82 feet from base to vane, with
the keeper’s dwelling to the westward. It stands on a low gravel ridge,
about fourteen feet above high water, in latitude 29° 6' 20" N., longitude
32° 44' E. of Greenwich, as recently'found by Captain M ansell, o f H.
M. S. Firefly, and which agrees with M oresby’ s chart o f the Red Sea
o f 1834, but differs from the admiralty chart. The exact position o f
this light-house will hereafter be determined.
The mariner is cautioned that shoal water extends about a mile from
the point, having ten fathoms close to its outer edge.
Commercial Regulations.
1 8 6 2 .]
399
COMMERCI AL REGULATI ONS.
PROPER CLASSIFICATION UNDER TARIFF ACTS, OF CERTAIN ARTICLES OF
FOREIGN MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTION.
EXTRACT OF SAFFLOWER.
T reasury D epartment, January 23, 1862.
Sir ,— I have carefully considered the case presented in your report of
the 11th ultimo, o f the appeal o f J. W underlich, Esq., from your de
cision levying a duty o f 20 per cent., under the provisions of the 24th
section o f the tariff act o f the 2d March, 1861, on the “ extract o f saf
flower,” as an unenumerated article manufactured in whole or in part.
“ Safflower” is in terms exempted from duty by the tariff act o f 2d
March, 1861, and the importer claims, on that ground, a like exemption
for the “ extract o f safflower.”
The provisions o f the tariff laws make a distinction, in many cases, in
regard to the rate of duty between the crude and the prepared or manu
factured article; and in reference to “ safflower,” while it makes a spe
cific provision for the flower in its crude state, it makes none for any
“ extract” or preparation o f “ safflower,” hut leaves it to fall under the
general classification o f “ all articles, manufactured in whole or in part,
not otherwise enumerated or provided for,” upon which is imposed a duty
o f 20 per cent.
Your decision in this case is approved.
I am, very respectfully,
S. P. Chase, Secretary o f the Treasury.
H i r a m B a r n e y , E s q .,
Collector, dec., New -York.
OLD YELLOW METAL.
T reasury D epartment, January 23, 1862.
Sir,— I am in receipt o f your report on the appeal o f Messrs. Swift <fc
A llen from your assessment of duty at the rate of 20 per cent., under
the tariff act o f March 2, 1861, on “ old yellow metal” imported by them.
The 19th section o f that act imposes a duty at the rate o f 10 per cent.
“ on brass, in pigs or bars, or when old and fit only to he remanufactured!”
The importers claim, in this case, to enter the “ yellow metal” as “ old
brass,” because it resembles brass in the nature o f its component materials,
although they are not combined in “ brass” and “ yellow metal” in the
same proportions.
The tariff act of 1842, which regulates the assessment of duties on
unenumerated articles by the resemblance they bear, in certain par
ticulars, to enumerated articles, cannot apply in this case, because
“ yellow metal” must be held to be embraced cither in the provision in
the 22d section of the tariff act of March 2, 1861, for “ manufactures,
articles, vessels and wares, not otherwise provided for, of brass, copper,
gold, iron, lead, pewter, platina, silver, tin or other metal, or o f which
400
Commercial Regulations.
[April,
either o f these metals, or any other metal, shall be the component ma
terial o f chief value,” or in the provision in the 20th section of that act,
for “ metals unmanufactured, not otherwise provided for.” It is true
that there is a specific provision for “ yellow metal” in the free list,
when prepared for sheathing purposes, and of certain dimensions and
weight therein prescribed; but it is understood that the article in
question does not conform to those conditions.
The only point, therefore, to be determined in this case is, whether
the article is manufactured or unmanufactured within the meaning of
the law. I infer from your report, that although the article has once
been manufactured, it is now old and unfit for any other purpose than as
a raw material to be reworked. In that view I am of opinion that your
assessment of duty at the rate o f 20 per cent., under the provision in the
22d section for “ metals unmanufactured, not otherwise provided for,”
was correct, and it is hereby affirmed.
I am, very respectfully,
S. P. Chase, Secretary o f the Treasury.
L awrence G rinnell, Esq., Collector, dec., New-Bedford, Mass.
W OOLLEN SHAW LS, EMBROIDERED.
T r e a s u r y D e p a r t m e n t , January 28, 1862.
Sir,— I have carefully considered your report of the 12th ultimo, on the
appeal of S. M cL ean & Co. from your decision assessing a duty at the
rate of “ 12 cents per pound, and, in addition thereto, 25 per cent, ad
valorem'' on certain wool, worsted and silk shawls, embroidered; the
appellant claiming entry of said merchandise at the rate of 30 per cent.,
under the provision in the 22d section o f said tariff for “ manufactures o f
cotton, linen, silk, wool or worsted, if embroidered or tamboured in the
loom or otherwise, by machinery, or with the needle or other process,
not otherwise provided for.”
These shawls, being manufactured in part o f wool, and embroidered,
fall, in my opinion, clearly within the classification in the 2d subdivision
of section 13 of the act o f 2d March, 1861, o f “ clothing ready made, and
wearing apparel o f every description, composed wholly or in part of wool,
made up or manufactured wholly or in part by the tailor, seamstress or
manufacturer,” or “ on woollen cloths, woollen shawls and all manufac
tures of wool o f every description, made wholly or in part o f wool, not
otherwise provided for,” and that they were properly subjected by you
to the duty of 12 cents per pound and 25 per cent, ad valorem, as pro
vided in that section.
The provision referred to b y the importers, in the 22d section o f the
tariff act o f March 2, 1861, for “ manufactures o f cotton, linen, silk, wool
or worsted, if embroidered or tamboured in the loom or otherwise, by
machinery, or with the needle or other process, not otherwise provided
for,” can have no application to the merchandise in question, it being
“ provided for” in the 13th section o f the act.
Your decision is approved.
I am, very respectfully,
S. P. Chase, Secretary o f the Treasury.
H iram B arney, Esq., Collector, dee., New-York.
1862.]
Commercial Regulations.
401
BUFFALO ROBES.
T reasury D epartment, January 28, 1862.
Sir,— I have had under consideration your report on the appeal o f Mr.
W illiam M actavish from your decision subjecting to duty, at the rate
o f 20 per cent., under the provision for “ skins tanned and dressed o f all
kinds,” in the 20th section o f the act of March 2, 1861, buffalo rob es;
the appellant claiming entry o f said robes at a duty of 10 per cent.
The 19th section o f the tariff act of 2d March, 1861, imposes a duty
o f 10 per cent, on “ furs dressed or undressed when on the skin.”
Section 20 of said tariff act imposes a duty o f 20 per cent, on “ skins
tanned and dressed o f all kinds.”
It is very evident that buffalo robes cannot be regarded as “ skins
tanned or dressed,” nor as “ furs on the skin,” not being known in the
trade under that classification; but, being unenumerated in the tariff,
they are assimilated, by virtue o f the 20th section o f the tariff act o f
1842, to “ furs on the skin,” and will be subjected to the same rate of
duty, viz., 10 per cent, ad valorem.
I am, very respectfully,
S. P. Chase, Secretary o f the Treasury.
J oseph L emay , Esq, Collector, Pembina, Minnesota.
ABSTRACT OP THE POSTAL BILL INTRODUCED BY THE HON. JOHN
HUTCHINS, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEB. 10 T H , 1 8 6 2 .
Section 1. A uniform letter postage o f two cents for half-ounce letters,
when prepaid, and double postage when not prepaid. Letters over three
thousand miles, quadruple the above rate, or eight cents a letter to and
from California and Oregon.
S e c . 2 . Postage on regular newspapers, twenty cents a year for weekly
papers, all distances, and the same proportion for papers published oftener.
Periodicals published not so often as once a week, if under four ounces
in weight, one cent a number; over four, and not over eight ounces,
two cents, and over eight and not exceeding sixteen ounces, four cents.
Postage on newspapers and periodicals, at the above rates, to be paid
quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly, in advance.
S e c . 3. Newspapers and periodicals sent to news agents, publishers or
editors, at the same rates as to regular subscribers, or, to simplify it,
twenty cents for fifty copies or numbers, four cents for ten copies, or two
cents for five.
S e c . 4. All transient packages o f printed matter must be prepaid by
stamp, and at the following rates: any package o f printed matter, one or
more newspapers, pamphlets, books, packages of advertisements or other
printed documents, not exceeding four ounces in weight, two cents;
from four to eight ounces, four cents; from eight to sixteen ounces, eight
cents; and four cents for each half pound beyond the last. Seeds, roots,
bulbs, scions, cuttings, &c., for planting, at the same rates as transient
printed matter.
S e c . 6. A ny person sending printed or other matter may write or
VOL. X L vi.—
no.
iv.
26
402
Commercial Regulations.
[April,
print the name and address, with a description o f the contents, on the
outside o f the package.
Secs. 6, 7, 8. Transient printed matter, not prepaid, is to be detained,
and may be sent to the dead-letter office, by order o f the postmastergeneral, or returned to the sender. No package weighing over ten
pounds can go by mail. Letter postage, whether part prepaid or not,
shall be all doubled that is not prepaid, and letters that are forwarded
from one place to another shall not have an extra charge for forwarding.
Sec. 9. Prohibits certain articles from going by m ail; articles like
gunpowder, matches, meat, game, liquids, glass, cutlery, &c.
Sec. 10. The postmaster-general is authorized to have “ late letters”
received and sent after the mail is closed, and before the bags leave, at
an extra charge. None need pay this extra charge wrho prefer having
their letters kept till the next mail.
Sec. 11. Authorizes a delivery of letters, &c., in cities and towns, by
carriers, without any extra charge. Carriers to be paid salaries.
Sec. 12. Carrier system in California and Oregon to remain as at pre
sent.
Secs. 13, 14. Letter carriers neglecting their duty, to be dismissed,
and for breaking open letters, or stealing or destroying any letters or mail
matter, to be imprisoned from two to five years.
Secs. 15, 16, 17, 18. The postmaster-general may appoint letter
receivers, and establish receiving houses in cities, where letters can be
posted for the mails and for local distribution, and where postage-stamps
can be purchased. Letter pillars may also be erected, and letter collect
ors appointed. Persons injuring letter pillars, or putting improper matter
into them, to be punished.
Secs. 19, 20, 21. Cities may be divided into postal districts, branch
post-offices established, and managers appointed for them. Postal guides
may be published by the postmaster-general.
Secs. 22, 23, 24. A post-office money order system is authorized and
established between the large post-offices, with five cents commission on
all money orders, up to ten dollars, and ten cents for orders over ten and
less than twenty-five dollars.
S e c . 2 5 . Stamp agents, for the sale o f stamps, may b e appointed.
Secs. 27, 28, 29. The postage for all correspondence, &c., carried for
the government, the departments or the executive, to be paid to the postoffice out o f the Treasury; the official correspondence o f the post-office
to be free.
S e c . 3 0 . T h e p o s tm a s te r -g e n e r a l m a y d is p e n s e w it h w a y b ills , w h e r e h e
m a y c o n s id e r it a d v isa b le , a n d o th e r w is e s im p lify th e se rv ice .
S e c . 3 1 . S u ita b le sta m p s t o b e c o n t r a c t e d f o r t o c a r r y o u t th e p r o v i
sio n s f o r t h e n e w ra te s o f p o s t a g e .
Sec. 32. Franking to be abolished.
S e c . 3 3 . A l l la w s in c o n s is te n t w it h th is a c t a re r e p e a le d .
Sec. 34. The act to take effect July 1st, 1862.
1862.]
Commercial Chronicle and Review.
403
COMMERCI AL CHRONI CLE AND REVI EW.
F ederal F inances—L oan L a w of F ebruary—C ertificates of I ndebtedness—I nterest
P ayable in Coin —D emand N otes—R eceivable for D uties—D eposits at F ive per cent .
C learing -H ouse R eturns—L oan of M arch 17—M eans of the D epartment—I nterest
on TnREE Y ear B onds—Supply of Money —B anks D ispose of Government L oan—
C ommercial L oans—G reat R eduction—P rivate D eposits—R ates of M oney—Capital
I dle —General L aziness—I mproved T rade —A gricultural P rosperity—A rmy P ay P ro
motes T rade —I mports and E xports —Specie Shipments and R eceipts—P rices of B ills—
M oney A broad.
T he finances o f the Federal government have gradually improved
during the month. A t the date o f our last, Congress had passed the
law authorizing the issue of $150,000,000 o f legal tender notes, con
vertible into six per cent, stock, and had authorized the issue of
$500,000,000 o f stock for that purpose, the interest payable in coin.
The long delay in the passage o f the loan bill had necessarily compelled
the public creditors to wait for their money ; and the Secretary, to relieve
this class, whose audited claims amounted, in the aggregate, to over
$40,000,000, asked for power to issue six per cent, certificates, payable
at ten days’ notice, or at the expiration of a year, which was granted,
without limit as to the amount which might be issued. This gave great
relief. The provision making the interest on the public debt payable in
coin, involved the periodical purchase o f coin, since, if the government’s
inconvertible legal tender notes became the currency, the revenues o f the
government would be paid only in that medium, and the Secretary would
not have coin with which to make the payments o f interest. The bill
was then amended, by making the duties payable in coin ; but as all the
outstanding Treasury notes, including the $50,000,000 o f demand notes
authorized by the law o f July 17, were on their face receivable for duties,
these could not be excluded. O f these, there were about $80,000,000
outstanding altogether. The old demand notes thus had a superior value
over the new ones, which were to be substituted for them as fast as pos
sible. This fact produced a change in the course o f the banks ; instead
o f refusing them they now began to hoard th em ; and, in some cases,
1 @ i premium was paid, and currency again became scarce. It now
appeared, however, that although it had been the intention to make the
old demand notes a legal tender, the law did not say s o ; hence, there
was renewed hesitation in receiving them as the basis o f banking. A
new bill was therefore introduced in Congress, making them a legal
tender, and also modifying some other provisions of the law. This bill,
which was approved March 17, provided—
1st. The Secretary was authorized to purchase coin, with any author
ized bonds or notes, at the market rates.
2d. He may issue certificates o f indebtedness, such as are authorized
by act of March 2, in payment o f checks drawn by disbursing officers
upon the treasury.
3d. The demand notes ($50,000,000) issued by the act o f July 17,
1861, and ($10,000,000) by act o f February 12, 1862, are made a legal
tender, and receivable for customs duties.
404
Commercial Chronicle and Review.
[April,
4tli. The limitation to $25,000,000, on deposits, at five per cent., re
ceived at the treasury, is extended to $50,000,000.
5th. The department may issue notes in place o f old or mutilated ones.
Inasmuch as some time would necessarily elapse before the new
Treasury notes could be issued, the Assistant Treasurer, Mr. Cisco, at
New-York, had been authorized to receive the demand notes on deposit,
and issue therefor five per cent, certificates. This the banks at first
regarded with distrust, but they finally agreed to make the deposits, with
the understanding that they should receive back, when the deposits
should be drawn, the same character o f notes as those deposited, that is,
those available for duties. The law limited the amount to $25,000,000 ;
but inasmuch as that the amounts offered were large, it was amended
to permit $50,000,000 to be deposited. The object o f the banks in
making the deposits was to employ their funds, and, at the same time,
make the five per cent, certificates o f deposit serve in the settlement o f
balances at the Clearing-House, in place o f the loan certificates before
used. For this purpose about $7,000,000 was deposited, when the
following notice was issued :
“ Under instructions from the Secretary o f the Treasury, I hereby give
notice, that all certificates, bearing five (5) per cent, interest, hereafter
issued for deposits of United States notes, will be payable in whatever
notes may have been made a legal tender by act o f Congress, and may
be, at the time when re-payment shall be called for, paid out usually to
public creditors.
“ J ohn J. C isco, Assistant Treasurer TJ. ST
This caused the deposits to cease.
The law allowing the issue o f six per cent, certificates to those credit
ors whose accounts were audited, was found so useful that the principle
in the new law o f March 17 was extended to those who chose to receive
them in payment of checks received from disbursing officers. All these
provisions placed ample means at the service o f the department, nearly
as follow s:
Demand notes, legal tender,........................................... $ 150,000,000
Certificates o f indebtedness, 6 per cent., unlim ited,.. 100,000,000
Stock, 6 per cent., payable after 10, or at 20 years,.. .
500,000,000
50,000,000
Deposits to be received at 5 per cent.,........................
Three year bonds, 7 3-10 pr. ct. interest, still on hand,
37,000,000
The stock and bonds may be sold, as exigencies require, to meet the
interest on the debt in coin. The demand notes were ready by the 1st
April, and, being paid out, began to supply the currency. The semi
annual interest on the $50,000,000 August bonds, amounting to
$1,825,000, was paid February 19, in coin, from funds derived from the
last instalments paid in by the banks, and a similar amount was paid
April 1st on the October bonds, the coin being concentrated from all
the government depositories for that purpose. On another page will be
found an official table o f the government debt.
In all these movements of the government, there had, as yet, been no
expansion of the currency, because the amount o f paper money afloat had
not increased ; on the contrary, it had gradually diminished. The banks
were generally disposed to put out their own paper, based upon the gov
ernment notes instead o f specie; but, as yet, there was little demand for
money for business purposes.
1862.]
405
Commercial Chronicle and Review.
The supply o f money, or rather capital, idly accumulating, has con
tinued large during this month, with, latterly, some more disposition to
employ it. The finances of the Federal government command more con
fidence, and the prices o f the stocks have undergone a decided advance
under the purchases of the public for investment. This fact has enabled
the banks gradually to relieve themselves of the amount o f securities
they assumed to meet the wants of the government last year. The
banks held, when they suspended, at the close o f December, over seventy
millions of government securities, mostly 6 per cent, stock and three-year
7 3-10 per cent. Treasury bonds. They had taken the former at a rate
equal to 89.32, and the latter at par. January 1st, the former were at 88,
and the latter at 2 @ 3 per cent, discount, and gold at 2 per cent, pre
mium. In other words, the stock for which the banks had paid 89.32 in
gold was worth only 86 in gold. Gradually the price has since risen,
under the growing hope of peace and the tax measures to be adopted by
Congress, to 94 for stock and par for the bonds, while gold, after rising
to 5 per cent, premium, fell back to 1-]- @ 1£. Hence the banks could
make a profit by selling their stock for gold, and they could discount
paper by paying out the three-year bonds to be sold by the borrower.
The operation, as seen in the table published on another page, has reduced
the aggregate loans $24,000,000, and increased the specie on hand nearly
$8,500,000. The securities so disposed of by the banks have been taken
up by the public at the high rates. The public deposits, or the amounts
due the government by the banks on account o f those loans, were finally
discharged about the middle of January, up to which time the private
deposits continued to increase, and at that time reached the enormous
amount of $107,240,000. Since that time they have been drawn to the
extent of, in round numbers, $10,000,000, for employment in business,
and, to some extent, in the purchase o f government stocks, although the
largest demand for these came from the country. The banks have thus
gradually freed themselves from the government operations, and have
become, consequently, better supplied with means to meet the calls of
business. These are, however, not large, since a large portion o f the
business done is on sueh restricted terms o f credit as not to create much
business paper. The commercial loans of the banks, however, touched
their lowest at the close of February, when the line was $78,214,000, and
subsequently rose to $81,250,000, March 15th, being $42,000,000 less than
for the corresponding week in 1861. The price o f money has not much
varied, being a little higher for business paper, if any thing. The rates
are as follows:
B ate.
Stocks.
O c to b e r 1 , . . . . . . . 6
N ovem ber 1,... . . 6
D e c e m b e r 1 ,.. . . . 6
J a n u a ry 1 , . . . . ...6
@
@
@
@
@
7
7
7
7
February 1 , .. . . . 6
7
“
1 5 ,.. . . .5 @ 6
M a rch 1,......... . . .5 @ 6
“ 15,........ . . .5 @ 6
Other.
.. 6 @
.. 6 @
.• -@
.■ 7 @
. •1 @
.. 6 @
.• 7
.. 7 @
60 days.
. ■ 6} @ 7
Not well
known.
, . 8 @ 12 . . 12 @ 15 . . 24 @ 36
4 @ 6 mos.
Other
Good.
7
7 . . 5 1 @ 7 ., . 8 @ 10 . . 10 @ 12
9 . . 12 @ 15
1 . • — @ 7 .. 8 @
- . . 5 } @ 7 ., . 8 @ 9 . . 10 @ 12
- ■. 5* @ 7 . . 6 @ 7 . . 8 @ 12
7 . . 5 @ 7 .. 6 @ 7 . . 7 @ 9
. . 6 @ 7 .. 8 @ 9 . .
- . . 6 @ 7 .. 8 @ 9 .
. . 18 @ 24
. • — @ —
. . 12 @ 24
.•
—
.. — @ —
•• — @ —
•—
The general state o f affairs, as well commercial and financial as politi
cal, has continued to improve during the month. There has been a
growing conviction o f the speedy termination of the resistance to govern-
406
[April,
Commercial Chronicle and Review.
ment authority, and, therefore, o f a resumption of industrial and commer
cial pursuits, under more favorable circumstances than ever before in the
history o f the country. This conviction has not alone manifested itself
in the strengthened credit and advancing prices for government stocks,
but sales o f merchandise have been more extensive, and the spring trade
has opened with evidences o f a sound business. Prices o f goods have
been well maintained, and, with increasing imports, the supply does not
seem to have exceeded the demand. The stocks o f goods throughout
the interior are known to be small, and the economy observed by all
classes in the purchases during the past year, is a guarantee, since mer
chandise is perishable, that the wants are now large, and must, sooner or
later, be supplied. The exports of farm produce have continued very
large, and these have necessarily thrown means into the hands o f the
great agricultural interests which underlie the prosperity o f the country.
I f nearly 700,000 men have, for military purposes, been withdrawn from
their ordinary pursuits in the loyal States, they have been well paid from
the funds advanced by capitalists, and this money, distributed through
the families in all the States related to the soldiers, has had the effect of
feeding trade. It is no doubt the case that the money must be ultimately
repaid; but, for the moment, it has had the same effect as if all these men
had been employed by combined capital for the construction o f a rail
road or other vast work. This has, to some extent, relieved the depres
sion that would have otherwise resulted from the suspension of so many
branches of labor. The effect has begun to manifest itself in the improved
spring business, which involves larger importations; and these, since Jan
uary 1st, have been as follow s:
I mports, P oet of N ew -Y ork.
E ntered
Specie.
January,..............
February,............
Total, 2 months,
“ 1861,....
Foreign
goods.
for
,-------------------- 1-------------------- »
Consumption. Warehouse.
$163,658 $2,552,050
62,007 3,381,473
Total.
$6,763,396
7,058,174
$3,141,725 $12,620,829
3,370,486 13,872,140
$225,665 $5,933,523 $13,821,570
9,537,296
6,138,228
15,182,236
$6,512,211 $26,492,969
12,312,358 43,169,118
E xports , P ort of N ew -Y ork .
F oreign.
Specie.
January,................$2,658,374
February,............ 3,776,919
Total, 2 months, $6,435,193
“ 1861,.... 1,161,820
Free.
$27,193
49,066
$76,259
537,890
Dutiable.
Domestic.
Total.
$149,493 $12,053,477 $14,948,437
208,757 10,078,101 14,112,843
$358,250 $22,131,578 $29,061,280
895,515
20,514,745 23,109,970
Exclusive of specie, the exports, to the close o f February, were
$1,500,000 in advance o f last year, and, also excluding specie, the
imports have been $8,000,000 less than then. They are now, however,
gradually increasing, and in the two first weeks o f March they were as
follows, as compared with last year:
General
Merchandise.
F ry Goods.
Total.
1861,................$2,056,113
1862,................ 3,108,694
___
___
$3,098,061
4,249,447
___
___
$5,154,174
7,358,141
Increase,. . . . $ 1,052,581
___
$1,161,386
___
$2,203,967
1862.]
407
Commercial Chronicle and Review.
While this has been the case with the importations, the graduallyfalling prices of breadstuff's and provisions abroad have reduced the
amount of exports, and there has been a steady export demand for
specie. The following table shows the amount o f specie received from
California, and exported, since January 1, with the amount in banks,
and the prices of gold in the open market in each w eek :
S pecie and P eice of G old.
1861.
Received.
1862.
Exported . Received.
Jan.
u
4,.
11,. .. 11,445,885
“
18,. .. 1,446,219
“
25,. .. 1,246,029 .. $22,855
Feb.
1,. .. 1,514,154 .. 289,669
“
9,. .. 1,052,313 .. 115,698
“
15,. .. 1,056,426 .. 117,101
it
.. 187,253
22,.
March 1,.
855,755 .. 176,161
“
8,.
w 15,.
815,524 .. 123,816
Total,... .. $ 9,425,805 $ 1,032,053
Exported. Gold in lank.
.
627,767
.
.
.
.
.
.
854,000
614,146
759,247
741,109
679,075
677,058
.. $442,147
.. 1,035,025
. 547,703
.. 322,918
. 310,484
.. 976,235
.. 1,156,154
.. 734,512
.. 510,774
.. 585,236
. 788,480
$ 5,844,325
$ 7,509,668
. $885,923
P rice o f gold.
. $23,983,878 . 2 @ .4 prem.
. 25,873,070 . 4 © 5
“
. 26,120,859 . 4 @ 4 X II
. 26,698,728 . 2 © 3 K “
. 27,479,533 . 3 « © 3 # (1
. 28,196,666 . 3 « @ 3 K “
. 28,114,148 . 4 © 4 X It
. 28,875,992 . 3 @ 3 %
. 29,826,959 . 2 © 2 X “
. 30,436,644 . 1 % @ 2 % “
. 80,773,050 . 2 @ 1 X «
This result shows a considerable decline in the amount o f gold re
ceived from California, and an increase in the quantities exported. The
large imports of goods, with the payments by the government abroad,
the expenses o f travellers and emigrants, are all now to be met out of
the proceeds of Northern and Western produce exported. These have
latterly not been satisfactory. The fall in prices abroad has involved
failures, and the tendency has been to high rates o f exchange, as follows :
London.
Paris.
109 @ 109£ 5.25 @5.15
1101 @ n o i 5.15 @ 5.10
1101 @ US 5.121 @ 5.05
1131 @ 114 5.05 @4.90
113 @1131 5.10 @4.95
“ 15, 115 @1151 4.971® 4.90
Mar. 1, 112 @ 113 5.05 @5.00
“ 15, 1121 @ 1121 5.071 @ 5.031
Dec. 1,
“ 16,
Jan. 1,
“ 15,
Feb. 1,
Amsterdam. Frankfort.
40| @ 4 0 f
411@ 41f
42 @ 4 2 1
421 @ 431
42J @ 431
4 2 1 @ 431
421 @ 43
4 2 1 @ 43
Hamburg.
351 @ 36
361 @ 37
371 @ 38
371 @ 381
37 @ 381
37f @ 381
37 @ 3 7 1
421 @ 431 36f @ 371
41
411
421
431
431
431
421
@411
@ 42
@ 43
@ 4 31
@ 431
@ 44
@ 43
Berlin.
731 @
74 @
741 @
751 @
751 @
761 @
751 @
741 @
74
741
75
761
76
77
751
75
The price o f sterling has naturally followed the price o f specie. For
the week ending February 15, gold was 4 @ 5 per cent, premium, and
bills 15 @ 15J, or 11 @ ll| ]for gold. As specie declined, the premium
on bills also declined. That the shipments of specie are no larger is
doubtless due, to some extent, to the cheapness of money in London,
where the rate is 1^ @ 2 per cent, per annum, while in New-York it is
6 @ 1 on call. In ordinary times the rate would equalize by employ
ment here, and possibly this may be the case as the chances of peace
and security multiply, and the demands for capital in legitimate employ
ment multiply. The great waste which capital now undergoes ensures
high rates for use when the pursuits o f peaceful industry are renewed.
The great element o f financial strength is to guarantee the most un
doubted security for property, in every form.
408
Mercantile Miscellanies.
[April,
MERCANTI LE MI SCELLANI ES.
I. China .
II. D uke
of
W ellington.
M aterials in
III. “ I n State .”
theie
IY . E oth« child»’ W it . Y.
I nvisible State .
CHINA.
W e are told by a former missionary to China, that it is impossible
fully to realize its vastness, and the number of its people. It is larger,
by one-third, than the whole of the continent of Europe— France, Spain,
Portugal, Germany, Italy, all the smaller kingdoms, Denmark, Sweden,
Norway, Africa, Turkey and Russia. A dd a third to each of these na
tions, and then the empire o f China is larger than the whole of them
combined.
The population o f China, which is usually estimated at
360,000,000, he believed to exceed 400,000,000. The census is taken
every year with great care, for purposes of government, and if there is
any temptation to make false returns, it is not on the side of excess ;
and severe corporeal punishments are inflicted upon any who should be
discovered in putting down an untrue statement. He believed, there
fore, that the census might be fairly relied upon. Now, it appeared from
the returns in 1812, that the population was 360,000,000, and that in
1852 it was 396,000,000. That showed an annual increase o f 900,000,
and leads to the conclusion that the people of China at the present time
exceed 400,000,000. It is even difficult to form an adequate conception
o f this great number. Suppose 400,000,000 were placed rank and file,
ten abreast, the column would almost surround the globe at the equator;
or if they marched thirty miles a day, it would take two years and
thirty-eight days for the whole to pass any given spot.
THE
DUKE
OF
W ELLINGTON.
Some years since, the Duke was sitting at his library table, when the
door opened, and without any announcement in stalked a figure o f singu
larly ill omen.
“ W h o’re you 2” asked the Duke, in his short, dry manner, looking up
without the least change o f countenance upon the intruder.
“ I am Apollyon.”
“ W hat want 2”
“ I am sent to kill you
“ Kill me 2— very odd.”
“ I am Apollyon, and must put you to death.”
“ ’Bliged to do it to-day 2”
“ I am not told the day or the hour, but I must do my mission.”
“ Very inconvenient— very busy— great many letters to write— call
again and write me word— I’ll be ready for you.” And the Duke went
on with his correspondence. The maniac, appalled probably by the
stern, unmovable old man, backed out o f the room, and in half an hour
was safe in Bedlam.
1862.]
409
Mercantile Miscellanies.
The following poem is certainly unequalled by any thing these war
times has produced. W e take it from that sterling paper, the Louisville
Journal— a paper, by the way, that deserves to be encouraged by all
loyal citizens, for its patriotic course during the past year. It is very
easy to go with the current, but to stand against it, remaining faithful
among the faithless, is a very different matter.
IN
STATE.
O Keeper of the Sacred Key,
“ The sisterhood that was so sweet—
The Starry System sphered complete,
And the Great Seal of Destiny,
Whose eye is the blue canopy,
Which the mazed Orient used to greet—
Look down upon the warring world and The Four-and-Thirty fallen stars glimmer
and glitter at her feet.
tell us what the end will be.
“ Lo, through the wintry atmosphere,
“ And lo, the children which she bred,
On the white bosom of the sphere,
And more than all else cherished,
A cluster of five lakes appear;
To make them strong in heart and head,
And all the land looks like a couch, or
Stand face to face as mortal foes, with
warrior’s shield, or sheeted bier.
their swords crossed above the Dead!
“ And on that vast and hollow field,
With both lips clos’d <fc both eyes seal’d, “ Each hath a mighty stroke and stride,
And one is Mother-true and tried,
A mighty figure is revealed—
The other dark and evil-eyed;
Stretched at full length and stiff and stark
And by the hand of one of them his own
as in the hollow of a shield.
dear Mother surely died 1
“ The winds have tied the drifted snow
Around the face and chin, and lo,
“ A stealthy step—a gleam of hell—
The sceptred Giants come and go,
It is the simple truth to tell—
And shake th eir shadowy crowns ad say:
The Son stabbed and the Mother fell ;
‘ We always feared it would be so.’
And so she lies—all mute, and pale, and
pure, and irreproachable.
“ She came of an heroic race;
A giant’s strength, a maiden’s grace,
“ And then the battle-trumpet blew,
Like two in one seem to embrace,
And the true Brother sprang and drew
And match and blend, and thorough-blend
His blade to smite the traitor through;
in her colossal form and face.
And so they clashed above the bier, and
“ Where can her dazzling falchion be ?
the Night sweated bloody dew !
One hand is fallen in the sea;
The gulf-stream drifts it far and free,
“ Now, whichsoever stand or fall,
And in that hand her shining brand
As God is great and man is small,
gleams from the depths resplendently.
The Truth shall triumph over all—
Forever and forevermore the Truth shall
“ And by the other in its rest,
triumph over a ll!”
The Starry Banner of the West
Is clasped forever to her breast:
Thus saith the Keeper of the Key
And of her silver helmet, lo, a soaring
And the Great Seal of Destiny,
eagle is the crest!
Whose eye is the blue canopy;
“ And on her brow a softened light,
And leaves His firmament of Peace and
As of a star concealed from sight
Silence over bond and free.
By some thin veil of fleecy white,
FORCEYTHE WILLSON.
Or of the rising moon behind the rainy
N e w - A l b a n t , January, 1 8 6 2 .
vapors of the night.
R o t h s c h i l d ’ s
w i t
.
During the stormy days o f 1848, two stalwart mobocrats entered the
bank of the late Baron A. R othschild, at Frankfort. “ You have
millions on millions,” said they to him, “ and we have nothing; you
must divide with us.” “ Very well; what do you suppose the firm o f
D e R othschild is worth {” “ About forty millions o f florins.”
“ Forty
millions, you think, eh ? Now there are forty millions o f people in
Germany ; that will be a florin apiece. Here’s yours.”
410
[April,
Mercantile Miscellanies.
MATERIALS
IN
THEIR
INVISIBLE
STATE.
I f a piece o f silver be put into nitric acid, a clear and colorless liquid,
it is rapidly dissolved, and vanishes from the sight. The solution of
silver may be mixed with water, and, to appearance, no effect whatever
is produced. Thus, in a pail o f water we may dissolve and render in
visible more than ten pounds’ worth of silver, lead and iron ; but every
other metal can be treated in the same way, with similar results. When
charcoal is burned, when candles are burned, when paper is burned, these
substances all disappear and become invisible. In fact, every material which
is visible can, by certain treatment, be rendered invisible. Matter which,
in one condition, is perfectly opaque, and will not admit the least ray of
light to pass through it, will, in another form, become quite transparent.
The cause of this wonderful effect of the condition of matter is utterly inexplainable. Philosophers do not even broach theories upon the subject,
much less do they endeavor to explain it. The substances dissolved in
water or burned in the air are not, however, destroyed or lost. B y cer
tain well-known means they can be recovered, and again be made visible ;
some exactly in the same state as they were before their invisibility;
others, though not in the same state, can be shown in their elementary
condition; and thus it can be proved that, having once existed, it never
ceases to exist, although it can change its condition like the caterpillar,
which becomes a chrysalis, and then a gorgeous butterfly. I f a pailful
o f the solution o f silver be cast into the stream, it is apparently lost by
its dispersion in the water; but it nevertheless continues to exist. So,
when a bushel of charcoal is burned in a stove, it disappears, in conse
quence of the gas produced, being mixed with the vast atmosphere ; but
yet the charcoal is still in the air. On the brightest and sunniest day,
when every object can be distinctly seen above the horizon, hundreds of
tons o f charcoal, in an invisible condition, pervade the air. Glass is a
beautiful illustration o f the transparency of a compound, which, in truth,
is nothing but a mixture of the rust o f three metals.
The power o f matter to change its conditions, from solid capacity to
limpid transparency, causes some rather puzzling phenomena. Substances
increase in weight without any apparent cause ; for instance, a plant goes
on increasing in weight a hundred fold for every atom that is missing
from the earth in which it is growing. Now, the simple explanation of
this is, that leaves o f plants have the power of withdrawing the invisible
charcoal from the atmosphere, and restoring it to its visible state in some
shape or other. The lungs of animals and a smokeless furnace change
matter from its visible to its invisible state. The gills o f fishes and the
leaves o f plants reverse this operation, rendering invisible or gaseous
matter visible. Thus the balance in nature is maintained, although the
continual change has been going on long prior to the creation o f the
“ extinct animals.” — Piesse.
1862.]
The Book Trade.
THE
BOOK
Margret Howth ; A Story o f To-day.
A ppleton and Co.
411
TRADE.
B o s t o n : T icknor <fc F ields .
F o r sale b y
D.
T he readers of the Atlantic Monthly will recognise this story as the one recently
published in that periodical under the latter half of the present title; it is now issued
in excellent style, (as we believe Messrs. T icknor & F ields invariably send out their
publications,) on good paper, in clear type, and with an extremely neat binding.
It is a book well worth reading; full of strong thoughts and strong words, of
deep insight into the hearts of men, and of true sympathy for their sorrows. Vigor
and originality characterize every page, and the ability of its author is undeniable.
Vet we have one or two complaints to make of its style, which is at times too
powerful, and at others too vague and misty. If one desired to describe the ex
treme aspects of Nature in those zones where her changes are the most vehement,
to contrast the quivering, withering white-lieat of noon, with the fierce tornado,
which twists the giant trees like tufts of feathers, and whirls the rocks from their
bases, we doubt whether it would be possible to find words more wild and strong
than are here used to depict the variations of the human countenance, voice or eyes.
We know that faces can vary, that the voice can be widely different under different
emotions, and that dark eyes, especially, have a wonderful range of their own; that
they can shine with pleasure, or flash with scorn, or lower with wrath; but, to
exhaust the height and depth and breadth of the English language in their behalf,
seems to us a misuse of words. To clothe one’s ideas in over-strong phraseology is
as great a fault, although not so common a one, as to send them forth half-dressed
in flimsy platitudes. If we may be allowed the somewhat plebeian similitude, it is
the Frenchman’s “ linen breeches in winter,” against the Irishwoman’s blanket-shawl
on the fourth of July; and, on the score of propriety, we see little to choose between
them. As for the want of lucidity, it may not be patent to the majority of readers;
but when an author tells us that the heroine looked out into the windless grey or the
ashy damp, we are obliged to wait a full minute, before our confused mind unravels
the idea that the object of contemplation was a calm fo g ; and when we read of a
stifled red film groping in the east, it takes us at least fifty-five seconds to resolve
that pink nebulosity into sunrise. Such mannerisms, however, do not seriously
affect the value of the book, for it has a real and intrinsic value. Whether it will
become popular we cannot predict; but popularity has ceased to be a criterion of
merit, and the thorough appreciation of a few, is more to be desired than the accla
mations of less cultivated masses.
Works of Francis Bacon, Baron o f Verulam, Viscount St. Albans and Lord High
Chancellor of England. Edited by J ames SrEDDiNG, R obert L eslie E llis and
D ouglas D enon H eath. Vol. 3. Boston: B rown &. T aggard. Also for sale by
E. F rench, sole agent, New-York, 51 Nassau-street, up stairs.
We are glad to be able to announce that Messrs. B rown & T aggard have issued
another volume of their fine edition of B acon’ s works. The excellent manner in
which the publishers are executing their task has frequently been the subject of
remark by us. That they will be well rewarded we cannot have a doubt; for every
412
The Book Trade.
[April,
private library in the land, as well as every public one, would be considered incom
plete without it. The present volume contains, among other things, B acon’ s Historia
Vita et Mortis, an essay showing the greatest ingenuity and research, though all
would by no means agree in the conclusions drawn. Still, how to prolong human
life is an interesting study; and while the end is sought in appliances by which
health is improved, or at least by which it cannot be impaired, there is certainly
no wrong committed. Old age, with a constitution broken down and intellect
shattered, does not to us seem desirable; and rules of life that would secure the
former at the expense of both body and mind, few would care to follow. Besides,
we are accustomed to think that health and long life are dependent the one upon
the other; but B acon strives to show that they are independent objects of pursuit,
and herein most will disagree with him. “ Some things there are,” he says, “ which
promote the alacrity of the spirits and increase the vigor of the functions, and are of
use in warding off disease, but which, nevertheless, shorten life and accelerate the
decay of old age. Contrariwise, there are others which are of use in lengthening
life, and yet cannot be used without endangering health; wherefore, they who employ
them must obviate the inconveniences which they might else occasion by other
means.”
His theory is, of course, interesting and ingenious; and though we may not think
the conclusions warranted, still we cannot fail to learn much, and be deeply interested
in following the workings of his master intellect.
The Young Stepmother; or, A Chronicle o f Mistakes. By the Author of “ The Heir
o f Redclyffe,” “ Heartsease,” A c . 2 v o ls . N e w - Y o r k : I ). A ppleton and C o.
The fertility of Miss Y onge’ s perennial pen amazes u s; it buds, blossoms and
bears fruit, with a rapidity that bids fair to rival A akon’ s rod. We are forced to
believe that the authoress has been following the example of the late prolific
G. P. R. J., and writing several books at once, by dictation. Pitiable amanuenses !
what have they done that the lines should fall to them in such unpleasant places ?
But let them not repine; there is a crook in every lot, and perhaps their own have
been ameliorated by meditating upon the unusual number and variety of crooks in the
lot of the Young Stepmother, whose life they have recorded. The narrative of them
makes a long story;—a truly moral, highly religious (we use the word “ highly” ad
visedly) and thoroughly unexceptionable story; if it be a dull one to our private mind,
it is of no consequence. Read it, stepmothers, and learn where you err;—read it, step
children, and see how you are expected to turn out;—read it, prosy people, every
where, do, we beseech you ; for it will keep you quiet a long time, and give you a
faint taste of what you daily inflict upon your neighbors.
We wonder if there is not a tie of relationship between Mr. G ough’ s old lady who
confessed to being very fond of “ the little ginyflixions of life,” and Miss Y onge,
who is evidently so devoted to the “ little ginyflixions” of religion? With all
honor to the true spirit of piety which breathes throughout her writings, the
Puritan blood within us rebels against the excessive importance attached to certain
small forms and ceremonies. Aside, too, from this point of view, we feel vexed
with a woman of education, refinement, Christian principle and talent, for writing
so much that is commonplace. She forces us to think of the witty wretch in the
Westminster Review, who was so funny and so false as to divide all religious persons
into three classes,—Attitudinarians, Latitudinarians and Platitudinarians, and makes
us sigh over the fact that there may be a grain of truth in the latter part of his
assertion, at least.
1862. ]
The Book Trade.
413
The New American Cyclopaedia. Edited by G eorge R ipley and Charles A . D ana.
Vol. XIV. R eed— S pire . New-York: D. A ppleton it Co., 443 and 445 Broad
way, and London, 16 Little Britain.
The publishers’ great enterprise is drawing to a close, and a few months more
will probably see it completed. This volume, which they have just issued, rivals
in interest and importance the best of its predecessors. Some of the biographical
sketches, in particular, will be found unusually worthy of attention, comprising, as
they do, the names of R embrant, Sir J oshua R eynolds, the R ichards, of England,
R ichelieu, R ichter, R ousseau, R ubens, S chiller, Sir W alter S cott, S helly, S her
idan , the S idneys, S avonaroler and hosts of others, famous in history and art.
There are also biographies given of a great many living characters; among authors
we find those of R uffini, R uskin, R eed, and our own S axe ; among military celebri
ties, our good old General S cott fills his appropriate place; while science is well
represented in Professor S illlman, of Yale College, the father of chemistry, and, we
might almost say, of science, in this country. But it would be almost impossible to
mention a tithe of the excellent things to be found in this volume.
The Earl’s Heirs. By the author of “ East Lynne,” “ The Castle’s Heirs," The Mys
tery,” &c., &c. Philadelphia: T. B. P eterson <t B rothers ; New-York: F rede
rick A. B rady , 24 Ann-street.
Copies of the work will be sent to any address in
the United States, free of postage, on the receipt of fifty cents, by the pub
lishers.
The author of these works is said to be Mrs. E llen W ood, a lady unknown to the
reading world before the publication of her last book, “ East Lynne,” which became
quite popular in England.
Mrs. W ood has evidently more talent for the construction and development of a
narrative, than for the delineation of character, and her writings, therefore, come
under the title of “ sensation” novels, although belonging, fortunately, to the more
moderate class. In “ The Earl’s Heirs," the plot is intricate, well brought out, and
very interesting, and the style generally good. The characters rather lack life and
individuality, with the exception of one, which is, par excellence, the character of
the book. We refer to the rotund Mrs. P efi'erfly . The chapter describing her
appearance and testimony in the coroner’s court is capital comedy; and her vale
dictory address, comprising, as it does, an epitome of her whole experience of life,
its cares and its consolations, is worthy of quotation: “ We all has to bear, some in
our minds and some in our bodies, some in our husbands, and some in having none.
There ain’t nothing more soothing than a glass of gin and water, hot.”
Reports of Cases in Law and Equity determined in the Supreme Court of the State of
New-York. By O liver L. B arbour, LL. D. Vol. X X X IV . Albany: W. 0.
L ittle .
We would call the attention of merchants to this new volume of B arbour’ s Re
ports. Much litigation and consequent loss can frequently be avoided by reading
the decisions of our State courts, and thus informing one’s self with regard to the
interpretations there given to the statutes passed. The laws which our legislators
enact frequently show a very different face after being handled by our learned
judges. If, therefore, one would know the law under which he is living, he must
not only read the statutes, but the decisions explaining them.
414
The Book Trade.
[April, 1862.
First Lessons in Greek: the Beginner’s Companion Book to H adley’ s Grammar.
J ames M orris W inton. New-York: D. A ppleton & Co.
By
The author of this little book is the rector of the H opkins grammar-school in NewHayen. No other or better recommendation is, we think, needed with those who
are acquainted with the reputation of that school, than the announcement of this
simple fact. These “ Greek Lessons” are intended, as will be gathered from the
title, to familiarize beginners with the capital grammar prepared by that thorough
Greek scholar, Professor H adley, of Yale College.
Report o f the Commercial Relations of the United States with Foreign Nations, for
the year ending September 30th, 1860. 1 vol.
Report o f the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances, for the year
ending June 30<A, 1861. 1 vol.
We have received these two valuable books from the Hon. J. N. G oodwin , mem
ber of Congress from the First District of Maine. They are, as usual, full of valua
ble statistical and other information.
PAMPHLETS AND DOCUMENTS RECEIVED.
Report o f Select Committee to House o f Representatives on Harbor Defences on Great
Lakes and Rivers.
Report to the Secretary o f War of the Operations o f the Sanitary Commission.
Report Select Committee to House of Representatives on Government Contracts.
Hon. J. N. G oodwin .
From
Report of Committee of Commerce on Reciprocity Treaty with Great Britain.
Hon. E. P. W alton.
From
Tax Bill.
From Hon. E. W ard .
Report of Board of Trade o f Chicago.
From S eth Catlin, Esq.
The “ Toledo Blade’s” Annual Statement o f the Trade and Commerce o f Toledo.
Messrs. P elton & W aggoner.
From
THE
MERCHANTS’ MAGAZINE
AND
COMMERCIAL
REVIEW
E s t a b lis h e d J u l y , 1 8 3 9 .
E D IT E D E T
WILLIAM
VOLUME XLVI.
CONTENTS
B. D A N A .
APRIL,
1 8 6 2.
OF
IV.,
No.
NUMBER IV.
VOL.
XLVI
A rt .
PAGE
I. SOMETHING ABOUT SILK.—0. A. W.,
321
II. POST-OFFICE FINANCES. How has the Postal Revenue been affected by reducing
the rates o f postage ? B y P liny M iles ,
III. HARBOR DEFENCES ON GREAT LAKES AND RIVERS. Harbor Defences
on Lakes and Rivers proposed as a measure likely to promote peace—Rapid advance
in prosperity of Northwestern States—Increase of Population—Value of Real and
Personal Property—Increase in Political Power—Tonnage and Valuation of Vessels
engaged in Commerce of Lakes and now building—Aggregate of Imports and Ex
ports of Lake Towns—The great importance of the Northwest, and the little aid it
has received from the Federal Treasury—Plan of Defences: First. The establish
ment of Shore Defences. Second. The establishment of a National Foundry on the
Upper Lakes. Third. The Enlargement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal for
Military purposes,........................................................................................................ 337
S T A T I S T I C S OF T R A D E
AND COMMERCE
1. Trade and Commerce of San Francisco. 2. Chicago and its Trade for the past Year. 3. To
ledo—its importance—the Shipments and Receipts for 1S61 compared with previous Years.
4. Trade and Commerce of Buffalo. 5. Flour and Grain in France—official table. 6. Im
portations of Flour and Grain into Great Britain and Ireland for fourteen years, 1848—
357
1861,
J O U R N A L OF M I N I N G , M A N U F A C T U R E S A N D A R T .
1. Iron Manufacture of the United Kingdom. 2. Law relating to Dealers in Old Metals in
Great Britain. 3. Anthracite Coal Trade of the United States. 4. Annual Review of the
Lake Superior Copper Mines,.
371
Contents o f A pril No., 1862.
416
TIIE C O T T O N
QUESTION.
1. Surat no Substitute for American Cotton. 2. Liverpool Cotton Report. 8. Acquisition by
England of Lagos, and the Treaty between Great Britain and D ocemo, King of Lagos.
4. French Stock of Cotton. 5. Cotton in the United States,...............................................381
J O U R N A L OF B A N K I N G , C U R R E N C Y A N D F I N A N C E .
1. City Weekly Bank Returns, New-Tork, Philadelphia, Boston and Providence. 2. Weekly
Statement Bank of England. 8. Note Circulation of the United Kingdom. 4. Returns
o f Bank of France. 5. Quarterly Statement of the Banks o f Ohio. 6. Public Debt of the
United States....................................................................................................................... 893
J O U R N A L OF N A U T I C A L I N T E L L I G E N C E .
1. Gallantry Light-House, Newfoundland. 2. Fixed Light on Zafarana Point, Red Sea, Gulf
of Suez,................................................................................................................................. 398
COMMERCIAL
REGULATIONS.
Proper classification under Tariff Acts, of certain Articles of Foreign Manufacture and Pro
duction-Abstract of the Postal Bill introduced by the Hon. J ohn H utchins, in the House
of Representatives, February 10th, 1862,..................................................................................... 399
COMMERCIAL
C H R O N I C L E AND R E V I E W .
Federal Finances—Loan Law of February—Certificates of Indebtedness—Interest payable in
Coin—Demand Notes—Receivable for Duties—Deposits at Five per cent.—ClearingHouse Returns—Loan of March 17—Means o f the Department—Interest on Three Year
Bonds—Supply of Money—Banks Dispose o f Government Loan—Commercial Loans—
Great Reduction—Private Deposits—Rates of Money—Capital Idle—General Laziness—
Improved Trade—Agricultural Prosperity—Army Pay Promotes Trade—Imports and Ex
ports—Specie Shipments and Receipts—Prices of Bills—Money Abroad,....... ................. 403
MERCANTILE
MISCELLANIES.
1. China. 2. Duke of Wellington. 3. “ In State.” 4. R othschild’ s Wit. 5. Materials in
their Invisible State,.............................................................................................................. 408
THE
BOOK
Notices o f New Publications in the United States,
TRADE.
411
@FedFRASER