Full text of The Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review : February 1848, Vol. XVIII, No. II

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THE

MERCHANTS’ MAGAZINE,
E s t a b li s h e d J u l y , 18 3 9 ,

BY FREEMAN HUNT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
VOLUM E XVIII.

FEBRUARY,

1848.

NUMBER II.

CONTENTS OF NO. II., VOL. XVIII.
A R T IC L E S .
▲ AT.

PAG*

I.

P A S T A N D PR ESEN T POSITION AN D RESOURCES OF M E X IC O : Her relations to the
United States—Policy o f the latter Country. By E. H a s k e t D e r b y , Esq., o f Massachusetts . 131
II. TH E S E A T OF G O V ERN M EN T OF TH E U N ITE D ST A T E S .— C h a p t e r II.—Letters o f
Washington and Jefferson in relation to Terms o f Purchase— Site—Mr. Muir’ s Speech on laving
the Corner-stone o f the District—Public interest in the subject, and grand projects—Name o f the
City—Corner-stone o f the Capitol—Jefferson’s Views in regard to the Plan—Major L ’ Enfant:
his Plan, its Defects and Merits—Reasen for placing Public Buildings at a distance from each
other—The Mall— Residence for Foreign Ministers—Dimensions o f the City—Speculation in
City Lots—Encroachments on the Plan. By J. B. V arnum , J un., Esq., o f the New York Bar. 142
III. TH E S T A TIS TIC S A N D H ISTO RY OF T H E B R ITISH C O TT O N T R A D E : a nd o f t h e
M a n u f a c t u r e o f C o t t o n G o o d s . B y R. B u r n , Editor o f the Commercial Glance. England. 152
IV . CO M M ER CIAL C IT IE S AN D T O W N S OF T H E U N ITE D S T A T E S .—N o . VII.— T h e
Cit y

of

C h ic a g o , I l l in o is ................................................................................................................. .

164

V . SHIPS, MODELS, SHIP-BU ILD IN G , e t c . By J oh n E n d ic o t t G a r d n e r , o f Massachusetts. 172
V I. STR IC T U R E S ON T H E R E PO RT OF TH E S E C R E T A R Y OF TH E T R E A S U R Y . By
Hon. G e o r g e T u c k e r , late Professor in the University o f Virginia............................................... 181

MERCANTILE

LAW

CASES.

Insurance against Perils o f the Sea covers Losses by Collision—Decision by Judge Betts....................... 186
Libel—Seizure o f a Vessel for being engaged in a Trade other than that for which she was Licensed. 189
Principal and Agent.—Principal and Surety...................................................................................................... 190

C O M M E R C I A L C H R O N I C L E AND R E V I E W ,
EMBRACING A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES, E T C ., ILLUSTRATED
W IT H T A B L E S, ETC., AS FOLLOWS J

V iew o f Financial Affairs—Failures o f Merchants and Bankers in England and other parts o f Europe
— Exports o f Specie from New York and Boston—Exports and Imports o f the Port o f New York—
United States Exports—Vessels built in the United States from 1840 to 1847, inclusive— Rates o f
Freight to Liverpool—Tonnage Cleared, and Goods Exported from the United States, from 1841 to
1847 —Imports into Great Britain— Cost o f Breadstuff's imported into Great Britain—Amount o f Rail­
way Calls—Condition o f the Bank o f England—Leading Features o f the Banks o f Boston, New
York, Baltimore, and New Orleans—Quotations for Government and State Stocks in the New York
Market, etc., etc.......................................................... ............................................................................... 191-198

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 .
Progress o f the Bank o f England from 1778 to 1844....................................................................................... 198
Circulation, Deposits, Securities, Bullion, and Rest o f the Bank o f England from 1778 to 1844............ 198
Banks o f the States o f the Union, Capital, Circulation, e tc.................................................. ....................... 199
Bonuses on Bank o f England Stock from 1799 to 1847.................................................................................. 200
Highest and Lowest Price o f Bank o f England Stock in each year from 1732 to 1846 ............................ 201
History o f a .£30,000 note o f the Bnnk o f England........................................................................................201
Boston Imports and Exports o f Specie in each year from 1828 to 1847 ...................................................... 202
Finances o f the State o f New Jersey................................................................................................................. 202
Finances o f the States o f Ohio and Massachusetts............................. ............................................................203
Finances o f the State o f Pennsylvania............................................................•................. ..............................204
Payments into the Treasury o f the United States from Customs, etc., at different periods....................... 204
Finances o f Tennessee............................. ............................................................................................................ 205

Y O L. X V I I I .— NO. I I .




9

130

CONTENTS OF NO. I I . , V OL. X V III.
PAG E

NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE.
Buxey Sand and Swin Spitway........................................................ .................................................................. 205
Fixed Sideral Light at Spotsbjerg.—Goodwin S an d........................................................................................ 206

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.
Imports, Exports, and Nett Revenue o f the United States in each year from1791 to 1847....................... 206
Consumption, etc., o f Tea in the United States in each year from 1821 to 1847........................................ 208
Duties collected in the United States on Tea from 1821 to 1832.................................................................... 208
Export o f Corn and Com Meal from the United States from 1791 to 1847 ................................................. 208
Arrivals at the Port o f New York from different Countries in 1847 ............................................................ 209
Vessels and Passengers arriving at N ew York from 1835 to 1847... - ........................................................... 209
Coastwise Arrivals at the Port o f New York in 1847..................................................................................... 210
Inspections o f L ea f Tobacco at the Port o f New Y ork from 1834 to 1847................................................. 210
Stocks o f Tobacco on hand in each Month o f each Year from 1837 to 1848 ............................................. 210
Import o f Virginia T obacco into New York from 1839 to 1846 .................................................................... 211
N ew York Import and Export o f Hides from different Ports in 1847.......... ................................................ 211
Export o f Hides from New York from 1840 to 1847....................................................................................... 211
Boston Coastwise and Foreign Arrivals and Clearances in 1847.................................................................... 212
Imports to, and Exports from Foreign Ports at the Port o f Boston, with the Revenue received at the
Custom-house from 1838 to 1847 ..................................................................................................................... 212
Arrivals from Foreign Ports at the Port o f Boston from 1838 to 1847.......................................................... 213
Tonnage o f Vessels, and Men engaged in the Foreign Trade o f the Port o f Boston from 1838 to 1847. 213
Foreign Commerce o f Philadelphia for the years 1845, 1846, and 1847........................................................ 213
American and Foreign Vessels entered Philadelphia from 1845 to 1847....................................................... 213
Measurement o f Grain, Seeds, Salt, Coal, etc., at Philadelphia from 1838 to 1847.................................... 213
W eighable Foreign Merchandise imported into Philadelphia in 1846 and 1847......................................... 214
Coffee imported into the Port o f Philadelphia from 1845 to 1847.................................................................. 215
Arrivals, Foreign and Coastwise, annually, at the Port o f Philadelphia from 1787 to 1847 ...................... 215
East India and Pacific Trade.................. ' . ............................................................................................................216
Export o f British Manufactures to M exico from 1844 to 1847 ....................................................................... 216
Lumber Trade o f Quebec for the years 1845, 1846, and 1847....................................................................... 216
Coffee exported from Ceylon in each year from 1837 to 1847 ......................................................................... 216

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.
Law o f New York relating to Passengers arriving at Ports o f Entry in New Y o rk .................................
Quarantine Regulations at N aples.....................................................................................................................
Tare o f the German Customs Union upon T obacco, Rice, Coffee, etc.........................................................
Modification o f the Mexican Tariff....................................................................................................................
Postal Regulations between England and the United States...........................................................................

217
218
219
219
219

RAI LROAD, CANAL, AND S T E A M B O A T S T A T I S T I C S .
Baltimore and Susquehannah Railroad...............................................................................................................
Tolls adopted by the Schuylkill Navigation Company....................................................................................
Voyages made by the British Mail Steamers during the year 1847................................................................
N ew York Railroad Companies authorized by Law to Borrow M oney.......................................................
Closing o f the Hudson River in each year from 1830 to 1847.........................................................................
Breadstuff's passing the New York Canals in each year from 1834 to 1847...................................................
Opening and Closing o f the N ew York Canals in each year from 1824 to 1847 .........................................
British Investments in Railways...........................................................................................................................
Statistics o f the Columbia Railroad................................................................................. ..................................
Tolls Collected on the New York State Canals from 1820 to 1847................................................................

220
221
222
222
222
223
223
224
224
224

J O U R N A L OF M I N I N G A N D M A N U F A C T U R E S .
Minerals and Mines in Missouri and Illinois. By Dr. L ew is F e u c iit w a n g e r .......................................
Pennsylvania Anthracite Coal Trade in 1847....................................................................................................
Progress o f Manufactures in South Carolina.....................................................................................................
Lake Superior Copper Mines.—Invention for File Cutting by Machinery...................................................
Diamond converted to Coke..................................................................................................................................

MERCANTILE

225
226
227
228
229

MISCELLANIES.

Mercantile Library Company o f Philadelphia.. . . ........................................................................................ 229
Baltimore Mercantile Library Association......................................................................................................... 230
Mercantile Library Association o f Boston......................................................................................................... 231
Mercantile Library Association o f New York.—Banvard’ s Panorama o f the Mississippi River............. 232
On the Adulteration o f W heat Flour.—A Fraudulent Bankrupt in Hamburgh......................................... 233

THE BOOK TRADE.
Short Notices o f 36 New Works, or New Editions.................................................................................. 234-240




H UNT ’S

MERCHANTS’ MAGAZINE.
FEBRUARY,

1848.

Art. I.— PAST AND PRESENT POSITION AND RESOURCES OF MEXICO:
H E R R E L A T IO N S T O T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S -----P O L I C Y O F T H E L A T T E R C O U N T R Y .

Amid the din o f arms, the conflict of politics, and the derangement of
funds, incident to a state o f war, a full and dispassionate discussion o f its
origin may not well be expected ; an impartial future must determine the
remote and immediate causes o f the contest.
For M exico, it w ill be urged, the annexation o f Texas, while at war
with M exico, was a virtual declaration o f w a r ; and the march o f G en­
eral T aylor beyond the N ueces, was an act o f aggression which justified
the attack upon his troops.
T h e advocate o f our country will, however, ask, was not Texas severed
from M exico when she abandoned the federal form o f government ? Did
T exas ever accede to the change ? She erred, to be sure, in sanctioning
slavery, but did she not adhere to her established forms— open her arms
to colonists both from Europe and Am erica, and repel invasion, until E n g ­
land, France, and Am erica, recognized her independence ? W h en ad­
mitted to our Union, against the wishes o f the North, but by a majority o f
votes and States, had she not ceased to be an integral portion o f M exico ?
W as it not optional, then, with M exico to elect peace or w ar ; and did she
not choose the latter when she rejected the overtures and ministers o f the
Union, assembled troops and munitions o f war on the R io del Norte, and
announced her determination to make the Sabine her eastern boundary ?
After electing this policy— sacrificing discretion to hereditary pride, ne­
glecting to fulfil her treaties for the relief o f our impoverished merchants,
shedding the first blood, and attacking our gallant troops with four-fold
their numbers on a disputed territory, w ill it not be difficult for M exico to
exonerate herself from censure in the contest that has ensued ? I f for
M exico it be urged that she had established a custom-house, and exercised
jurisdiction east o f the R io Grande, w ill it not also be replied for our
country that Texas has established towns, post-roads, and villages west o f
the N ueces, on the site o f the ancient colony o f Louisiana, as fixed by
H um boldt; and, conceding the intermediate country to be a disputed




132

P ast and P resen t Position and R esources o f M exico.

territory, did not the law o f nations authorize the United States, after the
expulsion o f her ministers, and the threat o f an invasion, to advance her
troops across this country to the best line o f defence east o f the recog­
nized boundary o f M exico ?
It will be the province o f history, at a future day, to review and deter­
mine these questions; to criticise our policy ; to analyze the views and
motives o f our statesmen, and to settle another still more interesting ques­
tion— how f a r the present degradation o f M exico warranted the interven­
tion o f fo r eig n powers 1
At the present moment, while the war is in actual progress; when our
fleets are occupying the Atlantic and Pacific ports o f M exico, and our
columns are advancing into her interior, the causes o f the w ar are o f less
interest than a glance at her past and present position, and a few infer­
ences as to the policy o f our country.
A t the commencement o f the present century, the great traveller and
savan, Baron Humboldt, devoted several years to M exico, then almost a
terra incognita to Europe, and submitted his elaborate and celebrated re­
port to the king o f Spain, and the civilized world.
H e presents M exico as the most valuable colony o f S p a in ; almost im ­
pregnable to a foreign foe, and superior in wealth and resources to the
United Slates o f Am erica.
Invasion from abroad, appeared to him out o f the question— a vast wil­
derness, impassable to armies, was interposed between the northern prov­
inces and the United States. T h e only seaport accessible to large ships on
the G u lf o f M exico, was V era Cruz, and the impregnable fortress o f San
Juan de Ulloa frowned defiance on any fleet, however powerful.
At the period in question, the population o f M exico surpassed that o f
our new republic o f the North. In 1803, Humboldt estimates the popula­
tion o f M exico, on the best data o f the government, as 6,800,000. B y a
census in 1800, the population o f the United States was 5,300,000, or
more than a million less.
In 1803, the revenue o f M exico exceeded $20,000,000. The revenue o f
our Union was then but $11,000,000. In 1803, the mines o f the United
States produced neither coal, iron, gold, silver, or lead, o f any appreciable
value ; but the average o f the gold and silver o f M exico, in that single
year, exceeded $27,000,000.
In 1803, Humboldt advocates the policy o f opening new communications
with the coast o f M exico, and suggests that the fertile soil o f her inland
valleys, surpassing that o f all other lands, will enable her to supply the
Bay o f M exico, and W est India Islands, with flour, beef, and other pro­
ductions, at rates below the prices o f the United States. H e adverts, also,
to the sperm fishery o f the Pacific, the fur trade o f the Northwest coast,
and the com m erce with China and the Sandwich Islands ; and points out
the unrivalled advantages which M exico enjoys for the prosecution o f
each.
A t this period, the star o f M exico was in the ascendant. T h e severe
restrictions o f Spain upon her com m erce, w hich had restrained her inter­
course with Europe for two centuries to a single port o f Spain, and usually
to a fleet once in three years, had been modified, and her com m erce had
begun to expand.
H er coinage had increased from $11,604,845 in 1765, to $27,165,888




P ast and P resen t Position and R esources o f M exico.

133

in 1 8 0 3 ; and her revenue from $6,141,981 in 1765, to $20,200,000 in
1803.
N or was this a l l ; for the exuberance o f M exico flowed into the weaker
and inferior colonies o f Spain, and supplied their deficiencies.
M exico, in 1803, after defraying the annual expenses o f her administra­
tion, $10,500,000, which included the cost o f her army o f 10,000 Spanish
troops ; and after remitting to Spain a surplus o f $6,000,000 in specie,
exhibits the singular spectacle o f a distant colony sustaining the other
colonies o f Spain by the annual remittance to each o f the following sums :—
T o Louisiana,..........................................................................
Florida,..............................................................................
C uba,.................................................................................
Porto R ic o ,......................................................................
St. D om ingo,....................................................................
Trinidad,..........................................................................
Philippine Isles,.............................................................
A ggregate,.......................................................

$557,000
151,000
1,826,000
377,000
274,000
200,000
250,000
$3,635,000

It might not astonish us to learn the sandy shores o f Florida absorbed
a portion o f the surplus wealth o f M exico ; but when we read that the rich
alluvial soil o f Louisiana, now exporting its annual millions o f sugar, cotton,
lead, and provisions ; the fertile isles o f Cuba and Porto R ico, now the
most prolific o f the W est Indies, w ere thus dependent on the surplus
wealth o f M exico, we may comprehend, in some degree, the extent o f her
resources— resources which enabled her to advance in prosperity while
thus annually disbursing, without return, $10,000,000 in other states and
colonies.
The peculiar position and resources o f M exico deserve consideration ;
for, although placed beneath the tropics, she is adapted by nature to all
the productions, both o f the temperate and torrid zones. A narrow belt
o f plain upon each coast produces sugar, indigo, cochineal, coffee, the
banana, plantain, and other tropical fruits. A few miles above it, cotton
is indigenous. Ascending to an elevation o f six to eight thousand feet,
valleys adapted alike to wheat, barley, corn, and other productions o f
Northern States, enjoy an almost perennial spring. A bove these, tower
mountains covered with enduring snow.
T h e hills through the entire region, are generally suited to pasturage;
rills trickle down from snow-capped ridges ; and such is the mildness o f
the climate, that cattle, horses, mules, and sheep, find sustenance through­
out the year in the open air.
T h e surface o f M exico is, however, by no means uniform. It is diver­
sified by mountains and valleys. Em bracing an extent o f nearly thirty
degrees o f latitude, it is o f course unequal in its character. In some re­
gions— for instance, the northern district o f Santa Fe, on the elevated
sources o f the R io del Norte, its soil becom es drier, and less productive.
Tracts o f land occur, also, deficient in water ; but in such regions mineral
treasures usually abound, and few districts are found incapable to sustain
animal life by pasturage. T h e best illustration o f this, is the fact re­
corded by Humboldt, in 1803, that 70,000 mules annually passed b e ­
tween the city o f M exico and the northern provinces; while, in the sum­




134

P ast and P resen t P osition and R esources o f M exico.

mer season, the average number o f mules in V era Cruz, engaged in
transportation between the coast and M exico, exceeded 40,000.
T h e arrienos o f M exico, conducting troops o f mules, each laden with three
to four hundred pounds o f merchandise, traversed the country by paths
w orn through valleys and ravines— their inns and stables the open fields,
or some rude shed or posada, and their provender the grass which nature
had provided by the way-side, sometimes aided in arid districts by a few
handfulls o f maize.
The proverbial cheapness o f horses and mules, and the low cost o f
transportation in a country for which nature had done so much, and art so
little, are thus easily explained. In California, our late acquisition, the
adaptation o f the soil to cattle and horses, is shown by the increase o f these
animals from a few thousand in 1780, to such an extent, that one to two
hundred thousand are now annually killed at the ports on the Pacific for
the hides and tallow ; and the luxuriance o f the pastures in w hich they
feed during the spring, may be inferred from the description o f Fremont,
o f his tour along the valley o f the San Joaquin— through a land alike lux­
uriant in grass and in flowers, variegated with the flax grow ing wild,
with the lupin, and the rose rising in fragrant clusters o f twenty feet in
diameter, nearly to the horseman’s h e a d ;— a route over plains, where
the frequent droves o f the elk and the deer seemed reluctant to yield
their rich feeding-ground to the animals which man has domesticated.
T o illustrate the capacity o f a M exican hacienda, a single anecdote o f
the revolution w ill suffice. A lady proprietor once presented to a regi­
ment o f hussars, just arrived from Spain, one thousand horses, o f a uni­
form color and size, all raised on one o f these estates, situated within three
days’ march o f Parras, late the station o f General W ool. But the main
wealth o f M exico consisted in the great mineral veins which are found from
the city o f M exico to Sonora and Santa Fe, surpassing, in their richness,
the mines o f Peru, Chili, and L a Plata.
These veins, although producing on an average but one-fourth o f one
per cent o f silver, yet usually dry, o f great width, and easily wrought, con ­
stituted one o f the principal sources o f wealth, and furnished the great
staple for exportation. The successful miners becam e the rich men o f
the age, the founders o f families, and the rivals o f p rin ces; while the in­
ferior workmen, not Indian or African slaves, as has been supposed, but,
according to the testimony o f Humboldt, free laborers, received a fair
compensation, and often accumulated property from their successful in­
dustry.
T h e most celebrated mines o f M exico were those o f Guanaxuato, San
Louis Potosi, Zacatecas, Durango, Pachucha, and Guadalaxara ; while, in
modern times, the mines o f Chihuahua have attained a distinguished rep­
utation, as surpassing all others in the quality o f their minerals. T h e
most productive mines o f Mexico, until the nineteenth century, w ere those o f
Guanaxuato, a province bordering on San Louis Potosi, and on the route
from that State to the city o f M exico. T h e mines o f this district were
commenced as early as 1558, soon after the death o f Montezuma. Th eir
produce gradually increased, and during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, averaged annually not far from $3,500,000. The entire produce
o f these mines, down to 1803, exceeded $900,000,000.
Valenciana, the principal mine o f this region, was opened in 1760, by
a young Spaniard o f the name o f Obregon, destitute o f fortune. His first




P ast and P resen t Position and R esources o f M exico.

135

efforts did not succeed— he penetrated to the depth o f two hundred and
seventy feet without a profit; but his courage and perseverance made him
friends, and enabled him to proceed. In 1766, he increased his resources
by a partnership with a merchant o f the name o f Otero. In 1768, after
eight years arduous toil, the mine became remunerative. In 1771, im­
mense masses o f sulphuretted silver appeared ; and from this period to 1804,
the annual produce averaged $ 1 ,2 0 0 ,0 0 0 ; while the annual profits
never fell below $400,000 to $600,000 per annum, and the two asso­
ciates, Obregon, afterwards Count o f Valenciana, and Otero, becam e the
wealthiest citizens o f M exico. In October, 1846, two mines o f this dis­
trict, La Luz and Rayas, still yielded their $70,000 per week, or at the
rate o f $3,500,000 per annum.
The district o f San Louis Potosi, embraces the mines o f Catorce and
Charcas. The mine o f Purissima, in this district, the property o f Colonel
Obregon, in 1796 produced $1,200,000, while the working expenses did
not amount to $80,000. T h e average produce o f this district, at the close
o f the eighteenth century, was $3,000,000 per annum.
T h e Intendancy o f Zacatecas comprises the rich mines o f the city o f
that n am e; o f Fresnillo, and Sombrerete, which lie north o f San Louis,
on the road to Monterey. T h e Veta N egra o f Sombrerete, has attained
great celebrity from the fact that it yielded in a few months, to the family
o f Senor Fagoaga, since Marquis del Apartado, a nett profit o f $4,000,000.
T h e other mines o f Zacatecas were opened soon after the conquest, but
w ere subsequently almost abandoned.
T h ey w ere revived about the
middle o f the eighteenth century, by Joseph Laborde, a native o f France.
This individual came poor to Mexico, and acquired a fortune at the mines o f
T asco. After building a church at Tasco, which cost $400,000, he was
reduced to the lowest poverty. T h e archbishop, however, permitted him
to sell a golden sun enriched with diamonds, with which he had adorned
his church; and, with the proceeds o f the sale, $100,000, he withdrew to
Zacatecas, where he sunk the entire sum in repairing and draining the
famous mine o f Quebradilla.
Not disheartened with this second failure, he began a third time upon
the great vein at Zacatecas, and opened the shaft o f La Esperanza, a most
appropriate name.
T h e produce o f this mine rose to $4,200,000 per annum, and again
gave him a fortune. History relates that he compelled his daughter to
enter a convent to enrich his son, and that this favorite son afterwards
voluntarily embraced the office o f an ecclesiastic. At the close o f the
eighteenth century, the mines o f Zacatecas annually produced, on an average, $3,500,000.
The district o f Pachucha embraces the celebrated mines o f Moran and
R eal del Monte, and is situated in the mountains, between the sources o f
the southern branch o f the Panuco or Tula River, and the Lake Tezcuco,
and lies a little south o f San Louis.
T h e great vein o f this district, richer, but less abundant than that o f
Zacatecas, is distinguished by the title o f the Veta Biscaina, and, as early
as 1726, produced annually more than $2,000,000. At this period, an
accumulation o f water compelled the miners to abandon the works in
progress. Senor Bustamente then ventured to commence a level a mile
and a half in length, to draw o ff the water, but died before its completion.
This great enterprise was finished in 1762, by his partner, D on Tereros,




136

P ast and P resen t Position and R esources o f M exico.

subsequently the Count de Regia, who realized from “ L a Solidad,” a
vein crossed on the way, the w hole expenses o f the enterprise, and, in
twelve years, derived a nett profit o f $5,000,000 more from the Biscaina
vein. This distinguished individual made a liberal use o f his wealth.
As an instance o f his public spirit, he presented to his sovereign two ships
o f the line, and lent him 5,000,000 o f francs, which H is Majesty had not
the grace to return. H e also erected the great amalgamation works at
Regia, costing $2,000,000 ; purchased vast estates, and at his decease b e ­
queathed a fortune to his children, which has only been equalled in M ex­
ico by that o f the Count de Valenciana.
At the close o f the eighteenth century, the average produce o f these
mines was $1,000,000.
The mines o f Durango, north o f Zacatecas, at the same period, annually
produced more than $2,000,000.
The mines o f Guadalaxara, on the R io Grande de Santiago, to the west
o f San Louis, at the period in question, annually produced $1,000,000.
T h e aggregate produce o f the districts enumerated, all within a mod­
erate distance from San Louis Potosi, formed, in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, more than two-thirds the entire yield o f M exico.
By 1803, the annual produce o f the M exican mines had risen to
$27,000,000. Those enumerated shared in the general prosperity. The
mines o f M exico continued productive until the subversion o f the Spanish
power, upon the abdication o f Charles V I., in 1808 ; and it is worthy o f
notice, that one o f the last acts o f the Spanish regime, was the construc­
tion o f the great highway from V era Cruz to M exico, a work equal to the
Simplon road o f Napoleon.
Down to this period, the cities o f M exico excelled in size and splendor
the cities o f the United States. M exico, Puebla, Guadalaxara, San Louis
and V era Cruz, surpassed in population, and eclipsed in private and pub­
lic structures, our cities o f N ew York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore,
and N ew Orleans.
But M exico, richly endowed b y nature, was far behind the American
Union in education and civil institutions. W e ow e a debt o f gratitude to
our pious forefathers, for the schools, colleges, forms o f government, and
traditions, which they bequeathed us, which enabled us to move onward
with unfaltering steps when w e threw o ff the leading-strings o f England.
M exico possessed no such advantages. Spain confided to Spaniards the
administration o f the country, and selected the authorities o f provinces and
towns, and the officers o f the army and marine force, from natives o f Spain.
She gave little encouragement to education, and the Catholic church took
more interest in religious cerem onies, and the erection o f churches and
cathedrals, than the diffusion o f knowledge.
W hen revolution came,
in 1808, it found the Mexicans alike ignorant and inexperienced, entirely
unqualified to administer the affairs o f the country. Anarchy, misrule,
and despotism, were the inevitable consequence.
From the invasion o f Cortez, to this period, an absolute government had
prevailed. It had been administered for the benefit o f Spain, rather than
o f M exico. Although flax was the spontaneous growth o f the country,
and the climate favored the vine and the olive-tree, it had prohibited the
manufacture o f linen, wine, and oil, to favor a Spanish monopoly. It had
annually wrung from M exico millions o f revenue, for the exclusive Use o f
Spain, and her weaker colonies. It had denied to the people education *




*
t

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137

and a participation in public affairs ; but under it the colony had advanced,
and population and wealth w ere doubling every fifty years. At all events,
life and property were secure, enterprise rewarded, and commerce pro­
tected.
But with the revolution came strife and bloodshed, and ruin to property.
T h e contest with Spain was long protracted. A guerilla warfare con­
tinued for years ; battles w ere lost and won ; factions arose on the w reck
o f an archy; leader succeeded leader, until Iturbide established for a time
' imperial power. Efforts to secure a permanent federal government w ere
' unavailing. T h e night o f military despotism followed, and the transient
' favorite o f the army became the ruler o f M exico.
4 Insurrections becam e ordinary occurrences. “ Their settled forms,” says
Chevalier, in 1835, “ hapre becom e as fixed as the laws o f backgammon,
' ".'and the recipes o f domestic cookery. T h e first act o f a revolution is called
’ a pronunciamiento. An officer o f any rank, from a general down to a
lieutenant, pronounces himself against the established order, or against an
i
institution which d is e a s e s him, or against anything else. H e gets to­
gether a detachment, a company, or a regiment, as the case may be, and
these generally, without more ado, place themselves at his disposal. The
second act is called the grito, or ou tcry ; when two or three articles are
drawn up, to state the motives or objects o f the insurrection. I f the matter
is o f some importance, the outcry is called a plan. At the third act, the
insurgents and the partisans o f government are opposed to one another,
and mutually examine each other’ s forces. At the fourth act, they come to
blows ; but, according to the improved system late introduced, the fight­
ing is carried on in a very distant, moderate, and respectful manner.
H ow ever, one party is declared victor, and the beaten party dispronounce.
T h e conquerors march to M exico, and their triumphal entry into the cap­
ital constitutes the fifth act o f the p la y : the vanquished meanwhile em­
bark at' V era Cruz or Tam pico, with all the honors o f war.
“ W ith tranquillity, unfortunately everything is also lost. There is no
longer any security. It is a mere chance if the diligence from M exico to
Vera Cruz proceeds the whole w ay without being stopped and robbed.
It requ ires'w h ole regiments to convey the conducta o f piastres to V era
Cruz. Travellers w ho cannot afford to pay for an escort, go armed from
head-to foot, and in little caravans. H ere and there rude crosses erected
by the side o f .the road, and surrounded by heaps o f stones, thrown up by
passdrs-by in token o f compassion, point out the spot where some w ay­
farer, and almost always a stranger, has perished by the hand o f rob­
bers. T h e immediate environs o f the most populous cities are infest­
ed by malefactors, and even in the interior o f cities, not excepting the
capital, there is no longer any security. There are numerous instances
o f people being robbed on a Sunday, and at the hour even when the great­
est number o f people are abroad, within a league o f M exico. An E n g ­
lish charge-d’affaires was lassoed on the Alameda, the public walk, in the
middle o f the day. In the evening, after sunset, notwithstanding the nu­
merous guardians o f the night, (serenos)— notwithstanding the videttes o f
cavalry at every corner o f the streets— notwithstanding the law prohibits
the riding on horseback through the streets after eight o ’clock, in order to
prevent the use o f the lasso, a man is not safe in M exico, not even in his
own house. If, in the evening, at eight or nine o ’clock, you visit a friend,
before the porter consents to open the enormous gate, lined with iron or




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bronze, there pass as many formalities as if it were a question o f letting
down the drawbridge o f a fortress. Persons on whose words I think I
can rely, have assured me that as many as nine hundred dead bodies are
yearly deposited in the morgue o f M exico.”
Amid the collisions which attend such misrule and anarchy, the on­
ward march o f M exico was arrested. Many o f the principal cities, mines,
and haciendas, w ere destroyed, or seriously injured; com m erce was bro­
ken up by subsidies, forced loans, and robberies, and industry and enter­
prise entirely paralyzed.
W hile the population o f the United States has, in the last forty years,
increased four-fold, the population o f M exico remains during the same
period entirely stationary.
W hile the cities o f our coast have increased four-fold, outstripping all
the great cities o f M exico, and new States and cities have risen in our inte­
rior, the cities o f M exico have made no advance, and the structures o f other
ages are crumbling to decay. In Kendall’s tour o f fifteen hundred miles,
in 1842, on the great highway from Santa Fe to M exico, he found but one
new building in progress, but thousands going to ruin.
W hile the States o f the Union have been chequered and enlivened by
the bridges, railways, turnpikes, roads, and canals o f com m erce; by
academies, schools, and colleges, the only carriage-road o f M exico, for
which she was indebted to art, has been abandoned to decay. T h e School
o f Mines is ruined. The Indian raft o f rushes still serves as a miserable
substitute for a bridge, or steam -ferry; and neither road, turnpike, rail­
way, canal or steamboat, has been constructed.
Instead o f planting colonies on the Northwest coast, pursuing the sperm
whale, or the trade to China, M exico annually exhibits in all her ports a
smaller tonnage than the port o f N ew Bedford, unknown to fame forty
years since, sends around Cape Horn.
W hile the revenue o f our Union has advanced from $11,000,000 per
year to $11,000,000 per quarter, the revenue o f M exico has declined onefourth, and that portion not derived from oppressive burthens on commerce
has declined one-half. During the same period, the produce o f the M ex­
ican mines has fallen from $27,000,000, to less than the annual produce
o f iron and coal o f the single State o f Pennsylvania ; a production com­
menced since the revolution o f M exico. That impoverished nation, instead
o f remitting a surplus o f specie to Spain, Cuba, Louisiana, and other col­
onies, cannot defray her annual expenses ; has contracted vast debts, on
which she pays neither principal or interest, and has nearly annihilated
her credit.
It has been well and wisely said by Sir R obert Peel, that the nation
which is stationary, is receding. But M exico, with her unrivalled climate
and resources, in an age in w hich all civilized nations have made the
most rapid advances, has actually retrograded. Planted on the direct route
to China ; holding in her bosom countless treasures o f untold silver and
g o ld ; mines which, in the opinion o f our minister, Mr. Thompson, may
produce annually $ 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 ; with a climate and soil competent to
sustain in comfort and affluence a hundred millions o f the human race ;
with materials and products sufficient to stimulate the trade o f the world,
she stands a barrier to com m erce and improvement; denies existence to
an immense population, and checks the progress o f the human race. In
the words o f M cCulloch, an eminent British writer, “ she affords one o f




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139

the most melancholy instances that modern history has presented, o f a fer­
tile, extensive, and well-situated region, being reduced, through anarchy
and mismanagement, to a state bordering on barbarism.
“ It cannot,” he adds, however, “ surely be supposed the anarchy, which
has led to such results, is to continue forever. I f nothing is to be hoped
for from within, it is to b e wished that fo r eig n interference may rescue
that fine country from the barbarism in which it is now involved.”
In the eye o f the civilized world, M exico has sunk into barbarism ; she
has fallen to a level w'ith those Asiatic nations which have submitted to
British rule in India. She stands almost upon a footing with the savage
tribes who occupied this continent when the Spaniard and the AngloSaxon landed on its shores ; and the tenure by which Santa Anna, Parades,
or Herrera hold M exico, is no stronger against the march o f civiliza­
tion than that o f Montezuma, Pocahontas, or Philip, in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries.
I f M exico has not within a recuperative power, “ a vis medicatrix natures
i f foreign intervention be essential to put down anarchy and misrule, as
M cCulloch suggests, who shall intervene ? Europe has given a king to
G reece— shall she erect another monarchy on this continent contiguous to
our republic 1 I f intervention be necessary, must it not com e from this
direction 1 Our position affords facilities which no other nation enjoys,
and no other nation is so deeply interested in the question.
T h e adjustment o f the Oregon question gives us a front upon the Pa­
cific. The easiest route to this region, so essential to bind together the
sinews o f this great nation, and preserve our union, is across M exico.
She is admirably adapted for a com m ercial intercourse with the United
States. Almost without forests, she requires ships, alkali, lumber, furni­
ture, and other manufactures o f w ood, and our countless forests supply
them. She requires granite, iron, coal, lead, and marble ; our mines and
quarries supply them. She consumes paper, drillings, prints, leather and
shoes, agricultural and mining implements, and our manufacturers supply
them. She furnishes a vast market for our fish, oil, and spermaceti, and
our fisheries excel those o f all other nations. In return, w e require her
bullion, hides, wool, indigo, cochineal, horse-hair, coffee, sugar, and other
products. W e require access to Oregon, and may construct a railroad
communication, w hich shall answer the double purpose o f a route to O r­
egon, California, and China, and a highway to the rich deposits o f silver
in Northern M exico.
Ilo w may these advantages be realized if anarchy continues to prevail
in M exico ?
But, if the result o f the contest in which w e are embarked, should be
the acquisition o f the Northern provinces o f M exico, most important re­
sults must ensue— results which must promote the welfare and com m erce
o f the two countries.
T h e armies o f the United States, after securing the strongholds o f
Northern M exico, by which Spain once bridled the country, are now ad­
vancing on San Louis Potosi,* around which are clustered the principal
mines o f M exico. The port o f Tam pico is in our power. A line from
Tam pico to San Bias, at the mouth o f the R io Grande de Santiago, is less
* This article was written in October, 1846, before the movement of General Scott
upon Vera Cruz.




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P a st and P resen t P osition and R esources o f M exico.

than four hundred and fifty miles in length, and passes through the city o f
San Louis. T h e possession o f this line, inclusive o f the city o f Guanaxuato, severs the Northern States, and one-fifth o f the population from
Southern M exico, and controls four-fifths o f the productive mines o f M ex­
ico. T h e annual produce o f these four-fifths, exceeds $12,000,000, even
in the present depressed condition o f mining.
But more important than this, the rivers Panuco and R io Grande de
Santiago, running east and west, with sources approaching to each other,
are susceptible o f steamboat navigation for a considerable distance ; the
first for two hundred, and the second for one hundred miles— and indicate
a route for an easy railroad communication across the continent. This
w ill connect important ports, and give access also to the great mines o f
M exico.
Should this line be secured by our armies, and V era Cruz be captured,
the United States at once acquire a controlling power over M exico. The
keys o f the country, Santa F6, Tam pico, Monterey, V era Cruz and San
Louis, are in our possession, and our fleets control the two seas. T h e
North is severed from the South, and easily controlled; for its Spanish
population is principally confined by the Apaches and Camanches to the
great cities, and the Indians w ill soon prefer our rule to the Spanish. T h e
South, deprived o f revenue from both com m erce and m in es; without for­
eign supplies; without either specie or credit to marshal troops, must
abandon the contest. I f success crow ns our arms, let the terms o f adjust­
ment be the acceptance o f the northern provinces in satisfaction o f our
claims, and the charges o f the war ; their annexation to the Union, and
the guaranty o f a republican government to Southern M exico, under such
forms as shall secure the improvement o f the M exican race. Under such
a settlement, a new era would dawn upon M exico, and she would at length
participate in the progress o f the age.
And who can question the eventual success o f our arms ? In British
India, a disciplined soldier has ever been found equal to five Siks or Affghans, and those tribes were the bravest o f India. D oes the M exican
much surpass them in arms, courage, or discipline ? D o w e not find in
M exico the same disparity ? One Camanche Indian does not hesitate to
attack two M exicans, and the dread o f the Camanches has overspread
M exico. But two Camanches are inferior in the field to a W estern or
Texan rifleman. In all the conflicts o f Texas and the United States with
M exico, one Anglo-Saxon has proved him self superior to five M exicans.
At present, too, the prestige o f success is with our troops, and the gloom
o f defeat rests upon the enemy.
T h e short fusil o f M exico is no match for the deadly rifle o f the volun­
teer, or heavy musket and bayonet o f the regular soldier; the slow-m ov­
ing cannon o f M exico cannot resist the quick evolutions and frequent dis­
charges o f our artillery; and her inferior horses cannot withstand the
heavy dragoons and mounted riflemen o f the United States. An ill-fed,
worse clothed and armed, and unpaid force, must succumb before the
discipline o f our regular army, and the resistless energy o f our volunteers.
But it may be urged that i f w e prevail, the occupation o f Northern
M exico by our troops would be necessary, and would entail a great annual
expense on our country. It would doubtless require for a term o f years
an armed force o f fifteen or twenty thousand men, and an annual expen­
diture o f $8,000,000 to $ 1 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 ; but this might be defrayed in great




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141

part, i f not entirely, from the revenue o f the country. I f Spain, while
mining was nearly unaided by art, derived a revenue o f $20,000,000 from
M exico, why may not the United States, with all the seaports, and the
rich mining district o f the North under its control, realize one-third o f this
revenue ? An armed occupation would be but tem porary; emigrants
would soon enter the country ; artizans, mechanics, merchants and farmers, would soon form an Am erican population on the soil, and present a
strong barrier towards the South. From one to two millions o f natives
would soon be neutralized by the influx o f Americans, or becom e amal­
gamated with our people, like the Spaniards and French of Louisiana and
Florida.
But it may be urged, such acquisition might increase the power and in­
fluence o f slavery ; but how is this ? Have not the laws o f Spain favored
freedom, and would not the free population o f the elevated region o f M ex­
ico, incorporated with our own, be an effectual counterpoise to any ad­
vantage slavery would derive from the small belt o f terras calientes on the
coast 1 Is not slavery weakened by every accession to the white race,
without a corresponding increase o f slave population ? Would not the
ports upon the Pacific soon invite, by rapid steam communication, free
emigrants from China, and the Sandwich Isles, and increase like the
British settlements at Borneo and Singapore 1* And would not the white
population, expanding in a vast and healthful region, peculiarly adapted
to the white race, increasing naturally in a more rapid ratio than the
black, and aided alike by the accession o f a free population from the
South, and increased emigration from Europe, to a region adapted to the
vine, olive, and flax, and aided also by emigration from Asia, soon acquire
a preponderating influence in the councils o f our nation 1
But it may be urged, Great Britain would interpose to prevent the dis­
memberment o f M exico ; and why would she interfere ? Has her suecess on the R io del la Plata given her any encouragement to such course ?
W ould not Southern and Northern M exico both consume more British
goods, i f we succeed, than if w e fail ? Is not their present consumption
checked by anarchy ; and does not each citizen o f our Union, on an av­
erage, now consume more than twice the amount o f British goods used
by a Mexican ? Great Britain looks to the civilization o f other nations
for the advancement o f her interests ; she has colonies now in every sea,
and cares not to embark in any controversy with our country, her best
customer, the producer o f her cotton— a country whose present policy
seems to be the exportation, rather than the manufacture o f the raw
material.
As respects the residue o f Europe, they have little to gain in a maritime
contest with the United States. And can M exico herself complain o f in­
justice, i f we conquer and retain the northern provinces 1 Whatever may
have been the origin o f the war, she has elected its continuance, and must
abide by its results.
* Thomas Cage, a Dominican friar, in his travels, published at London in 1648, as­
cribes the skill of the goldsmiths of Mexico in 1625, when he resided there, to the Chinese
who have been made Christians; and, annually arriving there, perfect the Spaniards in
this branch of art. He describes in glowing colors the wealth of the Spaniards, the num­
ber and elegance o f their churches, and profligacy of their lives. He makes also this stri­
king remark— “ that the better sort of Spaniards, who professed more religion and fear of
God, often said that they really thought God would destroy that city, and give up the
country into the power of some othpr nation.”




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The Seat o f Government o f the United States.

But intelligent men sometimes assert w e have land enough. W e have,
to be sure, large tracts o f wild land, still the resort o f the roaming buffalo;
but let us glance at the future. In little more than half a century, by
the year 1900, before our own children have passed from the stage o f
life, our population, at the present ratio o f gain, w ill reach one hundred
m illions; and, moving annually westward, at the rate o f thirty miles, the
width o f but one tier o f counties, w ill have overspread the space to the
Pacific. W here, then, shall we dispose o f our adventurous and restless
spirits ? Shall it not be on the high table-lands o f the northern provinces
o f M exico? Under our industry and institutions, the soil, rivers, and
mines, will unfold their treasures, and contribute to the advancement o f
our race. In the nineteenth century, the era o f progress, the civilized
world will not permit a great country like M exico to relapse into enduring
barbarism ; or fertile provinces, competent to maintain millions, to becom e
a desolate waste.
T o recur to the idea o f the British geographer, recuperative pow er not
found within, must be looked for without; and has not heaven, which from
ill educes good, confided to our nation, rather than the sovereigns o f E u­
rope, the renovation o f this great country, and the development o f its
resources ?
Under her influence, the mule-track and the bridle-path w ill give
place to the highway and railroad ; the bridge assume the place o f the ford
and ferry-boat o f rushes ; the hovel o f mud, or unburnt clay, give w ay to
structures o f brick and granite ; the great streams be opened to the steam­
boat ; ports and harbors now desolate becom e adapted to merchant ships;
the sword and musket be replaced by the implements o f a progressive
agriculture ; and superstition and ignorance yield their sway to education,
refinement, and religion.

Art. II.— THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT OF TIIE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER n.
L E T T E R S OF W A S H IN G T O N A N D J E F F E R S O N IN R E L A T I O N
S P E E C H ON L A Y IN G T H E

C O R N E R -S T O N E

OF T H E

T O T E R M S OF P U R C H A S E — S I T E — M R . M U IR ’ S

D I S T R I C T — P U B L IC

I N T E R E S T IN T H E S U B J E C T , A N D

G R A N D P R O J E C T S — N A M E OF T H E C IT Y — C O R N E R -S T O N E OF T H E C A P IT O L — J E F F E R S O N ’ S V I E W S IN R E ­
G A R D T O T H E P L A N — M A J O R L ’ E N F A N T i H IS P L A N , I T S
P U B L IC B U IL D IN G S A T A D IS T A N C E F R O M E A C H

D E F E C T S A N D M E R I T S — R E A S O N F O R P L A C IN G

OTH ER— TH E

M A L L — R E S ID E N C E F O R F O R E IG N M IN IS ­

T E R S — D IM E N S IO N S OF T H E C IT Y — S P E C U L A T IO N IN C IT Y L O T S — E N C R O A C H M E N T S ON T H E P L A N .

T he following extracts, from a letter o f the President to the Secretary
o f State, w ill show when and on what terms the site was ceded to the g o ­
vernment :—
M ount V ernon, March 31,1791.
D ear S ir :— Having been so fortunate as to reconcile the contending interests
of Georgetown and Carrollsburgh, and to unite them in such an agreement as
permits the public purposes to be carried into effect on an extensive and proper
scale, I have the pleasure to transmit to you the enclosed proclamation, which,
after annexing the seal of the United States, and your counter-signature, you will
cause to be published.
The terms entered into by me, on the part of the United States, with 1he land­
holders o f Georgetown and Carrollsburgh, are, that all the land from R ock Creek,




The Seat o f Government o f the United States.

143

along the river, to the Eastern branch, and so upwards to or above the ferry, in­
cluding a breadth o f about a mile and a half, the whole containing from three to
five thousand acres, is ceded to the public on condition that when the whole shall
be surveyed and laid off as a city, (which Major L ’Enfant is now directed to do,)
the present proprietors shall retain every other l o t ; and for such part o f the land
as may be taken for public use, for squares, walks, & c., they shall be allowed at
the rate o f £ 2 5 per acre, the public having the right to reserve such parts of the
wood on the land, as may be thought necessary to be preserved for ornament.
The landholders to have the use and profits of the grounds until the city is laid
o ff into lots, and sale is made o f those lots which, by this agreement, become pub­
lic property. Nothing is to be allowed for the ground which may be occupied for
streets and alleys.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
It was found, on running the lines, that the comprehension o f Bladensburgh
within them, must have occasioned the exclusion of more important objects;
and o f this I am convinced, as well by my own observation, as Mr. Elliott’s
opinion.
W ith great regard and esteem, I am, dear sir,
Your most obedient servant,
G eokge W ashington.

Extract from Mr. Jefferson's reply.
P hiladelphia , April 10, 1791:
The acquisition of ground
only £ 2 5 an acre is to be paid
not to be counted, which will,
very liberal reserves should be

at Georgetown is really noble, considering that
for any grounds taken for the public, and the streets
in fact, reduce it to about £ 1 9 an acre. I think
made for the public.

A more beautiful site for a city could hardly be obtained. From a point
where the Potomac, at a distance o f 295 miles from the ocean, and flow­
ing from North-west to South-east, expands to the width o f a mile, ex­
tended back an almost level plain, hemmed in by a series o f gradually
sloping hills, terminating with the heights o f G eorgetow n ; the plain being
nearly three miles in length, from East to W est, and varying from a quar­
ter o f a mile to two miles in breadth; bounded on the East by the East­
ern branch o f the Potomac, where are now the navy-yard and congres­
sional cemetery, and on the W est by the R ock Creek, which separates it
from G eorgetown. The small stream from the North, over which the rail­
road bridge now passes, on entering the city, emptied into a bay or inlet
o f the Potomac, about 400 feet w ide, which jutted in from the W est to
within a quarter o f a mile o f the Capitol Hill, and nearly divided the plain.
Not far from the head o f this, and South o f the Capitol Hill, a small stream
took its rise in a large number o f springs, and emptied into the river, at a
place now called G reenleaf’s Point, formed by the intersection o f the East­
ern Branch with the Potomac, and was known as James’ Creek. T here
is a stream above Georgetown which has always been called G oose Creek ;
but, from a certificate o f a survey now preserved in the mayor’s office, at
W ashington, dated 1663, it appears that the inlet from the Potomac was
then known by the name o f Tiber, and probably the stream from the
N orth emptying into it bore the same name ; so that M oore did injustice
to the history o f the place, and confounded streams when he wrote the
well-known line—
“ And what was Goose Creek once, is Tiber now.”

By the same survey, it appears that the land, comprising the Capitol Hill,
was called Rome or Room, two names which seem^to have foreshadowed
the destiny o f the place. Mr. Force, o f Washington, suggests that they




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The Seat o f Government o f the United States.

probably originated in the fact that the name o f the owner o f the estate
was Pope, and, in selecting a name for his plantation, he fancied the title
o f “ Pope o f R om e.”
In h is observations on the river Potomac, published in 1793, Mr. Andrew
Ellicott, who afterwards assisted in laying out the city, remarks as follow s:—
“ N o place has greater advantages o f water, either for the supply o f the city,
or for cleaning the streets, than this ground. The most obvious source, is
from the head waters o f R ock Creek, which takes its rise in ground higher
than the city, and can readily be conveyed to every part o f it. But the
grand object for this purpose, which has been contemplated b y those best
acquainted with the country hereabouts, and the circumstances attending
it, and which has been examined with an eye to this purpose, by good
judges, is the Potomac. The water o f this river, above the great falls, four­
teen miles from the city, is 108 feet higher than the tide-water. A small
branch, called ‘ Watts’ Branch,’ just above the falls, goes in a direction
towards the city. From this branch to the city, a canal may be made,
(and the ground admits o f it very w ell,) into which the river, or any part
o f it, may be turned, and carried through the city. B y this means, the w a­
ter may not only be carried over the highest ground in the city, but, i f ne­
cessary, over the tops o f the houses.”
The advantages which would
thus be presented for mill-seats, are also dwelt upon by Mr. Ellicott, and
the whole plan subsequently attracted much attention, having been pro­
posed to Congress by President Jefferson. It is greatly to be regretted
that it was not adopted instead o f the plan for bringing water from the
spring near the capitol.
It is said that W ashington’ s attention had been called to the advantages
which this place presents for a city, as long previous as when he had been
a youthful surveyor o f the country round. His judgment was confirmed
by the fact that two towns w ere afterwards planned on the spot, and the
first maps o f the city represent it as laid out over the plans o f Hamburgh
and Carrollsville.
Commissioners had been appointed to carry out the objects o f the act,
and, on the 15th day o f April, 1791, the H on. Daniel Carroll and Dr.
David Stuart superintended the fixing o f the first corner-stone o f the D is­
trict o f Columbia, at Jones’ Point, near Alexandria, where it was laid with
all the masonic ceremonies usual at that time. The following address, de­
livered by the Rev. James Muir on that occasion, is copied from a num­
ber o f the United States Gazette, for 1791 :—
“ O f America, it may be said, as o f Judea o f old, that it is a good land and
large— a land o f brooks o f waters, o f fountains and depths that spring out o f the
valleys and hills— a land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees and pome­
granates— a land o f oil, olives, and honey— a land wherein we eat bread without
scarceness, and have lack of nothing— a land Whose stones are iron, and out of
whose hills thou mayest dig brass— a land which the Lord thy God careth for— the
eyes o f the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning o f the year,
even unto the end o f the year. May Ifhericans be grateful and virtuous, and
they shall insure the indulgence of Providence. May they be unanimous and
just, and they shall rise to greatness. May true patriotism actuate every heart.
M ay it be the devout and universal wish, Peace be within thy wall, O America,
and prosperity within thy palaces ! Amiable it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity ; it is more fragrant than the perfumes on Aaron’ s garm ent; it is more
refreshing than the dews on Hermon’s H ill! May this stone long commemorate
the goodness o f God imthose uncommon events which have given America a




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145

name among nations. Under this stone may jealousy and selfishness be forever
buried. From this stone may a superstructure arise, whose glory, whose mag­
nificence, whose stability, unequalled hitherto, shall astonish the world, and invite
even the savage o f the wilderness to take shelter under its tpof.” *

T h e proceedings, in reference to the opening o f a national city, appear
to have awakened much interest in all parts o f the country. In an extra
number o f the Herald, published at Philadelphia, on the 4th January, 1795,
w e find a long article, setting forth the general plan, and, more particularly,
the designs for improving the mall. It commences thus :—
“ T o found a city, in the centre of the United States, for the purpose o f making
it the depository o f the acts o f the Union, and the sanctuary o f the laws, which
must, one day, rule all North America, is a grand and comprehensive idea, which
has already become, with propriety, the object o f public respect. In reflecting
on the importance of the Union, and on the advantages which it secures to all
the inhabitants o f the United States, collectively, or to individuals, where is there
an American who does not see, in the establishment o f a Federal town, a natural
means for confirming forever that valuable connection, to which the nation is in­
debted for liberation from the British yoke ? The Federal city, situated in the
centre o f the United States, is a temple erected to liberty ; and towards this edifice
w ill the wishes and expectations o f all true friends o f their country be incessantly
directed. The city o f Washington, considered under such important points of
view , could not be calculated on a small s ca le ; its extent, the disposition o f its ave­
nues and public squares, should all correspond with the magnitude o f the object
for which it was intended— and we need only cast our eyes upon the situation
and plan o f the city, to recognize in them the comprehensive genius o f the Presi­
dent, to whom the direction o f the business has been committed by Congress.”

In the original plan o f the city, as submitted to Congress by the Presi­
dent, in January, 1790, mention is made o f the subjoined magnificent
intentions :—
“ An equestrian figure o f George W ashington, a monument voted in 1783, by
the late Continental Congress.
“ A n historic column, also intended for a mile or itinerary column, from whose
station (at a mile from the Federal House) all distances and places through the
continent are to be calculated.
l: A naval itinerary column, proposed to be erected to celebrate the first rise of
a navy, and to stand a ready monument to perpetuate its progress and achieve­
ments.
“ A church intended for national purposes, such as public prayer, thanksgivings,
funeral orations, & c., and assigned to the special use o f no particular sect or de­
nomination, but equally open to all. It will likewise be a proper shelter for such
monuments as were voted by the late Continental Congress, for those heroes who
fell in the cause o f liberty, and for such others as may hereafter be decreed by
the voice o f a grateful nation.f
“ Five grand fountains, intended with a constant spout o f water.
* By the retrocession of Alexandria, this stone is no longer within the limits of the
District.
t In the discussion which took place in the late session of Congress, upon the applica­
tion of the National Monument Association, for permission to erect their monument to
Washington on a part of the mall, Mr. Benton, after opposing the application on the ground
that the amount collected ($50,000) was too small a sum with which to commence such
a monument, and that, if done at all, it should be done by Congress, suggested to the so­
ciety the expediency of carrying out this idea o f General Washington’s. W e presume
the church would be occupied "by the chaplains of Congress, and thus there would certain­
ly be no difficulty on the score of connecting any particular church with the State ; for
almost every denomination would, in this way, be represented in the course of a few
years.
V O L . X V I I I . -----N O . I I .




10

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T he Seat o f Governm ent o f the United Stales.

“ A grand cascade, formed of the water of the sources of the Tiber.
“ A grand avenue, four hundred feet in breadth, and about a mile in length, bor­
dered with gardens, ending in a slope from the houses on each side. This avenue
leads to the monument o f Washington, and connects the Congress garden with
the President’s park".*

“ Fifteen squares were to be divided among the several States in the Union for
each of them to improve ; the centres of these squares designed for statues, col­
umns, obelisks, &c., such as the different States may choose to erect.
“ The water of Tiber Creek to be conveyed to the high ground, where the Con­
gress House stands, and, after watering that part of the city, its overplus will fall
from under the base of the edifice, and, in a cascade of twenty feet in height, and
fifty in breadth, into the reservoir below, thence to run, in three falls, through the
gardens in the grand canal.”
In Mr. Jonathan Elliott’s w ork, called “ Historical Sketches o f the T en
M iles Square,” w e find it stated that “ the first public communication on
record, in relation to arrangements for laying out this city, is from the pen
o f General W ashington, dated on the 11th March, 1791. In a subsequent
letter o f the 30th April, 1791, he calls it the Federal city. T h e name
w hich it now bears, was adopted about four months afterwards, probably
without the knowledge o f Washington, in a letter to M ajor L ’ Enfant,
b y the first commissioners, Messrs. Johnson, Stuart, and Carroll, which
bears date G eorgetown, September 9th, 1791, and informs the architect
that they have agreed that the Federal district shall be called ‘ The T e r ­
ritory o f Colum bia,’ and the Federal city, ‘ T h e City o f W ashington,’
and directs him to entitle his map accordingly. On the 2d and 3d Sep­
tember, 1793, the following appears on the records o f the com m issioners:—
“ ‘ The capital is in progression— the South-east is kept vacant; that corner­
stone is to be laid, with the assistance o f the brotherhood, the 18th instant. Those
o f the craft, however, disposed, are requested to join the w ork ; the solemnity is
expected to equal the occasion.’ The South-east corner o f the North w in g o f the
capitol was accordingly laid by General W ashington,! on the 18th September,
1793; the ceremony was grand and im posing; a long concourse o f citizens of
the vicinity, and numbers from distant parts, attended on the occasion. W e learn
General W ashington delivered an impressive and appropriate speech. W e regret
that the public records, which have been diligently searched, do not furnish us
with any o f the details. In consequence o f the yellow fever having made its
appearance in Philadelphia, a day or two prior to the ceremony, the alarm in that
city was so great, the newspapers were discontinued, and not resumed until the
1st December, following. W e have been equally unsuccessful in procuring the
desired information, from any o f the publications o f that period, issued either in
Maryland or in Virginia.”

T h e writer o f this article has not been more successful than Mr. E llio tt;
but M r. Daniel Carroll, o f Duddington, and L ew is H. M aclean, E sq., the
Assistant Secretary o f the Senate, (then a mere boy,) were present, but
they only remember the barbacue o f roasted oxen, which was given on
the occasion, and to have heard the President, when offered by a phy­
sician present the use o f the only umbrella which the country afforded, to
shield him from the rays o f the sun, decline it, with the remark, “ T o the
ladies with it, D o cto r ; I have been exposed to the sun before, in the course
o f my lif e !” — which, from the manner o f its utterance, seems to have
* This will be recognized as the piece of ground now called the mall.
+ The apron worn by Washington on this occasion has been carefully preserved by the
Masons, and was used on laying the corner-stone of the Smithsonian Institute, 1847.




The Seat o f Government o f the United States.

147

made a great impression on the hearers, as one o f the few instances in
w hich W ashington joked or smiled.
T h e following extract from the letter o f Mr. Jefferson, already referred
to, w ill show the interest which that distinguished statesman took in the
m atter:—
“ I received, last nighj, from Major L ’Enfant, a request to furnish him any
plans o f towns I could, for his examination ; I accordingly send him, by this post,
plans o f Frankfort-on-the-Mayne, Carlsruhe, Amsterdam, Strasburgh, Paris, Or­
leans, Bordeaux, Lyons, Montpelier, Marseilles, Turin, and Milan, on large and
accurate scales, which I preserved while in those towns respectively. Th ey are
none o f them comparable to the Old Babylon, revived in Philadelphia, and exem­
plified. W hile in Europe, I selected about a dozen or two o f the handsomest
fronts o f private buildings, o f which I have the plates. Perhaps it might decide
the taste o f the new town, were these to be engraved here and distributed, gratis,
among the inhabitants of Georgetown. The expense would be trifling.”

In W ashington’s correspondence, we find frequent allusions to discus­
sions had with the architect here referred to— Major L ’ Enfant, a French­
man o f talent, but apparently obstinate, and unwilling to be advised by
others. His plan, though attractive in the outline upon paper, was, in
man}- respects, an exceedingly impracticable one, and led to the sacrifice
o f one or two o f the most beautiful eminences in the city.
H e first laid down two sets o f streets, distinguished by letters and num­
bers,* and intersecting each other at right angles, as at Philadelphia. Had
he stopped here, he would have consulted the interests o f those who w ere
to have erected private buildings ; but there would have been nothing in
it sufficiently distinctive o f the national character o f the city. It was de­
sirable to bring the public buildings into view from the most distant quar­
ters, that there might be direct communication with them all. A ccording­
ly, immense avenues, varying from a hundred to a hundred and sixty feet
in width, were made to radiate from particular points, such as the capital
and the President’s house ; the consequence is, that, in the first place,
there are twice as many streets as are required, and, in the second place,
the avenues, intersecting the rectangular streets, cut up the squares into
triangles and oblongs, spoil the most prominent corner-lots, and leave
everywhere awkward spaces.
T h e design o f these avenues was a grand feature, worthy o f the nation ;
but the architect should either have laid them down first, to serve, as it
w ere, for the great arteries o f the city, and then, taking these as base
lines, made such other streets to connect as necessity required ; of, he
should, in the first instance, have marked out a much smaller number o f
rectangular streets. Thus, the building-lots on the side streets would have
been sufficiently large to admit o f court-yards in front, with appropriate
shrubbery, and made it in a short time, with a small population, a really
attractive “ rus in urbe,” after the style o f N ew Haven, Hartford, and the
more retired parts o f Richmond.
T h e eminence over which Louisiana Avenue is made to climb, and
w hich w ill be more generally recognized as the site o f the unfinished
* It was jocosely remarked of L’Enfant, that he was not only a child in name, but in
education, also ; as, from the name he gave the streets, he appeared to know little else
than A, B, C, and 1, 2, 3. It appears, however, by a letter of the commissioners, that
they gave these names to the streets, at the same time with that to the city ; and it was,
we think, a good arrangement, since the streets could more easily be found by a stranger,
under such designations.




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The Seat o f Government o f the United States.

brick building called the city hall, should have been entirely reserved for
some public purpose, instead o f being traversed by three or four streets,
so near each other as to make it impossible to erect other than small slen­
der two-story houses.
W e speak thus particularly, relative to the defects in the plan, in order
to show the changes which have been made in the appearance o f the
ground, and to shift the censure for any want o f btauty that may present
itself in the present aspect o f the site, from those who made the selection,
to those who abused its advantages by adopting such a design. But, on
the other hand, there is much that is beautiful in the plan ; and, if C on ­
gress were but reasonably liberal in their ideas, we might hope to see it
developed to a much greater extent in the course o f one or two years.
The “ magnificent distances,” at which the executive are separate from
the legislative departments, have been made a ground o f com plaint; but
w e think there was much judgment shown in the choice o f these situations.
A suitable and prominent position was assigned to each edifice, which
could not have been the case had they all been congregated in one place,
unless a structure as large as the palace o f Versailles had been erected,
(and this would not only have been cumbrous and inconvenient in many
respects, but unsafe; as, in case o f fire or invasion, the whole building
would becom e a sacrifice to the flames or the explosive compound.) Again,
it was thought that their immediate vicinity to the legislative halls, would
offer a great temptation to the clerks to neglect their duties, in order to
hear the debates, and that the constant intrusion o f members o f Congress
would interrupt the public business. G eneral W ashington, in a letter
written shortly before his death, thus speaks o f a suggestion made by Mr.
Adams, to place the departments near the capitol:— “ T h e principles w hich
operated for fixing the site for the two principal buildings, w ere under­
stood and found necessary, at the time, to obtain the primaiy object— i. e.,
the ground and means for either purpose ; but it is always easy, from an
ignorant or partial view o f a measure, to distort and place it in an unfa­
vorable attitude. W here or how the houses for the President, and the
public offices may be fixed, is to me, as an individual, a matter o f m oon­
shine. But, the reverse o f the President’ s motive for placing the latternear the capitol, was my motive for fixing them by the former. T h e daily
intercourse w hich the secretaries o f the departments must have with the
President, would render a distant situation extremely inconvenient to them,
and not much less so would one be close to the capitol; for it was the universal
complaint o f them all, that, while the legislature was in session, they
could do little or no business, so much w ere they interrupted by the indi­
vidual visits o f members, (in office hours,) and by calls for papers. Many
o f them have disclosed to me that they have been obliged often to go home
and deny themselves, in order to transact the current business.”
N or could any reasonable estimate be made as to the probable wants
o f government, in the w ay o f public erections. All the archives o f the
Treasury, W a r, State, Indian, and Pension Departments, w ere formerly
kept in two buildings— now, the Treasury, alone, occupies an edifice as
large as six o f those ; it was important, then, that each department should
have a building to itself, so constructed that it might, at any future time,
be enlarged, without marring its appearance ; and also, that there might
be space enough, in the immediate neighborhood, for the residences o f the
officers employed therein. And there is a feature, before alluded to,




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The Seat o f Government o f the United Stales.

which is calculated to soften the distance in a great measure, viz : a com ­
plete connection between the gardens o f the capitol and those o f the
President’ s house, somewhat as in the case o f the Chambers o f Deputies
and the Tuilleries, at Paris. Every one w ho has gazed upon the land­
scape to be seen from the W estern front o f the capitol, must have observed
the large tract o f waste ground, between Pennsylvania and Maryland
Avenues, extending from the front o f the capitol to the Potomac, and ter­
minating at a point opposite to the President’ s house. It is not generally
known, even to the members o f Congress, that this is the national mall
— the very same ground which was to have formed the “ grand avenue
bordered with gardens, to lead to the monument o f Washington, and con ­
nect the Congress garden with the President’ s park,” by a suitable orna­
mental bridge, to be thrown over the T iber, at its mouth. Until this is
improved, the two sections o f the city, on different sides o f the canal, will
never look well, for the want o f any appropriate connection ; and not only
this, but the capitol grounds must look half finished. Indeed, it is palpably
absurd that, while thousands o f dollars have been expended on the compara­
tively small space within the iron railing o f the capitol, all beyond, comprising
a fine view o f the Potomac, and facilities for forming a serpentine river out
o f the T iber, each has been left a mere cow-pasture ; when a very small
outlay in planting trees, and laying out walks and drives, would make it a
second Cham ps-Elysees. At the President’s house, the same kind o f halffinished wqi'k is to be seen ; the grounds, immediately under the windows
o f the mansion, being tastefully disposed, while the whole view in the dis­
tance is marred by the unsightly appearance o f the low meadows, which
extend to the river.*
* To give some idea of the extent of this ground, we annex the following statement
from the Surveyor’s office— also, the size of Judiciary, or City Hall Square:—
1st. The distance from the North side of the canal, to the North side
o f South B street, is............................................................................
1G02.41 feet.
The canal along the North side of the wall is 146 feet wide, and the
street, which intervenes between the mall and the canal, is 80 feet
wide. Deducting, then, from the distance given above, 1 4 6 + 8 0 =
226.00 “

,

W e have, for the width of the mall............................................
2d. The area of the mall, between Seventh and Twelfth streets, (be­
ing 1669.41 feet on East and West, and 1376.41 feet North and
South line,) is........................................................................................
The portion between Twelfth and Fourteenth streets, (being 973.58
X1376.41 feet,) contains.....................................................................
And the portion between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, (being
483.54x1376.41 feet,) contains...........................................................

1376.41 “

52.75 acres.

30.76 “
15.29

“

Making the total area of the mall, from Seventh to Fifteenth street,
exclusive of the space occupied by Twelfth and Fourteenth streets,
98.80 “
3d. The portion of the mall granted to the Smithsonian Institution,
(that is, the portion included between Ninth and Twelfth streets
and South B, and the prolongation of the centre line of East capitol
being 1087.08X759 75 feet,) contains.................................................
18.96 acres.
4th. That portion of Judiciary Square which is South of the South
side of E street, contains 236,838 square feet, equal to....................
5.46 “
5th. The distance from Pennsylvania Avenue, on the street, at present bridged to the
South side of the mall, is as follows:—
On Fourteenth-street.........................................................................
2,965 feet.
On Twelfth-street............................................................................
2,581 “
On Seventh-street.............................................................................
1,932 “




150

T he Seat o f Governm ent o f the United States.

There is now some prospect that what has been so long delayed by the
indifference o f Congress, w ill be, in part, accomplished indirectly, by the
liberality o f an individual. The proposed Smithsonian Institute is to be
placed on the side o f the mall, and its agricultural and botanical grounds
are to he laid out in front. The erection o f this will lead to the improve,
ment o f Maryland Avenue, a noble street, equal in size to the Pennsyl­
vania, and connecting one gate o f the capitol with the Potomac bridge,
as the last-named connects the other gate with the President’s house and
G eorgetown.
W e have been thus particular in dwelling upon this part o f the plan,
and the necessity for improving it, because no one can go there without
noticing the m a ll; but comparatively few, even o f the members o f C on­
gress, are aware that it belongs to the government, or what the design o f
the architect was ; and we consider it important to urge the necessity o f
at once taking some action with regard to its completion, as the only thing,
at present, wanting to give a finish to the capitol grounds, and connect the
villages forming the city.
From the figures drawn on some o f the early' maps, and one or two other
circumstances, we are led to infer that it was also, at one time, proposed
that one side o f this mall should be, in part, lined with public buildings or
residences for the heads o f departments and foreign ministers. It is well
known that a portion o f the President’s square was, at one time, set apart
for the Portuguese minister. In a report o f the commissioners to C on ­
gress, made March 23d, 1802, we find the following statement:—
“ T he measure o f granting sites for the residences o f foreign ministers was
warmly recommended by President Washington, and approved by President
Adams, before any steps were taken by the commissioners to carry it into effect.
President Washington, himself, pointed out the spot granted to the Queen o f
Portugal, as a proper site for the residence o f a foreign minister, and Mr. Adams
delivered letters from the commissioners, making the offer to all the ministers o f
friendly powers near the United States, and endorsed his approbation o f the deed
to the Queen o f Portugal, after it was executed. But the Attorney-General was
o f opinion that Congress, alone, were competent to make the grant— an idea
which never occurred to either o f the Presidents, or any o f the commissioners.”

Som e idea o f the magnitude o f the plans may be formed from the fol­
low ing statement o f its present size, which we copy from Mr.Watterston’ s
N ew Guide to Washington :—
“ The city extends, from North-west to South-east, about four miles and a h alf;
and, from East to South-west, about two miles and a half. Its circumference is
fourteen miles, and aggregate length o f the streets is one hundred and ninetynine miles, and o f the avenues sixty-five miles. The avenues, streets, and open
spaces, contain three thousand six hundred and four acres ; and the public reserva­
tions, exclusive o f reservations ten, eleven, and twelve, since disposed of for private
purposes, five hundred and thirteen acres. The whole area of the squares of the
city amounts to one hundred and thirty-one millions, six hundred and eighty-four
thousand, one hundred and seventy-six square feet, or three thousand and sixteen
acres ; one-half o f which, fifteen hundred and eight acres, was reserved for the
use o f the United States, and the remaining half assigned to the original proprie­
tors ; fifteen hundred and thirty-six acres belonged to the United States.”

W hen the plans o f the new city were completed, they were sent to all parts
o f the country and to Europe, (an act having been passed to enable aliens
to hold land there,) and the bidding was very high for the best lots. Any­
one who stands on the dome o f the capitol, w ill observe the wide space




The Seal o f Governm ent o f the United States.

151

which intervenes between the navy-yard and G reenleaf’ s Point, (w here
are the arsenal and penitentiary.) It was supposed by many that this
part would be built up first, and immense sums w ere here thrown away in
city lots ; the course which things took afterwards, having ruined the pro­
prietors. The change was chiefly brought about by the circumstance that,
when Congress was first established there, the members boarded in G eorge­
town, for the want o f sufficient accommodations elsewhere ; and, also, to
the fact that the public offices were in that direction, which caused the
Pennsylvania Avenue to be first improved. It is to be presumed that this
quarter, being upon the river, and offering, by far, the most advantages for
business o f any kind, will be improved if the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal,
which passes through it, ever brings one-tenth part o f the advantages
which are predicted upon its completion.
Before leaving this part o f the subject, w e must advert to a gross en­
croachment on the plan, which gives rise to comment on the part o f every
stranger visiting the city. The treasury building, when finished, will be
a noble edifice, and w ill have probably cost $1,200,000 ; but it is so badly
situated as to ruin its appearance, and entirely exclude from view the Presi­
dent’ s house, and to obstruct the distant and beautiful prospect from the East
room o f that edifice, through the line o f F street. T h e building, although
nearly four hundred feet in length, will scarcely be visible except from the
street immediately before i t ; and the three finest porticoes w ill front upon
the President’s kitchen garden. T h e necessity is involved o f taking down
the State Department, which has cost upwards o f $9 0,00 0, and, also, o f
erecting a building to correspond for the other department on the W est
side o f the executive mansion ; a blunder entirely inexcusable when there
w ere so many excellent sites at command. It is now past remedy. B e­
fore the basement was completed, an attempt was made in Congress by
Mr. Lincoln, o f Massachusetts, to suspend the progress o f the work ; in
which, we believe, he would have succeeded had there been any interest
felt in the subject, by individuals or associations professing to foster archi­
tecture and the fine arts in other parts o f the country, who might, perhaps,
have operated to some purpose through their representatives in Congress.
W e mention it here for the purpose o f expressing the hope that the
many works o f this kind, hereafter to be erected in Washington, and the
objects o f the fine arts with which it is constantly proposed to embellish
them, will not escape the notice o f our academies o f design, and men o f
taste in other cities.
I f we have made ourselves understood in these remarks upon the plans
adopted, it must appear that, although more extensive than was necessary,
the whole scheme is not to be condemned because not already occupied
with a population proportionate to its pretensions. It must be remember­
ed that it is laid out for a future as well as a present generation. W ould
that the old K nickerbockers had looked forward as much, and made half
the provisions for wide streets and ventilation, which has been done at the
city o f W ashington ! E very possible want o f the government, for centu­
ries to com e, is here anticipated. But it will be shown hereafter that, as
it is a plan suited only for a governm ent city, the government must con ­
tribute its share towards filling it up.




152

The Statistics and H istory o f the B ritish Cotton Trade :

Art. III.— THE STATISTICS AND HISTORY OF THE BRITISH COTTON TRADE :
AN D OP TH E

M ANUFACTURE

OF COTTON

G O O D S .*

C H A P T E R I.

T he importance o f the cotton trade to Great Britain, although generally
admitted, is but seldom appreciated to the full extent o f its value, even by
those to whom its progress has supplied abundant labor, or those to whose
wealth and affluence it has so materially contributed ; I shall, therefore,
endeavor to bring this subject before the commercial world as concisely
as possible in the subjoined pages, in the hope that in presenting the details,
and venturing upon a short outline o f its general features, and a brief
sketch o f its progress in England, I may contribute to the information and
pleasure o f many in the com m ercial world.
T o trace the manufacture o f cotton from its very first stage, is a task
which has never yet been fully accomplished, nor is it necessary for the
objects sought to be achieved by these papers, to do so ; suffice it, there­
fore, to give a few o f the leading facts relative to its progression in other
countries, and its introduction into Great Britain.
Most authors agree that cotton goods w ere successfully made in the
East long before the Christian era, but to what extent it advanced amongst
Eastern nations at that period, it is now impossible to d iscov er; we learn,
however, that the art o f manufacture had found its w ay into Africa and
China, a considerable time before mention is made o f it in Europe. The
earliest records o f its introduction into Europe inform us that it first made
its appearance in Spain and Ita ly ; but its progress in those countries was
exceedingly limited, and it never appears to have attracted the serious
attention o f men o f genius and perseverance, without whose aid and enter­
prise it would have failed even in England. As far back as 1298, raw
cotton is recorded to have been imported into Great Britain, but it appears
to have been exclusively used at that period for candle or lamp w ick ; and
whether it was known as an article suited to the manufacture o f clothing,
is very uncertain. In the year 1560, there appears to have been a small
importation o f cotton from the Levant into England, but the quantity was
very trifling, and it is not stated to what purpose it was applied; but
there can be little doubt that it w as spun into yarn, by hand or distaff. It
was, however, on a very limited scale ; as, in the year 1641, the principal
part o f the y am in use here, was itself imported from the Levant, being
used as weft only, and manufactured into what would now be called
“ Unions,” the warp being o f linen. This description o f goods appears to have
been made without intermission from that period until the year 1772, when
Messrs. Arkwright and Strutts accomplished the art o f making goods with
a cotton warp.
* I have carefully selected the statistics which I have used, from the best authors on
this subject, and for which I am greatly indebted to the works of McCulloch, Porter,
Baines, McGregor, Guest, Head, McPherson, Wheeler, Dr. Ure, and many others. They
have severally given so enlarged and complete a history of the origin and progress of the
cotton trade, that but little can be added to that which these authors have already written ;
and as my sole object is to give a brief narrative of the trade, I have adopted the tabular
form, in order that the reader may at one view see the progress of each separate article ;
and the great value of statistical works being in their conciseness, I have confined my­
self to that point as much as possible.
R . B urn.
Commercial Glance Office, Pall Mall, Manchester, September, 1847.




153

A nd o f the M anufacture o f Cotton Goods.

It will also be seen that little progress was made in the manufacturing
o f cotton in England, until the year 1782, when the imports for the whole
o f that year were 33,225 bales ; spinning machinery being at this peri­
od in its infancy. W hen w e contemplate the present extent o f the manu­
facture o f cotton, the rapid stride it has made seems almost incredible.
Not more than seventy years have elapsed since England’ s first profitable
acquaintance with the cotton manufacture. In the year 1781, the quan­
tity o f cotton w ool imported, was only 14,603 bales ; but in 1845, it amount­
ed to the enormous number o f 1,855,660 bales, being 127 times as much
as in the former year. In fact, our w'eekly consumption in 1846, was
more than double the whole import o f the year 1781. H ow deeply must
the importance and magnitude o f British enterprise and industry, and the
power o f man over the means o f production, be impressed upon our minds,
when w e consider, that although so many centuries have passed since
cotton was known in the East, and that within so short a period, (less than
100 years,) w e w ere indebted to that distant country for both our goods and
yarn. Y et have the exports in yarn and calicoes to India alone, during
the last year, amounted to the enormous quantities o f 20,500,000 lbs. o f
yarn, and to upwards o f 196,000,000 yards o f calicoes, and that it has been
reserved to these times, to send out persons o f first-rate ability, and at
considerable expense, to induce the natives, (or, as may be said, the pa­
rents o f the trade,) to increase and improve their cultivation, in order to
aid in supplying that want o f raw material, which the more modern gigan­
tic efforts, and almost incredible progress o f the United States o f North
Am erica, do not satisfy.
It is an undeniable fact that the cotton trade is much larger in amount
than all the other descriptions o f clothing. Notwithstanding its enormous
extent, however, it has ever been, and will continue to be, more materi­
ally and suddenly affected by current fluctuations than any other o f our
domestic fabrics. Some idea o f the vast importance o f this portion o f
British com m erce, may be formed from the following statement:—
T h e value o f the whole export o f British and Irish produce and manu­
factures, for the last three years, has been as follow's

1844.

1845.

1846.

£5 0 ,6 4 8 ,3 0 6 .

£ 5 3 ,2 9 8 ,0 2 6 .

£5 1,27 9,73 5.

o f which cotton manufacture and cotton yarn formed—

1844.

1845.

1846.

£ 2 5 ,8 0 5 ,3 3 8 .

£ 2 6 ,1 1 9 ,3 3 1 .

£ 2 5,60 0,69 3.

so that one-half the value o f all our exports consists o f cotton manufac­
tures, and not more than one-third or one-fourth o f this large amount
arises from the cost o f the raw material, which England pays to foreign­
ers ; so that the remainder is annually enriching the country, through the
skill and labor o f her manufacturers and factory operatives.
In reference to the embellishment o f cotton goods, the principal fea­
tures are printing and dyeing, the art o f w'hich had also been long known
in the East, previous to its introduction into England, in 1675. In the
year 1690, it was com m enced on the banks o f the Thames, near L on ­
don, but the goods there printed w ere confined to muslins and calicoes
imported from India. In 1700, an act was passed, (as an encouragement
to the trade o f Great Britain,) forbidding the sale or use o f foreign printed
goods, and this branch o f her trade has also been further protected by




154

T he Statistics and H istory o f the B ritish Colton T rade :

several subsequent acts, as in 1782, prohibiting the exportation o f any
materials used in printing, e t c .; and in 1783, giving bounties on the ex­
port o f British planted goods ; and several other acts were enacted on the
same principle, until 1787, when an excise duty o f 3Jd. per square yard
was imposed upon all printed cottons, but the same was allow ed as a
drawback when exported; this act was w holly repealed in the year 1831.
The following tables show that the export o f printed goods bear a very
disproportionate amount to that o f plain calicoes, as in 1846, the amount
o f the former was only 267,000,000 yards, while that o f the latter was
619,000,000 yards.
T h e five following tables exhibit at one view, in progressive order, the
quantity o f yarn, thread, calicoes printed, calicoes plain, and cam brics,
exported to the different parts o f the globe, from the year 1831 to 1846,
both inclusive. I have selected these as being the most important arti­
cles ; the others, though always published in my Com mercial Glance,
such as dimities, etc., would so seriously have increased the extent o f this
article, that I have found it necessary to omit them— and in the next table,
(N o . 6,) I have given the annual total amount o f these and every other
description o f cotton goods exported since the year 1829. I may here re­
mark, that this is the commencement o f the Com m ercial Glance ; but the
two first numbers are unfortunately out o f print, and I have consequently
been compelled to com m ence particularizing the quantities sent to each
place in the before-mentioned tables, from 1831. T o the first table, there
are several notes appended, w hich w ill also apply to the five follow in g :
COTTON Y A R N EXPORTED FROM G REAT BRITAIN.
TABLE SHOWING THE QUANTITY OF COTTON YARN, IN POUNDS, EXPORTED TO THE UNDERMEN­
TIONED PLACES IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS.

1881.
Pounds.

7,019
2,010
8,037
246,409

©3
©3
QO
T— 1

P laces.

Barbary and Morocco......................
Brazils*..............................................
Buenos Ayres,* Monte Video, & c.
British West Indies...........................
British North America.....................
Belgium*...........................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru..................................
Cape of Good Hope.........................
Colombia...........................................
Denmark...........................................
Egypt.................................................
France...............................................
Foreign West Indies.......................
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns,* & c .........................
Hanover*..........................................
Holland*............................................
India*........... . ............................... )
China*........................................... )
Malta and Ionian Isles.....................
Mauritius and Batavia.....................

Pounds.

2,357

1838.

1834.

Pounds •

Pounds.

7,459
300
6,456
114,256

25,600
71,204

29,411
1,500
13,550

1,170
360
71,000
19,841,185

5,153
4,700
72,969
28,826,295

85,007
4,635
76,775
23,453,060

94,054
7,369
1,632
148,706
5,210,322
336,842
7,269
2,010
23,155
40,650
195,080
94,052
4,300
13,099
24,919,570

' " 45,006
17,800

6,316
201,374
""45,680

38,510
4,000
520
17,494

7,763,231

9,933,800

11,418,529

8,054,798

5,101,276

3,409,810

2,973,462

4,071,796

263,659
185,401

81,082
110,889

49,820
153,710

549,450
200

* Previous to the year 1834, Belgium and Holland were entered under one
From the year 1835 to 1844, the exports to Brazil and Buenos Ayres were entered
one head. Previous to the year 1838, Hanover and Hanse Towns were entered
one head. Previous to the year 1844, the exports to India and China were entered
one head.




head.
under
under
under

155

A nd o f the M anufacture o f Cotton Goods.
TABLE OF COTTON YARN EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN — CONTINUED.

1811.

1832.

1831.

1834.

Pounds.

Pounds •

Pounds.

Pounds.

455.226
6,286
4,885,051
19,169
3,037,985
17,321,605
612,783
51,756
4,610,970
1,750,094
2,158,097
89,844
78,773,220

Naples and Sicily..................
Prussia....................................
Portugal, Madeira, & c.........
Russia....................................
Sweden and Norway............
Spain.......................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c.........
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c..
Turkey and Levant..............
United States of America.....

1,017,305
5,065
3,501,203
2,340
214,799
13,459,894
373,768
8,129
2,567,865
1,759,598
2,035,442
250,539

570,684
24,711
90,931
19,486,136
744,416
2,670
4,023,413
1,914,775
1,032,780
159,730

807,553
2,023
1,156,494
20,114
68,037
20,102,315
792,952
2.377
3,307,086
2,282,807
659,047
156,024

Total.................................

58,846,308

71,662,850

67,760,822

M exico..................................

867,718

TABLE OF COTTON YARN EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN --- CONTINUED.

18S5.

1836.

Pounds.

Pounds.

1817.
Pounds.

1818.
Pounds.

36,400
Brazils.....................................
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. |
British West Indies..............
British North America......... ..........
Belgium..................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Cape of Good Hope..............
Denmark................................
Egypt.....................................
France....................................
Foreign West Indies............
Gibraltar.................................
Hanse Towns, & c................
Holland...................................
India....................................... ......1
......i
Malta and Ionian Isles.........
Mauritius and Batavia..........
Mexico....................................
New Holland......................... ..
Naples and Sicily..................
Prussia....................................
Portugal. Madeira, & c..........
Russia.....................................
Sweden and Norway............
Spain......................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, & c.........
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c..
Turkey and Levant..............
United States of America.... ..........
Total.................................

194,778

7,327

108,521

27,776

3,450
153,597
39,986
1,542
7,320
13,647
1,200
14,800
558,630
75,145

19,770
272,362
26,162
2,266
5,170
47,034

93,854
234,428
221,336
76,922

37,944
29,306,538

44,621
234,266
109,734
7,810
72,523
31,911,358

19,140
242,653
97,856
660,700
354,025
55,520
280,114
36,104,778

14,605,020

14,016,795

17,235,896

15,290
248,902
75,970
233,344
34,100
11,320
2,732
29,700
1,268,495
98,713
65,541
257,374
38,646,576
188,105
22,733,186

5,305,212

9,006,052

9,013,319

10,969,816

417,046
237,726
668,866
4,060
2,246,927
10,791
272,717
21,478,499
925,309
1,788
2,298,541
1,777,805
1,667,441
131,060

241,538
51,200
316,020
29,288
2,585,405
2,736
324,651
18,866,308
968,184
15,970
2,625,224
1,358,760
1,785,399
205,369

371,760

743,156
26,800
674,810
9,865
5,829,572
15,788
731.136
18,799,716
1,014,923
10,026
3,501,981
2 961,894
4,260,607
265,983

82,457,385

85,195,702 105,106,529 113,753,197

1,931,825
10,016
3,765,400
4,324
313,364
23,910,019
899,518
3.100
3,354,145
1,999,393
3,387,171
357,432

TABLE OF COTTON YARN EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
Places.

1819.
Pounds.

Barbary and Morocco........................
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. £




1840.

1841.

1842.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

600

2,400

400

24,333

17,138

15,503

156

The Statistics and H istory o f the B ritish Cotton Trade :
TABLE OF COTTON YARN EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN---- CONTINUED.

British West Indies...........................
British North America......................
Belgium.............................................
Coast o f Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru...................................
Cape o f Good Hope..... ...................
Colombia...........................................
Denmark............................................
Egypt................................................
France.................................... ..........
Foreign*West Indies........................
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns, & c............................
Hanover........ ...................................
Holland-...........................................
India.............................................. )
China............................................. \
Malta and Ionian Isles.....................
Mauritius and Batavia.....................
Mexico...............................................
New Holland....................................
Naples and Sicily.............................
Prussia...............................................
Portugal, Madeira, & c....................
Russia................................................
Sweden and Norway.......................
Spain..................................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, & c....................
Trieste. Austrian Ports, & c .............
Turkey and Levant.........................
United States of America...............

1819.

1840.

1841.

1842.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

32,060
595,711
54,872
5,814
17,200
14,887
500
29,645
32,016
73,093
1,180
37,810
36,883,805
449,596
20,611,240

51,006
545,880
39,343
8,815
61,420
28,459
200
73,088

33,075
507,629
40,572
2,790

7,299
298,425
101,567
133,862

10,690

78,252
3,592
75,403
37,359,477
1,136,545
22,021,506

196,033
654,968
114,716
4,200
83,233
41,870,291
1,069,117
16,376,618

1,957
162
343,242
289,550
122,316
1,801
88,995
47,823,956
2,325,689
22,041,247

8,486,915

12,806,830

15,639,562

17,706,211

264,795

383,989

667,650

1,152,342

5,416
3,331,660
2,120
539,642
18,660,531
1,270,708
10,120
2,848,508
2,062.296
2.579,009
117,557

42,250
199,509
4,222,298
17,577
433,932
18,191,074
1,281,285
4,700
3,769,920
1,349,076
3,008,756
242,855

504,160
5,934
5,916,723
20,924
666,517
16,468,921
2,372,899
194,770
3,471,336
2,068,485
6,467,694
220,068

44,740
990
4,771,371
40,300
603,559
21,417,429
2,428,433
15,040
3,951,313
1,792,420
8,987,786
45,160

99,043,639 107,456,575 115,665,478 136,537,162
PORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
P la ces.

Barbary and Morocco.....................
Brazils........................................... >
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. \
British West Indies.........................
British North America....................
Belgium.............................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru...................................
Cape of Good Hope.........................
’Colombia...........................................
Denmark.......................... ................
Egypt.................................................
France...............................................
Foreign West Indies....... ................
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns, & c ..........................
Hanover............................................
Holland..............................................
India.............................................. )
China............................................. \
Malta and Ionian Isles....................
Mauritius and Batavia.....................
Mexico...............................................
New Holland........................... ........




1843.

1S44.

1845.

1846.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

1,900

30,522

247,605'
76,533
788,908
847,064
3,717,497
3,917,267
5,572
84,897
904
118,400
119,503
15,047
3,220
10,696
709,501
617,180
326,250
85,740
71,938
76,786
100
15,100
65,146
65,870
33,608,150 40,315,592
2,313,520
3,115,338
16,768,035 21,556,043
1 17.522,841 14,116,237
> 3,487,334
2,402,750
1,998,110
795,386
1,315,474
64,550
272
..........
29,462
8,114
46,878
16,857
43,222

38,877
720,876
5,359,219
10.355

5,616
54,270
543,389
327,489
140,192
2,039
16,239
3,460
317,396
424,761
145,765
11,890
116,372
45,713,058
1,640,410
25,883,712

|
48,010 ■

80,256
6,180
883,651
756,675
115,997
13,812
903,656
45,041,329
3,248,593
24,662,150
20,412,228
4,090,680
1,709,059
1,289

...........

17,262

157

A nd o f the M anufacture o f Cotton Goods,
TABLE OF COTTON YARN EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.

P laces.

1848.

1S44.

1845.

1846.

Pounds,

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

3,926,203
206,317
887,605
24,045,209
2,287,207

6,229,423
140,264
807,080
18,167,962
2,127,567
1,460
4,482,539
2,443,775
8,670,950
69,507

8,944,447
615,926
948,674
15,421,035
3,275,320
17,090
5,722,063
4.423,845
9,577,296
81,663

6,518,569
77,604
636,084
23,283,956
3,239,480
8,836
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c................... ..
4,312ji72
2,085,530
Trieste, Austrian Ports, & c............
Turkey and Levant........................ . 11,932,573
United States of America..............
103,199
Naples and Sicily............................
Prussia...............................................
Portugal, Madeira, &c....................
Russia.................................................
Sweden and Norway....................... .

3,364,337
2,785,572
11,935,355
39,717

Total.......................................... . 149,214,417 130,101,913 131,937,935 157,130,025
COTTON TH READ EXPORTED FROM G R E A T BRITAIN .
TABLE SHOWING THE QUANTITY OF COTTON THREAD, IN POUNDS, EXPORTED TO THE UNDERMEN­
TIONED PLACES IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS.

P laces.

Barbary and Morocco......................
Brazils............................................ £
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. $
British West Indies.........................
British North America....................
Belgium.............................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru.................................
Cape of Good Hope.........................
Colombia...........................................
Denmark...........................................
Egypt..................................... ..........
France...............................................
Foreign West Indies........................
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns, & c............................
Hanover.......................
Holland.........................
India.............................
China............................
Malta and Ionian Isles.
Mauritius and Batavia.
Mexico.........................
New Holland...............
Naples and Sicily.........
Prussia..........................
Portugal, Madeira, &c.
Russia............................
Sweden and Norway...
Spain............................
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c....................
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c.............
Turkey and Levant.........................
United States of America...............
Total.




1881.

1882.

1831.

1834.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

263,116
9,090
24,962
35,675

25,093
4,519
49,318
68,702

76,425
13,296
37,935
47,704

1,086
24,336
4,814
4,426
3,248

565
11,233
485
6,488
1,576

1,941
17,637
2,581
5.567

2,200

210,199
84,532
64,330
15,794
10,574
2,944
120,784
5,715
10,700
2,514

3,871
18,964
26,760
64,799

11,982
47,812
82,247
142,804

2,817
53,679
14,384
94,202

62,392
46,980
47,710
71,681

263,41G

282,249

253,355

186,429

65,057

8,336

23,814

165,114

9,150
4,595
33,994
5,943
12,537

3,063
2,594
24,974
1,747
14,760

6,297
14,772
19,150
4,195
42,941

57,837
2,273
3,829
86,950
112,291
15,149
26,323
304,099

1,360
5,321
10,658
7,554
8,554
4,138
17,672
14,887
1,977
11,405
51,601
13,422
5,127
144,187

31,129
7,718
6,521
5,744
98,753
5,149
13,730
324,117

145,183
1,726
14,903
8,420
193,874
22,134
26,166
373,583

1,488,590

1,041,272

1,187,601

1,981,736

158

T he Statistics and H istory o f the B ritish Cotton T rade :
TABLE OF COTTON THREAD EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
P laces.

183$.

1836.

1817.

1838,

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

Pounds.

5,850
Brazils............................................ <
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. <
British West Indies........................
British North America...................
Belgium............................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape
Chili and Peru................................
Cape of Good Hope........................
Colombia..........................................
Denmark..........................................
France................................................................
Foreign West Indies......................
Hanse Towns, & c .....................................
India..............................................

\

Malta and Ionian Isles...................
Mauritius and Batavia....................
M exico ...............................................................
New Holland..................................
Naples and Sicily .......................................
Portugal, Madeira, &c...................
Russia..............................................
Sweden and Norway......................
Spain................................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, & c...................
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c...........
Turkey and Levant........................
United States of America..............
Total.......................................... .

1,070

16,444

291,782

262,431

128,301

289,904

45,687
36,540
51,625
1,614
52,260
18,532
9,180
440

52,275
27,530
37,597
3,718
170,102
8,689
42,018
40
3,297
130,088
55,865
61,554
69,462

48,555
31,461
63,073
4,979
105,397
5,890
12,090

144,280
91,109
45,510
78^735

69,280
59,471
59,580
4,691
95,524
12,807
19,020
200
800
167,509
71,896
47,393
67,890

19,400
105,166
268,242
23,116
76,216

106,414

89,410

117,150

108,784

23,070

77,037

302,813

70,034

9,343
4,745
15,163
12,639
16,082
9,302
2,090
7,440
17,761
32,566
2,047
40
55,557
133,987
2,445 10,456
11,726
8,190
6,193
6,736
129,915
143,485
25,845
17,796
36,294
59,633
496,754
481,325

7,154
3,065
58,429
5,336
66,319

7,399
5,854
19,276
6,862
39,255

182,634
47,152
9,282
3,260
237,256
59,528
16,810
191,287

159,820
20,071
11,756
10,155
252,791
91,616
38,426
450,951

2,099,081

2,362,983

1,842,124

2,020,998

TABLE OF COTTON THREAD EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.

P laces.

Barbary and Morocco......................
Brazils.............................................................. £
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. $
British West Indies.........................
British North America....................
Belgium.............................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru.................................
Cape o f Good Hope.........................
Colombia...........................................
Denmark...........................................

1889.

1840.

1841.

1842.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

Pounds.

...........

...........

1,800

316,970

251,315

308,097

144,430

91,455
86,623
43,364
10,642
242,302
8,022
41,297

125,692
38,876
65,922
3,920
220,410
1,084
45,472

19,084
30,993
66,017
7,915
149,539
7,369
19,923
390
15,300
170,051
104,167
110,193
224,285
84,745

Fiance...............................................
Foreign West Indies....................... .
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns, & c...........................

300
88,083
74,659
74,292
85,525

75,259
94,518
74,090
121,506

29,862
37,504
72,660
4,703
77.828
3,251
14,724
52
24.100
118,356
109,484
52,159
1,765,953

Holland................................................................

89,202

154,400

1,226,507




..........

...........

A nd o f the M anufacture o f Cotton Goods.

159

TABLE OF COTTON THREAD EXPORTED FROM SREAT BRITAIN---- CONTINUED.

Places.
India.......................................... \
China.......................................... $

1819.

1840.

1841.

1842.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

Pounds.

50,862

302,194

92,079

103,757

6,921
3,971
13,355
6,694
56,896

20,380
4,178
51,310
7,919
267,910

7,476
6,237
5,085
6,977
35,569

Portugal, Madeira, &c...................
Russia.............................................
Sweden and Norway......................
Spain..............................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c...................
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c...........
Turkey and Levant.......................
United States of America..............

145,084
12,630
14,192
3,547
164,196
62,982
62,022
855,710

151,077
9,492
8,119
10,385
230,370
23,080
126,256
391,575

127,898
6,764
22,462
5,076
155,367
20,353
9,726
567,000

5,456
2,776
84,921
2,826
21,512
260
103,018
6,839
13,821
1,035
148,710
30,096
9.598
284,506

Total.........................................

2,711,798

2,876,709

4,915,109

1,972,632

TABLE OF COTTON THREAD EXPORTED FROMGREAT BRITAIN—CONTINUED^
Places.
Brazils........................................ £
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. $
British West Indies.......................
British North America...................
Belgium..........................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru...............................
Cape of Good Hope.......................
Colombia........................................
Denmark.........................................
Egypt..............................................
France............................................
Foreign West Indies......................
Gibraltar.........................................
Hanse Towns, & c ........................
Holland...........................................
India.......................................... ?
China......................................... \
Malta and Ionian Isles...................
Mauritius and Batavia...................
Mexico..........................................
New Holland.................................
Naples and Sicily...........................
Prussia...........................................
Portugal, Madeira, & c...................
Russia............................................
Sweden and Norway......................
Spain..............................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c...................
Trieste, Austrian Ports, & c............
Turkey and Levant.......................
United States of America..............
Total.........................................




1841.

1844.

1845.

1846.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

Pounds.

247,852

314,7211

41,098
80,220
55,265
2,689
117,834
7,422
52,168
2,351
3,297
97,538
101,250
200,526
352,438
1,180
151,719
6,171
1,950
102,143
9,727
169,450
4,838
102,577
16,247
9,576
8,057
117,160
41,622
2,050
388,779

50,961
127,529
63,714
7,252
64,046
11,826
51,465
1,000
20,700
106,032
140,958
128,306
317,216
200
111,535
100,373
700
4,102
1,242
25,152
14,716
29,290
24,313
160,564
16,745
18,590
440
173,059
64,891
70,332
509,069

g2,594,783

2,731,039

99,589 ^

173,283
75,701
53,920
53,983
69,281
12,635
135,670
7,804
75,736
1,882
4,270
86,632
158,141
150,098
252,787

295,757
18,872
48,025
96,419
53,272
11,434
152,203
7,334
18,367
2,357
67,600
111,792
107,635
256,050
1,750
64,315
47,360
1,950
10,853
4,671
68,675
6,599
74,013
5,421
83,426
18,240
23,564

102,091
70,195
10,004
44,610
6,978
24,140
11,008
45,621
2,599
123,289
24,859
23,371
731
196,336
91,304
54,747
423,999

153,065
71,912
14,942
422,462

2,567,705

2,320,335

160

T he Statistics and H istory o f the B ritish Cotton T rade :

CALICOES, PRINTED AND DYED, EXPORTED FROM G R E A T BRITAIN
TABLE SHOWING THE QUANTITY OF CALICOES, FEINTED AND DYED, IN YARDS, EXPORTED TO THE
UNDERMENTIONED PLACES IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS.

Places.

1881.

1881

1888.

1834.

Y a rd s.

Y ard s.

Y ard s.

Yards.

Brazils......................................... |1
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. <J
British West Indies...................... .
British North America................. .

'7,442,371
271,927
4,021,132
4,804,101

5,508,005
1,951,243
5,213,650
13,691,798

3,491,181
674,480
7,168,712
9,643,650

Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape .
Chili and Peru............................. .
Cape of Good Hope...................... .
Colombia......................................
Denmark......................................

1,354,797
6,607,383
1,389,749
648,942
9,656

1,710,473
6,734,471
507,892
1,551,403
12,264

2,111,660
9,635,562
622,177
2,508,417
41,637

France.........................................
Foreign West Indies.................... .
Gibraltar....................................... .
Hanse Towns, &c........................ .

247,710
6,141,496
2,612.622
17,518,379

. 293,429
9,463,859
2,475,345
17,790,920

344,941
11,223,528
1,545,855
28,766,451

1,560
28,102,641
4,125,708
9,449,544
3,808,381
683,888
2,508,401
14,336,032
1,117,229
2,039,905
42,335,
122,997
622,518
10,987,376
5,443,932
21,107,213

Holland.........................................
India.......................................... j

5,359,379

6,406,351

10,159,991

10,087,226

!

8,754,333

5,212,198

10,738,549

9,131,602

Malta and Ionian Isles................. '.
Mauritius and Batavia..................
Mexico........................................ .
New Holland...............................
Naples and Sicily........................... .

596,801
1.325,824
6,127.070
687,324
2,599,247

225,344
1,234,252
3,553,602
341,923
817,918

1,952,477
745,255
4,756,076
75,097
4,010,320

Portugal, Madeira, &,c.................... .
Russia..............................................
Sweden and Norway......................
Spain................................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, & c................... .
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c........... .
Turkey and Levant........................ .
United States of America.............. .

5,846,837
14,571
71,714
1,012,321
8,074,805
2,179,332
4,384,682
27,961,642

292,837
2,579,723
4,117,645
628,662
402,614
17,612
4,835,788
15,128
45,314
1,291,040
4,846,628
3,102,336
3,222,974
13,599,285

6,180,081
24,760
92,186
272,911
8.680,807
4,733,860
6,448,883
12,290,631

18,887,709
55,607
622,316
260,207
10,613,908
3,403,888
7,703,383
19,713,345

Total............................................ 128,066,147 117,520,887 143,573,899 196,518,076
TABLE OF CALICOES EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
Places.

1885.
Yards.

1836.
Yards.

1837.
Yards.

1838.
Yards.

Barbary and Morocco......................
Brazils............................................ )
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. \
Brilish West Indies.........................
British North America....................
Belgium.............................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru...................................
Cape of Good Hope.........................
Colombia...........................................
Denmark...........................................
Egypt......................................................................
France...............................................
Foreign West Indies........................
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns, & c...........................

47,540

509,318

159,654

722,139

30,522,071

37,075,225

33,826,159

47,027,844

13,797,167
5,999,697
1,653,652
1,474,083
9,839,919
1,529,097
1,463,754
32,531
1,384,195
1,087,315
8,533,875
5,723,211
25,887,212

13,363,597
995,168
1,865,196
1,987,553
14,741,404
2,423,565
1,369,038
52,327
1,120,163
1,774,792
10,205,533
7,111,935
24,403,316

11,230,772
5,717,409
1,267,170
1.905,988
12,746,981
2,009,393
1,929,626
57,653
1,364,106
999,706
7,933,927
10,281,188
23,928,920

Holland..............................................

8,879,375

8,286,713

11,279,880

13,377,207
5,391,859
1,518,285
3,274,182
8,041,733
2,523,256
2,826,139
32,431
1,837,199
1,939,093
10,204,962
5,849,816
24,122,075
30,504
12,118,992




A nd o f the Manufacture o f Cotton Goods.

161

TABLE OF CALICOES EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
Places.

India............................................. )
China............................................. £
Malta and Ionian Isles.....................
Mauritius and Batavia.....................
Mexico...............................................
New Holland....................................
Naples and Sicily.............................
Prussia..............................................
Portugal, Madeira, & c.....................
Russia................................................
Sweden and Norway.......................
Spain.................................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c............ .......
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c............
Turkey and Levant........................
United States of America...............

1835.

1836.

1817.

1818.

Yards.

Yards.

Yards.

Yards.

12,756,977

20,020,992

19,117,122

19,099,919

2,043,538
1,228,987
3,312,433
614,640
2,373,759
2,050
15,523,234
138,325
250,346
307,344
7,478,978
3,104,952
10,558,815
43,980,284

1,522,185
965,212
1,429,477
745,683
3,252,799

1,540,996
2,039,075
3,676,718
996,001
3,123,209

2,645,790
3,019,848
4,771,461
2,341,393
6,034,415

13,333,170
43,482
260,014
779,881
13,619,598
3,281,289
18,008,461
32,028,305

13,686,346
99,250
278,001
631,183
12,452,701
4,680,809
7,990,313
13,902,683

18,592,332
869,198
239,781
860,121
16,577,182
7,522,736
19,050,738
22,262,242

Total............................................ 221,529,356 236,575,393 210,852,939 264,724,872
TABLE OF CALICOES EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
P laces.

Barbary and Morocco......................
Brazils............................................ ?
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. £
British West Indies.........................
British North America....................
Belgium........ ....................................
Coast of Africa, exclusive of Cape.
Chili and Peru.................................
Cape of Good Hope.........................
Colombia...........................................
Denmark.........................................
Egypt.................................................
France...............................................
Foreign West Indies.......................
Gibraltar............................................
Hanse Towns, & c...........................
Hanover............................................
Holland.............................................
India................. ....... .................... )
China........ .................................... £
Malta and Ionian Isles....................
Mauritius and Batavia.....................
Mexico....... ......................................
New Holland...................................
Naples and Sicily.............................
Prussia...............................................
Portugal, Madeira, & c....................
Russia............... ................................
Sweden and Norway.......................
Spain.................................................
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c....................
Trieste, Austrian Ports, & c............
Turkey and Levant.........................
United States of America...............

1839.

1840.

1841.

1841

Yards.

Yards.

Yards.

Yards.

30,330

93,710

96,874

30,970

48,125,150

24,047,113

41,282,411

28,381,374

21,155,929
11,855,941
1,711,132
3,447,008
18,412,485
2,232,519
3,887,146
76,345
408,309
1,492,361
12,844,353
12,024,142
26,488,039
34,036
11,707,920

22,081,013
9,474,047
2,039,188
3,874,990
19,601,751
2,198,639
4,736,419
71,042
282,427
1,587,125
10,428,485
8,403,838
27,459,065
46,860
12,952,630

9,774,720
10,703,415
2,533,519
3,774,811
10,393,428
1,904,239
2,373,619
138,586
1,942,765
1,805,957
14,005,374
8,552,952
31,348,633
50,989
16,854,305

14,181,095
7,255,081
1,934,811
5,129,077
14,002,709
2,379,336
2,292,669
97,551
719,034
1,739,325
10,604,257
10,501,607
22,670,851
21,874
10,547,350

14,983,066

20,442,778

22,540,756

19,483,329

1,436,936
1,182,562
5,400,852
3,380,901
2,875,736
1,350
15,423,708
42,408
251,211
724,708
10,485,191
3,868,019
19,638,253
22,439,785

1,682,234
2,606,797
4,391,117
2,086,880
2,756,997

3,391,333
2,596,534
4,183,007
937,092
5,036,990
338
12,582,749
152,922
399,606
206,229
15,846,168
4,993,483
22,209,185
26,025,281

3,221,236
1,368,350
2,745,090
1,113,395
5,098,482
620
12,662,001
183,449
616,895
344,762
13,688,528
2,484,821
23,821,288
15,691,333

13,853,069
32,087
126,906
1,507,927
13,726,756
2,506,683
20,796,963
17,775,607

Total............................................ 278,064,831 253,671,143 278,748,275 236,012,550

VOL. XVIII.--- NO. II.




11

162

The Statistics and H istory o f the British Cotton Trade :
TABLE OF CALICOES EXPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN— CONTINUED.
P laces.

1841.

1844.

1845.

1846.

Yards.

Yards.

Yards.

Yards.

Barbary and Morocco......................
17,982
27,800
Brazils........................................... £
30,644,663 39,764,383 j
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. \
British West Indies.......................... 16,861,099 14,789,016'
British North America....................
8,291,405 12,771,979
Belgium.............................................
1,413,852
1,888,156
Coast of Africa, exclusive o f Cape. 12,026,293
4,963,491
Chili and Peru................................. 14,135,005 14,880,965
Cape of Good Hope.........................
2,461,680
3,668,432
Colombia...........................................
3.222,814
4,157,937
Denmark...........................................
395,803
542,665
1,467,690
Egypt.................................................
451,427
France...............................................
1,418,368
4,856,283
Foreign West Indies.......................
9,403,226 13,021,806
Gibraltar............................................
9,187,128 13,481,714
Hanse Towns, & c........................... 32.278,426 30,527,177
Hanover.............................................
26,748
18,087
Holland..............................................
9,686,931 12,213,669
India.............................................. t
23,945,398
21,741,8031
China............................................. \
6,184,390'
Malta and Ionian Isles.....................
2,805,126 ( 2,156,036
1,893,821
1,533,822
Mauritius and Batavia.....................
M exico.............................................
4,161,403
5,078,541
2,168,956
New Holland....................................
3,077,091
5,255,557
Naples and Sicily.............................
4,252,233
Prussia...............................................
660
851
Portugal, Madeira, & c.................... 13,419,893 16,679,499
Russia................................................
231,779
60,651
585,385
Sweden and Norway.......................
603,031
Spain.................................................
11,694
155,558
Sardinia, Tuscany, &c....................
13,956,243 14,847,425
3,221,269
2,315,365
Trieste, Austrian Ports, &c............
Turkey and Levant......................... 27,806,642 48,063,251
United States of America................
7,720,651 12,008,635

77,500
36,092,024
6,536,732
20,729,641
13,362,173
1,078,421
5,454,125
24,841,575
3,520,302
7,780,578
285,064
419,798
1,545,993
22,578,110
6,657,072
27,520,261
86.144
12,424,821
26,083,138
2,535,413
3,106,134
1,973,939
7,410,869
3,850,891
5,084,005
5,510
10,969,240
160,908
519,674
90.144
12,044,401
4,365,007
28,563,239
13,097,851

40,563,344
1,140,936
17,758,418
11,834.914
677,976
5,682,956
17,138,571
2,666,781
1,676,115
449,836
486,031
1,533,934
21.302,767
5,212,231
25,481,739
38,439
11,896,057
16,456,528
2,638,017
1,992,838
1,107,586
6,290,600
3,088,766
9,008,905
478
11,583,602
207,739
451,826
32,962
11,694,746
2,242,174
21,190,476
13.556,509

Total*........................................... 257,795,304 313,111,455 310,850,697 267,084,797
COTTON YARN.

1530
1641
1650
1688
1738
1748
1750
1753
1757
1760
1763
1764
1767
1769
1770
“
1771
1772

Spinning-wheel invented at Brunswick, by Jurgen.
Cotton yarn imported from the Levant.
Indian yam was spun as fine as 29 yards to 1 grain.
1,450,000 lbs. of yam imported into France from the Levant.
Machine for spinning vjith rollers invented by John Whyatt, patent taken out by
Lewis Paul, a foreigner.
Lewis Paul’s second patent
3,381,625 lbs. of yam imported into France from the Levant.
A cotton reel invented by Mr. Earnshaw.
Duty of 4d. per lb. on cotton yarn imported from India.
Premium offered by the Royal Society of Arts for the best invention of a machine
for spinning six threads of wool, cotton, flax, or silk, at one time, and that would
only require one person to work and attend it.
First spinning jenny, made by Highs.
Hargreaves invented a machine to spin eleven threads at once.
Spinning by machinery first used, (the water frame.)
Water frame for spinning patented, by Arkwright.
Spinning jenny patented, by J. Hargreaves.
Lewis Paul takes out a patent for carding.
Messrs. Arkwright’s mill built at Cromford.
The feeder invented, by J. Lees.




And o f the Manufacture o f Cotton Goods.
1773
1775
1776
(*
1777
1783

1784
It
t1

1786
1787
1788

1789
1791
1792
1793
1799
1802
1805
1806
1812
1815
1816
1817
1821
1825

1827
1829
1832
1834
1836
1837

163

J. Hargreaves applied a crank, or comb, to take wool off the cards in a continuous
fleece.
Mule spinning invented, by S. Crompton.
Mr. Arkwright took out another patent for carding, drawing, and roving.
First cotton mill erected in Staley-bridge.
N
“
“
Preston.
Premium given by the Royal Society of Arts for improving several machines used
in manufacturing, viz: comb pots, cards for wool and cotton, doubling and spin­
ning wheels, &c.
Arkwright’s machinery for spinning and carding cotton by steam, first used in
Manchester.
First machine imported into France (from England) for spinning cotton, by M.
Mortin, Amiens.
Machinery for spinning thrown open to the trade.
A German fined £500 for seducing operatives to Germany.
Improved method of carding, by Arkwright.
A person fined £200 for having a quantity o f machinery, with a view to export it
to Germany.
Forty-one spinning factories in the county of Lancaster.
Model of a machine for spinning cotton, &c., presented to the Royal Society of
Arts, by Mr. John Barton.
A gold medal, value £20, was awarded by the Royal Society of Arts, for the in­
vention of a machine for carding waste silk, cotton, &c.
A mule jenny constructed at Amiens with 280 spindles.
First cotton mill erected in the United States.
A self-acting mule invented by Mr. Kelly, of Lanark Mills.
First attempt to spin yarn from 100’s and upwards by power.
First spinning mule erected in Saxony.
Subscription of £500 raised for Mr. S. Crompton, by Mr. John Kennedy and others.
Premium given by the Royal Society of Arts, to Mr. John Beard, for a machine
for cutting and crooking wires for cards used in cotton and wool.
Cotton manufacturing considered completely established in France.
Number of spindles at work in Great Britain between 4 and 5,000,000.
Mr. S. Crompton, inventor of the mule, rewarded by Government with £5,000.
Parliament granted Mr. Wright £5,000 for the invention of his double mule.
8 lbs. of cotton twist sent out to India on trial.
Yam trade opened with the continent.
Fly frame introduced from America, patented by Mr. J. C. Dyer in 1825 to 1829.
First notable exportation of cotton twist to India.
104 factories in the neighborhood of Manchester.
40
“
“
Preston.
47
“
“
Stockport.
22
“
“
Staley-bridge.
Mr. Dyer’s first patent for cards.
Mr. Roberts takes out a patent for a machine for mule spinning.
Tube frame patented by Mr. J. C. Dyer.
De Jough’s self-acting mule invented.
Average price of yarn sent to India, Is. 3
Capital supposed sunk in cotton mills, £10,600,000.
Average price of yam sent to India, Is. 5|d.
113 cotton spinning mills in Saxony.
152
“
“
Prussia.

[W e have been compelled to defer three o f the six tables referred to on
page 154, to a future number o f the Merchants’ M agazine.]




164

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States.
\

Art. IV.— COMMERCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS OF THE UNITED STATES.
NUMBER VII.

C IT Y OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
I

C h i c a g o , the principal commercial city o f Illinois, is situated on the

South-western bend o f Lake Michigan, at the head o f navigation on the
great lakes. Its natural harbor is fully equal, if not superior, to any on
the lakes— formed by a river o f the same name, running in two streams
from the North and South, nearly parallel with the lake sh ore; and,uniting
about three-fourths o f a mile from the lake, runs directly East into it, vary­
ing in depth from 10 to 20 feet, and separating the city into three parts.
T h e ground upon which the city is built, is sufficiently elevated to prevent
inundation, and stretches away W est and South, from eight to twelve miles,
almost a dead le v e l; giving to the traveller almost invariably the idea that
it must be unhealthy, which is by no means the case, at least to the extent
o f first impressions.
The city is regularly laid out, the streets crossing at right angles ; those
nearest the lake being chosen and adorned with shrubbery for residences.
The principal part o f the business is transacted on the South side o f the
main stream ; and on both sides o f the South branch, the bank o f the river
is lined by substantial docks, extending from the large warehouses which
front the street, next to, and parallel with the river. Thus, while receiving
cargoes from, and loading vessels on one side, they discharge freight, and
receive the produce from the loaded teams on the other.
O f the early history o f Chicago, a glance only must suffice. It w as
visited by the French as early as 1763, but the first occupancy, by our
government, was 17 96 ; a fort having been built soon after General
W ayne concluded the treaty o f Greenville. This fort was destroyed, and
the garrison massacred by the Indians, in 1812. In 1817, it was rebuilt,
and called Fort Dearborn, which still remains at the mouth o f the river,
and serves for a recruiting station. In 1830, General Scott visited this
section, (in the trouble with Black H aw k,) and made such representations
to Congress, soon after his return, seconded by others, that an appropri­
ation was made to improve the harbor, which resulted in extending two
substantial piers some distance into the lake, one o f w hich is surmounted
by a light-house. From this period, therefore, Chicago may with propri­
ety date its beginning ; with a population, including the garrison, o f about
two hundred. Some, however, contend that its birth was some three or
four years subsequent. It received its charter at the session o f 1836, ’ 37.
“ The oldest inhabitants” are yet in the prime o f life, and among our ipost
enterprising business men ; and look upon a city in 1847, grow n up around
them, o f nearly or quite 17,000 inhabitants.*
T h e great importance o f its location is readily seen by a glanee at the
map o f the United States. T h e improvement in appearance is almost as
rapid as its increase o f population ; the old buildings, thrown together in
the shortest possible time, are rapidly giving w ay to substantial brick ed* It appears, from a tabular statement in the report o f Jesse B. Thomas, Esq., concern­
ing the statistics of Chicago, that the population of that city in 1840 was 4,853; in 1843,
7,580; in 1845, 12,088; in 1846, 14,189 ; and by the census completed on the 1st of
September, 1847, in round numbers, 17,000.




City o f Chicago, Illinois.

165

ifices, more in keeping with the times. O f the public buildings o f this
character, there are some six very neat churches, (and preparations for
more the com ing year,) a medical college, three very commodious schoolhouses, a court-house, a merchants’ exchange, etc. There are upwards
o f fifteen worshipping congregations ; three public primary schools, occupy,
ing the buildings above-named ; several select, and one classical sch o o l;
two female seminaries ; one M echanics’ , and one Young M ens’ A ssocia­
tion, with libraries attached ; together with several other societies and
associations ; seven weekly, fo;:r daily, and one monthly (agricultural)
paper; also a Hydraulic Company, for supplying the city with water
from the lake, which is distributed “ a la Croton.”
Northern Illinois has justly been termed one o f the richest and most
fertile sections o f our country, and all its products naturally seek a market
in Chicago, which are brought to the city by teams, which come from
such distances, as to make them absent from home from two to eight days,
and frequently longer. The shipping is composed o f steamboats, pro­
pellers, and sail vessels ; o f which, seventeen o f the first-named form a
daily line to Buffalo, and intermediate ports ; and, in point o f strength,
comfortable accommodations; speed, and finish, w ill not suffer by com ­
parison with any similar vessels in the world. There are also regular
lines o f each o f the others to the ports on Lake Ontario, via W elland Ca­
nal, as also to Buffalo. The aggregate amount o f business is sketched as
follows, v iz :— 1847, exports (low estimate) $2,325,000.
Imports for
1847, (estimate based upon consignments to owners here, not including
property passing through for the interior,) $2,685,000. Amount o f wheat
shipped from the opening o f navigation to 15th November, upwards o f
2,800,000 bushels. Arrivals— steamboats, 188 ; other craft, (propellers
and sail,) 4 2 7 ; total, 615. Departures— steamboats, 1 8 1 ; other craft,
(propellers and sail,) 3 5 5 ; total, 536.
Internal improvements, in progress and contemplation, as follows, viz :—
1st. “ The Illinois and Michigan Canal” will be completed early in 1848,
connecting this point with the navigable waters o f the Illinois River at
Peru, 104 miles South-west. This affords easy access to the Mississippi,
and also to the immense coal beds and quarries, in which that part o f the
State is very rich. 2d. “ T he Galena and Chicago Union Railroad,”
250 miles North-west, to Galena. This affords easy and quick access to
the mineral region o f the North-west. This work is to be commenced
im m ediately; as I am informed by one o f the directors, that sufficient
stock has already been subscribed, here and on the route, to build and put
in operation the first section, from this to the Fox River, (thirty miles,) as
rapidly as possible. Both these channels o f communication afford inesti­
mable facilities for the increase o f the business o f this already busy point.
Other contemplated improvements, o f a like character, as well as o f a
more local one, might be named, were time at command, but will appear
more properly in a more detailed paper, should an opportunity offer for
preparing one. One more, however, will be named as the third ; which,
though last, is by no means least, viz : the telegraph, which is now nearly
completed ; and a few days, or at most, weeks hence, w e shall have the
pleasure o f a “ t( tte - a - te! t e ” with out Eastern friends.*
s. n . s.
* This communication with the East has been completed, and is in the full tide of suc­
cessful operation.—[E d.]




166

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States.

In order to exhibit more fully the rapid growth o f Chicago, it may be
well to introduce in this place an extract from one o f a series o f letters
written by an intelligent traveller, in 1837 :—
“ Chicago is, without doubt, the greatest wonder in this wonderful country.
Four years ago, the savage Indian there built his little wigwam— the noble stag
there saw undismayed his own image reflected from the polished mirror of the
glassy lake— the adventurous settler then cultivated a small portion of those fer­
tile prairies, and was living far, far away from the comforts of civilization. Four
years have rolled by, and how changed that scene! That Indian is now driven
far West of the Mississippi; he has left his flative hills— his hunting grounds—
the grave of his father— and now is building his home in the far West, again to
be driven away by the mighty tide of emigration. That gallant stag no longer
bounds secure o’er those mighty plains, but startles at the rustling of every leaf,
or sighing of every wind, fearing the rifles of the numerous Nimrods who now
pursue the daring chase. That adventurous settler is now surrounded by luxury
and refinement; a city with a population of over six thousand souls has now
arisen ; its spires glitter in the morning sun; its wharves are crowded by the
vessels of trade; its streets are alive with the busy hum of commerce.
“ The wand of the magician, or the spell of a talisman, ne’er effected changes
like these ; nay, even Aladdin’s lamp, in all its glory, never performed greater
wonders. But the growth of the town, extraordinary as it is, bears no comparison
with that of its commerce. In 1833, there were but four arrivals, or about
700 tons. In 1836, there were four hundred and fifty-six arrivals, or about
60,000 tons. Point me, if you can, to any place in this land whose trade has been
increased in the like proportion. What has produced this great prosperity ? I
answer— its great natural advantages, and the untiring enterprise of its citizens.
Its situation is unsurpassed by any in our land.
“ Lake Michigan opens to it the trade of the North and East, and the Illinois and
Michigan Canal, when completed, will open the trade of the South and South­
west. But the great share of its prosperity is to be attributed to the enterprise
of its citizens ; most of them are young— many there are upon whose temple the
golden lock of youth is not darkened; many who a short time since bade adieu
to the fascinations of gay society, and immured themselves in the western wil­
derness, determining to acquire both fame and fortune. And what has been the
result? While many of their companions and former associates are now toiling
and struggling in the lowly vale of life, with scarcely enough of the world’s gear
to drive away the cravings of actual want, the enterprising adventurer has
amassed a splendid fortune— has contributed to build up a noble city, the pride of
his adopted State, and has truly caused the wilderness to bloom and blossom like
the rose. Such are always the rewards of ever-daring minds.”
T h e following description o f the country in the vicinity o f Chicago, is
from the pen o f Mr Schoolcraft :—
“ The country around Chicago is the most fertile and beautiful that can be
imagined. It consists of an intermixture of woods and prairies, diversified with
gentle slopes, sometimes attaining the elevation of hills, and irrigated with a
number of clear streams and rivers, which throw their waters partly into Lake
Michigan, and partly into the Mississippi River. As a farming country, it unites
the fertile soil of the finest lowland prairies with an elevation which exempts it
from the influence of stagnant waters, and a summer climate of delightful se­
renity ; while its natural meadows present all the advantages for raising stock,
of the most favored part of the valley of the Mississippi. It is already the seat
of several flourishing plantations, and only requires the extinguishment of the
Indian title to the lands, to become one of the most attractive fields for the emi­
grant. To the ordinary advantages of an agricultural market-town, it must here­
after add that of. a depot for the inland commerce between the Northern and
Southern sections of the Union, and a great thoroughfare for strangers, merchants,
and travellers.




City o f Chicago, Illinois.

167

“ Along the North branch of the Chicago, and the lake shore, are extensive bodies
o f fine timber. Large quantities of white pine exist in the regions towards Green
Bay, and about Grand River, in Michigan, from which lumber in any quantities
is obtained, and conveyed by shipping to Chicago. Yellow poplar boards and
plank are brought across the lake from the St. Joseph’s River.
“ The United States has a strip of elevated ground between the town and lake,
about half a mile in width, on which Fort Dearborn and the light-house are sit­
uated, but which is now claimed as a pre-emption right, and is now in a course
of judicial investigation.
“ Fort Dearborn was for a considerable period occupied as a military station by
the United States, and garrisoned generally by about three companies of regular
troops;.but the expulsion of the Indians, and the rapid increase of settlements at
all parts of this region, have rendered its further occupancy as a military post
unnecessary: in consequence, the troops have been recently withdrawn. It con­
sists of a square stockade, enclosing barracks, quarters for the officers, a magazine,
provision-store, etc., and is defended by bastions at the Northern and South-east
angles.
“ During the last war with Great Britain, this place was the scene o f a most
foul and bloody tragedy. In 1812, in consequence o f the disgraceful surrender
o f General Hull at Detroit, it was determined to abandon the fort. A number o f
the troops, shortly after leaving it, were inhumanly murdered by the savages, who
lay in ambush on the margin o f the lake.”

Mr. Baldwin, a civil engineer, in his report showing the cost and incom e
o f a railroad from Toledo, Ohio, to Chicago, Illinois, describes the g e o ­
graphical position o f Chicago for a city as most auspicious—
“ W ith rich prairies extending to the South-west, W est, and North-west, across
the country to the Mississippi R iv e r ; important as a point where many long lines
o f intercommunication must unavoidably converge, coming in from all points of
the compass, bearing the rich products o f forests, mines, and agriculture ; and it
is quite apparent, at the present time, that what was prognosticated at its birth, is
actually taking place. W e have here the termination o f the great Illinois and
M ichigan Canal, projected upwards o f twenty years ago, but now on the eve of
completion. This canal is one of the largest class, and extends 954 ° r 100 miles,
to the head o f steamboat navigation on the Illinois R iv e r ; it opens a water com ­
munication, 1,700 miles, to the G ulf o f M exico, and completes an inland naviga­
tion o f 3,200 miles to the Gulf o f St. Lawrence, by way o f the lakes, Canada
Canals, and St. Lawrence R iv e r; and, by way o f the lakes, the Erie Canal, and
Hudson River, to the city o f New York, a distance o f 3,100 miles.

“ W e have, also, at Chicago, the projected Galena and Chicago Union Railroad,
which is, in effect, but a continuation of the Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad, ex­
tending to Galena. The charter is broad in its terms, and will, by the influence
of the citizens of Chicago, be soon carried into effect, if operations have not
been already arranged. Under a clause in the charter, permitting lateral lines
to be built, it is conceded that that part of our line which lies in Illinois, and
which, for the sake of simplicity, has been considered as a part of the Buffalo and
Mississippi Railroad, would be built. The charter to the company grants the
privilege of connecting the road with the Central Railroad in its course to Galena,
should they prefer it to a more direct route. The distance, by the direct route,
would be 160 miles, supposing it no greater than the present stage-route. If it
diverges to the Central Railroad, passing by way of Dixonville, on Rock River,
the distance from Chicago to Galena would be 170 miles— supposing, as before,
the line to be of the length of the stage-road. The charter allows a capital of
$ 2, 000,000 .
“ The appropriations by government for improving the harbor of Chicago have
been great, and further extensive improvements, I am informed, are contemplated.
Some of the early appropriations were as follows:— In 1833, $25,000 ; in 1834,
$32,801 ; in 1835, $32,800 ; and in 1836, $68,350 was demanded by the esti­
mates for completing the work agreeably to a plan proposed at that time, which,




168

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States.

if carried out, would have made the cost o f the work $205,561. In 1837, a fur­
ther appropriation o f $40,000 was granted ; and, in January, 1838, it was stated
all the appropriations amounted, up to that time, to $162,601.

The subjoined tabular statements o f exports and imports, exhibit the
extent and importance o f the trade and com m erce o f Chicago :—
TABLE OF EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.

Years,
1836....................
1837....................
1838....................
1839....................
1840....................
1841....................
1842....................
1843....................
1844....................
1845....................
1846....................
1847....................

expo rts

.

Value

Years.

64
00
75
00
74
24
20
85
23
..................1,543,519 85
..................1,813,468 00
.................. 2,296,299 00
..................
..................
..................
..................
..................
..................
..................

$1,000
11,065
' 16,044
33,843
228,635
348,362
659,305

EXPORTS OF LEADING ARTICLES FROM

Years.

1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847

...........................
...........................
...........................
...........................
...........................
...........................

im p o r t s

1836.........
1837.........
1838.........
1839.........
1840.........
1841.........
1842.........
1843.........
1844.........
1845.........
1846.........
1847.........
1842

Value.

.

............................ $325,203 90
...........................
373,667 12
............................ 579,174 61
............................ 630,980 26
............................ 562,106 20
............................ 564,347 88
............................ 664,347 88
............................ 971,849 75
00
73
............................ 2,027,150 00
............................ 2,641,852 52

TO

W heat.
Bushels.

Flour.
Barrels.

586,907
628,967
891,894
956,860
1,459,594
1,974,303

2,920
10,786
6,320
13,752
23,045
32,538

EXHIBIT OF THE EXPORTS AND IMPORTS FROM THE YEARS

1846,

INCLUSIVE.

B eef and Pork.
Barrels.
'

16,209
21,492
14,938
13,268
31,224
48,920

1842

TO

1845,

W ool.
Pounds.

1,500
22,050
96,635
216,616
281,222
411,488
INCLUSIVE, TAKEN

FROM THE CHICAGO DIRECTORIES AND OTnER SOURCES.
EXPO RTS.

Articles.
Wheat................................
Corn..................................
Peas..................................
Barley................................
Flaxseed............................
Flour.................................
Beef.................. ................
Pork and ham....................
Fish....................................
Lard..................................
“
............................
Lard oil.............................
Potash...............................
Neats’ o il..........................
Cranberries........................
Grass seed.........................
Hemp seed........................
Hides................................
Brooms..............................
Calf skins..........................
Deer skins.........................
Furs..................................
Stuffed birds......................
Furs and peltries...............
Maple sugar......................
Lead..................................
Feathers............................
Tallow..............................
Mustard seed....................




1812.
586,907
35,358
53,486
484
1,090
750
2,920
762
15,447
915

1814.
891,894

1845.
956,860

1,920
10,786
10,380
11.112

5,320
7,889
7,049

13,752

2,823

1,630

m
628,967
2,443
3,767

376,200

6,947
5,587

14,536
2,160

55
36
8
31
72
16
11,042
1,246
5,194
8,000
20

446
4,500
59,990
2,409
151,300

393

158

.....

360,000
7,332
1,133

34,899
2,182

169

City o f Chicago, Illinois.
TABLE OF EXPORTS— CONTINUED.

1842.

A r t ic l e s .

Soap.............................
Candles.........................
Tobacco......................
Butter...........................
Rags............................
W ool............................
Beeswax......................
Buffalo robes................
Horns...........................
Hemp...........................
Hay..............................

2,400
500
3,000
24,200
1,500

1844.

1843.
5,300
|
4,900
74,900
.......
22,050

.bales

1845.

74,465
526,536
96,635
5,410
51
29

61,125
7,446
216,616
32
2,800
227

IM PO RT S.

1842.

A r t ic l e s .

Merchandise..................
Packages ......................
Salt................................
Whiskey...... ..................
Lumber..........................
Shingles........................
Timber..........................
Staves............................
Bark..............................
Laths.............................
Coals..............................

.pkgs.
.......
.......
.......
No
.cords
No.

1843.
2,012
101 470
27,038
2,585
7,545,142
4,117,025
16,000
157,000
430

1844.

1845.

say 4,073
27,462
19,160,407
12285,000
66,478
137,000
2,008

21,026,508
15,883,000
67,484
1,397,000
6,000

The amounts o f exports and imports entered in the above table, under
the year 1845, show only a few items. A considerable portion o f the ex­
ports, not included in any o f the statistics, go to the lumber region around
Green Bay, Northern Michigan, & c ., in return for lumber. In the region
alluded to, there are about one hundred saw-mills, employing about two
thousand men— half o f them with families. T h e mills are capable o f
producing fifty millions o f lumber, two-thirds o f which is sent to Chicago,
having a value, after delivery, o f some $165,000. It is believed twothirds o f this amount, $110,000, is paid for in beef, flour, dry-goods, gro­
ceries, iron, nails, and mill-castings.
T h e value o f imports for 1846 was $3,027,150, besides articles o f con ­
siderable amount not included. From O ctober 1st, 1845, to O ctober 1st,
1846, the importation o f lumber was 24,424,299 feet. T h e following is
a table o f exports for 1846 :—
Wheat..............................
Oats..................................
Corn................................
Hemp...............................
Tobacco...........................
W ool................................

1,459,594
52,113
11,047
4,517
28,287
281,222
238,216
1L000
31,224
.. .bbls.
1,835
Butter................................
3,905
Candles...........................
810
Raw furs..........................
37,514

Brooms........................
Flour........................... .........bbls. 29,045
1004
Tongues..................... ..........lbs.
Oil................................
Hay..............................
3,560
Beeswax...................... ........... lbs.
................
6,800
...............
10,895
..........bbls.
529
322
Fish............................. .................
Hides and leather...... ....... value $24,685
9,000
Furniture.................... ................

The amount of land offered for sale in the Chicago district was....
..............
Sales to 184G, inclusive..
..............
Lands unsold January 1st, 1847.




2,682,670
996,475

170

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States.

Since the foregoing table was in type, w e have received the report o f
Jesse B. Thomas, as a member o f the executive committee appointed by
the C hicago H arbor and River Convention, o f the statistics o f Chicago,
from which w e derive more recent statements o f the trade o f that city.
T h e following table exhibits the amount o f goods, wares, and merchandise
received at Chicago, from the opening o f navigation in the spring o f 1847,
to Novem ber 1st, near the close o f navigation, 1847 ; not including goods
landed there and taken to the in terior; compiled from the original invoices
o f merchants :—
Dry-goods............................
Groceries.............................
Hardware............................
Iron and nails.....................
Stoves and hollow-ware__
Crockery.............................
Boots and shoes..................
Hats, caps, and furs............
Jewelry, & c........................
Books and stationery..........
Printing paper....................
Presses, type, and printing
materials.........................
Drugs and medicines..........

$837,451
506,027
148,811
88,275
68,612
30,505
94,275
68,200
51,000
43,580
7,284

22
56
50
00
00
00
00
00
00
00
11

Liquors......................... .......
$86,334
Tobacco and cigars.... .......
3,716
Ship chandlery............
23,000
15,000
Tools and hardware...
Furniture trimming..... .......
5,564
Glass............................
8,949
Scales..........................
4,044
Coaches, &c................
1,500
Looking glasses, &c...
2,500
Marble.........................
800
Oysters........................
2,500
Sportsman’s articles....
2,000
7,432 50 Musical instruments... .......
6,426
30,000
92,081 41 Machinery, &c............ .......
25,460 00
Total value of imports of merchandise....
... $2,259,309

67
00
00
00
07
24
55
00
00
00
00
00
00
00
83

TABLE OF IMPORTS OF MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.

Salt....................................... . .bbls.
Salt........................................ .sacks
Value.

24,817 Coal..............................
5,537 Water lime.................
........... $117,210 29

And numerous other articles not here enumerated, such as pig-iron,
white fish and trout, fruit, grindstones, cider, & c.
TABLE SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF LUMBER, ETC., RECEIVED AT CHICAGO FROM THE OPENING OF

NAVIGATION TO NOVEMBER 1ST, 1847.
Plank, boards, & c.... .......feet 32,118,225 Shingle bolts..................
Shingles.................... ....... M. 12,148,500 Tanners’ bark...............
Lath..........................
5,655,700 Staves...........................
Square timber...........
24,000 Spokes.........................
Total value
.......... $265,332 50

328
600
50,000
100,000

TABLE EXHIBITING THE EXPORTS FROM THE PORT OF CHICAGO FROM THE OPENING OF NAVIGATION,

1847,

TO NOVEMBER

1ST, 1847.

Wheat....................... .........bush. 1,974,304 Flax seed...................... __ bush.
Oats...........................
Beef.........................
Pork ........................
Tallow .....................
Beans......................
W o o l ......................
Tobacco .................
Lard.........................
Oil............................
Lead.........................
Hemp......................




32,598
67^315
38^892
26,504
22,416
47,248
208^435
47,536
430
411,088
28,243
139.069
2,740
5'490
8,793
10,254
6,521

Hay................................
Cranberries...................
BufFalo robes................
Deer skins.................... ........lbs.
Furs.............................
Ginseng........................
Ashes...........................
Bristles.........................
White fish....................
Barley...........................

Value...........................................

$2,296,299

2,262
520
536
415
250
60
8,774
28,259
1,133
278
3,625
16
4,548
2,480
3,168
1,229
400

171

City o f Chicago, Illinois.

Besides, a large amount o f merchandise, produce, provisions, grain,
horses, cattle, salt, and supplies o f all kinds sent to the lumber and min­
ing regions, and different ports on the upper and low er lakes.
T h e following is the shipping list o f C hicago :—
Shipping List o f
Chicago, 1846.

N o. o f
vessels.

Steamboats...........
Propellers.............
Brigs......................
Schooners.............

19
17
36
120

352
111
94
837

160
111
94
157

158
82
62
134

Total.................

192

1,394

522

436

Arrivals. Entries. Clearances. Departures. Tonnage,

358
109
94
835
1,396

No. o f vess.
employed.

14,351
5,170
8,781
16,443

380
204
324
720

44,745

1,628

It may not be irrelevant to give here a catalogue o f the different kinds
o f business, trades, & c ., for the close o f the year 1845 ; carefully ascer­
tained by Mr. Norris, for insertion in his “ D irectory o f Chicago, for
1846.”
T h e list embraces only those trades considered most worthy o f
notice :—
6 auction and commission stores.
7 bankers and brokers.
8 boot, shoe, and leather stores.
6 botanical vegetable gardens.
12 cabinet and chair manufactories.
11 ready-made clothing stores.
2 colleges.
7 drug stores.
8 dry-goods and fancy stores.
64 wholesale and retail dry grocery stores.
8 or 10 commission stores.
14 forwarding commission stores.
4 foundries.
1 French burr mill-stone manufactory.
63 retail grocery stores.
17 hardware stores.
4 hat, cap, and fur stores.
23 hotels and taverns.
9 bakers.
40 practical lawyers.
53 learned lawyers.
5 book stores.
3 crockery stores.

12 or 15 insurance agencies.
2 leather stores.
15 lumber dealers.
2 marble factories.
15 private market-houses.
2 steam-mills ) 0 r .,
a
i ,
2 wind-mills \ 3 of them flour and 1 saw‘
1 museum.
10 newspapers (3 daily and 7 weekly.)
8 oil, soap, and candle manufactories.
6 packing-houses for beef and pork.
2 steam planing-mills.
1 pottery.
8 printing houses (job and book.)
8 saddle and harness makers.
2 ship builders.
2 ship chandlers.
13 wagon makers.
12 blacksmiths.
25 boot and shoe makers.
3 breweries.
13 coopers.
4 door and sash blind factories.

T h e vessels trading with Chicago, in 1844, numbered 194 ; o f which
18 w ere steamboats ; 10 propellers ; 26 brigs ; 136 schooners ; 1 bark,
and 4 sloops. Their total tonnage amounted to 35,919 tons.
T h e table below shows the number o f arrivals and departures for recent
y e a r s :—
1842 ......... Arrived... 705—Cleared... 705— Total...
1843 ......
“
756
“
691
“
1844 .....
“
1,243
“
1,243?
“
1845 ......
“
1,159?
“
1,159
“

1,410—Ag.
1,447
2,486
2,318

tonnage... 117,711
••
289,852
“
459,910
“
?

T h e arrivals and departures for 1845, here given, do not include coast­
ing vessels, or the mail steamer running to St. Joseph, M ichigan.




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Ships, Models, Ship-Building, etc.

Art. V.— SHIPS, MODELS, SHIP-BUILDING, etc.*

/

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MERCHANTS’ MAGAZINE AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

I n the Merchants’ M agazine o f May, 1847, and in previous numbers, I
noticed some interesting remarks upon ships— as they w ere, as they are,
and as they should be. T h ey taught me much ; but the arguments o f the
author, intended to give an impression that science and mathematical cal­
culations are more necessary and important to the modeller and planner
o f a vessel than anything else, strengthened a previously formed contrary
opinion o f mine.
In an American paper, speaking o f a ship built by Mr. Samuel Hall,
East Boston, but modelled by Mr. Pook, naval constructor at the Charles­
town navy-yard, the writer says— “ She is built on purely scientific princi­
ples ; there is no guess-work about her, and she must succeed.” Mr. Hall
has built, without Mr. Pook’ s help, the Akbar, Coquette, Antelope, M as­
sachusetts, Edith, Samoset, Peterhof, Iosco, and other w ell-known vessels,
which have succeeded, and will succeed.
By English papers, it would seem that in Parliament, the past and pre­
sent administrations have been violently attacked for allowing Sir W illiam
Simonds to model nearly all the modern English naval vessels, because it
is said he is usually guided by guess-work and experience. Some honor­
able gentlemen want the vessels to be modelled by purely scientific men,
who will do it entirely by purely mathematical and scientific rules ; and
they blame very much the abolishment o f the School o f Naval A rchitec­
ture at Portsmouth, as its scholars would, no doubt, have in time produced
the most perfect vessels in the world. It existed many years— long enough
to prove that it could not accomplish its expected result.
Science and mathematics must be o f very great use to the modeller and
planner o f a vessel ; but, alone, they would no more produce a good ves­
sel, than hearing a lecture on swimming, and practising the given rules
on a feather-bed, would make a good swimmer. W hen the winds and
waves, and their various influences on a vessel, can be calculated on cor­
rectly by a man who never saw salt water, or a large body o f fresh water,
then, and then only, can science alone build a fine vessel. N ow the freaks
o f wind and wave are so varied and numerous, that the oldest sailor often
sees one new and strange, how many must the youngest sailor see ? and
how many would a purely scientific man see when subjected to their influ­
ence for the first time ? H e would learn much from a few sea-voyages—
how, then, can he be perfect without once goin g?
A first-rate ship-builder, according to the usual application o f that term,
w ill turn out a very fair vessel without any science— more mathematical
knowledge than enough to calculate dollars and cents— any o f the informa­
tion o f the sailor or merchant. Many such exist, and laugh at those who
talk o f building by drafting, laying down, & c . T h ey can do w ell enough
* The author of the following communication says, in a note to the editor, “ My grand­
father, as a merchant, built very fast ships; my father, as a ship-master and merchant,
understands them; so I naturally have a taste for them. Two years as passenger or
supercargo at sea; eight years in South America; five years visiting ship-yards from New
Orleans to Portland, and always in boats or about wharves or ship-yards; occasionally
building a boat, and once superintending a small vessel, have given me some knowledge
upon what I have written.”




Ships, Models, Ship-Building, etc.

173

by the eye— they care nothing for a sailor’s or a merchant’s opinion— they
learn enough about water within ten miles o f shore for their purpose.
Th eir vessels sometimes prove exceedingly fast and good ; no one can tell
why. It appears to be an accidental combination o f peculiarities, not, sep­
arately or combined, generally considered as good ; but one fault neutral­
izes another, and only good results are left. It would be strange, as most
vessels are built thus, that some o f them should not prove remarkably
good, and many o f them very good. G ive this builder science and math­
ematical knowledge, and it would, no doubt, improve him in many particu­
lars, but it would also lead him into many errors. Let him obtain the
knowledge o f a sailor and a merchant o f the action o f the winds and waves,
and various kinds o f cargo on a v e sse l; the operation o f various peculiari­
ties o f build on different vessels ; comparing one vessel with another on
the ocean, in all weathers, and variously loaded ; have plenty o f intelli­
gence and common sense to apply this knowledge, and it will help him
more than mere science and mathematical knowledge.
Many a vessel, having but one important fault, is by that made a poor
vessel for general purposes. T oo heavy a top, too narrow, too Iow a stern,
not enough body forward or aft, so as to plunge or drop much ; too much
or too little o f any one thing, may spoil the vessel, and neutralize her
many perfections— so equally must everything be proportioned to the rest.
Science and mathematics cannot determine these proportions, and adapt
these peculiarities to each other; and proportioning and adapting properly
are more important than anything else. Experience, judgment and talent
are requisite.
There are men in the United States w ho combine all, or nearly all, the
above requisites. T h ey can view each peculiarity o f a model as ship­
builders, sailors, and merchants, and no doubt have much science and
mathematical skill to help them. T h e Howqua, Coquette, Crusader, V a l­
paraiso, Paul Jones, and other ships, w ere not built by mere science and
mathematics ; and yet few vessels built at navy-yards equal them.
T h e following are but opinions, though now believed correct— a year
hence, they may change. F ew successful builders use a model twice—
most consider it perfect when the vessel is commenced ; and when she is
done, they see much to alter. N ow I think these opinions correct, and
may state them as facts, for the sake o f brevity. Many have different,
and. I doubt not, in many particulars, more correct views ; but they have
not put them in print— at least, I can find little worth notice in print upon
modern ship-building, except articles in the lloston Post and other papers,
describing new vessels ; and they rarely mention peculiarities o f model
particularly. I hope more may soon appear, if it be only to correct my
mistakes, and suggest perfections and peculiarities to me new. This at­
tempt may be o f some use in causing a few to adopt the good opinions, or
avoid the bad ones given, if it does not cause better ones to be made public.
Not having scientific phrases at command, I must use, as well as I can,
the terms applied by some ship-builders and sailors to different parts, pe­
culiarities, and principles o f vessels.
Once, each section o f the United States built vessels so differently, that
any one could tell at a glance, if tolerably conversant with nautical mat­
ters, where a vessel was built. N ow , it is more difficult; and the best
judges are frequently puzzled. Is it not because all are improving 1— b e ­
com ing less fond o f tueir sectional peculiarities, and willing to adopt good




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Ships , Models, Ship-Building, etc,

wherever it comes from ? I think it is so in ship-building, as w ell as in
religion and politics. A clipper need not be built in Baltimore now, more
than one sect in religion may be tolerated; and a republic is allowed to
hhve many good points. The Essex fishing schooner, the Chesapeake
Bay schooner, the D own-East lumber schooner or brig, the Hudson River
sloop, the Long Island Sound sloop, the Newport boats, and the M assa­
chusetts Bay dory, still preserve their various peculiarities as marked as
many years a g o ; but among them are found, each year, a greater pro­
portion o f differing craft— some differing much, and others little ; the lat­
ter usually improvements.
Steamboats have caused many sharp vessels to be built since they began
their ocean voyages, and would have caused many more, w ere it not that
the last ten years have proved that a vessel not very sharp may sail very
fast. In a few years, L oper’ s hoisting propeller, enabling a vessel to sail
or steam at pleasure, will, in long voyages, puzzle both sailing clipper and
mere steamer. T h e two, combined, will beat either. W h y they w ill beat,
would cause too lengthy an explanation for the present.
Buttocks aft, much more draught aft than forward, extreme rake to stem,
rake to stern-post, hollow water-lines, and dead-wood forward and aft,
w ere once frequently to be all seen in a new vessel. N ow , they are rarely
com bined ; though most vessels lately built have one or two o f them. A
great difference in draught, and much rake to stern-post, are now rarely
seen in a new vessel. Buttocks, extreme rake to stem, hollow waterlines, and dead-wood, are still common. A ll are faults— they never do
good, unless by neutralizing another fault. H ollow water-lines (and, when
extreme, they form dead-wood,) make buttocks necessary to support the
vessel aft, and a full harping to support her forward. Give her floor, body,
and round lines below , forward and aft, and they will support her. So,
then, full harping would only serve to make trouble in opening water, and
buttocks would only make trouble aft, and drag w ater; thus diminishing
the speed o f the vessel very much. Many vessels push quite a sea before
them, and abreast the fore-chains, and I have seen vessels dragging
clothes, & c ., after them, by suction ; and, in one case, a sixteen-feet long­
boat was dragged most o f the time by suction, in Delaware River, by a
coal-loaded schooner. T o o low a stern, or a buttock aft, is the most com ­
mon fault in vessels. I know many vessels made a knot slower by that
buttock alone. I have been in several, that are rather fast vessels, that
dragged much water after them— otherwise, they would have been much
faster. Great difference o f draught is a poor w ay o f increasing a ves­
sel’ s hold on the water— it is much better to get that hold by a long and
deep keel. Extreme rake to stem will make a vessel tack quicker in
smooth water, and that is its only advantage. Extreme rake to stern-post
has no advantages. T h e disadvantages o f either are, that, the vessel will
not tack so quickly in rough water ; will be more apt to miss-stay always ;
will not hold her w ay so well in stays, nor steer as steadily; have less hold
on the water, to keep from making leew ay ; make the low er water-lines
fu ller; will shorten the floor, taking away buoyancy and stability from
below , forward or a ft; so, last, fifteen or twenty feet o f the vessel, having
nothing below to support it, hangs on the rest o f the vessel, which, o f
course, must cause a tendency to pitch, drop, and hog. A stem must have
some rake, or the chain w ill cut copper or lead from fore-foot, and the
anchor would catch under end o f keel. W ith much flare to the bow ,




Ships, Models, Ship-Building, etc.

175

three feet would be enough rake for the stem o f a vessel o f 200 tons—
stern-post should have no rake. H ollow water-lines and dead-wood have
the same effect to a plumb-stemmed and stern-posted vessel that a great
rake would have, except that the latter would not have the gripe, forward
and aft, o f the form er; so a plumb vessel, with dead-wood, would be a
little better than if that dead-wood w ere cut off, and she was left a raking*
stemmed and stern-posted vessel, but would be better still if, for dead-wood,
floor was put, and for hollow lines rounding o n e s ; or, for concave, put
convex lines— the floor would increase her buoyancy at ends, & c . A hol­
low water-line is always bad— always makes trouble. W ater always
hangs in i t ; is pushed forward o f a vessel in it, or pushed under a vessel in
it, or is dragged after a vessel in it, or com es from surface by w ay o f the
bottom o f the vessel just abaft the rudder, as a chip often proves, when a
vessel runs over it. A perfectly modelled vessel would push a chip round
her at surface, or one, two, three, or six feet below the surface, if it struck
her on stem ; so it would leave stern-post without being dragged at all,
at same distance below surface as when it touched the stem— vessel sup­
posed to have plumb ends, long floor, wide floor, convex and perfectly
curved water-lines, and going six knots in smooth water, with a fair wind.
A straight line would be better than a convex one w ere it not that when
side line joined lines forming ends, a corner would occur ; and water does
not like to go round corners. A straight line would be nearer than a
concave for the same bulk, and a little nearer than a convex ; and the
shorter the distance the water travels, the less the friction. A vessel may
b e modelled to run over anything striking the stem at surface o f water, or
a little below it. A raking stem, and very hollow water-lines forward,
w ill do it. W ater will also follow shape o f after-body o f vessel, and rise
as the floor rises. T h e water-lines should be nearly straight the first
few feet and last few, to open, and leave the water cleanly ; then an easy,
true curve, to nearly the greatest beam. The side line should never be
perfectly straight, but slightly increasing or diminishing to greatest beam,
and from it. N o two frames in vessels should be alike. Some vessels
are the same size, thirty or forty fe e t; and sailors sometimes say such
“ are built by the mile down East.” Quick curves to water-lines should
be avoided, and particularly aft, where they so frequently form a buttock.
H ollow water-lines necessarily form a quicker curve than straight, and
straight quicker than convex. A vessel on the water-lines, even the deep­
load one, should be sharper 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 feet from stern-post than
stem ; but the difference at deep-load line, light-load line, and line along
bilge, should be very slight. T h e lines aft should be o f same character
as those forward, but a trifle sharper, so that low er part o f stern will ap­
pear the bow o f a smaller, sharper vessel, on the same principles as the
real bow , carrying the floor and bilge aft as w ell as forward— greatest
beam at bilge in a vessel being 5 feet forward o f amidships, and on deck
20 a 25 feet from stem at deck, for 100 feet deck, and in that proportion.
In smooth water, a little more body is required forward than aft, as all
propelling power has a tendency to bury forward, as steamboats and row ­
boats prove, but sails more than any other means o f propelling. W hen
driving into a head sea, more body is required forward, in proportion to
body aft, than in smooth w a te r; and the beam, getting gradually forward,
from the bilge up, w ill have the desired effect. Besides, with no buttocks




176

Ships, Models, Ship-Building, etc.

behind, for the sea to raise the after part o f vessel by, she will not be apt
to plunge, i f but little fuller forward than aft.
K eel and shoe should be as deep as strength will allow, and the same
depth forward, aft, and amidships, with as much gripe forward and aft as
possible ; it steadies a vessel, and thus makes her faster, makes her steer
much better, more sure to stay, keeps her headway longer, and, o f course,
makes her hold on better when on the wind. Shoe should be coppered ;
as worms in many places cut it to pieces, and in others it becom es covered
with shells, grass, & c . Forward part o f stem (cutwater) and after part
o f stern-post should be no thicker than n ecessary; the thinner they are,
the better they open and leave the water. A hollow floor-timber has only
one advantage— it permits part o f keel to be made o f the garboard streak
and floor-timber, and so permits a deeper keel than in any other way. A
round floor-timber may be a little stronger than a straight one, but the
latter can be made strong enough. A straight floor-timber is the simplest
to make a model for, and get out timber fo r; and, therefore, I think, the
best, on the whole. I like a quick bilge ; but it must never be too quick
for strength, or easily to get timber f o r ; and it must not bo too quick in a
very wide vessel, lest it should cause masts to be jerked out, and rigging
to w ear out very quickly. Its good qualities are, giving buoyancy and
stability, so that a vessel does not load deep ; and when light, w ill be, com ­
pared with her dimensions, and other peculiarities, stiff. It does not make
a vessel too stiff when deep, as then it is buoyancy below water, and
having a tendency to raise, eases the vessel’ s motions : buoyancy it b e­
com es when ten or more feet under water, though near surface it is
stability. Not only is a long floor good, but a wide floor is good also for
speed. Stiffness is altogether a question o f dimensions ; but a long and
wide-floored deep vessel wants more beam on their account, while a
shoal vessel would want less beam in consequence o f great floor. T o
give a long floor, carry bilge w ell forward and aft, and let dead rise be
but a few inches more forward and aft than it is amidships at quarter
floor. At quarter and half floor, greatest beam should be amidships.
Nothing makes a vessel so fast, in all winds, so steady, so dry, so buoy­
ant, and so safe, as a long floor, and plenty o f body near ends o f keel.
T h e floor in a long-floored vessel must be parallel with the water’ s edge,
or she will strive to make it so by burying forward or dropping aft. The
secret in getting a vessel’ s trim, is to get floor as nearly parallel to water’s
edge as possible ; the force used to make them parallel, when a vessel is
going eight knots, might, if they w ere parallel, make her g o ten. In
making a vessel draw more water aft than forward, the extra draught aft
should be all dead-wood ; if it be body, it will be always dragging up hill,
and stop the vessel materially. A long-floored vessel cuts through a small
sea without minding i t ; but a large sea alters level o f water, and she
alters her position, keeping the level o f the sea as nearly parallel with her
floor as possible— thus, when motion is necessary, giving just enough, and
in an easy, graceful w a y ; when a short-floored vessel would be plunging
and dropping most uncomfortably, and much to the injury o f her speed.
A rounding side, or swell to the side, makes a better appearance than
a straight or wall side ; is a trifle stronger, and slightly diminishes the
register ton n age; allows the chain plates to be more nearly in a line with
shrouds, and I believe there is no objection to it. T h e stern should be




Ships, Models, Ship-Building, etc.

177

very high, oval in shape, and its surface convex every w a y ; the centre o f
the transom and name-hoard should be dropped one to three feet lower
than ends, to give a larger appearance to stern, an oval shape, and take
o ff the flat surface under counters, so apt to slap heavily into a sea. Stern
should be widest and deepest across the centre. The counter should rake
much more than stern, be just large enough in centre for rudder-post to go
through, and tapering quickly to nothing at the ends. T h e stern may thus
appear large enough for symmetry, and yet ends o f transom be so high up
as never to be heeled into water, as is now frequently done by deeplyloaded vessels. M uch flare to bow is desirable ; it throws catheads out,
and, o f course, anchor clear o f v essel; keeps water and wind o ff sailors
forward, looks well, helps a vessel in a very heavy sea when burying, and
does no harm. T h e same flare should be on stem as at cathead, prevent­
ing the square look across the bow so often seen in vessels having much
flare, and keeps much water com ing in between bowsprit and cathead.
Shear makes a vessel stronger, drier, and a better sea-boat; much o f the
appearance o f it may be taken o ff by the monkey-rail. Crow n to the deck
makes a vessel stronger, and makes water run to scuppers freely. Chan­
nels in a large vessel, and chain plates in a small one, should be as snug
and high up as p ossib le; they often heel in when a vessel is deep, make
much fuss, and stop the vessel very much ; they must (chain plates) be
outside the main rail and planking; if not, when mast should be carried
away, the rail would go, plank-shear split, and planking, perhaps, tear oflj
and the vessel be opened to the waters. Large scuppers, and three or
more o f a side, (in a small vessel a piece o f leather nailed on the forward
side o f each,) will keep water from running into them. T h e simplest and
best w ay to notice trim o f vessel at sea, is to mark where water stands in
lee scuppers. E very vessel should have in her log-book a place to note
draught forward and aft each commencement and end o f voyage, and cargo
in barrels, feet, and tons o f 2,240 lbs. L ow er board o f bulwarks, on hinges,
is good to let water o ff decks. A port amidships is often useful in passing
cargo out or in. Plank-shear should slant out and inboard, to keep water
from standing about feet o f bulwark stancheons, and rotting oakum.
K eel, kelson, stem, stern-post, floor-timbers, a n d » bilge o f a vessel,
should be very strong ; top sides and deck-frame as light and o f as light
woods as necessary strength will perm it; also, as light above the deck as
possible— no waste weight o f rigging, iron-work, or bulwarks, & c ., as
thus some beam may be saved, or ability to carry sail g a in ed ; and the
smaller the section to be driven through the water, the better, compared
with a certain amount o f canvass.
E very vessel should have partner
beams to support the masts, (in a very shoal vessel they may form part o f
the deck-fram e,) as then deck is not apt to be strained, and rot at heel o f
mast is not so dangerous. H anging knees to deck are not necessary to
a vessel under four hundred tons, and thej^ cost money, and take room.
M any fine Baltimore vessels, about three hundred tons, have carried heavy
cargoes w ell, many years, without them, and some without lodging knees.
But I think a vessel, to be strong, should have lodging knees ; as, without
them, fastening being in extreme ends o f deck-beams only, might allow
side o f vessel and deck to separate, should the vessel be thrown on her
beam.ends ; with knees, the deck-beams are partly held by fastening two
or three feet from ends. A vessel should have plenty and thick bilge
streaks, thick streaks, clamps, and stringers— a board will not easily bend
V O L . X V I II .— N O. I I .
12




178

Ships, M odels, Ship-Building, etc.

edgeways.
Ceiling should be cau lked; timbers to fit neatly, but not
w ater-tight; room must be left for water or liquid cargo to run down. An
inch between the timbers com posing frame should be left for ventilation,
and chocks to keep water from running freely, and blowing, but not so
tight as to keep water from running slow ly ; should be two o f a side
between each frame, one just above, and the other just below the bilge.
The three deck-plank next the water-way should be an inch or more
thicker than rest o f deck, let into deck-frame, w ell spiked to deck-beams,
and all bolted to water-way and frame o f vessel. Salt and ventilation are
very important, particularly about stem and transom s; a valuable vessel
should have brass ventilators opening on deck— besides preserving the
vessel, they would be o f service to cargoes o f fruit, coffee, & c. N ew
vessels often leak at scarfs o f keel, other scarfs, water-closet pipes, holes
bored for fastening, and not filled, scuppers, naval-pieces, hawse-holes,
bowsprit, and side-lights to cabin. All butts should be water-stopped.
W ater-casks, as a general thing, are a nuisance. An iron water-tank,
five feet by five, by seven, holding thirty-five barrels, would take but little
room in a house on d e c k ; and water-tanks under the forecastle and cabin
would carry enough water for all purposes. A long-boat is also usually
useless, and takes much room on deck ; it rarely leaves its place on deck
once a year, and often in five years is rotten, without once leaving the
d e c k ; its form is usually so bad as to make it worth less than a good
large quarter-boat in case o f shipwreck, or distress o f any kind at sea.
One large quarter-boat, fit to carry out an an ch or; another for captain’ s
gig, and a galvanized iron life-boat, as made at Novelty W orks, lighter
than wood, and about the same cost as wood, are enough for a vessel o f
three hundred to n s; they should hoist high out o f water to iron quarterdavits, or go on top o f the houses on deck. A small, light iron boat is
handy in port, as one man can pull i t ; and i f a man be overboard, two
men can toss it to him from the quarter-deck. A good and large winch
is very useful to hoist cargo, move vessel, or get a purchase for anything,
much better than a capstan, l think. In a large vessel, the forecastle
below makes a capital place for sails, & c ., sailors being in the house on
deck amidships, with a larboard and starboard door. It is rarely good
policy to put iron fastening into the bottom o f a v e s s e l; the prejudice
consequent against her, when a few years old, more than balances the
difference in cost between copper, or composition, and iron ; besides, it is
difficult and expensive to copper the bottom o f an iron-fastened vessel.
A ll metal about a vessel, not necessarily iron, should be copper, or com ­
position, as tropical sea air rusts iron astonishingly. T h ere should be
plenty o f eyebolts and ringbolts about the deck and stancheons. T o p ­
gallant forecastle makes a capital pin-rail, paint-lccker, tool-locker,
water-closet, and bathing-room.
T h e best possible spars, iron work, blocks, boats, windlass, winch, pumps,
and steering gear, are cheapest at the end o f five years. Robinson’ s or
R eed ’ s (Boston) patent screw (not cog-w heels) iron steering gear is the
best I k n o w ; cog-w heels are usually noisj'— and as they grow old, becom e
very n o is y ; besides, a screw is steadier, more simple, and more easily
repaired.
Forbes’ (Boston) binnacle, is a very simple and useful plan.
It is bad to have weight o f chains in eyes o f vessel, therefore would have
chain-boxes at mainmast, and think in a stiff vessel it would be a good
plan to have chains, each in a box, on deck, on rollers, to trim v e s s e l;




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179

still keeping ready below a place for them. A cast iron pin-rail round
the masts, lately brought in use at Baltimore, is a very good thing. A
large bell forward to answer the small one aft, to show watch is awake,
can do no harm, and costs little. A lantern at end o f bowsprit, to throw
light abeam and ahead, may often prevent a collision. Stools on deck,
made life-preservers by a tin-pan fast to bottom, may save the life o f a
man overboard. Arm-chairs are very comfortable on board ship, on deck
or below, particularly if their bottoms are fast, and their backs will slew
to leeward. A porch to entrance o f cabin is a nice place to smoke, or
skulk, when captain or passengers want to, in bad weather. There
should be plenty o f side-lights, air-ports, and, in a small vessel, glasses in
the cabin stern-w indow ; dead-lights, and light and air in the w ater-closets;
a rack swinging in cabin for glasses, water and bottles, with a lamp at
each end, so cabin may be safely well-lighted in bad weather. A groove
in after part o f rudder, from water’ s edge down, it is said, will prevent its
jarring, when a vessel is going very fast. A cabin below is uncomfort­
able, except in a vessel o f over 1,000 tons ; one all on deck ugly always,
and inconvenient. One half below and half on deck, coming up to the
main-rail, suits me best in any vessel under 800 tons, unless she be very
deep, and can have it all below w ell enough; and that is rarely the case.
Plenty o f chocks andcleets about are handy, and they should not be sham
ones, as is frequently the case, being o f poor wood, and spiked carelessly
on. Munt’s (E nglish) and H . N. H ooper’s (Boston) yellow metal, are
about the same, and most who have lately tried them, prefer either to copr
per for the bottoms o f vessels. T h e patent pump, protected from choking
with grain or other substances, by a wire strainer at sides and bottom, is
a good invention. Great care should be taken to strengthen vessel where
the cabin cuts o ff the deck— many vessels work there first.
Bowsprit should be long and stron g; jib-boom the sa m e; flying jibboom in a separate piece, as in many places it is by law required to be
rigged in ; too short bowsprits and jib-boom s are common, and generally
too much steve is given them. Thus jibs which are lifting and driving sails,
are too sm all; 2 i a 3 inches steve to foot, is enough for a vessel with a good
body below forward, to keep her from pitching badly. Fore and main­
masts the same diameter, and foremast only 3 or 4 feet shorter than main ;
that is enough to keep yards from locking. All masts above lower masts,
and all yards on fore and main, to be o f same length, so that sails may be
easily shifted. Masts should be stout and strong, so rigging may be light
and slack. American vessels often beat in sailing, on account o f stout
masts, and light slack rigging, giving the masts some play. Many foreign
vessels have light spars overloaded with rigging, and tied up by it, so masts
have no play. Lon g lower masts, as large courses, drive w e ll; all can­
vass drives better in one piece than in two ; topmasts a trifle short in pro­
portion, as topsails are particularly storm sails ; topgallant-masts and yards
long, for India or South American passages, for which, studding-sails and
stay-sails should be large and plenty ; a large topgallant.sail is rarely ob­
jectionable, and may often be set to advantage in lulls during squally
weather, over single-reefed top sails; topgallant-backstays, spread by
whiskers from topmast-cross-trees, enable topgallant-sails to be carried
long along lower and topsail-yards, to spread as much low sail as possible;
storm stay-sails, and storm-spencers are good sails ; long mast-heads give
strength, and long yard-arms look w ell, and support studding-sail-booms.




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R . B. Forbes’ (Boston) rig, as in bark Samoset, having two topsails, one set­
ting on head o f lower mast, and other as usual on topmast, many captains,
mates, sailors, and the writer, like very much. Masts should never rake
less than one inch to foot, and never more than I f . All masts should rake
alike ; i f there must be a difference, I would prefer the foremast to rake
the most, as, on the wind, the rake to foremast does good in lifting vessel
over the head sea, and rake to mainmast then has little effect. Before the
wind, the mainmast does most good ; and then the rake, being more than
i inch to foot, is an injury, particularly in light winds, when sails are apt
to flap in to the mast and throw the wind out o f them ; and great rake to
masts is always an objection in very light winds. Topmasts, etc., should
rake the same as low er masts. A hermaphrodite brig rig appears to be
fastest and best on the average. I dislike a full-rigged brig, and would
prefer bark rig, on account o f main-braces leading in a bark to the miz­
zenmast, supporting the mainmast, and allowing topgallant-sails and
studding-sails to be carried longer than in a brig ; also, the mainmast in
a bark can be placed nearer centre o f vessel than in a brig. I prefer
cotton canvass to any other ; it is now made soft enough and good enough
for anything; it holds wind better, so keeps full better in light winds,
(partly on account o f its lightness,) and on average makes a vessel i knot
faster than linen ; it is cheap, and lasts long enough— some suits three
years— but when it begins to go, it is useless to patch i t ; old cotton is al­
ways rotten. I f care is taken, it w ill not mildew much.
R iggin g o f Am erican dew-rotted hemp, is stronger at first than that o f
Russian hemp ; some say it is more apt to rot, and all know it is very
rough in appearance, and dark in color. Am erican water-rotted hemp is
the best in the world.
Dimensions depend upon the purpose for which the vessel is to be used,
and also upon the peculiarities o f model. Some vessels sixteen feet deep,
and twenty-three wide, are stiff; others, sixteen deep, and twenty-six
wide, are crank ; others, twelve deep and twenty-three wide, are stiff; and
others, twelve deep and twenty-six wide, are rather crank ; some want a
long vessel, some a wide one, and some a shoal one, and vice versa— each
trade demands its peculiarities o f model. The only objection to length is,
that in a sea-way, it requires additional strength. O f course, a long ves­
sel has more seas to contend with, at the same time, than a short one ;
length helps speed, steadiness, capacity, and' allows easier and truer w a­
ter-lines. T o depth, the only limits are, the draught o f water wranted, (load­
ed vessels, on the average, draw about as many feet as they are deep in
the hold, amidships,) and other particulars o f model. Generally, beam
enough to stand in harbor, without ballast, and go to sea with little ba l­
last, are necessary ; that will enable them to carry sail well in heavy
weather, and carry a deck-load in case o f n eed ; to give a shoal draught, add
to length rather than to beam ; too much beam makes a vessel roll quick,
ly and uneasily, wearing out rigging, risking loss o f spars, causes more
nominal increase o f tonnage, than real increase o f capacity, and a greater
sectional displacement, which is much against speed ; it is better to give
greater body to ends o f vessel, than to give it amidships, on that account.
N o rule w ill apply to placing o f masts, so much depends on shape o f
vessel and rig ; the foremast is frequently too far forward— it would be
well to crow d masts into centre o f vessel, w ere it not that it would cause
sails to be too high. G iving great length to a vessel, w ill enable masts to




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181

be placed far from the ends, and yet masts will not be too near together
for long yards.
For general freighting purposes, according to foregoing opinions ex­
pressed, a 13 feet hold vessel should be 26 feet beam, 120 feet keel, and
125 a 128 feet deck, 4 feet rake to stem, no rake to stern-post, about 390
tons register, and carry about 4,500 bbls. ; have 10 inches dead rise to
half floor, 24 inches keel, clear o f copper, and 6 inches shoe ; stern 21
a 22 feet wide across centre, the widest place ; 24 inches shear forward,
and 20 a ft ; deck laying on the upper transom ends, centre o f transom
and name-board dropped 2 fe e t; bowsprit to steve 2 i inches to foot. I f
bark rigged, foremast 59 feet long, 23 inches diameter, and centre o f it
on deck 27 feet from forward part o f stem ; mainmast, 62 feet 23 inches,
and centre o f it 43 feet from centre o f forem ast; mizzenmast, 57 feet 19
inches diameter, 31 feet from centre o f mainmast, and 24 feet from after
part o f stern-post on deck, i f deck be 125 feet long. All masts to rake 11
inches to foot. L ow er yards 56 feet long. Such a vessel would carry a
very large cargo for her depth ; load light, be very buoyant, lively, stiff, dry,
safe, easy, fa st; be a good sea-boat, lay in harbor without ballast, go to
sea with little ballast, carry a deck load in case o f need, and be on the
whole a very desirable vessel o f her depth and dead rise.
G ive a foot more beam, 8 inches more dead rise, 1^ inches rake to
masts, and she would be so fast that few vessels would sail as fast, and
she would still carry well. End should be a little sharper, too, than in a
vessel o f less dead rise ; and beam and rake to masts, as proportions must
always be observed.
J. e . g .
Massachusetts, D ec. 28th, 1847.

Art. VI.— REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
T he late report o f the Secretary o f the Treasury has received from
the administration papers more than the ordinary portion o f eulogy be­
stowed on such documents, and it must be admitted that it exhibits in­
genuity and talent, as well as indefatigable labor. But it unfortunately
happens that in these annual expositions from the executive departments,
the writers, not content with a mere statement o f facts for the information
o f the people, also seek to defend the policy o f the administrations ; to laud
the measures which they themselves have recommended, and to vaunt the
ability and success with which their particular department has been con­
ducted. These cabinet manifestoes must therefore be read with the same
cautious and searching scrutiny with which we would examine the plead­
ings o f a professed advocate.
It is the purpose o f the following remarks to notice some o f the posithjhs
o f Mr. W alker, which appear to have been written under this bias ; and to
separate from what it contains o f sound principles and just reasoning doc­
trines, those that are at once fallacious and pernicious.
One o f the most striking fallacies in this report is, in ascribing to the
measures o f public policy what is due wholly and solely to the high price
o f grain in Europe, concurring with an unusually large crop in the United
States. This state o f things immediately brought prosperity to that large
class o f our agriculturists who are engaged in raising provisions; gave




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Report o f the Secretary o f the Treasury.

a stimulus to every branch o f trade in our great cities ; immensely in­
creased the profits o f the shipping interest; and, our exports being thus
suddenly augmented in quantity and value, w ere followed by an unprece­
dented influx o f specie.
In consequence o f this extraordinary accession o f gold and silver, the
mint was able to coin to an amount never reached before ; the govern­
ment to collect its dues at the custom-house without inconvenience, as well
as to-remit the millions it required for the M exican w a r ; and the banks,
notwithstanding this incessant drain o f specie, had more than an average
amount in their vaults.
N ow this state o f things would have been precisely the same, though .
the sub-treasury scheme had not been adopted. T h e government would
have had the same means o f converting foreign into Am erican coin, or o f
sending specie to M exico, and the banks w7ould not have had a dollar
more or less in their coffers. T heir paper would have been equally
sound, and not a wThit more extended than at present. A very slight ex­
amination w ill show that the benefits attributed by Mr. W alker to what
is commonly known as the sub-treasury system, are altogether illusory ;
and it w ill be but charitable to suppose that he himself, not purposely in­
tending to mislead the public, has fallen under the common delusion o f
believing what he wished to be true.
Under the new system, the revenues o f the government, instead o f being
received as formerly, chiefly in bank paper, and deposited in the banks,
are now received in specie, and deposited in the local sub-treasuries. This
can manifestly make not a shadow o f difference in the amount o f specie in
the country, in the amount at the disposal o f the government, or, (sup­
posing the money wanted by the government, as has been the case ever
since the new system went into operation,) in the power and means o f
the banks. T h e only points o f difference are, that the present scheme re­
quires more time and labor, which is performed by an additional set o f
officers in the pay o f the governm ent; and the money which was entrusted
to wealthy corporations, is now confided to less responsible individuals.
The first diversity is o f no other importance than that it increases the ex­
penses o f the treasury and the patronage o f the executive ; but the effect
o f the second, time only can determine. It is too soon to judge o f it in
one, or perhaps in ten years ; but, on the other hand, long before they
have elapsed, the frauds and peculations o f the new keepers o f the public
treasure may compel a return to the former system, which the experience
o f half a century had shown was as safe as it was cheap. Circumstanced,
then, as w e were, the new and the old system would have had precisely
the same results, saving the expense o f the sub-treasury.
If, however, the Mexican war had not existed, or had not required so
heavy a drain o f specie, and the gold and silver brought into the country
had been deposited in the banks, as they would have been under the old
system, then, indeed, they would, in all probability, have enlarged their
discounts, and proportionately distended the circulation. But it must be
recollected that, in the supposed state o f things, the same amount o f spe­
cie would not have been imported, but merchandise to a larger amount
would have taken its place. It was because the occasions o f the govern­
ment required so much specie, and w ere constantly diminishing its quan­
tity, that so much was imported; and it is not improbable that the total
amount o f specie in the country, and in the banks, would not have been




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183

materially greater than it was, had we remained in a state o f p e a ce ; and
that the equilibrium between us and foreign countries would have been
maintained by a larger consumption o f their commodities, and by a larger
amount of credits given abroad. If, however, there had been an increase
o f specie, and, with it, o f paper circulation, the increase o f both being pari
passu, there would have been no danger in such enlargement. It is the
natural, the legitimate, and the safe consequence o f an increase o f pros­
perity. From the chance o f this evil o f a distended currency, whatever
it may be, we were indeed saved, not by the “ constitutional treasury,”
but by the M exican w a r ; yet, to congratulate ourselves on this insignifi­
cant contingent benefit, compared with its enormous cost, is pretty much
the same as that offered to Mr. Jefferson by one o f his slaves, when his
house was burnt— “ But, master, w e have saved the fiddle.”
Nothing is more common than for men to think that, when two events
occur in immediate succession, they stand in the relation o f cause and
effect. On the general suspension o f specie payments by the banks, soon
after M r. Van Buren’ s election, one old farmer, and probably hundreds o f
others, remarked that, “ as long as G eneral Jackson was president, the
banks paid specie, but he had not quitted office two months, before they
all stopped payment.” Mr. W alker profits largely by this copious source
o f popular error ; and his reasoning, though more plausible, is not better
founded than that o f the sage 1 have cited.
The advantages o f the decimal system o f computation and measures,
convenient as they are admitted to be, are greatly overrated by Mr. W alk­
er. T h e French have long possessed this system in far greater perfec­
tion than ours, as the decimal divisions o f their coins exactly corresponds
to the decimal divisions o f their w eigh ts; yet they have not only failed to
induce other nations to follow their example, but they find it very difficult
to induce the people to lay aside the binary system in their weights and
measures— such is the force o f established habits, especially when they are
founded on the suggestions o f nature. But how does it happen that Mr.
W alker estimates so highly the saving o f time and trouble, by the intro­
duction o f the decimal system o f coins, when he rates so lightly the saving
o f time, trouble, and expense, too, by the substitution o f paper for gold and
silver? The answer is to be found in the fact that party anathemas have
denounced the one, but have been silent as to the other.
Mr. W alker, referring to his report o f July, 1846, says that he had
therein estimated the annual value o f the products o f the United States at
three thousand millions o f dollars. As this was nearly three times as much
as they were estimated but six years before, and about double the amount
supposed to be produced by each inhabitant o f Great Britain, the richest
country on the globe, the report o f July, 1846, was inspected ; when it was
found that Mr. W alker, on loose and conjectural data, had there estimated
the annual product at two thousand millions. This error o f a thousand
millions o f dollars, is w ell calculated to lessen our confidence in Mr. W a lk ­
e r ’ s accuracy ofjudgment, as w ell as o f m em ory; for, taking out the women
and children, it supposes the average production o f each man to be about six
hundred dollars ; or, deducting only the children, the average product o f
each male and female above the age o f sixteen, to be three hundred dol­
lars— a result which he ought to have known was physically and morally
impossible. In truth, after making a liberal allowance for the increased
quantity o f our annual products since 1840, as well as the advance in the




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Report o f the Secretary o f the Treasury.

price o f provisions, no one familiar with the principles o f political arith­
metic would estimate them in July, 1846, at more than from sixteen to
seventeen hundred millions o f dollars.
The paragraph which contains the above monstrous error, is otherwise
obnoxious to criticism. I know o f no rule by w hich it can be inferred
that our products will be “ quadrupled” in twenty-three years. M oney,
indeed, at 6 per cent compound interest, will, as he says, be quadrupled
in that time, but there is no sort o f analogy between this increase and
that o f the national incom e. The latter depends upon the excess o f annual
production over annual consumption— w hich may be nothing, whatever is
the interest o f money ; and, while our population increases at something
less thah 3 per cent a year, I have seen no estimate o f our annual in­
crease o f wealth which rated it at more than a very small fraction above
4 per cent. This, too, is probably unequalled by any other country, ex­
cept, perhaps, by the English settlements in N ew Holland, and by Brazil.
N or is it seen how a comparison between the tw7enty-one millions o f
people in the United States, and the one thousand millions on the g lob e,
can furnish any basis for computing the probable or practicable extension
o f our foreign com m erce. Four-fifths o f those thousand millions, and
perhaps nine-tenths, are as far beyond the reach o f that com m erce as
if they inhabited another planet. T h ey are either inaccessible by situa­
tion, or have nothing to sell that w e would choose to buy. It is probable
that China, supposed to contain four hundred millions o f inhabitants,
would not, but for the single article o f tea, afford trade for the employment
o f more than four or five ships.
It is not my purpose, in the preceding remarks, to undervalue the b en e­
fits o f free trade, (to which I am as great a friend as Mr. W alker,) or the
extension o f which it is really susceptible, if the unwise restrictions which
n ow fetter it w ere abolished. But, in seeking the enlargement o f our
foreign com m erce, let us not depreciate that which is carried on between
State and State, and w hich is entitled to our first favor, both because it
is less precarious than the other, and more profitable for its extent. If,
for example, the trade between N ew Y ork and Liverpool be supposed
to amount to ten millions o f dollars, the profits, both o f buying and selling,
may be presumed to be equally divided between the English and the
Am erican merchants ; but if the trade between N ew York and N ew O r­
leans be only five millions, then, as the whole profits centre in the United
States, the trade o f these five millions is o f equal importance, in a national
point o f view, with the ten millions employed in the trade with England.
That our com m erce with Great Britain w ill be augmented by the repeal
o f her corn laws, and the reduction o f duties here, cannot be doubted ; but
it w ill probably be found that the results have been overrated in both
countries. In ordinary years, the supply o f grain which Great Britain
w’ill require, in consequence o f her poorest lands, now cultivated, being
thrown out o f cultivation when deprived o f their former protection, she w ill
get from Dantzic and Odessa, at iow er prices than it could be procured
from this coun try; and it wdll only be in extraordinary seasons, like the
last, that she w ill afford us a market for our breadstuff's, at a good price.
T h e immense trade w hich is carried on between this country and Great
Britain, is owning to our being able to furnish her with raw produce on
better terms than she can purchase it elsewhere, and to the greater cheap­
ness o f her manufactures. T h e last cause is every year diminishing. But




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185

tlie trade between State and State, grow ing out o f physical diversities,
has a permanent foundation. In twenty years, or less, our coasting and
lake tonnage will be dpuble o f that which w e shall have on the ocean ;
and, in time, it will probably exceed the shipping o f all Europe.
In like manner, our manufactures, rapidly improving as they are, w ill
soon be able to carry on as successful a competition with their foreign
rivals, under the reduced protection, as they did w hen that competition
was higher. The profits o f capital may diminish, and w ages may som e­
what d eclin e; but manufactures w ill continue to advance— precisely as
the southern planters continue to make cotton, sugar, and tobacco, as well
after the prices are low , as they did when they were high. As a general
rule there is but one rate o f profit, and one rate o f wages, in the same
place, at the same time ; but there may be very different rates o f both in
the same place at different times.
T h e expedient which M r. W alker suggests, for securing higher rewards
to manufacturing labor, is altogether inadequate to its purpose, and savors
somewhat o f the philosophy o f Laputa. H e thinks that the operative
should be a sharer in the profits o f the capital employed in manufactures ;
and supposes, that because the whaling business is carried on in this way,
and even manufactures in some special cases, it ought to becom e the gen ­
eral practice. It ought, however, to have occurred to M r. W alker, that
i f this mode o f paying manufacturing labor has been adopted only in a few
special cases, it is because it does not suit the parties concerned ; and w e
can see ample reason why it does not, and ought not to prevail generally.
I f the operative is to receive a part o f the profits, he w ill, on that account,
receive less wages, or no w ages. H e w ill then incur a risk o f losing his
labor, w hich he cannot afford ; for, in the vicissitudes o f the market, man­
ufactories sometimes make no profits— and a loss, or suspension, which
the capitalist would scarcely feel, may ruin the mere laborer. Besides,
i f the workmen are interested in the profits, it may cause in them a captious
and intermeddling spirit, and often give rise to complaints and discontent.
It will increase the responsibility and the trouble o f the master manufac­
turer, without increasing his profits.
It is true that there may be some successful examples o f this species o f
partnership in manufactures in N ew England, as w e know there are in
whaling ships, and sometimes in other vessels ; but that w hich may be
suited to the character and circumstances o f this remarkable people, may
fail everywhere else. It is, moreover, contrary to the ordinary progress
o f population and manufactures, which tends to separate employments
previously conjoined, rather than to unite them.
I f such a system as Mr. W alker proposes was good in manufactures, it
should also be good in com m erce, mining, and agriculture. Overseers in
the Southern States are often paid, indeed, b y a share o f the c r o p ; but on
the best managed estates they have standing wages. W e know , too, that
the metayer system o f France, in which the crop is shared between the
laborer and the proprietor, is far less productive than that o f hired laborers,
which prevails in England, and in the best cultivated parts o f France itself.
In these strictures on Mr. W alker’ s report, the writer has been actuated
by no unfriendly feelings. In much o f the report, he entirely coincides
with the S ecretary; and a part o f it he highly approves. But, as papers
o f this character generally aim, and sometimes unconsciously, to give false
glosses to measures o f public policy, and there is a strong disposition in




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M ercantile L aw Cases.

the com m unity to take their statem ents on trust, it b e co m e s the duty o f
every citizen to exp ose any errors o f fact or false rea son in g he m a y dis­
c o v e r in them ; and in fulfilment o f this duty, the author o f these rem arks
has ventured to contribute his m ite.

MERCANTILE

LAW

CASES.

INSURANCE AG-AINST PERILS OF THE SEA COVERS LOSSES B T COLLISION A T SEA.

I n the U. S. Circuit Court, Southern District o f New York, before Judges
Nelson and Betts. Ebenezer B. Sherwood vs. the Mutual Insurance Company.
Case on demurrer to the plaintiff’s declaration.
A policy o f insurance a g a in st p e r i l s o f th e s e a covers losses received by collision at sea, although the col­
lision is produced by the unskilfulness, negligence, or misconduct o f those navigating the insured vessel,
the misconduct not being b a r r a t r o u s .
So, also, the c o l l i d i n g vessel is protected by such policy against liabilities to which she is subjected, and
payments made by her, by reason o f injuries inflicted by her in the collision on the other vessel, although
occasioned by her own mismanagement and fault.
The peril insured against, is the p r o x i m a t e c a u s e o f loss in such case, and not the decree or judgment o f
Court imposing damages on the insured vessel for account o f the collision.
B etts,

District Judge, delivered the opinion o f the C ou rt:—

The declaration in this case is very special, setting forth all the facts upon
which the action is grounded, or which might probably be brought out on the de­
fence. The ship Emily, owned by the libellants, was underwritten by the de­
fendants, amongst other risks, against the perils o f the sea. Before the termina­
tion of the voyage, and at sea, o ff the port of New York, she came in collision
with the brig Virginia, by which the latter vessel was sunk, and vessel and cargo
totally lost.
A suit in rem. was prosecuted in the District Court o f this District, by the
owners o f the Virginia, against the Emily, to recover the damages sustained by
occasion o f the collision.
The Court held that there was negligence and misconduct in the management
and navigation o f the Emily, and decreed against her $6,000 for damages sus­
tained by the Virginia, besides costs o f suit. This decree was affirmed on ap­
peal to the Circuit Court, and the present action, on the policy o f insurance,
seeks to recover from the defendants the amount so decreed against the Emily,
and which the libellant avers he has paid and satisfied.
The respondents demur to the first and second counts of the declaration, which
detail these fa cts; and the issues at law presented upon the pleadings are— 1.
W hether a policy against perils o f the sea, comprehends the damages paid by the
insured vessel to another in consequence o f a collision between them at sea. 2.
W hether the underwriters on such policy are liable, when the collision is produced
through negligence and misconduct on the part o f the insured vessel.
These points have been argued with great fulness and ability, and with a criti­
cal examination of the principles recognized in the American and English Courts,
and the maritime codes o f Europe on the subject.
W e think both questions are embraced within decisions rendered by the Su­
preme Court, and that they are not now open for consideration by this Court on
general principles ; and, accordingly, we shall restrict the discussion in this opin­
ion to a very concise statement o f our views o f the effect and bearing o f the
cases decided by the Supreme Court.
In the first place, we understand it to be explicitly settled in the case of Peters
vs. The Warren Ins. Co., (14 Peters’ R ., 99,) that a vessel insured against perils
o f the sea is entitled to be remunerated, under the policy, the contributions she




Mercantile Law Cases.

187

has been obliged to make for injuries to another vessel in consequence o f a col­
lision at sea between the two.
That is the general doctrine. The Court also determined that the policy cov­
ered not only the immediate damages occasioned by the collision, but the costs
and expenses incurred in enforcing the contribution.
That case also disposed of another point, supposed, on the part o f the defend­
ants in this case, to merit great consideration. It was emphatically declared,
that the proximate cause o f loss was the collision, and not the adjudication o f the
tribunal attaching the loss to the insured vessel, or the lex loci establishing her
liability.
The objection, raised on the argument before us, that the loss was not within
the perils insured against, because it was imposed upon the Emily immediately,
by the decrees of the District and Circuit Court, condemning her in damages and
costs, and that her exposure to litigation, on the event o f such litigation, could
not be deemed a peril of the sea, is, therefore, precisely met and answered by
that case.
W e accordingly regard the first proposition raised by the demurrer as fully cov­
ered by the decision of the Supreme Court, and to be no longer a subject of dis­
cussion.
The point most relied upon by the defendants, however, is, that, by the com ­
mercial law of the United States and the Continental States o f Europe, the un­
derwriters on a marine policy are not liable for a loss produced by the careless­
ness, ignorance, or misconduct of the assured ; and that the later English cases,
which have declared a different rule, are in opposition to the better settled prin­
ciples of the law of that kingdom, also.
It is conceded that the case of Hall vs. The Washington Insurance Company,
(2 Story’s R ., 176,) is in consonance with the recent decisions in England, and
applies the case o f Peters vs. The W arren Insurance Company (14 Peters, 99,)
to a class o f facts entirely analogous to those stated in the declaration in this
case, and by the demurrer admitted to be true ; but it has been most strenuously
insisted that the decision of the Supreme Court no way sanctions the principle
adopted by Judge Story, and claimed by the libellant in this suit. It is true, the
case before the Supreme Court arose out o f a collision from accident or mutual
fault. That circumstance was recognized by the Hamburgh tribunal as the
ground for compelling a mutual contribution by the colliding vessels, (14 Peters,
99.) But the judgment of the Supreme Court was in no respect governed by
that circumstance. It is placed upon a broader consideration— one which may
be fairly regarded as embracing every loss not barratrous. It adjudges the dam­
ages sustained by the injured vessel to be the direct and immediate consequence
of the collision, and no less so in being imposed by judgment of law on the in­
sured vessel, than if they had accrued to her bodily by the collision.
The case did not demand the judgment of the Court upon the particular here
relied upon by the defence, and no direct opinion was expressed in respect to the
influence or effect of proving negligent or blameable conduct in those managing
the insured vessel; but it is manifest that the fact, if it existed, would have no
way influenced the decision, because the Court express their dissatisfaction with
the decision of the Queen’s Bench, in England, in D e Yaux vs. Salvador, (2
Adolf. & Ell., 420,) in toto, and a prominent ingredient in that case was one o f
fa u lt on both sides.
The distinction would not have escaped notice, had the Supreme Court consid­
ered the absence or presence of negligence or fault tending to produce the loss,
as varying at all the principle adopted and adjudged in the case.
W e accordingly think the spirit of the decision in Peters vs. T he W arren Ins.
Co., well warranted the conclusion drawn from it and applied in Hall vs. The
Washington Ins. Co., and that full authority is furnished by these cases to sup­
port the present action. But, furthermore, we regard the point in effect deter­
mined by the Supreme Court, by repeated decisions antecedent to the case o f
Peters vs. The W arren Ins. Co., and that accordingly the case in 14 Peters, 99,




188

Mercantile Law Cases.

proceeded upon a principle which had become the settled law o f the Court. The
rule, after the most ample examination of American and European authorities,
had been deliberately declared and established, that underwriters are liable for a
loss arising directly out of a peril insured against, although the negligence or
misconduct o f persons in charge o f the property insured, may have increased or
occasioned the loss. {T h e Palapsco Ins. Co. vs. Coulter, 3 Peters’ R ., 222.)
That was a marine policy. . The same doctrine was reiterated in Columbia Ins.
Co. o f Alexandria vs. Lawrence, (10 Peters, 608,) which was a fire policy on real
property. The principle is repeated with renewed emphasis in Waters vs. T he
Merchants' Louisville Ins. Co., (11 Peters, 213.)
These principles have now become incorporated in the jurisprudence o f many
o f the individual States. Henderson vs. T he Western Marine and F ire Ins. Co.,
(10 Rob., Loud’s R ., 164.) Copeland vs. T he New England Marine Ins. Co.,
(2 Metcalf, 432.) Perrin vs. T he Protection Ins. Co., (11 Ohio R ., 147,) and, in
the two last cases, the Courts have retracted or qualified the doctrine, previously
governing their decisions, in order to conform to the judgment o f the Supreme
Court, and render a principle of law o f such extensive and important influence
uniform throughout the United States, and corresponding with the rule now de­
finitively established in England. (2 Barn. & Aid., 72 ; 5 Barn. & Aid., 174 ; 7
Barn. & Cres., 219 ; Ibid., 798 ; 5 Mason & W elsh., 405 ; 8 Ibid., S. C., 895.)

The counsel for the defendants contend that the principles settled by these strong
cases, at least in the United States Courts, have relation to fire policies, and that
policies covering sea-risks are to be construed and enforced on different consider­
ations. It is sufficient to observe that the cases in no instance note that fact as
affording a different liability or right, or calling for a different rule of interpreta­
tion. On the contrary, it would seem that the liability of assurers, notwithstand­
ing the loss was occasioned by the fault or negligence of the assured, was first
established in cases of sea-risks proper, and was subsequently applied, because
of its justness and the plain purpose of the contract, to fire-risks at sea and on
land. (2 Mete. R-, 4 3 2 ; 2 Barn. &, Aid., 73 ; 10 Peters, 517 ; 11 Peters, 221.)
In our opinion it is, therefore, incontrovertibly established by the authority of
the highest Court of the land, that the defendants would be liable, under this
policy, on the facts stated in the declaration, for the damage directly received by
the Emily in the collision, although produced by the negligence or misconduct of
her crew.
It would be one of that class of losses which the ship-owner would have most
reason to apprehend ; and, accordingly, seek first to be guaranteed against. The
inattention, the carelessness, and faults of mariners, must invariably, more or less,
enter into every damage and loss sustained by a ship on her voyage.
In the present case, the blameable absence of the look-out for a few moments,
a mistaken manoeuvre of the vessel insured, or a wrong order given by an officer
on deck, produced the collision, and were the causes for which the colliding ship
was charged with the damages inflicted on another. And most assuredly, these
facts could not affect her right to protection by the underwriters against the di­
rect injury received by her also, by the act of collision. It would be taking away
from a policy all its essential properties of an indemnity against perils of the sea,
if such circumstances connected with a peril discharged the assurer from liability
to the assured.
The Courts, in the opinions pronounced, have adverted to this consequence of
that doctrine, and strongly repudiated it.
The primary responsibility o f the underwriter, for the direct injury to the Emily,
being then unquestionable, the case (14 Peters, 99) supplies all the authority re­
quired for including, within the indemnity, as part and parcel of the loss, the dam­
ages decreed against the insured vessel, and which she was compelled to bear,
because of such collision.
A decree must accordingly be entered overruling the demurrer, and for the
libellant on the two first articles or counts o f the libel.




M ercantile Law Cases.

189

LIBEL— SEIZURE OP A VESSEL FOR BEING ENGAGED IN A TRAD E OTHER THAN TH A T
FOR W HICH SHE W A S LICENSED.

In the District Court of the United States, Maine District, December Term,
1847. The United States vs. the Palo Alto.
A remission o f n forfeiture by the Secretary o f the Treasury, under the act o f March 3, 1797, ch. 13,
granted before a libel or information has been filed, operates directly to revest the right o f property and
possession in the petitioner; and the collector, on his presenting the warrant o f remission, is bound to
restore it.
But, after the filing o f a libel or,information, the property is in the custody o f the law, and the collector
is the keeper o f the Court. The remititur being filed in Court., it is a bar to further proceedings to enforce
the forfeiture, and the Court will direct the suit to be dismissed and issue a precept to restore the proper­
ty ; but, the property being in the custody o f the Court, the collector cannot restore the possession with­
out an order o f the Court.
I f the remission is on the payment o f costs, this is a condition precedent, and the remission is inoperative
until the costs are paid.
A tender o f the costs, after a reasonable time allowed for taxing them, is equivalent to actual payment to
revest the right o f property and possession. A neglect o f the collector seasonably to furnish the attorney
with the cost o f seizure and custody, will not defeat or suspend the right o f the cluimant to the possession
o f the property.
The Secretary has the power, after a remititur has been granted and communicated to the claimant, to re­
voke the warrant.
I f the remission is f r e e a n d u n c o n d it io n a l, the power o f revocation continues after the remititur is filed,
and an order o f restoration passed, until the precept is finally executed by a delivery o f the property into
the possession o f the claimant. United States v s . Morris, 10 Wheat.
The order o f restoration made by the Court is not properly a judicial but ^ministerial act. It is the remis­
sion o f the Secretary that restores the right o f property and possession, and the order o f the Court carrying
that into effect may be demanded by the claimant e x d eb ito ju s t i f i e s .
I f the remission be conditional, the Secretary has no power to revoke it after the condition has been per­
formed, whether the possession o f the goods has been delivered to the claimant or not.
After the revocation has been made known to the claimant, if the Secretary revokes it, the revocation is
inoperative until the knowledge o f it is brought home to the claim ant; and, i f the condition has been
performed before he has knowledge o f the revocation, the rights o f the claimant become fixed, and the
remission irrevocable.
In all engagements formed i n t e r a b s e n t e s by letters or messengers, an offer by one party is made in law at
the time when it is received by the other. Before it is received, it may be revoked. So the revocation
in law is made when that is received, and has no legal existence before. I f the party to whom the offer
is made accepts and acts on the offer, the engagement will be binding on both parties, though before it
is accepted another letter or messenger may be despatched to revoke it.
T h e exception to this rule, established by the jurisprudence o f the Courts, is, that i f the party making the
offer dies or becomes insane before it is received and accepted, the offer is then a nullity, though accept­
ed before his death is known.

T he manner in which this case came before the Court will appear by a brief
recapitulation o f the antecedent facts. The Palo Alto, a small vessel of 20 12-95
tons burthen, built and licensed for the fisheries, was seized July 15, 1847, by
the Collector o f W iscasset, and libelled for being engaged, while under a fishing
license, in a trade other than that for which she was licensed, in violation o f the
act o f February 18, 1792, chap. 8, sec. 32, for Licensing and Enrolling Vessels,
1 Statutes at Large, p. 305. On the 21st o f July, a claim was interposed by C.
F . Barnes, and on the 23d he filed a petition, confessing and praying for a remis­
sion o f the forfeiture. On this petition, a summary inquiry was had into the cir­
cumstances o f the case, according to the provision o f the act o f March 3, 1797,
ch. 13, sec. 1, 1 Statutes at Large, p. 506. A number o f witnesses were exam­
ined, and the following statement of facts made out and transmitted to the Secre­
tary o f the Treasury, together with a copy o f the libel and petition:—
“ S pecial D istrict C ourt , P ortland , I
September 11, 1847.
$
“ And now, on a summary examination into the facts o f the case, (notice
having been given to the Attorney o f the United States and the Collector who
made the seizure,) it has been proved, to my satisfaction, that the said Barnes
purchased said schooner Palo Alto, June 4th, 1847, of about twenty tons burthen,
built and intended for a fishing vessel; that his intention was to sell her again,
but that he made a conditional agreement to let her for the fishing business if he
did not succeed in effecting a sale ; that in the early part of July he went in her
to Portland, for the purpose o f making a sale ; that he advertised her for sale, and
made attempts to sell her ; but, failing in making a sale, he purchased the goods
named in the bill of parcels (which was annexed to the petition) at Portland, and
returned with them to Wiscasset. Most o f the goods purchased are such as are




«
190

M ercantile L aw Cases.

used in fitting out fishermen, but the quantity was much greater than would be
required for fitting out a single vessel o f her size. He returned in the vessel to
W iscasset, and arrived at a wharf near the custom-house between 11 and 12
o ’clock in the forenoon, making no attempt to conceal what cargo he had on
board from the custom-house officers. T he goods which he carried all belonged
to himself, and he had none for other persons. It was in proof that the Collector
told him when he sailed from Portland, that he could not take goods under a fish­
ing license. Barnes is, by trade, a sail-maker, and has heretofore been interested
in two vessels which were engaged in coasting. He has, also, bought and sold
small fishing vessels and pleasure boats. It was in proof that fishermen which
came to Porlland were in the habit o f taking their outfits there.”
On the 13th o f September the Secretary remitted the forfeiture on the payment
o f costs, and the warrant o f remission was transmitted to the Attorney on the
20th. This having been filed in Court, on the 30th an order tvas made for the
restoration of the property to the claimant, and a precept issued to the Marshal
to carry it into execution. The Deputy Marshal, in his return on the back o f
the precept, stated that he called on the 5th o f October and demanded o f the De­
puty Collector the property; but, the Collector being absent, he refused to deliver
i t ; and on the 30th he called on the Collector at the custom-house, and again de­
manded the property, and he refused to deliver it, and he returned the writ in no
part satisfied.
Upon the 29th o f September the Secretary wrote to the Attorney, requesting
him to return the warrant o f remission. The Attorney in reply informed him
that it having been filed in Court and become a part o f the record, it was not in
his power to return it ; and, on the 4th of October, the Secretary again wrote to
the Attorney, stating that he had requested the warrant to be returned “ for the
purpose o f revoking it, as, on a full examination o f the case, relief ought not to
be granted to Mr. Barnes.” On the 7th of October, the Attorney filed a motion
for an order to the Marshal to stay the execution o f the writ of restoration, and
to return it unexecuted. The Circuit Court being then in session, and remaining
so until the last o f the month, the parties were heard on the motion on the 4th o f
November.
Haines, District Attorney, for the United States, and Gen. Fessenden for the
claimant.

PRINCIPAL AND AGENT.

W here an agent, having a sum o f money in his hands belonging to the princi­
pal, is directed to remit it by purchasing and forwarding a bill o f exchange, he
should purchase the bill with such money, and not by using his own credit.—
Hays v. Stone and others.
2. The law will not permit an agent to violate his instructions with impu­
nity, nor to use the property o f the principal for his own profit. P er B e a r d s ­
ley

, J .— l b .

3. Otherwise, had S. purchased the bill with the money o f H . ; or had H., af­
ter receiving the bill, and with full knowledge o f the manner in which it had been
purchased, chosen to adopt the transaction and treat the bill as his own. P er
B e a r d s l e y , J .— l b .

PRINCIPAL AND SURETY.

A. executed a covenant, by which he undertook to become surety for the faith­
ful performance of B.’s covenant to pay rent. Held, that A .’ s covenant was valid,
though the covenant o f B. was void for coverture.— Kimball v. Newell, 116.
2. Accordingly, where time is given to the principal debtor, without the assent
o f the surety, though but for a day, he is discharged.— l b .




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Commercial Chronicle and Review.

COMMERCIAL CHRONICLE

AND REVIEW.

V I E W O F F IN A N C IA L A F F A I R S — F A I L U R E S OF M E R C H A N T S A N D B A N K E R S IN E N G L A N D A N D O T H E R P A R T S
O F E U R O P E — E X P O R T S OF S P E C I E F R O M N E W Y O R K A N D B O S T O N — E X P O R T S A N D IM P O R T S OF P O R T OF
N E W Y O R K — U N IT E D S T A T E S E X P O R T S — V E S S E L S

B U I L T IN

T H E U N IT E D

S T A T E S FROM

1840

TO 1847,

IN C L U S I V E — R A T E S OF F R E IG H T T O L IV E R P O O L — T O N N A G E C L E A R E D , A N D GOO D S E X P O R T E D FR O M T H E
U N IT E D S T A T E S , FROM

1841

TO

1847 —

IM P O R T S

IN TO

GREAT

B R IT A I N — C O S T

OF B R E A D S T U F F S

IM ­

P O R T E D I N T O G R E A T B R I T A I N — A M O U N T O F R A I L W A Y C A L L S — C O N D IT IO N O F T H E B A N K OF E N G L A N D —
L E A D IN G F E A T U R E S OF T H E B A N K S O F B O S T O N , N E W Y O R K , B A L T I M O R E , A N D N E W O R L E A N S — Q U O T A ­
T I O N S F O R G O V E R N M E N T A N D S T A T E S T O C K S IN T H E N E W Y O R K M A R K E T , E T C ., E T C .

T h e state of financial affairs has remained very unsatisfactory during the
month. Several packets have arrived from Europe; but, although they bring
tidings of the gathering of the elements for a gradual reconstruction of commer­
cial credits, the distrust of bills generally was by no means allayed, nor was there
any relaxation of the pressure upon mercantile firms generally. Each packet has
been looked for with uneasiness, and successive news has only awakened new
anxiety for the succeeding one. In our last number we gave the list of suspen­
sions down to the 19th November— we now give them to January 1st, 1848, as
follows :—■
FAILURES OF MERCHANTS AND BANKERS IN ENSLAND AND OTHER FARTS OF EUROPE FROM NO­
VEMBER 19 TO DECEMBER 4.

Levett, Norrison, merchant, Hull.
Abbott, W illiam, Stock Exchange, London.
Ashburner,------ , leather factor, Liverpool.
Lackersteen and Co., E. India merchants, London.
Pacitico, Salvador, merchant, Trieste.
Bonafle and Co., merchants, Havre.
Boydell and Roper, iron merchants, Birmingham.
Pemberton, W ., and Co.. Canadian merch.. London.
Brownrigg and Co., East India merchants, Liverpool. Rankin, Andrew, W est India merchant, Glasgow.
Reay, J. and II., wine merchants, London.
Buchanan, Robert, broker, Glasgow.
Ricnrby and Harding, Liverpool.
Byrne, A. E., Liverpool.
Campbell, Harvey, and Co., silk merchants, Glasgow. Riewit and Saugevelt, merchants, Rotterdam^
Defosse, C , and Noete, bankers, Brussels.
Rouffaer, B., and Sons, merchants, Rotterdam.
De W o lf de Portemont, seed crusher, Alost.
Sargant, Gordon, and Co., colonial brokers, London.
Downie, A. and J., drys.ilters, Glasgow.
Secretan and Capper, Stock Exchange, London.
Sigart, Tercelin, banker, Mons.
Edwards. J.. and Co., wool brokers, Liverpool.
Eykin, W illiam, Stock Exchange, London.
Tanner and W ard, leather factors, London.
Farthing, Son, and Co., merchants, Hull.
Trueman, C., and Co., Mediterranean trade, London..
Fergusson, Watson, and Co., silk merch’ ts, Glasgow. Turner, II., Stock Exchange, London.
Union Bank, Madrid.
Forrester. Robert, warehouseman, Glasgow.
Gales, Thomas, ship builder, Sunderland.
Vanzeller, J., and Co., merchants, Hamburgh.
Walker, Mark, flax spinner, Leeds.
Grosjean Nephews, bankers, Brussels.
Hawkins, J. H.. Stock Exchange, London.
Whitmore, Henry, Stock Exchange, London.
Hennikine and Briart. bankers, Mons.
Williams, John, Stock Exchange, London.
Imreay, Robert, alkali manufacturer, Newcastle.
Young, Charles, Stock Exchange, London.
Leaf, Barnett, Scotson, and Co., wareh’ m’ n, London.
FAILURES FROM DECEMBER

4

TO DECEMBER

19.

Baillie, Honeyman, and Co., merchants, Glasgow.
Hargreaves, George. E. India merchant, Liverpool.
Blain and Son, corn dealers, Liverpool.
Henry, Messrs., calico printers, Dublin.
Bruyn, C., and Sons, sugar refiners, Amsterdam.
Lysaght, Smithert, and Co., E. India agents, London.
Dervieu, sen., and Co., corn merchants, Marseilles.
Marsland, John, cotton spinner, Manchester.
Dervieu, Brothers, corn merchants, Oran, Algeria.
Paranque and Sons, bankers, Marseilles.
Gates, Coates, Bartlett, and Co., cal. print., London. Portuguese Agency, London.
Gibson and Sturt, bankers, St. Albans.
Richter and Co., merchants, Prague.
Hamilton, W . S., and Co., W . I. merchants, Dublin. Willans, W illiam and Thomas, merchants, DublinFAILURES FROM DECEMBER

Blain and Son, corn merchants, Liverpool.
Cotes worth, Powell, and Pryor, S. American trade,
London.
Deaves Brothers, merchants, Cork.
Froske and Co., shipowners, Liverpool.
Hartley, B., and Co., manufacturers, Halifax.

19

TO JANUARY

1, 1848.

Mitchell and Co., Canadian merchants, Glasgow.
Oakes and Jones, Kelley Ironworks. Kingswinford.
Rankine and Co., warehousemen, Glasgow.
Sanders. May, Fordyce, and Co., merch’ ts, Calcutta.
Sands, T . and J., merchants, Liverpool.
Wright, J., and Co., Russian merchants, London.

There was nothing in these accounts calculated to restore confidence in bills,
and the efflux of specie continues. The exports of specie for the month of De-




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Commercial Chronicle and Review.

cember, from the port o f N ew York, were $1,788,867, and from Boston $662,986
— making, together, $2,541,853. The Hibernia sailed from Ne>v York on the 1st
of January, instead of from Boston, and carried $413,000 o f specie. Other pack­
ets carried sums which raised the amount to $744,000, in the first week o f Janu­
ary ; and the steamer o f the 16th took $203,000. It is not alone in the export of
specie that the distrust o f bills affects the markets, but in checking exports
through the unavailability o f bills drawn against shipments. For the month of
December, for four years, the exports were as follow s:—
EXPORTS FROM THE PORT OF S E W YORE.

Years.

1844
1845
1846
1847

Specie.

............
$645,915
............
133,786
.........................................
....
1,788,867

Free goods.

Dutiable.

$20,498
43,822
65,876
29,178

$344,042
101,973
188,345
97,923

Domestic.

$1,468,632
2,516,733
4,211,300
1,944,694

Total.

$2,479,087
2,796,314
4,465,521
3,860,662

In this table, we have the fact that domestic exports were, for the month,
$2,266,606 less than in the same month of the previous year. This is a very
important decline in the means o f paying for importations, which are larger, in
proportion to last year, than are the exports. T he imports at New York for D e­
cember, including the first seven days of January, were as follow s:—
IMPORTS INTO THE PORT OF NEW YORK FROM DECEMBER 1 TO JANUARY 8 .

Years.

Specie.

1845 ............
1846 ............
1847 ............

$88,621
76,122
43,132

Free goods.

$781,185
807,612
215,243

Dutiable.

$4,093,660
5,422,609
4,231,628

Total.

$4,963,466
6,306.343
4,489,903

Duties.

$1,574,869
1,436,810
1,068,859

In the month o f December, at the port o f New York there was $2,266,606 less
produce exported, and only $1,389,213 less goods imported. This process is giv­
ing effect to the discredit, and producing a real scarcity of bills where, before,
there was a sufficient supply, and only unavailable through want o f confidence.
In this state o f affairs, the prospect is far less favorable than it was. England
was our best customer, and as long as her large expenditure kept up, w e were
profitably disposing o f our produce. W hen, in order to preserve the convertibility
o f her currency, she stopped industry, paralyze! trade, and suspended railways, a
large market for our produce was destroyed.

During the fiscal year 1847, the

exports o f the United States were as follows :—
UNITED STATES EXPORTS.
D O M E S T IC .

Years.
1846 .............
1847 .............

F O R E IG N .

Specie. Provisions. Breadstuff's. Total domestic. Specie.
Goods.
Grand total.
$423,851 $4,946,971 $19,627,020 $102,141,893 $3,481,417 $7,865,206 $113,488,516
62,620
8,372,612 57,553,661
150,637,464
1,845,119 6,166,039
158,648,622

There was here a large excess o f exports in 1847, mostly o f breadstuff's; and
the close o f the fiscal year left apparently a large balance in favor o f the country.
There is no doubt but that a considerably larger portion than usual went forward
on foreign a cco u n t; and that, therefore, the export value more nearly represented
the actual amount realized to the country than usual. The large earnings o f the
shipping must also have materially added to the amount due the country. The
exports o f produce would doubtless have been much larger than actually was the
case, had there been a sufficiency of freight to transport the quantities waiting for
shipmen:. The exorbitant freights that were demanded and obtained for portions
o f the year, were a great stimulus to ship-building; and the official returns show
a considerable increase in the number o f vessels built, with their tonnage, as
follow s:—




Commercial Chronicle and Review.

/

193

NUMBER AND CLASS OF VESSELS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1840 TO 1847, INCLUSIVE.
Total
Sloops find
Total.
tonnage.
Ships.
Years.
Brigs. Schooners, canal boats. Steamers.

1840....... .......
1841........ .......
1842....... ......
1843....... .......
1844....... .......
1845....... .......
1846....... .......
1847....... .......

97
114
116
58
73
124
100
181

378
312
273
138
204
322
576
689

109
101
91
34
47
87
164
168

224
157
404
173
279
342
355
392

64
78
137
79
163
163
225
198

118,309
118,883
129,083
63,617
103,537
146,018
188,202
243,732

872
762
1,021
482
766
1,038
1,420
1,598

The largest proportion of this increase of 55,531 tons was in sea-going ships.
The sloops and canal-boats employed in internal navigation progressed less con­
siderably, but the whole increase is sufficient materially to affect freights under
less active shipments. Accordingly, the rates are now, to Liverpool, as compared
with the highest point of last spring, as follows :—
Flour.
s.

Cotton.
d. d.

March 1,1847...................
January 16, 1848..............

8.9 a 9 .0
1.3 a 2 .0

|a§
. a |

85 a 90
20 a 25

13 a 14
... a 3

29 a30
... a6

Decrease.........................

7.6 a 7.0

. a£

65 a 65

... a 13

29 a24

s.

Heavy goods.
s.
s.

Beef.
s.
s.

Grain.
d.
d.

These figures show a very material difference in the cost of the transportation
of produce to England. The proportion of foreign tonnage cleared, and the goods
carried, is seen in the following table:—
TONNASE CLEARED, AND GOODS EXPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES.
F o r e ig n V e s s e l s .

Years.

1841 ............
1842 ............
1643...............
1844 ............
1845 ............
1846 ..............
1847 ............

Tons.

736,849
740,497
523,949
906,814
930,275
959,739
1,176,605

A m e r ic a n V e s s e l s .

Produce.

$23,813,333
21,502,363
17,685,964
30,008,804
23,816,653
23,507,483
52,796,192

Tons.

Produce.

1,634,156
1,536,451
1,268,083
2,010,924
2,033,977
2,221.028
2,202,393

$82,569,389
71,467,634
60,107,964
69,706,375
75,483,123
78,634,410
97,514,672

The increase of freights in foreign bottoms was $28,988,709, or 130 per cent,
and in the requisite tonnage 216,866, in the same time that American tonnage
shows a decline, although the freights increased $18,880,062. The rates of
freights show, however, that American tonnage was taxed to its utmost capacity ;
and, but for the influx of foreign vessels, attracted by those high freights, and
made available by the suspension of the British navigation act, we should have
lost the sale of at least $30,000,000 worth of produce.
The supply of produce is very ample, and the means of laying it down in Liv­
erpool exist to an almost unexampled extent; but it is also the case that the sup­
ply in England is better, and the consumption, by reason of the restrictive opera­
tion of the banks, will be far less than last year. W e have, in former numbers,
repeatedly called attention to the fact that the consumption of food in England
was, during the whole of last year, vastly enhanced, by the railroad expenditure,
beyond what it otherwise would have been. This is evident in the official returns
showing the imports into England from January 1st down to October 10, the mo­
ment of the most severe pressure, when the crisis was reached, and the recent
improvement commenced. Those returns give the following figures :—•
VOL. XVIII.--- NO. II.




13

194

Commercial Chronicle and Review.
IMPORTS INTO GREAT BRITAIN PROM JANUARY

Animals........................... ........... No.
Bacon...............................
Beef..................................
Butter................................
Cheese..............................
Hams...............................
Pork..................................
Rice..................................
Sugar...............................
Molasses...........................

1

TO OCTOBER

10.

20,581
4,540
1,841
189,056
183,891
4,543
32,713
392,205
4,411,782
437,284

85,042
1,513
363
177,165
216,191
8,094
42,685
541,520
4,469,299
414,222

172,345
72,995
2,597
243,140
243,601
17,331
212,540
1,046,083
6,509,131
756,584

Total.............................
“ ditto in lbs..........
Cocoa................................
Coffee...............................
Tea...................................

5,657,855
636,508,687
3,016,301
32,166,932
36,825,461

5,871,052
660,493,350
1,938,665
35,099,814
41,432,749

9,104,052
1,049,205,850
9,764,333
35,769,744
44,912,880

Total lbs.......................
Grain................................
Flour................................

708,517,381
1,169,446
394,908

738,964,578
2,249,249
2,631,329

1.139,652,807
7,445,502
7,900,065

Of the grain imported in 1847, about one-half was corn, and may be set down
to the effect of the Irish famine; also of the flour, 2,000,000 cwt. was meal, for
the same destination. A large portion of the remaining importation of food was
to supply the extra demand which railroad expenditure excited, as well for bread,
as the long list of luxuries, which make up an increase of 400,000,000 lbs., or
60 per cent increase in all other edible imports. This was the chief cause of the
demand for American produce, as it was of the financial revulsion which ensued.
That revulsion, by ruining some four hundred merchants, has broken the machine­
ry through which the importation was carried on, while it has forced the rail­
roads to cease their expenditure, and, therefore, to curtail the consumption of
produce. The cost of the breadstuff's imported into Great Britain was stated, by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as follows :—
June, 1846, to January, 1847...........................................................................
January, 1847, to July, 1847............................................................................
June, 1847, to October, 1847............................................................................

£5,139,000
14,180,000
14,240,000

Total 15 months............................................................................. 1.............

£33,559,000

The railway calls had been as follows:—
For the year 1842-3.........................................................................................
“
1846...............................................................................................
January, 1847, to July, 1847.................................................... £25,770,000
38,000,000
July, 1847, to December, 1847................................................
----------------

£4,500,000
36,400,000
63,700,000

The large import of corn was caused by this enormous railway expenditure;
and by removing that active agent, the demand must be materially curtailed.
The suspension of the railways seems, however, to be only temporary, to be re­
newed the instant money can be obtained on reasonable terms. The apparent
, recovery which financial affairs had undergone, seems to have resulted more from
the cessation of demand for money, than by reason of any increased supply of it.
The Bank of England had steadily increased its bullion, and been enabled, on the
27th of November, to reduce the rate of discount to 6 per cent, and on the 2d of
December to 5£, and on the 23d to 5 per cen t; but this was only for very choice
bills— no diminution of distrust for other bills was perceptible. The return of the




Commercial Chronicle and Review.

195

bank, October 23d, when the crisis in its affairs took place, was, as compared
with the return of December 11, as follows :—
BASK OF ENGLAND.,
D e p o s it s .

October 23..........
December 1 1 ....
Decem ber2 4 . .. .

Securities.
Private.
£19.467,128 £8,588,509
17,630,931 8,437,376
16,979,060 8,243,203

Decrease.........
£2,438,068
£345,306
Increase.........................................................

Nett
Public.
circulation.
£4,766,394 £20,317,175
8,229,759
18,320,905
9,235,978
18,822,895

Notes
on hand.
£1,547,270
6,448,780
7,786,180

..............
£4,469,584

.....................................
3 a 3|
£6,238,890 £3,923,835
....

£2,494,280
..............

Bullion. Interest.
£8,312,691 8 a 9
11,426,176 5|a 6
12,236,526 5~a 5£

This is a remarkable table, showing that the paper in the hands of the public had
diminished £2,500,000, or 10 per cent, and the loans had been curtailed to the
same extent, while the value of money had fallen 3J per cent. The bullion had
increased to a considerable extent from abroad ; £1,000,000 had been received
direct from St. Petersburgh, on account of the Russian government; and the
remainder was wrung from the commercial world, by refusing to pay bills drawn
on England. Under these circumstances, it would appear that a revival of busi­
ness was alone requisite to bring on another revulsion, of which four have been
experienced in a year.
It has resulted from the large exports of the past year, and the moderate im­
portation of goods, that the country, or agricultural interests, are richest; that is
to say, that cities are more in debt to the country, at the close of the year, than
asual— as thus, the nett imports of foreign goods, compared with exports, were
as follows:—
N e t t im p o r t s .

Years.

E xport.

Specie.

Goods.

Produce.

1846............................................
1847.............................................

$3,296,315
22,276,170

$110,048,859
116,258,310

$101,718,042
150,574,844

Increase..................................

$21,979,875

$6,209,471

$48,856,802

From the figures, it is apparent that, while there has been exported of the produce
of the interior an increased value equal to $48,856,802, the interior has purchased
from the Atlantic cities but $6,209,471 more goods than last year. The quantity
o f domestic manufactures sold the country has been larger, but not in the same
proportion. If we compare these figures with the years 1835-’36, we shall per­
ceive a great difference, as follows :—
N e t t im p o r t s .

Years.

E xport.

Specie.

Goods.

Produce.

1835............................................
1836............................................

$6,653,672
9,076,645

$129,391,247
188,233,675

$100,460,481
106,570,942

Increase..................................

$2,322,973

$58,842,428

$6,110,461

This was precisely the reverse of what has taken place this year. Then, a re­
vulsion prostrated the whole country, because the interior or agricultural interests
were largely in debt for goods— they had consumed, and could not pay; this year,
the country has large credits on the Atlantic in its favor. The commercial
capital of the Atlantic cities has been paralyzed, because it has been invested in
produce, and locked up, for a time, through the discredit of English merchants,
who are usually consignees, flence, the balances of the city banks are largely
in favor of the country. At four commercial cities, for November, the leading
features of the banks were as follows:—■




196

Commercial Chronicle and Review.
Loans.

Specie.

Circulation.

Deposits.

Boston..............
New York.......
Baltimore.........
New Orleans...

$34,158,402
43,733,010
10,157,546
11,619,788

$3,286,015
8,103,499
1,832,910
7,252,003

$7,207,833
7,606,581
2,104,713
3,514,535

$7,217,796
25,757,061
3,123,875
9,808,998

Total 1847...
“ 1846...
“ 1845...

$99,668,746
87.435,555
91,899,671

$20,474,426
17,989,640
18,915,376

$20,433,652
17,892,520
16,759,798

$45,907,730
40,294,468
46,469,994

These figures show a general increase in the movement, more particularly in the
loans, which were much higher than last year, but which have since been greatly
curtailed. The process of curtailment has borne with great severity upon the
commercial interests, and good mercantile paper has been sold as high as 14a 2
per cent per month freely. It would seem to be the case that this pressure has
been produced by the locking up of commercial capital in unavailable produce,
more than by any positive increase of obligations over the means of payment. In
1836-7, when the banks suspended, the country had ceased, to a very great ex­
tent, to send down produce ; but, on the credits of expanding banks, bought very
largely of goods imported. For those goods, the sea-board was indebted to Eu­
rope, and the agricultural interests were in debt to the sea-board; but those debts
could not be paid, and the country banks suspended, until, as Mr. Biddle ex­
pressed it, “ the next crop.” This failure to collect from the country, compelled
the sea-board to suspend. This is now not the case— the interior has multiplied
its expo) ts to the sea-board, and pays easily its debts. Not so, however, with
the cities, which, owing the interior, are also exposed to a foreign demand for
specie ; because the produce for which they owe the interior, has not been
promptly applicable to the payment of what they owe abroad. The operation of
the war expenditures, it would appear, have, in some degree, facilitated this specie
drain ; as thus, during the year, according to the quarter-master’s report, some
$7,000,000 of bills have been drawn upon the assistant treasurers of the Atlantic
cities. These have been presented for payment at depositories, where previously
specie had been accumulated from customs’ receipts. In some cases, the drafts
were purchased in Mexico by persons having specie, the produce of mines, to re­
mit to England; and eagerly exchanged that specie for a United States draft, both
to save expense and the export tax. The United States disbursing officers are by
law permitted to sell drafts for specie— so far, the interests of both parties were
served. Most of the specie received at the custom-house for government dues during
the year was English gold. This, to a very considerable extent, had been coined
at the mint; and, when drafts from Mexico were presented at the treasury, they
were paid in American gold. This is a shape in which it is not profitable to
ship it to England, and the holder would prefer a good bill at 1114 rather than to
send it. Hence, whenever there is a reasonable supply of good bills, the opera­
tion of the Mexican drafts is to draw specie out of the government vaults, and put
it into the market for bills. By this means, the foreign gold which was in the
banks, and drawn thence for the payment of duties, is coined in the hands of the
department, and re-drawn into the market, whence it returns to the banks. The
difference between shipping heavy sovereigns and American gold to England, is
fully 14 per cent. Hence, when the gold here is mostly American, or, if that
held by the banks is of United States coinage, it never will be shipped to Eng­
land, until the price of bills in a healthy market is more than 1114- When bills




Commercial Chronicle and Review.

197

cannot be trusted, the cost of shipment ceases to be an item in the account of
comparative values. Last March, the price of bills in New York was 3 per cent,
and this year it will be nearer 111, by reason of the discredit attached to a large
portion of the supply. Were the market in a healthy state, consequent upon the
recovery of England from the revulsion which overtook her, specie would not be
shipped on account of drafts drawn from Mexico, but the proceeds would be in­
vested in bills. The wants of the government for the coming year, as announced
officially, will be fully $20,000,000; and, as under existing laws this amount
must be subscribed in specie, some little uneasiness is manifest as to the effect it
may have upon the market at a period when money is not abundant. These
fears have aided in producing an adverse influence upon the value of stocks, which
close somewhat heavier than last year’s prices. The rates have been as follows
on the 1st of each month :—
QUOTATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AND STATE STOCKS IN THE
e-t
*3
>
>
a
►
2
K
a
►
as
58
to
r
c
JO
•<
S tocks .
H
<
T'
_
f*
ftt-*
sU. States 6’ s, 1862. 100? 10*31 1031 103* 104$ 107} 106* 105*
94
94
98
98
98
“
5’ s, 1853.
on
91% 92
U. S. Tr. Notes, 6’s
101
i o n 1031 106
106
106*
99! 100
103
N. York 7’ s, 1849. 1003 1003 1003 101* 102
104
1033
103
102
100
104* 107
107} 107
“
6 ’s..........
1U3
993
101
“
5?’s ........
302} 104
104* 104
not
972
96
96
98* 101
101
95
94
98l
“
4?’ s........
94
96
981
981
94
103 10 1 * 102
107
“
City 7’s..
108
109
109
109
93*
“
“ 5’s..
91
92
93
961
97
97
91 i
101
Ohio 6 ’s .................
95j
100
91|
95}
98
99*
912
“ 7’s................... 1001 100 * 101
103!
102
103
103} 104
93
93
“ 5’s...................
87
88
89
93
85
84
99]
Kentucky 6 ’s.......... 101
102 ] 104] 101
101
98
100
83
83
83
83
“
5’s..........
80
80
82
83
Illinois 6 ’s ..............
42.3
48
33
40
40?,
39!
39}
47!
Indiana 5’s.............
39
46
454
33
40
49*
38
42
Arkansas 6 ’s ..........
40
39
31
31
32
40
35
39
Alabama 5’ s ..........
61
61
65
64
65
60
65
62
Pennsylvania 5’ s ...
73
80
69-V 71
70}
80]
70}
773.
Tennessee 6 ’ s........
98
99
100
100
100
100
100}
98

NEW YORK MARKET.
m

M
►
3

O
O

c

m

a
p
>-*

C_
►
as.
f*

103*
97
101
10 1 !
103

102!
94
100

981
91
99]

102
102 »
102

100
100 *
99

*2,
<

L.

7"1

105*
98
104
103*
1110!
104
100 ]
98
109
97
100 *
103
93
100 *
82
46]
43
39
62
78*

105}
97
104*
103*
106*
104
1003
109
94
99*
104
92
100 ?
83“
46*
43*
38
61
78*

1004

100

97

102
100 *

97
107*
8 ?£
98]
102

90
100

81
40*
40
35
60
74
100

97
96

92
90
103
88

99*
101

90
99
77
38|
36

95 £
100
88

99
74
41!
50
31
61
71
98

The price of Treasury notes is now about the same as at the same period last
year, when, as now, a loan of $22,000,000 was announced by the government. In
April, some $18,000,000 were put upon the market by the department, and the rate
rose steadily under it to 106J in August. The receipts and disbursements of the
government were, for the year, on all accounts, $96,000,000 in specie. This large
operation produced no pressure upon the markets, nor in any way restrained the free
action of the banks. The Independent Treasury law allows the department to pay
out Treasury notes instead of specie, provided the creditor assents. When the
notes are at a discount, it would therefore result that the receipts would be alto­
gether in that medium; while no one would willingly receive them. Inasmuch,
however, as that they, by virtue of their availability for dues, and convertibility
into 6 per cent stock, twenty years to run, will always be near par in active
seasons of the year, they may always be available at par for specie in Mexico, as
a means of remittance. If there are no funds in the Atlantic cities on which to
draw, the disbursing officer in Mexico may dispose of Treasury notes, which will
be remitted and sold in this market. This is the more likely, when we reflect
that Treasury notes sold in Mexico as high as 8 per cent premium, when they
were but little over par here. Through these operations, which come within the
strictest provisions of the Treasury law, the principle of which is never to ex­
change the credits of the government for the credits of individuals, but to ex-




198

Journal o f Banking, Currency, and Finance.

change them for specie, when desirable for the public convenience— under these
circumstances, taking into consideration the daily improving condition o f M ex­
ico in respect to security of property and increase o f trade, it is not to be appre­
hended that any very serious evils to commerce will grow out o f the war expen­
diture. The pressure which the market is now undergoing will probably curtail
the imports for the comjng Season, and, by so doing, operate such a fall in ex­
change, as that it will be more profitable to purchase bills for remittances from
Mexico to England through the United States. There must be a large quantity
o f property in M exico in the hands of wealthy persons, who, heretofore, having no
means of investing it profitably and safely, may put prejudice aside, and prefer to
purchase good United States 6 per cent securities, rather than to have their funds
longer unemployed, or dangerously exposed. The Mexican Congress, since 1827,
when the leading merchants and most active men were banished, has almost an­
nually issued some absurd edict or threat against foreigners; as a consequence
o f which, no enterprise could be undertaken calculated to develop the resources
of the country. A state of things that would seem to hold out greater security
than has been enjoyed for the last twenty years, would lead to the speedy de­
velopment of an immense amount o f wealth.

JOURNAL OF BANKING, CURRENCY AND FINANCE.
PROGRESS OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND FROM 1778 TO 1844.
Date.
1778, February 28......
it
28.....
1779,
it
29......
1780,
it
28......
1781,
ii
1782,
28......
it
1783,
28......
ii
1784,
28..... .
(i
1785,
28...... .
ii
1786,
28...... .
ii
1787,
28..... .
ii
29...... .
1788,
ii
1789,
28..... .
ii
1790,
28..... .
ii
1791,
28..... .
ii
29..... .
1792,
ii
1793,
28..... .
ii
28..... .
1794,
ii
28..... .
1795,
29..... .
1796,
ii
28...... .
1797,
ii
28..... .
1798,
ii
1799,
28...... .
ii
28..... .
1800,
ii
28..... .
1801,
1802,
28..... .
ii
1803,
28..... .
ii
1804,
28..... .
ii
28...... .
1805,
ii
1806,
28...... .
it
28.....
1807,




Circulation.

Deposits.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

7,440,000
9,013,000
8,411,000
7,092,000
8,029,000
7,675,000
6,203,000
5,923,000
7,582,000
8,330,000
9,561,000
9,807,000
10,041,000
11,439,000
11,307,000
11,889,000
10,744,000
14,018,000
10,730,000
9,675,000
13,096,000
12,960,000
16,844,000
16,213,000
15,187,000
15,320,000
17,078,000
17,871,000
17,730,000
16,951,000

4,662,000
4,358,000
4,724,000
5,797,000
6,130,000
4,465,000
3,904,000
6,669.000
6.152,000
5,902,000
5,177.000
5.537.000
6.223.000
6,365,000
5,523,000
5,346,000
7,892,000
5,973,000
5,702,000
4,892,000
•6,149,000
8,132,000
7,063,000
10,746,000
6,858,000
8,050,000
8,677,000
12,084,000
9,981,000
11,829,000

Securities.
P ou n d s.

11,221,000
10,936,000
10,901,000
11,186,000
13.794.000
12.796.000
11.619.000
12.173.000
10,353,000
11,359,000
11,865,000
10.961.000
10.332.000
12,603,000
13,069,000
16,005,000
14,525,000
16,811,000
17,140,000
16,838,000
16,800,000
17,039,000
21,424,000
26,425,000
21,960,000
23,915,000
26,999,000
28,661,000
26.591.000
27.408.000

Bullion.

Rest.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

2,011,000
3,711,000
3,581,000
3,280,000
2,158,000
1,321,000
6,556,100
2,740,000
5,979,000
5,627,000
5,743,000
7,229,000
8,633,000
7,869,000
6,468,000
4.011,000
6,987,000
6,127,000
2,539,000
1,086,000
5,829,000
7.564.000
6.144.000
4,640,000
4,153,000
3,777,000
3,372,000
5,884,000
5,987,000
6,143,000

1,129,000
1.276.000
1.347.000
1,577,000
1,793,000
1,977,000
2,168,000
2,321,000
2,599,000
2,754,000
2,870,000
2,845,000
2,701,000
2,668,000
2,706,000
2,781,000
2,876,000
2,949,000
3,248,000
3,358,000
3,384,000
3,511,000
3,661,000
4,106,000
4,068,000
4,321,000
4,616,000
4,590,000
4,867,000
4,771,000

Journal o f Banking, Currency, and Finance,

199

PROGRESS OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND— CONTINUED.
■------------ L I A B I L I T I E S .--------------\
D ate.

1808, February 28....
ft
1809,
2 8 ...
«(
1810,
28....
ft
1811,
28....
ft
1819,
29....
ft
1813,
27....
“
1814,
28....
it
1815,
2 8 ...
tt
1816,
2 9 ...
it
1817,
28....
tt
1818,
28 ...
a
1819,
27....
*t
1820,
2 9 ...
a
1821,
28....
a
1822,
2 8 ...
a
1823,
28....
n
1824,
28....
a
1825,
2 8 ...
a
1826,
2 8 ...
a
1827,
2 8 ...
ft
1828,
29....
tf
1829,
2 8 ...
a
1830,
27....
tt
1831,
28 ...
ft
1832,
29 ...
tt
1833,
26....
a
1834,
25 ...
tt
1835,
24....
1836, March
1 ...
1837, February 28 ...
tt
1838,
27....
ft
1839,
26 ...
tt
1840,
2 5 ...
1841, March 30
1842,
29
it
1843,
25
ft
1844,
2 3 ...

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

/----------------------------------- A S S E T S .

Circulation.

Deposits.

Securities.

Bullion.

Rest.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

P ou n d s.

7,855,000
4,489,000
3,501,000
3,350,000
2,983,000
2,884,000
2,204,000
2,037,000
4,641,000
9,681,000
10,055,460
4,185,000
4,911,000
11,870,000
11,057,000
10,384,000
13,810,000
8,779,000
2,460,000
10,159,000
10,347,000
6,835,000
9,171,000
8,217,000
5,293,000
10.205,000
9,225,000
6,289,000
7,918,000
4,077,000
10,471,000
6,773,000
4,311,000
4,339,000
6,125,000
11,054,000
15,784,000

5,089,000
5,081,000
5.403.000
5.667.000
6,006,000
6,336,000
6,937,000
7,632,000
8,640,000
5,736,000
5,192,000
4,100,000
3,521,000
3,158,000
3,675,000
3,131,000
2,847,000
2,808,000
2,974,000
2,996,000
2,750,000
2,795,000
2,562,000
2,612,000
2,638,000
2,228,000
2,300,000
2,603,000
2,946,000
3,202,000
2,628,000
2,677,000
2,862,000
2,918,000
3,102,000
2,788,000
3,169,000

18,189,000
18,543,000
21,020,000
23,3d0,000
23,408,000
23,211,000
24,801,000
27,262,000
27,013,000
27,398,000
27,771,000
25,127,000
23,484,000
23,885,000
18,665,000
18,392,000
19,737,000
20,754,000
25,468,000
21,891,000
21,981,000
19,871,000
20,051,000
19,600,000
18,052,000
19,372,000
19,050,000
18,510,000
18,195,000
18,165,000
18,975,000
18,098,000
16,504,000
16,537,000
16,952,000
. 20,093,000
. 21,122,000

11,962,000
9,983,000
12,457,000
11,446,000
11,595,000
11,268,000
12,455,000
11,702,000
12,389,000
10,826,000
7,998,000
6,413,000
4,094,000
5,623,000
4,690,000
7,181,000
10,098,000
10,169,000
6,936,000
8,802,000
9,198,000
9,554,000
10,763,000
11,214,000
8,937,000
12,455,000
13,087,000
10,071,000
13,985,000
10,007,000
10,825,000
7,739,000
6,556,000
7,212,000
8,657,000
12,003,000
13,972,000

27,384,000
29,118,000
35,379,000
37,122,000
38,026,000
37,931,000
41,990,000
44,558,000
43,401,000
34,279,000
30,905,000
31,455,000
26,187,000
20,796,000
15,973,000
18,320,000
18,872,000
24,951,000
32,919,000
23,530,000
23,581,000
25,385,000
24,204,000
25,209,000
24,333,000
23,850,000
25,212,000
24,895,000
27,208,000
27,297,000
21,958,000
21,741,000
21,611,000
22,328,000
22,586,000
93,830,000
22,479,000

THE BANKS OF TH E STATES OF THE UNION.
J. Homans Smith, Esq., the editor o f the “ Bankers’ Magazine,” has published a com­
plete list of all the banks in the United States, from which we derive the following sum­
mary view:—
The returns of all the New England States, New York, Ohio, New Orleans, Georgia,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Mobile, Virginia, are from reports within the last ninety days.
They are complete with the exceptions of Georgia and South Carolina. There are a few
instances of country banks in these two States whose reports we have not seen.
The returns of the Missouri, Indiana, New Jersey, and Baltimore banks, are twelve
months old.
It is to be regretted that there is not a general system of bank reports throughout the
States, by which, at a certain period, the exact amount of capital, circulation, and coin
could be ascertained. The banks of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia,
Delaware, Tennessee, and the interior of Maryland, do not uniformly publish their state­
ments ; and we cannot, at present, arrive at a correct estimate of their circulation and
specie.
**
The capital of the Ohio banks is set down at $5,706,563, according to their last quar­
terly statement. To this should be added the amount of State bonds deposited by the
banks with the comptroller, viz:— $1,417,541, which is in fact a part of their bonafi.de
capital.




Journal o f Banking , Currency , and Finance,

200

Various rumors have been afloat within the last few weeks, injurious to several banks
of the interior of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The rumors; we believe,
have no foundation whatever, and are got up for purposes of speculation only. The *
authors and publishers of such dangerous reports should be visited with the most severe
punishment.
“ The directors of the State Bank at Elizabeth are constrained, from the wanton and
groundless attacks of the New York Sun, to state to the stockholders and the public, that
there is no cause whatever for distrust or alarm in regard to this institution ; it is perfectly
sound, as the forthcoming and former annual statements of its officers will show. The bank
has done a prosperous business, has always redeemed its notes, and has never failed pay­
ing a semi-annual dividend to its stockholders. The bill-holders can exchange the notes
for specie, or New York notes, at the Merchants’ Bank, in Wall-street, where they have
been redeemed for the last twenty years.
“ The notes of the denomination of five dollars and upwards are received on deposit by
all the banks in the city, and those of a less denomination are taken by the brokers at the
usual rates for notes of the solvent banks of New' Jersey.”
RECAPITULATION.
Population N o. o f
1840.
Banks.
Capital.

Sta te s.

New York, Country.... (
|
“
City.......... <
Massachusetts, Country j
|
Boston, City................. (
Pennsylvania, Country, j
!
Philadelphia-............... \
Louisiana........................
South Carolina................
Virginia........................... .
Rhode Island..................
Ohio................................. .
Maryland, Country...... \
!
Baltimore...................... (
Tennessee....................... .
Connecticut.....................
Kentucky.........................
Georgia............................
New Jersey................... ;
North Carolina...............
Maine..............................
Indiana............................
New Hampshire.............. .
Alabama..........................
Delaware.........................
District of Columbia.......
Missouri..........................
Vermont..........................
Michigan.........................
Wisconsin........................
Total............................

| 144
2 ,4 2 9 ,0 0 0 1
i 25

Circulation.

Specie.

$ 1 9 ,3 5 6 ,0 0 0

$ 1 9 ,2 7 0 ,0 0 0

$ 2 ,5 3 3 ,0 0 0

2 4 ,0 0 3 ,0 0 0

6 ,9 6 7 , 0 0 0

6 .5 7 4 , 0 0 0

1 3 ,2 4 9 ,0 0 0

1 0 ,9 8 8 ,0 0 0

6 5 8 ,0 0 0

1 8 ,8 6 3 ,0 0 0

7 ,2 0 8 , 0 0 0

3 ,2 8 6 , 0 0 0

;
7 3 8 ,0 0 0 j
1

83
26

1 ,7 2 4 ,0 0 0 !

1
1
3 5 3 ,0 0 0 *

34
14

7 ,8 6 6 , 0 0 0

6 ,4 0 0 , 0 0 0

1 ,8 0 0 , 0 0 0

9 ,2 2 2 , 0 0 0

4 ,2 0 0 ,0 0 0

3 ,9 0 0 , 0 0 0

6

1 7 ,6 6 3 ,0 0 0

3 .5 1 4 ,0 0 0

7 ,2 5 2 , 0 0 0

5 9 5 ,0 0 0

14

ll,4 3 i;0 0 0

2 ,4 4 2 , 0 0 0

6 8 1 ,0 0 0

1 ,2 4 0 ,0 0 0

36

1 0 ,5 0 2 ,0 0 0

7 ,6 0 0 , 0 0 0

2 ,5 6 6 , 0 0 0

1 0 9 ,0 0 0

62

1 1 ,0 2 3 ,0 0 0

2 ,8 4 2 , 0 0 0

3 2 5 ,0 0 0

1 ,5 2 0 , 0 0 0

48

5 ,7 0 6 , 0 0 0

8 ,3 2 1 , 0 0 0

2 ,6 0 4 , 0 0 0
*

*

12

1 ,9 2 7 , 0 0 0

11

6 .9 7 4 . 0 0 0

1 ,9 9 0 ,0 0 0

8 3 0 ,0 0 0 .

20

8 .0 5 6 . 0 0 0

3 ,0 0 0 , 0 0 0

3 1 0 .0 0 0

33

8 ,7 0 5 , 0 0 0

4 ,4 3 7 , 0 0 0

4 6 2 ,0 0 0

7 8 0 .0 0 0

7 ,0 2 0 , 0 0 0

5 ,7 1 0 , 0 0 0

2 ,6 0 0 ,0 0 0

6 9 1 ,0 0 0

16
20

5 ,1 0 9 , 0 0 0

3 ,2 0 0 , 0 0 0

1 ,4 4 8 ,0 0 0

3 7 3 ,0 0 0

25

3 ,6 7 2 , 0 0 0

* 2 ,4 0 0 , 0 0 0

6 0 0 ,0 0 0

7 5 3 ,0 0 0

18

3 ,4 2 5 , 0 0 0

3 ,0 7 0 , 0 0 0

1 ,2 9 0 , 0 0 0

4 7 0 ,0 0 0

5 0 1 ,0 0 0

32

2 ,8 5 9 , 0 0 0

2 ,5 3 6 , 0 0 0

2 6 0 ,0 0 0

6 8 6 ,0 0 0

13

2 ,0 8 7 , 0 0 0

3 ,5 0 0 , 0 0 0

1 ,0 0 3 ,0 0 0

2 8 5 ,0 0 0

20

1 ,8 0 0 , 0 0 0

1 ,5 1 2 ,0 0 0

1 4 4 ,0 0 0

5 9 0 ,0 0 0

1

1 ,5 0 0 , 0 0 0

2 ,3 1 1 , 0 0 0

1 ,0 9 7 ,0 0 0

7 8 ,0 0 0

8

1 ,3 9 0 , 0 0 0

4 3 ,0 0 0

4

1 ,3 3 8 , 0 0 0

*
*

3 8 4 ,0 0 0

6

1 ,2 0 1 , 0 0 0

1 ,9 2 0 ,0 0 0

1 ,5 5 4 ,0 0 0

18

1 ,2 9 7 , 0 0 0

1 ,4 0 0 ,0 0 0

2 9 6 ,0 0 0

2 1 2 ,0 0 0

3

6 6 0 ,0 0 0

3 1 ,0 0 0

1

2 2 2 ,0 0 0

7 53 $ 2 0 8 ,2 1 6 ,0 0 0

*
*
$ 1 1 6 ,7 3 8 ,0 0 0

BONUSES ON BANK OF ENGLAND STOCK FROM

^




*
*

2 9 2 ,0 0 0

. 1 7 ,0 6 3 ,0 0 0

1799........... ....................
1801 .............................
1802 .............................
1804 .............................
1805 ............................
1806 .............................
1816.................................
1847.........

1 ,8 0 0 , 0 0 0
*

X I 0 per cent on the capital.
5
“
“
2*
“
“
5
“
“
5
“
“
5
“
“
25
“
“
1
“
“
* No returns.

1799

*
*

$ 4 4 ,7 3 3 ,0 0 0

TO 1847.

In Navy 5 per cents.
“
“
«
“
In money.
“
“
In Bank Stock.
In money.

201

Journal o f B anking, Currency , and F inance .

HIGHEST AND LO W EST PRICE OF BANK OF ENGLAND STOCK.
THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST PRICE OF BANK STOCK IN EACH YEAR FROM
Years.

1732.
1733.
1734.
1735.
1736.
1737.
1738.
1739.
1740.
1741.
1742.
1743.
1744.
1745.
1746.
1747.
1748.
1749.
1750.
1751.
1752.
1753.
1754.
1755.
1756.
1757.
1758
1759.
1760.
1761
1762.
1763.
1764.
1765.
1766.
1767.
1768.
1769.
1770.

Highest. Lowest.

152
151
140
146
151
151
145
144
144
143
143
148
148
147
136
129
129
140
136
142
149
144
135
162
121
120
123
123
114
116
119
131
127
136
139
159
170
175
153

109
130
132
138
148
142
140
115
138
135
136
145
116
133
125
119
117
128
131
135
141
135
130
119
114
115
116
109
101
98
91
111
112
126
135
142
158
149
105

Years.

1771..
1772..
1773..
1774..
1775.
1776..
1777.
1778.
1779.
1780..
1781.
1782.
1783..
1784..
1785.
1786..
1787..
1788.
1789_
1790.
1791.
1792.
1793.
1794..
1795.
1796.
1797.
1798..
1799.
1800.
1801.
1802.
1803.
1804.
1805
1806.
1807.
1808.

Highest. Lowest.

155
153
143
146
146
143
138
120
118
116
119
124
135
118
142
158
160
178
191
188
204
219
180
169
180
180
146
138
176
175
190
207
193
169
197
223
235
240

134
144
139
139
141
134
128
107
106
109
105
109
112
110
111
138
145
158
169
164
178
171
161
153
152
142
115
118
134
154
148
178
136
146
167
191
208
224

Years.

1809.......
1810.......
1811.......
1812.......
1813.......
1814.......
1815.......
1816.......
1817.......
1818.......
1819.......
1820.......
1821.......
1822 ......
1823.......
1824.......
1825.......
1826.......
1827.......
1828.......
1829.......
1830.......
1831.......
1832.......
1833.......
1834.......
1835.......
1836.......
1837.......
1838.......
1839.......
1840.......
1841.......
1842.......
1843.......
1844.......
1845.......
1846.......

1732

to

1846.

Highest. Lowest.

288
276
251
232
242
266
260
262
294
292
267
226
240
252
246
245
299
223
217
215
218
203
204
208
213
225
225
219
212
208
206
179
173
173
185
211
215
211

235
273
229
212
211
234
219
215
220
207
210
215
221
235
204
227
196
193
200
203
208
194
189
185
190
211
208
199
203
201
177
156
157
165
172
185
199
199

H ISTO RY OF A £30,000 NOTE OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND.
W e find the following anecdote of an extraordinary affair which happened to a £30,000
note of the Bank of England, in Francis’ history of that institution, a work recently pub­
lished in London:—
“ In 1740, one of the directors of the Bank of England, a very rich man, had occasion
for £30,000, which he was to pay as the price of an estate which he had just bought.
To facilitate the matter, he carried the sum with him to the bank, and obtained for it a
bank-note. On his return home, he was suddenly called out upon particular business ; he
threw the note carelessly on the chimney, but when he came back a few minutes after­
wards, to lock it up, it was not to be found. No one had entered the room ; he could not,
therefore, suspect any person. At last, after much ineffectual search, he was persuaded
that it had fallen from the chimney into the fire. The director went to acquaint his col­
leagues with the misfortune that had happened to him; as he was known to be a per­
fectly honorable man, he was readily believed. It was only about twenty-four hours from
the time that he had deposited his money; they thought it would be hard to refuse hi3
request for a second bill. He received it on giving an obligation to restore the first bill,
if it ever should be found, or to pay the money himself if it ever should be presented by a
stranger. About thirty years afterwards, (the director having been dead, and his heirs in




Journal o f B anking, Currency, and Finance.

202

possession of his fortune,) an unknown individual presented the lost bill at the bank,
and demanded payment. It was in vain that they mentioned to this person the transac­
tion by which this bill was annulled ; he would not listen to it—he maintained that it
came to him from abroad, and insisted on immediate payment. The note was payable
to bearer; and the £30,000 were paid him. The heirs o f the director would not listen
to any demands o f restitution, and the bank was obliged to sustain the loss. It was dis­
covered afterwards, that an architect having purchased the director’s house, had taken it
down, in order to build another on the same spot, had found the note in a crevice of the
chimney, and made his discovery an engine for robbing the bank.”

BOSTON IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF SPECIE.
The following statement o f bullion and specie imported and exported at the port of
Boston for the last twenty years, that is, from January 1,1828, to December 25, 1847,
derived from the custom-house books, originally appeared in the “ Boston Morning P o s t —
Years.

1828...
1829..
1830..
1831..
1832..
1833..
1834..
1835..
1836..
1837..
1838..
1839..
1840..
1841..
1842..
1843..
1844..
1845..
1846..
1847*.

Imported.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Total.....................

Exported.

Excess o f imports. Excess o f exports.

$1,203,391
696,854
99,118
1,035,648
987.190
496,824
471,093
1,559,305
896,960
534,274
616,429
1,029,164
659,734
1,072,482

$231,656
294,690
445,500
272,025
204,137
360,329
391,483
210,38,7
201,654
343,030
319,425
279,563
331,213
421,350
1,327,815
7,473,589
897,898
496,450
742,766
12,650,585

$1,435,047
991,544
544,618
1,307,673
1,191,327
857,153
802,576
1,769,692
1,098,614
877,304
935,853
1,308,727
990,947
1,493,832
600,469
851,827
1,193,118
603,838
273,699
2,049,907

469,067
10,600,678

$27,895,544

$21,237,765

$18,418,853

$727,346
6,621,762
295,220
107,388

$11,761,074

Excess of imports on the whole period, $6,657,778.

FINANCES OF THE ST A T E OF N EW JERSEY.
The State of New Jersey, as stated in the last Annual Message of the Governor, is not
only free from debt, but is in possession of such sources of permanent revenue as to ren­
der taxation for State purposes unnecessary.
The receipts in the Treasury have been.......................................................
Disbursements.................................. ...............................................................

$184,711 84
172,397 06

Balance in the Treasury............................................................................

$12,314 78

------------------ s—

Loaned during the year...
O f which have been paid

$42,000 00
5,000 00

Showing present indebtedness.......................................................................
T o pay this there is in the Treasury, without resorting to permanent funds

$37,000 00
33,885 66

Leaving a balance of only..................................................... ...................




* Less six days.

$3,114 34

203

Journal o f Banking , Currency , and F inance .
FINANCES OF THE ST A T E OF OHIO.

The last Annual Message of the Governor of Ohio exhibits the finances of that State
as follows:—
RECEIPTS.

General revenue received from taxes levied on the grand list and inci­
dental items............................................................................................... $1,202,528 47
Tolls and dividends received upon canals, turnpikes, and public works...
827,641 85
Tax upon banks, insurance and bridge companies....................................
41,748 52
Surplus revenue, principal repaid by the counties......................................
101,835 48
Interest upon surplus revenue......................................................................
86,379 06
Receipts for canal lands sold, &c.............
53,942 40
Total payments into the Treasury..................... ....................................

$2,314,075 78

DISBURSEMENTS.

Paid for the support of State government and State insti­
tutions................................................ , ............................ $210,050 42
Paid for the support of common schools...........................
201,319 31
Interest upon State debt.................................................... 1,175,117 51
Repairs and contingent expenses upon public works.......
317,568 13
Amount of payments......................................................... ...........................

1,904,255 37

Balance, being surplus applicable to the payment of the temporary and
funded debt of the State............................................................................

$409,820 41

In addition to the above, there has been paid into the Treasury, on ac­
count of school lands and other trust funds, and proceeds of loans and
bonds issued, the sum of...........................................................................
Payments have been made from these funds to the amount of................

$237,145 26
118,341 01

Leaving the balance of the receipts of trust funds over disbursements....

$118,804 25

Domestic bonds to the amount of $119,S83 73 have been redeemed, during 1847, at
the Treasury.
FINANCES OF MASSACHUSETTS.
The following summary of the Finances of Massachusetts is derived from the Governor's
Message.—
The receipts of the year, including $8,658 57 in the Treasury on.the 1st
of January, 1847, amount to......................................................................... $508,990 40
The expenditures to..........................................................................................
478,755 63
Leaving a balance of receipts over the expenditures o f.................................

$30,234 77

Independent of the amount for which the State has heretofore lent its credit to certain
railroad corporations,—for which ample security has been given, and upon which there is
no probability the State will ever be called on to pay anything,— the debt of the Common­
wealth, at this time, amounts to $1,147,300. The items of this debt are—
State subscriptions to Western Railroad stock...............................................
Due Western Railroad Corporation for 1,323 shares.....................................
Temporary loan to pay balance of 441 shares................................................

$995,000
132,300
20,000

Total debt of Massachusetts.........................................................................
The available means of the State are—
11,764 shares in Western Railroad Corporation, at par................................
5 per cent for present value of this stock........................................................
Western Railroad Sinking Fund.....................................................................
A house in Hancock-street................................................................................
Half of ten shares in South Boston Association............................................

$1,147,300

Total...............................................................................................................

$1,695,620




$1,176,400
58,820
446,400
12,500
1,500

204

Journal o f Banking , Currency , and Finance,
FINANCES OF PENNSYLVANIA.

From authentic sources, we learn that the comparative condition of the revenue of the
Commonwealth for the last three years, ending respectively on the 30th of November, is
as follows:—
RECEIPTS.

1845.

1846.

1847.

$3,010,062 34

$3,529,057 28

$3,977,025 89

Adding to which the balances on hand on the first day of December in each year from
the preceding year, namely—

1844.
$663,851 88
the totals are for

1845.

1846.

$384,886 09

$384,678 70

184§.

1846.

1847.

$3,673,914 22

$3,913,943 37

$4,361,704 59

thus showing for the present year a very marked and gratifying increase in the sums paid
into the public treasury. This increase has been derived from various sources, two of the
most prominent being the tolls on the public works, and the tax on bank dividends, which
stand thus:—
Tolls......................................
Dividends..............................

1845.

1846.

1847.

$1,154,591 55
86,675 88

$1,357,203 17
75,384 82

$1,587,995 61
128,307 13

The balance in the treasury on the 1st of December, 1847, was $680,890 85—nearly
$300,000 more than at the corresponding period of 1846. The ability of Pennsylvania
to meet her February interest is put beyond all question ; and there will be no necessity
for special loans, or other stringent legislation in regard to the moneyed affairs of the
Commonwealth.
PAY M EN TS INTO THE TR E A SU R Y OF TH E UNITED STATES.
A COMPARATIVE STATEMENT, SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF RECEIPTS FROM CUSTOMS DURING SEVE­
RAL PERIODS FROM 1ST DECEMBER, 1 8 4 5 , TO 1ST DECEMBER, 1 8 4 7 .

1st From 1st December, 1845, to 1st December, 1846........................... $22,971,403 10
“
«
1846,
“
1847...........................
31,500,000 00
2d. For quarter ending 30th September, 1846.........................................
6,153,826 58
“
“
“
1847.........................................
11,106,257 41
3d. For months of October and November, 1846...................................
1,688,480 32
4,400,000 00
“
“
“
1847...................................
4th. From 1st December, 1846, to 30th June, 1847............... ................
15,905,557 76
RE-IMBURSEMENT OF TREASURY NOTES, MONTHLY, FROM THE 1ST OF DECEMBER, 1 8 4 6 , TO THE
1ST OF DECEMBER, 1 8 4 7 .

December................. ................
................
February...................
March........................ ................
April..*..................... .................
May......................... ................

$487,350 June............ ...............................
176,950 July............. ...............................
August........ ..............................
1,753,797 September...
735,250 October....... ................................
704,565 November...
$4,236,762

$702,750
1,078,128
1^053^850
1,067,100
$4,735,028
4,236,762

Total.....................




D aniel G raham, Register.

Nautical Intelligence <

205

FINANCES OF TENNESSEE.
The Report of the Comptroller, recently laid before the Legislature, shows—
That the total liabilities of the State, drawing interest on the first Mon­
day of October last, were.......................................................................... $3,337,857 66
Total productive stocks of the State drawing interest at the same time.
4,837,430 64
Balance of assets over liabilities is...............................................................
1,499,573 98
The total receipts into the treasury of the State during the last two years,
including the balance on hand at the commencement of the period
named, were...............................................................................................
819,596 05
The disbursements in the same time amounted to.....................................
642,314 42
Leaving a balance in the treasury of............ ...............................................
177,261 73

NAUTICAL

INTELLIGENCE.

BUXEY SAND.
T he Corporation o f Trinity House having caused an Iron Beacon to be placed on, and

two Black Buoys to be laid near, the Buxey Sand, namely, one Buoy on the North, and
the other n the South side thereof, for the safety of vessels navigating in that vicinity,
notice th oof is hereby given ; and that the Beacon, distinguished by a Cross, is placed
on the North-western part of the Sand, which is dry at low water spring tides, and with
the following Compass Bearings, viz:—
Tillingham Preventive Station Staff..........................................................................W. by S.
West Buxey Buoy.................................................................................................... S. W . \ S.
Maplin Light-house...................................................................................................... S. $ W .
North Buxey Buoy.........................................................................................N. E. by E. ^ E.
Ray Sand Beacon...................................................................................................... W . S. W .
The B y on the North side, marked “ North Buxey,” is laid in 4 fathoms at lo^r wa­
ter spring tides, with the following Marks and Compass Bearings, viz:—
A large Brick-built House, just in sight to the Southward of the Black Preventive Station
on Foulness Island................................................................................. S. W . by W. £ W.
Wivenhoe Mill, just open to the Eastward of the Easternmost Trees on Mersea Island,
N. | E.
Buxey Beacon..............................................................................................S. W . by W . $ W.
The Buoy on the South side, marked “ South Buxey,” is laid in 2£ fathoms at low wa­
ter spring tides, with the following Marks and Compass Bearings, viz:—
Brightlin: ea Church, just open to the Eastward of two remarkable round-topped trees,
at the West end of Brightlingsea W ood................................................................. N. f E.
Whitaker Buoy................................................................................................ S. E. by E. £ E.
Whitaker Ride Buoy.....................................................................................................W. £ S.
SW IN SP IT W A Y .
The Black Buoy marked “ Swin Spitway ” having been moved about 1£ cables’ length
to the Eas' ward, now lies in 3 fathoms at low water spring tides, with the following Marks
and Compass Bearings, viz:—
A White Cottage between St. Osyth and the Beach, in line with the body of St. Osyth’s
Church.......................................................................................................................... North.
A White [louse on the Cliff, in line with Great Clackton Church............... N. N. E. £ E.
Wallet Spitway Buoy.................................................................................................. N. £ W.
Whitaker Buoy..................................................................................................................S. W.
The Ri d Beacon Buoy marked “ Wallet Spitway” has also been moved about 2£ ca­
bles’ leng: :s to the Eastward, and now lies in 4 fathoms at low water spring tides, with
the following Marks and Compass Bearings, viz:—
A Whke Cottage between St. Osyth and the Beach, in a line with the Chancel of St.
Osyth’s Church............................................................................................................North.
The Naze Tower, half the length of the Tower on the Cork Land.......N. E. by E. £ E.
Eagle Buoy.............................................................................................................N. W . £ W.




i

206

Commercial Statistics.
FIXED SID ERAL LIGHT A T SPOTSBJERG.

At Spotsbjerg, on the East side of the entrance to Isefiord, in 55° 58' 35" North Lati­
tude, and 11° 51' 50" East Longitude, a fixed Sideral Light will be exhibited, placed in
a light-house 10 feet from the ground, and 120 feet above the level of the sea.
This new light, which appeared for the first time on the 1st November, 1847, will con­
tinue to burn the same time as the other lights of the kingdom, will be visible at sea at
the distance of two Danish miles, and will also light the Isefiord in the direction of about
S. W . by S.
In consequence of the establishment of this new light, the lanthem on Spotsbjerg,
which the fishermen have hitherto been allowed to exhibit there from the 1st of Septem­
ber to the 1st of November, will be discontinued in future.

GOODWIN SAND.
The Beacon upon the South Calliper of the Goodwin Sand having disappeared in the
storm of the 23d October, 1847, notice is hereby given, that, instead thereof, a “ Large
Nun Buoy,” surmounted by a Staff and Cage, and painted black and white, in horizontal
stripes, has been moored off that part of the Sand, in 13 fathoms at low water spring
tides, and with the following Marks and Compass Bearings, viz:—
Waldershare Monument, in line with the Centre of the low Cliff North of Kingsdown,
W. by N. \ N.
Thanet Mill midway between Ramsgate Church and the Obelisk on the pier, N. by W . W .
S. E. Goodwin Buoy...................................................................................... .......S. W . £ W .
South Sand Head Light Vessel..................................................................................W . by S.
Swatchway Beacon.. .............................................................................................. N. E. £ N.
Goodwin Light Vessel.......................................................................................... N. E. by N.

COMMERCI AL

STATISTICS.

IMPORTS, EXPORTS, AND N E T T REVENUE OF THE U N ITED S T A T E S :
IN EACH TEAR FOR THE LAST FIFTY-SEVEN YEARS.

are indebted to a distinguished member of Congress, from Massachusetts, for the
following tabular statement of the imports and exports of the United States from the year
1791 to 1847, inclusive ; together with the excess of the imports or exports for each year,
and the nett revenue accruing from imports during the same period. In comparing the
table of “ nett revenue,” as compiled by our correspondent, with a Report of the Secre­
tary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances, &c., (House Doc. No. 6, 29th Con­
gress, 1st Session, p. 957,) we find a considerable discrepancy in the statements. The
“ nett revenue,” as given in the Treasurer’s Report for the years 1843, 1844, and 1845,
compared with our correspondent, is as follows:—
W e

Years.

Our Correspondent.

Yeara.

$6,132,272
26,183,570
27,528,112

1843
1844
1845

1843
.....................
1844 ...............................
1845
.....................

Treasury Report.

.....................
.....................
.....................

$5,602,033
25,758,406
26,666,374

A TABLE OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES FROM THE TEAR 1791 TO 1847,
INCLUSIVE ; TOGETHER WITH THE EXCESS OF IMPORTS OR EXPORTS FOR EACH YEAR, AND THE
NETT REVENUE ACCRUING FROM IMPORTS DURING THE SAME PERIOD.
Years.

1791........ ...
1792........
1793.........
1794........
1795........
1796.........

Imports.
$52,000,000
31,500,000
31,100,000
34,600,000
69,756,268
81,436,164




Excess
Exports.
of imports.
$19,012,041 $32,987,959
10,746,902
20,753,098
25,109,572
4,990,428
33,026,233
1,573,767
47,989,472
21,766,796
67,064,097
14,372,067

Excess
of exports.
...............
...............
...............
...............
................
...............

Nett revenue
from imports.
$4,399,473
3,443,070
4,255,306
4,801.065
5,588,461
6,567,987

207

Commercial Statistics.
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES— CONTINUED.
Years.

1797.............
1798.............
1799.............
1800.............
1801.............
1802.............
1803.............
1804.............
1805 ..........
1806.............
1807.............
1808.............
1809.............
1810.............
1811.............
1812.............
1813.............
1814.............
1815.............
1816.............
1817.............
1818.............
1819.............
1820.............
1821.............
1822.............
1823.............
1824.............
1825.............
1826.............
1827.............
1828.............
1829.............
1830.............
1831.............
1832.............
1833.............
1834...........
1835.............
1836.............
1837.............
1838.............
1839.............
1840.............
1841.............
1842.............
1843*...........
1844.............
1845.............
1846.............
1847.............

Imports.

$75,379,406
68,551,700
79,068,148
91,252,768
111,363,511
76,333,333
64,666,666
85,000,000
120,000,000
129,000,000
138,000,000
56,990,000
59,400,000
85,400,000
53,400,000
77,030,000
22,005,000
12,965,000
113,041,274
147,103,000
99,250,000
121,750,000
87,125,000
74,450,000
62,585,724
82,241,541
77,579,267
80,549,007
96,340,075
84,974,477
79,484,068
88,509,824
74,492,227
70,876,920
103,191,124
101,029,266
108,181,311
126,521,332
149,895,742
189,980,035
140,989,217
113,717,404
162,092,132
107,141,519
127,946,477
100,162,087
64,763,799
108,435,035
117,254,569
121,691,797
146,545,636

Exports.

Excess
o f imports.

Excess
o f exports.

Nett revenue
from imports.

$56,850,206 $18,529,200
$7,549,649
7,024,603
7,100,061
61,527,097
402,626
6,610,449
78,665,522
70,971,780
280,988
8,080,932
17,247,586
10,750,779
94,115,225
3,850,173
12,438,235
72,483,160
8,866,633
10,479,417
55,800,033
7,300,926
11,098,565
77,699,074
95,566,021
24,433,979
12,936,487
27,463,037
14,667,698
101,536,963
29,656,850
15,845,521
108,343,150
34,559,040
16,363,550
22,430,960
7,196,769
7,296,020
52,203,231
18,642,046
8,583,309
66,757,974
61,316,831
..............
$7,916,831
13,313,222
38,527,236
38,502,764
8,958,777
27,855,997
5,850,997
13,224,623
6,927,441
6,037,553
5,998,772
52,557,753
60,483,521
7,282,942
81,920,452
65,182,548
36,306,874
87,671,569
11,578,431
26,283,348
93,281,133
28,468,867
17,176,385
70,142,521
16,982,479
20,283,608
69,691,669
4,758,331
15,005,612
64,974,382
..................
2,389,658 15,155,418
72,160,281
10,081,260
21,219,116
74,699,030
2,880,237
17,717,830
75,986,657
4,562,350
20,215,059
..................
3,195,313 25,387,904
99,535,388
77,595,322
7,379,155
18,997,478
..................
2,840,759 22,378,056
82,324,827
72,264,686
16,245,138
24,890,337
72,358,671
2,133,850
22,296,512
73,849,508
..............
2,992,588
22,883,573
21,880,541
30,312,851
81,310,583
3,852,323
21,488,896
87,176,943
18,040,778
14,797,782
90,140,433
104,336,972
22,184,360
13,458,111
28,202,165
21,552,272
121,693,577
61,316,995
26,325,839
128,663,040
117,419,376
23,469,841
13,315,129
5,230,788
15,373,238
108,486,616
121,028,416
41,063,716
20,560,439
132,085,946
..............
24,944,427
10,159,339
121,851,803
6,094,674
15,516,589
..............
4,529,447
12,780,173
104,691,534
84,446,480
..................
19,582,681 6,132,272
111,200,046
..................
2,715,001 26,183,570
114,646,606
.............
2,607,958
27,528,112
113,488,616
8,203,181
26,712,667
158,648,622
.................
12,102,986 23,747,864

* The commercial year 1843 consisted of only nine months, and the fiscal year of onlysix months. This will account for the diminished imports and exports of that year. It is
also worthy of remark, that the fiscal year 1843 not only consisted of but six months, but
of those six months in which the imports are generally the least; and hence the great
falling off of the revenue. The facts above stated arose from the change of the commer­
cial and fiscal year. The increased export of 1847 arises from the famine in Europe.




208

Commercial Statistics,
CONSUMPTION,

OF TEA IN THE U N ITED STATES.

e tc .,

The following statement, exhibiting the quantity and value of teas consumed annually
from 1821 to 1847, and the amount of duty which accrued on the same from 1821 to 1832,
together with the average rate of duty per pound, and its equivalent ad valorem, during
the years in which the article was subjected to duty on importation, is derived from the
Treasury Department, Registers Office, December 7, 1847
Years ending September 30,

Quantity.
Pounds.

Value.
D ollars.

Yearsending

Years ending

1821.......
1822.......
1823.......
1824.......
1825.......
1826.......

D ollars.

1,442,367
1,637,835
2,000,754
2,587,949
2,405,355
2.911,188

13
02
60
13
02
17

Quantity.
Pounds.

Value.
D ollars.

12,331,636
14,484,784
14,465,722
11,978,744
7,748,028
16,860,784
10,772,087
13,482,645

3,594,293
4,472,342
5,003,401
2,559,246
1,781,824
4,059,545
3,075,332
3,567,745
3,405,627
3,152,225
4,809,621
3,983,337
3,200,056

ber 30,

1835......... ..........
1836........ ..........
1837......... ...........
1838......... ...........
1839......... ..........
1840......... ...........
1841........ ..........
1842.......... ...........
1843*.......
1844t....... ...........
1845t....... ..........
1846t....... ..........
1847t....... ..........

Septerab’ r 30,

4,586,223 1,080,264
5,305,588 1,160,579
6,474,934 1,547,695
7,771,619 2,224,203
7,173,740 2,246,794
8,482,483 2,443,587
942,439
3,070,885
6,289,581 1,771,993
1,531,460
5,602,795
6,873,091 1.532.211
4,654,681 1,057,528
8,627,144 2,031.339
12,927,643 4,775,081
13,193,553 5,122,275
Average Equivalent
rate of ad valorem
Duties.
duties.
duties

Years ending Septem-

1821........ ...........
1822......... ...........
1823......... ..........
1824......... ..........
1825......... ..........
1826........ ..........
1827........ ..........
1828......... ..........
1829......... ..........
1830......... ..........
1831........ ..........
1832......... ...........
1833......... ...........
1834......... ..........

Cents.

Per cent.

Septemb’ r 30,

31.45
30.87
30.09
33.03
33.53
34.32

13352
141.12
129.27
116.35
107.05
119.13

1827.......
1828.......
1829.......
1830.......
1831.......
1S32.......

13,054,327
17,162,550
16,891,020
14,221,910

Average Equivalent
rate of ad valorem
duties. duties.

Duties.
D ollars.

1,029,360
2,138,457
1,889,822
2,287,364
1,478,496
1,216,427

G5
54
75
68
22
30

Cents.

P er cent.

33.52
34.00
33.73
32.28
31.75
14.01

109.22
120.68
123.40
149.28
139.80
58.44

EXPORT OF CORN AND CORN M EAL FROM TH E UNITED STA TE S.
The following table exhibits the quantity of corn and corn meal exported from the Uni­
ted States for fifty-seven years, commencing in 1791 and closing in 1847:—
TOTAI. EXPORTS OF COEN AND COEN MEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES FROM 1791 TO 1847.
Corn.
Corn meal. Years.
Corn meal. Years.
Corn.
Corn.
Corn meal.
B u s h e ls .
B a r r e ls .
B a r r e ls .
B u s h e ls .
B u s h e ls •
B a r r e ls .

Years.

1791.
1792.
1793.
1794.
1795.
1796.
1797.
1798.
1799.
1800.
1801.
1802.
1803.
1804.
1805.
1806.
1807.
1808.
1809.

1,713,214
1,964,973
1,233,768
1,505,977
1,935,345
1,173,552
804,922
1.218,231
1,200,492
1,694,327
1,768,162
1,633,283
2,079.608
1,944,873
861,501
1,064,263
1,018,721
249,538
522,049

351,695
263,405
189,715
241,570
512,445
540,286
254,799
211,694
231,226
338,108
919,353
266.816
133.606
111,327
116,131
108,342
136,460
30,818
57,260

1810.
1811.
1812.
1813.
1814.
1815.
1816.
1817.
1818.
1819.
1820.
1821.
1822.
1823.
1824.
1825.
1826.
1827.
1828.

* Nine months, ending June 30.




1,054,252
2,790,850
2,039,999
1,486,970
61,284
830,516
1,077,614
387,454
1,075,190
1,086,762
533,741
607,277
509,098
749,034
779,297
869,644
505,381
978,664
70,492

86,744
86,744
147,426
90,810
52,521
2G.433
72,634
89,119
106,763
120,029
135,271
146,318
131,669
148,228
141,501
172,723
187,225
158,652
131,041

1829.
897,656 173,775
1830.
444,109 154,301
1831.
571,312 207,604
1832.
451.230 146,710
1833.
437,174 146,678
1634.
303,449 149,609
1835.
755,781 166,782
1836.
124,791 140,917
1837.
151,276 159,435
1838.
172,321 171,843
1839.
162,306 165,672
1840.
574,279 206,063
1841.
535,727 232,284
1812.
600,308 209,190
1843.
672,608 174,254
1844.
825,282 247,882
1845.
840,184 269,030
1846. 1,826,068 298,790
1847. 17,272,815 945,039
t Years ending June 30.

209

Commercial Statistics.
NAVIG ATIO N OF THE PORT OF N E W YO R K IN 1847.

W e publish below the annual statement of Colonel Thorn, of the United States Revenue
Department, of the arrivals of vessels at the port of New York from foreign countries
from January 1st, 1847, to January 1st, 1848:—

Ships.
555
84
16
2
9
18
10
3
1
3
1

Countries.
American...................
British........................
Bremen......................
Swedish......................
Hamburgh..................
French......................
Dutch........................
Belgian.......................
Norwegian................
Danish........................
Prussian.....................
Spanish......................
Austrian....................
Sfcilian......................
Russian.......................
Neapolitan..................
Sardinian...................
Genoese.....................
Portuguese.................
New Granada.............

i
l

l

Brazilian.......................
Chilian............ .............
Oldenburgh..................
Mecklenburgh..............
Venezuelian..................
Lubec............................
Colombian...................
Monte Videan............
Kniphausen................
Buenos Ayrean..........
Chinese Junk..............

Barks.
362
155
45
18
19
22
23
13
12
5
8
4
2
1
2
2
1
3
1
....

1

i
l
l
705

T ota l......................

702

Brigs. Schooners. Sloops. Galliots. St’ms’ps. Total.
683
344
...
2
1,946
361
152
7
736
29
1
i
92
43
62
i
5
34
9
8
57
i
4
4
42
6
22
14
i
28
3
i
18
30
9
18
16
11
i
3
2
l
5
2
....
2
4
4
2
2
7
4
13
3
6
6
1
8
1
1
3
1
4
... .
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
. ...
1
1
1
1,222

514

i

5

17

3,147

Passengers arrived in the same period, 166,110.
COMPARATIVE VIEW.

The annexed schedule shows the number o f vessels and passengers arrived at the port
of New York in each year since 1834:—
Years.

1835..........
1836...........
1837...........
1838...........
1839...........
1840...........
1841...........

No. o f
Arrivals.

No. o f
Passengers.

2,094
2,291
2,071
1,790
2,159
1,953
2,118

35,303
60,541
57,975
25,581
48,152
62,797
57,337

Years.

1842...........
1843...........
1844...........
1845...........
1846...........
1847...........

N o. o f
Arrivals.

N o. o f
Passengers.

1,960
1,832
2,208
2,044
2,293
3,147

74,949
46,302
61,002
82,960
115,230
166,110

Hence it appears that the number of arrivals in 1847 was 854 greater than in any pre­
vious year, and the number of passengers 40,880 greater than in 1846, and more than
double that of any year previous to 1846. Of the increase of arrivals compared v ith the
previous year, 326 were American, 356 British, 25 Bremen, 21 Swedish, 8 Hamburgh,
42 French, 22 Dutch, 18 Belgian, 7 Norwegian, 14 Danish, 6 Prussian, 12 Spanish, &c.
VOL.

X V I I I . -----N O . I I ,




14

Commercial Statistics,

210

COASTW ISE ARRIVALS A T N E W YORK IN 1847.
Months.
January...........................
February..........................
March.............................
April................................
May.................................
June................................
July..................................
August............................
September.......................
October ..........................
November.......................
December.......................

Steamships. Ships.

17
14
18
19
17
25
27
22
19
18
16
14

i
2
2
3
3
3
2
3
4
4
5

Barks.

Brigs.

Schooners.

Total.

15
15
17
12
5
11
14
11
12
10
16
16

34
60
69
36
35
33
70
54
44
50
63
51

232
251
399
317
299
333
371
346
393
337
302
273

298
341
505
386
359
405
485
435
471
419
401
359
4,864
3,147
8.011
6,952
1,559

Whole number as above..............
Which added to the foreign........ .
Makes a total for the year o f......
Increase............

In the above table there are no sloops included, which, if added to the many schooners
from Virginia and Philadelphia, with wood and coal, which discharge their cargoes at
Brooklyn, Williamsburgh, Jersey City, and the adjacent towns on the Hudson, and are
not boarded, owing to the remoteness of those points for general business, would make
the number much greater. W e estimate the schooners that arrive at the above places,
and are not reported, at six per day, which we think a small estimate ;— this would give
for the year 2,190 additional schooners to be added to the coasting trade, making the
whole number of coastwise arrivals for 1847, 7,054.

TOBACCO INSPECTIONS A T N E W YORK.
Below is a correct statement of the Inspections of Leaf Tobacco at the port of New
York from 1834, the time of the establishment of the Inspection Warehouse in this city,
to the close of 1847, inclusive, and the Stocks at the warehouse at the beginning of each
month for eleven years, compiled by the inspector, Mr. Nathaniel Pearce, from the records
of hi9 office, and for which we are indebted to Messrs. William Agnew and Sons:—
INSPECTIONS.

1 ,7 5 4

413

85

1 8 3 5 . . . . . 1 1 ,2 7 8 2 ,1 3 0
87
1 8 3 6 .... . . 1 0 ,4 9 5

1 ,1 3 1

190

1 4 ,7 2 9

1 8 4 2 .... ..

8 ,2 3 6

1 ,1 2 3

61

16

1 3 ,1 0 7

1 8 4 3 ... ..

1 1 ,7 2 9

254

10

7 ,1 4 9

1 8 4 4 .... . .

6 ,0 5 2

544

68
2

36

6 ,3 3 4

8 ,0 3 0

7 ,3 8 7

180

48

45

7 ,7 4 7

1 8 4 5 .... . .
1 8 4 6 .... . .

5 ,7 0 1

1 ,7 3 5

10 2

81

7 ,6 6 0
7 ,6 6 9

2 1 3 ,8 3 0

1 8 4 7 .... ..

8 ,2 1 7

3 ,8 9 3

90

4

1 2 ,2 0 4

1 8 3 4 .... ..

1

p"

O

S'

Years.

C-

1 8 3 7 .... . .
1 8 3 8 .... ..

6 ,0 4 7
7 ,5 9 9

2 ,5 0 9
409
683
71
360

1 8 3 9 .... ..
1 8 4 0 .... ..

6 ,6 3 0

972

24

1 0 ,2 6 3

3 ,5 0 2

63

121

s
C
f

5 ,9 0 9

1 8 4 1 .... ..

g<3.
S 3

o'

2

p

a.

5 ‘ g,

9 ,9 5 5 2 ,0 2 6

T o t a l.

3 ,6 5 7

Y ears.

P

T o t a l.

§
ST
?

gw
s |
S>
i f?

O h io ...

g

87

1 0 ,0 6 8
9 ,4 2 0
1 2 ,0 5 1

STOCKS.
M on th s.

1817.

January.
Febr’ry..
March..
April.....
M a y ....
June.....
July......
August.
Septem..
October.
Novem’r
Decem’ r.

3,478
3,206
3,124
2,873
2,318
1,636
1,441
1,149
1,393
1,182
840
838

1818. 1819. 1840. 1841. 1842. 1841. 1814. 1845. 1846. 1847. 1848.
1,722 1,767 1,090 3,744 2,497 2,419 6,219 4,121 3,355 2,901
1,623 1,286 1,210 3,433 2,417 2,400 6,236 3,990 3,325 2,612
1,562 1,204 1,123 2,700 2,724 2,055 5,970 3,860 3,109 2,456
1,108 2,070 1,381 3,035 2,396 2,209 5,895 3,668 2,850 2,348
913 2,391 1,034 3,376 2,188 2,622 5,809 3,463 2,536 2,506
1,433 2,704 1,983 3,772 1,787 3,517 5,631 3,765 2,536 2,425
1,904 3,101 2,544 4,565 2,314 4,164 6,210 3,427 2,438 2,831
2,141 2,639 3,176 4,174 2,943 4,222 5,818 3,486 2,90 1 2,934
2,464 3,391 4,531 3,575 3,543 5,580 5,746 3,747 3,326 3.854
2,877 3,086 4,465 3,430 2,934 6,784 5,336 4.396 3,996 5,187
2,198 2,234 4,281 3,072 2,817 6,441 4,624 3,594 3,974 6,136
1,603 1,455 3,552 2,326 2,343 6,326 3,875 3,072 2,914 5,093




5,200
.
.......
.......
........
.......
.......
.......
.......
.......
.......
.......

211

Commercial Statistics.
IMPORT OF VIRGINIA TOBACCO IN TO N E W YORK.

IMPORT OF MANUFACTURED TOBACCO AT THIS FORT FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 3 1 S T DECEMBER,
1 8 4 7 , INCLUSIVE ; COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY CHAS. M. CONNOLLY FOR THE MERCHANTS’

MAGAZINE.
Number o f
packages.

I m port —

From
“
«
“

Richmond......................
Petersburgh............................
Norfolk...................................
Other places...........................

75,817
53,586
730
7,918

Total packages.................

138,051

Same time Probable stock Same time
last year, now on hand, last year.

61,600
47,209
424
2,885
112,118

.......
.......
.......
.......
...........................
.......
.......
36,000

30,000

RECEIPTS IN FORMER YEARS.

51,579
63,805
84,779
62,366
61,676
97,536
105,689
112,118

From 1st January to 31st December, 1839................ packages
1840 ...........................
1841 ...........................
1842 ...........................
1843..............................
1844 ...........................
1845 ...........................
1846 ...........................

Stock on hand 31st December, 1846, was...........................................packages
Receipts past year from all ports.......... ................................................................

30,000
138,051

Total...............................................................................................................

168,051

From which deduct as follows:—
Stock on hand this day estimated....................................................
This quantity received past year and included in above receipts,
being for re-shipment to other ports.................... .......................

36,000
9,654
----------

45,654

The estimated number of packages sold last year..............................................
Against this numbersold through 1846..............................................................

122,397
107,670

N EW Y O R K IMPORT AND EXPORT OF HIDES

OF JANUARY TO
No.
Bales.
30,816
98,986
12,786
27,229
2,237
379
33,541
30,953
5.253
1,781
846
915
9,290
2,648
7'873
27
Maracaibo......................... 22,702
Mexico............................... 34,746

FROM TIIE 1ST
From—
Africa................................
Angostura.........................
Antwerp............................
Buenos Ayres....................
Calcutta.............................
Carthagena.......................
Central America................
Curacoa.............................
Chili..................................
Havre................................
Honduras...........................
Laguayra & Porto Cabello.

THE 31ST OF DECEMBER, 1847.
From—
No.
Monte Video................ .
86,677
Maranham.................... ..
43,097
Para.............................
4,236
Rio Janeiro................. ..
80,820
Rio Grande................... .. 113,448
West Indies.................. ..
18,866
Southern States............ ..
91,770
Texas...........................
Coastwise..................... ..
10,407
To Dealers, chiefly pur- i
chases made in neigh- }
184,180
boring cities.............

s

Total 1847........... ..
“ 1846............ ..

990,305
565,383

144
2
4
422
978
712

EXPORT OF HIDES FOR THE YEARS

1840.

1841.

1842.

1841

1844.

1845.

1846.

1847.

31,325

4,245

31,286

53,633

45,615

46,396

55,924

15,236




212

Commercial Statistics.
BOSTON ARRIVALS AND CLEARANCES IN 1847.
ARRIVALS.
Ships.
Barks.

Coastwise.....................................
Foreign.........................................

127
182

290
2G2

Brigs.

1,022
698

Schooners.

5,551
1,613

Sloop3.

Total.

135
1

7,125
2,756

Total........................................
309
552
1,720
7,164
136
9,881
Of the foreign arrivals, 4 ships, 17 barks, 222 brigs, 1,268 schooners, and 1 sloop, were
British ; 3 ships and 2 brigs, Danish ; 1 brig, Bremen ; 4 brigs, French ; 1 bark, Russian ;
1 bark and 6 brigs, Swedish; 2 brigs, Spanish ; 1 bark, 1 brig, and 1 schooner, Dutch ;
3 brigs, Brazilian; 1 brig, Belgian: Total, 1,539 foreign vessels.
CLEARANCES.
Ships.
Barks.

Coastwise.....................................
Foreign.........................................

203
116

315
228

Brigs.

733
626

Schooners.

1,883
1,556

Sloops.

64
...

Total.

3,198
2,526

319
543
1,359
3,439
64
5,724
Total.........................................
Of the foreign clearances, 3 ships, 17 barks, 219 brigs, and 1,274 schooners were Brit­
ish ; 3 ships and 2 brigs, Danish; 1 brig, Bremen; 4 brigs, French; 1 bark, Russian;
1 bark and 6 brigs, Swedish; 2 brigs, Spanish; 1 bark, 1 brig, and 1 schooner, Dutch;
3 brigs, Brazilian; 1 brig, Belgian: Total, 1,540 foreign vessels.
It will appear, by the above statement, that there are about 3,927 more arrivals coast­
wise than clearances, which is caused by many vessels sailing under coasting license, and
do not clear at the custom-house, unless carrying goods entitled to debenture. The arri­
vals and clearances of the British Royal Mail Steamers are not included in the above re­
port. The same is the case with eastern packet steamers. There are 1,920 more arri­
vals this than last year, viz: 426 foreign, and 1,494 coastwise.
FOREIGN COMMERCE OF BOSTON.
The following statistics of the foreign commerce of the port of Boston are strictly ac­
curate, having been made up with much care from the books of the Custom-house for the
“ Morning Post.” In publishing them the Post remarks:—
“ One fact they render strikingly apparent. W e mean the gratifying fact that, within
a period of ten years, the foreign commerce of Boston has more than doubled in amount;
the number of foreign arrivals having increased from 1,313, with a tonnage of 208,891,
in 1838, to 2,739 in 1847, with an aggregate tonnage of 375,572; the tonnage cleared,
from 162,884 to 326,708 ; the number of men employed in foreign bound ships, from 7,964
to 16,824; the value of imports, from $13,463,465 to $46,110,761 ; of exports, purely
the products of American industry, from $4,440,891 to $8,837,776; and the amount of
revenue collected, from $2,548,398 40 to $5,414,223 39. Nor does this latter sum give
the full amount of revenue which accrued at the port during the year which has just closed,
the public warehouses now being full of goods which have not yet paid duty. The goods
warehoused during the year were subject to a duty of $878,328 56, and this sum must
be added to the revenue of the year, making the total of $6,292,551 93, almost three
times as much as the revenue of 1838.
STATEMENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS TO, AND EXPORTS FROM FOREIGN PORTS, AT THE PORT
OF BOSTON, WITH THE REVENUE RECEIVED AT THE CUSTOM-HOUSE, FROM 1838 TO 1847.

Years.
1838...........
1839..........
1840...........
1841..........
1842..........
1843...........
1844..........
1845...........
1846...........
1847...........
Total......




IM P O R T S.

3----------------------- E X P O R T S .------------------------

Value.

Foreign Merch.

Domestic Products.

$13,463,465
18,409,186
14,123,308
18,908,242
16,027,450
20,662,567
22,141,788
21,591,877
21,284,800
47,110,761

$2,595,987
3,495,720
3,268,535
3,499,580
2,475,233
3,453,660
2,351,495
2,534.557
1,764,022
1,675,366

$4,440,891
4,507,816
5,135,779
5,892,672
4,750,851
5,081,704
5,843,231
6,736,273
6,481,802
8,837,766

$27,114,155

$57,708,785

Revenue.
$2,548,398
3,294,827
2,456,926
3.226,441
2,780,186
3,491,019
5,934,945
5,249,634
4,872,570
5,414,223

40
65
22
47
04
82
14
00
16
39

$39,269,172 29

213

Commercial Statistics,

STATEMENT SHOWING THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS FROM FOREIGN FORTS AT THE FORT OF BOSTON,
IN EACH YEAR FROM 1838 TO 1847, INCLUSIVE.

No. of
Years.

1838.........
1839.........
1840
1841

No. of

No. of
Years.

Arrivals.

1842......... ....
1843......... ....
1844......... ....

...
1,313
....
1,552
..................
..................
...
1,790

Arrivals.

Years.

Arrivals.

1845......... ....
1846 ........ ....
1847......... ....

1,738
1,716
2,174

2,305
2,000
2,739

STATEMENT SHOWING THE TONNAGE OF VESSELS ENGAGED IN THE FOREIGN TRADE OF THE FORT
OF BOSTON, AND NUMBER OF MEN EMPLOYED DURING THE TEN YEARS INCLUDED IN THE FORE­
GOING STATEMENT.
IN W A R D .

Tonnage
entered.

Tonnage
cleared.

Men
employed.

1838.
1839.
1840.
1841.
1842.

208,891
227,422
257.143
286,812
270,711

162,884
196,036
189,687
236,464
217,829

7,964
9,758
■9,850
12,066
11,465

OUTW ARD.

IN W A R D .

OUTW ARD.

Years.

No. o f
clear. Years.

Tonnage
entered.

1,632
1,389
1,362
1,581
1,540

247,215 221,411
311,529 242,340
316,026 309,505
302,901 271.272
375,572 326.708

1843.
1844.
1845.
1846.
1847.

Men
No. o f
employed, clear.

Tonnage
cleared.

10,647
13,298
13,981
12,787
16,824

1,628
2,000
2,209
1,998
2,537

FOREIGN COMMERCE OF PHILADELPHIA.
COMMERCE OF PHILADELPHIA FOR ‘THE YEARS

Value of imports.................
Duties received...................

1845, 1846,

AND

1847,

COMPARED.

1845.

1846.

1847.

$7,494,497 00
2,370,517 71

$8,308,615 00
2,420,661 78

$12,145,937 00
, 2,904,748 97

VALUE OF EXFORTS TO FOREIGN PORTS, ANNUALLY, FROM

1841.

1844.

1843

1845.

TO

1847.

1846.

1847.

Domestic articles... $2,837,G46 $3,326,673 $3,413,928 $4,596,744 $7,936,087
Foreign..................
221,525
338,023
502,905
521,310
643,178
Total..................

$3,059,171

$3,664,696

$3,916,833

$5,118,054

$8,579,265

TONNAGE ENTERED FROM FOREIGN PORTS.

American vessels.................................................. . .tons
Foreign
“ ............................. ................... .........

1815.

1846.

1847.

73,705
10,794

87,146
12,483

107,927
40,144

99,629

148,071

Total............................... '.................................
Arrivals’from foreign ports................................... ........
Coastwise.............................................................. ........

387
8,029

459
6,018

657
17,083

Total................................................................. ........
Clearances for foreign ports............................. ........

8,416
400

*6,477
458

17,740
598

PHILADELPHIA GRAIN,

e tc .,

MEASURERS’ REPORT.

The following table, derived from the “ Commercial List,” shows the measurement of
grain, seeds, salt, and coal, annually, for the last ten years:—
Years.
1 8 3 3 .... B u s h .
1839
............
1840
............
1841 ..................
1842 ..................
1843
............
1844
............
1845
............
1846 ..................
1847
............

W heat.
Corn.
319,513
593,298
449,9805 455,3703
770,205" 602,858)
467,213? 781,278?
462,770
492,951
484,3844 518,671?
526,667} 640,459
792,502) 768,486?
983,923"
665,178
947,598 1,093,204

Rye.
163,085
115,933)
133,891?
51,371?
36,334
68,013?
95,227?
85,357?
30,829
78,972

Barley.
48,162}
48,152?
36,5421
44.336
35,978)
20,012"
58,600
46,6301
40,339"
38,210

Oats.
972,104)
302,274)
208.4733
167,508}
194,908
372,713)
375,578?
357,677}
350,942
309,171

Seeds.
Beans. Coal, Bit.
22.944,1 J.401 L 138,712
11,593}
3274 86,452
18,248}
698} 165,740
19,704 ?
3,040} 118,108
25,198? 1.616}
9,008
27,773}
1,5801 131,909
42,358
1,402? 97,000
31,434
3,930| 281,838
15,804
3,895
348,201
7,528
676
268,760

* Some of the smaller craft heretofore entered are omitted this year.




Salt.
356,407)
291,568
257,143
326,132
151,250
174.I34S
217,815}
146,451
237,463
246,438*

Commercial Statistics.

214

TRA DE AND COMMERCE OF PHILADELPHIA.
W e are indebted to J. II. Bell, Esq., of Philadelphia, for the following tabular state­
ments of the trade and commerce of that city:—
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE GROSS AMOUNT OF WEIGHABLE FOREIGN MERCHANDISE IM­
PORTED INTO THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA FROM JANUARY 1ST TO DECEMBER 3 1 s T , DURING

THE YEARS 1 8 4 6 AND 1 8 4 7 .

—N
■1847.
f ' ■' -1816.
Tons. Cwt. iCirs. Lbs. Tons. Cwt. Qrs. Lbs.
Articles.
Iron, Railroad...........................................
73 14
3 21
Rolled bar........................................ ... 2,244 17
1 14
2.736
6
i
3
Hammered, sheet, rod, and hoop... ...
G 3
499
8
1,686 12 ' 2 23
3
440
0
2
0
7
18
pig...................................................
Old and scrap.................................
26 11
1 25
52 1 1
3
7
Castings...........................................
17
1 11
54
4
2 16
Chain cables and anchors...............
0
8 10
3
152
2 15
4
Steel.................................................. ........
16
1 21
272 17
2
0
16
Anvils........................................................
3 15
68 12
3
9
Nails and spikes.......................................
3
22
3
0 16
1
23
7
Hammers and sledges..............................
2 19
1
8
1
3 19
1
Iron wire...................................................
3
2
0 2G
3
5
3
3
12
Lead, pig and old.....................................
0 19
1
0
7
0
Hemp.........................................................
4
0
7
.......
Cordage.....................................................
...
Tallow.......................................................
Glassware.................................................
1
6
6
1
Sugar of lead, paints, &c........................
3 23
44
25
6 24
6
Bristles......................................................
0
1 15
4
Glue.......................... ..............................
W ool......................................................... ...
19
110
6
6
76 a
3
6
Fish, smoked and dried...........................
30 1G 2
391 i i
7
1 10
Cheese.......................................................
2
3 19
0 13
0 23
Chocolate..................................................
3
1
2
0
2
2 13
Paper and books.......................................
7
25 18
3 25
0 23
7
Cotton.......................................................
0
1
0
3
Twine.......................................................
1
0 15
1 20
2 11
Hams.........................................................
14
2
0
0
9
2 12
Pork...........................................................
Sugar.........................................................
5
6
7 24,445 io
2 23
Coffee.........................................................
9
1 22
4,420
1
3 11
Tea, Green...............................................
0
5
2
9
Black................................................
0
2
3
7
Cassia.........................................................
Cocoa.........................................................
6 2 20
6
3 12
6
Pimento.....................................................
16
81
6
8
1 22
0
o
Indigo........................................................
57
2
3 14
7
58 10
Raisins, prunes, and figs..........................
343 12
1
1 10
2 27
Nutmegs, mace, and cloves....................
1
6 14
1 18
0
0 20
Ginger.......................................................
0
7 14
2 26
3 15
Almonds....................................................
8
4
2
87 13
3
0
Pepper.......................................................
18
1 14
7
7
2
0
Rags........................................................... ...
7
4
2
218
Bleaching powders...................................
49
5
1 13
97 19
6 24
Sulphate of Barytes................................. ...
6
0 10
5
3
271
3 16
3 11
Saltpetre, refined......................................
45 16
Walnuts and filberts.................................
8 2
4
46
6
3
37
1
Drugs.........................................................
0 11
102 12
10 12
3 22
3
1 24
Soda ash............... .................................... ... 1,571
2,535 17
2 24
Tobacco.....................................................
84 17
1
4
287
8
1 24
3 16
0
1
Currants.................................................... ...
3
0
171 19
...
Alum.........................................................
27
7
i 18
2 11
3
8
Wax...........................................................




Commercial Statistics.

215

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE QUANTITY OF COFFEE IMPORTED INTO THE PORT OF PHILA­
DELPHIA DURING THE YEARS 1845, 1846, AND 1847.
From

1845.

1840.

1847.

Bags.

Bogs.

Bags.

1845.

184G.

1847.

Bags.

From

Bags.

29,561 48,288 34,890 Europe..................
BT : .
t
26,894 51,257 19,669 Port au Prince and
Cape Haytien... 2,834
....... 1,175 .......
9,284 6,519
401 4,752
356 Havana..................
10
6
164
1
5,494
5 ....... Other places..........
294 ......
450
Total Bags........ 72,105 126,607 73,504
6,903 11,539 10,445
“ Hogsh’ds.
“ Tierces....
4
“ Barrels.....
7
7
11
116
18

Laguayra..............
Rio de Janeiro......
St. Domingo.........
Cuba......................
Porto Rico.............
Maracaibo.............
Jamaica.................
Matanzas and St.
Thomas.............

N AVIG ATIO N OF PHILADELPHIA.
ARRIVALS ANNUALLY AT THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA IN EACH YEAR FROM
INCLUSIVE.

1787

TO

1847,

The following statement of the arrivals of vessels at the port of Philadelphia from
January 1st, 1787, to January 1st, 1847, embracing a period of sixty-one years, was prepared
personally by Colonel Childs, the editor of the Philadelphia “ Commercial List,” from the
records kept at the custom-house, and originally published in that journal. This table cost
Mr. Childs no little labor. Since 1837, the returns have been annually obtained at the
custom-house. This table shows, at a glance, the comparative foreign and coastwise arri­
vals at that city from the adoption of the Federal Constitution down to the present period.
Years.

1787...........
1788...........
1789*.........
1790+........
1791...........
1792f........
17931........
1794.........
1795...........
1796..........
1797.........
1798.........
1799.........
1800.........
1801.........
1802.........
1803.........
1804.........
1805.........
1806.........
1807.........
1808.........
1809.........
1810.........
1811.........
1812.........
1813§........
1814§........
1815.........
181611.......
1817.........

Total.

Years.

596
411
324
639
595

390
490
376
715
853

986
901
700
1,354
1,448

618
779
858
641
459
443
536
667

1,250
1,228
1,0 11
929
1,002
825
1,051
1,125
1,106
1,064
1,292
1,196
1,232
1,269
1,951
1,683
1,477
1,425
1,549
319
583
1,113
1,101
1,238

1,863
2,007
1,869
1,570
1,461
1,286
1,587
1,792
1,759
1,675
1,790
1,716
1,922
1,968
2,219
2,034
1,882
1,925
1,872
393
626
1,600
1,639
1,770

1818.........
1819.........
1820.........
1821.........
1822.........
1823.........
1824.........
1825.........
1826.........
1827.........
1828.........
1829.........
1830.........
1831.........
1832.........
1833.........
1834.........
1835.........
1836.........
1837.........
1838.........
1839.........
1840.........
1841.........
1842.........
1843.........
1844.........
1845.........
1846.........
1847.........

Foreign.

611
498
547
690
699
298
351
405
74
43
487
538
532

Coastwise.

Foreign.

Coastwise.

Total.

576
450
479
441
494
482
501
484
482
469
450
374
415
396
428
474
430
429
421
409
464

1,10 1
1,046
877
913
1,2 12
1,018
981
1,195
1,195
1,320
1,247
2,210
3.287
3,262
2,849
2,573
2,686
3,573
3,764
7,476
10,860
11,188
9,706
9,246
7,973
7,659
7,717
8,029
6,018
14,583

1,677
1,496
1,356
1,354
1,706
1,500
1,482
1,679
1,679
1,789
1,697
2,584
3,702
3,658
3,277
3,047
3,116
4,002
4,185
8,185
11,324
11,709
10,162
9,750
8,427
8,031
8,189
8,416
6,477
15,351

456
504
454
372
472
459
668

* From the 1st of August to the 31st of December—no Records for the early part of
the year.
+ The Books of these years are mislaid.
1 Embargo.
§ War with
Great Britain.
|] Opening of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.




216

Commercial Statistics,
E AST INDIA AND PACIFIC TRADE.

The “ Boston Traveller” furnishes rather an interesting table of the extent of our trade
with China and the islands in the Pacific. The whole number of arrivals in the United
States, for the year ending December 31, 1847, were—
At Boston............................................... 69 At Baltimore..........................................
5
New Y ork........................................ 50
New Bedford....................................
1
6
Salem.....................................; .........
Total....................................................
122
The whole number of vessels which cleared for ports in the Pacific and the East Indies,
from different ports in the United States, was 181, viz:—
From Boston.................
“ New York.........
“ Salem.................

89 From Baltimore..............
70
“ Philadelphia.........
9
“
Norfolk..................

7 From New Bedford........
2
“ Newburyport........
2

1
1

In 1846, the number of arrivals of vessels engaged in the above trade were 140, so that
it will be seen that there has been a decrease the past year of 18. The same year the
clearances were 139, showing an increase of 42.

BRITISH TRADE W IT H MEXICO.
EXPORT OF BRITISH MANUFACTURES TO MEXICO.
------ J a n u a r y 1 t o J u ly 1 A r t ic l e s .

Cotton yam, No. 1............................... lbs.

“

2...................................

Cambrics and muslins..........................yds.
Calicoes, plain..............................................
Cotton and linen, mixed..........
Cords, velveteens, velvets, &e.
Calicoes, printed and dyed.........................
Hosiery...................................................doz.
Shawls and handkerchiefs..........................
Lace, & c................................................ yds.
Unenumerated cotton goods............... value

1844.
8,114
15,050
5,148
184,413
2,760
1,404,684
323
100
5,796
£304

1845.

1846.

12,720
44,886
1,286,893
20,755
9,509
3,275,922
836
1.601
76,948
£446

1847.

27,452
17,116
534,329
3,674
3,131,206
1,328
34,725
43,167
£98

3,500
123.276
5,829
246,395
3,401

LUMBER TRA D E OF QUEBEC.
W e give below a comparative statement of the timber measured at Quebec to the 22d
of November in each of the three years 1845, 1846,1847:—
White pine.............
R e d pine.................
Oak.........................
Elm.........................
Ash.........................
Basswood...............
Butternut................
Tamarac................
Birch and maple...

1845.

1846.

1847.

19,111,455
4,444,515
1,800,446
1,566,915
412,096
37,086
9,664
199,933
160,007

24,504,375
5,247,754
2,429,582
3,455,122
260,088
82,798
20,782
593,584
240,787

12,026,294
6,516,922
2,484,569
2,035,541
122,715
12,6.93
6,618
590,619
92,337

COFFEE EXPORTED FROM CEYLON.
Quantity. Yenrs.
Quantity. Years.
Years.
Qunntity.
1837.................cwt. 43,164 1841............ ..cwt. 80,584 1845.............. .cwt. 178,603
1838........................ 49,541 1842............ ........ 119,805 1846.............. ....... 173,892
1839 ...................... 41,8G3 1843............ ........ 94,847 1847 (est’d quant.). 240,003
1840........................ 63,162 1844............ ........ 133,957




Commercial Regulations.

COMMERCIAL

217

REGULATIONS.

PASSENGERS ARRIVING A T PORTS OF E N T R Y IN N E W YORK.
T he following act concerning passengers arriving at the ports of entry and landings in

the State of New York, passed the Senate and Assembly of this State, December 10th,
1847:—
Sec. 1. Within twenty-four hours after the arrival of any ship or vessel at any port of
entry or landing-place in this State, situated northerly of the city of Albany, and includ­
ing those upon the river St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, and Lake Erie,
from any of the United States, other than this State, or from any country out of the
United States, the master or commander of any such ship or vessel shall make a report in
writing, on oath or affirmation, to the President of the Board of Trustees of the village in
whicli such port may be, or, in case of his absence or other inability to serve, to either of
the trustees of said villagp, or if such port be within the jurisdiction of an incorporated
city, then such report shall be made to the mayor of such city, or, in case of his absence
to one of the aldermen thereof, or if such port or landing be without the jurisdiction of
any incorporated city or village, then such report shall be made to one of the overseers of
the poor of the town in which such port or landing may b e; which report shall state the
name, place of birth, last legal residence, age and occupation of every person or passenger
emigrating to the said State, arriving in such ship or vessel on her last voyage to said port,
not being a citizen of the United States, emigrating to the United States, and who shall
not have paid the commutation money mentioned in the next section of this act. In case
any such master or commander shall omit or neglect to report as aforesaid any such per­
son or passenger, with the particulars aforesaid, or shall make any false report or statement
in respect to any such person or passenger, in all or any of the particulars hereinbefore
specified, such master or commander shall forfeit the sum of $75 for every such person or
passenger, in regard to whom any such omission or neglect shall have occurred, or any such
false report or statement shall be made, for which the owner or owners of every such ship
or vessel shall also be liable, jointly and severally, and which may be sued for and recov­
ered, as hereinafter provided.
Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the officer to whom such report shall be made, by an en­
dorsement to be made on the said report, to require the master or commander of such
ship or vessel to pay to the treasurer of the said village or city, or to the overseer of the
poor, as the case may be, the sum of one dollar for eveiy person or passenger reported
by such master or commander as aforesaid, which sum shall be paid as aforesaid,
within twenty-four hours after the arrival of such ship or vessel at the said port or
landing.
Sec. 3. The treasurer of each of such cities and villages shall, within five days after his
election to office, and before he shall perform any duties under this act, execute a bond,
with two sureties, to the superintendents of the poor of the county in which such village
or city is situated, to be approved by the President of the Board of Trustees of such vil­
lage, or by the mayor of such city, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties
under this act, and shall, on or before the first Tuesday of the months of February, May,
August, and November, in every year, report to and pay over to the superintendents of
the poor of the county in which such city or village is situated, the amount of money re­
ceived by him since his last previous report, for commutation as aforesaid.
Sec. 4. The superintendents of said counties respectively shall audit the accounts of
the officers of such cities, or villages, or towns, for services rendered by them under the
provisions of this act, and pay the same out of the commutation money received by them
as aforesaid, and shall annually, on or before the fifteenth day of February of each year,
report to the legislature the amount of money received, under the provisions of this act,
during the preceding year, and the manner in which the same has been appropriated par­
ticularly.
Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the said superintendents to provide for the maintenance
and support of such of the persons for whom commutation money shall have been paid as
aforesaid, and shall appropriate the moneys aforesaid for that purpose, in such manner as
to indemnify, as far as may be, the several cities, towns, and counties of this State, for
any expense or charge which may be incurred for the maintenance and support of the
persons aforesaid; such appropriations shall be in proportion to the expenses incurred by
said cities, towns, and counties severally, for such maintenance and support.




21 8

Commercial Regulations .

Sec. 6. In case any such person for whom commutation money has been paid as afore­
said, shall at any time, within three years from the payment of such money, become
chargeable upon any city, town, or county within this State, it shall be the duty of the
said superintendents to provide for the payment of any expenses incurred by any such
city, town, or county, for the maintenance and support of any such person, out of the
commutation to be paid as aforesaid, so far as the same will enable them to do so. The
said superintendents shall prescribe such rules and regulations as they shall deem proper,
for the purpose of ascertaining the right, and the amount of the claim of any city, town,
or county, to indemnity under this and the preceding section of this act.
Sec. 7. If any master or commander, as aforesaid, shall neglect or refuse to pay over
to the said treasurer such sum of money as is hereinbefore required for commutation
money, for each and every such person, within twenty-four hours after the arrival of such
vessel at such port or landing, every such commander, and the owner or owners of such
ship or vessel, severally and respectively, shall be subject to a penalty of $75 for each and
every person or passenger on whose account such commutation money may have been re­
quired, to be sued for in the manner hereinafter provided.
Sec. 8. The penalties and forfeitures prescribed by this act, may be sued for and re­
covered, with costs of suit, by either of the overseers of the poor of the city or town where
such money ought to be paid, in the name of the superintendents of the poor of the said
county, in any court having cognizance thereof; and, when recovered, shall be applied to
the purpose specified in this act.
Sec. 9. Any ship or vessel whose master or commander, owner or owners, shall have
incurred any penalty or forfeiture under the provisions of this act, shall be liable for such
penalties or forfeitures, which shall be a lien upon such ship or vessel, and may be en­
forced and collected by warrant of attachment in the same manner as is provided in title
eight of chapter eight, of the third part of the Revised Statutes—all the provisions of
which title shall apply to the forfeitures and penalties imposed by this a ct; and the said
superintendents shall, for the purposes of such attachment, be deemed creditors of such ship
or vessel, and of her master or commander, and owner or owners respectively.
Sec. 10. This act shall take effect immediately.

Q UARANTINE REGULATIONS A T NAPLES.
F. Engle, commander of the United States ship Princeton, in a letter to the Hon. John
Y. Mason, Secretary of the Navy, dated October 15th, 1847, says:—
“ Merchantmen from our ports should always get a certificate of health from the consul
o f the nation for which they sail. When I was at Gibraltar, a vessel arrived from Boston,
and was not only refused pratique, but wras ordered off because she wras at New Orleans
on a former voyage. These vessels go to Malta or Barcelona, and are at once admitted,
and return to Gibraltar.”
We subjoin a letter from Alexander Hammett, Esq., United States Consul, addressed to
F. Engle, Esq., of the Princeton, transmitted to the Secretary of the Navy by the com­
mander of that ship:—
U nited S tates C onsulate, N aples, October 22, 1847.
D ear S i r :—Having applied to the health office for the information asked for in your

letter of the 21st inst., I have received for answer, that from the ports of the Archipelago
there is free pratique; but that, from the 15th of November next, a certificate from a con­
sul of His Majesty will be required that there has been no case of cholera. From the
ports of the .-Adriatic, twenty-one days, and for merchandise susceptible of contagion,
twenty-one days in the Lazaretto of Nisita ; from Tunis, fourteen days for vessels, and
fourteen days for merchandise : Tangier, seven days, and fourteen days for merchandise
susceptible; Algiers, free pratique; the Empire of Morocco, fourteen days for vessels,
and twenty-one days for articles of merchandise susceptible of contagion. It will always
be necessary to have a certificate from the Neapolitan Consul of the good health of the
port. From the ports of the United States there is no quarantine fixed, though pratique
has been suspended. Every case o f an arrival will need a report of the circumstances to
be decided on by the Board. The cholera is in the Southern ports of Russia, and in the
Black Sea, and vessels from hence are refused.
A lexander H ammett.

F. E nsle, Esq., Commanding United States Steamer Princeton.




Commercial Regulations.

219

All vessels from New Orleans, or from ports in the vicinity, are refused. Cotton from
there has to go through the same process as if from Havana or Vera Cruz—that is, ex­
posed at the Lazaretto to air.
F. E ngle.
Hon. J. Y . M a son , Secretary of the Navy.

TA R E OF TH E GERMAN CUSTOMS UNION
UPON TOBACCO, RICE, COFFEE, ETC.

The following extract of a letter, dated Schwerin, Germany, October 20th, 1847, re­
ceived at the Department of State, was originally published in the Washington Union:—
“ I should acquaint you with the existing tare established by the German Customs
Union upon tobacco imported in hogsheads, and rice in tierce3, as I ascertained it to be
upon the frontiers of the Duchy of Brunswick, when journeying to this place a few days
ago.
“ The tare on a hogshead of tobacco is 12 per cent. If the hogshead should weigh over
12 per cent for the quantity of tobacco contained in it, the additional weight pays duty at
•the rate of 5£ Prussian thalers per roll centner— equal to about $3 33 per 100 lbs. Hogs­
heads which contain 1,000 lbs. tobacco, weigh, in the aggregate, I have been told—some
more, and some muph less—200 lbs.; consequently, 80 lbs. of wood, or of hogshead, pays
tobacco duty amounting to $2 68 40-100 cents.
“ This extra tax upon their staple product the planters may avoid, by making their hogs­
heads uniformly of the same size—not to exceed in weight, if they are to hold 1,000 lbs.
of tobacco, 120 lbs. This, if they would be good, would insure sufficient strength.
“ The Zoll-Verein imported, during the year 1846, 29,000 hogsheads of tobacco and
stems. If, therefore, a duty of 20 per cent, instead of 12 per cent, was realized for tare,
our staple was taxed unnecessarily $77,731 75.
“ The tare allowed on rice, in tierces, entering the States of the Zoll-Verein, is 13 per
cent. It is to the interest of the producers of rice in the United States, to be careful that
there should be no excess of tare beyond this, inasmuch as they have a formidable com­
petitor in Holland in the German markets. The Java rice is all imported in bags, upon
which a tare o f 4 per cent is allowed in the Zoll-Verein. This, the Dutch, with their
habitual good economy, avoid exceeding.”

MODIFICATION OF TH E MEXICAN TARIFF.
By a circular from the United States Treasury Department, the following modifications,
in some of its details, have been approved by the President of the United States; and the
Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy have been directed to carry them into
effect:—
“ That the duty on silk, flax, hemp or grass, cotton, wool, worsted, or any manufactures
of the same, or of either, or mixtures thereof; coffee, teas, sugar, molasses, tobacco, and
all manufactures thereof, including cigars and cigaritos; glass, china, and stone ware, iron
and steel, and all manufactures of either, not prohibited, be 30 per cent, ad valorem.
On copper, and all manufactures thereof; tallow, tallow-candles, soap, fish, beef, pork,
hams, be con, tongues, butter, lard, cheese, rice, Indian corn and meal, potatoes, wheat,
rye, oats, and all other grain, rye meal, and oat meal, flour, whale and sperm oil,
clocks, boots and shoes, pumps, bootees and slippers, bonnets, hats, caps, beer, ale, porter,
cider, timber, boards, planks, scantling, shingles, laths, pitch, tar, rosin, turpentine, spirits
of turpentine, vinegar, apples, ship bread, hides, leather, and manufactures thereof, and
paper of all kinds, 20 per cent ad valorem ; and these reduced rates shall also apply
to all goods, on which the duties are not paid, remaining not exceeding ninety days in
deposit in the Mexican ports, introduced under previous regulations enforcing military
contributions.”
PO STAL REGULATIONS BETW EEN ENGLAND AND THE U. STATES.
The Postmaster-General of the United States publishes, under date November 5th,
1847, the following circular:—
“ The British government having seen fit to charge with full postage across the Atlantic
the mail matter which was actually conveyed across it by the United States mail steamer




Railroad , Canal , and Steamboat Statistics.

220

Washington, it becomes necessary, as a measure of self-protection, that this government
should take the steps therein authorized for terminating the subsisting arrangement between
the two countries—in relation as well to British mails in transit through this countjy for
their colonial possessions on this continent, as the ordinary mail intercourse between those
possessions and the United States. This was accordingly done ; and those arrangements
will, in consequence, terminate on the 16th day of November, 18-17.
“ The necessary result will be, that, on and after the 16th inst., no mail matter, destined
for any of the British possessions on this continent, will be permitted to leave the United
States, unless the United States postage thereon is previously fully paid.
C ave J ohnson, Postmaster-General”

RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS.

'

BALTIM ORE AND SUSQUEHANNAH RAILROAD.
road, opened in 1838, extends from Baltimore to Columbia, a distance of 71 miles.
It cost, including Westminster Branch, $3,370,000. The number of shares is 9,000,
and the par value $50. The heavy T rail is used, weighing 60 pounds to the yard. The
following table exhibits the distances, rates of fare, &.C., on this road:—
T his

P laces.

Baltimore....................
Woodbury Factory.....
Washington Factory..
Relay House................
New Texas..................
Cockeysville................. ...
Ashland Furnace.........
Phenix Factory...........
Monkton......................

Miles.
3
G

7
13
144
154
17
23

Fares.

$0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

12
15
20
35
40
45
50
60

P laces.

Parkton...................... .......
Summit..................... .......
Strasburgh................ .......
Heathcote’s Factory..
Smyser’s.................... .......
York...........................
Wrightsville.............. ........
Columbia................... .......

Miles
Fares.
28 $ 0 75
36
1 00
38
1 05
41
1 10
1 20
46
1 50
2 00
70
71
2 12

The rates of freight on this road are, for coal, $1 37£ per ton iron, $1 84 per ton ;
lumber, $ 1 75 per 1,000 feet; corn and grain, $ 2 20 p^r ton; salt and butter, $ 2 per
ton ; groceries, sugar, dry-goods, and light and bulky merchandise, $ 2 per ton, through.
Parcels are charged 25 cents each; horses, $3 75 each to York or Columbia ; two and
four-wheeled carriages, $3 37, through.
From the Twelfth Annual Report of the President and Directors of the Baltimore and
Susquehannah Railroad Company for the year ending the 30lh of September, 1847, we
gather the following particulars:—
The gross receipts of the Company from the transportation of passengers and mer­
chandise between Baltimore and Columbia, during the past year, amount to $256,913 58,
being an increase of $46,278 39 over those of the preceding twelve months. The ex­
penses of the transportation department during the same period have been $171,901 49,
or an increase o f $17,475 26 over those of the preceding year. The«e statements ex­
hibit a gain of receipts from transportation of 2 2 per cent over those of the previous year,
and an increase of expenditure of a fraction over 10 per cent.
The number of passengers carried between Baltimore and York during the past year,
is 92,686—an increase of 29,851, or nearly 50 per cent. The number 'Carried on the
Wrightsville road during the same period, is 22,665—an increase of 2,865 over the num­
ber carried in the year ending September 30, 1846. The freight passing over the road
during the past and preceding year, was as follows:—
Between Baltimore and Y ork ....................................lbs.
On the Wrightsville road.................................................

1816.

1847.

274,724,581
135,726,191

323.578,603
156,556,537

This statement exhibits an increase of tonnage on the road between Baltimore and York
of 48,854,022 lbs., and on the Wrightsville road of 20,830,346.
The nett receipts of the Company from transportation during the past year, are
$77,012 09; being an increase over the nett receipts from the same source during the




Railroad , Canal , ema? Steamboat Statistics .

221

previous year of $28,863 03. The debts of the Company, (exclusive of interest on loans
for the construction of the road,) as shown by the last annual report, amounted, on the
10th o f October, 1846, to the sum of $35,073 85. The indebtedness of the Company
had been reduced, on the 7th October, 1847, to $2,801 25 ; showing a payment, during
the past year, of $32,272 60 of pre-existing debts, exclusive of a payment of $43,000,
made to the State of Maryland on account of arrears of interest due.

TOLLS ADOPTED BY THE SCHUYLKILL N AVIG ATIO N COMPANY.
The Board of Managers have adopted the following rates of toll, to be charged on their
works during the year 1848:—
ANTHRACITE COAL

T o be charged per ton of 2,240 lbs., the weight to be ascertained by such means as may
be adopted to secure accuracy, and 5 per cent allowance to be made therefrom for loss by
wasteage. The toll to be computed from Mount Carbon for all coal coming from above
that point, and to be charged proportionately for all distances carried on the canal.
For the months of March, April, and May............................................... 40 cents per ton.
“
June and July.............................................................. 50
“
“
August, September, October, November, December, 65
“
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES

T o be charged per ton of 2,240 pounds.
First Class.— Limestone, iron ore, quarry spalls, rough stone, unwrought marble, sand,
clay, gravel, rails, bark, and manure,
cents per ton per mile; but no charge will be
made for any distance carried beyond 25 miles. Maximum toll on such articles for any
distance, 37£ cents per ton.
Second Class.— Gypsum, cord wood, timber, lumber, hoop poles, hay and straw in bales,
bricks and bituminous coal—
Between Philadelphia and Mount Carbon................................................. 75 cents per ton.
“
“
Schuylkill Haven............................................. 72
“
“
“
Port Clinton...................................................... 65
"
Way trade, three-fourths of a cent per ton per mile ; but no charge shall be made ex­
ceeding 75 cents per ton.
Third Class.— Merchandise generally, such as dry-goods, earthenware, salt, iron in
pigs, bars, or any stage of manufacture beyond the ore, nails, flour, grain, and all other
articles not specifically enumerated in classes first and second, 2 cents per ton per mile for
the first twenty miles carried, and three-fourths of a cent per ton per mile for any addi­
tional distance carried beyond twenty miles.
Note.— In all cases where one or mor<*locks are passed, and the distance carried shall
be less than two miles, the charge for toll shall be for two miles, according to the class to
which the articles carried may belong; and in all cases where the foregoing rates shall
exceed 6J cents per ton on the ascertained tonnage of the vessel for any lock passed be­
low Reading, or 4 cents per ton above Reading, the toll shall be charged at the mentioned
rates on all articles.
TOLL ON EMPTY BOATS.

Boats intended to be run regularly in the trade on the line of the canal will be licensed
to pass the whole, or any part of the line empty, by the payment of ten dollars. The
licenses will be issued by any collector, and will continue in force during the year 1848,
provided the boat so licensed shall pay a sum in tolls equal to ten dollars per month.
Boats not so licensed will be charged 5 cents per mile, unless they carry cargo which has
paid five dollars in tolls.
Any boats not licensed as aforesaid, and running up a single level of the works, shall
pay for each lock they may at any time pass, 4 cents per ton on the ascertained tonnage
thereof above Reading, and 6£ cents per ton below Reading.
CARS, BOATS, AND LANDINGS.

The Company will furnish cars, boats, and landings, and afford every facility for trans­
porting coal to market at the most reasonable rates; and they are prepared to make con­
tracts with operators, and others engaged in the coal tracle, and with those who will build
and run boats on the canal, on liberal terms. Applications on these subjects are to be
made to the President of the Company, and they will receive prompt attention.




Railroad, Canal, and Steamboat Statistics.

22i2

VOYAGES OF T H E BRITISH M AIL STEAMERS.
STATEMENT OF THE VOYAGES MADE BY THE BRITISH ROYAL MAIL STEAMERS DURING THE YEAS
1847, SHOWING THE DATE OF ARRIVAL, LENGTH OF PASSAGE, PASSENGERS BROUGHT, ETC.

Names.
Cambria...
Hibernia...
Cambria....
Hibernia...
Cambria...
Caledonia.
Britannia..
Hibernia...
Cambria....
Caledonia.
Britannia..
Hibernia...
Cambria...
Caledonia.
Britannia..
Hibernia...
Cambria....
Caledonia..
Acadia ....
Britannia..
Hibernia...

Time of
arrival.
1846.
Dec. 16
1847.
Jan. 25
Feb. 20
Mar. 20
April 20
May 6
“
17
June 3
“ 17
July 4
“
17
Aug. 2
“
18
Sept. 2
“
19
Oct. 3
“ 19
Nov. 5
“ 20
Dec. 8
“ 25

P a ss e n g e r s from

Length of Liverpassage. pool.

19 A
16
16
16
151
12
144
124
144
13
13
14
13 4

144
14
134
17
16
19
204

Total....

98
99
71
75
91
70

88

Hali- Left at
fax. Halifax.

10

9
5

15
17
9
15
15
9

8
50
6
16
15
14

12

87
93
83
108
106
117
91
106
117
110
67
51
76

13
9
4

10

1,804

247

249

11

13
14
7
18
15
19
13

15

11
5

10
15
18
7

8
12

2
13
9

Time of
departure.
1847.
Jan. 1
Feb. 1
Mar. 1
April 1
May 1
“ 16
June 1
“ 16
July 1
“ 16
Aug. 1
“ 16
Sept. 1
“ 16
Oct. 1
“ 16
Nov. 1
“ 16
Dec. 1
“ 16
“ 27

P a ssen gers

to

Liverpool.

Ilalifax.

79

2

37
66
114
104
84
96
109
116

86
81
58
78
44
70
80
70
20
58
34
1,484

10
16
6

8
8
8
10
21
16
18
17
4
28
16

10
18
4
16
7
253

N E W YORK RAILROAD COMPANIES AUTHORIZED TO BORROW MONEY.
The following “ Act to authorize certain railroad companies to issue stock, or to bor­
row money to lay a second track,” passed the Senate and Assembly of the State of New
York, November 27th, 1847, and is now in force:—
Sec. I. Each railroad company, embraced within the provisions of the first section o f
chapter two hundred and seventy-two, of the laws of 1847, is hereby authorized to in­
crease its capital stock, or to borrow money on tfie security of its railroad appurtenances
and franchises, as the directors of such company may determine, subject, however, to all
previous encumbrances and debts in favor of this State and of individuals, to such an
amount, subject to the limitation hereinafter expressed, as may be sufficient for the pur­
pose of putting so much of its railroad, as such directors shall deem expedient, in a proper
condition to receive a second track, of procuring iron for such track, and of laying the
same with an iron rail, weighing not less than fifty-six pounds to the lineal yard ; but
nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize such an increase of stock or bor­
rowing of money by such company, for any other than the aforesaid purpose, nor shall
such money or stock be used for, or applied to any other purpose, nor shall the increase
of stock or the money borrowed, by virtue of this section, exceed, in the aggregate, the
sum of $ 10,000 for each mile of the railroad of such company, which it shall so put in a
condition to receive such second track, for which it shall procure the iron for such track,
and on which it shall lay such second track with a heavy rail as aforesaid.
CLOSING OF THE HUDSON RIVER.
Years.

1830.......
1831.......
1832.......
1833.......
1834.......
1835....... ..




Months.

23
«<
5
(i
21
13
tt
15
November 30

Years.

1836....... ...
1837.......
1838.......
1839.......
1840.......
1841......

Months.

Years.

December 7 1842.......
<(
14 1843....... ...
1844.......
18 1845.......
«(
5 1846.......
it
19 1847.......

Months.

December 10
17
3
15
25

Railroad, Canal, and Steamboat Statistics.

223

BREADSTUFFS PASSING TH E N E W YORK CAN A L S:
IN EACH YEAR FROM

1834

TO

1847,

INCLUSIVE.

A correspondent of the “ Detroit Free Press,” while on a visit to Albany, visited the
Canal Department in that city, and copied the following statistics of Breadstuffs, & c.:—
FLOUR ARRIVED AT HUDSON RIVER FROM 1834 t o 1847.
V a lu e .
Years.
B a rre ls.
B a r r e ls .
Years.
V a lu e .
1,779,329 $9,267,142
1834.........
1,057,870 $4,897,006 1841........
1,703,800
8,282,163
1835.........
6,494,312 1842........
1,097,050
2,239,600
1836.........
9,456,108
1,001,300
8,535,044 1843........
2,685,350
10,097,508
1837.........
8,456,082 1844........
987,300
1,521,992
14,021,081
1838.........
8,901,758 1845........
1,165,320
3,003.636
1839.........
6,451,919 1846........
15,345,377
1,072,010
24,776,206
1840.........
3,944,818
1,980,670
8,803,003 1847........
The above estimate of value is made by ail officer of the Canal Department, who aver­
ages prices for each month during the navigation. The value at Albany is given. The
price for this season is averaged at $6 25 per barrel. A gain of near $10,000,000 value
to the States west of Buffalo, over 1846, is thus shown. This is highly gratifying. Next
comes—
WHEAT ARRIVED AT HUDSON RIVER FROM 1834 TO 1847.
V a lu e .
Years.
B a r r e ls .
B a r r e ls .
V a lu e .
Years.
773.994
$889,213
1834...........
813,945
$822,195 1841...........
818,833
1,002,615
1835...........
671,455
901,227 1842...........
827,343
1836...........
830,660
1,443,495 1843...........
1,211,759
1837...........
1,181.074 1844...........
1,269,611
1,941,869
1838...........
1,620,033
981,820 1845...........
546,084
3,665,141
2,294,243
1839...........
765,922 1846...........
500,496
5,980,615
3,944.818
1840...........
1,559,859 1847...........
1,519.905
C o r n .— But a very limited quantity passed from the West previous to the last three
years. The high rate of tolls precluded it. They were reduced last season. That, to­
gether with high prices, has augmented the increase greater than any other article freight­
ed. Unless there should be a foreign demand, it is doubted whether the quantity passing
the canal will be equalled next season. The new Canal Board will take the matter into
consideration. The prospect is, that the tolls will be still further reduced.

.

.

1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835

.

Years.

OPENIN G AND CLOSING OF TH E N E W YO R K
Days
Closed.
open. Years.
Opened.
Opened.
April 30 December 4 218 1 8 3 6 .... . April 25
<
(
.
“ 12
4 238 1 8 3 7 ....
20
ft
18 243 1 8 3 8 ....
..................
“ 20
12
it
<
(
18 241 1 8 3 9 ....
.
“ 22
20
tt
((
March27
20 269 1 8 4 0 ....
20
fi
.................. Maya
2 17 230 1 8 4 1 ....
25
a
if
April 20
17 242 1 8 4 2 ....
20
it
.
M
ay
.
“ 16
1 230 1 8 4 3 ....
1
ti
.
“ 25
21 241 1 8 4 4 .... . A p ril 18
tt
a
.
“ 19
15
12 238 1 8 4 5 ....
«<
n
.
“ 17
12 240 1 8 4 6 ....
16
.
“ 15 November 30 230 1 8 4 7 ....
1

CANALS.
Closed.
November 26
December 9
November 25
December 16

Days
open.

216
234
228
228
3 227
November 26 218
“
23 218
December 1 214
November 26 223
“
29 228
«
25 224
"
30 213

BRITISH INVESTM ENTS IN R AILW AY S.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, recently made a clear statement
to the House o f Parliament of the amounts expended and to be expended on railroads
already authorized by acts. Thus there have been already spent, in—
1841.
£6,100,000 1847 (first half) £25,700,000
£1,470,000 1844.
1842.
17.600.000
------------------2.980.000 1845.
1843.
38.485.000
Total.......... £96,770.000
4.435.000 1846.
There is authorized to be spent, in—
£47,000,000 | 1850.
1848............... £78,000,000 | 1849,
£ 10,000,000




The Columbia Railroad extends from Philadelphia to Columbia, in the State of Penn­
sylvania, a distance of 82 miles. The following is a table of distances, fares, &c., on this
road:—
P laces.

Parksburgh..
ICinzer’s..
Lancaster.
Columbia..
The following statement of the articles shipped eastward from Lancaster, and the amount
of tolls received by the Columbia Railroad during the fiscal year ending September 30th,
1847, is derived from the Lancaster Tribune:—•
Agricult. prod, (not specified) lbs.
Flour......................................bbls.
Corn .....................................bush.
Cotton......................................lbs.
Hemp...........................................
Oats......................................bush.
Potatoes........................................
Seed...............................................
Wheat...........................................
Leaf tobacco...........................lbs.
Buffalo skins.................................
Feathers........................................
Hides............................................
Leather..........................................
W ool.............................................
Bark (ground)..... ........................
Lumber....................................feet
Shingles.................................. No.
Mdze. and brown sheeting....lbs.
Earthenware.................................
Glassware.....................................
Hardware......................................
Ropes............................................
Whiskey.,..............................gals.

575,985 Copper..................................... lbs.
12,942
149,079 Iron—Pigs..............................
639,522
234,084
Castings..............................
66,000
20,397
Blooms................................ 1,424,066
12,320
Bar and sheet....................
593,419
16,152 Nails and spikes............................ 391,898
413 Steel..............................................
92,323
8,909 Bacon............................................
47,011
10,069 Beef and pork.............................
32,783
194,370 Butter............................................
843,020
13.000 Cheese...........................................
34,375
79,029, Lard and lard oil.........................
119,910
32.120 |Oysters..........................................
5,700
775,393 Tallow..........................................
28,088
191,416 Mill-stones....................................
31,200
17,653 Agricultural implements.............
22,150
63,550 Furniture.......................................
176,280
6,000 Paper............. ..............................
56,430
264,604 Rags..............................................
154,923
5,240 Straw paper.................................
750,284
13,425 Sundries........................................ 1,033,070
96.120 Live stock..................................... 2,306,824
14.000 Number of cars cleared...............
13,009
195,533

Amount of toll collected for the year ending November 30, 1847........ $54,890 88
“
“
“
“
1846.........
40,749 59
Increase in favor of 1847.......................................................................

$14,141 29

Fifty pounds luggage is allowed on this road, and seventy-five cents is charged for every
additional hundred pounds.
TOLLS ON THE N E W Y O R K ST A T E CANALS.
AMOUNT OP TOLLS COLLECTED ON THE NEW TOKK STATE CANALS DOTING THE SEASON OP NAVI­
GATION IN EACH VEAE. SINCE 1820.
Y e a rs.
A m o u n t.
A m o u n t.
Y ears.
A m o u n t. Y ears.
Y e a rs .
A m o u n t.

1820..... .
1821..... .
1822..... .
1823..... .
1824...... .
1825*... .
1826.....

$5,437
14,388
64,072
152,958
340,761
566,113
762,003

1827....
1828....
1829....
1830....
1831....
1832....
1833....

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

$859,058
838,444
813,137
1,056,922
1,223,802
1,229,483
1,463,715

1834.... ..$1,339,799
1835.... .. 1,548,972
1836.... .. 1,614,680
1837.... .. 1,293,130
1838.... .. 1.588,848
1839.... .. 1,616,382
1840.... .. 1,775,747

1841... .. $2,034,882
1842... .. 1,749,204
1843.... .. 2,081,585
1814.... .. 2,446,375
1845.... .. 2,646,181
1846.... .. 2,756,121
1847.... .. 3,650,000

* Erie Canal opened from Lake Erie to the Hudson river, October, 1825.




t

.

Journal o f M ining and M anufactures .

225

JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES.
MINERALS AND MINES IN MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS.
B Y DR. LEWIS FEUCHTWANGER.

7b the

Editor of the Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review : —
H a v in g travelled through a part of the above States, I am becoming more and more
impressed with their mineral wealth. In Missouri, the metallic and non-metallic minerals
are daily developing themselves. On the Maramec River, in Franklin county, in the
South-eastern section of the State, lead, copper, iron, zinc, and cobalt ores, may be seen,
to a very great extent. Copper and iron veins, (the former seven feet thick, and sixty feet
wide, and the latter twenty-five feet thick,) may be detected. Much lead, of a superior
quality, has been smelted there ; large quantities of the sulphuret and carbonate of zinc
are heaped up in piles; and any reflecting man may foresee the time when the State
o f Missouri will be able to furnish the whole United States with the above metals. No­
thing is required but energy to erect suitable smelting furnaces; for she can challenge the
whole world to produce better materials, or a more abundant supply. The iron ore on the
Maramec River makes the best bloom and the best steel, and yields from 60 to 80 per
cent. The copper ore is mostly the yellow sulphuret and green carbonate, and yields from
30 to 40 per cent. The lead occurs in sulphuret or galena and carbonate, or dry-bone,
and is in great abundance. Not only the metallic, and also the non-metallic minerals are
found there, but, owing to the omnipotent foresight of Providence, all the materials requi­
site for the reduction of the ores, and for building the furnaces, hearths, &c., are close at
hand. The following mineral substances are found in great abundance in a small district
sixty miles from St. Louis, on navigable streams, and may be delivered in New Orleans
at a trifling expense; and will, no doubt, ere long, be exported to the Eastern States and
to Europe :—
1.
Lead— galena and dry-bone ; 2. Copper—yellow sulphuret, the carbonate, the black
oxyde, and the blue carbonate; 3. Iron—the hematite, the porous bog ore, the ochrey
oxyde, the micaceous, and the red oxyde; 4. Zinc— the sulphuret, the carbonate, and the
silicate ; 5. Cobalt—the black oxyde and the sulphuret; 6. Yellow ochre ; 7. Argillaceous
red oxyde of iron, resembling Spanish brown ; 8. Manganese; 9. Manganesian garnet;
10. Fine white magnesite ; 11. Cliff limestone ; 12. Dalonite ; 13. Crystallized carbonate
lime; 14. Fine white sandstone; 15. Blue clay; 16. Beautiful white clay; 17. Hydraulic
cement; 18. Lithographic stone ; 19. Breccia of limestone and iron; 20. Splendid white
barytes.
O f these twenty mineral substances, almost every one has its beneficial use ; for to
smelt iron, it requires a good material for fluxing, and a hearth to melt it o n ; and the
limestone, hydraulic cement, and blue clay, as well as the beautiful sandstone, are the in­
dispensable ingredients. The quantity of the metals has no limit, either in production or
consumption ; yet it is a singular fact that the production of lead is diminishing annually.
The cause can only be traced to two sources—first, the few miners who had hired out,
preferred the martial to the mining field; and, secondly, that the prospecting of mineral
has not proved so prolific a resource as formerly, and the disappointed miner has put his
strength to the plough, by which he earns a better harvest.
Illinois has likewise great mineral resources, which are mostly very accessible. It pro­
duces the greatest quantity of lead; and bituminous coal, and limestone, in its various
forms, are to be found in every part of the State. The fluor-spar, which bids fair to be
very valuable in smelting all ores, (particularly the copper ore, making it melt like butter,)
abounds in the Southern section. Near the Ohio River, on an immense hill, nearly 150
feet in height, the whole rock is composed of the most beautiful purple fluor-spar, surpass­
ing the far-famed Derbyshire spar of England. I have brought with me some interesting
cabinet specimens of this mineral, not to be seen in any other collection— they are really
magnificent. The crystals are from one and a half to two inches in diameter. On one
specimen is attached a most beautiful crystal of dog-tooth spar, and on another the quartz
crystals are attached on the top of the fluor-spar. They therefore assumed the crystal form
after the crystals of the fluor-spar were cooled and formed. The same was the case with
the lime crystal, which was perfectly terminated on both ends, and appeared to have been
blown on it. But a small part of it is attached to the fluor-spar, having been found in a
cavity of the rock.
VOL. XVIII.---- NO. II.




15

226

Journal o f M ining and M anufactures .
PEN NSYLVANIA A N T H RAC ITE COAL TRADE.

In the M e r c h a n t s ’ M a g a z in e for February, 1847, (vol. xvi., p. 206,) we published a
tabular account embracing the business from each region, annually, from the commence­
ment of the trade in 1820 to 1846 inclusive, prepared from official returns. W e now pro.
ceed to- lay before our readers a similar table for the year 1847. Those of our readers
who desire to compare the receipts from the various mines, &c., for 1847 with previous
years, from the opening of the trade in 1820, are referred to the above-mentioned table.
RECEIPTS FROM THE VARIOUS MINES, AND TOTAL SUPPLY OF COAL FOR THE YEAR

1847.

Lehigh......................

Schuylkill............
.....................
Lackawana......... .....................
Pine Grove.......... .....................
.....................

1,572,723
.................
388,000 Hazleton............... . ................
61,233 Buck Mountain....... .................
14,904
.................
289,898

109,110
105,639
50,847
43,087
643,612
2,433,558

Total................
Total supply
The increase over any former year amounts to 637,169 tons.

In publishing the tabular statement of the coal trade from its commencement, the
“ Commercial List ” of Philadelphia makes the following remarks:—
“ T o every Pennsylvanian, it must be gratifying to look back to the commencement of
the coal trade in 1820, when it amounted to three hundred and sixty-five tons, and trace
its gradual but rapid increase until it has reached nearly three millions of tons in 1847—
worth at tide-water twelve millions of dollars. Nearly all this large sum is paid for labor,
the coal in the earth not being worth more than forty cents per ton. This fact will at once
explain the rapid increase in the population of this State in the coal regions.
“ The coal trade is now the most important nursery for seamen in this country, and the
tonnage employed in transporting it to the various markets along our extended coast, from
Bangor to New Orleans, furnishes employment to upwards of 400,000 tons of tonnage—
more than all the tonnage arriving at New York from foreign ports.
“ In 1845, the total number of arrivals at New York from foreign ports was 2,044 ves­
sels, of all descriptions, whose aggregate tonnage amounted to 577,386 tons. In 1846,
there were 2,289 arrivals from foreign ports, consisting of 571 ships, 425 barks, 901 brigs,
882 schooners, 7 steamers, and 3 galliots, whose aggregate tonnage was 627,579 tons.
During the year 1846, there were cleared from Philadelphia, laden with coal, 1 ship, 25
barks, 475 brigs, 4,774 schooners, 1,113 sloops, 1,114 barges, 17 steamboats, 1,150 boats
and 282 vessels, class not specified; total, 8,953 vessels, carrying 1,065,228 tons of coal,
in addition to the quantity shipped in boats from the Lehigh mines to New York and
other points— showing an excess of 437,648 tons of coal shipped over the total tonnage
arriving at New York from foreign ports.
“ During the year 1847, the number and class of vessels that arrived at the spacious
wharves of the Reading Railroad Company at Richmond, laden with coal, have been as
follows:—
M on th s.

January.............
February...........
March...............
April................
May...................
June...................
July...................
August...............
September........
October.............
November........
December.........
Total.............




Ships.

Barks.

.
.

2

i
l

2

4
8
5
8
4
3
2
36

Brigs.
2
12
14
33
26
30
56
1 08
146
1 09
68
57

Schooners. Sloops.
60
20
22
66
164
57
322
51
353
76
616
105
89
690
6 29
61
608
104
510
70
4 51
74
302
45

661

4 ,7 7 1

774

Boats.
94
144
218
295
378
588
547
648
591
673
774
250
5 ,2 0 0

Totals.
176
244
453
703
833
1 ,3 4 3
1,3 9 1
1 ,4 5 2
1 ,4 5 7
1,3 6 1
1 ,3 7 0
6 56
1 1 ,4 3 9

227

Journal o f M ining and Manufactures.

“ Not having received all our returns, we are unable to furnish to-day the total number
and class of vessels which have cleared, and the quantity of coal shipped from this port
in 1847. From the Reading Company’s wharves, the comparative amount has been—
In 1846........................

883,489 tons. | In 1847 ........................

964,521 tons.

“ The quantity of coal which passed from the Delaware river, eastward, through the
Delaware and Raritan Canal, to New York, Albany, and other places, in 1847, was as
follows:—
From Richmond, in boats and barges............................................tons 205,988J
“
“
sailing vessels........................................... ........... 100,003J
“ the Schuylkill, in boats and barges.............................................
98,341
“
“
sailing vessels..................................................
1,200
“ Bristol, in boats and barges......................................................... 107,196 J
“
“
sailing vessels..............................................................
27,471
Total tons............................................................................................ 540,200^
In 1846, the quantity of coal which passed the canal was........... tons 339,923
1845,
“
“
................ 372,072
1844,
“
“
................ 267,496
PROGRESS OF MANUFACTURES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
It affords us pleasure to chronicle in the pages of the Merchants’ Magazine the introduction
of new branches of productive industry in the Southern States; as its influence on the des­
tiny not only of that region, but of the great republic, cannot fail of working out the best re­
sults in a moral, political, and social point of view. The “ Commercial Bulletin,” pub­
lished at New Orleans, in noticing the same subject, remarks:—
“ We buy, in New Orleans, negro cotton goods manufactured from one bale of cotton,
for about the same sum that we receive for five bales of raw cotton; the other four bales
being for the labor and profits, which are divided between the ship-owner, Northern or
English operatives, mill proprietors, agents, and commission merchants; all of which would
be retained at home, for the benefit of our own citizens, had we cotton-mills established
here.”
But our object, at this time, was merely to introduce in this place a list of cotton man­
ufactures and iron-works now in operation in the single State of South Carolina, as we
found it recorded in the “ Columbia (S. C.) Telegraph.”
COTTON FACTORIES.

1. The De Kalb cotton factory, near Camden— doing a fine business.
2. The Bivingsville cotton factory, near Spartansburg Court-house, now the property of
G. & E, C. Leitner—doing well.
3. A new establishment now being erected by Dr. Bivings, on a large scale ; not yet
in full operation, but, from the intelligence and energy of the proprietor, we have no doubt
o f his success.
4. The Saluda factory, near Columbia, which has been undergoing repairs during the
summer, but now again in operation, has been doing a fine business for the last three years.
5. The Vaucluse factory, near Hamburg, under the management of General James
Jones, we understand is doing well.
6. The Graniteville factory, near Aiken, lately established, and under the management
of that intelligent and patriotic citizen, Wm. Gregg, Esq. His name alone is a guaranty
of the success of the establishment.
7. The Fulton factory, near Stateburg, under the management of Colonel Dyson, an
enterprising and meritorious gentleman, is doing well.
8. The Mount Dearborn factory, on the Catawba, lately put in operation, under the
management of its enterprising proprietor, D. M ’Culloch, Esq., is bound to succeed.
9. The Marlborough yam factory, owned by Messrs. Townsend & McQueen, and now
leased to an enterprising and practical manufacturer from the North. In this factory, we
understand, none but white operatives are employed; but we have not been informed of
its success since it has fallen into the hands of its present lessee. For several years pre­
vious, under the management of M. Townsend, Esq., we believe it was doing well. The
yam manufactured at this establishment has been heretofore mostly contracted for at the
North, and shipped and sold at a profit.




Journal o f M ining and M anufactures,

228

10. There is also a small factory at Society Hill, owned by Col. Williams, from which
he supplies his own plantation, and those of the surrounding neighborhood, with a very
superior article of cotton bagging. He also ships yarn to a Northern market.
11. There is, besides, an extensive establishment of this kind now in progress of con­
struction, near Charleston, from which we have reason to expect the best results; and
several minor establishments in the back country, where water-power equal to any in the
world abounds.
IRON-WORKS.

1. The Cherokee iron.works, on Broad Rivets in Spartansburg district, very exten­
sive ; under the management of Maj. Thomas T. Twiss— doing a fine business.
2. The South Carolina iron-works, on Paceolet, in Spartansburg district—doing an ex­
tensive business.
3. The King’s Mountain iron-works, on Broad River, in York district—doing, accord­
ing to a late report of their board of directors, a very fine business.
Besides, some minor establishments, all of which appear to be getting on successfully.

LAKE SUPERIOR COPPER MINES.
In the Merchants’ Magazine for December, 1847, under our usual “ Journal o f Mining
and Manufactures,” we gave, from the report of Colonel D. R. McNair, the returns of
ores and minerals raised, and shipments out of the district for smelting, from the com­
mencement of operations to the 30th of September, 1847. W e here subjoin some addi­
tional particulars, derived from the “ Detroit Free Press,” from which it appears that the
Boston and Pittsburgh Company have shipped, this season, as follows:—
Per schooner Iena, in the spring...tons
“ propeller Goliath...........................
“
“
Chicago..........................
“ steamboat Samuel Ward.............

44 I Per schooner Iena..........................tons
180 |And the Champion will bring.............
1 201
52 | Making, in all, the amount of..tons

44
50
----490

The Press says: “ This is native copper, and averages over 80 per cent, and is sold, in
Boston, at 16J cents per pound of copper, the purchaser smelting it at his own expense.
The nett proceeds of this ore will amount to about $115,000, and the expenses of work­
ing the mine for a year are about $50,000 ; leaving for dividend, this year, $65,000. W e
understand that aji application will be made, this winter, for a charter; and it would seem
that their efforts to develop this mining region, their large annual expenditure for work
and provisions, in our State, would justify some protection. W e trust that the Legislature
will see that the policy of our State, in regard to the mining interest, should be very libe­
ral, or all our means will be transferred to Canada, where every inducement is held out
by the government to foreign capitalists and enterprise.”

INVENTION FOR FILE-CUTTING B Y M ACHINERY.
Most of the files now in this country are imported; and they form no inconsiderable
item (a twelfth part, at least,) of the five million dollars’ worth of manufactured steel and
iron annually imported. As these files are all cut by hand, they necessarily require great
labor, and a corresponding advance on the value of the stock, according to fineness. The
twelve-inch flat files now in use vary in the retail price, according to fineness, from 30
cents to $1 80; showing a difference of about a dollar and a half made by labor on a
single file. Every effort made in England to cut files by machinery has been without
success; and the tedious process of making every cut with a hammer and chisel, producing
from one to a dozen files per day, is yet followed.
The editor of the Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Journal has seen the operation of a
machine for cutting files, invented and patented by Mr. Richard Walker, an ingenious
machinist o f Portsmouth, after nearly two years labor. It appeals, from the Journal, that
Mr. W . has disposed of his right to Mr. Rufus Mclntire, the present proprietor, also a good
machinist. Mr. Mclntire is the maker of the machine. This new and important inven­
tion bids fair to produce a new era in the manufacture of files, and, if not introduced into
Europe, will, ere long, make files an article of export instead of import. The machine
is about five feet long, two wide, and three high, and can be operated as easily as the
turning of a common grindstone. The blank intended to be made a file, is placed in a
central position, the chisels strike both sides of the blank at the same time, making, in




M ercantile M iscellanies .

229

common speed, between two and three hundred cuts per minute. The gearing is so ad­
justed that the chisels accommodate themselves to the thickness of the file, so that the cut
is equal in depth throughout; and the regular progression of the file insures perfect regu­
larity in the distance of the cuts. A ten-inch file of medium fineness is cut on both sides
m three minutes— in three minutes more the traverse cuts are made, and it is again pass­
ed through to cut the sides. Thus, three machines, which will not cost over $300 each,
and can be tended by one man, can complete 20 common files in an hour, or 200 in a
day. A steam-engine of five horse-power can put, at least, 50 of these machines in ope­
ration. W e saw a file made which had 124 cuts to the inch in each process—the teeth
were perfectly regular in distance and elevation, and the closest scrutiny could not discov­
er any difference whatever between the teeth of this and the hand-cut file.

DIAMOND CONVERTED TO COKE.
The American Journal of Science gives the following interesting experiment by Professor
Faraday, recorded in the proceedings of the British Association, 1847, in which he ex­
hibited some diamonds, which he had received from M. Dumas, which had, by the ac­
tion of intense heat, been converted into coke. In one case, the heat of the flame of
oxyde of carbon and oxygen had been used ; in another, the oxyhydrogen flame—and in
the third, the galvanic arc of flame from a Bunsen battery of 100 pairs. In the last case,
the diamond was perfectly converted into a piece of coke, and in the others, the fusion
and carbonaceous formation were evident. Specimens, in which the character of graphite
was taken by the diamond, were also shown. The electrical characters of these dia­
monds were stated also to have been changed—the diamond being an insulator, while
coke is a conductor.

MERCANTILE

MISCELLANIES.

MERCANTILE LIBR ARY COM PANY OF PHILADELPHIA.
T he annual meeting of this association was held at their new and beautiful hall, on the

11th January, 1848. The reports of the directors and treasurer present a gratifying view
•of the manner in which the affairs of the company have been conducted during the past
year. The report of the directors is a brief, unambitious, but sensible document; and no
one will complain of the friends of the institution, if “ they should dwell with complacency
on its past history and present attitude, or look forward to its future career as fraught with
inestimable blessings for those for whose advantage it was established.” W e give, in the
following paragraphs, the substance of the report:—
“ The universally-admitted axiom that there is, or ought to be, an indissoluble connec­
tion between intelligence and virtue, is destined, we trust, to find its exemplification m
those whose minds shall be strengthened, and hearts fortified, by the lessons which may
be gleaned so abundantly from the beautiful works in which the shelves of the association
abound. How pleasant in their flight, and delightful in retrospection, are those evenings,
or other hours of leisure, which the young devote to the perusal of virtuous books! And
in the young man intended for the active pursuits of life, how creditable it is to shun the
allurements in which honor is endangered and peace of mind impaired, for the ever-sooth­
ing and ever-refining influence of literature! Our country needs, and has a right to
demand, that all its citizens shall be good men and true. Especially does it require that
all who have business relations with society, shall be governed by a spirit of probity in
their dealings. Mercantile morality should aspire to the highest standard of Christian
morality, and mercantile intelligence to the highest standard of human intelligence. The
men whose goodly ships carry civilization to every corner o f the globe, and whose noble
enterprise proclaims the existence of our glorious republic to every nation of the earth,
should be distinguished both by elevated principles and intellectual power.
“ Such men, it is the design of this, and similar institutions, to enrich our country with;
and we trust and believe, that in promoting such a result, this association, at least, will be
true to its mission. It is gratifying to notice the constant increase of readers at the rooms
of the library. The large number of 22,312 volumes has been taken out for home perusal




230

M ercantile M iscellanies .

during the year, being nearly double what it was a few years since. The whole number
o f volumes at present in the library, is 11,425.
“ The directors, without attempting to increase the library by forced or injudicious ex­
penditures, have, nevertheless, endeavored to supply all the floating literature of the day
that seemed unexceptionable in its character, and to procure such other works as appeared
to them of enduring value. They would invite the particular attention of the members to
the periodical and biographical portions of the library. The whole number of volumes, of
every kind, purchased during the year, is 637 ; and the number of daily, weekly, monthly,
and other periodicals, subscribed for, and constantly receiving, is forty-three.
“ A beginning has been made in lessening the encumbrances against the property, by a
payment of the sum of one thousand dollars to the Philadelphia Dispensary—an incident
pleasing in itself, and foreshadowing also the certain extinguishment, in the course of a
very few years, of the entire indebtedness of the company. When this shall be accom­
plished, then will exist, for all time, for the purposes of the society, their beautiful edifice,
so appropriate in arrangement, end so admirable in location, and for which posterity may
well be grateful to its patrons and projectors.”
The following gentlemen compose the new board :—
Directors— Thomas P. Cope, Isaac Barton, Charles S. Wood, Joseph Patterson, Robert
F. Walsh, J. J. Thompson, J. L. Erringer, William L. Schaffer, William E. Bowen, Marmaduke Moore, William Ashbridge, W . C. Patterson, Joseph C. Grubb. Treasurer—
John Fausset.
BALTIM ORE M ERCANTILE L IB R A R Y ASSOCIATION.
W e have received the eighth annual report of this well-managed institution for the
year ending November 11th, 1847. From it we learn that the library, in November, 1846,
contained 5,510 volumes; that additions made to it during the present year by purchase,
amounted to 450 volumes, and by donation 4 volumes; making an aggregateof 5,954 vol­
umes. The number of periodicals received at the reading-room is 11 monthly, 5 quar­
terly, and 4 weekly—total, 20. The number of active members, as per the seventh re­
port, (1846) was 488. Deducting those who discontinued their subscriptions, and adding
those who joined during the past year, we have at the present time 495 members. The
number of annual honorary members in this year is 181, exceeding by 52 the list of last
year; 120 honorary, and 351 active members, have used the library during the year just
closed, and drawn from it an aggregate of 9,000 volumes— a considerable increase over the
number drawn last year. At the close of 1841, there was a balance of $131 93. The
revenue of 1847, from all sources, amounted to $2,205 78 ; of which there was expended
for the library $759 91 ; other expenses, $967 09 ; leaving a balance in the Treasury of
$610 71. The increase of 1847 exceeds, by the sum of about $200, that of any pre­
vious year. The report reflects the highest credit on the intelligence and energy of the
accomplished President, C. Bradenbaugh, who has, it would seem, retired from the office.
That his services have been appreciated, will be readily inferred from the fact that, at
the annual meeting, which took place on the evening of November 11th, 1847, a resolu­
tion offered by Mr. R. D. Brown, the Vice-President, acknowledging its obligations to
Mr. Bradenbaugh, for “ his efficient management of its affairs, during the six years that
he has been at its head— a management which has mainly contributed to place it in its
present honorable and useful position,” was carried unanimously. The following gentle­
men were elected officers of the association for 1848, viz:— W . H. Dorsey, President;
H. M. Warfield, Vice-President • Samuel C. Donaldson, Corresponding Secretary; E. M.
Needles, Recording Secretary; R . C. Warford, Treasurer; and C. Bradenbaugh, B. F.
Hillard, George B. Coale, Alfred Poor, W . Kent Hall, Alexander Sellman, and W . D.
Townsend, Directors. W e close this brief notice of the association with the closing par­
agraphs of Mr. Bradenbaugh’s business-like report.
“ There being nothing in the business of the year calling for extended comment, the
Directors here close the volume of its transactions, and render back the trust with which




Mercantile M iscellanies .

231

they have been honored. Associated, many of them for a long period, with the active
management of the affairs of the institution, they have watched with pride and gladness
the stream of its influence widening and deepening with each successive year. Whilst
acknowledging with becoming gratitude the assistance it received in its infancy, they also
remember that it has long since ceased to ask any aid from abroad for which it does not
render an ample equivalent. Strong though it may be in the favor of the public, it, nev­
ertheless, has always derived its main support from the most reliable of all sources—itself.
Its growth has been urged forward by an inherent and organic force, more powerful than
any external stimulant that could be applied to it. In its career there has been no retro­
gression. What ground it has gained, it. has kept; and, whenever the recurrence of this
occasion has rendered necessary the annual examination into its progress and condition,
it has always been found stronger in revenue, position and resources, than at any former
period. From the day of our origin until the present moment, neither discord, nor fac­
tion, nor party dissension, nor personal jealousy, have once arisen among us—hopeful,
united and fortunate, we have gone forward, successful beyond example and beyond hope.
“ W e rest upon this—the past is safe. W e look back upon it with unmingled satisfac­
tion. The future may be committed to others ; we look forward to it with confidence,
and expect from it many and great things. If it shall be the fortune of those who shall
follow us, to cause the past and its actors to be forgotten in the successes of the coming
time, we shall be content and happy to rest without an epitaph.”

M ERCANTILE LIBR ARY ASSOCIATION OF BOSTON.
W e take great pleasure in being able to state that this useful institution is now enjoying
a period of great prosperity.
New, spacious, and convenient apartments have recently been leased, situated at the
corner of Broomfield and Province-streets. The suit of rooms consists of three connected
rooms, on the second floor of the building. Two of these apartments are used for the
library, and the other one is a conversation room, where the members can meet, and pass
a friendly hour. This room contains the cabinet of curiosities belonging to the associa­
tion, and also the extensive and rare collection of the Boston Marine Society, which is
kindly loaned by that society, and which greatly adds to the other attractions of the room.
The other accommodations consist of an elegant and commodious hall in the third
story, with anti-rooms connected. The hall will comfortably seat five hundred persons.
This room answers the double purpose of a place for the literary and business meetings of
the association, and also as a reading-room. The magazines and periodicals of the day
are arranged on tables, while the files of newspapers are placed on racks at the sides of
the hall, in the manner most convenient to the reader. The whole arrangements and
furniture of the rooms are in a neat style of simple elegance, and the apartments cannot
fail of being very attractive to young men.
On the evening of January 3d, these halls were opened to the public, and dedicated to
the purposes of the association. The exercises consisted of a prayer, by the Rev. F. D.
Huntington, an address by Mr. Daniel N. Haskell, and a poem by Mr. S. A. D ix; both
members of the association. By a vote of the board of directors, the address and poem
are both to be published; and we hope in our next number to be able to make extracts
from these productions, which have been highly spoken of by the press.
W e believe this institution has one feature which is peculiar, and not generally adopted
by similar associations in this country. W e refer to its weekly literary exercises, con­
sisting o f debates, and evenings devoted to declamation, and the reading o f compositions.
These meetings serve to interest the members, and to create intimacies and friendships;
and some participation in them is requisite in a candidate for office. W e are gratified to
state, that the high character of these exercises is fully sustained this season, and that the
other attractions of the society do not cast a shade over these important meetings. The
course of public lectures held in the Tremont Temple this season, have been attended by
immense audiences ; and the elevated character of these lectures has been fully sustained.




232

M ercantile M iscellanies .

We would venture one word of advice to our young friends ; and that would be, novr
that they have secured ample accommodations, in no way can they be of so much service
to their association, as by uniting all their energies to increase their library. W e trust
the suggestion will commend itself to the good sense and active co-operation of every
member. Success to every association of young men! May their usefulness keep pace
with their attractions, their age, and their extension !

M ERCANTILE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF N E W YORK.
The twenty-seventh annual report of the Board of Direction of the Mercantile Library
Association, exhibits the affairs of that institution in a very favorable light. The privi­
leges offered to clerks by membership have continued to be appreciated the past season,
evinced by greater accessions to the members than in any year since 1839. The general
prosperity of the institution gives promise of its still wider and more extensive influence
among those for whose benefit it was especially established. The number of members
at the close of the year 1846, as stated in the last ajanual report, was 2,443; the with­
drawals amounting to 369. The new members added, during the year 1847, have been
637, showing a total number of members on the 1st of January, 1848, of 2,761, and a
nett gain over 1846 of 318. Of these, 2,588 pay $2 per annum, and 173, merchants
and others, are subscribers, at $ 5 per annum. The total number of honorary members is
113. By reference to the report of the Treasurer, we find that the balance on hand, 31st
of December, 1846, was $774 31. The receipts from various sources in 1847, amounted
to $5,915 90. The expenditures for the same period were $6,325 11 ; leaving a bal­
ance on hand of $365 10. The number of volumes added to the library in 1847, by
purchase and donation, amount to 2,258 volumes. The number of volumes on the 1st of
January, 1847, was 24,523 ; and, on the 1st of January, 1848, they have been increased
to 26,881 volumes. The works added to the library the past year are thus classed in the
report of the Direction, viz: of Science and Art, 289 ; of General Literature, 1,554 ; of
Fiction, 415; being 375 more than the additions of any previous year, and a greater num­
ber than has been obtained in any year since 1839. The expenditure for books and pe­
riodicals, amounts for the year to $3,311 95 ; which is a greater amount than has been
laid out in any one of the last eight years for this purpose. The cost of the novels for
1847, is about $234, including $50 for binding ; the cheaper form of these publications,
in comparison with other works, enabling a full supply at comparatively small cost.
For the information of persons desirous of availing themselves of the advantages of
this noble institution, we give an extract from the constitution of the association, touching
the terms of membership: —
“ C hap. I.— Art. 3. Any person engaged in mercantile pursuits as a clerk, may become
a member of this association, if approved by the Board of Direction, when he shall have
subscribed to the constitution, paid an initiation fee of $1 00, and $1 00 for the first six
months. His further regular dues shall be, thereafter, 50 cents, quarterly, in advance.
“ C hap. I.— Art. 4. Any member of this association, commencing business on his own
account, may continue his membership upon the payment of $1 00, semi-annually, in
advance. Merchants, also, may become members by paying $ 5 00 annually; but no
merchant shall be entitled to a vote, or eligible to any office. Persons not engaged in
mercantile pursuits may, if approved by the Board of Direction, be admitted to the use of
the library and reading-rooms, upon the same terms as merchants.”

BANVARD’S PAN O R AM A OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
This exhibition, when we consider the object which it portrays, and the mode in which
the painting is executed, is of great interest. It depicts the Mississippi river, with the
scenery upon its banks, from the city of New Orleans to St. Louis, with all the accompa-




M ercantile M iscellanies.

238

nying incidents of the trade and navigation which are prosecuted upon that great channel
o f western commerce. The painting itself, being displayed upon illuminated canvass,
does not, of course, admit of that delicate contrast of color, light, and shade, which can
be expressed upon an ordinary picture; for, in its general character, it is like the scenic
decorations of the stage. It is, however, executed, in this respect, sufficiently well to give
us a vivid sketch of all points of the passing landscape ; and many of the scenes are cer­
tainly very beautiful. In the first place, we are presented with a view of New Orleans,
the principal city upon the western waters, and also of the shipping in the harbor. Passing
by the numerous intervening villages scattered along the shore of the river, and the region
of the sugar and cotton plantation, as well as the “ cane-brake,” we finally reach St. Louis,
the terminus of the voyage. Among the scenes peculiarly striking, we would designate
•the high hills containing lead mines, upon the part of the river which is near that improving
city. W e, moreover, have a view of the character of the commerce which is prosecuted
upon the waters of the Mississippi; and also of the numerous steamboats, flat, keel-boats,
and other strange vessels, which are employed in its navigation. One essential point in
the value of a work of this character, is its accuracy; and we have the written evidence
o f individuals, who are said to be familiar with that part of the territory, that it is a faithful
copy of the original. To those who are interested in the character of the scenery, and the
modes of life which prevail along the shores of the great river of the West, this painting is
worthy of examination.
ON TH E AD U LT E R A T IO N OF W H E A T FLOUR.
M. Martens, of the “ L ’lnstitut,” of Feb. 17, 1847, gives the following as the means of
detecting adulteration in wheat flour, with the flour of potatoes and beans :—
It is known that potato starch is entirely insoluble in cold water when it has not been
rubbed to a powder, so that the grains have remained entire ; but if they are crushed in
an agate or glass mortar, and water is then added, this dissolves a little of the starchy
mattef; and on filtering the mixture, after a few minutes’ maceration in the cold, a clear
liquid is obtained, which is colored blue by the addition of the tincture of iodine: if pure
wheat flour be treated in the same manner, the color of the liquor is not altered, according
to M. Martens, by the addition of iodized water, undoubtedly because the granules of
wheaten starch are far more minute, and are enveloped in a coating of elastic gluten; they
thus escape being crushed by the pestle so as to expose the central portion, which is capa­
ble of dissolving in cold water. M. Martens has found that a mixture of 5 per cent of
starch may be detected, if the flour be strongly rubbed for five or ten minutes, with the
precaution of triturating a little at a time.
Another adulteration, which is tolerably frequent, consists in mixing bean flour with
wheaten flour. M. Martens’ process for detecting this fraud is based upon the presence of
legumine in bean flour. The suspected flour is mixed with twice its volume of water, and
allowed to macerate at a temperature of 68° to 86°, stirring from time to time ; the whole
is then poured into a filter, and washed with a little water to extract the whole of the
legumine. If the filtered liquor contains any legumine, it becomes turbid and milky when
a little acetic acid is very gradually added to it. It is also precipitated by the third hy­
drate of phosphoric acid. This process, which is very easily executed, enables us to detect
the flour of beans, or any other leguminous plant, in that of wheat, even when the amount
does not exceed 5 per cent.
A FRAUDULENT BANKRUPT IN HAMBURGH.
Hamburgh witnessed a curious proceeding on the 8th of November, 1847, as we find
it stated in the “ London Sun.” The scaffold was erected, as for an execution, before the
principal front of the Exchange, and at noon a large furnace filled with resinous wood was
placed on it. The wood having been set on fire, the bell of the Town Hall was rung
violently, as is usual during the execution of decrees inflicting infamous penalties. At
the hour at which merchants are assembled on the Exchange, the public executioner as­
cended the scaffold, and, after having caused a drum to be beat, proclaimed, in a loud
voice, the name of a merchant who had been declared guilty of a fraudulent bankruptcy,
and who had taken to flight. He then displayed to the spectators an enormous placard,
bearing the name of the culprit in gigantic letters. He next caused the drum to be beat
a second time, after which he tossed the placard in the flames.




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THE

BOOK T R A D E .

1. — The Middle Kingdom; a Survey o f the Geography, Government, Education, So­
cial Life, Arts, Religion, cfc., of the Chinese Empire and its Inhabitants. With a
New Map of the Empire, and Illustrations, principally engraved by J. W . O rr . By
S. W ells W illiams, author of “ Easy Lessons in Chinese,” “ English and Chinese
Vocabulary,” etc. 2 vols., pp. 590-614. New York and London: Wiley & Putnam.
This work exhibits a very full and minute description of that singular country— the
Chinese empire. The author, who visited that territory under the auspices of the Ame­
rican Board of Foreign Missions, and who remained during the period of twelve years in
Canton and Macao, speaking the Chinese language, and examining their books, has col­
lected a vast body of information upon the subject, in all its relations. He has given us a
general view of the geographical features of the empire; its population and statistics; its
natural history and laws; its education, language, and literature ; the characteristic fea­
tures of its social life, science, history, productions and commerce, and indeed of all those
circumstances which mark the character of the people. Since the valuable works upon
the same topic, which have heretofore been published, much information respecting the
various parts of the territory has been obtained. The opening of the five ports to foreign
commerce has likewise increased the interest in the subject; and, from the improved com­
mercial policy of that country, the present volume will doubtless be received with favor.
The value of the work is, moreover, enhanced by an excellent map of the kingdom, and
the engraved illustrations which it contains, throwing light upon the manners and customs
o f the Chinese, and the actual condition of the population. It is probably the most full, as
it is certainly the most recent work on the subject.
2. — The Poetical Works o f John M ilton; with a Memoir, and Critical Remarks on
his Genius and Writings. By J ames M ontgomery; and One Hundred and Twenty
Engravings, from Drawings by W illiam H arvey . 2 vols., 12mo., pp. 882. New
York: Harper & Brothers.
W e do not, of course, quote the title of these volumes for the purpose of criticising the
poems of Milton—that has long since been done, by competent hands. But the appear­
ance of a new and really beautiful edition of one so celebrated in the world’s literature, is
deserving of notice. The designs are well conceived, and the engraver has done justice
in the execution. The edition, in all that pertains to its typography, is as elegant and
beautiful as could be expected, even in the present improved state of the art of book­
making. Of Milton, it may not be amiss, in this place, to remark, in the language of
Montgomery, whose interesting memoir prefaces the present edition, that his poetry will
be forever read by the few, and praised by the many. “ The weakest capacity may be
offended by its faults, but it would require a genius superior to his own to comprehend,
enjoy, and unfold all its merits.”
3. —A Narrative o f an Exploratory Visit to each o f the Consular Cities o f China, and
to the Islands o f Hong-Kong and Chusan, in behalf o f the Church Missionary So­
ciety, in the years 1844, 1845, 1846. By Rev. G eorge S mith, A. M., of Magdalen
Hall, Oxford, and late Missionary in China. New York: Harper & Brothers.
The chief object of the reverend author’s mission to China was to explore the ground,
and to prepare the way for other missionaries of the Church of England, by collecting
facts, recording general observations, and furnishing detailed data for rightly estimating
the moral, social, and political condition of that “ peculiar people” — the Chinese. It is
not, therefore, as would, perhaps, be inferred from its title, a mere narrative of missionary
proceedings; but embodies a fund of information, touching the institutions and character
o f the Chinese, of interest to the general reader.
4. — The Three Dialogues of M. T. Cicero, on the Orator. Translated into English, by
W . G uthrie. Revised and Corrected, with Notes. Second American edition. 18mo.
Harper & Brothers’ “ Classical Library”
De Oratore, of which this volume is a translation, was, we are told, regarded by the
friends of Cicero as his most finished production. It was written during a season of re­
tirement from those troubles, by which the latter years of its author were embittered, al­
though the dialogue on which it purports to be based, must have occurred thirty years be­
fore the composition of this book.




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5. — History of Architecture, from the Earliest Times; its Present Condition in Eu­
rope and the United States ; with a Biography o f Eminent Architects, and a Glossary
of Architectural Terms. By Mrs. L. C. T uthill. With numerous illustrations.
8vo., pp. 426. Philadelphia : Lindsay & Blackstone.
Many of our readers have, doubtless, been instructed and amused by the moral and
truthful tales of this intellectual, accomplished, and gifted woman. These lighter produc­
tions of her pen, and the present volume, furnish to our mind the most satisfactory evi­
dence that she possesses intellectual and moral qualities of no mean order— not the least
of which is a lofty perception of the Good, the Beautiful, and the True, in Nature and
Art. In the work before us, Mrs. Tuthill furnishes the reader with a clear and compre­
hensive history of the origin and progress of the art in all time, and among all nations—
from the most barbarous to the most cultivated. The Egyptian, the Hindoo, the Persian,
the Jewish, the Chinese, the Aboriginal, or American, the Cyclopean and Etruscan, the
Grecian, and the Roman, in all their varieties, are chronicled and described, clearly and
succinctly, in the eleven first chapters of the work. A chapter is devoted to the archi­
tecture of the middle ages ; another to the revival of the Grecian and Roman architec­
ture, in the fifteenth century; two chapters to the principles of- architecture, and the
qualifications of the artist; three chapters to its history, the present state, and the
causes which have retarded the progress of the art in the United States; two more to the
materials for building and domestic architecture in the United States. In a word, Mrs.
T. seems to have embraced in her comprehensive plan the subject of architecture, in all
its relations to man and society; and her work is at once historical, scientific, and prac­
tical. It is profusely illustrated with plans and existing specimens of almost every species
o f public or domestic architecture, and the work is produced in a style of elegance alike
creditable to the liberality of the publishers, and the progress of the typographic art in
America. In this respect, it will vie with many of the annuals, produced rather for show,
than for their intrinsic or enduring value.
6. — Ellen Herbert; or, Family Changes. With six illustrations. New York: Har­
per & Brothers.
A simple story, written for very young people, and designed, like all of the series, to
afford innocent amusement, and at the same time inculcate lessons of virtue and religion.
The beautiful typography, the well-executed engravings, and the tasty binding, all add a
charm to “ Harpers’ Fireside Library,” that will be duly appreciated, by the “ little folks,”
for whom this excellent series of books is so well adapted.
7. — Life of Jeremy Belknap, D. D., the Historian of New Jersey. With Selections
from his Correspondence and other Writings. Collected and Arranged by his GrandDaughter. 18mo., pp. 253. New York: Harper & Brothers.
This volume consists principally of extracts from the diary, letters, and other manu­
scripts of Dr. Belknap, an eminent Congregational divine, the compiler of a devotional
hymn-book, and the author of a history of New Hampshire.
8. —A Rhyme of the North Countrie. By A. M. G leeman. l2mo., pp. 143. Cincin­
nati : J. A. & U. P. James. New York: J. S. Redfield.
The author of these poems, as we learn from his poetical preface, is an exile from the
“ North countrie,” who has chosen a home amid “ the green forests of the leafy West.”
In the longer poem, there are many fine passages; and, as a whole, it furnishes a favora­
ble specimen of poetic inspiration, alike creditable to the genius of the“ North countrie,”
and the free, magnificent West. The shorter poems are so full of pure and elevated
sentiments, that we cannot find it in our heart to point out, were we competent, any slight
blemishes that occasionally mar the many excellencies of the longer poem.
9. — Memoirs o f Mrs. Elizabeth Fry. Including a History of Her Labors in Pro­
moting the Reformation of Female Prisoners, and the Improvement of British Sea­
men. By the Rev. T homas T impson, Honorary Secretary to the British and Foreign
Sailors’ Society, &c. 12mo., pp. 330. New York: Stanford & Swords.
The labors of Mrs. Fry, who acquired by her labors in the cause of humanity the wellearned fame o f the “ Female Howard,” are too well known to all whose sympathies are
enlisted in the same field of Christian love, to require notice in this place. The present
memoir, besides giving some account of her early and private life and character, furnishes
a satisfactory account of her labors and efforts for the female prisoners in Newgate, Scot­
land, Ireland, and other countries, and of her labors for British seamen ; closing with an
account of her last illness and death. She was truly a noble woman, and well and faith­
fully has she fulfilled her mission to the unfortunate portion of the race, leaving an exam­
ple for her sisters worthy of all imitation.




2 36

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10. — A Treatise on the Office and Duty of a Justice o f the Peace, Sheriff, Coroner\
Constable, and o f Executors, Administrators, and Guardians; in which are particu­
larly laid down the Rules for conducting an Action in the Court for the Trial o f
Small Causes. With New and Approved Forms. By James E wing, Esq., late one o f
the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Hunterdon. Fourth edi­
tion. Revised and Corrected in accordance with Statutes; with Additional Notes and
References. 8vo., pp. 598. New Y ork: Banks, Gould & Co.
The nature and objects of this work are succinctly described in the title-page quoted
above, and more fully in the preface to each edition. It is well known that the Legisla­
ture of New Jersey, in the recent revision of the laws of that State, made many impor­
tant changes— circumstances which render the former editions of this, and other works of
a similar character, unsafe guides on the subjects of which they treat. This edition, of
course, embodies these changes— besides, new forms and new titles have been added ;
which renders the present edition eminently better adapted to its design than those which
have preceded it. It is quite unnecessary', in fhis place, to remind the legal profession of
New Jersey, and the contiguous States, of the utility of such a work; as, to those of the
former, it is indispensable, and to those o f the latter it will be fopnd valuable in proportion
as their practice extends beyond the limits of their own State. The legal acquirements
o f Judge Ewing, as well as his experience in the capacity of justice and judge, are a suffi­
cient guarantee for the* accuracy of the work. The arrangement is at once clear and
comprehensive; but the popularity of former editions renders further criticism altogether
unnecessary. W e cannot, however, conclude this notice, without expressing our appro­
bation of the substantial and even beautiful style in which Messrs. Gould, Banks & Co.
have published this, as well as all the law-books emanating from their well-established
house.
11. —Appleton's Library Manual; Containing a Catalogue Raisonne o f upwards of
Twelve Thousand o f the Most Important Works in Every Department of Knowledge,
in all Modern Languages.. 8vo., pp. 434. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Phila­
delphia: G. S. Appleton.
The object of the publishers, as stated in the preface to this volume, has been to pre­
sent, in a collected form, indications of the most important works in every department of
literature, arranged in such manner as admits of the most easy reference. It is divided
into two parts. Part I. consists of subjects alphabetically arranged, with the exception of
mathematics, medicine, and theology, all the subjects of these divisions being collected un­
der these general heads. Part II. comprises select biography, classics, collected works,
and an index of authors whose works appear in the first part. The work has evidently
been prepared with great care and industry, by a gentleman possessing rare qualifications
for such an undertaking, and will unquestionably be found exceedingly useful to persons
engaged in selecting and making up either a public or private library. The most glaring
fault—at least, that which is the most apparent to us—is the omission, under the head of
“ Commerce,” of any mention of the sixteen volumes of the “ Merchants’ Magazine and
Commercial Review,” which, we may be pardoned for saying, includes more commercial
statistics, etc., than have ever been embodied in a single work.
12. — A Plea fo r Amusements. By F rederic W . S awyer . 18mo., pp. 320. New York :
D. Appleton & Co.
The author of the present treatise does not belong, we should infer, to the ascetic
school of religionists or philosophers. On the contrary, he believes, with many good men,
in the propriety of enjoying the bounties of Providence, and the natural luxuries and de­
lights of nature, created by an All-wise and beneficent Being, and strewed in the path of
man, not to pamper, but to feed his natural appetite, and make him healthier, happier, and
better. Dancing and theatrical amusements, not as at present, however, managed, he con­
ceives innocent, and even beneficial in their tendency. But few, we imagine, will dissent from
the views of Mr. Sawyer, and we hope his work will obtain a wide circulation, as it is well
calculated to correct many false notions on the subject.
13. — The Poetical La con; or, Aphorisms from the Poets. A Collection o f Laconic and
Beautiful Sentiments from Ancient and Modern Poetry. By B enjamin C assidy.
New York: D. Appleton & Co. Philadelphia: G. S. Appleton.
This handsome little “ pocket-book ” contains several hundred selections from poets,
ancient and modem, of well established reputation. It is divided into two parts. The
first contains brief extracts on love, friendship, beauty, and woman; and the second is de­
voted to monetary, moral, comiques, and miscellaneous extracts. The letter-writer will
find in this little volume appropriate extracts, which he can quote at leisure, without burthening his memory for an appropriate sentiment.




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— Teaching, a Science: The Teacher an Artist. By Rev. B ayard R. H all , A. M.,
Principal of the Classical and Mathematical Institute, Newburgh, and author of
“ Something for Everybody,” etc. 12mo., pp. 305. New York: Baker & Scribner.
This book, we are told by the author, is not an experiment, but an experience ; a state­
ment that our readers will not, we think, doubt, when we inform them that twenty-five
years of the author’s life has been devoted to teaching. In the transition from boyhood,
as a private tutor in a gentleman’s family ; and in early manhood, as principal of a State
institution; and then as a professor in a college ; since then, in schools various in char­
acter, some incorporated, some independent and private— in g word, he has taught every­
thing, and pupils of various nations, and both sexes. We have been particular to state
these facts, as they certainly give him a claim upon the attention of those of less expe­
rience. He dignifies his office, and makes it honorable, as he certainly has a right to
do— and justly, as we judge; as,in his title-page, he pronounces “ Teaching a Science,
and the Teacher an A r t is tw h ic h he satisfactorily illustrates in the volume before us.
The first chapter is devoted to the Teacher as an Artist; the second discourses of the
science, or end of teaching; and the succeeding chapters are devoted to a consideration
of the tools and instruments, the arrangement and management of the materials; schools
in their kinds, sorts, and varieties; persons most suitable for teachers ; common schools,
etc. The subject is treated in a masterly manner, and is deserving of a wide circula­
tion. W e commend it to all those who teach, and those who would be taught—mas­
ters, parents, and pupils.
15. — Practical Grammary &c. By S. W . C lark , A. M. New Y ork: A. S. Barnes & Co.
The method of illustrating the offices of words, in the analysis of sentences, by dia­
grams, and the system of diagrams used in this work, is both new and admirable, and we
see no reason why the system here advanced is not pre-eminently the true one. It is sim­
ple— philosophical— 'practical. Neither do we see any reason why it may not be of great
utility to both teacher and learner. The latter is taught to map out his sentences; and
the former, without a word, may indicate the entire construction of a passage in a sort of
living picture. These diagrams are to Grammar—hitherto an unillustrated science—what
figures are to Arithmetic, and maps to Geography— they appeal to the eye; and when we
recollect how uninteresting this study has uniformly been to the young, we think this fea­
ture of the book alone must do much towards brightening the faces, and lightening the
hearts of the boys and girls that are going to study grammar.
16. — An Illustration and Defence of JJnicersalisin as an Idea, in a Series o f Philoso­
phical and Scriptural Discourses. By S . B. B ritain . 12mo., pp. 188. Albany:
C. Killmer.
The present work, consisting of twelve discourses, originally prepared for the pulpit,
“ is designed to elucidate the one great idea— that which comprehends the immortal
destiny of the human spirit.” Mr. Britain draws his illustrations and arguments from
nature and the constitution of things, as well as from the Scriptures ; believing this to be
the only sure way-to commend the truth to every man’s conscience. The subjects dis­
cussed in these discourses are— the Divine Attributes; the Works of Nature ; the Philo­
sophy of Good and Evil; the Constitution of M an; the Divine Paternity; the Mission
of Christ; the Philosophy of Punishment; Scripture Evidences, etc. A casual reading
of portions of the work has given us a very favorable opinion of the intelligence of its
author, whose sincerity in enforcing what he conceives to be truth, we cannot for a mo­
ment doubt. He writes with clearness, and enforces his positions with a cogency of argu­
ment that will require something more powerful than naked assumptions to refute. It is,
moreover, written in a truly catholic spirit; perfectly free from the dogmatic asperities too
common with all sects of religionists, and of late quite manifest in that with which Mr.
Britain is, we believe, connected.
17. — Ocean Scenes; or, The Perils and Beauties of the Deep: Being Interesting, In­
structive, and Graphic Accounts o f the Most Popular Voyages on Record, Remark­
able Shipwrecks, Hair-Breadth Escapes, Naval Adventures, the Whale Fishery, etc.
Illustrated by five engravings. 12mo., pp. 492. New York: Leavitt, Trow & Co.
The object of the present volume is to afford a series of brief and interesting sketches,
both useful and attractive to seamen, as a convenient pastime for their leisure moments.
No definite arrangement of materials is attempted ; but the different articles are thrown
together, so that the reader may choose and digest according to his own inclination and
capacity. It will interest the seaman, and the transient passenger across the deep ; and
serve, perhaps, to amuse the latter in the tedium of a voyage— and to all it will be found
to present an ample and genuine representation of the habits and excitements, the plea­
sures and perils o f a mariner’s life.
14.




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18.—A Compendium of English Literature, Chronologically Arranged, from Sir John
Mandeville to William Cowper; consisting o f Biographical Sketches o f the Authors,
Choice Selections from their Works, with Notes, Explanatory and Illustrative, and
directing to the Best Editions, and to Various Criticisms. Designed as a Text-Book
for the Highest Classes in Schools and Academies, as well as for Private Beading.
By C harles D exter C leveland. 12mo., pp. 702. Philadelphia: E. C. & J. Biddle.
W e like a title-page that indicates clearly and comprehensively what follows; and such
is the character of the one we have quoted above. It describes the contents and design
o f the volume with commendable precision, and entire truthfulness. It will probably
strike others, as it did us, on taking up the work, that the compiler had taken the hint of
it from “ Chambers’ Cyclopedia of English Literature,” recently republished in this country
by Gould, Kendall &, Lincoln. But this is not the case ; as the author assures us, in his
preface, that, years before that work was published, he had matured the plan, and was
gathering materials for it. Besides, as Mr. Cleveland justly remarks, the “ Cyclopedia”
is on a plan different from this, and is far too voluminous for the object for wrhich the
“ Compendium” is intended. The two, “ so far from conflicting with each other, may
be mutual aids,” and doubtless give “ the reader a greater zest to extend his inquiries
into the same most interesting subject—a subject so rich in everything that can refine the
taste, enlarge the understanding, and inspire the heart.” It is one of the most compre­
hensive works that we are acquainted with; furnishing, as it does, choice specimens from
the works of almost every author, in every department of literature, of any celebrity,
from Sir John Mandeville down to William Cowper, with brief notices of the lives and
writings of each. W e have seldom, if ever, seen a work better adapted to its design,
viz : that of “ a text-book for the highest classes in schools and academies, as well as for
private reading.”
19. — Is it a Small Thing ? or, Individual Reform. By Mrs. N. T. M unroe. l8mo.,
pp. 146. Boston : Abel Tompkins.
The title of this story indicates its character, or design. W e once heard a reformer
say, that he had labored hard to reform his fellow-men, but had neglected the individual
man— himself. Those who have had defective constitutions through transmission—bad
education and bad examples to repair and overcome—will appreciate the efforts of “ indi­
vidual reform,” and pay a higher tribute to the personal than the public reformer. This
little story happily illustrates, by familiar examples, not how small a thing it is, but how
morally great it is to govern ourselves.
20. — The Flowers Personified; or, “ Les Fleurs Animees.” By T axile D elord. Trans­
lated by N. C leveland. Illustrated with steel engravings, beautifully colored, from de­
signs by the celebrated J. J. G randville. New York : R. Martin.
The thirteenth number of this beautiful work, contains two exquisite engravings, with
appropriate illustrations. The great French work, of which this is a translation, has, we
believe, furnished the material for most of the works illustrative of the language of flowers,
heretofore published in the English language.
21. — Lectures to Young Men, on Various Important Subjects. By H enry W ard
Beecher, Indianapolis, Indiana. 12mo., pp. 251. Boston: John P. Jewett & Co.
It would seem almost a work of supererogation to notice, at this late day, a work that
had, since its first publication, in 1844, passed through thirteen editions, of one thousand
* copies each, besides receiving the almost unqualified commendation of the press through­
out the country, as well as of some of the most prominent divines of the different denom­
inations. The titles of the seven lectures which the volume contains, are— Industry and
Idleness, Twelve Causes of Dishonesty, Six Warnings, The Portrait Gallery, Gamblers
and Gambling, The Strange Woman, and Popular Amusements.
22. — Chambers’ Miscellany of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge. Edited by W illiam
C hambers. Boston: Gould, Kendall & Lincoln. New York: Berford & Co.
Number IX. of this popular reprint contains— The Sister of Rembrandt; Anecdotes of
the Cat; a Temperance Tale, by Mrs. H all; Curiosities of Vegetation; Toussaint L’Ouverture, and the Republic of Hayti, and The Ancient Mariner, and other Poems, by Cole­
ridge. This is emphatically a Library for the People ; blending amusement and instruction
in the most agreeable form.
23.— Articles from the “ London Times,” signed “ A 1States’ Man,” with others from
the “ New York Courier and Enquirer,” under the same Signature. 18mo., pp. 94.
Boston: William D. Ticknor & Co.
I f John Bull will only read this manly defence of Brother Jonathan, we think it will
greatly improve his digestive organs— that’s all.




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24. — Journal o f an Exploring Tour beyond the Rocky Mountains, under the Directions
o f the A. B. C. F. M ; containing a Description of the Geography, Geology, Climate,
Productions of the Country, and the Numbers, Manners and Customs o f the Natives.
With a Map of Oregon Territory. By the Rev. Samuel P arker, A. M. Fifth edi­
tion. 12mo., pp. 422. Auburn: J. C. Derby & Co.
It is nearly ten years since this work was first published, and it would seem rather late
in the day to refer to a work which has already acquired a deservedly high reputation as
an authentic narrative of facts, as well as a faithful delineation of the region it describes;
but as, since the settlement of the Oregon question, the attention of emigrants is directed
towards it, and as it is the only work published by any person, if we except, perhaps, Mr.
Farnham’s, who has been over the country, generally, in all seasons of the year, for the
express purpose of learning the physical condition of the country, and the natural and
moral state of the Indian inhabitant, any apology for introducing it to the notice of the
public may well be deemed unnecessary. Most of the works published since are mere
compilations; and no work has been more largely consulted, for that purpose, than this,
the most original and authentic of them all. It embraces a vast amount of valuable infor­
mation touching a part of the American continent before very imperfectly explored. This
is the fifth edition of the work that has been published, since its first appearance.
25. — The Life o f General Andrew Jackson, Seventh President o f the United States ;
with an Appendix, containing the Most Important o f his State Papers. By J ohn S.
J enkins, A. M., author of “ The Clerk’s Assistant,” “ Political History of New York,”
etc. Auburn : J. C. Derby & Co.
This work, although first published in the early part of last year, has already passed
through three large editions. Few names, since the American Revolution, are more inti­
mately connected with the history of the Great Republic; and, “ whatever may be the
views entertained in regard to his merits as a warrior, or his abilities as a statesman, his
conduct in both capacities was such as must necessarily command attention.” Mr. Jenkins,
availing himself of the very ample materials which the subject afforded, has condensed
them into a continuous history, not only of the life of General Jackson, but of the events
with which he was connected. It is, on the whole, a well-written, and apparently impar­
tial account of the life of this remarkable man.
26. — The Children's Gem. By M ary H owitt. With four plates, from Original Designs,
by A nna M ary H owitt . Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard.
Mrs. Howitt possesses the happy talent of entering into the feelings and reasonings of
the child, and looking at things, as it were, from the child’s point of view rather than from
her ow n ; and to this talent may her success in this department of literature be mainly
attributed. This little volume is “ the result of the experiment of keeping, for one whole
year, an exact chronicle, as it were, of the voluntary occupations and pleasures, and of
the sentiments and feelings,” as far as she could gain accurate knowledge of them, of her
two youngest children; and everything which it contains, she assures us, is strictly true.
27. — A Tour to the River Saguenay, in Lower Canada. By C harles L anman, author
of “ A Summer in the Wilderness.” 12mo., pp. 231. Philadelphia: Carey & Hart.
Mr. Lanman informs us, in a dedicatory note, the only preface to the volume, that, re­
linquishing his editorial labors for a time, he performed a pilgrimage, which resulted in
the production of the present work. It contains a record of adventures in the valleys of
the Hudson, St. Lawrence, and St. John’s, and along some of the rivers in New England,
written in a graceful and pleasing style.
28. — Diseases o f the Eye Treated Homoeopathically. From the German. By A. C.
B ecker, M. D. l8mo., pp. 77. New York: William Radde.
29. — Consumption Treated Homoeopathically. From the German. By A. C. B ecker,
M. D. 18mo., pp. 86. New York: William Radde.
The rapid growth of the new school, large as it is, does not seem to keep pace with
the demand for the practice. The present works, on Diseases of the Eye and Consump­
tion, are in high repute with the homoeopathic physicians.
30. — Directions for Daily Communion with God; Showing how to Begin, how to
Spend, and how to Close Every Day with God. By the Rev. M atthew H enry . 18mo.,
pp. 163. New York: Robert Carter.
The reputation of this author among the “ orthodox” or “ evangelical” sects, is too well
known and appreciated to be increased by anything that we could offer. The importance
of carrying religion into the ordinary affairs of life, is sadly neglected ; and, if these direc­
tions should have that effect, the more widely the volume is circulated, and the more gen­
erally read, the better.




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The Book T rad e .

31. — Lives o f the Queens of England, from the Norman Conquest, with Anecdotes o f
their Courts. Now first 'published, from Official Records and other Authentic Docu­
ments, Private as well as Public. By A gnes S trickland. Vol. XI. 12mo., pp. 286.
Philadelphia: Lea &, Blanchard.
The present volume, the eleventh of the series, embraces a memoir of the life and time#
o f Mary, Queen Regnant of Great Britain and Ireland, continued from her life as Prin­
cess of Orange, in the previous volume, and of Anne, Queen Regnant of Great Britain
and Ireland, as Princess in the reign of William III. The facilities enjoyed by the writer
o f these memoirs, of a public and private nature, are of a character that cannot fail of im­
parting great reliability to her researches. Few works of a historical character can lay
claim to greater authenticity on the score of original data.
32. — Midsummer Eve : a Fairy Tale o f Love. By Mrs. S. C. H all. l2mo., pp. 249.
New Y ork: Charles S. Francis.
The light reading of the day, the novels and romances, are now generally issued in a
cheap form, on poor paper, and small type ; which, we presume, answers the purpose of a
single reading, as few of this class of works are worth preserving. Now and then, how­
ever, we meet with a work of fiction which deserves a better fate ; and we think that the
publishers have acted wisely in presenting this really interesting tale in a style that cannot
fail of securing for it what it deserves—a place in the family library of all who indulge in
light reading.
33. — The Rural Cemeteries o f America; Illustrated in a Series of Picturesque and
Monumental Views, in Highly Finished Line Engraving. By J ames S millie, Esq.
With Descriptive Notices by N. C leaveland. New York : R. Martin.
W e are gratified to perceive that Mr. Martin finds sufficient encouragement to con­
tinue with so much spirit his laudable enterprise of illustrating these hallowed and beau­
tiful spots, consecrated to the ashes of the departed. The present, the fourth part, devoted
to “ Mount Auburn,” near Boston, embraces yie>vs of “ The Chapel,” “ The Bowditch
Monument,” and “ Gossler’s Monument” — vi^ws selected with taste, and executed in a
style in keeping with the progress of art in America.
34. —Fame and Glory: an Address before the Literary Societies o f Amherst College, at
their Anniversary, August 11,1847. By C harles S umner. 8 vo., pp. 51. Boston:
William D. Ticknor & Co.
The three questions that presented themselves to the consideration of Mr. Sumner, on
the occasion which called forth this address, were—“ First. What, according to common
acceptance, are Fame and Glory? Second. To what extent, if any, are they proper or
commendable motives of conduct, or objects of regard?—and, Third. What are True
Fame and Glory, and who are the men most worthy of Honor?” In the course of the
discussion, the orator passes “ in review scenes and characters memorable in history.”
Those who are acquainted with the intellectual and moral features of the distinguished
author, will readily infer how these questions are answered— to those who are not, we
would say, that his conclusions are such as will commend themselves to the purest reason,
and are, therefore, in accordance with the divine spirit of Christianity. By this, we mean
the Christianity of Christ, and not that or any Church that carries the Bible in one hand,
and the sword in the other. It is in the attributes of God that Mr. Sumner finds the
elements of true greatness. “ Man is great by the god-like qualities of Justice, Benevo­
lence, Knowledge, and Power; and as Justice and Benevolence are higher than Know­
ledge and Power, so are the just and benevolent higher than those who are intelligent and
powerful, only.” The address is well-timed, and we commend it to those misguided men
who profess to “ go for their country, right or wrong,” and rush into a sanguinary war, and
acquire “ fame and glury” by imbruing their hands in a brother’s blood.
35. — Making Haste to be Rich; or, The Temptation and Fall. By T. S. A rthur ,
author of “ Keeping up Appearances,” “ Riches have Wings,” “ Rising in the World,”
etc. 18mo., pp. 170. New York: Baker & Scribner.
T o those who have read the previous volumes of Mr. Arthur’s “ Tales for the Rich and
Poor,” the mere announcement of the present publication will be all that is necessary to
secure their attemion. We not only consider the whole series unexceptionable, but posi­
tively good in their tendency. There are few, if any, better books for family reading.
36. — The Bankers' Magazine, and State Financial Register. Baltimore : J. S. Homans.
The January number of this repository of banks, finance, and banking, embraces a list
o f all the banks in the United States, the names o f the presidents, cashiers, and amount
o f capital of each. The number also contains copious extracts from the report o f the
Secretary o f the Treasury, and a great variety o f bank statistics.