Full text of The Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review : November 1848, Vol. XIX, No. V

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THE

M ER C H A N TS’ MAGAZINE,
E stab lish ed J u l y , 1 8 3 9 ,

8 V FREEMAN HUNT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
VOLUME XIX.

NOVEMBER,

1848.

NUMBER V.

C O N T E N T S OF NO. V., VOL. XIX.
A R T IC L E S.
ART.

PAG*

I . THE HISTORY AND PRINCIPLES OF ANCIENT COMMERCE.—L e c t u r e IV.—P a r t

I.—THE COMMERCE OF ANCIENT ROME. Origin of Agriculture—Characteristics of
an Agricultural and a Commercial state of Society—Agriculture of the Romans—Influence of
Agriculture on Commerce—Wars of the Romans—Influence of W ar upon Commerce—Con­
quests of th e Romans—Influence of Extended Empire upon Commerce. By J a m e s W il l ia m
G il b a r t , F. R. S., General Manager of the London and Westminster Bank ................................ 467
U . THE AGRICULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES.

B y D a v id M. B a l f o u r , Esq., Mer­
chant, of Massachusetts.................................................................................................................... 477

III. TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF AMERICAN GENIUS IN ENGLAND............................... 496
IV. COMMERCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS OF THE UNITED STATES.—No. XIII.—NEW
ORLEANS : ITS TRADE AND COMMERCE........................................................................ 503
V.

COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES OF CALIFORNIA............................................................ 518

VI.

THE NEXT CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES.By Hon.G k o r g b T u c k e r , Author '
of Progress of Population and Wealth in the United States, &.c................................................. 523

VII.

THE PROPOSED RAILROAD TO THE PACIFIC.—A letter from A. W iiit n e y , Esq., to
the Editor........................................................................................................................................... 527

LAW

CASES.

.m

MERCANTILE

Dunlap’s Cases in the EnglLh Court of Chancery.....................................................................................
Action to Recover excess of Duties........................................ . ...................................................................
General Average—Freight............................................................................................................................

COMMERCI AL CHRONI CLE AND REVI EW,
EMBRACING A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW OF THE UNITED 8TA TES, E TC ., ILLUSTRATED
W ITH TA BLES, ETC., AS FOLLOWS*.

The Money Market—Leading features of the New York Banks—Export of Agricultural Products—
Commercial Revulsions—Causes of the Scarcity of Money—Loans of the Federal Government—
Value of Produce received at New Orleans of Foreign Exports, Imports of Specie, the Amount of
Bank Loans, and Specie in the Bank vaults—Specie in the Banks of England, France, New York,
New Orleans, South Carolina, and Ohio—A general Statement of the Condition of so many of the
Banks as have made Returns, dated near to January 1st, 1848—Boston Bank Dividends for three
last years—New York Bank Dividends for four last years—State of Exchanges—Illinois Loan, etc.,
etc........................................................................................................................................................ 536-543

VOL. X IX .---- MO. V .




30

466

C O N T E N T S O F N O . V ., V O L . X IX,
PAGE

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.
[For Statistics of Trade and Commerce of New Orleans, see pages 511 to 518 of present number.]
Commerce of Honolulu, Oahu, in 1847......................................................................................................
Value of Imports and Exports at Honolulu in 1847....................................................................................
Export, Import, and Consumption of Honolulu from 1843 to 1847...........................................................
Arrivals of merchantmen at the port of Honolulu in 1847.........................................................................
Whalers at the Ports of Honolulu and Lahaina in 1846-7.........................................................................
Virginia Tobacco Statistics from 1843 to 1848, inclusive...............'...........................................................
Exports of British Produce and Manufacture from 1845 to 1847 ..............................................................
Inspections of Flour at Richmond, Virginia, from 1819 to 1848 ................................................................
Prices of Flour in New York on the first Wednesday in each month for the last twenty-five years.. ..
Trade between France and Great Britain.....................................................................................................
Coals, Cinders, and Culm exported from England to different countries from 1842 to 1847 ....................
Exports of Sugar and Molasses from Cuba from the 1st of January to the end of June in 1847 and 1848

543
544
544
544
545
545
546
546
547
547
548
548

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.
Commercial Ordinances of Mauritius and Dependencies—To Repeal and Alter the Colonial Duties on
the Exportation of certain goods—Port Charges upon Vessels in the Harbor of Port Louis—For Al­
tering and Amending the Immigration Law on Spirits—The Colonial Law Regulating the Customs
Duties—Relating to Quay Duties and Wharfage Dues—Relating to Foreign Productions imported to
Mauritius direct—Tonnage Dues and Duties on Coasting Vessels, etc........................................... 549-554
New Norwegian Tariff of Duties on Imports, etc....................................................................................... 555
Tariff Regulations for California—A Treasury Circular........................................................................... 556

NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE.
To Rio and other Traders and Navigators, a letter from M. F. Maury, of the National Observatory,
Washington................................................................................................................................................ 557

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 .
The Establishment of a Cotton Mill in Indiana—The first co-partnership between the Food and Cotton
Producing Districts of the United States....................................................................... ........................ .
Process of Working a Lake Superior Copper Mine.....................................................................................
Sardinian Products of Industry.....................................................................................................................
Produce of Gold in Russia—Coal fields in England and W ales................................................................
Mineral Resources of the Far West—Process of Hardening Hides............................................................
Shoe and Boot Manufactory—Iron Manufactory at Poughkeepsie, New York........................................

558
559
560
561
562
562

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 .
fFor Statistics of Banks of New York, New Orleans, Boston, England, and France, see “ Commercial
Chronicle and Review ” in the present number, pages 536 to 543.]
Coins and Currency of Norway...................................................................................................................
Finances of the United States, embracing the Debt, Loans, Treasury Notes, etc., from 1791 to 1848...
Debt of the Spanish Government to England...............................................................................................
British Exports o f Coin and Bullion from the United Kingdom for the years 1837 to 1847....................
Coinage e f the British Mints in 1847...........................................................................................................

563
563
564
565
555.

RAI LR OAD, CANAL, AND S T E A M B O A T S T A T I S T I C S .
Boston and Maine Railroad, Receipts and Expenditures in 1847................................................................ 566Distances, Rates of Fare for Season and Single Tickets on Boston and Maine Railroad....................... 567
American Ocean Steam Navigation........................................................................................................... 567
French Railroad Traffic.—Noise on Railroads prevented...........................................................................568
Passengers on the Railroads of England and Ireland................................................................................. 568

MERCANTILE MISCELLANIES.
The Unfortunate and the Criminal Creditor................. ......................................................................... 569
A Model Store in Philadelphia..................................................................................................................... 569
Commercial Value of Bones.............................................................................................................................
Importance of Punctuality in Business........................................................................................................ 570

T HE BOOK T R A D E .
Comprehensive Notices of New Works, or New Editions................................................................. 571-576




H U N T’S

MERCHANTS’ MAGAZINE
AND

COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
NOV EMBER, 1 848.

Art. I.— TnE HISTORY AND PRINCIPLES OF ANCIENT COMMERCE.
LECTURE IV.— PART I.

THE COMMERCE OF ANCIENT ROME.
O R IG IN OF A G R IC U L T U R E — C H A R A C T E R IS T IC S OF AN A G R IC U L T U R A L AND A C O M M E R C IA L S T A T E OF SO­
C I E T Y - A G R I C U L T U R E OF T H E R O M A N S— IN F L U E N C E OF A G R IC U L T U R E ON C O M M E R C E — W A R S OF T H E
R O M A N S— IN F L U E N C E O F W A R U PO N C O M M E R C E — C O N Q U E ST S OF T H E ROM ANS— IN F L U E N C E OF EX
T E N D E D E M P IR E U PO N C O M M E R C E .

T h e r e is no branch of ancient history with which we are so intimately v
acquainted as that of Rome, nor is there any which is more closely asso­
ciated with the ideas and habits of modern times. The language of Rome
enters largely into many of the languages of modern Europe, and it is the
language associated with the ideas of our earliest youth. From Rome we
have derived several of the principles of our laws, and the knowledge of
several branches of literature and of science.
Rome, as well as most ancient nations, commenced with a very small
territory, and a small population. In tracing the early history of almost
every nation, we shall find that it originally consisted of a number of small
tribes or clans, wholly independent of each other. The heads-of these
tribes were the children or descendants of the chiefs of some illustrious
family. When a younger son wished to emigrate, he took with him such
of his father’s retainers as were willing to accompany him, and either
topk possession of some inhabited district, or dispossessed those who were
previously its occupiers. In this way, Rome was founded by Romulus,
about 700 years before the Christian era. The people of Rome were
rude and uncivilized, possessing little knowledge of the arts of social life,
and knowing none of its luxuries. But, though rude, they were not bar­
barians. They had a fixed place of residence—they understood the rights
of private property—they had a settled form of government—and they
understood the art of cultivating the earth. They devoted themselves to
agriculture; and, in the interval between seed time and harvest, they




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The History and Principles o f Ancient Commerce:

amused themselves by making war with the petty tribes by whom they were
surrounded. Though generally successful in their contests, they did not
rapidly acquire the dominion they ultimately obtained. At the time of
Alexander the Great, the territory of Rome did not extend much beyond
the present limits of the Ecclesiastical States.
I shall consider Rome in three points of view:—
First. As an agricultural tribe.
s
Secondly. As a warlike nation.
Thirdly. As an extended empire.
These three points of view will correspond pretty nearly with the three
periods of its kingly, republican, and imperial form of government; and
will give us the opportunity of tracing the influence of agriculture, war,
and extended empire upon the interests of commerce.
First. Let us consider the ancient Romans as an agricultural tribe,
and trace the influence of agriculture upon commerce.
We find that soon after the creation of the world, tillage and pasture
were practised. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of
the ground. Immediately after the Deluge, Noah planted a vineyard—a
circumstance which shows that this art was known to the antediluvian
world, and was communicated by Noah to his successors. Egypt and
Babylon, founded by his immediate offspring, became remarkable for their
agriculture. The tribes which separated from the rest of mankind, and
lost their knowledge of the arts of civilized life, neglected agriculture ; but
when they became acquainted with settlers from foreign countries, the
first art they learned was the art of cultivating the earth. Others became
enamored of a shepherd’s life, and devoted themselves to pasturage ;
but when the earth became more densely peopled, they were under the
necessity of occupying a settled habitation, and of attending to the culti1 vation of the soil. The ancient patriarchs were shepherds, who drove
their flocks to wherever they could find pasture and water. A pastoral
state is, in some degree, a commercial state, as the shepherds must pur­
chase those commodities which their own mode of life does hot produce.
The ancient Romans were devoted to agriculture, and their most illus­
trious commanders were sometimes called from the plough. The sena­
tors commonly resided in the country, and cultivated the ground with their
own hands; and the noblest families derived their surnames from culti­
vating particular kinds of grain. To be a good husbandman was ac­
counted the highest praise ; and whoever neglected his ground, or culti­
vated it improperly, was liable to the animadversions of the Censors. At
first, no citizen had more ground than he could cultivate himself: Romu­
lus allotted to each only two acres. After the expulsion of the kings,
seven acres were granted to each citizen, and this continued for a long
time to be the usual portion assigned to them in the division of conquered
lands.
An agricultural population, being employed in the open air, necessarily
enjoys, in a high degree, strong physical powers. They have strength of
body, and usually, strength or firmness of mind— a capacity to endure
labor and fatigue. A consciousness of strength produces courage and
frankness of behavior. In our own time, recruits for the army, raised in
agricultural districts, are always found superior to those raised in towns
and cities.
An agricultural population, being scattered over a great extent of coun­




The Commerce o f Ancient Rome.

469

try, have not the same means of intercourse which are to be found in
commercial towns. From this circumstance, they have less general in­
formation, less artificial courtesy of manners, and a less acquaintance
with what is called the world. There is, also, usually less suspicion, and
a less acquaintance with the luxuries and the vices of mankind ; they are
more distinguished for the domestic virtues, and have a less taste for gen­
eral associations.
An agricultural population is necessarily in a state of gradation of rank ;
the landlord is superior to the farmer, the farmer is superior to the labor­
er, and their different ranks are like so many casts, preserved for ages in
the same families. Hence, an agricultural population is usually charac­
terized by a submission to authority, an attachment to ancient families
and to ancient customs, and an aversion to change.
An agricultural population depends for its success upon the seasons,
over which man has no control. From this, arises a consciousness of
their dependence upon a superior power. W e usually find that an agri­
cultural population is attentive to the observances of religion.
All these observations were illustrated in the history of the earlier
Romans.
They were strong, athletic men, possessed of undaunted courage, and
they improved their strength and their courage by severe discipline and
constant practice. They were remarkable for the simplicity of their man­
ners. Some of their greatest men came from the plough, to act as tem­
porary governors of the nation; and when the occasion for their services
had ceased, again returned to labor on their farms. They were remark­
able for the practice of the domestic virtues, for their conjugal fidelity, for
their attention to the education of their children, and for the discipline of
their households. They were remarkable for their subordination to the
constituted authorities. Even that invidious distinction of patrician and
plebeian was continued for several centuries. A Roman consul possessed
more power during the year he was in office, than any king in modern
Europe. Though they sometimes resisted their governors, it was usually
for the redress of some practical grievance— not with a view of depriving
them of power. They were remarkable for their attention to the worship
of the immortal gods. They held their oaths most sacred. Any omen,
which could be considered as an indication of the displeasure of a deity,
filled them with dismay. Even the gods of the countries they conquered
were adopted as objects of their worship, and placed in Rome among the
original deities.
Now let us trace the influence of agriculture on commerce.
An agricultural country may, without manufactures, carry on an exten­
sive commerce. If the country yields morg food than is necessary for the
consumption of the inhabitants, that superabundant portion may be ex­
ported, in exchange for the manufactured commodities of other nations ;
but, as the whole population of such a country cannot be employed in cul­
tivating the soil, many persons will be idle. This spirit of idleness will
affect those who are engaged in productive industry, and hence the soil
itself will not be fully cultivated. There will, therefore, be great poverty,
unless the unemployed hands emigrate to other countries, where manu­
factures are carried on, or where there are waste lands to cultivate.
Agriculture, also, supplies the materials for establishing manufactures.
If a country produces abundance of wool, it may have a woollen manufac­




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The History and Principles o f Ancient Commerce:

•

-

tory; if cattle, it may make articles of leather or of horn ; if timber, it
may construct ships and barges ; if it produces corn, it may make flour,
beer, and spirits. The raw materials of most of our manufactures are de­
rived from agriculture.
The extension of agriculture has the effect of lowering the wages of
those who are employed in manufacture and commerce. Improvements
in agriculture increase the supply of food, and hence lower its price. A
reduction in the price of food causes a reduction in the price of iabor, and
the reduction of wages stimulates manufactures, either by reducing the
price of the commodity to the consumers, or by increasing the profit of the
manufacturer. In those several ways does agriculture possess an influ­
ence on commerce.
We thus see that commerce promotes agriculture, and agriculture pro­
motes commerce. We do wrong when we consider the commercial in­
terests as opposed to the agricultural interests. They both harmonize—
they are two wheels of the same machine ; and, although they may seem
to move in opposite directions, yet each, in its own way, promotes the
public wealth, and any obstruction to the movement of one, would soon
retard the motion of the other.
Secondly. Let us consider the Romans as a warlike nation, and trace
the influence of war upon commerce.
The Romans made war their principal concern. By constant disci­
pline they acquired expertness, and, by almost constant practice, they ac­
quired experience. The Roman citizens formed a disciplined standing
army, while their opponents were generally a mere militia, hastily formed
to resist the invader. They were at all times anxious to improve their
military skill, and borrowed, even from their enemies, all their improve­
ments in arms. Their courage in battle was not less conspicuous than
their fortitude under defeat. They never made peace when defeated.
Their social institutions were friendly to their military aggrandizement.
As a Roman consul remained in office but one year, he was anxious to
distinguish his consulate by some remarkable event, and nothing could
distinguish him so much as a successful war. The prudent maxims of
their government were also additional causes'of their success. When
they conquered a country they incorporated it with their own. They
gave the chief men the privilege of Roman citizens, and suffered the
people to govern themselves according to their own laws, reserving to
themselves the power of making new regulations, and of inflicting capital*
punishments. In making w ar with a distant nation, they always secured
first the assistance of some neighboring people. When two nations quar­
relled, the Romans assisted the weaker nation, and, in cases of civil war,
they took the side of the weaker party. The Romans assisted their allies
to conquer their opponents ; and, ultimately, both the belligerents became
subject to Rome. By a constant adherence to this system, the Romais
power became gradually extended.
To maintain a martial spirit among the people, a triumph was usually
decreed to the successful general.
Nothing could be more calculated to captivate the imagination than a
Roman triumph. A splendid arch was erected, beneath which the pro­
cession was to pass; the streets we re strewed with flowers, whose fi'agrance perfumed the air; the citizens thronged to meet with acclamations
the returning w arrior; before him were carried the spoils which he h ai




f

-

-

The Commerce o f Ancient Rome.

471

taken from the vanquished foe ; then followed the most illustrious cap­
tives, who had been compelled to submit to the prowess of his arms ; the
hero himself, clothed in purple, and crowned with laurel, then followed in
an open chariot. Patriotism shouted his praises—beauty saluted him with
her sweetest smiles—music poured forth her most melodious sounds—and
even religion placed on her altar more costly offerings, and clouds of in­
cense ascended from her temples.
But now let us change the scene, and view the country he has con­
quered. The fields lie waste for want of laborers; her manhood and her
youth have fallen on the field of battle ; her old men, who were placed to
defend the walls of her cities, were slain in the assault; her princes and
her heroes who have escaped the sword are loaded with chains, and car­
ried as slaves into a foreign land. The statues and the pictures, and the
ornaments of her palaces and her temples, are taken to swell the spoils of
the conqueror. The cities are burnt, and now, amid the smouldering
ruins, nothing is seen but desolate females, bewailing the loss of those
they loved, and half famished children asking why they weep.
We wait not here to consider the humanity or the policy of war. Our
object is to trace its influence upon commerce.
The object of war and of commerce are the same—that is, to obtain
possession of what we do not possess. But though the object is the same,
the means are different. W ar exclaims— “ See ! the people of yonder
country have comforts and luxuries which our country does not produce ;
we are stronger than they, let us go and kill them, and take their country
for ourselves.” “ N o !” says commerce, “ while their country produces
commodities which ours does not, our country produces commodities which
theirs does not; let us then take some of the commodities of which we
have a greater abundance than we need, and offer them in exchange for
those commodities we wish to acquire. By this course we shall avoid
the guilt of a quarrel, and the danger of a defeat; we shall obtain an
ample supply of all the enjoyments we need; and we shall promote the
happiness of other nations as well as our own.” Thus, by means of com­
merce, we can obtain a large supply of all the productions that are to be
found in the whole world as effectually as though we had conquered all
its provinces with the sWord, and compelled all its inhabitants to toil for
our enjoyment. But mankind have, unfortunately, preferred war to com­
merce ; and the certain advantages that might have been derived from
trade have been sacrificed to the hazardous speculations of war.
While, however, we contend that the spirit of war is opposed to the
spirit of commerce, we must not be understood to mean that commercial
nations are on that account the less capable of carrying on war. Their
indisposition to war arises not from want of courage, but from a peaceable
disposition and a feeling of justice. They are not led away by a love o^'
glory or a desire for revenge. They take a business-like view of the
question ; they examine the debtor and the creditor side of the account,
and calculate beforehand what they shall gain by fighting. But, when
once compelled to draw the sword, commercial nations are foes not to be
despised. Look at ancient Tyre, that for thirteen years resisted the power
of Babylon, led on by Nebuchadnezzar; at new Tyre— a town built on
a rock—that for seven months arrested the progress of Alexander the
G reat; at Carthage, that for centuries contended with the armies of mar­
tial Rome ; and come to modern history, and trace the wars of Venice

I



472

The History and Principles o f Ancient Commerce :

and Genoa, of Holland, and of England, and tell me if commercial na­
tions have shown themselves deficient in that valor and enterprize which
are the foundations of successful war. It is remarkable that the com­
mercial city of Corinth supplied excellent, military commanders, insomuch
that the other states of Greece preferred Corinthian generals to native of
their own states. May we not infer from this that the commercial virtues
of foresight, calculation, diligence, arrangement, and perseverance, united
to a knowledge of military tactics, laid the foundation of their success ?
But though commercial nations have been sometimes compelled to en­
gage in war, and have generally waged it successfully, yet war is injuri­
ous to commerce.
W ar injures commerce by consuming, unproductively, a portion of the
produce of the land and labor of the community. 'That capital which is
employed in providing the material for war, might be employed in pro­
moting trade and commerce. The labor and capital which are employed
in constructing fortifications, might be employed in building manufactories,
or warehouses, or harbors, or bridges, or commodious houses for the peo­
ple to inhabit. What is consumed in cannons and muskets might be em­
ployed in making railroads ; the food and clothing which are given to
soldiers might be given to husbandmen, or to manufacturers ; and those
men who are employed every day at drill, or in fight, might be employed
in cultivating the soil, or in the production of valuable articles, or in the
management of ships. A nation resembles an individual. If I have 600
men at work on my land, I have a profit on the labor of 600 m en; but if
I am obliged to employ 200 of these men as soldiers to defend the remain- ing 400, then I have a profit only on the labor of 400 men, and out of that
profit I must pay the wages of the 200, whose labor is wholly unproduc­
tive. In this way, war necessarily retards the accumulation of national
capital. W ar is also injurious to commerce by rendering the people less
able to purchase foreign commodities. As a certain quantity of national
capital is abstracted to carry on the war, less remains in the hands of the
people, and, consequently, their means of enjoyment are diminished. A
man who has to pay an increased amount of taxes has less money to ex­
pend in food and clothing for his family; and there is consequently a less
demand for the productions of trade.
W ar is also injurious to commerce. by the obstructions given to the
transport of commercial commodities. Nations who are at war cease to
trade with each other; hence there is a loss of all the advantages they
might acquire by their trade. The trade with neutral nations is also ob­
structed. The ships must be convoyed—the rate of insurance is in­
creased—the price of the commodity is raised to the consumers to meet
these itjcreased charges—the increased price diminishes the consumption,
and a less quantity is produced.
On the other hand, peace is friendly to trade. The sailors who were
on board ships of war, are now on board merchant ships ; the soldiers are
employed at the plough, or at the loom ; the capital employed in providing
material of war is employed in trade and commerce; taxes upon indus­
try are diminished ; and, above all, the mental power and energy which
was employed in devising means of destruction, are now engaged in cul­
tivating the arts and sciences. How much more useful to the communi­
ty are those naval officers employed in inventing life-boats, constructing
new lamps for light-houses, or in attempting to discover the North Pole,




The Commerce o f Ancient Rome.

478

than though they had been called to expend the blood and treasure of the
country in even the most honorable or the most successful war?
Thirdly. Let us consider Rome as an extended empire, and take a
view of the influence of extended empire upon the interests of com­
merce.
The conquests of the Romans, however achieved, were ultimately bene­
ficial to the nations they conquered. The nations whom they conquered
they civilized; they introduced the arts and sciences among the people;
they established roads and constructed bridges ; they built cities and aque­
ducts in all the conquered countries; they extended and improved the cul­
tivation of the soil. This they would do for their own advantage, as the
tax imposed on a conquered country xvas usually one-tenth, or sometimes
one-twentieth, of the produce. One great advantage of the Roman con­
quest was the diminution of war. Previous to their conquest, Greece,
Italy, Spain, Gaul, and Britain—the most civilized and the most barba­
rous nations— were each divided into a number of small independent
states, which were perpetually at war with each other; but, when all
these states were brought under the Roman power, their domestic and
international contests were necessarily at an end. Though Rome was a
despotic, she was not a tyrannical mistress. She delivered the people of
Asia from the tyranny of their monarchs, and the people of the West from
that of the Druids. Sometimes independent nations petitioned to be placed
under the Roman government. The mildness of the Roman authority is
obvious from the very few insurrections that occurred among the con­
quered countries; except those in Spain and Britain, fomented by the
Druids, there were none deserving of attention. The Roman army con­
sisted of fewer than half a million of men, and these were employed on
the frontiers, to defend the empire against the incursions of barbarians;
and, when the Roman empire fell, it fell not by an insurrection from
within, but by a power from without. So firmly was it fixed in the affec­
tions and the habits of the people, that even the vices ana follies of the
emperors could not destroy its greatness, until the barbarian came and
plucked it up by the roots.
The Romans kept possession of Britain, 366 y ears; of Spain, 785
years; of Gaul, 425 years. The length of time the Romans kept pos­
session of these countries shows that the people were happy under their
government.
It is the opinion of some writers that Europe was more populous, and
better cultivated, in the time of the Romans, than it is at the present day.
In this comparison, however, we must leave out Germany and all the
northern nations, as these were never subdued by the Roman arms ; but
Italy is said to have had 1,197 cities; Gaul, 1,200; Spain, 360; Africa,
300 ; Asia, 500 ; and the cities of Antioch and Alexandria were almost
rivals of Rome.
In the time of Augustus Caesar the boundaries of the empire were, on
the west, the Atlantic O cean; on the north, the Rhine and the Danube;
on the east, the Euphrates; and on the south, the deserts of Arabia and
Africa. To these were afterwards added the conquests of Britain and
Dacia. Trajan subsequently conquered the Parthians ; but the conquests
were relinquished by his successor, Hadrian. Thus, the Roman empire
included, in ‘Europe, Britain, Spain, Gaul comprising Belgium, France,
part of Germany and Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and the islands in the




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The History and Principles o f Ancient Commerce:

Mediterranean Sea ; in Asia, it included all Asia Minor, Phoenicia, Pales­
tine, and S y ria; in Africa, it included Egypt, and all the coast from
Egypt to the Straits of Cadiz—a greater extent of country than was ever
before included under one government, being about 3,000 miles long and
2,000 miles broad. Let us now trace the efleets of this extended empire
upon commerce :—
The extended empire of Rome was beneficial to commerce by increas­
ing the demand for luxuries.
In an extended empire the standard of wealth is higher, and there is a
greater number of wealthy men. We read, that among the Romans there
were men whose wealth far surpassed that of private individuals in mod­
ern times. The possession of wealth furnished the means of obtaining
those enjoyments which are usually distinguished by the name of luxuries.
In the early periods of the Roman history, Italy produced nothing that
could be desired by other nations. Agriculture furnished the Romans
with all the necessaries of life, and they had no taste for its luxuries. But,
after they became wealthy by conquest, they became desirous of the com­
forts which wealth can supply. Their houses, their dress, their food,
their furniture, and their equipage, were all of a more costly kind. Italy
was converted into gardens, so that even corn, the necessary of life, was
imported from the provinces. The Romans purchased these commodities,
not by giving agricultural or manufactured produce in return, as was the
case with Carthage, but with the money obtained from the provinces
themselves. The revenues of the republic were spent in Rome. The
wealthy men in Rome had extensive estates in the provinces. The money
sent to Rome a^ tribute, or as rent, was returned to the provinces as the
purchase of their produce. Rome was supplied with corn chiefly from
Sicily and E gypt; from the barbarians of the north, she obtained am ber;
from Malta, she obtained fine cloths; from the East Indies, she obtained
silks, and spices, and precious stones ; from her various provinces, she ob­
tained the produce of their mines, their soil, their climate, or their industry.
Thus, the trade with Rome was altogether a trade of imports. She re­
ceived everything; she exported nothing— nothing but money, which she
obtained at first from the provinces themselves. A large portion of the
imports of Rome consisted, probably, of raw produce, for all the great men
had large establishments of slaves, who understood the art of manufac­
turing most of the articles necessary for ordinary use. The more elegant
and costly articles, for the use of the wealthy, were imported from those
provincial towns that were distinguished for these productions.
W e shall confine our details of Roman luxury to that of the table.
The luxury of the table commenced about the period of the battle of
Actium, and continued till the reign of Galba. Their delicacies consisted
of peacocks, cranes of Malta, nightingales, venison, and wild and tame
fowls; they were also fond of fish. The reigning taste was for a profu­
sion of provisions ; whole wild boars were served up, filled with various
small animals and birds of different kinds. This dish was called the Tro­
jan horse, in allusion to the horse filled w'ith soldiers. Fowls and game
of all sorts were served up in pyramids, piled up in dishes as broad as
moderate tables. Mark Anthony provided eight boars for twelve guests.
Caligula served up to his guests pearls of great value, dissolved in vinegar.
Lucullus had a particular name for each apartment, and a certain scale
of expense attached to each. Cicero and Pompey agreed to take supper




The Commerce o f Ancient Rome.

475

with him, provided he would not order his servants to prepare anything
extraordinary. He directed the servants to prepare the supper in the
room Apollo. His friends were surprised at the magnificence of the en­
tertainment. He then informed them, that when he mentioned the name
of the room, his servants knew the scale of expense. Whenever he sup­
ped in the room of Apollo, the supper always cost £1,250. He was
equally sumptuous in his dress.' A Roman Praetor, who was to give
games to the public, requesting to borrow one hundred purple robes for
the actors, Lucullus replied, that he could lend him two hundred if he
wanted them. The Roman furniture in their houses corresponded with
their profuseness in other respects. Pliny states, that in his time more
money was often given for a table, than the amount of all the treasures
found in Carthage when ft was conquered by the Romans.
The extended empire of Rome was also beneficial to commerce, by
making her the centre of the trade of some of her colonies.
Ail capital cities acquire a traffic of this kind. There is generally a
facility of communication between the capital and the provinces, while
the direct communication between province and province may be more
difficult. In this case each province will send its productions to the cap­
ital, which will become the general market for the productions of ail ihe
provinces. The capital, too, being the place of general resort, a greater
number of purchasers are there likely to be found. Thus, in London,
you may obtain the choicest production of Belfast, Leeds, Manchester,
Birmingham, Sheffield, and Norwich. Thus, at Athens, you might have
obtained the products of all the states of Greece. And thus, in ancient
Rome, all the articles of luxury that were produced in any part of her ex­
tended empire, might be obtained of the choicest quality and in the
greatest abundance.
Although the city of Rome produced nothing to give in exchange for
her imports, yet she must thus have had considerable traffic from being
the centre of communication between her several provinces. The inhab­
itants of Gaul or Spain would purchase in Rome the produce of Greece
or Egypt, or of India, while the inhabitants of Greece, of Asia, and of
Egypt, would buy in Rome the productions of the western provinces. As
there was a direct communication between each province and Rome, the
inhabitants of the different provinces would find it more convenient to ex­
change their superabundant productions through the intervention of Ro­
man merchants, than to trade direct with each other. Every large city
which is situated between two districts which yield different productions,
has a trade of this kind ; and it is precisely the kind of trade which is
carried on by every seaport town. Rome was not a seaport; yet, as she
was the centre of attraction and of communication of all her provinces,
she became their general market, and thus acquired a trade somewhat
similar to that of Tyre and Alexandria. The difference was, that Rome
was not a seaport, and did not herself produce for exportation any kind of
manufactures.
The extended empire of Rome was further useful to commerce by fa­
cilitating the direct trade between those countries which were under her
government.
Every country possesses some physical advantages, in consequence of
which the outlay of labor and capital will produce a larger quantity of
particular commodities than could be produced in other countries. The




476

The History and Principles o f Ancient Commerce.

climate of one country is friendly to the production of silk and wine ; an­
other yields corn and cattle; a third has mines of coal, and copper, and
iron ; another has extensive forests of timber. Now, it is for the general
interests that each country should produce those commodities for which it
has a natural advantage, and exchange it for the superabundant produc­
tions of other countries. If the inhabitants of any country say, “ We will
have no trade— we will produce all these commodities from our own soil,”
it will be found that those people will produce very badly some commo­
dities, which they might otherwise have had in perfection, and will have
but a scanty supply of some comforts, which they might otherwise have
had in abundance ; while, at the same time, it will have no market for its
own surplus productions.
When each country has been an independent state, conduct like this
has, more or less, been often adopted with reference to particular commo­
dities, both in ancient and in modern times. Sometimes nations have
prohibited the importation of the productions of other countries, in order
to encourage the growth of similar productions at home. Or they have
laid on a certain duty or tax. in order to enable the home production to
come into competition with the foreign. On the other hand, nations have
sometimes prohibited the exportation of commodities, lest enough should
not remain for home consumption, or lest other nations should obtain some
advantage from their possession. Latterly, nations have been more dis­
posed to lay prohibitions on imports than on exports.
_But when these rival countries become united under one government,
and form one nation, such restrictions do not exist. What was formerly
a foreign trade, now becomes a domestic trade. Each nation employs
its capital and labor in the production of those commodities which its
physical or acquired advantages enable it to produce with the least cost,
and in the greatest perfection ; and a free interchange takes place be­
tween them, uninterrupted by war, or national jealousy, or fiscal regula­
tions. It is clearly not for the interests of commerce that, the family of
mankind should be subdivided into a great number of small independent
states. It is the interest of commerce that small nations or states should
unite and form large ones. If all Germany formed one kingdom, there
would be more trade between the respective divisions. If all Italy formed
one state, the internal trade would be increased ; and if France and Italy,
and Spain and Portugal and England, vvere united under one government,
as they were in the days of the Romans, the commerce between these
countries would be unrestricted, and, consequently, more extensive. E x­
tended empire, then, in these various w'ays, is friendly to commerce.
The Rev. J oseph P. T hompson relates the following anecdote in his
series of Lectures to Young Men, delivered in the Broadway Tabernacle,
and recently published by Leavitt, Trow, & C o .:—
“ The late President of the late United States Bank once dismissed a
, private clerk, because the latter refused to write for him on the Sabbath.
The young man, wdth a mother dependent on his own exertions, was thus
thrown out of employment by what some would call an over-nice scruple
of conscience. But a few days after, when the President was requested
to nominate a cashier for another bank, he recommended this very individ­
ual, mentioning the incident as a sufficient testimony to his trust-worthiness.
‘ You can trust him,’ said he, ‘ for he wouldn’t work for me on Sunday.’ ”




The Agriculture o f the United States.

477

Art. II.— T H E A G R I C U L T U R E OF T HE U N I T E D S T A T E S .
“ Omnium rerum ex quibus aliquid acquiritur, nihil est agricultura melius nihil uberius, nihil dulcius, nihil
homine libero dignius.” —C ic e r o , dc Officiis, 1-42.
A g r i c u l t u r e may with justice be placed at the head of the arts, and
it certainly has the advantage of all others, as well with regard to its an­
tiquity as utility. It was in altogether different esteem among the an­
cients compared to what it is with us; which is evident from the multi­
tude and quality of the writers upon that subject. The revenues and
profits which arise from the culture of lands is neither the sole nor the
greatest advantage accruing from it. All the authors who have written
upon rural life have always spoken of it with the highest praises, as of a
wise and happy state, which inclined a man to justice, temperance, sobri­
ety, sincerity, and, in a word, to every virtue; which, in a manner, shel­
ters him from all passions, by keeping him within the limits of his duty,
and of a daily employment which leaves him little leisure for vices. Lux­
ury, avarice, injustice, violence, and ambition, the almost inseparable
companions of riches, take up their ordinary residence in great cities,
which supply them with the means and occasions : the hard and laborious
life of the country does not admit of these vices. It is the great advan­
tage of agriculture, to be more strictly united with religion, and also moral
virtue, than an)' other a rt; which made Cicero say, that the country life
came nearest to that of the wise man—that is, it was a kind of practical
philosophy.
The United States of America are comprised within the parallels of
10° E. and 48° W. of the meridian of Washington, extending on the
Atlantic coast from 25°, and on the Pacific coast from 32° to 49° of
North latitude, and covering an area of 3,314,665 square miles, be­
ing larger than the entire continent of Europe. And in surveying
the agricultural productions of the Union, we are not only struck
with their abundance, but with their great variety and value. Its ter­
ritorial domain extends from the frigid regions of the North to the
genial climate of the tropics, affording almost every variety of tempera­
ture, and every kind of grain and vegetable. In the North, we have rich
and abundant pasturage, giving forth the valuable products of the flock
and dairy; in the middle and western regions of the Union, corn in all
its varieties is produced in superabundant quantities; and in the South,
rice, cotton, and sugar grow luxuriantly; and nearly all in sufficient quan­
tities to supply our domestic consumption, and furnish large supplies for
exportation, thus furnishing nearly all the value as well as bulk of our
foreign commerce. When contemplating the extent and value of its pro­
ducts, the number of persons engaged, and the capital employed, the agri­
culturist may well believe that agriculture is the great transcendent
interest of the Union, upon which all other interests are dependent.
And he has equal reason to console himself with the honorable charac­
ter and exalted dignity of the pursuit in which he is engaged. No occu­
pation offers a greater field for experiment and for the application of sci­
ence, directed by sound judgment. Experience has proved that every
grain, vegetable, and fruit, is susceptible of improvement by scientific
cultivation. Science and skill have converted the potato from a half




The Agriculture o f the United States.

478

poisonous root to a valuable article of human food. They have wrought
the same magic transformation upon the apple, peach, and many other
fruits and vegetables. Science investigates the nature of soils and ma­
nures, and developes the elements of plants, thus pointing out the means
by which 'soil, manure, and plant may be adapted to each other, and
more abundantly reward the labor and skill of the husbandman. And to
crown all, genius stoops from its lofty flight to lessen the burden of his
toil and mitigate the severity of his labor, by conferring upon him useful
implements and valuable machines. Truly may agriculture be called the
mother of the arts, the most honorable and the most prolific of good to
the world, to which all other arts pay grateful homage, and with which
science itself seeks honorable association. May agriculture ever be
cherished by the American citizen as the interest of his country greatest
in honor, dignity, and importance, and constituting the very foundation of
its independence, wealth, and power.
The value of the products of labor and capital in the United States for
1847 was $2,013,779,975,* divided as follows :—
Agricultural products.......................................................................................
Products of Orchards......................................................................................
“
Gardens...................................................
“
Nurseries.....................................................................................
Live stock and its products....................................................... ....................
Products of the Forest....................................................................................
“
“
Fisheries................................................................................
Profitd of capital employed in commerce, trade, and internal transporta­
tion, $390,972,423—at 6 per cent...........................................................
Products of Manufactures...............................................................................
“
Mines...........................................................................................
Profits of capital of Insurance Companies..................................................
“
“
Banks ($208,216,000) and of all other sums loaned
at interest...................................................................
Rent of houses and lands...............................................................................
Profits of professions........................................................................................

$838,163,928
8,853,422
45,000,000
724,111
252,240,779
59,099,628
17,069,262
23,458,345
550,000,000
74,170,500
20,000,000
25,000,000
50,000,000
50,000,000

Total products of labor and capital................................................... $2,013,779,975

The exports of articles of the growth and manufacture of the United
States for the year ending .Tune 30th, 1847, were as follows:—
The Sea................................
“ Forest........ ...................
Agriculture...........................
Vegetable food......................
Tobacco.................................
Cotton....................................
Wool......................................
All other agricult, products.

$3,468,033
5,996,073
11,113,074
57,070,356
7,242,086
53,415,848
89,460
177,493

Manufactures.......................
Lead......................................
Articles not enumerated....
Government stores to the ar­
my from New York........

$9,305,000
124,981
2,308,260
326,800

Total exports for 1847, $150,637,464

The amount of registered tonnage to June 30th, 1847, was..................
“
enrolled
“
“
“
..................

1,231,312 92-95
1,597,732 80-95

Total tonnage...................................................................................

2,839,045 72-95

The number of vessels built in 1847 was 1,598, measuring 243,732 67-95
tons.
The amount of capital invested in manufactures in the United States at
the present time is estimated to be $326,726,500.
* For the facts adduced in this article, the writer is indebted to the elaborate report of
that indefatigable public officer, E dmund B urke, Esq., Commissioner of Patents.




The Agriculture o f the United States.

479
\

We shall, in the course of the present article, adduce some facts and
offer some remarks in relation to the different articles of the growth of the
United States.
W h e a t . The States of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Vir­
ginia, on the Atlantic border, together with the North-western and Western
States reaching down to Tennessee, are properly the wheat country of the
Union. It is very doubtful if more than one-tenth of the wheat crop of
the first four named States can be spared for exportation; while, in the
Western States, probably one-fifth might be thus appropriated.
In Ohio, as indeed in nearly all the wheat region, especially that of the
West, there were complaints of the presence of the fly in the autumn of
1846. The winter in the early part of the season was open, and as the
ground was moist and there were frequent alternate freezing and thawing,
great apprehensions were expressed that the crop would suffer severely by
being winter-killed. These fears proved to have been in a considerable
degree well founded; and but for the fact that there had been a much
larger breadth sown, the probability is that the amount, compared with
the crop of 1845, might have been lessened, and materially so. The crop
of 1846, however, having been large, and the prospect ofdemand most favor­
able, it is believed that the seeding for 1847 was very much increased. The
gradual introduction, also, of machinery for lessening labor on a large
scale, doubtless exerted a partial influence likewise in this respect. Al­
though the crop had suffered severely in some parts, but taking the whole
State, it was believed that there was an average crop.
The large crop of the previous year, the nearness to the market on the
sea-board, and the increased demand for breadstuff's, led to a greater cul­
tivation of wheat in the States of New York and Pennsylvania during the
year 1847. It appears, from the best information which could be ob­
tained, that the yield per acre in 1847 was at least an average one. In
some parts complaint was made of the fly, and winter-killing was like­
wise supposed to have reduced the amount per acre one-fourth or onehalf, and the average number of bushels was set in these cases at ten or
as low as seven, while in others it is estimated as having yielded well.
In western New York, the loss by fly and winter-killing was estimated at
about 20 per cent. In the eastern part of the State, the crop wras better.
The general aspect of the wheat crop of Pennsylvania, in the earlier
part of the season, corresponded to that of many other States, and does not
seem to have been promising. As the harvest approached, however, the
accounts were more favorable. The average number of bushels per acre
varies, as given, from eight, ten, to eighteen bushels.
Virginia is likewise a large wheat growing State, and the prospects
were early described with the apprehension of a short crop. In the
western part of the State, bordering on Ohio, and in those sections which
were contiguous to Maryland and Pennsylvania, it appeared much as the
accounts from those States described it. In the interior, and the south­
eastern counties, it yielded better. The average number of bushels to
the acre did not seem to be as great as in New York and the Western
States. It was given as varying from four, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
twelve, up to fifteen bushels per acre ; probably the general average will
not hold higher than eight to ten bushels throughout the State. The proportion of the crop, it would appear from the United States census of 1840,




480

The Agriculture o f the United States.

is about equal between the eastern and western districts, though the
western raises somewhat the larger amount.
In Maryland and the Southern States there was a considerable increase
upon the crop of 1845.
In the South-western States of Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and
Arkansas, judging from the accounts given of the wheat crop, the yield
was better than usual, and it has been estimated accordingly.
The wheat crop of Indiana presented much the'same aspect as did that
of the adjoining States Ohio and Michigan at the early part of the sea­
son. Complaints were frequent of winter-killing, and apprehensions enter­
tained lest the damage should prove more serious than it afterwards did.
The average product per acre also varies from seven and a half, ten,
twelve, sixteen, to twenty and twenty-five bushels per acre. The more
common average would appear to be from ten up to twenty bushels per
acre. Making due allowance for the conflicting estimates, we believe
that the crop of 1847 may be estimated at an advance of about 15 per
cent upon that of 1845.
In Illinois, although the winter wheat had failed badly, yet the spring
wheat went far to supply the deficiency. In August, however, the report
was more favorable ; for the deficiency in quantity was made up by the
fine quality, as the heads proved remarkably long and the berry plump.
Taken as a whole, there was a slight advance on the crop of 1845, though
it was not equal to 1846.
,
Michigan is considered to possess great advantages as an agricultural
State. The climate js a favorable one, as the extremes of temperature
between winter and summer are not so great as in many of the States
further east, of the same latitude. This is attributed to the large bodies
of water, which modify the range of the thermometer. The. winter lasts
from three to four months, during which period the ground is mostly
covered with snow to the depth of one or two feet. The ground is fit for
the plough about the 20th of March, and often much earlier. About har­
vest, in July, there is a period of several weeks during which rain scarcely
ever falls; a great advantage to the wheat-grower, as he is thus enabled
to gather his crop with less labor, and free from rust. The soil is also
thought to possess some peculiarities which add to its fitness ; its extreme
depth—the deposit, in some instances, being one hundred feet—and loose,
gravelly texture, allows of copious absorption, retention, and percolation
of rain-water, thus providing for abundance of springs, and permitting a
wide range for the roots of plants. It becomes also easy of tillage, and is
less susceptible of drought. As lime is a constituent part, and there is a
good proportion of the salts required, it is again well adapted to the cul­
ture of wheat. The timbered regions especially are easily cleared, and
become very productive, yielding from twenty to forty bushels per acre.
The progress of the wheat crop of Michigan, where this crop is becoming
more and more a staple, is encouraging. The same apprehensions to
which we have referred in the account of other States adjoining, existed
as to winter-killing; but as the season advanced, these forebodings were
gradually dissipated. The average yield per acre is estimated to have
been at least twenty bushels.
The crops of Iowa and Wisconsin, too, which are now coming much
more into competition with some of the adjoining Stales, proved unusually




The Agriculture o f the United States.

481

good. It is thought that the quantity raised iu 1847 was two or three
times as much as in 1845.
It is deemed unnecessary to go further into detail in reference to the
wheat crop of particular States. Taken as a whole, the aggregate crop
of wheat in the United States for 1847 was probably not as large as that
of 1846, better than that of 1844, and not varying very greatly from that
of 1845. The entire product of the United States for 1847 was estimated
at 114,245,500 bushels.
Many interesting particulars have been collected during the past year
relating to the varieties of wheat in use in the United States, as well as
the uncommon growth of individual specimens. The Mediterranean
wheat, which was highly recommended several years since, still holds its
place, to a great degree, in the estimation of its cultivators. Numerous
instances have occurred in different States and sections of the Union, in
which it is mentioned with high commendation, and its freedom from rust
and other evils which more commonly attend upon other varieties of wheat
asserted. One account in Maryland speaks of an extraordinary crop.
The mode of cultivation was as follows. The ground the previous season
was devoted to oats, and almost as soon as these were taken off, the
manure was carried on, the stubble broken up and well harrowed. It
was then left till the 25th of August, at which time it was sown, at the rate
of two bushels of seed per acre, then ploughed pretty deep, then a large
harrow was passed over i t ; the first growth is stated to have been de­
stroyed by the fly, but by having an early start, it came out from the root
wonderfully, some roots bearing fifty-four or fifty-five stalks. The product
of a single grain, numbering fifty-two stalks, in one instance was counted,
and found to be one thousand three hundred and seven grains; another
gave fifty-eight stalks, yielding one thousand five hundred grains. An­
other account, alluding to the Mediterranean wheat, states that it is proof
against the fly, and that its quality, which is sometimes the subject of com­
plaint, as inferior to many other kinds, depends greatly on the nature of
the soil and time of harvesting.
The Etrurian, Zimmerman, and Red May, are likewise noticed with
approbation, as well as, in the northern sections of the country, the Black
Sea and other varieties.
Some Oregon wheat, distributed, with other kinds, from the Patent
Office, Was highly approved. From one small parcel of a kind thus sent
out, a variety has been found, bearing the name of “ Woodfin red straw,”
after the name of its successful cultivator.
In addition to the examples already given of the great productiveness
of wheat, the following selection, from numerous others, may be deemed
interesting :— Robert W . Baylor, of Virginia, alluding to the Oregon
wheat distributed from the Patent Office, states that a gentleman from
Maryland procured a small quantity, and after he had sown it a few times,
raised enough to sow four and a quarter acres of ground, from which, in
1845, he reaped two hundred and eleven bushels, being over fifty bushels
to the acre.
A writer in one of our agricultural journals states, that of a species of
wheat which he terms “ Hardware wheat,” the product obtained from
a single grain, which had thirty-seven heads, was two thousand eight hun­
dred and twelve grains, being an average of seventy-six grains to a head.
In Missouri, the product of a single grain is stated to have been seventy
31
VOL. X IX .---- N O. V.




482

The Agriculture o f the United States.

stalks, which yielded four thousand grains ; this would require but one
peck of seed per acre.
There is one more consideration which deserves some attention in relation to the wheat crop. The bushel of wheat weighs less some years
than others, and the difference amounts to two, three, or even four pounds.
Though this may seem of comparatively little consequence for a few bush­
els, yet for the aggregate of the wheat crop of the United States, or for a
State or even a county, it makes a great difference. Suppose, for in­
stance, that, for one year, the crop of the United States should amount to
110.000. 000 bushels, and weigh but fifty-nine pounds per bushel, and in
another the quantity should be but 108,000,000 bushels, and yet weigh
sixty-two pounds per bushel; the last crop, though less in quantity by two
millions of bushels, would exceed the former in weight by 206,000,000 of
pounds. But this is not the whole state of the case. It is stated, upon
good authority, that a bushel of wheat weighing fifty-six pounds yields
but forty-six and three-quarter pounds, whilst one weighing sixty-two
pounds yields fifty-three and a half pounds. On this supposition a still
further allowance must be made, enhancing considerably the value of the
quantity above stated. Were we to estimate the product for one year at
110.000. 000 bushels, weighing only fifty-six pounds, and that of another
108.000. 000 bushels, weighing sixty-two pounds, then the difference in
favor of the latter, though the least in quantity, would amount to
536.000. 000 pounds in weight, or more than one and a quarter millions
of barrels of flour.
B a r l e y . From the best information which can be obtained, it is be­
lieved that the crop of -barley this year was better than in some former
years. So little notice, however, is taken of it, on account of its small
amount, in comparison with many others far more important, that it is diffi­
cult to ascertain its progress. It is raised in small patches, instead of
covering hundreds of acres in close neighborhood. Its use is mainly for
malt purposes, and the claims of temperance seem to have contributed
very much to lessen the whole crop.
In the State of New York, which furnishes ihre'e-fifths of the whole of
this crop, there seems to have been a falling off in some instances, yet in
general the reports were favorable, and compared with the crop of 1845,
it was thought to have been 20 per cent better. In the New Eng­
land States, also, there was a slight increase, whilst in Pennsylvania the
reports indicated that less attention was paid to it than formerly, and prob­
ably the crop of 1847 was a little less than that of 1845. In Ohio it was,
as it would appear, better than in 1846, and therefore an advance in 1845.
It is thought that, in some of the States, attention is turned more to bar­
ley, not so much for the direct product of the seed, as for the purpose of
fodder, and that this may likewise inadvertently cause an increase in the
whole amounts. It may be noticed that, in some cases where the wheat
did not do well, barley is reported as quite successful, and has given a
slight addition on the whole to the aggregate crops. After the best examination which can be given to the subject, it is believed that there was
an increase on the whole crop of about 10 per cent at least. The whole
product of the United States for 1847 was estimated at 5,649,950
bushels.
O at s . It is believed that more land than usual was devoted in 1847 to
this crop. It was not sown, however, exclusively for seed, and in some




The Agriculture o f the United States.

483

of the reports respecting it, the estimate was made in tons of hay derived
from it. This was the case especially with reference to the South-western
States, where, however, comparatively little attention is paid to it. As a
general thing, the crop was not considered as good for the year compara­
tively in the Northern and Eastern States, as in the Southern and Western.
The average amount per acre in the Northern States is put down as vary­
ing from thirty up to fifty, and sometimes one hundred bushels. In the
Northern, Middle, and Southern States, it did not exceed ten bushels, and
about the same in the South-western. In the Western and North-western
again, about twenty-five, thirty, forty, and even up to fifty bushels per
acre was produced. The aggregate average, throughout the Union, was
about thirty bushels per acre.
The crop of oats in the State of New York, taken per acre, was probably not as good as in 1845 ; but as a whole, the two past years have
exhibited an increase in the amount raised. In the New England States,
as it is generally a favorite crop, it seems to have had its usual attention,
with a slight increase of area devoted to it, and on the whole to have
gained on the crop of 1845. In Pennsylvania, there was a considerable
decrease upon the crop of 1845. Virginia raised a considerable crop of
oats, and upon the whole, the crop of 1847 indicated a very considerable
increase. In some portions of the State, towards the south-eastern sec­
tion, there was a decrease, but in the interior and western parts it was
much more successful. It will be recollected that the crop of 1845 was a
poor one ; and it would appear that the crop of 1847, in those places where
it proved most successful, was double of the former one. The increase
for the whole State, however, cannot be estimated higher than one-quarter
more. Proceeding south, although the quantities raised are not large
compared with many other crops, yet, owing to the better season, they
were considerably increased. The crops of Tennessee and Kentucky,
we should judge, were good. The increase was estimated as high as 20
per cent. In some parts of Ohio the crop was estimated at double the
crop of 1845, and even larger. As a general estimate, it is believed to
have reached as high as 15 to 20 per cent. Similar is the report respect­
ing Indiana and Illinois. There was a far larger crop of oats raised in
1847 than in 1845 in parts of these States. It is thought, that in these
and all the North-western States, the increase in the crop of oats has been
steady for a number of years. Considerable attention is paid to the rais­
ing of oats in Wisconsin and Iowa, as well as Michigan.
The entire crop of oats produced in the United States for 1847 was
estimated at 167,867,000 bushels.
R y e . This likewise is one of those crops which are raised in small
quantities, and the greater portion of which is confined to a few States.
It is likewise a product which, since its use for distillation has been very
much abridged, does not seem to be in much demand. This fact has
contributed to lessen its proportionate increase.. It is sometimes, how­
ever, on account of being the hardier grain, resorted to as a substitute for
w heat; the spring variety especially is employed for this purpose, in case
apprehension is entertained lest the wheat crop should prove too small.
In Pennsylvania, the reports relative to this crop were favorable. The
average yield was about fifteen bushels on the whole aggregate, though,
in some instances, twenty-five or more were mentioned. In the State of
New York, we should judge the average per acre may have been larger,




484

The Agriculture o f the United States.

but in many sections of this State little or none is raised. The same is
the case with the New England States, where, however, it is oftener used
as a breadstuff. In Connecticut, the amount produced, compared with
wheat and the other grains, is large, and yielded an increase upon the
crop of 1845. In Maine, it suffered from having been winter-killed in
the more northern parts of the State. In New Jersey, it partook much
of the result of the States adjoining. Virginia raises a small proportion­
ate crop of rye as compared with wheat, and two-thirds of the whole
amount produced in that State is in the western district. In the eastern
section of the State, for some years past, the rye crop has failed, and thus
but little has been sown. Taking the whole aggregate product of the
State, it was estimated to have been better than in the year 1845. In
Kentucky and Ohio, and the other Western States, though in some in­
stances it is thought to have decreased, yet, on the whole, there was prob­
ably a small gain. In Indiana, the rye crop of a few counties is consid­
ered to have been twice as great as in 1845. The general average per
acre at the W est would seem to be about fifteen bushels.
The growth of rye throughout the United States in 1847 was 29,222,700
bushels.
B u c k w h e a t . In those States where buckwheat is most raised, the
failure of the wheat crop in some instances led the farmer to resort to
this grain to supply the deficiency. In consequence of this, there was
more raised than there otherwise would have been. In the two States
of New York and Pennsylvania, where more than one-half of the whole
buckwheat crop is produced, this was especially the case. In both of
these States it is believed that, in 1847, there was a considerable advance
upon the crop of 1845. The average amount per acre was variously esti­
mated at from fifteen to twenty-five bushels. The quality was likewise
good, and, in this respect, it was superior to former crops. In New Eng­
land there is somewhat more attention directed to the cultivation of buck­
wheat than formerly, and, with few exceptions, it would seem to have
been quite successful. In some instances, in Ohio and Indiana, the gain
is represented as very large, two or three times as much as the usual
crop, and often from 25 to 50 per cent. The reason assigned is the as­
pect of the wheat crop early in the season. The number of bushels per
acre is variously stated from twenty.five and thirty, up to fifty. Taking
the aggregate in all the States, it is thought that the increase on the crop
since 1845 has been about 15 per cent. There is besides, no doubt, con­
siderable buckwheat sown which is never harvested, but turned in upon
the land to serve as manure, or top-dressing to other crops. Many farm­
ers find their advantage in this application of its growth.
Its use as a breadstuff is confined principally to the cakes which are
made of it.
The growth of the United States for 1847 was estimated at 11,673,500
bushels.
M a iz e , or I n d ia n C oen . The amount raised in 1847 is believed to be
unexampled in the history of this product in the United States. The in­
creasing demand for it, together with the anticipated loss on the wheat
crop, induced the planting of a much larger breadth of land. Though
the cold and backward spring rendered the planting season a week or two
later, yet the months of June, July, and August were most favorable to
the progress of its growth, and all will recollect how, in almost every part




The Agriculture o f the United States.

485

of our widely extended country, the information which was circulated
respecting the corn crop, spoke of its prospect of an abundant yield. That
prospect was fully realized. Even the frosts of September held off] in
most cases, till the grain had obtained its maturity, and thus was out of
the reach of danger.
New England raises a fair proportion of corn, as compared with other
products of the earth. Probably nearly the whole of it is consumed within
her own borders. The varieties which are most favorable for the north,
ern climate of these States, are the yellow, as distinguished from the
southern white kinds. They contain more oil and gluten, but less fari­
naceous properties than the latter.
The information from Maine represented the increase of this crop for
1847, over that of 1845, to have generally been from 25 to 50 per cent,
and in the northern county of Piscataquis it was placed as high as double.
In New Hampshire, where a similar increase of a quarter at least was
admitted, the prospect of new railroads was also supposed to have exerted
considerable influence in some parts of the State. The increase of labor­
ers to be sustained while the works were going on, and the additional
facilities of markets furnished when completed, are thought to be the re­
sult of these improvements, and thus their action on the increase of this
crop may be accounted for. In the other States of New England, also,
the advance on the crop of 1845 is variously estimated from 20 to 25 per
cent, and the average amount of a good crop is set down in New England
as from twenty-five up to fifty bushels, though much larger ones are some­
times raised. Premium crops, indeed, in favorable locations, and attended
to with more than ordinary care, often reach to seventy-five or eighty, and
sometimes one hundred bushels per acre. The State of New York is a
large producer of corn, though comparatively it does not hold the rank
which wheat does. The average estimates, in different parts of the State,
are one-quarter to one-half more, and there was a general increase in the
surface planted. The eight and twelve rowed yellow seemed to be favor­
ite varieties in most cases. The average product of a good yield is given
at from forty up to sixty, though the common one is probably about
twenty-five bushels per acre. Similar, also, were the accounts from New
Jersey. There was a decided increase in the number of acres planted,
and the product was excellent. In all parts of the State of Pennsylvania
the crop of corn seems to have been abundant. The estimated increase
varied generally from one-third, up to 40, 50, and even 100 per cent. In
the fine county of Lancaster, sometimes called the garden of the State, it
is said that there was one-third more than was ever raised, as probably
one-third more ground was planted, and the increase was 10 per cent
more per acre. In many instances sixty bushels were raised to the acre,
where ordinarily not more than twenty-five or thirty are raised. The
moist weather in August, as well as the favorable season previous, are
likewise mentioned as causes of the increase in the western parts of the
State. In some cases in Maryland, the corn crop was represented as
being short, and that there was an unusual amount of damaged grain.
This, however, was local, and, upon the whole, the crop throughout the
State exhibited a fair increase. In Virginia, and more especially the
western part of it, the increase of the corn crop over that of 1845 appears
to have been large. In North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and
Alabama, the corn crop of 1845 suffered extremely from the unusual




486

The Agriculture o f the United States.

drought. The crops of the year 1847, on the contrary, have been far
better than usual. The general estimate, however, in all these States, is
about one-third increase over that of 1845. Louisiana raises a very good
crop of corn for home consumption, though not equal, indeed, to that or
Mississippi and Arkansas. In these Stales, likewise, there was an in­
crease varying from 20 to 33^ per cent more than the crop of 1845.
Tennessee stands foremost among the States of this Union in the amount
of corn produced. The estimate of 1845 may have been too large, but
there has been some advance on the crop of that year, not so large it
would seem, however, as in some of the other States. In Kentucky, the
fine season was stated to have been favorable to the crop. The increase
above that of 1845 is variously estimated at from 15 to 30 per cent. The
acreable product is given at about thirty to forty bushels. Ohio produces
a heavy corn crop, and the account of the success of this product for 1847
was very favorable. The acreable product in this State was generally
returned as forty bushels. Similar favorable accounts represent the crop
of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, as generally very large. The failure of
the wheat crop, and the increased consumption from the increase of pop­
ulation, combined with the foreign exportation, created a large demand,
and led to much more being planted, while the toil of the husbandman in
this respect was greatly blessed. The acreable amount, as given, varies
from forty to fifty bushels in many instances ; in others, it did not reach
higher than twenty to thirty. Large crops, however, were sometimes
raised, exceeding one hundred bushels to the acre. The crops of W is­
consin and Iowa seem to have suffered somewhat from the cold and back­
ward season, but, upon the whole, there was a decided increase, and, in
some instances, it was estimated as high as 100 per cent. The acreable
product varied from thirty to forty, and up to sixty-five bushels per acre.
In Michigan there was more corn planted than in 1845, and the product
was much larger. The average product per acre was estimated as being
forty or fifty bushels in many parts, and the whole increase as not less
than 40 or 50, up to 100 per cent.
The estimate which was given of the corn crop may not have corre­
sponded with that which was formed by some. It has been placed as high
, as 600,000,000 bushels, and again lower than our number. Some allow­
ance must be made in comparing estimates for the time they are made.
It has been stated, on good authority, that a bushel of corn, from the time
of its being harvested until it is thoroughly dry, will shrink 22 per cent.
Hence, there must be deducted from the earlier statement of crops about
one-fifth. This may account for the fact that the amount of export does
not exhibit the true proportion of the crop gathered. Besides that which
is gathered in its grain, there is also a very considerable quantity which
is destroyed by soiling; not being suffered to come to the seed, or, if so,
not harvested. This practice prevails, probably, more at the South and
W est than in other portions of our country ; but the fact deserves notice
when adverting to the various products which constitute our agricultural
resources for the use of man and beast.
Many instances might be mentioned of the uncommon size of single
ears or large crops of corn. The editor of the Ohio Cultivator mentions
a part of a seed ear which weighed two pounds, was twelve inches in
length, nearly ten inches in circumference, the number of grains 1,446,
three-fourths of an inch in length, and the corn on the ear measured above




The Agriculture o f the United States.

487

a quart when shelled. It was of a kind which requires to be planted
early, about the middle of April, in Ohio, for a good crop. Another ear,
raised by another gentleman, and of a different variety, as it would
seem, was mentioned as being sixteen inches in length, containing 1,006
grains. A specimen of Indian corn also,was exhibited at an agricultural
show, having twelve ears on one stalk. The same journal mentions a
crop, raised in Scioto county, of one hundred and sixty bushels of corn o a
an acre of land. It is presumed that, of course, this means ears before
being shelled. The growth of corn during part of the last summer
was most rapid, and some statements respecting it may prove interesting
in this connection. In Massachusetts, a person in Amherst is stated to
have noted the growth of a single stalk during three days, as follows : First
day, six inches ; second, five and a half; the third, five—total, sixteen and
a half inches in three days. In a Rochester journal it is said that, on ob­
serving, for many days in July, the progress of corn, five inches was the
maximum for twenty-four hours. Contrary to the common idea, that
plants do not grow except in the light of day, the observer found that both
corn and grape-vines increased quite as fast from 8 P. M. to 4 A. M., as
during any portion of the sixteen hours from 4 A. M. to 8 P. M.
It is believed that increased attention is paid to the cultivation of broom
corn, as well as to its manufacture, which appears to be very profitable
in some parts of the Union. This plant is of a different genus from the
maize, and is said to be a native of In d ia; the statement that they will
mix is denied very emphatically by high authority. The quantity of
brooms turned out is one hundred and fifty thousand dozen per annum.
They are made in the winter. The stalks are left on the ground and
ploughed in the next spring, thus keeping up the fertility of the soil. The
origin of broom corn as a cultivated product of this country, is, in Watson’s
Annals of Philadelphia, attributed to Doctor Franklin. He is said to have
accidentally seen an imported whisk of it in the possession of a lady of
Philadelphia, and while examining it as a curiosity, took a seed which he
planted, and from this small beginning has sprung the present product of
this article in the United States. There are no means of ascertaining
the number of acres devoted to it, nor the amount of product in value, but
it must be very considerable. It is raised in Ohio, in some of the New
England States, and in New York and Pennsylvania.
The quantity of maize or Indian corn raised in the United States in
1847 was 539,350,000 bushels.
P o t a t o e s . The time was when this crop was numbered among the
most successful. But within a few years there has been a sorrowful
change, and throughout almost the whole extent of the country where the
common potato is cultivated, instead of ascertaining the amount of the
crop, our attention is rather demanded to learn the amount of the loss
suffered. The loss of this crop falls heavily on the State of Maine and
the New England States generally. In Maine, it was ascertained that
the crop of 1847 was 50 per cent less than that of 1845, and 90 per cent
less than that of 1843. The average number of bushels, also, was esti­
mated at not more than twenty bushels to the acre. In New Hampshire
and Vermont, with the other States of New England, the estimate of the
loss varied. Perhaps the amount of the loss was not, on the whole, so
great in Connecticut as in the other States. For some reason or other,
the more northern sections of the country seemed to have suffered most;




488

The Agriculture o f the United States.

25 and 30 per cent decrease from the crop of 1845 was the common esti­
mate, where the usual product had been from one hundred to one hun­
dred and eighty bushels. The loss on the crop of 1847 in the State of
New York is variously estimated, say from 25 to 60 per cent. In New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, the result was similar. The potato rot seemed
likewise to have been felt to a considerable extent among the common
potato, when cultivated in Maryland. It has not heretofore prevailed
with very great severity in this State, but it has been gradually extending
its attacks further to the south and west every year. In the western parts
of Virginia, the loss by rot was-esti mated at one-third. In the eastern
counties, it is stated that the productiveness was good, but they sustained
loss after they had matured. The sweet potato crop of South Carolina
was represented as having been a very fine one, in some instances double
or treble that of 1845. The Irish potato, where raised, likewise were
tine. In Georgia and Alabama, the sweet potato crop yielded a hand­
some increase upon 1845. In Louisiana the result was favorable ; in this
State the potato is planted in January. In Tennessee and Kentucky the
average product per acre was from fifty to two hundred bushels, and
yielded an increase of from 10 to 25 per cent on 1845. The Ohio po­
tato crop suffered, in particular sections of the State, to some considerable
extent. The evil, however, was less in others, and instances were known
of a decided increase. The loss does not appear to have been so great
in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, as in Ohio and the Eastern States; the
loss by rot in these States was estimated at from 10 to 25 per cent. The
disease was felt somewhat this year in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa,
but the result on the whole was favorable.
The entire product of potatoes in the United States for 1847 was
100,965,000 bushels.
H a y . The cultivated crop is confined principally to the New England
and Middle States, with one or two of the North-western. In Maine, the
increase upon 1845 was estimated at from 10 to 25 per cent, and the
average crop per acre was estimated at from one to one and a half tons
per acre, though sometimes three or more tons are raised. In the other
New England States the increase was about 20 per cent. The general
average product may be fixed at about one to two tons per acre. In New
York the increase was variously estimated from 10 to 20, 25, and even
50 per cent. In one section of Pennsylvania there was represented to
have been some decrease, owing to the drought and cold spring ; but in
others, it was supposed there was some 10, 20, or 30 per cent increase.
As we proceed on towards the South, we believe that there was some
gain upon the crop of 1845. Ohio cultivates a moderate quantity of hay
compared with other crops, but the increase was supposed to have been
20 or 25 per cent. The hay crop of Indiana and Illinois, with scarcely
an exception, appears to have been a good one, and in comparison of the
crop of 1845, there was an increase of 20, 25, 30, or 50 per cent. In
Michigan, likewise, the crop was generally considered a good one, and in
some cases double that of 1845. It is a crop, however, which excites
much less interest than many others, and therefore it is difficult to form
any very accurate judgment respecting it. In the whole aggregate of the
United States, our impression is, that it will be found to have been it
better crop than that of 1845, though probably the increase was not very
large»




The Agriculture o f the United States.

499

The amount of the product of hay in the United States in 1847 was
estimated at 13,819,900 tons.
H e m p . The crop of hemp in 1847 was not a large one. Less was
sown, and the product was small. In Kentucky, it was variously esti­
mated at from 15,000 to 20,000 tons, and the whole hemp crop of the
United States in 1847 was estimated at about 30,000 tons.
F lax . Considerable attention is paid to the cultivation of this article in
the United States, not only for the sake of the fibre as a material for
thread, but likewise for the seed on account of its oil. In the State of
New York, there is a considerable amount raised for that purpose. In
Ohio, likewise, it seems to be an object of interest, and the profits re­
ceived from it are said to be very good. Preble county, in that State, is
thought to be the greatest flax growing district in the United States. If
some better method could be devised for preparing the lint, it would be
yet more profitable. Lint from the brake is considered worth $15 per ton.
The number of pounds of flaxseed raised in the United States in 1847
was about 6,000,000.
T obacco . There appears to have been, for the last few years, a de­
cline of prices in this article, and that, with the increased demand for
other products, has diverted attention from the raising of this plant. It is
believed, therefore, that the crop has lessened. There is more attention
paid to it in some of the New England States, but the quantity grown
there is too small to make any very sensible difference in the aggregate
amount. The quantity per acre is probably considerably larger than in
the great tobacco-growing States. In the Albany Cultivator mention is
made of some successful experiments of this culture in Massachusetts.
The variety produced is known, says the account, as the “ Connecticut
seed leafj” and it usually brings double the price, or more, of the tobacco
grown in Virginia or Kentucky. For a profitable crop, rich land is ne­
cessary, though sandy soils, manured at the rate of ten or twenty common
two-horse or oxen loads per acre, will produce well. With good man­
agement, the yield is from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per acre of marketable
tobacco, at an average price of eight cents per pound. The year 1847
is believed to have given some increase over 1845. In New York some
attention is paid to its cultivation. The same may be said of Pennsyl­
vania. In Maryland, the high price of wheat, rye, oats, and corn, induced
a neglect of the culture of tobacco, so that the crop of the State did not
exceed 20,000 hogsheads. In Virginia, the same causes which operated
to reduce the quantity of acres planted in Maryland, seem likewise to have
exerted an influence in this State, and for the most part there has been a
decrease in the product. The crop of 1846 yielded 52,000 hogsheads,
but in 1847 it was estimated as low as 40,000 hogsheads. The crop in
North Carolina was much the satpe as in Virginia. The quantity raised
in South Carolina is so small as to exercise very little influence on the
general result. In Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, there was prob­
ably an increased product per acre, but the attention of planters was turned
to other and more important crops. In Tennessee and Kentucky, the
crop prospered. In Ohio, the crop was estimated at from 6,000 to 8,000
hogsheads. In Indiana and Illinois, the result was as usual. The tobacco
crop of Missouri is one of some importance, and it is believed succeeded
as well as usual. The culture of this plant is increasing in Florida. The
amount raised in Louisiana is exceedingly small. The consumption of




V

490

The Agriculture o f the United States.

tobacco is large in foreign countries, as well as in our own. The con­
tract for the French government, taken some time since, amounted to
nearly 22,000,000 pounds. Great Britain consumed in 1846 26,557,000
pounds.
The product of tobacco in the United Stales in 1847 was 220,164,000
pounds.
C otton . Beginning with South Carolina, although the rains in the
early part of the season in 1847 proved somewhat injurious, yet the weather
for gathering was most favorable, and therefore the crop was fully equal
to that of 1846. In Georgia and Alabama, it was about an average one.
The crops of Mississippi and Louisiana suffered from the same causes as
Georgia and Alabama. Mississippi produces full one-half of all the cotton
sold in New Orleans. The crop of Louisiana appears to have been a
good one, and probably much better than that of 1846.
The attempts of the English to raise a competition of cotton grown in
India, has hitherto been unsuccessful. There seems some reason to believe
that cotton may yet be cultivated in Turkey, and probably in some parts
of A frica; but many years must elapse, even should these attempts be
successful, before any competition can be feared from these parts of the
world to our own cotton-growing States.
The product of cotton in the United States for 1847 was 1,041,500,000
pounds.
R ic e . The amount of this crop is determined principally by the suc­
cess or failure of its growth in South Carolina. The crop of 1847 in that
State was estimated at 130,000 barrels, allowing 600 pounds nett to a
barrel, it having been slightly lessened by the August freshet.
The product of rice in the United States in 1847 was 103,040,500
barrels.
S i l k . The culture of this article is undoubtedly on the increase in many
of our States, and especially in the New England States, in New York,
Pennsylvania, and somewhat more attended to in certain of the Western
and Southern States. The efforts which are made by our silk-growers
in this country to attain increased perfection, are encouragingly success­
ful. To show the progress of the production of this article in England,
it is said to be a well known fact, that a pair of silk stockings presented
to Queen Elizabeth was worth their weight in gold. Now, however,
Mr. McCulloch estimates the consumption of silk stockings and gloves
alone, annually, to be £2,500,000, or $12,000,000.
The number of pounds of silk cocoons raised in the United States in
1847 was 404,600.
•
S ug ar . This is a crop, which, so far as regards that made from the
cane, is almost confined to Louisiana. Fourteen out of the twenty-three
parishes in that State produce $10,000,000 worth of sugar per annum.
The theory is now exploded which maintained that sugar could only be
produced on alluvial soil. The experiment has been successfully tried on
the high grounds back of Baton Rouge and above Bayou Sara, and still
higher up on the Red River. The large increase of the sugar crop is
doubtless owing to the improvements which have been made in the meth­
ods of manufacture. The attention of individuals also, in Georgia, Ala­
bama, and Florida, is turning somewhat more towards sugar, as a product
which may be successfully cultivated in those States. Texas will, how­
ever, be eventually the greatest rival of Louisiana in the sugar culture.




491

The Agriculture o f the United Stales.

The steady advance in improvement in Louisiana, affords encourage,
snent to believe that the time may not be far distant when this State, aided by
Florida and Texas, will be able to furnish enough to meet all the demands
for consumption of this article in the United States. This would be a
very desirable consummation, not merely on account of the growing pros­
perity of Louisiana, but as occasioning still increased exchange of pro­
ducts from other States.
The following, taken from the New Orleans Price Current of Septem­
ber 1st, 1847, exhibits the amount of the crops of this State for many
years past:—
Hhds.

Crop of 1828.... .
“
1829.... .
«
1832.... .
“
1833...... .
«
1834.... .
“
1835...... .

88.000 Crop of
48,000
“
70,000
“
75,000
«
100,000
“
30,000
“

Hhds.

Hhds.

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

.
.
.
.
.
.

70,000 Crop of
65,000
70,000
115,000
87,000
<<
90,000

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

.
.
.
.
.
.

140,000
100,000
200,000
186,000
200,000
240,000

In 1844, the whole amount produced from all the sugar growing coun­
tries in the world was set down at 778,000 tons, of which 200,000 were
supplied by Cuba alone. It is probable that by this time, therefore, it
can scarcely be less than 850,000 to 900,000 tons, if we include beet
and maple sugar. It is estimated that Great Britain consumes as much
as 250,000 tons, the rest of Europe 450,000, the United States 150,000
to 160,000 tons or more, and Canada and the other British Colonies
25,000 tons.
The amount of beet-root sugar made in France in 1846-47 was esti­
mated at 107,190,110 pounds, being an increase of 26,596,432 pounds
on the quantity manufactured the previous year. This article shows the
importance of perseverance in such experiments as hold out the proba­
bility of success. It is well known, as a fact of history, that the origin
of this manufacture, as a national one, sprung from the necessities of the
French people, when, in their wars, they were cut off from the usual
supplies of cane sugar by the West Indies. It is not less, too, a matter
of record, how great was the ridicule cast upon the Emperor Napoleon
for his efforts by way of encouragement to this business. But the best
science of that cultivated nation was brought to bear upon it, one diffi­
culty after another disappeared, and now it has become a constantly en­
larging and lucrative branch of business, not only supplying the means
of livelihood to multitudes, but, in a measure, relieving the whole realm
from dependence on foreign nations for this useful article of subsistence
and luxury. Were equal industry and science applied in this country,
either to the manufacture of beet or corn-stalk sugar, it is believed that
the most important results might be effected. In some future years,
very probably, such may be the case. We have not heard of any experi­
ments lately in reference to the latter article. As 1847 was so fine a
one for the growth of the corn crop, had there been attention given to
experiments respecting maize sugar, it is not improbable that they might
have been crowned with success. But so long as incredulity bars out
effort, or rather there is no immediate necessity to aid in overcoming it,
but little can be expected. Yet the success of the first crude trials which
have been made, has been fully equal to that of the earliest attempts re­
specting the manufacture of the beet sugar, and enough to warrant the




492

The Agriculture o f the United States.

most sanguine expectations. That a syrup or molasses can be made
from the corn-stalk, seems to be readily admitted. That sugar has been
made, is equally certain ; that it may become a profitable object for the
agriculturist, will doubtless be demonstrated, when a more determined
effort has been made to remove the difficulties and overcome the obsta­
cles which have hitherto impeded the graining of the syrup.
Much encouragement might also be drawn from the improvement
which has taken place in the manufacture of maple sugar. It is but a
few years since the highest reach of art in this manufacture produced
only a fine muscovado-like sugar, and now, by the improved processes,
specimens are annually exhibited at the agricultural fairs, vying with the
most beautiful loaf sugar. This has been effected by greater attention'
to cleanliness in the preparation of the sap, and the improvements in the
methods of graining and refining the sugar. There is considerable diffi­
culty in estimating the amount of maple sugar produced. In most of the
older States, the increased cutting of timber will tend yearly to lessen
the amount. When foreign sugar is high, or when there is a short crop
abroad, there will naturally be a greater attention paid to the maple sugar
as a supply for the deficiency. In 1847, in Maine, New Hampshire, and
Vermont, it is believed there has been a slight increase ; a lessened crop
in the rest of New England, New York, and most of the Middle States;
that the same has been the case in Ohio ; about the same, or perhaps a
belter crop in Indiana and Illinois; and an increased quantity in Michi­
gan, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
The product of sugar in the United States for 1847 was 324,940,500
pounds.
O t h e r produ cts . Besides the crops which have already passed under
notice, there are others which contribute not a little to the agricultural
resources of our country, and which are too important to be passed over
in silence. Some of these have, for a long time, held a place in the list
of agricultural products raised by our farmers and planters. Others have
been but recently introduced, and are but partially cultivated. Among the
different crops in question, there are, likewise, some of them which are
adapted to particular sections, as being unable to bear the severity of a
colder climate, while others may flourish with equal success in all parts
of the Union. It is customary among writers to divide the remaining
crops into the root crops, the pod fruits, the oil or drug plants, and tho
productions of the orchard and garden. The root crop includes the turnip,
the beet, the carrot, the parsnip, ruta baga, mangel wurtzel and arti­
chokes ; and their use is great, as helping to furnish a substitute for other
fodder for animals, as well as contributing in a lesser degree more directly
to the sustenance of mankind. The product of beets in New York State
ranges from 600 to 1,200 bushels. Carrots form a rich food for cows ;
and it is stated that, upon the farm of E. Hasket Derby, Esq., at West
Newton, Mass., who received the premium of the Middlesex Society,
they yielded at the rate of 1,0S0 bushels to the acre. The artichoke has
also received a share of attention, as a means of meeting the deficiency
from the potato crop. The pod fru its, such as peas and beans, are not
cultivated, generally, to any great extent, except in gardens. In the South­
ern States, however, the pea appears to hold an important place. In some
counties of Virginia, it ranks next to the corn crop. The class of plants
which rank under the name of cabbage plants are cultivated to a limited




The Agriculture o f the United States.

493

extent, but furnish a considerable amount of products both for the use of
man and the domestic animals. Large quantities, likewise, of pumpkins
are often raised for the use of stock. J. B. Noll, of Monroe county, Ohio,
raised 19,000 pounds on seventy-seven rods of land, besides seventy bush­
els of potatoes, which would give of pumpkins at the rate of fifteen tons
to the acre. The onion, also, yields abundantly, particularly in Connec­
ticut. Asparagus is cultivated principally for table purposes, and is ex­
ceedingly prized as a healthy esculent. The oil plants, as they are termed,
are quite numerous, though but little has yet been done in cultivating
them in the country. Corn and straw fodder enter largely into the con­
duct of the farm, and yet, important as it is, no account has ever been
taken of it, by which an approximate estimate can be formed of its
amount.
There are a variety of trees which may yet deserve attention in parts
of our country, and were they once introduced, it seems probable that they
might be made profitable. The English walnut has been recommended
as highly suitable for Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, where the
raising of this fruit might be made lucrative. A single tree sometimes,
it is said, yields twenty-four bushels. Apples, indeed, are not so much
cultivated as formerly for making cider, but greater attention is paid to
some fine table fruit. The peach crop of Delaware is estimated to be
worth #120,000 per annum. The peach orchards of Ohio are also large,
where they have been raised fourteen inches in circumference. On Long
Island there is an orchard, from eight acres of which, at the second bear­
ing, the owner would reap about #1,250. It is surprising, also, what
quantities of strawberries find their way to the markets of our cities. It
has been ascertained that, in twenty-six days, 4,572 bushels were sold in
New York ; 514 bushels in a single day. Over 80,000 baskets, equal to
833 bushels, and weighing probably twenty-five tons, were brought to
that city in one day over the Erie Railroad alone. Large quantities of
this fruit are also gathered and sold in Cincinnati.
The attention to the cultivation of the grape, both for the purposes of
the table and the manufacture of wine, seems to be on the increase. Large
quantities of this fine fruit are sold in the markets of our large cities. The
grape grows most luxuriantly in Florida and in Alabama. But Texas
excels all other parts of the Union for producing the grape-vine, where
the variety of kinds is large and the quality of these kinds superior. The
grape is cultivated in every State in the Union. In the New England
States the Isabella is the most common variety, and is supposed to be a
native of North Carolina. It first obtained its well deserved notoriety
at Brooklyn, in the garden of George Gibbs, Esq., and derived its new
name from his lady, Mrs. Isabella Gibbs, who was instrumental in obtain­
ing it from the South for her garden. The original parent of all the Isabella
vines in the Northern States, may now be seen in the garden of the late
Zachariah Lewis, Esq., on Brooklyn Heights.
Almost every one feels the necessity of some yearly compilation of the
varied resources of our several States, and could there be procured from
every State in the Union the statistics of its progress in industrial pur­
suits, and especially in agriculture, it would be a great acquisition, par­
ticularly if these could be condensed and a suitable summary of the same
be made and yearly published. Not only the members of our national
legislature, but very many of our fellow citizens in various parts of the




494

,

The Agriculture o f the United States.

country would find such a condensed view useful; and showing, as it might
at a glance, the mutual dependence of all parts of this great republic, it
would tend to bind together the various sections in firmer union. To the
nations abroad, it would present such an increasing development of our
resources as would lead them to study the means by which our prosperity
was obtained, and seek, it may be, to emulate our example ; while our in­
fluence would be felt in its happiest form, by our standing forth in emer­
gencies of great need, to become, as it were, the almoners of a kind
Providence to famishing realms.
W e subjoin a tabular estimate of the crops of the United States for
1847, taken from the report of the Commissioner of Patents :—
TABULAR ESTIMATE OP CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES.

No. of bush.
of wheat.

No. of bush.
of barley.

No. of bush.
of oats.

No. of bush.
of rye.

Maine..............................
New Hampshire.............
Massachusetts.................
Rhode Island..................
Connecticut.....................
Vermont..........................
New Y ork.....................
New Jersey....................
Pennsylvania.................
Delaware.........................
Maryland........................
Virginia...........................
North Carolina...............
South Carolina...............
Georgia............................
Alabama..........................
Mississippi......................

890,000
610,000
256,000
4,500
125,000
664,000
14,500,000
1,100,000
14,150,000
410,000
4,960,000
12,000,000
2,350,000
1,300,000
1,950,000
1,200,000
500,000

286,650
129,150
170,100
54,000
28,000
55,000
3,931,000
10,000
150,000
4,400
2,900
90,000
4,000
4,500
12,300
7,500
2,000

1,720,000
2,100,000
2,000,000
210,000
1,810,000
3,905,000
26,200,000
5,228,000
18,835,000
650,000
1,860,000
10,000,000
3,507,000
1,000,000
1,140,000
1,831,000
1,378,000

Tennessee.......................
Kentucky........................
Ohio................................
Indiana............................
Illinois.............................
Missouri..........................
Arkansas.........................
Michigan.........................

8,750,000
6,000,000
16,800,000
7,500,000
4,900,000
1,750,000
200,000
8,000,000

6,500
18,000
240,000
39,000
116,000
13,000
1,000
210,000

Wisconsin Territory....
Iowa................................

1,200,000
1,000,000
1,110,000
16,000
50,000

30,000
35,000

9,918,000
14,100,000
26,500,000
15,290,000
4,200,000
6,020,000
440,000
5,500,000
10,000
1,500'000
1,000,000

195,000
460,000
620,000
50,000
1,200,000
350,000
3,650,000
3,050,000
12,000,000
55,000
975,000
1,500,000
235,000
54,000
70,000
75,000
23,000
2,200
390,000
2,650,000
1,000,000
250,000
155,000
86,000
10,000
90,000

114,245,500

5,649,950

State or Territory.

District of Columbia....
Total.......................

8,000
12,000

15,000

7,500

167,867,000

29,222,700

TABULAR ESTIMATE OF CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES— CONTINUED.

State or Territory.

Maine.........................
New Hampshire.......
Massachusetts............
Rhode Island............
Connecticut................
Vermont............ ........
New York................. .
New Jersey................
Pennsylvania............. .
Delaware...................




No. of bush.
els buckwheat.

76,000
169,000
138,000
4,500
480,000
330,000
3,660,000
980,000
3,600,000
14,000

No. of bush.
Indian corn.

No. of bush.
potatoes.

No. of tons
of hay.

2,890,000
2,280,000
3,410,000
800,000
3,180,000
2,100,000
16,000,000
8,000,000
20,200,000
3,620,000

7,800,000
4,655,000
4,308,000
730,000
2,832,000
7,086,000
24,000,000
1,850,000
7,600,000
160,000

1,113,000
606,000
682,000
71,000
550,000
1,250,000
3,800,000
434,000
1,720,000
20,000

The Agriculture o f the United States.

495

TABULAE ESTIMATE OF CROPS I S THE UNITED STATES— CONTINUED.

No. of bush.

No. of bush.
Indian corn.

No. of bush.
potatoes.

No. of tons No. of tons
of hay.
of hemp.

State or Territory.
els buckwheat.
Maryland.....................
115,000
Virginia........................
260,000
North Carolina...........
18,000
South Carolina...........
Georgia........................
Alabama......................
Mississippi....................
Louisiana.....................
Tennessee....................
28,000
Kentucky.....................
16,000
Ohio.............................
1,200.000
Indiana........................
100,000
Illinois..........................
120,000
Missouri.......................
25,000
Arkansas......................
Michigan......................
290,000
Florida.........................
Wisconsin Territory...
30,000
Iowa.............................
20,000
Texas...........................
District of Columbia..
Oregon........................
............

8,300,000
36,500,000
25,000,000
12,600,000
25,000,000
26,000,000
16.000,000
9,000,000
74,000,000
62,000,000
66,000,000
38,000,000
33,000,000
25,000,000
7,000,000
6,500,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
2,900,000
1,500,000
45,000
525,000

900,000
2,950,000
2,600,000
3,500,000
1,840,000
2,150,000
2,050,000
1,300,000
2,700,000
1,810,000
4,644,000
2,350,000
2,100,000
1,050,000
520,000
4,980,000
350,000
1,080,000
850,000
200,000
20,000

125,000
400,000
136,000
30,000
24,000
18,000
800
27,000
45,000
130,000
1,400,000
385,000
365,000
80,000
1,100
260,000
1,200
96,000
40,000

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

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

11,673,500

539,350,000

100,965,000

13,819,900

1,000
15,000
600
550
600
10,000

..........

1,800

........
27,750

ESTIMATE OF CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES— CONTINUED.

State or Territory.
Maine..........................
New Hampshire.........
Massachusetts...
Rhode Island.............
Connecticut................
Vermont......................
New York.................
New Jersey ...............
Pennsylvania.............
Delaware....................
Maryland....................
Virginia.....................
North Carolina...........
South Carolina...........
Georgia......................
Alabama.....................
Mississippi...................
Louisiana....................
Tennessee..................
Kentucky....................
Ohio............................
Indiana.......................
Illinois.........................
Missouri.....................
Arkansas.................. .
Michigan...................
Florida........ ..............
Wisconsin Territory.
Iowa.......................... .
Texas........................
District of Columbia.
Oregon.................. .
Total..




No. of pounds
of tobacco.
...................
...................

135,000

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

806,000
...................

30,000
...................

600,000
...................

25,000,000
50,000,000
14,000,000
35,000
205,000
350,000
200,000
135,000
35,000,000
65,000,000
9,000,000
3,880,000
1,288,000
14,000,000
200,000
..................

300,000
..................
..................
..................

No. of pounds No. of pounds No. pounds No. of pounds
of cotton.
ot rice.
silk cocoons.
of sugar.
.......................
...................
550
500,000
.......................
..................
880
2,225,000
........................
..................
40,000
530,000
............... ..................
960
..................... .
................... 200,000
45,000
................ .
...................
8,000
10,500,000
........................
..................
5,000
2,800,000
.......... *...........
..................
4,500
.......................
..................
35,000
2,000,000
...................
...................
3,600
..................
7,900

2,500,000
42,000,000
100,000,000
210,000,000
160,000,000
250,000,000
195,000,000
35,000,000
2,000,000

3,000
3,500,000
78,000,000
15,500,000
300,000
1,000,000
4,000,000
10,000
20,000

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

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

20,000,000
.......................

7,500
..................
...................
...................

15,000,000

700,000

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

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

10,000,000
.......................

220,164,000 1,041,500,000 103,040,500

6,350
1,750,000
6,200
15,000
5,800
35,000
6,000
370,000
5,880
15,000
250
1,200 275,000,000
20,000
530,000
4,400
3,000,000
35,000
5,000,000
800
6,400,000
3,200
615,000
230
500,000
260
5,500
1,500
3,260,000
500
300,000
40
350,000
.........
175,000
.........
20,000
600
......... ......
404,600

324,940,500

496

Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

Art. III.— TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF AMERICAN GENIUS IN ENGLAND.
T hose who have read the narrative o f the sufferings o f ragged and
hungry Genius, as told by the sufferers themselves in Johnson’s Life o f
Savage and in Goldsmith’s Vicar of Wakefield, will listen to the follow­
ing letter, addressed to a distinguished gentleman in this country, a chap­
ter of autobiography, with like interest; for, like those narratives, it not
only describes the trials, but is written, also, with the energetic pen of
Genius.
The writer is Mr. J. R. Remington, a young man, a Virginian by birth.
After residing for a while in Alabama, a few years since he went to
Washington, and exhibited there the models and drawings of several in­
genious and (as they have since proved) valuable mechanical inventions
of his own. At Washington he made little headway. One of his inven­
tions was a bridge, constructed on a novel principle, or rather a principle
newly applied, and by which bridges of timber of great length can be
thrown across rivers and wide railroad cuts without intermediate support.
People looked and admired; but somehow, although they saw much that
was strikingly original, they could not see how the contrivances were to
be made practically useful. Fulton’s first steamboat drew crowds of such
admirers round it when it was on the stocks.
Mr. Remington was not discouraged. We are sometimes apt to look
upon the mechanical and mathematical turn of mind as naturally dry,
crabbed, and cold. Yet there can be no doubt (and a multitude of bril­
liant examples, of late years, attest the fact) that the great mechanical
inventor is borne up by as much of the “ ardor of confident genius,” the
“ evidence of things not seen,” and feels as sensibly “ the substance of
things hoped for ” as the great poet, or any of those whom we are more
apt to class among geniuses of more exalted mood. The source of the
mistake seems to be the very excess of imagination in him, and the lack
of it in us ; while we, having eyes, see not the end, but the means only,
he is looking at the en d ; while we think of the dull machinery and the
uncouth figures with which he works, his thoughts are running forwards
and soaring upwards to results worked out, complete !
Mr. Remington went to England, arriving in London early in January,
1847. He went, to use his striking language, in “ search of a man
like the old philosopher, he sought but for one mind capable of sympathetic
appreciation. He carried with him his plans, a teeming brain, a letter
of introduction, and an empty purse.
The story of Mr. Remington’s success has been told by the lips of oth­
ers, as was most m eet; we leave it to himself to describe his struggles
and probation. His letter would be marred by any attempt on our part
to add or amplify.
S tafford, S taffordshire, E ngland, August. 15, 1848.

:— I should have written sooner, but that I had nothing
pleasant to say. I reached London on the 1st of January, 1847, without
money or friends, which was just the thing I desired when I left America,
and just the thing, I assure you, I will never desire again. I commenced
operations at once, on the supposition that, in this overgrown city, I would
at least enlist one man. But Englishmen are not Americans. An Eng­
lishman will advance any amount on an absolute certainty, but not one
My

d e a r

S ir

/



Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

497

penny where there is the slightest risk, if he got the whole world by it.
I spent the first five months looking for this man with unparalleled perse­
verance and industry, living for less than three pence per day. I am
convinced that few persons in London know so much of that incompre­
hensibly large city as myself. But, alas ! my wardrobe was gone to sup­
ply me with wretchedly baked corn bread, on which I lived entirely. I
slept on straw, for which I paid a half penny per night. I became rag­
ged and filthy, and could no longer go among men of business. Up to
this time my spirits never sunk, nor did they then ; but my sufferings were
great. My limbs distorted with rheumatism, induced by cold and expo­
sure—my face and head swelled to a most unnatural size with cold and
toothache, and those who slept in the same horrid den as myself were
wretched street beggars, the very cleanest of them literally alive with all
manner of creeping things. But I was no beggar. I never begged, nor
ever asked a favor of any man since I came to England. Ask George
Bancroft, who I called upon two or three times, if ever I asked the slight­
est favor, or even presumed upon the letter you gave me to him. I did
write him a note, asking him to come and witness the* triumph of opening
the bridge at the Gardens, and delivered the note at his own house my­
self ; and although Prince Albert came, I never got even a reply to my
note. If Bancroft had come, and been the man to have only recognized
me in my rags as I was, it would have saved me much subsequent suf­
fering. I will not believe that Bancroft ever saw my note, for his deport­
ment to me was ever kind.
The succeeding three months after the first five I will not detail, up to
the time I commenced to build the bridge. I will not harrow up my feel­
ings to write, nor pain your kind heart to read the incidents of those ninety
days. My head turned grey, and I must have died but for the Jews, who
did give me one shilling down for my acknowledgement for £10 on de­
mand. These wicked robberies have amounted to several hundred pounds,
every penny of which I have had to pay subsequently; for, since my suc­
cess at Stafford, not a man in England who can read, but knows my ad­
dress. It cost me £ 10 to obtain the shilling with which I paid my ad­
mittance into the Royal Zoological Gardens, where I succeeded, after
much mortification, in getting the ghost of a model made of the bridge.
The model, although a bad one, astonished everybody. Every engineer
of celebrity in London was called in to decide whether it was practicable
to throw it across the lake. Four or five of them, at the final decision,
declared that the model before them was passing strange, but that it could
not be carried to a much greater length than the length of the model.
This was the point of life or death with me. I was standing amidst men
of the supposed greatest talent as civil engineers that the world could pro­
duce, and the point decided against me 1 This one time alone were my
whole energies ever aroused. I never talked before—I was haggard and
faint for want of food—my spirits sunk in sorrow in view of my mournful
prospects—clothes I had none—yet, standing over this model, did I battle
with those men. Every word I uttered came from my inmost soul, and
was big with truth—every argument carried conviction. The effect on
those men was like magic—indeed, they must have been devils not to have
believed under the circumstances. I succeeded. My agreement with the
proprietor was, that I should superintend the construction of the bridge
without any pay whatever, but during the time of the building I might
vol . xix.— no . v.
32




498

Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

sleep in the Gardens, and if the bridge should succeed, it should be called
“ Remington’s Bridge.” I lodged in an old lion’s cage, not strong enough
for a lion, but by putting some straw on the floor, held me very well, and
indeed was a greater luxury than I had for many months. The carpen­
ters that worked on the bridge sometimes gave me part of their dinner.
On this I lived, and was comparatively happy. It was a little novel, how­
ever, to see a man in rags directing gentlemanly looking head carpenters.
The bridge triumphed, and the cost was £ 8 , and was the greatest hit ever
made in London. The money made by it is astonishingly great, thousands
and tens of thousands crossing it, paying toll, besides being the great at­
traction to the Gardens. Not a publication in London but what has writ­
ten largely upon it. Although I have never received a penny, nor never
will for building the bridge, I have no fault to find with Mr. Tyler, the
proprietor, for he has done all fully that he promised to do—that was, to
call it “ Remington’s Bridge.” The largest wood-cut perhaps ever made
in the world, is made of the bridge. Every letter of my name is nearly
as large ns myself. The bridge to this day is the prominent curiosity of
the Gardens. You* can’t open a paper but yob may find “ Remington’s
Bridge.” Soon after it was built, I have frequently seen hundreds of men
looking at the large picture of the bridge at the corners of the streets and
envying Remington, when I have stood unknown in the crowd, literally
starving. However, the great success of the bridge gave me some credit
with a tailor. I got a suit of clothes and some shirts—a clean shirt. Any
shirt was great, but a clean shirt—O God, what a luxury! Thousands
of cards were left for me at the Gardens, and men came to see the bridge
from all parts of the kingdom. But with all my due bills in the hands of
the hell-born Jews, of course I had to slope, and came down to Stafford.
I first built the mill, which is the most popular patent ever taken in Eng­
land. The coffee pot, and many other small patents, take exceedingly
well. The drainage of Tixall Meadows is the greatest triumph I have
yet had in England. The carriage bridge for Earl Talbot is a most ma­
jestic and wonderfully beautiful thing. Dukes, marquesses, earls, lords,
&c., and their ladies are coming to see it from all parts. I have now
more orders for bridges from the aristocracy than I can execute in ten
years, if I would do them. Indeed, I have been so much among the aris­
tocracy of late, that what with high living, being so sudden a transition
from starving, I have been compelled to go through a course of medicine,
and am just now convalescent. Of course, anything once built precludes
the possibility of taking a patent in England, but its merits and value are
beyond all calculation. A permanent, beautiful, and steady bridge may
be thrown across a river half a mile wide, out of the reach of floods and
without anything touching the water, at the most inconsiderable expense.
The American patent is well secured at home I know. I shall continue
to build a few more bridges of larger and larger spans, and one of them
a railroad bridge, in order that I may perfect myself in them so as to com­
mence fair when I reach America. I have a great many more accounts
of my exploits since I came to Stafford, but must defer sending them until
next time. I beg you will write me, for now, since a correspondence is
opened, I shall be able to tell you something about England. I know it
well. I have dined with earls, and from that down—down—down—down
to where the knives, forks, and plates are chained to the table for fear they
should be stolen. I am, my dear sir, your obedient servant,
J. R . R em in g t o n .




Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

499

X

The bridge erected in the Surrey Gardens was described in the newspa­
pers of the day with some minuteness. The London Morning Advertiser
of September 7, 1847, speaks of it as follows:—
R emington’s A erial B ridge. This very wonderful and highly ingenious
structure, the model of which was described in the Morning Advertiser of Thurs­
day last, was yesterday thrown open to the visitors at the Surrey Zoological Gar­
dens, large numbers of whom repeatedly crossed and recrossed it, and expressed
a general astonishment at the strength of a fabric composed of such slender ma­
terials. The inventor of this bridge is Mr. Remington, of Alabama, a gentleman
who has perfected several contrivances of great utility in various departments of
art, and who, in the present instance, has demonstrated the extent to which the
economy of materials may be carried even in the greatest works. At the first
view, Mr. Remington’s bridge would impress the spectator with the idea that it
was utterly inadequate to bear the weight of a solitary passenger; and after he
has undeceived himself upon its capabilities in that respect, he will be completely
at a loss to account for the prodigious strength which it exerts. On considera­
tion, however, of the peculiarities of its construction, the difficulty will disappear, v
and the advantages of its application in a variety of circumstances be established.
The chief portions of the fabric are the abutments, or wooden frames, from
which the bridge is suspended, or rather, on which it rests. They are formed of
a simple frame work of die-square timber, about twelve feet long, and sunk five
feet in the ground. The timbers of each abutment are made to rake, or incline,
at an angle of about seventy degrees from the river, for the purpose of better re­
acting against the tension of the bridge when loaded, and are strongly connected
by cross scantlings. On the summit of each abutment is a rectangular frame,
rising slightly towards the water way, and carrying two transverse scantlings;
six feet apart. The four laths, or stringers, which form the basis of the footway,
are laid upon these scantlings, to which they are keyed, and which give to the
bridge the peculiar curve, on which its efficiency partly depends. But it is chiefly
to the mode of forming the stringers that the ingenuity of the arrangement con­
sists, and which, on several accounts, is remarkable. As it would be difficult,
or frequently impossible, to procure pieces of wood of the required size to connect
the abutments, recourse must be had to the process of scarfing, by the adoption of
which, in this instance, stringers of 83 feet in length have been formed by Mr.
Remington. They have been made in five scarfs, united by glue, made for the
purpose by Mr. J. Lowe, the head carpenter of the Surrey Gardens, by whom the
structure was made and put together, and possess throughout their length the
longitudinal strength of fibre due to their thickness at each point. They vary
considerably in their section, as it is taken from the centre, being three inches
and three-quarters at each end, and only one inch square in the centre. These
singularly small dimensions have nevertheless been found to carry several heavy
loads, with which the efficiency of the structure has been tested. Transverse
bars are tacked upon the stringers, at the interval of an inch or two, and with the
addition of a rope on each side to serve as a rail, the bridge is complete. To
understand how it happens that a combination of materials, apparently so frail, •
has carried sixteen men, each bearing timber, and that, as we are assured, and
make no doubt of the statement, it is capable of bearing five hundred men, at the
same time it must be understood, that the principal elements of the footway, viz,
the stringers, are formed and arranged according to the known principles of a
science of comparatively modern creation, embracing the facts relating to the
strength of materials. The principle upon which the construction proceeds may
be thus briefly explained:—A slender prismatic beam, though requiring great
force to tear it longitudinally, would nevertheless easily give way to a transverse
force very much smaller. If suspended by its extremities, and the force made to
act at the centre, the rod would snap in the centre ; but if one of the pcdnts of
suspension were shifted, then it would snap near the other extremity. This cir­
cumstance is applied to the purpose of a permanent footway by the position of the
scantlings, or fulcra, on which the stringers rest, and the operation of which is to




500

Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

remove the tendency of the bridge to break in the centre, and throw that liability
on the thicker portions, near the abutments, which are fully able to resist the
strain. The stability of the structure may also be referred to another principle,
viz, that a beam in a horizontal position, fixed at one end and pressed down at
the other, is liable to break off near the fixed end. Here, by the scarfing of the
stringers, the central scarf unites the two portions, into which each stringer may
be supposed to be divided, and resists at a'long leverage, its tendency to snap at
the fulcrum. These considerations, though not of a very recondite character, are
nevertheless necessary, to reconcile the spectator to what must strike him in the
first instance as being nothing shorf of an anomaly in the laws of physics. But
there the bridge is to assert by its astonishing performances, the truth and easy
application of these simple principles, and the economy which it is possible to
introduce into fabrics of the kind by their adoption. It only now remains to us
to mention that Mr. Remington has abandoned to public service, all interest in
this, and in several other useful inventions which he has completed, and to ex­
press our hope, that a man who has deserved well of his country, first by his labor
in bringing his plans to so grand a result, and then by placing no restriction on
their use, will reap in some shape his reward, or at any rate be esteemed an able
and bold engineer.”
This success led to something more substantial. The inventor was
employed by E arl Talbot to erect a bridge 150 feet in length over the
river Trent, on his estates in Staffordshire. The “ novelty in bridge build­
ing” is thus noticed in the Staffordshire Advertiser of July 15, 1847 :—
N ovelty in B ridge B uilding. “ We have lately described some of the won­
derful bridges which a recent trip into North Wales had given us an opportunity
of inspecting, including the tubular bridge over the Conway, and the Britannia
tubular bridge now in course of erection, and designed to carry the Holyhead
Railway over the Menai Straits. We have much satisfaction, this week, in
bringing under the notice of our readers a work, in our own immediate neighbor­
hood, which, though of much smaller dimensions, is as great a curiosity in its
way, and perhaps as vast a triumph of scientific ingenuity and engineering skill
as the gigantic structures to which we have alluded. We refer to a wooden
bridge which has just been completed over the river Trent, near Ingestre, on an
accommodation road of Earl Talbot’s, leading from Ingestre to Shirleywich. The
architect is Mr. J. R. Remington, a gentleman from Alabama, in the United
States of America, of several of whose inventions we have before had occasion
to speak.
“ This bridge is remarkable for the length of its span, about 150 feet, and for
the diminutive dimensions of the timber used in its construction. It will almost
appear incredible to our readers when we state that the six stringers, or beams,
which support the planks forming the floor of the bridge are but five inches square
at each end, and gradually diminish in size, until at the centre they are only two
and one-quarter inches, their length being, as already intimated, 150 feet. The
stringers are formed of pieces of oak timber, each about 20 or 25 feet long, at­
tached together by the method technically known as ‘ scarfing.’ The abutments
consist of oak posts, six inches square, and 15 feet long, 5 feet in the ground, pro­
jecting outward at a considerable angle, and firmly clamped together with iron.
“ Mr. Remington’s own language shall be employed in describing the principle
on which the bridge is built. ‘ The great principle sought to be proved in this
bridge (says Mr. R.) is that a beam of timber, of whatever size, shape, or length,
lying horizontally and resting at each extremity on abutments, is as strong, and
will require as much weight on the top of it to break it as it would take to break
the same piece when pulled longitudinally in the direction of the fibre.’ We ap­
prehend that Mr. Remington’s meaning would be better understood if he had said
that the principle consists in the longitudinal power of timber being applied in a
curvilinear form, by which every portion of the material is brought at once into
play, and supports an equal share of the strain. Instead of springing from the




Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

501

abutments as an arched, or resting upon them as a horizontal bridge, the stringers
may be said to hang or be suspended from the piers, thus bringing the principle of
the longitudinal bearing into action.
“ We understand that many practical men to whom the principle was explained
doubted in the first instance its applicability to a bridge of this size, but they are
now willing to admit its complete success. That success, indeed, is demon­
strated. The bridge is now in use. We have seen several carriages pass over
it, and have ourselves driven across it. There is a vibratory motion when any­
thing passes along the bridge, but there is scarcely any perceptible deflection; and
we cannot but express our own conviction of the complete triumph of this novel
and most extraordinary system of bridge building.
“ The stringers curve gracefully upwards from each abutment, and then grad­
ually bend in a curvilinear direction downwards to the centre of the bridge; the
lowest point being twenty-four inches below the level of the abutments. The
curves near to the abutments are designed more for beauty than for strength; but
we understand they are indispensable in faulty foundations, which is the case in
the present instance. There is a hand-rail on each side of the bridge, attached
to the floor by trellis work; and as the hand-rail is of considerable strength, and
is fixed to the abutments in the same mode as the stringers, it adds materially to
the security and solidity of the bridge.
“ The main advantage of this description of bridge is its cheapness. The cost
of the structure which we are describing is only about £200; whereas, a bridge
to accomplish the same purpose, built on any other plan, would have required an
expenditure of many thousand pounds. Another advantage is, that such a bridge
can be erected in situations where any other wooden bridge would be impracti­
cable. A third advantage is, that the span may, as we are informed, be extended
ten times as far as any wooden bridge ever yet constructed; and it may be added,
that the inventor is of opinion that such bridges will be more durable than those
of any other make.
“ Although many foot bridges have been erected on this principle in America,
and one in the Surrey Zoological Gardens, yet this is the first instance, We are
informed, of a bridge of this construction being built for carriages. Earl Talbot
having satisfied himself of the feasibility of the plan, instructed Mr. Remington to
build the bridge; thus affording another proof of that enterprize and zeal for im­
provement, of which his lordship’s estates afford so many conspicuous and suc­
cessful examples. His lordship and family have frequently used the bridge, and
are much gratified with the success which has attended the experiment. Lord
Hatherton has likewise inspected it twice, and has, with a heavily laden carriage,
passed over it. On Thursday, a cart with a load weighing two tons passed over
it without occasioning a deflection, we are authentically informed, of the eighth
of an inch.
“ When we state, in conclusion, that such has been the expedition used in the
erection of the bridge, that six weeks ago the timber of which it is constructed
was growing, we think we have proved that 1Novelty in Bridge Building’ was
not an inappropriate title to the present article.”
Another triumph of the young inventor, another wave to the tide now
at flood, at last, was his success in draining a swamp belonging to Earl
Talbot by several ingenious contrivances, described (not very clearly) in
the following article, also from an English paper:—
T he D rainage of T ixall M eadows. “ Many of our readers are aware that
amongst the great improvements which have been effected by Lord Hatherton on
his estate at Teddesley, in this county, not the least is in the important branch of
draining, which has been so admirably managed that the water drawn from the
higher portions of the estate is used to irrigate the lower lands, and is also made
doubly serviceable by being employed to turn a water-wheel, the power thus
gained being employed in grinding, threshing, &c. The enemy is by these means
converted into a friend. A somewhat similar, though perhaps a more singular




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Trials and Triumphs o f American Genius in England.

and ingenious experiment has just been tried on the meadows at Tixall, near this
town, on the estate of Earl Talbot. These meadows are about 70 acres in ex­
tent, and are in the occupation of Mr. Warner and Mr. Scott. They lie so low,
and are so level, that their surface has been covered with water of late years for
almost nine months out of the twelve. The evil has lately been increasing to
such a degree that this great extent of land was rapidly becoming little better
than a gigantic bed of rushes and a useless swamp. Engineers of celebrity had
been consulted on the subject, but the plans they proposed for draining these
meadows were so expensive and so doubtful as to their probable issue, that all
idea of adopting them had been abandoned. Some months ago, Mr. Remington,
of whose clever inventions we have had occasion repeatedly to speak, inspected ,
the locus in quo, as the lawyers call it, and said he would undertake to drain it.
The work was commenced about five months since; and a shallow ditch on the
north side of the meadows has been converted, by means of an embankment, into
a small canal, about a mile in length, and a vast quantity of surface-water is by
its means diverted from the meadows, and being carried to a point where the
principal drain running down the centre of the land terminates, it is used for the
purpose of working a most ingenious engine of Mr. Remington’s invention, for
pumping the water out of the drain. The engine consists of a circular pan, con­
structed of sheet iron, four feet four inches in diameter, and ten inches deep. At
the bottom of the pan is a throttle-valve, so formed as to close when the water
rushes into it; but when the weight of water lowers the pan to a certain point,
the valve opens to allow the water to escape. A rod from the centre of the pan
is connected by means of pullies, and a chain, with a pump working in the ad­
joining drain; and the chain beam is so regulated as to form a balance between
the pan and the pump. A small bolt at the end of the canal, which we have de­
scribed, is raised by means of an iron arm attached to the rod of the pan, every
time the pan ascends, and the bolt is further gradually elevated by means of two
weights attached to a lever, by which simple contrivance, when the bolt is lifted
to a short distance, the weight carries it to the full height, and ensures a dis­
charge of water sufficient to lower the pan. There are several minute contri­
vances connected with this simple but effective machinery, which must be seen
to be properly understood and appreciated; such, for instance, as the one which
opens the valve of the pan on its descent. In order to meet the variable height
of the water below, that instrument is made to float. Indeed, one of the great
objects accomplished by this method of applying water power is, that no ordinary
amount of back water can interrupt the working of the engine. The pump is
also of as simple and ingenious construction as the other part of the apparatus.
The main cylinder is thirty-two inches in diameter, and the plunger twentyseven ; and, notwithstanding the fact that the plunger does not come in contact,
by packing or otherwise, with the sides of the cylinder, the effect of the custom­
ary piston of a pump is produced without loss of water. According to Mr.
Remington’s calculation, twenty-six gallons of water are raised and discharged
by the pump at every stroke. Every one who inspects this beautiful contrivance,
must be struck with its admirable adaptation to the purpose intended. It has
been at work three days. One of its strongest recommendations is, that it is
self-acting, and requires no attention. By means of what we have called the
canal, a large quantity of water has been removed from the meadows, which
are firm and dry compared with their state ten days ago; and the utmost confi­
dence is expressed by bofh Mr. Warner and Mr. Scott that, by this clever and
comparatively inexpensive contrivance, a complete drainage will be effected.”




Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States.

503

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

NEW ORLEANS: ITS TRADE AND COMMERCE.

N ew O r l e a n s , the principal port of entry and the capital of Louisiana,
is justly entitled to a high rank among our enumeration of the “ Commer­
cial Cities and Towns of the United States.” It is often familiarly called
the Crescent city, from its form ; for though the streets are straight, those
which follow the river have two turns at large angles, giving it something
of this form. The river opposite to the city is half a mile wide, and from
100 to 150 feet deep, and preserves the same width to near its entrance
into the Gulf of Mexico. It is situated 92 miles from the mouth of the
Mississippi, and, is in latitude 29° 57' North, longitude 90° 8' W est; 953
miles below the mouth of the Ohio, 1,149 below the mouth of the Mis­
souri, 1,397 south-west of New York, and 1,612 south-west of Boston, &c.
It may be well to introduce in this place, before we proceed to exhibit
the statistics of its trade and commerce, a brief sketch of the history of
New Orleans, abridged from the most authentic data.
In 1718, Bienville, then governor of Louisiana, selected a spot for the
chief settlement of the province, which had hitherto been at Biloxi, and
fixed on the present site of New Orleans, and left 50 men to clear the
ground, and erect the necessary buildings. In 1719, the Mississippi rose
to an extraordinary height; and as the company were not able to erect
dykes, the spot was overflowed, and it was for a time abandoned. In
1721, De Pauger completed a survey of the passes of the Mississippi.
He found a bar at its mouth consisting of a deposit of mud, 300 feet wide,
and twice that in length, having about 11 feet of water. In November,
1722, Delorme removed the principal deposite to New Orleans, pursuant
to orders. The next year, Charlevoix reached New Orleans from Canada by the way of the river, and found at New Orleans 100 cabins with­
out much order, a large wooden warehouse, two or three dwelling-houses,
a miserable store-house, which had been used as a chapel, a shed being
converted into a house of prayer, and a population not to exceed 200. A
negro was at this period sold for $126.; rice at $3 the b arrel; and bran­
dy at $30 the quarter cask. A company of Germans, disappointed by
the failure of the financier Law, descended the river to New Orleans,
with a view to return to France, but were induced to remain on small al.
lotments of land made to them at what is now called the German coast,
and supplied the city with vegetables. Their descendants still cultivate
the land on a larger scale. In September of this year a terrible hurri­
cane leveled the church, hospital, and 30 houses, drove three vessels which
were in the harbor ashore, destroyed the crops and gardens, and produced
a scarcity of provisions, and several of the inhabitants thought of aban­
doning the colony. In 1727, the Jesuits and Ursuline nuns arrived, and
were accommodated on a tract of land in the lowest part of the fauxbourg
St. Mary. The nuns removed to a house erected for them in 1730. This
property became in time very valuable, and was sold; and the nuns re­
moved to a new convent in 1824, two mHes below the city. In 1763,
Clement XIII. expelled the Jesuits from the dominions of the kings of
France, Spain, and Naples, and they were obliged to leave Louisiana, and




504

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States:

their property was seized and sold for about $180,000. The same prop­
erty, with its improvements, is now worth $15,000,000. In 1764, Brit­
ish vessels began to visit the Mississippi. They would sail past the city,
make fast to a tree opposite the present city of Lafayette, and trade with
the citizens. The exports during the last year of its subjection to France
was $250,000, and the population of the city was 3,190. The commerce
suffered by the restrictions of the Spanish. In 1785, the population of
the city, exclusive of the settlements in the vicinity, was 4,980. A more
liberal course of the Spanish government revived the trade of New Or­
leans, and French, British, and American vessels began to visit New Or­
leans. In 1788, a fire consumed 900 houses. In 1791, the first compa­
ny of French comedians arrived from Cape Francois, having fled from the
massacre at St. Domingo ; other emigrants opened academies, the educa­
tion of youth having been previously in the hands of priests and nuns. In
1792, Baron Carondolet arrived. He divided the city into four wards,
and recommended lighting it, and employed watchmen. The revenue of
the city did not amount to $7,000, and the lighting it required a tax of
$1 12 j cents on every chimney. He erected new fortifications, and had
the militia trained. In 1794, the first newspaper was published in Lou­
isiana. In 1795, permission was granted by the king to the citizens of
the United States to deposite their merchandise at New Orleans, during a
period of ten years. In 1796, the canal Carondolet was completed. In
March 21st, 1801, Louisiana was ceded by Spain to the French republic,
and in April 30tb, 1803, Bonaparte, as first consul, sold it to the United
States for about $15,000,000, and it was taken possession of on the 30th
of November. The population of the city did not then exceed 8,056, and
of the province but 49,473; 42,000 of whom were within the present
bounds of Louisiana. The duties of the custom-house, the year prece­
ding the cession, amounted to $117,515, which would have been greater,
but for the corruption of the officers. The Roman Catholic religion was
the only one publicly allowed. The revenues of the city in 1802 were
$19,278. There entered the Mississippi this year 256 vessels, of which
18 were public armed vessels; of American, 48 ships, 63 brigs, 50
schooners, and 9 sloops ; of Spanish, 14 ships, 17 brigs, 4 polacres, 64
schooners, and 1 sloop; of French, 1 brig. In 1804, New Orleans was
made a port of entry and delivery, and the bayou St. John a port of de­
livery. A city charter was granted New Orleans in 1805. January 10th,
1812, the first steamboat arrived at the city from Pittsburgh, having de­
scended in 259 hours. In August, a hurricane did great damage to the
houses and shipping, which has not been an unfrequent occurrence.
Early in December, 1814, the British approached New Orleans with
about 8,000 men by the way of lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain. Their
passage into the lake was opposed by a squadron of gun boats, under
Lieut. Jones. After a spirited conflict, in which the killed and wounded
of the enemy exceeded the whole American force, he was compelled to
surrender to superior numbers. December 21st, 4,000 militia arrived
from Tennessee. On the 22d, the enemy, having previously landed, took
a position near the main channel of the river, eight miles below the city.
On the evening of the 23d, General Jackson made a furious attack upon
their camp ; they were thrown into disorder, but rallied, and General
Jackson withdrew his troops, and fortified a strong position four miles
below the city, supported by batteries on the west side of the river.




New Orleans: its Trade and Commerce.

505

The fortifications were unsuccessfully assailed on the 28th of Decem­
ber and the 1st of January. In the meantime both armies received re­
inforcements ; and on the 8th of January the British prepared to storm
the works. In the night a regiment was transported across the river
to storm the works on the western bank. Early in the morning the
main body of the British, consisting of 7 or 8,000 men, marched from
their camp to assault the American works. Many were killed by grapeshot as they approached. When they came within musket shot, a stream
of fire burst forth from the American lines. General Jackson had placed
his troops in two lines, where those in the rear loaded for those in front,
which caused the fire to be incessant, which, from Kentucky and Tennes­
see marksmen, must have been deadly. While leading to the walls the
regiment which bore the ladders, General Packenham, the chief in com­
mand, was killed; General Gibbs, the second in command, was mortally
wounded; and General Keene severely. Without officers to direct them,
the troops halted, fell back, and soon fled in disorder to the camp. In a
little more than an hour 2,000 of the British lay prostrate on the field,
while only seven Americans were killed and six wounded; a dispropor­
tion unparelleled in the history of warfare. The men on the west side
of the river fled before an inferior force, but the events on the east side
caused the British to cross the river and retire to their entrenchments.
General Lambert, upon whom the command devolved, despairing of suc­
cess, retired with his troops on board the fleet; and General Jackson, be­
ing resolved to hazard nothing, suffered him to retreat unmolested. Im­
mediately after the event, news arrived of peace having been concluded
between the United States and Great Britain, which had in fact taken
place a short time before the battle, though the news of it did not arrive
till after.
In May, 1816, the levee, nine miles above New Orleans, broke through
and inundated the back part of the city from three to five feet deep, and
destroyed several plantations. The crevasse was finally closed, princi­
pally by the exertions of Governor Clairborne, by sinking a vessel in the
breach.
The city proper is bounded by Canal, Rampart, and Esplanade-streets,
and on the river by the levee, on which it extended about thirteen hun­
dred yards, and back about seven hundred, in the form of a parallelogram.
This portion is traversed by twenty-two streets, forming eighty-four
principal and fourteen minor squares. The whole extent of the city, in­
cluding the incorporated fauxbourgs and Lafayette, is not less than five
miles on a line with the river, and running on an average of half a mile
in width.
The houses are chiefly constructed with bricks, except a few ancient
and dilapidated dwellings in the heart of the city, and some new ones in
the outskirts. Wooden buildings are not permitted to be built, under
present regulations, within what are denominated the fire limits. The
modern structures, particularly in the second municipality, are generally
three and four stories high, and are embellished with handsome and sub­
stantial granite or marble fronts. The public buildings are numerous,
and many of them will vie with any of the kind in our sister cities. A
particular description of these will be found in the ensuing pages.
The view of New Orleans from the river, in ascending or descending,
is beautiful and imposing—seen from the dome of the St. Charles Ex­




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Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States :

change, it presents a panorama at once magnificent and surprising. In
taking a lounge through the lower part of the city, the stranger finds a
difficulty' in believing himself to be in an American city. The older
buildings are of ancient and foreign construction, and the manners, cus­
toms and language are various— the population being composed, in nearly
equal proportions, of American, French, Creoles, and Spaniards, together
with a large portion of Germans, and a good sprinkling from almost every
other nation upon the globe.
The Water-works constantly supply the people with water forced from
the Mississippi, by the agency of steam, into a reservoir, whence by pipes
it is sent all over the city. This water is wholesome and palatable.
Gas was introduced into New Orleans, through the enterprize of James
H. Caldwell, Esq., in 1834 ; he having lighted his theatre with it several
years previous. The dense part of the city is now lighted by i t ; and
the hotels, stores, shops, and many dwelling-houses within reach, have
availed themselves of the advantages it offers.
In the summer of 1844, a fire destroyed about seven blocks of buildings
between Common and Canal-streets, near the Charity Hospital. The
ground has since been occupied with much better buildings, and presents
a very improved appearance.
The population of New Orleans, after it was ceded to the United States,
increased very rapidly. At the time of the transfer, there were not
eight thousand inhabitants.
Blacks.

Whites.

Total.

Blacks.

Whites.

Total.

8,001 16,551 24,552 In 1825............................................ 45,336
In 1810.............
1815............................................ 32,947
1830........... 21,280 28,530 49,826
1840............................................ 102,191
1820............ 19,737 21,614 41,350

And, at the present period, there are probably one hundred and thirty
thousand. During 1844, there were more buildings erected than any pre­
vious year—notwithstanding which, tenements are in great demand, and
rents continue high. It will not be a matter of surprise, if the number of
inhabitants at the next census, 1850, should be over 160,000.
During the business season, which continues from the first of Novem­
ber to July, the levee, for an extent of five miles, is crowded with vessels
of all sizes, but more especially ships, from every part of the world—with
hundreds of immense floating castles and palaces, called steamboats, and
barges and flat boats innumerable. No place can present a more busy,
bustling scene. The loading and unloading of vessels and steamboats—
the transportation, by some three thousand drays, of cotton, sugar, tobacco,
and the various and extensive produce of the great West, strikes the stran­
ger with wonder and admiration. The levee and piers that range along
the whole length of the city, extending back on an average of some two
hundred feet, are continually covered with moving merchandise. This
was once a pleasant promenade, where the citizen enjoyed his delightful
morning and evening w alk; but now there is scarcely room, amid hogs­
heads, bales, and boxes, for the business man to crowd along, without a
sharp look out for his personal safety.
The position of New Orleans, as a vast commercial emporium, is un­
rivalled, as will be seen by a single glance at the map of the United
States. As the depot of the West, and the half-way bouse of foreign
trade, it is almost impossible to anticipate its future magnitude.
Take a view, for instance, of the immense regions known under the




New O, leans: its Trade an«k Commerce.

507

name of the Mississippi valley. Its boundaries on the west are the Rocky
Mountain# and Mexico; on the south, the Gulf of Mexico; on the east,
the Alleghany Mountains ; and on the north, the lakes and the British
possessions. It contains nearly as many square miles, and more tillable
ground, than all continental Europe, and, if peopled as densely as Eng­
land, would sustain a population of five hundred millions—more than half
of the present inhabitants of the earth. Its surface is generally cultivable,
and its soil rich, with a climate varying to suit all products, for home con­
sumption or a foreign market. The Mississippi is navigable twenty-one
hundred miles—passing a small portage, three thousand may be achieved.
It embraces the productions of many climates, and a mining country
abounding in coal, lead, iron and copper ore, ail found in veins of wonder­
ful richness. The Missouri stretches thirty-ntne hundred miles to the
Great Falls, among the Flat Foot Indians, and five thousand from New
Orleans. The Yellow Stone, navigable for eleven hundred miles, the
Platte for sixteen hundred, and the Kanzas for twelve hundred, are only
tributaries to the latter river. The Ohio is two thousand miles to Pitts­
burgh, receiving into her bosom from numerous streams the products of
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Western Virginia, Tennessee,
Indiana and Illinois. The Arkansas, Big Black, Yazoo, Red River, and
many others, all pouring their wealth into the main artery, the Mississippi,
upon whose mighty current it floats down to the grand reservoir, New
Orleans.
The Mississippi valley contained over eight millions of inhabitants in
1840, having gained eighty per cent during the last ten years. The
present number cannot be less than ten millions.
The United States Branch Mini is situated on what was once called
Jackson Square, being nearly the former site of Fort St. Charles. It
is an edifice of the Ionic order, of brick plastered to imitate granite,
having a centre building projecting, with two w ings; is strongly built,
with very thick walls, and well finished. Our limits will not permit us to
go into a detailed description of its interior arrangements ; which, how­
ever, may be generally spoken of as such as not to discredit the distin­
guished engineer who planned them. The total length of the edifice is
282 feet, and the depth about 108—the wings being 29 by 81, and the
whole three stories in height. It was begun in September, 1835; and
the building was perfectly completed at a cost of $182,000. The ma­
chinery is elegant and highly finished, and when in operation, proves an
interesting sight to visitors; which, from the gentlemanly urbanity of the
officers of the establishment, may be easily enjoyed. The square is sur­
rounded by a neat iron railing on a granite basement.
Poydn^-street Market is designed for the accommodation of the in­
habitants in the rear portion of the second municipality. It covers a
space of ground in Poydras-street forty-two feet wide by four hundred
and two long—extending from near Baronne to Circus-street. It was
built in 1837, and cost $40,000.
The Vegetable Market. The ground plan of this building is irregular,
having been constructed at different periods. It approaches the Roman
Doric order— is supported by brick columns plastered, and covered with
a wooden frame roof tiled. It fronts on Old Levee, St. Philip and Ursuline-streets, and the river. The design was by J. Pilie, who superin­
tended the work. It was completed in 1830, at an expense of $25,800.




508

Commercial C iti^ and Towns o f the United States :

The Meat Market, built in the rusticated Doric order, was completed
in 1813, after the designs of J. Piernas, city surveyor. The building is
of brick plastered, with a wooden frame roof, covered with slate. It is
situated on the Levee, and extends from St. Ann to M ain-streets; and,
from its favorable location, and neat simplicity of architecture, is a striking
object to those who approach the city by water. It cost about $30,000.
St. Mary’s Market. This building fronts on Tchoupitoulas-street, and
runs to New Levee, a distance of 486 feet by a width of 42 feet. It was
completed in 1836, in the rusticated Doric order, at a cost of about
$48,000. In the vicinity, on the first named street, is a vegetable market
—a very neat edifice.
M an ufa ctu res in New Orleans have, until recently, been but little
known. There are now, however, several actively employed and well
patronized branches of the manufacturing business ; which, if not calcu­
lated to compete with those in other markets, answer a very good purpose
for its own.
The Iron Foundry of Messrs. Leeds & Co. produces every variety of
machinery that steamboats and manufactories require for extensive oper­
ations. It has been established many years, at the corner of Foucher and
Delord streets, occupies nearly a whole square, and is on as extensive a
scale as any in the country. The business-like and prompt system prac­
ticed by the conductors, is known to all who require their aid upon the
whole line of the Mississippi and its tributaries.
Steam Plaining Mill upon Carondolet Walk, has been in successful
operation over four years. Lumber is landed upon Carondolet Canal,
which passes in front of the building.
Steam Saw Mills. Of these there are tw o; one located in the third
municipality, the other five miles below the city, and both upon the
banks of the river. They can furnish lumber of almost any description
in abundance.
Rope Walks. There are several of these in different parts of the cityr
where cordage may be manufactured to any extent demanded by the busi­
ness of the place. Besides these, there are several flour mills, a paper
mill, sugar refinery, cotton factories, &c., all in successful operation.
T h e C otton P r e sses . This is the place, of all others, for these ex­
tensive buildings, which generally occupy a square, and sometimes more.
They are numerous and extensive establishments. A brief description
of two of the most prominent will serve for the whole, as they very much
resemble each other in their construction.
The Levee Cotton Press, erected by a company under that name, was
completed in 1832, at a cost of $500,000. No architectural effect was
aimed at in the facade, which is, however, neat and plain. This estab­
lishment can press about 200,000 bales per annum.
The Orleans Cotton Press. This vast establishment fronts on the Mis­
sissippi, running back on Roffignac and New Levee-streets. The ground
occupied is 632 by 308 feet, and is nearly covered by the buildings. The
whole was built according to designs made by Charles F. Zimpel, begun
in 1833, and completed in 1835, at a cost, including the site, of $753,558.
The front on the river, although having no pretensions to architectural
effect, is still, from its location and extent, quite impressive. This press
can store 25,000 bales of cotton, and compresses, on an average, 150,000
bales per annum ; but its capacity is much greater.




/

New Orleans: its Trade and-Commerce.

509

B a n k s .—Louisiana State Bank. This building was erected in 1822,
at a cost, including the ground, of $55,000. The plan was from Latrobe,
and Benjamin Fox the architect. It stands on the corner of Royal and
Bienville-streets, and presents rather a plain but neat external appearance.
It is most substantially built; the lower story is heavily arched, and the
banking apartments are completely fire-proof. Capital, $2,000,000.
The Mechanics'1 and Traders’ Bank is situated on Canal-street, occu­
pying only an ordinary house, compared to some others, and requires no
particular description. Capital, $2,000,000.
The City Bank is a building of the Ionic order, situated in Camp, near
Canal-street, and designed by W. L. Atkinson, architect. Its construc­
tion was commenced in 1837, and finished in 1838, under the superin­
tendence of J. Gallier, at a cost of about $50,000. The banking room is
admired for its elegant simplicity. Capital, $2,000,000.
The Gas Bank. This building, in St. Charles-street, between Canal
and Common-streets, is so closely squeezed in among others, that it has
little opportunity to show off the beauty it possesses. It was erected in
1839, under the superintendence of Sidel & Stewart, at an expense of
about $25,000, ground $25,000, making $50,000, and is every way well
calculated for a banking house. The original capital was $4,000,000,
but it was reduced to $180,000, and by request of the stockholders, the
banking privileges have been withdrawn by an act of the Legislature
of 1845.
The Canal Bank has its entrance in the centre of the front on Maga­
zine-street, of a substantial granite building which stands on that and the
corner of Gravier-street. That portion of the edifice is very tastefullyarranged after the designs of Dakin, the architect. It was erected in
1845. The residue of the structure is used for stores. Capital,
$4,000,000.
The Bank o f Louisiana is a fine Ionic building at the south-west corner
of Royal and Conti-streets, surrounded by a handsome court. The whole
edifice is well arranged ; the banking room in particular is admired for its
good architectural effect, being sixty feet square, and of a proportionate
height, with a fine gallery above. It was commenced by Bickle, Hamlet,
& Fox, builders, in 1826, and finished the following year, at a cost of
$80,000. Capital, $4,000,000.
Banks’ Arcade occupies the front of a square on Magazine-street, be­
tween Gravier and Natchez-streets, having a main entrance from each of
those last named, to the Arcade, which divides the building through the
whole length—being three stories high, and covered with glass, to ex­
clude rain and admit the light. In the lower and second stories are offi­
ces of almost all descriptions; and the third is appropriated mostly to
sleeping-rooms.
The bar-room, opening on Magazine-street, is 100 by 60 feet, and 35
in height. It is handsomely embellished, has a gallery surrounding the
upper story, and is a popular place for public meetings. It will accom­
modate 5,000 people on such occasions. This building stands in the
centre of business, and, consequently, is a place of great resort for mer­
chants and others. Erected by Thomas Banks in 1833, Charles Zimple,
architect.
City Exchange. This magnificent edifice, which is one of the greatest
ornaments of the city, fronts on three streets—about 300 feet on St Louis,




510

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States :

and 120 each on Royal and Chartres-street—the building being intended;
by the projectors to combine the convenience of a city exchange, hotel,
bank, large ball rooms, and private stores.
The principal facade, on St. Louis-street, may be generally described
as being composed of the Tuscan and Doric orders. The main entrance
is formed by six columns of the composite Doric order. Through this
portico, access is had to the vestibule of the Exchange, a handsome, though
simple hall, 127 by 40 feet. This room is appropriated to general busi­
ness, and constantly open during waking hours. You pass through this
into one of the most beautiful rotundas in America, which is devoted ex­
clusively to business, and is open from noon to three o’clock P. M. This
fine room is surrounded by arcades and galleries, always open to the pub­
lic, (Sundays excepted,) and its general appearance cannot fail to impress
upon the mind a most favorable idea of its grandeur and beauty. The
dome is most tastefully laid off in compartments, within which the magic
pencils of Canova and Pinoli have portrayed allegorical scenes and
the busts of eminent Americans, in rich fresco; a style of painting com­
paratively new in the United States. The floors of the gallery which
engird the rotunda, and the winding stairs leading to them, are of iron.
By a side entrance on St. Louis-street, access is obtained to the second
story ; the front of which, on this street, is occupied by a suit of ball-rooms
and their dependencies. The great ball-room is magnificent in its size
and decorations. The building also has a capacious entrance on Royalstreet, as a hotel that can accommodate 200 persons. At the corner of
Chartres-street are the public baths. In the spring of 1840 this building
was nearly burnt down, but, in less than two years, it was completely re­
stored to its original splendor.
The Commercial Exchange. This edifice is upon the south-west corner
of St. Charles and Perdido-streets, fronting 103 feet upon the former, and
running 100 upon the latter. The main part of the building is con­
structed of brick and stuccoed; the upper portion is purely Corinthian,
the lower entirely Tuscan. The principal entrance, on St. Charles-street,
is by a portico supported by two Ionic pillars, and the same number of
pilastres, composed of granite. The vestibule is eleven feet deep, which
admits visitors by three separate doors into the exchange saloon, the most
spacious apartment of the kind in the United States ; it being 70 by 100
feet, and 27 to the ceiling, which is supported by twelve well arranged
and substantial pillars. At the rear of this public room are two others,
intended for the accommodation of auctioneers, leaving only sufficient
space on the left for the necessary offices and access to the second floor.
The Merchants' Exchange, fronting on Royal-street and Exchange
Place, was erected by a joint stock company in 1835-6, from the designs
and under the superintendence of Mr. Dakin, architect. Both fronts are
of marble, in a plain and bold style. The cost of the erection was
# 100 , 000 .
The Merchants' Reading Room— entrance from Royal-street and Ex­
change Place. This reading room occupied a spacious apartment in the
second story of the Merchants’ Exchange, and is under the patronage and
control of the company interested in that building. It is generally sup­
plied with most of the newspapers of the country, and has received a patronage quite equal to the extent of its accommodations.
For several of the preceding paragraphs, we are indebted to a little




511

New Orleans: its Trade and Commerce.

volume published in 1845 by B. H. Norman, Esq., entitled “ Norman’s
New Orleans and Environs,” a work embracing in a small compass a
brief historical sketch of the territory and State of Louisiana and the city
of New Orleans, with other matters of general as well as local interest.
The following table, made up with great care by the editors of the New
Orleans Price Current, will give a pretty accurate idea of the extent of
the internal trade of that city. It shows the quantity and value of the
principal productions of the interior received at New Orleans during the
year ending on the 31st of August, 1848,'with their estimated average
and total value.
1847-8.
Value.
$118,554
925,088
324,200
834,255
15,245
1,009,866
743,250
51,212
226,065
23,120
27,920
284,784
205,268
3,366
,
910
35,200,345
95,086
305,749
1,192,009
157,086
67,000
1,032
192,000
- 3,962
64,800
39,537
3,53 4,790
650,000
410,096
59,575
170,317
21,030
27,540
3,672,527
910,983
126,320
14,920
1,699,504
12,292
1,920,000
350,415
15,920
46,540
29,975
108,020
60
303,782
3,030,0“0
794,035

QUANTITY AMD VALUE OF PRODUCE RECEIVED AT NEW ORLEANS FROSI THE INTERIOR IN

'
Articles.
Apples.................................
Bacon, assorted.................. ..hhds. and casks
Bacon, assorted..................
Bacon hams.........................
Bacon in hulk.....................
Bagging................................
Bale rope.............................
Beans....................................
Butter..................................
Butter..................................
Beeswax.............................
B eef....................................
Beef....... ..............................
Beef, dried..................—
Buffalo robes.......................
Cotton..................................
Corn meal............................
Com in ear.........................
Corn, shelled.......................
Cheese.................................
Candles........... ....................
Cider....................................
Coal, western.............. .
Dried apples and peaches..
Feathers...............................
Flaxseed..............................
Flour....................................
Fats..............................hhds. braid, and boxes
Hemp..................................
Hides..................................
Hay......................................
Iron, pig............................. .
Lard.....................................
Lard....................................
Lard....................................
Leather...............................
Lime, western....................
Lead...................................
Lead, har............................
Molasses (estimated crop).
Oats.....................................
Onidbs................................
Oil, Linseed......................
Oil, Castor.........................
Oil, Lard...........................
Peach brandy. .................
Potatoes..............................
Pork....................................
Pork.....................................




Amount.
39,518
28,909
16,210
18,539
381,140
77,682
74,325
20,485
45,213
1,156
698
35,598
14,662
56,100
14
1,213,805
47,543
509,583
1,083.465
52,362
16,750
344
320,000
1,585
2,594
4,393
706,958
410
21,584
47,662
61,934
701
459
216,031
303,661
6,316
14,920
606,966
787
12,000,000
467,219
7,960
2,327
1,199
5,401
4
151,861
356,480
14,201

Average.
$3 00
32 00
20 00
45 00
4
13 00
10 00
2 50
5 00
20 00
40 00
8 00
14 00
6
65 00
29 00
2 00
60
1 10
3 00
4 00
3 00
60
2 50
25 00
9 00
5 00
19
1
2
30
60
17
3
20
1
2
16

00
25
75
00
00
00
00
00
00
80
00
16
75
2 00
20 00
25 00
20 00
15 00
2 00
8 50
35 00

512

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States:
QUANTITY AND VALUE OF PRODUCE RECEIVED AT NEW ORLEANS— CONTINUED.

Articles.

Pork,in bulk......................
Porter and a le ...................
Packing yarn.....................
Skins, Deer........................
Skins, Bear.........................
Shot.....................................
Soap................................ ...
Staves.................................. .........................M.
Sugar (estimated crop)......
Spanish moss......................
Tallow................................
Tobacco, leaf.....................
Tobacco, strips...................
Tobacco, chewing.............. ,..kegs and boxes
Tobacco..............................
Twine................................ bundles and boxes
Vinegar................................
Whiskey..............................
Window glass.....................
Wheat..................................
Other various articles, estimated at............

Amount.

Average.

Value.

13,564,430
3,492
3,333
1,361
22
5,258
' 5,580
2,000
240,000
3,406
4,357
47,882
8,000
6,390
118
2,132
1,199
135,333
4,260
149,181

3
7 00
7 00
20 00
15 00
18 00
2 50
40 00
40 00
4 00
18 00
55 00
90 00
12 00
3 00
11 00
4 00
7 00
4 00
1 80

$406,932
24,444
23,331
27,220
330
94,644
13,950
80,000
9,600,000
13,624
78,426
2,633,510
720,000
76,680
354
23,450
4,796
947,331
17,040
269,659
5,000,000
$79,779,151

Total value..........

It will be seen that the above table gives the quantities and value of
the different articles of produce received at New Orleans from the interior
for the year 1847-8. In the following table we give the quantities, omit­
ting that year, for the six preceding years :—
IMPORTS INTO NEW ORLEANS, FROM THE INTERIOR, FOR SIX YEARS, FROM THE 1ST SEPTEMBER
TO THE 3 1 S T AUGUST, IN EACH YEAR.

Articles.
1846-7. 1845-6.
39,612
26,775
Apples...............
36,932
Bacon, ass’d. casks, &c.
25,213
14,518
12,092
Bacon hams......
Bacon in bulk..
425,163 492,700
96,601
60,982
Bagging............
56,201
56,678
Bale rope........... .. .coils
24,536
16,585
Beans................
44,172
51,384
Butter................
872
1,494
Butter................
1,200
1,109
Beeswax............
4,920
3,100
Beeswax............
Beef.........bbls. and tcs.
62,231
53,968
49,000
98,200
Beef, dried........
Buffalo robes.... . .packs
55
1,031
Cotton—
Lou. and Miss. .bales 453,842 765,315
14,276
Lake...............
4,356
N. Ala. and Tenn... 211,502 222,677
Arkansas.......
34,876
35,279
Mobile...........
6,356
16,379
Florida...........
16,966
5,884
4,249
Texas.............
2,345
3,905
Corn meal.......... ...bbls.
88,159
619,756 358,573
Corn in ears.......
Corn, shelled....,..sacks 2,3b6,510 1,166,120
57,429
57,392
Cheese...............
8,496
10,461
Candles..............
477
135
Cider/................




1844—
5. 1843—
4. 1842-1 1841-2.
26,515
43,969
67,803
26,443
12,892
19,563
16,568
13,505
8,358
19,070
13,588
9,220
350,000 1,203,821 1,453,798 1,288,109
111,324 100,216
89,721
60,307
67,600
83,684
80,932
63,307
7,006
7,619
8,878
10,993
30,319
18,831
18,530
11,791
396
500
894
284
1,464
1,911
985
343
510
3,300
2,677
32,674
49,363
17,549
17,455
58,200
55,610
51,400
60,812
1,915
5,445
5,135
3,122
688,244
19,533
198,246
23,103
12,123
12,830
25,159
7,917
139,686
390,964
39,091
5,170
385

627,769
13,234
169,334
21,835
47,596
12,916
18,170
3,769
165,354
360,052
12,583
3,913
1,419

824,045
14,280
191,410
30,511
10,687
3,381
15,328
5,415
255,058
427,552
3,502
1,201
1,026

583,328
8,967
118,629
16,734
4,565
2,831
5,101
6,023
240,675
338,709
2,710
3,593
1,130

New Orleans: its Trade and Commerce.

513

IMPORTS INTO NEW ORLEANS FROM THE INTERIOR— CONTINUED.

Articles.
1846-7. 1845—
6. 1844-5. 1848-4. 1842-1. 1841-2.
Coal, western...
356,500 262,800 281,000 227,788 255,568 140,582
474
Dried peaches..
1,112
718
3,009
137
863
Dried apples....
5,761
930
1,758
889
958
1,115
Flaxseed ......... .
2,181
962
823
4,273
13,480
863
Flour................
1,617,675 837,985 533,312 502,507 521,175 439,688
118
75
28
43
Furs.................
37
45
253
609
581
496
326
Furs....................bundles
1,792
Feathers...........
5,403
4,568
3,498
4,607
1,484
1,737
30,980
46,274
38,062
Hemp.............. __bales
60,238
14,873
1,211
Hides...............
98,342 112,913 117,863
76,490
45,957
26,169
700
8,300
9,600
3,870
Homs..............
1,700
700
71,270
37,296
35,132
Hay..................
95,231
28,059
20,166
207
100
1,083
211
1,151
Iron, pig..........
322
212
143
45
167
Lard.................
1,433
74
60,078 119,717 104,540
Lard.................
117,077 107,639
18,207
275,076 334,969 245,414 373,341 307,871 366,694
Lard.................
6,233
3,767
Lime, western..
5,994
8.387
1,159
830
650,129 785,394 732,125 639,269 571,949 472,556
Lead................
1,431
788
851
701
1,291
Lead, bar........
1,084
888
30
Lead, white ...
11,686
7,853
50
592
64,852
91,710 132,363 105,086
Molasses..........
66,183
69,104
Oats......bbls. and sacks 588,337 269,386 144,262 130,432 120,430
63,281
6,979
7,499
6,443
Onions............ .
7,185
4,614
3,338
1,356
2,260
1,135
3,637
1,356
Oil, Linseed...
305
3,385
2,379
1,439
2,757
4,976
Oil, Castor.......
3,666
2,413
2,573
2,606
2,647
Oil, Lard........ .
1,818
72
54
46
49
72
Peach brandy...
267
1,316
648
218
1,154
Pickles...kegs and bbls.
445
140
53,779
142,888
107.058
56,587
48,060
Potatoes...........
26,201
302,170
369,601
216,960
412.928
Pork.................
204,G43 244,442
9,452
6,741
9.988
8,800
2,371
Pork................
946
.......lbs.
8,450,700
9,740,752
4,079,600
7,792,000
Pork, in bulk...
6,814,750 4,051,800
231
1,363
86
604
Porter and ale..
1,050
514
2,193
1,180
1,104
1,164
Packing yam...
1,465
2,099
4,364
2,729
1,784
1,939
Skins, deer....
1,496
3,219
3,103
3,992
4,105
4,714
Shot.................
1,588
3,416
93,109
93,288
51,816
82,011
65,036
Sugar...............
50,920
3,633
6,076
4,361
7,399
Soap.................
2,627
1,932
13,000 144,000 361,561 147,000 114,000
147,000
Shingles..........
2,000,000 5,679,000 2,500,000 1,362,678 1,165,400 425,000
Staves...............
8,255
7,828
7,323
6,658
Tallow.............
6,995
5,071
72,896
71,493
55,588
82,435
92,509
Tobacco, leaf...... .hhds.
67,555
3,040
5,309
3,930
Tobacco, chew’g..kegs
7,695
4,902
3,618
1,105
3,799
4,771
1,001
Tobacco...........
3,008
3,298
734
1,951
1,285
2,099
Twine...............bundles
1,903
1,175
97,651
126,553 117,104
86,947
Whiskey.........
83,597
63,345
3,071
3,805
2,831
2,066
Window glass. . . . boxes
2,342
2,761
64,759
86,014 118,248 134,886
Wheat..bbls. and sacks 833,649 403,786

A passage from the annual remarks of the editors of the Price Current
and Merchants’ Transcript will furnish the best illustration we can give
of the foregoing table :—
“ Our records show an immense falling off in the operations in the leading ar­
ticles under this head during the past year, as compared with the season ending
the 1st September last. It will of course be remembered by all that a famine in
Europe had produced an extraordinary demand for breadstuffs, and the consequent
elevation in prices brought forth from our well-filled granaries not only the abun­
dant product of the then current year, but also the hoarded surplus of previous
seasons. It was thus that our receipts here, as well as at the other shipping ports
of the country, suddenly rose to double those of the year immediately preceding,
V O L . X IX . --- N O . V .
33




514

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States:

and to an amount many fold greater than those of any previous year. The very
thorough manner in which the West gave up her supplies in 1846-7, and the
comparatively limited foreign demand during the past season, have carried back
our receipts of breadstulfs to less than one-half what they were last year. Thus
our arrivals of flour are 706,958 barrels, against 1,617,675 barrels last year; of
Indian corn equal to 3,600,000 bushels, against 7,065,000 bushels last year; of
wheat equal to 300,000 bushels, against 1,670,000 last year; of com meal 47,543
..barrels, against 88,159 barrels last year. The exports show a corresponding re­
duction. The total exports of flour amount to 472,519 barrels, against 1,319,506
barrels last year. Of this quantity 15,416 barrels have been sent to Great Britain
and Ireland, 88,676 to the West Indies, &cl, and the remainder to coastwise ports.
Of Indian corn the total exports are equal to 3,059,000 bushels, against 6,303,000
bushels last year. Of this quantity 1,360,000 bushels have been shipped to Great
Britain and Ireland, 173,000 to the West Indies, &c., and the remainder to coast­
wise ports. Of wheat there have been exported to foreign ports barely 35,000
bushels, nearly all of which was to Great Britain; the bulk of the receipts being
shipped to the North, and a portion consumed in our city mills.”
The leading exports of New Orleans are cotton, tobacco, sugar, mo­
lasses, flour, pork, bacon, lard, &c. The following tables show the extent
of the trade in these and other articles of export from that port for a series
of years:—
EXPORTS OF COTTON FROM NEW ORLEANS FOR SIX TEARS.

Whither exported.
Liverpool.......................
London..........................
Glasgow and Greenock
Cowes, Falmouth, &c.
Cork, Belfast, &c........
Havre............................
Bordeaux.....................
Marseilles.....................
Nantz, Cette, & Rouen
Amsterdam..................
Rotterdam and Ghent.
Bremen.........................
Antwerp, &c.......
Hamburgh...................
Gottenburgh..................
Spain and Gibraltar.....
Havana, Mexico, &c...
Genoa, Trieste, & c....
China............................
Other foreign ports......
New York...................
Boston...........................
Providence, R. I ...........
Philadelphia.................
Baltimore.......................
Portsmouth...................
Other coastwise ports..
Western States.............
Total...................

1847-8. 1846-7. 1845—
6. 1844—
5. 1841-4. 1842-1.
Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

619,817

367,810
48
10,598
6,102
810
90,103
330
3,323
1,963

529,675
2,025
36,213
17,975

595
4,369
2,912
7,466
4,376
17,705
9,376
30,542

521,953
159
17,893
8,134
14,181
146,153
2,315
6,806
4,254
2,019
53
3,419
7,838
3,585
3,877
1,679
29,800
52,607

6,579
55,187
75,546
470
13,582
7,288
3,491
1,437
2,500

8,050
74,757
111,666
5,783
13,690
5,507
2,769
910
5,000

112,995
2,314
7,857
1,854
1,253
2,355
9,211
7,196
9,123
1,630
821
62,083
27,201
2,353
2,267
52,880
75,357
78
6,784
3,640
1,053
2,423
6,000

488,817
518
21,265
14,893
2,182
107,973
1,418
7,462
3,127
1,360
512
2,770
8,499
3,156
402

624,681
61
35,831
15,939
2,926
159,658
2,861
9,982
8,374
2,593
2,173
13,303
17,693
13,664
114
401
21,177
17,662
4,303
1,342
48,036
73,891
674
3,253
3,278

724,508 1,054,857

984,616

27,996
6,270
123,856
3,178
8,659
5,275
1,831
304
8,716
14,170
7,091
4,887
32,565
25,468
45,228
1,490
13,057
67,578
143,989
1,566
16,213
12,328
5,733
3,132
1,500
1,201,897

33,151
19,704
1,208
82,814
72,400
211
6,919
4,698
4,136
3,280
2,500

3,000
2,000

895,375 1,088,870

The recapitulation of the above statement, which follows, shows the
aggregate quantity of cotton shipped to the leading commercial nations,
as well as that sent to different ports in the United States, and designated
as “ coastwise.”




New Orleans: its Trade and Commerce,

515

RECAPITULATION.

Great Britain................
France...........................
North of Europe...........
S. of Europe and China
Coastwise......................

Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

Bales.

654,083
140,968
50,056
104,751
252,039

385,368
95,719
26,297
57,623
159,501

562,320
159,528
28,841
84,086
220,082

585,888
125,020
33,035
92,458
148,215

527,675
119,980
17,907
52,855
176,958

679,438
180,875
50,882
43,543
134,132

724,508 1,054,857

984,616

895,375 1,088,870

Total......................... 1,201,897

B/iles.

We give a similar table of the exports of tobacco for the same years :—
EXPORTS OF TOBACCO FROM NEW ORLEANS FOR SIX YEARS.

1847-8. 1846-7. 1846-6. 1844-6. 1841-4.1842-1.

Whither exported.

Hkds.

Hhds.

Hhds.

Hhds.

Hhds.

Liverpool.............................
London................................
Glasgow and Greenock.....
Cowes, Falmouth, &c.......
Cork, Belfast, &c..............
Havre...................................
Bordeaux............................
Marseilles............................
Nantz, Cette, and Rouen.
Amsterdam.........................
Rotterdam and Gheqt.......
Bremen................................
Antwerp, & c......................
Hamburgh...........................
Gottenburgh.......................
Spain and Gibraltar...........
Havana, Mexico, &c.........
Genoa, Trieste, & c........ ..
China...................................
Other foreign ports.............
New York..........................
Boston................. ................
Providence, R. I.................
Philadelphia........................
Baltimore.............................
Portsmouth.........................
Other coastwise ports........
Western States.............. .

Hhds.

8,706
10,008

3,374
5,173

8,976
12,888

4,947
6,475

8,808
8,291

6,788
9,851

1,153

1,148

2,641

1,131

5,424

10,798

2,201
128
2,625

1,159
242
2,096

2,215
1,067
1,006

3,514 .
1,565
3,934

4,846
1,156
5,102

4,648
2,332
4,665

75
5,252
3,371
239
945
7,692
617
3,388

568
4,446
1,652
403
949
11,795

451
1,104
6,328
4,294
181
943
9,843

5,046

2,375

50
1,014
12,012
3,862
786
909
6,749
903
3,001

3,775
917
9,602
2,178
2,303
734
10,681
1,601
1,556

2,770
2,933
7,888
5,657
1,477
963
4,496
1,063
1,760

975
9,573
1,619

1,008
5,458
2,664

298
4,848
913

794
6,936
4,938

1,177
6,960
2,585

217
10,533
3,650

1,369
200

2,779
301

1,030
427

1,286
2,536
478 ' 1,167

2,845
2,433

228

115

217

2,145

1,100

2,194

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

60,364

50,376

Great Britain......................
France.................................
North of Europe................
South of Europe and China
Coastwise............................
Total................................

.....

62,045

68,679

81,249

89,891

RECAPITULATION.
24,505
19,867
9,695
4,288
3,497
4,954
13,301
10,475
8,018
12,516
17,849
12,079
7,435
12,989
11,317

12,553
9,013
19,051
11,029
17,033

22,523
11,104
20,175
14,349
13,098

27,437
11,645
21,618
7,536
21,655

62,045

68,679

81,249

89,891

60,364

50,376

The following table exhibits the comparative arrivals, exports, and
stocks of cotton and tobacco at New Orleans for the last ten years, from
the 1st of September in each year to the 31st of August:—
- TOBACCO. —

Years.

1847-8........... ....
1846-7...........
1845-6...........
1844-5...........

Arrivals.
Bales.

Exports.
Bales.

Stocks.
Bales.

Arrivals.
Hhds.

Exports.
Hhds.

1,201,897
724,508
1,054,857
984,616

37,401
23,493
6,332
7,556

Stocks.
Hhds.

1,213,805

55,882
55,588
72,896
71,493

60,364
50,376
62,045
68,679

14,854
22,336
17,924
7,673




979,238

516

Commercial Cities and Towns o f the United States

1843-4.................
1842-3.................
1841-2.................
1840-1.................
1839-40..............
1838-9.................

910,854
1,089,642
740,155
822,870
954,445
578,514

895,375
1,088,870
749,267
821,228
949,320
579,179

12,934
4,700
4,428
14,490
17,867
10,308

82,435
92,509
67,555
53,170
43,827
28,153

81,249
89,891
68,058
54,667
40,436
30,780

4,859
4,873
2,255
2,758
4,409
1,294

EXPORTS OP SUSAR FROM NEW ORLEANS FOR THREE YEARS, (CP THE RIVER EXCEPTED,) FROM
1 s t SEPTEMBER TO 3 1 S T AUGUST.

1847-8.

1846-7.

1845-6.

Hhds.

Bbls.

Hhds.

Bbls.

Hhds.

Bbls.

New York....................................... 3P,053
Philadelphia..................................... 19,808
Charleston, S. C...............................
3,355
Savannah..........................................
806
Providence and Bristol, R. I .........................
3,674
Boston.........................
Baltimore.......................................... 11,149
Norfolk......................................... £
n ogg
Richmond and Petersburgh, Va. $
*
Alexandria, D. C-...........................
230
Mobile..............................................
5,310
Apalachicola and Pensacola...........
1,738
Other ports.......................................
171

2,600
1,512
539

16,754
11,653
3,147
1,352

802
653
647
58

33,068
21,804
3,412
1,062

2,448
2,421
1,198
\ 65

869
3,258

695
5,981

"43
395

3,208
9,143

1,288
1,672

861

4,806

966

3,997

1,215

...

1,604
426
273

156
3,783
1,415
371

1,038
473
76

175
5,739
1,067
533

1,020
158
8

11,942

50,113

5,451

83,208

11,493

Whither exported.

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

89,182

EXPORTS OF MOLASSES FROM NEW ORLEANS FOR THREE YEARS, (UP THE RIVER EXCEPTED,) FROM
1ST SEPTEMBER TO 3 1 ST AUGUST.

Whither exported.
New York................................... ...
Philadelphia......................................
Charleston, S. C..............................
Savannah..........................................
Providence and Bristol, R. I .........
Boston...................... .......................
Baltimore......- ................................
Norfolk......................................... ?
Richmond and Petersburg!!, Va. y
Alexandria, D. C...................... „..
Mobile..............................................
Apalachicola and Pensacola.........
Other ports.....................- ................
Total.............................................

1847-8.
Hhds.
Bbls.
31,225
10,871
6,660
118
2,334
1,143
602
1,177
5,067
1,522 12,002

5,747
117

7,121 '

1846i-7.
Hhds.
Bbls.
2,842 15,861
60
4,512
3,238
1,752
22
337

413
3,348

252

3,225

..... .

2,142

112
9,645
3,984
1,015

11,866

90,638

4,053

511
6,497
.....* * 2,565
540
286
42,208

1845—6.
Hhds.
Bbls.
17,515
580 13,925
2
6,328
2,214
579
280
318
1,402
185
5,181
27
3,767

3,002

10

428
13,464
2,039
671

4,703

67,214

The exports of flour, pork, bacon, lard, beef, lead, whiskey, and com
for the three years, 1845 to 1848, are given in the following table :—
EXPORTS OF FLOUR, PORE, BACON, LARD, BEEF, LEAD, WHISKEY, AND CORN FOR THE THREE
YEARS FROM 1ST SEPTEMBER TO 31 ST AUGUST.

1847-8.
Ports.

Flour.
Bbls.

Pork.
Bbls.

Bacon.
Hhds.

New York........ 80,940 103,885 10,542
Boston................ 210,545 104,290 5,655
Philadelphia...... 26,452 15,920 5,482
Baltimore...........
50 31,439 6,028
Charleston.........
6,235
2,328 4,218
Oth. coastw. pts. 39,635 13,241 11,865
Cuba.................. 14,038
2,134
918
Oth. foreign pts. 94,625 45,126 1,346
Total.




Lard.
Kegs.

Beef.
Bbls.

Lead.
Pigs.

Whiskev.
Bbls.

299,871 . 6,662 358,989 9,785
391,690 8,523 144,181
687
59,998
575 79,438 4,226
74,947 1,528 10,431 5.364
9,777
311
35 12,419
13,203 2,725
37,977
427
132,407
413,603 20,630
1,755
562

Corn.
Sacks.

262,333
268,501
6,967
6,937
59,007
59,486
560,630

472,519 318,363 46,054 1,395,496 41,381 594,829 71,020 1,223,861

in

New Orleans: its Trade and Commerce.
Flour.
Bbls.

Ports.

Pork.
Bbls.

1846-7.

Bacon.
Hkds.

63,877 77,828
New York........
96,507 76,755
Boston...............
Philadelphia....
13,296
5,247
Baltimore.........
3,638 17,167
Charleston.........
37,720
1,004
Oth. coastw. pts.
8,381 11,033
43,051 1,092
Cuba..................
Oth. foreign pts. 1,053,037 40,394

Lard.
Kegs.

Beef.
Bbls.

517

Lead.
Pigs.

3,480 209,945 9,167
2,379 165,513 9,053
852 53,377
564
1,159 23,251
556
2,874
5,362
150
11,092 12,813 2,943
1,015 144,002
467
3,053 293,714 29,096

Whiskey.
Bbls.

339,560
123,917
135,489
9,962
465
1,000
149
13,716

Corn.
Sacks.

8,210 107,890
1,162 139,678
4,856
15,324
7,103
3,253
8,180
800
33,005
43,842
........ 133,798
743 2,076,228

Total............. 1,319,506 230,520 25,904 907,977 51,996 624,257 63,259 2,520,813
Flour.
Bbls.

Ports.

Pork.
Bbls.

1845-6.

Bacon.
Hhds.

Lard.
Kegs.

Beef.
Bbls.

Lead.
Pigs.

Whiskey.
Bbls.

Corn.
Sacks.

New York......... 83,854 88,228 2,873 204,323 5,162 309,681 4,098 172,186
Boston...'............ 122,148 89,164
846 190,504 3,501 139,364
150 289,523
Philadelphia....
250 29,783 1,238
69,153
99 70,113
647
8,671
729 39,619
446 11,961 2,175
1,000
Baltimore.......................... 19,523
Charleston......... 11,476
2,828 1,962
5,607
275
4,620 8,982
87,953
Oth. coastw. pts. 68,441 13,434 12,720
20,671 4,490
8,460 41,869 175,581
7,094
1,005
610
92,336
391
........................................
Cuba.................
Oth. foreign pts. 279,931 28,354 64
168,521 43,798 174,086
260 211,674
Total.............. 573,194 272,319 21,042

790,904 58,162 718,285 58,181

941,589

MONTHLY ARRIVALS OF SHIPS, BARKS, BRIGS, SCHOONERS, AND STEAMBOATS FOR FOUR YEARS,
FROM 1 s t SEPTEMBER TO 31sT AUGUST.

18,17 8
Months.

0Q
*5'

a

w

T?

#

P

ro

rjl

m

■a

September...... 17 13
October....... .. 43 27
November...... 146 45
December....... 99 61
January....... ... 102 82
60
February.....
March......... ... 97 50
April........... ... 72 42
May............ ... 90 42
June........... ... 88 39
July............ ... 68 34
August....... ... 36 14

15 41
6
18 44 12
31 62 15
66 72 14
74 97 18
59 74 16
47 82 17
40 68 11
35 96 22
33 49 20
24 59 26
20 51 29

>-3
O
E.
:

92
144
299
312
373
306
293
233
285
229
211
150

A
02
w
o

&
184
288
266
311
349
316
327
250
229
171
152
134

Total...... ... 955 509 462 795 206 2,927 2,977
18 ISA
Months.

ISlfi 7
to
5f.

P

37
78
67
72
78
42
83
86
77
51
53
45

30
35
45
64
34
53
41
51
38
30
18

to

rn

a

CO
tr

5*
12

i9
31
63
62
91
63
72
45
87
54
52
24

42
80
63
43
99
85
105
86
166
101
67
52

7
7
9
8
6
5
1
6
11
19
16
14

O
£

CO
CO
O
P

117 141
226 177
237 281
230 337
338 346
229 298
314 317
264 293
392 284
263 251
218 174
153 125

769 451 663 989 109 2,981 4,024
1S11 5

Ships. Barks. Brigs. Schrs. Total. S. boats. Ships. Barks. Brigs. Schrs. Total. S. boats.

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

24
86
81
80
67
29
67
110
60
44
52
43

7
25
22
49
77
21
24
40
30
25
24
33

7
20
33
48
74
36
33
47
27
42
39
41

Total.....

743

377

447




14
26
39
42
62
50
32
37
61
30
61
64

52
157
175
219
280
136
156
234
178
141
176
181

26
164
234
69
220
74
83
245
298 118
52
293
299
93
294
78
32
271
184
52
151
23
117
18

518 2,085 2,770

718

9
16
25
39
48
44
40
34
19
12
8
3

12
14
29
37
57
56
62
48
12
6
8
10

8
6
28
29
48
52
49
34
25
14
12
11

297

351

316 :1,682 2,539

55
105
156
188
271
204
244
194
88
84
51
42

120
165
233
289
279
272
281
242
228
168
154
99

518

Commercial Advantages o f California.

According to the census of 1840, there were eight commercial and 375
commission houses in foreign trade, with a capital of $16,490,000 ; 1,881
retail stores, with a capital of $11,018,225; 32 lumber yards, with a
capital of $67,800 ; six furnaces, with a capital of $355,000 ; hardware
was manufactured to the amount of $30,000 ; one cotton factory with 700
spindles employed a capital of $20,000 ; tobacco manufactures employed
a capital of $60,000; one tannery had a capital of $50,000 ; two distil­
leries employed a capital of $56,000; three sugar refineries produced to
the amount of $700,000 ; three steam saw mills had a capital of $175,000 ;
18 printing offices, 5 binderies, 9 daily, 6 weekly, and 2 semi-weekly news­
papers employed a capital of $162,200 ; 201 brick or stone houses, and
210 wooden houses were built, at a cost of $2,234,300. The total capi­
tal employed in manufactures was $1,774,200. There were two colleges,
with 105 students; 10 academies, with 440 students; 25 schools, with
975 scholars.

Art. V.— C O M M E R C I A L A D V A N T A G E S OP C A L I F O R N I A .
I t is not our object in this article to expatiate upon the beauty of scenery
and remarkable natural objects which present themselves at every step
throughout this splendid acquisition to our wide-spread republic, and which
are so happily delineated by the namesake and near relative of the great
American poet.* And although the work before us is rich in anecdote
and fruitful in illustration, possessing in a great degree the charm of ro­
mance with all the attractions of the most agreeable and touching inven­
tions of genius, the character of our Journal forbids the indulgence of our
wishes in quoting from this portion of it.
It is our duty to point out to the merchant, the mechanic and agricul­
turist what is of more permanent interest, at a period when millions of
the industrious and enterprising, are compelled, by circumstances beyond
their control, to abandon their homes in the old world and seek refuge in
the new.
Mr. Bryant informs us that Upper California was discovered in 1548
by Cavello, the Spanish navigator. In 1578 the northern portion of if
was visited by Sir Francis Drake, who called it New Albion. It was first
colonized by the Spaniards in 1768, and formed a province of Mexico un­
til after the revolution in that country. It is bounded by Oregon on the
North, the forty-second degree of north latitude being the boundary line
of the two territories ; on the East by the Rocky Mountains, on the South
by Sonora and Old or Lower California, and on the West by the Pacific
O cean; its extent from north to south being about 700 miles, and theaverage distance from east to west is about the same. The strip of coun­
try along the Pacific Ocean; about 700 miles in length and an average of
125 miles in breadth, bounded on the east by the Sierra Nevada and on
the west by the Pacific, is the only fertile portion of this extensive territory.
The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers have each a course of from 300
to 400 m iles; the first flowing from the north and the last from the south,
and both emptying into the Bay of San Francisco at the same point. They
* W hat I saw in California in 1846 and 1847. By E dwin Bryant, Alcalde of San
Francisco. 1 yol. 12mo. New York: I>. Appleton & Go.




Commercial Advantages o f California.

519

water the large and fertile valley lying between the Sierra Nevada and
the coast range of mountains. This noble valley, the first in California
and one of the most magnificent in the world, is about 500 miles long and
50 wide. It is bounded on the east by the great Snowy Mountains, and
on the west by the low range, which in many places dwindles into insig­
nificant hills, and has its northern terminus at the Strait of Carquines, on
the Bay of San Francisco, and its southern near the Colorado river, which
is the largest in Upper California and has a course of about 1,000 miles,
emptying itself into the Gulf of California in latitude about 32° North.
The Bay of San Francisco is about 45 miles long at its extreme points
if taken in a straight line in a north north-west and south south-east di­
rection, and its greatest width about 12 miles. From its position and ex­
tent, the city and port of the same name must become the depot for all
the produce of the great rivers and valleys. It will also become the great
naval station of the Pacific, and here also will be the rendezvous for wha­
lers. The exports of California will rapidly increase ; and to the 150,000
hides and 200,000 arrobas of tallow, our enterprising countrymen will an­
nually add increasing quantities of beef, pork, and breadstuff's, as well as
fish. Salmon of the largest size are taken here in great quantities, and
will form an important item.
The town of San Francisco is regularly laid out in lots of 50 varas
square, generally six of which form a block. Some, however, are in lots
of 100 varas, and are also in blocks of six. The streets are from 50 to
110 feet wide. There are large hotels here, besides boarding and public
houses. Two wharves are nearly completed, which are indispensable to
the mercantile houses, and other important facilities for trade are in pro­
gress. The rapidity of the growth of this place, we are confident in sta­
ting, will far surpass that of our most prosperous western cities. Several
very extensive warehouses have been erected, and many new stores, shops,
and dwellings were in progress of erection when the “ gold fever” com­
menced, which has deprived two hundred houses of tenants, and will no
doubt for the moment check the growth of the town.
A writer who had lived in Oregon thus writes from California:—
My letters from Oregon, you may recollect, were quite favorable to that
country. Possessing a mild, genial, and healthful climate, much good
land—the Willamette in particular—and capable of raising nearly all
descriptions of grain and vegetables, it gives pretty good satisfaction to
most emigrants. Though not finding it that imaginary El Dorado where
honey flows in streams and money grows on trees, many of the most rest­
less and roving have come here. In papers from home, I perceive quite
a false story told of our California climate by some volunteer writers.
They say it is a land of fogs. If so, Italy must be a land of fogs too, and
far from being so delightful an abode as tourists tell us, since intelligent
travellers over both say there is a strong resemblance between the two.
Immediately on the seaboard—say San Francisco for one—there is during
a part of the year, though only for a portion of the day, much wind and
fog. But in the interior a little, in the vale of Sonoma for instance, though
immediately on the bay and but eight leagues from the ocean, there is
nothing of the sort to object to. The thermometer ranges at San Fran­
cisco from 60° to 75°. A peach orchard bloomed in January and the fruit
uninjured. Culinary vegetables are raised the year round. W heat
succeeds admirably, yielding, in quality and quantity, equal to Genesee or




520

Commercial Advantages o f California.

Egyptian. In grapes and wine this land will, ere long, challenge the
world. It is emphatically the land of the vine.
Sheep are very prolific, and subject to no diseases; and here is just the
pasturage and climate for growing the finest Merino and Saxony fleeces,
Old Spain and New Holland not excepted.
ARRIVALS OF MERCHANT VESSELS AT THE FORT OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FROM APRIL 1 S T ,
1 8 4 7 , t o Ap r i l 1 s t , 1 8 4 8 .

Name.
Master.
Where from.
April..... ...Schooner General Keamy.... ...Shelly........... ...Sandwich Islands.
a
‘‘
Currency Lass......
Bark Columbia......................
...Columbia River.
Schooner Commodore Shubrick.Von Pfister...
...N ew York.
Ship Brutus...........................
...Columbia River.
Bark Toulon.........................
“ Whiton........................
...New York.
Brig Prima Vera...................
...San Pedro.
I(
Bark Guypuscuana................
May....... ...Brig Elizabeth........................
...Monterey.
...Oregon.
“ Commodore Stockton...
...H all...........
...Sandwich Islands.
Schooner Santa Cruz............
“
Commodore Shubrick.Von Pfister... ...Monterey.
it
“
Annis......................
“
Commodore Stockton.Young.......... .. .Bodega.
June....... . . .Schooner Commodore Shubrick.Von Pfister... ...Santa Cruz.
Schooner Prudence...............
“
Matilda.................
Julv........ ...Brig Euphemia.....................

((
...Monterey.
...Sandwich Islands.

...H all..............
“ Confederacino...............
...Chili.
“ Maria Helena...............
Bark Tasso.............................
“ Whiton..........................
Brig Laura Ann.....................
...Santa Cruz.
August.., ...Brig Santa Cruz..................
“ Francisco......................
“
Ship Mount Vernon..............
...Columbia River.
Brig Prima Vera...................
Bark Georgiana..................... ...Kelly.............
Ship Triad..............................
.. .North-west Coast.
Brig Henry.............................
...Columbia River.
.. .Southern Coast.
Bark Guypuscuana................
Ship Obed Michell.................
...North-west Coast.
4< Pacific............................
“ Evelina.........................
. ..U. States via Sandwich
Ship Citizen...........................
“ Emily Morgan.............
“ Copia.............................
" California......................
M Euphrates.....................
Bark Iris.................................
Brig Malek Adhel.................
“ Matilda..........................
Ship Vesper............................
" Covington.....................
“ Bowditch......................
“ Magnolia.......................
Brig Mary Ann......................
“ Elizabeth........................




...North-west Coast.
...New Bedford.
<t
««
(t
...N ew London.
...Monterey.
...Santa Cruz.
...N ew Bedford.
...Warren, Rhode Island.
it
(4
.. New Bedford.
...Santa Cruz.
. ..San Diego.

Commercial Advantages o f California.

521

Where from.
Name.
Master.
September...Schooner Prudence................. ..Mitchell....... ...Sandwich Islands.
«<
“
Commodore Shubrick.Morgan........
“
Alice........................ .Hinckley..... ....San Solito.
Ship Armata............................. .Fitch............. ...New London.
October...... Ship Naslednich........................ .Hamden....... ...Sitka.
“ Southampton................... .Thornburn.... ...Monterey.
Schooner Commodore Stockton....................... .. .Bodega.
Ship Confederacino.................. .Jones............. .. .San Pedro.
“ Clementine........................ .Hashagen....,
November..Ship Corea................................ .Hempstead... ...New London.
Bark Whiton............................. .Gelston.............Columbia River.
Brig Henry................................ .Kelborn......... ..Astoria.
Schooner Currency Lass......... .McLean....... ...Sandwich Islands.
“
December.. .Brig Laura Ann........................ .Thomas........
Bark Angola............................. .Varney.......... ...Monterey.
tt
Brig Henry................................ .Kelborn........ .
Bark Natalia............................
.. .Chili via Sandwich Islands.
Brig Commodore Stockton...... •Kinch............ .. .Bodega.
January......Brig Lady Adams..................... .Hanna ......... .. .Callao.
“ Malek Adhel..................... .Phelps..............Monterey.
Bark Anita................................ .Shoive............ .. .San Pedro.
February....Brig Eagle-............................... .Levett........... ...Canton.
Ship Sweden............................ .N ott.............. . .United States.
“ Anita................................ .Woodworth.. ...Monterey,
March........ Ship Barnstable........................ .H all.............. ...San Pedro.
Brig Sabine............................... .Vincent......... ...Boston.
“ Providence........................ .Hinckley....... ..Sandwich Islands.

The following additional statistics were furnished by the Collector of
the Port of San Francisco, and embraces the quarter ending December
31, 1847:—
Total value of exports for the quarter $49,597 53, of which $30,353 85
were of the produce of California, and were shipped as follows:—To
Peru, $21,448 35; Mazatlan, $560; Russian America, $7,285 50; Tahita, $700 ; Sandwich Islands, $320. The balance were of the produce
of foreign countries, $19,343 68, and shipped as follows :—To the United
States, $2,160; Sandwich Islands, $12,442 18; Mazatlan, $4,831 50.
Total imports for the same period $53,589 73, of which $6,790 54
came from the United States, $7,701 59 from Oregon, $3,676 44 from
Chili, $31,740 73 from the Sandwich Islands, $2,471 32 from Russian
America, $492 57 from Bremen, and $710 54 from Mexico.
At present a large portion of the trade of San Francisco is indirect,
and consequently costly to the consumers, who have to pay duties and pro­
fits to the merchants and governments of other countries by these chan­
nels of traffic. In selecting the port of San Francisco for a naval estab­
lishment upon the Pacific, our government has shown a degree of sagaci­
ty worthy of the highest statesmanship. Without the succor which Amer­
ican ports could extend to our commerce, we already have four-fifths of
all the shipping upon the Pacific under our flag. With the assistance of
a secure naval establishment on the western coast, under American laws,
our commercial interests must rapidly increase.
It has been shown that about $32,000 of the trade of San Francisco
for the three months ending 31st December, 1847, was with the Sandwich
Islands, and mostly for articles not the growth or produce of them. It
would be a moderate estimate to allow the same amount of trade with all
the other California ports for the same period, and this would be an an­
nual indirect and costly trade of about $250,000. The amount of trade




522

Commercial Advantages o f California.

which the Sandwich Islanders haye heretofore annually enjoyed from our
men-of-war, whalers, and merchantmen, is about $450,000, which must
soon be transferred to our merchants on the coast of California, and is
mostly for beef, pork, flour, poultry, vegetables, &c.
W e notice by the papers of the day, that companies are being formed
in various parts of our Union for the purpose of emigrating in large
bodies to California, and there is every indication of an extensive ingress
annually for many years to come. The country is particularly healthy
and ample for a large influx of population, which will be sure to create a
good market for all the soil can produce.
Most of the supplies for our squadrons in the East Indies and the Pa­
cific are shipped from the United States, passing twice under the Equator
in a six months’ voyage, and around either Cape Horn or the Cape of
Good H ope; and articles so perishable as provisions are greatly injured
by such a voyage if not rendered valueless, or, what is worse, a fruitful
source of sickness among the crews. It requires but little attention so tosystematize the business of supplies, in order that beef, pork, bread and
flour shall be furnished as cheap in California as in New York.
A recent arrival from Canton has shown the practicability of voyages
being made between San Francisco and China in forty-five days ; and the
average period of voyages from San Francisco to the Mexican ports down
the coast and to the Sandwich Islands, is less than twenty days.
It is impossible at present to make a correct estimate of the mineral
wealth of California, so lately is it that the subject has received the atten­
tion of the public. The discoveries already made, however, warrant the
assertion that it is among the richest mineral countries in the world.
Gold, silver, quicksilver, iron, copper, lead, sulphur, and saltpetre have
been found. The gold washings at the American Fork and Feather Riv­
ers are yielding (as we are informed by a communication made by Mr.
Larkin, navy agent at San Francisco, to the Navy Department) an aver­
age of ten dollars per man per diem to more than a thousand therein em­
ployed ; and their success will doubtless attract extensive emigration from
the States, which the more reliable and permanent advantages would fail
to secure. The establishment of a Branch Mint at the gold region would
be of very great advantage to the government as well as inhabitants, as
it would save the expense and risk of shipping specie to the shores of the
Pacific for the payment of the troops and crews.
Our government has extended a fostering hand to Messrs. Howland and
Aspinwall in the establishment of the new line of Pacific steamers, the
first of which, the “ California,” left us for Rio and Valparaiso in October
last, and will receive passengers at Panama on the 1st of January, (who
will leave New York in December,) and probably arrive at San Francisco
about the 15th of January.




The next Census o f the United States.

5-23

Art. VI.— T H E N E X T C E N S U S OF T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S .
A m e m o r i a l or petition from New York invited the early attention of
Congress, at its late session, to the census to be taken in 1850, so that
there might be more time for maturing the plan of taking it, and conse­
quently a greater probability of obtaining a stock of statistical information
of so much value not merely to statesmen and all who cultivate political
philosophy, but to every class of productive industry. The subject, how­
ever, having no party bearing, it was not acted upon, and the next session
being a short one, there is danger that the law for taking the census of
1850 may be passed in the same hurried way as that for the census of
1840, and have the same defects.
The part of that document which relates to the annual products of the
country being confessedly the most inaccurate, is the one most susceptible
of improvement, and it well deserves the consideration of those who have
turned their attention to statistical inquiries, since they may thus make
valuable suggestions to their representatives in Congress, who may, per­
chance, not be familiar with such topics, and who are, moreover, often so
much distracted by other subjects as not fully to profit by the knowledge
which they have.
But after an enumeration of the annual products is correctly made, it is
of no less importance that there should be accurate estimates of their value ;
and as these estimates are often made on crude and mistaken principles,
the following remarks are suggested, by way of caution to those who are
not conversant with this branch of political arithmetic.
A principal source of error in our estimates of the annual products of
industry and capital, is in counting the same article twice. Thus, in reck­
oning the value of houses built within the year, the bricks or timber which
have been used may have been estimated under those separate heads; so
may the locks, nails, and hinges, the glass, paint, &c., and consequently the
value of all these should be deducted from the gross value of the houses,
to show the clear addition which the latter have made to the annual pro­
duct.
Sometimes, indeed, without such deductions, the same article would be
counted more than twice. Thus, the iron which had been reckoned as the
product of the furnace, may be again reckoned in the products of the roll­
ing or slitting m ill; a third time in the manufacture of nails, or fabrics
of sheet iron ; and even a fourth time in the gross value of a house or a
ship.
In like manner, in our estimates of manufactures, after reckoning the
value of the leather made in the year, if we reckon the whole value of the
shoes, saddles, bridles, trunks, &c., the leather is counted twice ; and the
value of the hides, which had been comprehended in the estimate of the
cattle or of the imports, would be counted three times. In this way the
amount of the manufactures in some States has been grossly exaggerated.
Nor must we fall into the opposite error, as some have done, of con­
founding the nett addition to the wealth of the country with the value of
its annual product. The first, which consists of the excess of production
over consumption, bears a very small proportion to the actual product,
since nearly all the value that is annually produced is annually consumed.
Such excess, even in the most thriving countries, probably never exceeds,




524

The next Census o f the United States.

even if it reaches, 5 per cent of the annual product; and although a
knowledge of its amount is desirable, as making the addition that has been
made to the national capital, which is one of its sources of wealth, yet it
is of far less importance than a knowledge of the value of the whole pro­
duct, since that constitutes the fund from which the whole population is to
be fed, clothed, housed, and furnished with all that is to be consumed both
productively and unproductively. Thus, of the annual products of agri­
culture, one part is productively consumed in feeding the industrious classes
or useful animals, in furnishing the seed for a future crop, or in supplying
materials for export; and the other part is unproductively consumed by
the idle classes, consisting of a small proportion of men, a somewhat
larger proportion of women, and more than half the children.
The value of the gross annual product is not only most important, but
is also most practicable. We can make a much nearer approximation to
the value of the whole product than to that of the several parts of which
it is composed, since each is subjected to its own uncertainty, besides sha­
ring in that of the whole product. We can, for example, make a nearer
approach to the value of the whole crop of wheat than we can, first, to the
values which respectively replace what was consumed in making it in
paying laborers, in feeding work horses and oxen, in the cost of the seed,
and in the wear and tear of the farming utensils; and secondly, to the
values which remain as the profits of capital and of rent.
In estimating the vegetable products of agriculture, we should take the
value of each at the place of production, or at that market to which it is
transported by the labor appertaining to the farm or plantation. The
increased value at more distant markets would be the result of the cost
and profits of transportation, which should be separately estimated.
But the value of the animal products of agriculture presents a problem
of more difficulty, since so far as the live stock have been fed in the year
on articles separately valued, to that amount deduction should be made
from the value of their natural increase. That increase, too, differs in
the different species of stock, and in different systems of husbandry, and
the different conditions in which they are sent to market. The price of
those fitted for the shambles is commonly double, or more than double of
the general average price.
Two modes of estimating this class of agricultural products have been
adopted. One is to estimate the portion annually slaughtered, (supposed
to be one-fourth of the whole number,) and about one-sixth part of the
horses, at their ordinary market price, as part of the produce of the pas­
ture land. The other is to reckon one-fourth of every species of live
stock at the average price of the whole of such species, and also the whole
of the hay secured from the land.
The first mode is adopted by Mr. McCulloch in his statistical account
of Great Britain, who thus estimates the annual agricultural product of
England and Wales.
I. The annual crops.
Crops.

Wheat........................
'Barley and rye..........
Oats and beans.........
Roots.........................
Clover.......................




Acres.

3,800,000
900,000
3,000,000
1,200,000 l
1,300,000 \

__ Produce per
acre.
Total produce.
Quarters.
Quarters.

3i
4
4J
£ 5 5s.
per acre.

12,350,000
3,600,000
13,500,000
----- -------29,400,000

Price per
quarter.

50s.
30
25

Value.

£30,875,000
5,400,000
16,875,000
13,125,000
£66,275,000

525

The next Census o f the United States.

To this sum he adds for hops, &c., £5,750,000, making the total value
of the annual crops of England and Wales, £72,900,000.
II. The various products of the •pasture land he estimates at £ 3 10s.
an acre, amounting to £59,500,000, which sum he thinks probably consists
of the following items :—
Cattle, 1,100,000, at £13 each........................................................................
Calves, 200,000, at £ 3 each.............................................................................
Sheep and lambs, 6,800,000, at £ 1 10s. each..............................................
Wool, (exclusive of slaughtered sheep,) 333,000 packs, at £12 each___ _
Hogs and pigs, 555,000, at £ 1 16s. each......... ............................................
Horses, 200,000 full grown, annually produced, at £15 each....................
Poultry, eggs, rabbits, deer, &c........................ ...............................................
Meadow and grass for work and pleasure horses..........................................
Dairy produce, or milk, butter, and cheese......................................... ..........

£14,300,000
600,000
10,200,000
. 4,056,000
1,000,000
3,000,000
1,344,000
13,000,000
12,000,000

Total............................................................................., ............

£59,500,000

The other mode is adopted by Professor Tucker in his “ Progress of
the United States and though he estimates the whole quantity of hay at
the market price, yet as he reckons one-fourth of the live stock (the as­
sumed average increase) at the ordinary prices of all descriptions, and
not at the prices of those fatted for slaughter, as Mr. McCulloch had done,
there is not a difference of the half of 1 per cent in the two modes when
applied to this class of products in the United States, as may be seen in the
following comparison:—
ACCORDING TO THE ESTIMATE MADE IN THE “ PROGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.”

Horses and mules, one-fourth 1,083,904 are valued at
Cattle,
“
4,742,896
Sheep,
“
4,827,843
«
Hogs,
«
6,575,323
“

$53,035,410
37,586,585
6,913,038
11,753,386

The whole crop of hay.......................................... ............

$109,288,419
80,081,000
$189,339,419

If the estimate of the same animal products be made on the principles
adopted by Mr. McCulloch, that is, if one-sixth of the horses and mules
be taken as the annual product, and they be valued higher than the gene­
ral average for being fu ll grown, say one-sixth, and the fourth part of the
other live stock be valued at double the average price of all descriptions,
by reason of their being fit for slaughter, the result will be as follows:—
Horses and mules, one-sixth part full grown..................................................
Cattle, one-fourth slaughtered..........................................................................
Sheep,
“
Hogs,
“
•Meadow and grass for pleasure and work horses bearing the same propor­
tion to $153,765,781 as £13,000,000 bears to £59,200,000.................

$41,259,763
75,173,170
13,826,076
23,506,772
$153,765,781
36,459,000
$190,224,781 *

* In strictness, the £13,000,000 should be compared with the £59,500,000 minus the
value of the poultry, &c., the wool and the dairy produce amounting to £17,400,000,
which correction would swell the amount for meadow and grass in the United States to
ten or twelve millions more than the preceding estimate. The whole amount which Mr.
McCulloch allows for clover and grass in England is about $96,000,000.




526

The next Census o f the United States.

It may, however, be remarked, that if the number of slaughtered cattle
is one-fourth, as Mr. McCulloch supposes, (and in this country the propor­
tion is probably greater,) much more than the same proportion should be
allowed for the annual increase of the sheep and hogs. That of sheep
cannot be less than one-third, and that of hogs not less than one-half
the whole number. When, moreover, it is recollected that, in the prece­
ding estimate, the slaughtered cattle are rated at little more than one-third
of the price at which Mr. McCulloch rates those in England, and sheep
and hogs in the like proportion, we must be satisfied that if the English
estimate is not greatly too high, that of the United States must be much
too low.
But probably neither of these modes make close approaches to the
truth. The only basis for a correct estimate of this part of our agri­
cultural products would be an enumeration of each species of live stock
slaughtered in the year, separately valued in each State.
In our estimates of the national income, the rents of houses and other
buildings have not been commonly included. There seems, however, to
be no propriety in the omission, whether we regard them as rent or the
profits of capital, since the rent of arable and pasture lands, and the pro­
fits of agricultural capital, as well as the wages of agricultural labor, are
all comprehended in the value of the annual products of the land, and
there is as much reason for counting the profits of one species of real estate
as those of another. The capital thus vested greatly exceeds in amount
that employed in commerce. It is of equal utility, and if its, rate of profit
is less than that vested in commerce or manufactures, it is much more solid
and permanent. Indeed, it is in this form principally that the nett profits
of other employments of capital and industry add to the stock of the national
wealth.
The last census, without directly affording information of the amount
derived from this source, furnishes us with some data on which we may
make a rough estimate of it. It states the number of houses erected in
1839-40 to be 54,113, at a cost of §41,917,401. This may, then, be re­
garded as the provision necessary for the annual increase to the popula­
tion. That increase is about 2.8 per cent annually, and if the houses
previously built were of equal value with those built in 1839-40, then the
whole amount vested in this way would be near fifteejt hundred millions
of dollars, (§1,497,000,000 ;) but the progressive increase of individual
as well as of national wealth, requires us to set a lower estimate on the
previous buildings, and for the amount thus reduced, the average raje of
profit afforded by this species of property would give us the amount of the
annual rents. If we, at a venture, deduct 20 per cent from §1,497,000,000,
and estimate the rent at 8 per cent on the balance, (§1,097,600,000,) it
will give us §878,080,000 as the annual profit from this source when the
last census was taken. But we can rely on no estimate that is not found­
ed on an actual enumeration of the rents paid, or their equivalent value,
to the occupant proprietors.
In comparing the proportion of the annual product which falls to each
individual in different countries, if we would make a just estimate of their
comparative abundance and comfort, we must deduct the amount which
they severally contribute to the support of government, or pay in taxes of
every kind. Thus, the amount paid in England in taxes and poor rates is
not much short of twenty dollars for each individual; whereas all that is




The Proposed Railroad to the Pacific.

527

paid in the United States to the General and the State government, does not
average four dollars to each individual.
In conclusion, the author of the preceding remarks hopes that what he
has here said may call forth the attention of others to the approaching
census ; and he takes the liberty of adding that they would derive valuable
suggestions from the statistical work of Mr. Russel, of New York, pubfished in 1840, and that of Mr. Seaman, of Detroit, published in 1846.

Art. VII.— T H E P R O P O S E D R A I L R O A D TO T H E P A C I F I C .
W e cheerfully give place to the letter of Mr. Whitney, the projector o f
the majestic enterprise of completing a railroad from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. Mr. Whitney’s proposition is, to purchase sixty miles wide of
the public domain from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, at a reduced
price, and construct the road as an individual enterprise. He estimates
the length of the road at 2,030 miles, allowing 250 miles for detour or
windings ; and its cost, when ready for operation, at $60,000,000. This
subject has been brought before both houses of Congress. In the House
of Representatives it was referred to a select committee, and on the 23d
of June, 1848, Mr. Pollock, as chairman of that committee, made an able
and interesting report, favorable to the views of Mr. Whitney. W e regret that the press of matter designed for the present number compels us
to omit several passages in the report which we had marked to accompa­
ny the following letter, addressed by Mr. W . to the editor of this Magazine.
F reeman H unt, E sq., Editor of the Merchants’ Magazine, etc.
D ear S ir :—The unprecedented, and, I may say, outrageous attack from the

Hon. Mr. Benton, in the United States Senate, on the 29th July last, which, it
appears, was caused in part by his fears that I may make a claim on the govern­
ment for having remained at Washington during four or five sessions, having
walked upon the carpets of the capital and annoyed members of Congress, renders
it not improper (even without his permission) to simply state my position, so ob­
noxious to that gentleman.
I believe it is pretty generally known that I have devoted four years exclusively
to the subject of a railroad from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, and that I
devoted a part of two other years to the same subject in Asia. That I have ex­
plored and examined more than 800 miles of the route—explored 1,500 miles of
the Missouri River, as also other streams, to ascertain where they could be
bridged; and that a great part of the country over which I passed had never be­
fore been traversed except by savages, and those who accompanied me can attest
to these facts; and now Mr. Benton says that my “ surveys have extended only
from one end of this capital to the other.”
My explorations extended as far as was my first intention, and as far as was
necessary. It was for my own account, and at my own expense, and its results
not fully published to the world. My object was, to ascertain the facilities which
the country might afford for, and the value of the lands on which depended the
entire work. The explorations of Col. Fremont, with accounts from many others,
had satisfied me of the feasibility of the whole route.
I have done all this at my own expense, and have never asked Congress to ap­
propriate one dollar for me. Even the printing of maps to accompany reports of
committees, has been objected to by Mr. Benton, and were furnished at my own
expense; and in no instance has Congress paid for any extra printing.
In addition to all my time, I have expended a very handsome sum of money,




528

The Proposed Railroad to the Pacific.

and have never made any claim upon Congress, and now Mr. Benton appears to
be horrified from the fear of a claim, (except, perhaps, from a particular quarter;)
and that his mind may not be “ disturbed,” but be at rest on my account, I do hereby
forever renounce any, all, and every claim upon Congress or the people, for my
efforts to get a railroad to Oregon.
My motive was, to benefit the country and the world. I was willing to give
my life, my all, to the work which to me appeared so very important. If I have
failed in my object, I am happy in knowing I have not drawn one dollar from the
public treasury, but have heretofore paid large sums into it.
I am also happy in believing that the country at large understood and sustained
me. Eighteen State legislatures (generally by unanimous votes of the two
houses) passed resolutions approving and recommending the adoption of my plan,
declaring it the only feasible one by which this great work could ever be accom­
plished, and instructing and requesting their delegates in Congress to vote for it.
A committee in the 28th Congress reported in its favor. The Senate’s Com­
mittee on Public Lands of the 29th Congress, introduced a very full report unan­
imous in its favor, with a bill to carry it out. Said report contained a full though
concise statement, geographical, commercial, and statistical, of all Asia, Japan,
China, India, Polynesia, and all the islands, population, commerce, products, re­
sources and all, which cost me much time and labor.

At the present session of Congress, the House appointed a select committee of
nine, to examine and report upon it; the report was unanimous in its favor, with
a bill to carry it out.
The Senate also appointed a select committee of five for the same object—Mr.
Niles, (chairman,) Mr. Dixon H. Lewis, Mr. Bell, Mr. Felch, and Mr. Corwin.
A bill was prepared by the chairman, and after examinations and amendments at
several meetings, the committee was unanimous, and reported the bill to the Sen­
ate. On Saturday, 29th July last, Mr. Niles moved to take it up for considera­
tion, when it was attacked in a boisterous and unparliamentary manner by Mr.
Benton, who, it is presumed, had never read, or even knew, the enactments and
conditions of the bill. He closed with a motion to lay the motion on the table,
which, not being debateable, prevailed, 27 to 21, with several Senators absent, who
are friendly to, and would vote for the bill; and several voted to lay Mr. Niles’
motion on the table, believing there would not be time to act upon it at the close
of the session, while there was so great a press of other unfinished business, as
also the exciting territorial bills, and who say they will vote for my bill at a more
suitable time.

To the people at large, to the many public meetings, and to the eighteen State
legislatures, who have encouraged and sustained me, is due this explanation. I
have acted for them, and not for myself; to them and to my country have I done
my full duty, without the expectation of other reward than that of being the in­
strument of benefit to mankind. If they are satisfied with this end, I surely shall
not complain.
If I have been troublesome to, and interrupted members of Congress, it was not
for myself, but for my country, as a duty, and feeling that every intelligent gentle­
man (and more especially members of Congress) would find pleasure in examin­
ing a subject promising so much good; and I am happy in being able to say that
in almost all instances I have been received as politely and civilly as I could have
desired.

The work proposed is so large, and the results promised so immense, that it is
not surprising those who would not take the trouble to investigate, have pro­
nounced it impracticable and visionary. But in no instance have I found a man,
or a body of men, who would hear and examine, that were not convinced and
satisfied of its perfect feasibility and vast importance. The farmers and mechan­
ics, from one extreme of the country to the other, understand, and are in favor of
it. Therefore my views (however large they may appear to those who have never
examined the subject) have been so fully and strongly sustained, that I feel they
cannot justly be called “ visionary, or a humbug.”
I have shown to the people the plain and simple way by which this great work




The Proposed Railroad to the Pacific.

529

might be accomplished; have explained its great importance and vast results,
giving us the entire control of the commerce of all the world ; and it now appears
that there are members of Congress who have not even read the bill. It is evi­
dent Mr. Benton has not, from his violent opposition to that which is not proposed
in the bill. He objects to granting 100,000,000 acres of land to one individual.
“ Why h e s a y s it is monstrous.”
Now the bill proposes to sell about 78,000,000 acfes, good, bad, and indifferent,
under specified terms and conditions, all so guarded that the government could
not possibly lose one dollar.
This project has been so often explained to the public that it ought to be under­
stood. So different is it from a grant to me of 100,000,000 acres, that I have jiot
even asked for, or does the bill provide that I can take one acre of land, until I
shall have completed ten miles of road in advance, which every one of experience
must know will cost, for such a road as the bill provides, $200,000. Then if the
commissioner, the government, the people and all, are fully satisfied, I am allowed
to sell 5 miles by 60 of land on the line of the road, and an equivalent somewhere
else for any that may have been sold out of this 5 miles by 60, in all 192,000
acres; which, at the present value (72 cents) for soldiers’ bounties, (and which
mast be the price of the best lands until some 16,000,000 acres are disposed of,)
would amount to $138,240, and the government holding the road as security for
my continuance and faithful performance of contract, and the government also
holding the other 5 miles by 60, or 192,000 acres, through which the road is com,
pleted. Now if I could not make this 192,000 acres produce enough to return
the $200,000 expended on tli'e ten miles of road, then the work could not be con­
tinued ; the government would not allow me to take one acre of land, and I should
have Sunken the $200,000. But if, from the results of my energies, efforts, and
labor, I raise from its present value of $138,240 the 192,000 acres to or beyond
the $200,000 expended, then the 192,000 acres (the other half) held by the gov­
ernment would have imparted to it an equal increase in value from the same
causes. Such would be the case for 800 miles through the good or available
lands, or so far as the 5 miles by 60, or 192,000 acres, would furnish means to
construct the ten miles of road, the government holding the road as security
for all, and also holding one-half (alternate 5 miles by 60) of all the lands—each
and every ten miles of road being completed in advance of my being allowed to
take any land—the road, with the alternate settlements, imparting benefits to and
enhancing the half, held by the government far exceeding that taken by myself.
The reserve lands would be held to furnish means for the construction of the road
through the immense distance of poor land; where I should proceed as before,
first build the ten miles of road, and when the 10 miles by 60, or 384,000 acres,
could not be sold for enough for the outlay for the ten miles of road, then the re­
serve lands would be sold sufficient for, and applied to that purpose ; and so on to
the ocean, each and every ten miles of road would be finished in advance of re­
ceiving any lands or money. And until a l l shall have been completed and in suc­
cessful operation, the government would hold the road, the surplus lands, i f a n y ,
and all as security for the payment of ten cents per acre for all the lands; and
also as security that the government should in no way be made responsible or
chargeable for keeping up and in operation the said road, until its earnings could
provide for that purpose—then the title to the road would vest in me, always, how­
ever, subject to the action and control of Congress in regulating and fixing the
tolls, &e., and the United States mails to be transported free of charge.
The reserved and all surplus lands to be sold at auction in lots of from 40 to
160 acres.
And should all the lands fully reimburse for the outlay for constructing the road,
its machinery, &c., with the sum paid to the government for the entire lands, then
Congress would have power to regulate the tolls, so as not to produce any
income beyond sufficient to keep said road in repairs and operation, and for neces­
sary superintendence ; making it a national, and as nearly a free road as possible,
with tolls less than half what would be charged on the great and principal dividend
paying roads within the States. And how Mr. Benton’s objections can apply to
VOL. XIX.'---- NO. V .




34

530

The Proposed Railroad to the Pacific.

the bill to carry out this great project, I think would be difficult for those who
read it to point out.
With the failure of this bill, I consider the hope fora communication across our
continent, which would be the route for the commerce and intercourse between
Europe and Asia, as forever at an end. The seal would then have been fixed.
We have looked upon the promised land, but could never possess it.
The people of Oregon and California, having the same products as our own,
and seeking the same markets, we could not buy from them, or they purchase
from us. They could receive no benefit from a connection with us, or we from
them.
•
W e might as soon attempt to connect a part of Asia to us. I presume no man
will think of an overland communication with teams through a wilderness and
desert of more than two thousand miles in extent! And, on examination, it
will be found that a n y communication across Panama, could never amount to any
commercial or national benefit—on the contrary, such a communication, as it
could never be the means of facilitating exchanges of products, would but facili­
tate what must be the inevitable result, the building up of a separate and inde­
pendent nation.
With the failure of this bill, the only commercial benefit we could receive from
them, would be in the use of their ports to repair and replenish our whale and
other fishing vessels; and how long would it be before that very important branch
of our commerce would be transferred to, and monopolized by the people of that
coast, with whom we could not compete, when their oil and fish would be sent
from Vancouver’s Island directly to Europe and Asia, and these exchanged for
manufactures and commodities suited to their wants ? And how long would it be
before sufficient capital, with enterprize for all this and more, would be furnished
from Europe, with laws enacted to encourage it? The answer is, in the defeat
of this bill; and the sounds of preparation and outfit will soon give us the answer
from Europe.
The present condition of all Europe demands some great change, which nei­
ther the statesmen or philanthropists are prepared to point out. The population
being so immense, with high prices for land, and heavy taxation upon labor, and
the soil not producing enough to sustain its population, that it appears almost cer­
tain no reform within their means to accomplish can reach the evil. And the
only possible remedy would seem to be in the removal of the surplus population
to some country where land is very low, or without price—where there would be
no tax upon labor, and where the products of the new country might be exchanged
for those of Europe.
Oregon and California now opens a field for such an experiment. Many of
their products might be exchanged with Europe, which could not take place
with us.
Oregon and California will command and monopolize fisheries more extensive
and more valuable than all the world beside—a cod fishery extending to the entire
coast of Japan and China, with the markets of a l l Asia open to all the varieties
they can produce, and all Europe open to them also. With such advantages, and
many more, could they (when their position begins to develop itself) desire a con­
nection with us, from which it is clear they could derive no benefit? Certainly
not. And would not the people of these United States soon tire with the expense
of supporting and sustaining far distant territorial governments, when the products
of the territories could not be drawn to us for markets, and could not be exchanged
with us ? And what benefit can the people residing in any of the States derive
from such territories ? And would the people of these United States, with force
of arms, at an immense cost, attempt to compel a country to submit, and be sub­
ject to us, from which we could receive no benefit ? Therefore, with the failure
of this bill, Oregon, California, and all the north Pacific coast, must be a separate,
independent nation. But, could our interest be united by drawing the commerce
and intercourse of Europe with Asia across our continent, dividing the vast bene­
fits, participating in each other’s local advantages and position, then a union
would have been formed, which time would but strengthen and make more

lasting.




The Proposed Railroad to the Pacific.

531

The time to effect an object bo vastly important passes forever with the failure
of this bill. Before another year passes, the lands on the eastern terminus (the
only source of means) will be applied to other purposes. Material, with advan­
tages indispensable to the success of a work so vast, (and which do not exist at
any other point on the entire route.) will have passed beyond control; and with­
out which (and the road to transport for the immense distance where they do not
exist) it would be as vain to attempt such a work as if its direction were to the
moon.
The attention of the people has been awakened to this subject. It has been
examined, and is understood. More than three-fourths of the people of the whole
country are in favor of it. Its vast importance is becoming more and more mani-»
fest every day. It promises so much, that it will not be suffered to sleep.
A direct communication with Oregon and California, so indispensable to our
future national prosperity and greatness, is being seen and understood throughout
our vast country; and the impossibility of any connection, with the certainty of
a separation and formation of a distinct nation, without a direct railroad commu­
nication, is also being understood and appreciated. The people will not he put
off They will force it upon Congress, but perhaps too late, when it must be
undertaken as a government work, when it would be idle to ever expect its
completion. Look at the Cumberland road, and all such works by the govern­
ment, and even all such works by State governments!
Such a work by the government would not only control, but absorb the entire
legislation of the nation; and being subject to changes of management and direc­
tion at each session of Congress, as would utterly defeat its progress. Those
who are now opposing this project, are forcing upon the country the alternatives
of attempting the work by the government, which could never be accomplished,
or the relinquishment of Oregon and California to a separate, independent nation,
soon to become our dangerous rival for the commerce of all the world, and in
time to supplant and control us—an abandonment of our now “ manifest destiny.”
And I now warn my countrymen against the danger which is inevitable from
either alternative.
This is a work which can never be accomplished by individual enterprize alone,
because no man would invest where he could not expect a return during his life­
time, at. least, and where (from commencement to completion) the accumulation
of interest would triple the cost of the road. Nor can it be accomplished by States
not yet formed, and which can never be formed (without the aid of the road)
through a desert incapable of sustaining population, and without navigable
streams suitable to communicate with civilization and markets.
And I say, without fear of contradiction from any one entitled to an opinion
formed from experience and examination, that this great work can never be ac­
complished on any other plan than that of connecting the sale and settlement of
the lands on its line with the building of the road. Population must keep pace
with the work, and be interested in i t ; the labor for grading the road must pay in
part for the lands, and make houses for the settlers; and the one-half of the 800
miles on the eastern end must furnish means for an equal distance beyond, where
the land is too poor for that purpose.
Any amount of capital, even under the strongest power of arbitrary govern­
ment, (without directly connecting the settlement of the lands on its line with the
work,) could not accomplish it through a wilderness and desert of such vast ex­
tent; and it would be as equally impossible from any terminus where material
with necessary natural advantages do not exist, or could not be controlled.
Should the bill be passed at the early part of the coming session of Congress,
the work may be carried out, though not without difficulties, much increased by
the large amount of lands sold or taken up during the present year. After an­
other season, it would be impossible. Therefore, with the failure of this bill, must
end forever all hope for the accomplishment of this great work.
Most respectfully your obedient servant,
A. W hitney .




532

Mercantile Law Cases.

M E R C A N T I L E LAW CASES.
DUNLAP’S CASES IN THE ENGLISH COURT OF CHANCERY.*

spite of new judiciary systems and new codes, Messrs. Banks, Gould, & Co.
continue their republication of the English Chancery Reports, entire, from the
conviction, apparently, and, without doubt, the correct conviction, that while these
changes affect only one State, the law remaining unchanged in all the rest, and
while they touch chiefly modes and forms, the great principles remaining as they
were, the able decisions of the English Bench, elucidating those principles, will
continue to be of high value.
The present volume (19th of the series) contains the whole of the first volume of
T. J. Phillips’ Reports of Decisions made by Chancellor Lyndhurst from 1841 to
1847, with a few by Lord Cottenham, the present Chancellor.
Besides numerous decisions on points of Chancery practice, this volume con­
tains a number of interesting and valuable cases involving principles. Of these
we note several of a mercantile bearing.
r
In P a r k e r vs. M a r c h a n t , (p. 355,) the terms “ ready money” in a will, were
held to pass the testator’s balances, standing to his credit in the bank. In sup­
port of the opposite ground, it was contended that such a balance is to be consid­
ered as a debt due from the bank. “ It was once doubted whether even bank
notes would pass as money,” but Lord Hardwicke decided that they would.
In F o l e y vs. H i l l , (p. 398,) a bill for an account was filed in 1838, stating that,
in 1829, the plaintiff opened an account with a banker on an agreement that 3
per cent interest should be allowed plaintiff on balances from time to time re­
maining in defendant’s hands. It appeared that only three such balances had
been entered on defendant’s books. The account had never been balanced or
settled, and although balances of interest had, from time to time, become due,
they had not been entered; no fraud, however, in this respect being charged
against the company. There had been some correspondence on the subject, be­
tween two of the defendants, within six years. The Chancellor held that the
letters written by one of the defendants to another were no such acknowledg­
ment as to prevent the lapse of six years from barring the action ; that the lapse
of six years, by virtue of the Statute of Limitations, was a like bar in equity as
in law ; and that the statute acted of its own vigor, and in the same way in equity
as at law, and not merely by analogy to the legal bar. He also held that an ac­
count of only three items was not a proper subject for a bill in equity, for an ac­
count, the relief being complete at law.
Such cases as I n r e S l y a n (p. 104) are valuable, and will become more so, as
the practice of life insurance, in its various applications, becomes more general.
In that case, a policy of insurance was deposited with a creditor as security for a
claim against a firm, before any act of bankruptcy committed by the firm, and
notice of the deposit of the policy was given before to the insurance company before
the assignment in bankruptcy. It was held, that a b o n a fid e transaction of this kind,
before proceedings in bankruptcy, although after actual insolvency, is to be sus­
tained, and that the creditor has a right to retain the security of the policy de­
posited.
While the profession in this country are buying reprints, entire and handsomely
published, of the English Reports, and read them with attention, we notice that
some of the English bar, on the other hand, are not unobservant of the course of
legal affairs on this side of the Atlantic. A writer in an English law journal
In

* Reports of Cases argued and determined in the English Court of Chancery, with
Notes and References to both English and American Decisions. By J. A. D unlap, Coun­
sellor at Law. Vol. XIX. Containing Phillips’ Chancery Reports, Vol. I. 1841-1847.
New York: Published by Banks, Gould, & Co., Law Booksellers, No. 144 Nassau-street;
and by Gould, Banks, & Gould, No. 104 State-street, Albans'. 1848.




Mercantile Law Cases.

533

finds much to commend in the recent reforms in New York, and pays a merited
tribute to the persevering and enlightened labors of David D. Field, Esq., of New
York. He proposes a voyage of discovery to America, in order to ascertain what
practicable and profitable changes are taking place abroad, that can be adopted
at home.
Thus may it ever be. So long as we continue to learn of each other, Ameri­
can changes will be guided by the spirit of learning, and English learning will
not become stagnant with a dull conservatism.

ACTION TO RECOVER EXCESS OF DUTIES.

In the United States Circuit Court, (New York,) September 30th, 1848. Henry
Grinnell et al. vs. Cornelius W. Lawrence.
This is an action for money had and received to recover back an alleged ex­
cess of duties, paid to the defendant as Collector ofthe port of New York.
Ten hundred and fifty rolls of Canton matting were shipped from London in
the ship American Eagle, by the plaintiff, November 15, 1847, containing fortytwo thousand yards, at the cost of $3,880; commission 2J, making a total of
$3,977; on which a duty of 25 per cent was charged, amounting to $994 25.
The entry was made at the custom-house from the original invoice price at
Canton accompanying the goods when shipped from that place to London, Au­
gust 10th, 1846. This invoice accompanied the goods on the re-shipment from
London to this port of New York. On the entry of the goods here, the Collector
directed the appraisers to report charges upon each roll of the matting, and they
reported accordingly, to be charged on each, $1 50 for freight from Canton to
London, making the additional sum of $1,575, upon which duties were charge­
able, which, at 15 per cent, amounted to $483 50 ; and it being claimed that the
appraised value (including the addition of charges for freight from Canton to
London) exceeded by 10 per cent the value as entered at the custom-house, a
duty of 20 per cent on such amended value was also charged and imposed, bv
way of penalty, under the 8th section of the act of 1846, which'amounted to
$1,118 20.
The aggregate amount of duties, including the penalty of 20 per cent thus
charged upon the Canton matting, was $2,515 95; deducting $143 20 on ac­
count of damage to the goods, the aggregate amount stood at $2,382 75.
The sum of $320 50, the duty on the charges (after correction) for freight
from Canton to London, and also $1,859, imposed by way of penalty, making the
sum of $1,038 50, was paid to the Collector under protest.
There was also shipped at the same time, and in the same vessel, a quantity of
crape shawls, which were entered at a cost, including charges and commissions,
of $4,079 47, charged with a duty of 30 per cent, amounting to $1,223 10. This
article had also been shipped from Canton to London, and re-shipped by the plain­
tiff to this port; the charge for freight from Canton to London was added to the
entry, amounting to $102, commission, $2 69, total $105 03; charged with
duty of 30 per cent, was $31 50. This sum was also paid under protest; making
an aggregate of $1,429, with interest, from the time of payment, which the plain­
tiff claimed to recover, and for which a verdict was taken at the Circuit.
D. Lord, for plaintiff. B. F. Butler, for defendant.
N e l s o n , J u s t ic e .—We are of opinion that the charges for freight of the goods
from Canton to London were not authorized by any of the existing tariff acts, to
be added, to form the dutiable value. The act of 1846 did not prescribe the mode
of arriving at the dutiable value of the goods, but referred to the existing laws for
that purpose. These will be found in the provisions of the act of 1842.
The 16th section of that act (5th U. S. Laws, p. 563) provides that it shall be
the duty of the Collector to cause the actual market value, nr wholesale price thereof

at the time when purchased., in the principal markets of the country from whence
the same shall have been imported into the United States, to be appraised and ascer­
tained ; and to such value err price shall be added all costs and charges, except in­




534

Mercantile Law Cases.

surance, and including in every case a charge for commissions, as the true value at
the port where the same may be entered, upon which the duties shall be charged.
It is clear that the costs and charges here referred to, mean those that have
been incurred subsequent to the purchase of the goods, and in the course of the
shipment to the United States; not to costs or charges that may have been in­
curred in any previous shipment to the place from whence imported into this
country. These enter into and form the constituent parts that make up the
market value or wholesale price at the place of importation. To add those again,
would be adding double charges in fixing the valuation. The market value
of goods at a given port includes all previous costs and charges of production,
transportation, and delivery at that market.
Then follows the proviso to the section, that in all cases where the goods shall
have been imported into the United States from a country in which the same shall
have been manufactured or produced, the foreign value shall be appraised and
estimated according to the current market value or wholesale price of similar
articles at the principal markets of the country of production or manufacture, at
the time of the importation to the United States.
This provision is to be construed with reference to, and in connection with,
the enacting clause, and not as an independent provision. If according to the
latter view, then my charges could be admissible, as none are provided for. But
taken in connection, it is a substitute in all cases of shipments of goods from a
place other than the country of production or manufacture, of the current market
value of that country, instead of the market value of the place of importation.
This is the legal effect of the proviso in connection with the enacting clause.
The general rule given for the appraisal, is the market value or wholesale
price, at the time of the purchase, in the principal markets of the place whence
goods are imported; the exception is where the goods are the production of some
other country ; then the current market value of that country is taken; and in
each case add charges, as prescribed in the exacting clause. The cost and
charges in both cases are those which have been incurred at the port of shipment.
The current market value at the principal market of the country of production
was doubtless regarded by Congress as affording, upon the whole, a fairer and
more uniform measure of value than the market value of the place of shipment,
and therefore that measure was substituted in lieu of it, leaving the cost and
charges the same in both cases.
The principle of this proviso was first incorporated into the provisions of the
act of 1823. The fifth section (3 U. S. Laws, p. 739) provided, that to the actual
cost of the goods, if purchased, or actual value, if otherwise procured, and to the
appraised value, if appraised, shall be added all charges, except insurance; pro­
vided, that in all cases where the goods shall have been imported from a country
other than that of production, the appraisers should value the same at the current
value in the country where produced or manufactured.
This is a simple substitution of one measure of valuation for another, in case
the goods were shipped from a country different .from that of production. The
cost and charges remained the same ; so in respect of the act of 1828 and 1832,
(4 U. S. Laws, p. 273, § 16; p. 391, § 7 and 15.)
We find, therefore, no authority for adding the freight of the goods in question
from Canton to London as part of the charges in fixing the dutiable value.
We are also of opinion, that if otherwise, and the freight were properly added,
the penalty of 20 per cent was not chargeable under the act.
The 8th section of the act of 1842 imposes this duty in cases where the ap­
praised value of the goods imported shall exceed by 10 per cent, or more, the value
as declared in the entry. The appraised value, as used in this act of 1846, and
in that of 1842, and indeed in all the revenue acts, means the value of the goods
to be estimated and ascertained by the appraisers, either according to the “ actual
cost,” “ actual value,” or “ market value,” as the case may be, exclusive of charges.
To this value, thus ascertained, charges are to be added in making up the dutiable
value. Charges are not appraised, but are ascertained and added to the appraisal.
This is especially so, as provided in the 16th section of the act of 1842. It directs
the goods to be appraised, and to the value thus ascertained charges to be added.




Mercantile Law Cases.

535

The 8th section of 1846, in question, is to be read in connection with the 16th
section of 1842. Independently of the charge for freight in this case, the ap­
praised value of the Canton matting not only did not exceed the value by 10 per
cent, as entered at the custom-house, but, on the contrary, it was admitted to be
correct.
The case, therefore, has not arisen which justified the imposition of the 20 per
cent within the 8th section of the act of 1846.
But, upon the other view taken of the case, we think the plaintiffs are entitled
to recover back not only the amount of this penalty, but also the duties charged
on the freight from Canton to London, and that judgment should be rendered for
the amount of those two sums, with interest, from the time of payment.
G ENERAL AVERAGE— FREIGHT.

In the United States District Court, July 28, 1848, sitting in Philadelphia.
Myers v s . the Brig Harriet.
This case involves principles of great importance to the mercantile community.
The Harriet sailed from Norfolk on the 27th of November, 1847, bound to Point
a Petre, Guadaloupe. She was loaded with staves, shipped by Myers & Co. to
Carron &. Bonaffe, of Guadaloupe. She met with very heavy, tempestuous
weather, which damaged the vessel, and rendered it impossible to continue the
voyage without repairs. She therefore put into Kingston, Jamaica, where she
arrived December 25th. On survey, it was found that the upper works of the
vessel were considerably strained, and that they needed repairs. These were
made under the orders of the captain, and in order to pay for them, he took the
responsibility of selling the cargo, and returned with the vessel in ballast to the
United States.
The vessel has now been libelled by the shipper and consignee for a breach of
contract and of affreightment, and they ask for a decree for the value of the goods
at the point of shipment, with interest from the time of sailing. The defendant
does not deny a liability for the value of the cargo, but claims that the goods shall
be charged with general average for the expenses from the time of the enforced
deviation, and also the freight. He also contends, in the second place, that he is
only liable for the nett proceeds of the cargo at Kingston.
On these points, the opinion of the Court is as follows:—
1. That general average is not allowed except when the vessel went to a port
of necessity, from which its voyage was afterwards resumed.
2. That freight is not earned if the voyage is abandoned by the delict of the
ship or master.
3. That the captain was not justified in making sale of the cargo at Kingston.
It does not appear that he made any exertion to obtain funds by the hypothecation
of the vessel, or by any maritime contract. In order to justify a sale of the cargo,
the necessity must be absolute and unequivocal, or the sale is a tort. The cap­
tain sold the cargo, not only to pay the repairs, but because he had determined
the voyage should be broken up. It appears that one-half of the amount brought
by the cargo would have been sufficient to pay all the repairs—even if such a
course were allowable. The sale was without excuse—the cargo was not perish­
able, and the master has no right to dispose of the property of the shipper for the
sole benefit of the shipowner. The goods appear to have been disposed of solely
for the benefit of the transporter. The rule is, where the sale of the cargo is
allowable, that no more shall be sold than is necessary, so that the remainder may
be carried to its place of destination by another vessel.
4. The rule determining the amount of damages is the value of the cargo at the
place of shipment, all expenses and interest from the time of shipment. If the
libellant claims more than this, or the defendant asks to be discharged less, they
must elearly and unequivocally show that the goods would, at the place of desti­
nation, bring the amount claimed to be the proper value. Decree for libellants.
It is referred to the Commissioner to ascertain the amount. The defendant
afterwards obtained leave to appeal to the Circuit Court.




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Commercial Chronicle and Review.

COMMERCIAL CHRONICLE AND REVIEW.
T H E MONEY M A R K E T — L E A D IN G F E A T U R E S OF T H E N E W YO RK B A N K S— E X P O R T OF A G R IC U L T U R A L P R O ­
D U C T S — C O M M E R C IA L R E V U L S IO N S — C A U SES OF T H E SC A R C IT Y OF MONEY— LOANS OF T H E FE D E R A L
G O V E R N M E N T — V A L U E OF PR O D U C E R E C E IV E D A T N E W O R LEA N S OP FO R E IG N E X P O R T S , IM P O R T S O F
S P E C IE , T H E A M O U N T OF BANK LOANS, AND S P E C IE IN T H E BANK V A U L T S— S P E C IE IN T H E BANKS OF
EN G L A N D , F R A N C E , N E W Y O R K , N E W O R L E A N S, S O U T H CA RO LIN A , AND O H IO — A G E N E R A L S T A T E M E N T
OF T H E CONDITION OF SO MANY OF T H E BA N K S AS H A V E M ADE R E T U R N S , D A T E D N E A R TO JA N U A R Y 1 S T ,
1 8 4 8 — BO STO N B ANK D IV ID EN D S FO R T H R E E L A S T Y E A R S— N E W Y O R K BA N K D IV ID E N D S FO R FO U R LA ST
Y E A R S — S T A T E OF E X C H A N G E S— IL L IN O IS LOAN, E T C ., E T C .

T h e money market has been tight during the month, and many dealers in New
York and other cities have felt the pressure intensely; but latterly it has beeome
more facile. It has resulted from the course of business during the past year,
that the indebtedness of the city to the country, which was last year large, by
reason of the moderate sales of manufactured goods to the interior in return for
the immense quantities of produce which came down for sale and export, is this
year reversed, and the city dealers have not been able to collect as largely as the
necessity of meeting their own obligations required. The consequence was, a
great diminution in the amount on deposit with the several banks, leaving them
but little means to meet the usual demand for discount which arises from the
dealers in cotton and farm produce at the beginning of a new crop year. The
leading features of the New York banks have been as follows :—
SANES OF NEW YORK.

August, 1843.....................
“
1844.....................
“
1845.....................
November, 1845................
February, 1846..................
May, 1846.........................
August, 1846.....................
November, 1846................
February, 1847..................
May, 1847.........................
August, 1847.....................
November 1,1847.............
“
13,1847...........
March, 1848......................
June, 1848...:....................

Loans.

Specie.

Circolatiou.

Deposits.

$58,593,081
71,623,929
70,179,266
74,780,435
71,897,580
72,591,361
68,652,486
72,301,980
70,087,342
76,688,553
81,285,344
80,558,529
82,561,614
73,921,811
73,497,137

$14,091,779
10,191,974
8,909,527
8,884,545
8,361,383
8,171,624
8,673,309
8,048,384
9,203,242
11,312,171
11,983,124
9,107,920
7,418,928
6,722,326
6,881,663

$14,525,843
18,091,364
18,464,410
21,375,369
20,926,330
20,816,492
17,885,486
22,268,522
21,166,250
23,809,553
25,098,683
26,237,256
25,870,131
23,047,826
20,088,077

$24,679,236*
28,757,112
27,636,526
31,773,961
29,654,401
30,868.377
28,110,553
30,629,196
31,931,770
35,789,954
36,781,080
35,096,818
35,669,795
29,741,507
27.454,820

August 1843 was the lowest point of business in New York, as well as in the
Union at large; and as the exports of produce from the whole country subse­
quently increased, the means of the country to pay for goods improved, and the
operations of the banks increased in amount. For the fiscal year ending June,
1847, the exports of agricultural products from the United States amounted to
$129,108,317, against $78,827,511 in 1846 ; and for the first two quarters of the
fiscal year ending June, 1848, they were $49,833,416, or two-thirds of the value
for the whole year 1846. In the first half of the current year, the exports have
been much less, while the quantity of goods sent into the interior has been at
least 25 per cent greater. Money has consequently become stringent.
Commercial revulsions always arise from the fact that more has been consumed
tiian produced. From the want of a clear understanding of this general fact, ia




537

Commercial Chronicle and Review.

relation to what really constitutes money, much misapprehension prevails at times
as to the causes of a money pressure, and this is particularly the case with that
this year experienced in the Atlantic cities. In the usual course of trade,
imported and manufactured goods are sold on credits to the West, South-west,
and South. As the crop year draws to a close, and the proceeds have been real­
ized in the several sections according to the nature of the local staple, the notes
given for previous purchases of goods are liquidated. The city dealers, in realizing
payment, discharge their own notes as they mature, and their deposits accumu­
lating in bank, form a fund out of which the institutions discount southern accep­
tances, and enable millers and dealers to enter the produce markets. Whether
money shall or shall not be abundant or otherwise, depends, therefore, upon the
extent of produce sales as compared with the amount of goods sold to the interior.
As a general thing, the value of imported and domestic goods sold from Boston
and New York to the interior on credit, will reach $400,000,000. Scarcely any
portion of this is paid with money, but the individual paper given for it is can­
celled by the credits arising from the produce and bills sent forward. The canals
and avenues of trade carry down directly quantities of produce more or less con­
siderable, according to the extent of the foreign demand. When that is large,
not only is the quantity of produce brought down much greater than without it,
but the prices rise, so that the money value of all the sales, both for home and
foreign consumption, is enhanced. In such a state of affairs, the amounts due the
cities are promptly paid, the bank deposits accumulate, and money becomes abun­
dant. This year, the reverse has been the case. The sales of goods to the in­
terior, as indicated in the canal returns, have been about 25 per cent more than
last year in quantity ; while the produce which has come down has been far less in
magnitude and lower in price. A consequence has been, that the city merchants
have with difficulty collected as much as would meet their obligations, and the
deposits in banks have fallen to a low figure, leaving the institutions but small
means with which to discount notes and acceptances arising from the usual move­
ment of the new crop. From these broad and general circumstances it is that
the scarcity of money arises; more particularly that the amount of stock of the
federal government held here is larger than the capital of the country will fairly
warrant. The investments of money at the eastward in railroads have been very
large, drawing severely upon the capital employed in commerce. And the same
feature, in a lesser degree, has affected the New York and Philadelphia markets,
while from all of them in the last two years have been drawn unwonted sums for
the use of the federal government. The followdng loans have in two years been
made by the federal government:—
Rate of interest. Payable.

Loan of July, 1846..............................................
“ January, 1847........................................
“ June, 1848..............................................
Treasury notes, 1846...........................................

“

1847.....................................

6
6
6
6

1856
1867
1868
........

6

.......

Total in two years.......................................................................

Amount.
$4,999,149
12,890,372
16,000,000
409,860
13,128,650

45
00
00
00
00

$47,418,031 45

This has nearly all been drawn from the active capital of the country and ex­
pended in unproductive operations, in addition to $9,000,000 which was in the
Treasury May, 1846, making an aggregate of $56,000,000 loaned from the ordi­
nary sources, on which various branches of industry depend for means, to unpro­




538

Commercial Chronicle and Review.

ductive purposes. By unproductive, we do not, of course, mean that the funds so
invested do not yield an interest, but that they have been expended in a manner
not to reproduce themselves in the form of exchangeable products of industry,
which are of themselves capital, and always result from the employment of capital
in industrial pursuits. It has also been the case that very considerable sums,
probably $30,000,000, have been required for investments in railroads and other
fixed property, while building in all the Atlantic cities has progressed to a very
considerable extent. It is a matter of just pride that our capital has proved equal
to these demands without disaster; that the government has had its wants supplied
without foreign aid. and that at a time when revulsions in England and revolu­
tions in Europe have paralyzed a large, additional amount of our active capital;
but it is evident in the heavy prices of stocks, the embarrassments of loan holders,
and the rates they pay for money, while regular dealers encounter a severe com­
petition in the market, that the financial capacity of the country has been severely
taxed. In fact it could not have gone through the crisis but for the large amount
of capital received from Europe in exchange for produce, which, but for the fail­
ure of the English harvest, would not have been available. The present pressure
serves to check the investments of capital, while the prospect for the coming year
is that such a further accession of capital from abroad will take place, arising
from renewed demands for food, as will make good existing liabilities and again
leave a surplus for all wants. W e may reflect what would now have been the
case in regard to the supply of capital had the government not taken from the
market $56,000,000 in the last few years! If, in the next two years, the Euro. pean demand for American surplus produce should equal that of the last two, we
may confidently look for a permanent reduction of the rate of interest in our com­
mercial cities. The price of money in London during the last six months has
been 2 a 3J per cent per annum, and in the United States, under the borrowing
of the federal government and of corporations, it has been 6 a 7 per cent, with an
occasional rise above that.

In illustration of what has been said in relation to the great influence of the
internal exchanges upon the state of the money market, rather than the local
movements of the institutions, we may refer to the trade of New Orleans. It will
be found that the influx of produce at that point from the interior has swollen in
value, as the bank facilities on which they were supposed to depend have dimin­
ished in extent. This is indicated in the following table :—
VALUE OF PRODUCE RECEIVED AT NEW ORLEANS OF FOREIGN EXPORTS, IMPORTS OF SPECIE, THE
AMOUNT OF BANK LOANS, AND THE SPECIE IN THE BANK VAUI.TS.

Value
Total reof produce Foreign ex- ceipts and for- Import of ,------ --------- Banks.------------;—,
received.
ports.
eign exports, specie.
Loans. Circulation. Specie.
1840...............................................§32,998,059 .......................................§41,711,214 §6,443,785 §3,163,283
1842 .......................§45,716,045 27,427,422 §73,143,467
............... 48,101,210 1,679,039 1,504,661
1843 ....................... 53,728,054 26,653,924 80,381,978 §10,407,371 31,695,439 1,248,652 5,858,857
1844 ....................... 65,863,866 29,442,734 95,306,600 7,727,323 5,180,230 3,023,378 9,918,052
1845 ....................... 57,199.122 25,841,311 83,040,433 2,249,138 6,180,230 2,556,891 6,162,080
1846 ....................... 77,193,464 30,747,533 107,940.997 1,872,071 8,130,240 4,213,328 6,657,622
1847 ....................... 90,033,256 41,788,303 131,821,559 6,680,050 8,400,699 3,709,053 7,578,510
1848 ....................... 79,779,151 39,348,722 119,127,873 1,845,808 6,232,359 3,963,689 7,590,655

In the years prior to 1842, there were sixteen banks in New Orleans with
affairs so extended that it was impossible for them to resume payments. Their
loans had been made not in aid of commerce, but to facilitate speculation, which
had proved disastrous. The question of resumption was much discussed, and it




Commercial Chronicle and Review.

539

was freely asserted that, if the banks called in their loans and withdrew their notes
from circulation, there would be “ no money.” This was a bugbear, held out to
frighten the advocates of specie payments. The evils of a depreciated paper
money became, however, so apparent, that resumption in November, 1842, could
no longer be avoided. The result was as indicated in the figures, viz, a return of
paper for specie, leaving but a small amount of bank notes in the hands of the pub­
lic, and but little specie in the vaults. It appeared, however, that ten banks were
unable to continue their payments, while six have done so, observing a restricted
movement up to the present time. Now it will be observed, that the receipts of
produce at New Orleans, and the value of that portion exported abroad in 1848,
together are nearly double the amount for 1842 ; yet the loans of the banks are
this year equal to only one-eighth of the amount due them in 1842, and the
amount of specie they hold is more than double that of the bills outstanding.
Now we are further to take into consideration the fact that the business of New
Orleans flows in from many States, all of which had large “ bank accommodation”
during the general suspension; as, for instance, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi,
and Arkansas, together had bank loans amounting to $111,467,641, and the active
loans in all those States together now reach $8,493,710 only; yet we have seen
above that the value of their products arriving at New Orleans has doubled, while
the specie lying in the bank vaults has swollen to the sum of the loans. In these
facts we have the clearest evidence of the unimportance of b a n k credits to com­
mercial prosperity. It may be stated, as explanatory of the above table, that the
foreign exports, or portions of produce sent to foreign countries, are the same pro­
duce that is received by the river, but it passes into other hands and becomes the
basis of distinct business operations, and, moreover, does not include the exports
from New Orleans to other States; as, for instance, the exports from New Orleans
for the year ending with June, amounted to $67,182,323, of which $39,348,722,
as above, was to foreign countries, and $27,833,601 coastwise. In relation to the
bank loans, it is to be remarked that the figures indicate only the regular busi­
ness notes. The same institutions have loaned near $17,084,516 on mortgages,
stocks, real estate, &c., being of the nature of loan office operations rather than
of commercial banking.
The specie feature indicated in the New Orleans banks are also common to all
commercial institutions, as seen in the following table :—
SPECIE IN CERTAIN BANKS.

January, 1842...............
“
1843
“
1844
“
1845
“
1846
“
1847
October, 1847 ...............
April,
1848 ...............
June,
1848 ...............

England.
France.
N. York. N. Orleans. S. Car.
Ohio.
Total.
$26,010,000 $41,230,000 $4,074,601 $1,741,526$857,649 $1,018,611 $74,931,787
54,665,000 43,182,000 6,174,317 4,586,737 817,131 524,096 126,405,820
81,610,000 52,500,230 11,206,542 9,918,052 973,318 774,689 156,976,056
70,920,000 48,965,049 6,893,236 8,138,987 901,173 819,100 136,673,545
65,172,200 47,250,100 8,361,380 6,558,974 830,760 1,374,593 129,548,010
72,130,240 14,913,965 9,191,254 6,345,316 643,841 2,026,551 105,251,167
43,900,416 17,733,810 7,418,928 6.192,376 860,475 2,604,446 78.710,051
70,851,912 16,643,536 6,722,326 8,235,274 571,502 2.590,130 105,614,680
65,371,820 36,482,734 6,751,338 7,590,655 388,111 2,681,474 119,236,132

We have in this result the most extraordinary fluctuations. The largest amount
of specie ever held by the banks was in that year of general prosperity, 1844.
The amount of specie then in the institutions being large, a less quantity was, of
course, in circulation. In October, 1847, however, after the disastrous failures
and loss of confidence in England, specie became more in demand for general
use to supply the want of that paper become discredited, and by which inter-




540

Commercial Chronicle and Review,

change of products is usually effected. The transfer of private credits accom­
panying the movement of produce is that which constitutes the great money
movement of the country, and it governs, but does not flow from corporate opera­
tions. The leading features of the banks of the United States, as prepared at
Washington, have been as follows:—
A GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE CONDITION OF SO MANY OF THE BANKS AS HAVE MADE RETURNS,
DATED NEAR TO JANUARY 1, 1848.

State.
Maine..............
N. Hampshire.
Vermont..........
Massachusetts.
Rhode Island...
Connecticut.....
New York......
New Jersey.....
Pennsylvania..
Delaware.........
Maryland.........
Virginia...........
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia...........
Alabama..........
Louisiana.........
Tennessee.......
Kentucky.........
Missouri...........
Indiana............
Ohio.................
Michigan.........
Total...........
tt
it

it
tl
St

“ ............
ft

tf

No. of No. of
B’nks. Bran.

Date.

October,
December,
August,
September,
«
.
April,
November,
January,
November,
January,
“
“
April,
January,
October,
January,
December,
October,
January,
«
November,
February,
January,

1847
1847
1847
1847
1847
1847
1847
1848
1847
1848
1848
1848
1848
1848
1847
1848
1847
1847
1848
1848
1847
1848
1848

32
20
18
109
62
32
163
24
47
2
20
6
4
7
11
1
6
4
3
1
1
48
1

January,
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“

1848
1847
1846
1845
1844
1843
1842
1841
1837

622
591
587
580
578
577
563
619
632

2
2
1
2
29
11
2
11
22
17
13
5
12
. ..

Capital.

$2,834,000
1,985,900
1,287,442
32,113,150
10,962,654
8,605,742
43,559,518
3,309,261
16,192,258
210,000
8,541,830
9,684,970
3,402,400
9,153,582
11,121,802
1,500,000
15,575,970
8,243,299
7,071,000
1,204,716
2,082,874
6,056,357
139,450

129 204,838,175
124 203,070,622
120 196,894,309
127 206,045,969
118 210,872,056
114 228,861,948
129 260,171,197
165 313,608,959
154 290,772,091

Loans and
discounts.

Due by
other Banks.

$5,150,208 $1,263,358
3,721,803
434,829
867,523
2,908,567
57,260,938
5,571,240
571,980
14,987,333
1,250,410
12,781,857
85,380,430 12,120,649
6,292,288
1,011,913
3.904,847
33,870,857
95,164
561,081
13,291,129
764,506
17,302,883
1,563,328
329,406
6,307,989
942,274
14,620,575
885,261
6,758,158
953,691
2,379,026
21,587,332
724,097
9,714,559
1,826,609
10,779,675
20,519
2,698,086
1,081,194
3,498,912
2,656,222
12,452,665
65,505
170,231
344,476,582
310,282,945
312,114,404
288,617,131
264,905,814
254,544,937
323,957,569
386,487,662
525,115,702

38,904,525
31,788,641
31,689,946
29,619,272
35,860,930
20,666,264
30,752,496
47,877,045
59,663,910

CONDITION OF SO MANY OF THE BANKS AS HAVE MADE RETURNS----CONTINUED.

State.

Maine.............
N. Hampshire.
Vermont.........
Massachusetts..
Rhode Island..
Connecticut.....
New York......
New Jersey....
Pennsylvania..
Delaware.......
Maryland.........
Virginia ..........
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia...........
Alabama.........
Louisiana.........
Tennessee.......




Date.

October,
December,
August,
September,
“
April,
November,
January,
November,
January,
“
“
April,
January,
October,
January,
December,
October,

Specie.

1847
1847
1847
1847
1847
1847
1847
1848
1847
1848
1848
1848
1848
1848
1847
1848
1847
1847

$472,776
155,300
105,684
3,943,973
325,237
462,165
7,418,928
636,387
4,638,073
74,410
2,244,884
2,888,718
1.596,269
837,767
1,523,746
1,108,608
7,578,710
1,312,770

Circulation.

Deposits.

$2,545,011 $1,647,811
1,746,165
590,535
2,353,651
394,560
17,196,362 10,265,555
2,842,464
1,298,617
4,437,631
1,782,921
25,870,131 38,645,490
1,718,847
2,722,541
14,336,196 15,110,433
148,793
283,961
3,106,901
4,211,278
8,997,598
3,958,988
3,512,448
717,798
3.981,683
2,278,568
3,400,667
1,234,489
2,133,210
654,342
3,709,053
8,654,422
3,996,764
1,300,060

Due other bbs.

$60,937
977
7,263,202
854,065
245,816
18,237,010
212,437
4,301,091
22,020
1,667,249
365,035
47,659
1,845,632
292,228
1.289,142
374,385

Commercial Chronicle and Review.
Kentucky....
Missouri......
Indiana.......
Ohio............
Michigan....
Total.......
<<
((
(4
(4
...\
(4
44
(4
(4

44

1848
1848
1848
1848

44
44
44
“
“
<4
44
44

2,920,151
2,314,718
1,083,979
2,664,547
61,965

1848 46,369,765
1847 35,132,516
1846 42,012,095
1845 44,241,242
1844 49,898,269
1843 33,515,806
1842 28,440,423
1841 34,813,958
1837 37,915,340

6,484,814
2,404,160
3,606,452
8,647,327
220,901

541

1,983,513
1,364,650
653,445
4,545,081
65,981

1,304,233
138,073
34,545
858,307
228

128,506,091 103,226,177
105,519,766 91,792,533
105,552,427 96,913,070
89,608,711 88,020,646
75,167,646 84,550,785
58,563,608 56,168,623
83,734,011 62,408,870
107,290,214 64,890,101
149,185,890 127,397,185

39,414,371
28,539,888
28,218,568
26,337,440
31,998,024
21,456,523
25,863,827
42,861,889
62,421,118

The increase in loans and discounts has, for the whole Union, been 10 per
cent, and they are now 50 per cent higher than in 1843, following the large move­
ment of produce, which has annually increased in magnitude. It will be ob­
served, that although the loans have increased $100,000,000 since 1843, the
c a p ita l of the banks has diminished $24,000,000; hence, that the increased means
of lending has been derived from deposits and circulation, or funds which the
banks have borrowed of the public without interest to lend at a high rate to others.
With $24,000,000 less capital, the institutions hold $13,000,000 more specie;
that is to say, when they held 15 per cent of the capital in specie, they now hold
23 per cent' in specie. Since January, 1843, the means of all the banks to lend
have much diminished, as indicated in the table of New York banks given above,
and the rate of interest has advanced under the demands of the interests alluded
to. This advance in interests has promoted the profits of the banks in all the
cities. The following is a table of the semi-annual return, brought forward from
our number for November, 1847, for the Boston banks, where capital has probably
been more in request, through ra\lroad influences, than in New York or Phila­
delphia :—
BOSTON BANK DIVIDENDS.

1846.

1847.

1848.

April.
October.
April.
October.
April.
October.
B anks.
Capital, p.ct. Ain’t, p.ct. Am’t. p.ct. Am’t. p.ct. Am’t. p.ct. Ain’t, p.ct. Am’t.
Atlas............................... $500,000 3 $15,000 3 $15,000 3 $15,000 3J $17,500 3 $15,000 31 $17 500
Atlantic..........................
500,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3J 17,500 3£ 17,500 3 | 17 500
Boston.............................
900,000 31 21,000 3 i 21,000 31 21,000 3* 31,500 4 36,000 4 36 000
Boylston........................
150,000 ,T
5
7,500 4
6,000 4
6,000 4
6,000 41 6 750
C ity............................... 1,000,000 3
30,000 3
30,000 3
30,000 3
30,000 31 35,000 31 35 000
Columbian.....................
500,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3
15,0t)0 4" 20 000
Eagle..............................
500,000 3£ 17,500 3
15,000 3
15,000 3J 17,500 31 17,500 3£ 17 500
Exchange......................
500,000 ........................................................................... 41* 22,500 4* 20,000
Freeman’s......................
200,000 4
8,000 4
8,000 4
8,000 4
8,000 4
8,000 41 9,000
Globe.............................. 1,000,000 3 30,000 31 35,000 31 35,000 31 35,000 31 35,000 4 40 000
Granite...........................
500,000 31 17,500 31 17.500 3
15,000 3J 17,500 31 17,500 31 17 500
Hamilton........................
500,000 31 17,500 3£ 17,500 3£ 17,500 31 17,500 31 17,500 31 17 500
Market............................
500,000 44 25,200 41 25,200 41 25,200 5
28,000 5
28,000 5 28,000
Massachusetts................
800,000 3
24,000 3
24,000 3
24,000 3 24,000 3
24,000 3 24,000
120,000 4
4,800 4
4,800 4
4,800 4
4,800 4
4,800 4
4 800
Mechanics’ ....................
Merchants’ .................... 3,000,000 31 105,000 31 105,000 31 105,000 3 j 105,500 4 120,000 4 120 000
30,000 4
40,000 4
40,000 4
40,000 4 40,000
New England................. 1,000,000 3" 30,000 3
North...............................
750,000 3
22,500 3
22,500 3
22,500 3 22,500 3
22,500 3 22,500
Shawmut........................
500,000 31 17,500 3
15,000 3
15,000 4
20,000 31 17,500 4 20,000
Shoe & Leather D eal...
500,000 31 17,500 4
20,000 4
20,000 4 20,000 i i 22,500 41 22 500
State............................... 1,800,000 3
54,000 3
54,000 3
54,000 3
54,000 3
54,000 31 63 000
Suffolk........................... 1,000,000 4
40,000 4
40,000 5
50,000 5
50,000 5
50,000 5“ 50 000
Traders’ ..........................
400,000 3
12,000 3
12,000 3
12,000 31 14,000 31 17,500 4 16,000
Tremont........................
500,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 31 17,500 31 14,000 31 17 500
Union..............................
800,000 3
24,000 3 24,000 31 28,0()0 31 28,000 31 23,000 3i 28 000
Washington...................
500,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3
15,000 3* 17,500 31 17,500 3 17 500
Total....................... 18,980,000




593,000
603,000
* Eight months.

620,000

658,300

702,800

725,550

542

Commercial Chronicle and Review.

The Boylston Bank went into operation in December, 1845, and the Exchange
Bank last year, making $650,000 of new bank capital. The progress of capital
and dividends has been as follows:—
A p r il .

Years.

1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848

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

Capital.

$17,010,000
17,480,000
17,480,000
18,180,000
18,180,000
18,920,000

O cto ber.

Dividends.

Capital.

$417,000
426,300
550,250
593,000
623,000
702,800

Dividends.

Div. for year.

$17,010,000 $417,000
17,480,000
480,800
17,480,000
561,850
18,180,000
603,000
18,980,000
658,300
18,980,000
725,550

$834,000
907,100
1,112,100
1,196,000
1,281,300
1,428,350

The capital has increased in this period $1,870,000, and the dividends $594,350.
That is to say, $17,010,000 of bank capital paid, in 1843, 4.9 per cent average
interest; and $18,480,000, which was the working capital of 1847, the Exchange
Bank not having been long in operation, paid 6.8 per cent, being an increase of 2
per cent on the capital, or 50 per cent in the nett profits of 1847 over 1843, in
capital invested in banking in Boston. In 1848, the working capital has been
$18,980,000, and the dividends $1,428,350, an average rate of 7.52 per cent, and
an increase of 50 per cent in the profits of capital so employed since 1843. The
New York banks, as far as their second dividends for 1847 have been declared,
show similar results, as follows:—•
NEW YORK BANK DIVIDENDS.

1845.
Ba n es.

Butchers & Drovers’
Leather M anufac...
Tradesmen’s............
Merchants’ E x c h ...
Seventh W ard.........
North River.............
Bank of America...
Phcenix.....................
Bank of Commerce.
National...................
Mechanics’..............

Capital. 1st.
$300,080 3J
000,000 31
400,000 5
750,000 3£
500,000 31
655,000 31
2,001,200 3
1,200.000 3
3,447,500 3
750,000 31
1,440,000 34

Total.................... $12,243,700

1846.

2d. Amount. 1st.
4
$37,500 4
3£
42,080 3J
5
40,000 5
3£
52,500 3£
3J
35,000 31
31
45,850 3J
3
120,073 3
3
72,000 3
3
206.850 3
3£
48,750 31
31 103,800 4
$801,322

1847.

1848.

2d. Amount. 1st. 2d. Amount. 1st.
5
$45,000 5 5 $50,000 5
3£
42,000 3£ 31 42,000 3£
5
40,000 5 10
00,000 5~
4
56,250 4 4
60,000 4
31
35,000 31 31 35,000 31
34
45,850 31 i
45,125 4
3* 130,072 31 31 140,084 3J
3
72,000 3 3
72,000 3"
3
206,850 31 31 240,082 3£
31
48,750 31 4
55,750 4
4
115,200 4 4 115,200 4
$836,972

$902,028

2d. Amount.
5
$50,000
31
42,000
5
40,000
4
60,000
4
37,500
4
52,400
31 140,084
3
72,000
31 240,082
4
59,000
9
187,200
$980,266

The Mechanics’ Bank declared an extra dividend of 5 per cent from its surplus,
which cannot therefore be considered as its earnings for the six months. It ap­
pears, however, that the aggregate earnings of all these banks for the year have
averaged 8 per cent this year against 6 i in 1845.
In our November number, last year, we remarked as follows in allusion to the
state of the currency, as evinced in the above table of banks for the whole Union:—
The present expansion of the currency, in all sections of the country, is the
legitimate effect of the long period of favorable exchanges, and has reached a
point which, in another year, may promote unfavorable exchanges, and produce
a revulsion—the more so, that the affairs of Europe remain in so unpromising a
position.
The unfavorable state of exchanges has resulted from the enhanced consump­
tion of goods, while bank credits have aided at a time when the exports have di­
minished* in volume and value. Revulsion has not, however, resulted. The
pressure has induced greater caution in regard to sales on the part of the leading
merchants; and with the renewal of the foreign demand for domestic produce, which
this year is likely to be large, the pressure will have been removed; the more so, that
a portion of the government loan which had been held here has been put off upon the




Commercial Statistics.

543

London market through the operations of an eminent Washington banker. Of the
last loan of the federal government, probably $6,000,000 has found its way abroad.
There have been voluntary purchases from most of the countries of Europe to the
extent of $2,000,000, exclusive of the sums sent to England; and as the politi­
cal horizon continues threatening, the probability is that larger sums will be sought
after, while the whole tendency of aflairs here is to extinguish debt. During the
past month the federal government discharged some $1,000,000 to the holders of
the Mexican indemnity, and the revenues are so far in excess of the expenditures
as to indicate a speedy discharge of considerable amounts, at least of the
$13,000,000 Treasury notes outstanding, and payable at the end of the year.
The State of Illinois has also commenced paying, from the proceeds of its land
sales, a portion of the $1,600,000 loan borrowed by the commissioners, Messrs.
Oakley and Ryan, to complete the Illinois and Michigan Canal. It is also in
contemplation to introduce into the Illinois legislature a bill authorizing banking
on the State stock, an operation which may absorb a considerable quantity of the
stock of that State.

COMMERCIAL

STATISTICS.

COMMERCE OF HONOLULU, OAHU, IN 1847.
published in July, 1847, an interesting paper relating to the Commerce and Gov­
ernment of the Hawaiian Kingdom, prepared expressly for the Merchants’ Magazine, by
J ames J ackson J arvis, Esq., late editor of the “ Polynesian,” the government organ at
Honolulu, and in earlier volumes still more complete and elaborate accounts of that inter­
esting kingdom, from the same authentic source. With the exception of its monarchical
feature, the Hawaiian kingdom seems to pattern its social and commercial institutions after
our own, and with a degree of success that must prove highly gratifying to every friend
of political liberty and industrial progress.
Having received from our attentive correspondent at Honolulu, a file of the Polynesian,
we are enabled to furnish late official statements of the commerce of Honolulu, &c., which
we present in as condensed a form as the data will admit. It appears that, in 1843, the
imports into Honolulu amounted to $223,383, yielding a revenue to the government of
$8,468. In 1847 they had swelled to $710,138, and the revenue thereupon to $48,801,
being an increase of imports of $486,855, and of revenue $40,332 in four years. The
editor of the Polynesian thinks it worth while to inquire into the causes of so flattering a
result, and consider the prospect for the future. He says.—
W

e

“ The chief cause of this rapid increase of imports has been the temporary market cre­
ated by the influx of whaleships. In 1843 there arrived 318; in 1844,467; in 1845,
540; in 1846, 595; in 1847, 384, a decrease which brings the number down almost to
that of 1843, the birth period of the present ship chandlery business, which has had so
favorable an influence upon the prosperity of the group. The whalers having created, in
most part, this import trade, and also having in chief made the market for the native pro­
duce, it follows that if they decline in numbers the imports must proportionately decrease,
and with it the revenue. We will allow that from other causes the actual consumption by
the aborigines of foreign goods is double what it was in 1843, and that the aggregate value
of sugar and coffee raised is in the same proportion. Yet even with this healthful and per­
manent increase, the decline of imports and revenue from the falling off from 595 whaleships to 384 in one year must soon show itself, unless a new business is created to fill the

gap-”
We give below a statement of the imports and exports of Honolulu, as made up by




/

544

Commercial Statistics.

William Patz, Esq., the Collector General of Customs at that port, for the year ending
December 31,1847. It will be seen that the United States stands first in the import trade,
and we have no doubt but that our trade with that island might be considerably extended.
VALUE OP IMPORTS INTO HONOLULU FROM THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES IN

United States........... ...........$275,076 00

..........
China.......................... .........
Oregon........................ ..........

Valparaiso...................
California.................. ..........
Tahiti.......................... ..........
Sitka............................ ..........

1847.

Bremen......................... ........

$1,680 99
159,211 06
........
593 00
98,755 55 France.......................... ........
585 37
54,784 99 Sydney......................... ........
280 00
Central America......... ........
46 00
18,662 81 Oil, bone, &c.*........... ........ 24,778 76
8,954 03
8,623 54
Total...................... ........$710,138 52
4,952 00

The following table shows the character, quantity, and value of native produce exported
from Honolulu in merchant vessels:—
31, 1847.
Quantities.
Value.
20,360 $4,072 00
500 00
50 40
1,680
1,150
69 00
300
75 00
545
1,090 00
86 25
690

EXPORTS FROM HONOLULU FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER

Value.
Quantities.
594,816 $29,740 80 Goat skins.............
Sugar..........
4,482 00
17,928
15^549
15^549 00 Horns......................
Salt..............
3,936
45 Koa lumber... .feet
26,243
Coffee..........
1,034 16 Coral stone............
17,236
Tallow.........
573 08 Potatoes.......... bbls.
14,327
Pulu............
256 44 Brooms..........\ .......
6,411
Arrow-root..
3,452
6,904 00
Hides..........
Total value.................................................. ...................
Foreign goods claiming drawback...........................................
Foreign goods exported not claiming drawback, by estimate.
Supplies—72 merchant vessels at $700...................................
4 men-of war, at $3 ,0 0 0 ......................................
123 whalers, (inside,) at $ 6 0 0 .................................
44 whalers, (outside,) at $100...............................

$68,418
55,208
230,846
50,400

58
07
17
00

12,000 00
73,800 00
4,400 00

Total............................................................................................. $495,072 82
STATEMENT OF IMPORTS, EXPORTS, RECEIPTS, ETC., AT THE CUSTOM-HOUSE, PORT OF HONOLULU,
ISLAND OF OAHU, H. I ., FOR THE YEARS 1843-4-5-6-7.

Years.

Gross value
of imports.

Re-exported.

Nett
consumption.

Transit
duties.

Harbor
dues.

Total nett
receipts.

1843... $223,383 38 $66,618 17 $156,565 21 $239 31 $2,958 33
411 60
4,881 33
60,054 06
289,969 77
1844 ..
350,357 12
67.010 93
471,319 78
734 01
1845...
546,941 72
4,890 83
62,325 74
536,056 50
20 56
4,705 32
1846...- 598,382 24
55,208 07
653,930 45
184 93
4,095 24
1847...
710,138 52

$8,468
14,263
25,189
36,506
48,801

ARRIVALS OF MERCHANTMEN AT THE PORT OF HONOLULU DURING THE YEAR

Nation.

Ships.

United States............
.........
8
England.....................
French........................
Hawaiian from foreign voyages......
Chilean.....................
Russian.....................
Peruvian....................
.......................
Total..................

Barks.

5
8

2
1
2
1
19

38
56
96
64
25

1847.

Brigs. Schooners. Total.

3
9
1
1
4

5
3
5
5
2

21
20
6
8
8
2
2

20

67

i
19

The total number of whalers arrived at Honolulu in 1847 was 167, of which 136 be­
longed to the United States, 10 to France, 1 to England, &c.




* Landed from whaleships, and wreck of Philip Tabb.

545

Commercial Statistics.
TOTAL WHALERS AT THE PORTS OF HONOLULU AND LAHAJNA.

Tears.

U. States. England. France.

1647.......
1846....... '

359
537

3
9

Bremen. Hamburgh. Prussia, Others.

22
28

19
11

2
6

1
2

Total.

405
596

3

The number and tonnage of vessels at Honolulu during the year 1847, amounted to 72
merchantmen, with a tonnage of 16,185, and 123 whalers, with a tonnage of 37,011.
The total imports at Lahaina and Honolulu amounted to $738,150.
The mercantile marine belonging to Hawaiian islands January 1st, 1848, consisted of
one bark, two brigs, sixty-one schooners, and three sloops—sixty-seven vessels of about
2,160 tons, estimated value $110,000. The increase over 1847 was 19 vessels.
VIRGINIA TOBACCO STATISTICS.
A correspondent, residing at Richmond, Virginia, has compiled from authentic sources
the following table, which, we assure him,'is a most “ acceptable contribution to the Mer­
chants’ Magazine.” It shows the quantity, in hogsheads, inspected, the stock on hand,
and the exports, foreign and domestic, in each year from 1843 to 1848, the years end­
ing on the 30th of September.
Y E A R EN D IN G S E P T E M B E R

1844.

1841.

1845.

1846.

30.

1847.

1848.

Hhds.

Hhds.

Hhds.

Hhds.

Hhds.

56,788
13,420

45,885
14,362

51,126
21,873

42,680
19,060

51,726
15,363

36,725
13,959

London....................
Liverpool..................
Bristol and Glasgow
Cowes (or orders)..
France....................
Belgium..................
Bremen...................
Holland....................
Italy.........................
Gibraltar..................
Hamburgh...............
Other ports.............

4,941
4,265
1,036
5,459
4,533
5,441
3,013
6,338
452

1,187
4,707
664

3,126
6,615
1,205
750
1,623
1,698
1,056
2.092
2,388
368

1,572
3,328
553

2,145
4,622
1,434

5,333
774
844
627
2,992
522

435
23

728
1,501
895
236
905
695

50

1,336
5,367
351
1,075
605
1,800
5,155
3,818
564
100
397
26

36

15

24

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

35,528

20,594

17,752

20,957

16,560

13,175

Foreign export.
3 years.

Manuf’d.
Coastwise.
3 yean.

Inspected..................
Stock, 30th Sept....

Hhds.

Export to—

4,543
1,018
1,281
1,842
2,048

Inspections.
3 years.

Years.

1834.............................
1835.............................
1836.............................

36,369
47,520
45,445

1837.............................
1838.............................
1839.............................

36,201
44,845
28,502

1840.............................
1841.............................
1842.............................

58,186
56,141
52,156

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

56,788
45,886
51,126

1846...........................
1847............................
1848............................

42,679
51,726
36,725

25,644
25,871
29,722
129,334

—

109,548

—

51,000

94,442

72,051

73,784

79,926

50,692

80,448

20,957
16,560
13,175
131,130

—




58,548

35,528
20,594
17,752
153,800

xix.— no . v.

48,097

27,195
34,442
32,795
166,483

vol .

81,237

18,991
20,828
18,729

35

—

546

Commercial Statistics .

The stocks on hand in 1833 and 1848 were nearly the same.
Some shipments are made to Europe via Baltimore and New York, which do not ap­
pear in the inspection returns of those cities, being merely transferred from one vessel to
another.
In addition to the quantity inspected there is a good deal brought to market in a loose
state, and sold to the manufacturers—equal, probably, to 4,000 or 5,000 hogsheads.
The principal coastwise export is to New York, which was unusually large in 1847,
being 3,350 hogsheads, exclusive of transhipments.
The exports from Norfolk to the West Indies are not included above.
EXPORTS OF BRITISH PRODUCE AND MANUFACTURE.
It is instructive and interesting to watch the progress of trade, its increase and decrease,
and the causes which operate upon its distribution, creating changes in the intercourse be­
tween countries, which convey lessons of wisdom to those who will read them aright. In
returns lately made by Parliament we have instructive evidence of the kind laid before us,
and from which we select the following table of exports of British produce and manufac­
tures for the years 1845, 1846, and 1847 :—

1847.
British West Indies.........................................
£2,273,041
East Indies and Ceylon..................................
5,470,105
China................................................................
1,503,969
Mauritius........................................................................ 223,563
3,231,480
British North American Colonies..................
New South Wales and Australian Colonies..
1,644,170
United States.......................'...........................
10,974,161
Cuba...................................................................
896,540
Brazil................................................................
2,568,804
Mexico and Central South America.............
2,486,551

1846.

1845.

£2,505,695
6,424,456
1,791,439
310,231
3,308,059
1,441,640
6,830,460
844,112
2,749,338
2,816,123

£2,789,211
6,703,778
2,394,827
345,059
3,550,614
1,201,076
7,147,663
695,379
2,493,306
3,485,880

To those advocates of the restrictive system who will persist that the foreigner will take
nothing in return for his corn but specie, the truth may be conveyed to their minds if they
will take the trouble to study the fact now before them, in our exports to the United
States, by which it will be seen that our transatlantic brethren have purchased the increased
amount of fo u r millions sterling of our manufactures in return for the large quantity of
breadstuffs which we have bought from them to make up the deficiencies of our harvest in
1846. Causes equally natural are seen to affect the other portions of our foreign trade—
thus the distress in the East and West Indies, China, and Mauritius, and the great depre­
ciations in the value of property and the produce of those countries, disable them from
buying so freely from us ; and the wars in Mexico and Central America, with their de­
struction of credit and confidence, have a similar effect, and fully account for the falling
off which is here exhibited.— Wilmer and Smith’s Times.
INSPECTIONS OF FLOUR A T RICHMOND, VA., FROM 1819 TO 1848.
We are indebted to an intelligent correspondent, residing in Richmond, (Va.) for the
subjoined statement of the quantity of flour inspected at that place for each of the last
thirty years:—
Years.

1819..............
1820.............
1821..............
1822..............
1823..............
1824.............
1825..............
1826..............
1827..............
1828..............

Barrels.

159,500
152,900
137,300
102,400
111,500
120,300
173,200
112,400
94,200
130,500

Years.

1829..........
1830...........
1831..........
1832..........
1833...........
1834...........
1835..........
1836..........
1837..........
1838..........

Barrels.

177,800
233,500
242,900
176,700
244,000
156,800
230,500
177,700

Years.

1839...........
1840............
1841..........
1842...........
1843...........
1844...........
1845...........
1846...........
1847...........
155,000 1848...........

Barrels.

239,200
239,900
162,900
134,200
184,700
187,000
182,500
159,500
180,100

Richmond also receives the flour inspected at Lyncliburgh and Scottsville, (on James
River,) and the quantities inspected there are about one-fifth of that inspected at Rich­
mond ; so that 20 per cent may be added to the above to show the actual flour trade of
Richmond.




Commercial Statistics,

547

PRICES OF FLOUR IN NEW YORK
ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IN EACH MONTH FOR THE LAST TW ENTY-FIVE YEARS.

The following table gives the price of good Western and State brands of flour in New
York on the first Wednesday in each month for a series of years :—
Years.
January. February.
April.
March.
May.
June.
1824.................................... $ 6 26
$ 6 00
$ 6 121 $ 6 25
$6 50
$ 6 25
1825.....
5 371
5 25
5 25
5 121
5 124
1826...... .............................
5 25
5 121
5 25
5 871
4 621
4 874
1827...... .............................
5 12J
6 00
5 50
5 75
5 121
4 75
1828.....
5 121
5 00
4 75
4 621
4 564
1829...... .............................
8 121
6 25
8 371
8 50
7 25
6 75
1830...... .............................
5 12J
4 75
4 621
4 75
4 861
4 871
1831...... .............................
5 75
6 124
6 00
6 75
6 871
6 50
1832...... .............................
5 121
6 371
6 50
5 631
5 371
5 624
1833..... .............................
6 00
5 75
5 75
5 50
5 621
5 75
1834...... .............................
5 50
5 371
5 121
4 871
4 75
4 814
1835......
5 621
5 75
5 25
5 50
6 124
1836......
7 371
7 50
6 75
7 50
7 124
1837...... .............................
11 00
10 121
11 25
10 75
9 00
9 50
1838...... .............................
8 75
8
25
7 50
8 25
8 00
7 75
1839...... .............................
8 871
8 50
7 75
8 934
9 00
6 874
1840......
5
621
6 371
5
121
5 75
4 75
1841...... .............................
4 931
4 934
4 814
4 871
4 75
5 00
1842......
6 431
6 121
6 25
5 871
6 121
1843...... .............................
4 561
4 621
4 371
5 75
5 00
5 124
4 621
4 904
4 811
4 621
1844...... .............................
4 93|
4 621
4 75
4 621
1845......
4 84|
4 50
4 814
5 434
1846...... .............................
5 75
5 621
5 684
5 50
4 344
7 684
6 50
6 871
7 12
7 25
1847....................................
9 50
1848....................................
6 00
6 25
6 50
6 121
6 00
5 50
Years.
August. September. October. November. December.
July.
1824...... .............................
$ 5 25
$ 5 621
$ 5 871 $ 5 50
621 $ 5 871
5 25
1825...... .............................
5 35
5 50
5 12
5 121
5 124
1826......
4 62
4 871
4 50
5 121
5 124
4 621
4 68
1827....................................
4 50
4 75
5 25
5 624
4 621
5 00
5 75
6 25
1828....................................
7 021
7 371
1829...... .............................
5 50
5 75
5 871
5 371
5 3)4
5 374
5 62
5 00
5 371
1830.....
5 25
5 181
1831...... .............................
5 121
5 25
5 62
5 371
5 75
6 00
6 00
1832 .... .............................
5 75
5 87
5 871
6 00
6 371
5 621
5 50
5 871
5 75
5 684
1833...... .............................
5 624
5 90
5 25
5 25
1834.... .............................
4 871
5 121
4 871
6
50
6
1835......
5 75
5 934
25
7 50
7
00
7
75
8
50
9
1836......
50
10 00
8
.............................
9
75
9
50
9
62
8
25
1837......
50
9 00
7 121
8 621
1838...... .............................
7 25
7 621
8 50
8 624
6 50
6 121
1839...... .............................
6 75
6 871
6 314
6 25
5 00
1840......
5 00
4 871
5 00
5 621
4 371
5 871
6 50
6 25
6 09
1841..... .............................
6 374
1842...... .............................
4 50
5 93f
4 93
4 25
4 874
5 814
4 564
1843...... .............................
5 00
3 81
4 75
5 621
4 624
1844...... .............................
4 .314
4 18
4 371
4 871
4 684
4 314
1845...... .............................
6 25
4 621
4 75
4 871
4 314
6 871
5 621
6 00
1846...... .............................
4 121
4 18J
4 18
5 514
5 621
5 75
6 56
5 751
6 18
1847......
5 00
6 00
184S...... .............................
5 18
TRADE BETW EEN FRANCE AN D GREAT BRITAIN.
The total official value of exports from Great Britain to France in 1845 was £5,035,296 ;
in 1846, £5,127,073 ; and in 1847, £4,371,253. The official value of the exports from
France to England was, in 1845, £4,097,050; in 1846, £1,745,645; and in 1847,
£4,792,663.




Commercial Statistics.

548

COALS, CINDERS, AND CULM EXPORTED FROM ENGLAND.
A return has just been prepared, by order of the House of Commons, of the total quan­
tities of coal, cinderst and culm exported from the United Kingdom to all parts of the
world, in each year, from 1840 to 1847, both inclusive—distinguishing the quantities ex­
ported to the countries named below respectively, from those exported to all other parts.
The total for the years 1840 and 1841 were respectively 1,606,313 tons and 1,848,294
tons; the details of the remaining years are as follows:
Whence exported.

1842.

1841

1844.

1845.

1846.

1847.

15,221
13,218
17,358
19,049
35,653
14,844
Cuba.................tons
15,149
8,664
9,680
1,840
8,219
1,877
Chili.........................
4,320
301
2,277
5,108
3,067
340
Peru.........................
320
108
900
272
216
Colombia.................
50
45,536
46,188
58,381
United States.........
60,836
33,948
29,822
641,010
647,967
462,941
412,902
670,035
France.....................
515,975
104,286
74,838
101,336
97,509
Spain and Canaries.
64,009
53,548
32,753
22,138
33,036
31,439
Norway...................
18,800
18,951
31,085
26,589
Sweden...................
25,961
25,661
34,664
37,995
138,485
108,378
Russia.....................
150,422
116,041
94,144
83,582
All other parts........ 1,190,848 1,126,098 1,069,056 1,471,785 1,480,833 1,497,577
T otal..................

1,999,504 1,866,211 1,754,171 2,531,282 2,531,108 2,483,161

The official returns of exports, says the Gateshead Observer, furnish, we are happy to
perceive, satisfactory evidence as to the improvement of our export trade in coal—the de­
clared value of that article having increased during the three months ending April 5th,
1848, to the extent of fully forty per cent as compared with the corresponding period of
1847. A period of three months, however, is perhaps too small on which to found any
sound calculations as to the state of trade; but on examining the returns for several
months past, we find that a steady improvement has been going on, the following having
been the total annual values during the last twro years:—Year ending April 5, 1847,
£926,084; year ending April 5, 1848, £1,047,766. It is true that in 1845 very large
shipments took place, the declared value for the 12 months ending April 5, 1846, having
amounted to £1,031,700—a sum, nevertheless, which has been exceeded by the exports
of the year ending the 5th of April last. This fact, we repeat, affords satisfactory evi­
dence of improvement.
EXPORTS OF SUGAR AND MOLASSES FROM CUBA.
EXPORTS OF SUGAR FROM THE FIRST OF JANUARY TO THE END OF JUNE.

From Havana.

From Matanzas.

1847.

1848.

1847.

1848.

Boston.......................................... boxes
New York, Philadelphia & Baltimore.
Other ports in the United States........
Great Britain.........................................
Cowes and the Baltic..........................
Hamburgh and Bremen.......................
Holland and Belgium..........................
Spain.....................................................
France, & c...........................................

18,144
63,053
32,701
82,243
70,084
25,059
31,699
53,971
34,744

6,985
42,295
8,167
31,325
119,673
42,871
21,935
92,583
42,034

24.721
56,909
7,031
57,570
45,518
12,905
7,103
9,903
24,891

11,479
31,599
5,692
9,586
66,196
21,925
9,678
18,662
17,626

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

411,698

407,868

246,551

192,084

EXPORTS OF MOLASSES FROM THE FIRST OF JANUARY TO THE END OF JUNE.

From Havana.

From Matanzas.

From Cardenas.

1847. 1848. 1847. 1848. 1847.
To Boston...............................
Other eastern ports...........
N. York, Philadelphia & Baltimore
Southern ports of United !States....
British provinces...............
Great Britain.....................
Other ports in Europe......
Total.




1848.

6,045 5,493 6,'680 8.387
8,187 7,059 11,584 19,524
5,969 5,223 10,499 11,337
4,761 2,724 3,490 3.434
439
95 5,171 3,329
4,111 2,142
1,097
226 3,568
278
214

21,960
11.474
18,870
4,259
1,153
2,058

21,917
17,028
21,599
1,587
643
966

26,776 20,820 45,103 48,367

59,774

63,740

Commercial Regulations.

COMMERCI AL

549

REGULATIONS.

COMMERCIAL ORDINANCES OF MAURITIUS AND DEPENDENCIES.
W e have received from the Department of State, at Washington, official copies of sev­
eral ordinances “ Enacted by the Governor of Mauritius with the advice and consent of
the council of the government thereof.” The ordinances (seven) are in the English and
French languages, and numbered 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and are entitled as follows:—
No. 3. “ To repeal and alter the colonial duties levied on the exportation of certain
goods.”
No. 6. “ For altering and consolidating the port charges upon vessels in the harbor of
Port Louis.”
No. 8. “ For altering and amending the immigration law on spirits.”
No. 9. “ For altering and amending the colonial laws regulating the customs duties.”
No. 10. “ To alter and amend the colonial law relating to the quay duties and wharf­
age dues.”
No. 11. “ For the purpose of placing certain articles of foreign production, when im­
ported into Mauritius direct from the place of produce, on the same footing as if such ar­
ticles were imported through the United Kingdom; and of repealing the duties of cus­
toms on certain other articles.”
No. 12. “ For repealing the tonnage dues and the duties on coasting vessels, and for
altering the duties on the licenses of boats, lighters, &c.”
We publish the several ordinances in the order as enumerated above, beginning No. 3
and closing with No. 12. Each ordinance is signed MD. W . Ricketts, Secretary of the Coun­
cil ; published by order of His Excellency the Governor, George F. Dick, Colonial Secretary
which we have omitted for the sake of brevity.

III.
TO REPEAL AND ALTER THE COLONIAL DUTIES LEVIED UN THE EXPORTATION OF CERTAIN GOODS.

Whereas it is expedient to repeal and alter the colonial export duties of customs levied
on certain articles the produce of Mauritius: His Excellency the Governor in council has
ordered and does hereby order:—
A colonial customs duty of nine pence for every 100 lbs. nett French weight o f sugar
exported to be levied.—Art. 1. In lieu of the duty of Is. per 100 lbs. French imposed by
the arrete of'30th Fructidor, an 12, on the exportation of sugar, there shall be raised,
levied, and collected on the exportation of all sugar the produce of Mauritius a colonial
customs doty of nine pence for every 100 lbs. nett French weight.
The duties on the exportation o f ebony, coffee, cotton, cloves,
repealed.—Art. 2.
The duties imposed by the said arrete, and also the duties imposed by government author­
ities on the exportation of ebony, coffee, cotton, cloves, indigo, clove stalks, tortoise shell,
and gums, the produce of Mauritius are hereby repealed.
Promulgation.—Art. 3. The present Ordinance shall have effect from the day of its
publication.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 7th day of February, 1848.
V I.
FOR ALTERING AND CONSOLIDATING THE PORT CHARGES UPON VESSELS IN THE HARBOR OF
PORT LOUIS.

Whereas it is expedient to alter and consolidate in one Ordinance the several port
•charges leviable under sundry Ordinances and notices upon vessels entering or clearing
from the harbor of Port Louis: His Excellency the Governor in council has-ordered and
does hereby order:—
The charges hitherto levied on vessels entering or clearing from the harbor o f Port
Louis shall cease and be replaced by the different charges fixed in the following sched­
ule.—Art. 1. The several charges leviable upon vessels entering or clearing from the har­
bor or roadstead of Port Louis under the Ordinances Nos. 44 of 1829, 17 of 1840, and
proclamation of 22d September, 1841, and under the notices dated 7th December, 1825,
1st August, 1841, and 9th September, 1846, shall cease, and in lieu thereof there shall be
levied the several following charges, that is to say:—




550

Commercial Regulations*
SCHEDULE OF CHARGES.

For pilotage—inwards, per foot............................................... .......................
“
outwards, “ ............ ...........................................................
For tugging vessels by the post office steamer, inwards or outwards, namely:
For vessels under 200 tons, each.................................................................
“ of 200 tons or upwards, per ton.................................................
For the use of warps and boats, namely:—
Inwards, for each vessel above 100 tons burthen.........................................
The same, if the post office steamer be employed..................................
Outwards........., .........................................................................................
For anchorage dues:—
Vessels trading with Madagascar or dependencies, per ton of register.........
All other vessels breaking bulk or receiving cargo,
44
44
.........
Vessels in distress, provided their stay in port does not exceed 15 days, per
ton of register.........................................................................................
For moving from one berth in harbor to another, or to hulks, each time..........
For swinging alongside hulks...........................................................................
For remooring.................................................
For the use of the mooring chains, or the anchors which are placed round the
“ Trou Fanfaron,” namely:—
For each vessel under 100 tons, per day..................................................
“
“ of 100 tons and not above 200, per day.....................
“
“ above 200, per day..........................................................
For the use of an anchor from 4,500 lbs. to 3,500 lbs., per day.....................
“
«
3,500
2,500
“• ................
“
“
2,500
2,000
“ ................
44
“
2,000
1,500
44
..............
44
a chain from 14 inches to 16 inches
“ ..... ..........
«
“
11
13
44 ................
44
44
8
10
“ ................
it

u.

g

(C

..

0 5 0
0

5

0

5 0 0
0 0 6
3 0 0
1

0

0

3 0 0
0 0 3
0

0

0
4
2
2

0 4
0 0
0 0
0 0

8

0 1 0
0

2

0

0 4 0
0 !« 0
0 1:2 0
0 8 0
0 4 0
1 12 0
1 4 0
1 0 0
0 12 0
0
0

“
“
4
5
44 ................
For vessels remaining swung on the warps above 24 hours, namely:—
Under 100 tons.......................................................................... ..........
1 0 0
Of 100 tons or upwards.............................................................................. 4 0 0
For port and police clearance, namely:—
On vessels trading with Madagascar and dependencies, each....................... 0 10 0
On all other vessels, each.......................................................................... . 1 10 0
For the dredging service.—An additional proportional amount on all other charges, namely :
On vessels under 350 tons per register............................... ................... 10 per cent.
44
of 350 tons or upwards............................. ...................... 15 44
Art. 2. The present Ordinance shall take effect from the day of its publication.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 7th day of February, 1848.
FOR ALTERING AND AMENDING THE IMMIGRATION LAW ON SPIRITS.

Whereas by Ordinance No. 7 of 1842, a tax of 4s. per gallon is imposed on spirits im­
ported : And whereas it is expedient that the said tax be charged according to the degree
of strength by which such spirits exceed the strength of proof: His Excellency the Go­
vernor in council has ordered and does hereby order:—
D u t y to be le v ie d on s p ir it s . —Art. 1. The duty of 4s. per gallon imposed on spirits
imported by Ordinance No. 7 of 1842, shall be levied on each gallon of spirits of or under
the strength of proof by Sykes’ hydrometer, and the like sum shall be levied for every
gallon which may result from such spirits exceeding the strength of proof.
T h e l a x , h o w c o lle c te d a n d a p p lie d . —Art. 2. This tax shall be levied, collected, and
applied in the same manner with the duties and taxes imposed by Ordinance No. 7 of 1842.
Art. 3. The present Ordinance shall take effect from the day of its publication.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 14th day of February, 1848.
IX.
FOR ALTERING AND AMENDING THE COLONIAL LAWS REGULATING THE CUSTOMS DUTIES.

Whereas the duties imposed in the United Kingdom by the Act 8 and 9 Vic., cap. 90,
having been altered by subsequent acts, orders of Her Majesty in council, and of the
Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury, it has become necessary to alter and




Commercial Regulations.

551

amend the Ordinance 56 of 1844, and to make new laws and regulations in reference to
the duties leviable under that Ordinance: His Excellency the Governor in council has or­
dered and does hereby order:—
D u tie s , how to be le v ie d a n d r e c o v e r e d . —Art. 1. Instead of the duties imposed by Or­
dinance 56 of 1844 on certain articles mentioned in the “ Table of Duties ” hereinafter
contained, the several duties set forth in the said table shall be levied, recovered, and col­
lected in like manner as if such duties had been imposed by the said Ordinance No. 56 of
1844.
TABLE OF DUTIES AT MAURITIUS.

1. On rum or arrack, being the production or manufacture of the United Kingdom or
of any of the British possessions in America or of any British possession within the limits
of the East India Company’s charter, into which the importation of rum or arrack, the
produce of any foreign country or of any British possession into which foreign sugar or
rum may be legally imported, is prohibited.
4s. per gallon of any strength not exceeding the strength of proof by Sykes’ hydrome­
ter, and the like sum for every gallon which may result from such spirits exceeding the
strength of proof.
2. On spirits not being rum or arrack the production or manufacture of the United
Kingdom or of any of the British possessions in America or of any of the British posses­
sions within the limits of the East India Company’s charter.
6d. per gallon of any strength not exceeding the strength of proof by Sykes’ hydrome­
ter, and the like sum for every gallon which may result from such spirits exceeding the
strength of proof.
3. On spirits not being the production or manufacture of the United Kingdom or of any
British possession in America or of any of the British possessions within the limits of the
East India Company’s charter.
Is. per gallon of any strength not exceeding the strength of proof by Sykes’ hydrome­
ter, and the like sum for every gallon which may result from such spirits exceeding the
strength of proof.
4. On cordials or spirits sweetened or mixed with any article so that the degree
strength thereof cannot be exactly ascertained by Sykes’ hydrometer: 3s. per gallon in
volume.
5. On all tobacco imported, namely: leaf or unmanufactured tobacco, Id. per lb.
Manufactured tobacco, 3d. per lb.
Segars and snuff, 8d. per lb.
G o o d s n o t th e p r o d u c e o f th e U n ite d K in g d o m or o f a n y B r i t i s h p o s se ss io n im p o r te d
in to M a u r i t i u s w i t h o u t d r a w b a c k o r d u t i e s to p a y o n ly th e d u tie s le v ia b le o n th e lik e
g o o d s im p o r te d f r o m th e U n ite d K in g d o m . —Art. 2. If any goods not being the growth,

production, or manufacture of the United Kingdom or of any of the British possessions
in America or of any of the British possessions within the limits of the East India Com­
pany’s charter, or of the produce of any of the British fisheries be imported from the Uni­
ted Kingdom being there free of duty on importation, or after having there paid the duties
of consumption, be imported into Mauritius from thence without drawback of such duties.
Such goods shall be charged with the same duties only as are leviable on the like Brit­
ish goods when imported from the United Kingdom.
A r t i c l e s e x e m p te d f r o m d u t y on th e ir im p o r ta tio n .—Art. 3. The following articles
shall be exempted from the payment of duty on their importation into Mauritius in the
same manner as if such goods had been enumerated in the “ Table of Exemptions” sub­
joined to the Ordinance No. 56 of 1844, namely:—
Bricks, tiles, lime, slates, coals, books and maps, articles of naval uniform, the produce
or manufacture of the United Kingdom.
Firewood, bran, wheatmeal, pollard, lentils, seeds intended for agricultural or horticul­
tural purposes, whether British or foreign.
Sal ammoniac, saltpetre, and phosphate of soda, the produce of British possessions with­
in the limits of the East India Company’s charter to be used for agricultural purposes solely.
Vacoa leaves and Vacoa bags, the produce or manufacture of places within the limits
of the East India Company’s charter.
Art. 4. The present Ordinance shall have effect from the day of its publication.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 14th day of February, 1848.
TO ALTER AND AMEND THE COLONIAL LAW RELATING TO THE QUAY DUTIES AND WHARFAGE DUES.

Whereas by an Ordinance of His Excellency the Governor in council dated the second
day of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, and numbered thirty-two of




552

Commercial Regulations.

that year, certain quay duties and wharfage dues are imposed on goods, wares, and mer­
chandise imported into and exported from the Island of Mauritius, and it is expedient to
alter and amend the same: His Excellency the Governor in council has ordered and does
hereby order:—
Q u a y d u t i e s a n d w h a r fa g e d u e s rep e a le d . —Art. 1. The quay duties and wharfage
dues set forth in the table subjoined to Ordinance No. 32 of 1828, are hereby repealed.
Q u a y d u tie s to be p a i d on g o o d s im p o r te d in to a n d e x p o r te d f r o m th e I s la n d . —Art. 2.
There shall be raised, levied, collected, and paid upon goods, wares, and merchandise im­
ported into and exported from the island of Mauritius, the quay dues set forth in the fol­
lowing table, that is to say:—
TABLE OF QUAY DUTIES AT MAURITIUS.
CLASS 1.
1. Bags, mats, bales, bundles, trusses, and other soft packages
not exceeding 75 lbs........................................................
2. Casks, kegs, boxes, parcels, not exceeding 25 lbs................
3. Demijohns, dubbers, cases, boxes, and casks empty..............
4. Jars, jugs, lins, not exceeding the content of 3 gallons........
5. Segars in single or separate packages or boxes of not more
than 500.....................- ......... .....................................
6. Iron pots and kettles...........................................................
7. Hides, raw and tanned............................ ...........................
8. Single or loose bolts of canvass...........................................

each one half penny.
“
u

“
each one penny.

class 2.
1. Bags, bales, bundles, mats, and trusses above 75 lbs. and not
exceeding 150 lbs............................................................
2. Casks or kegs above 25 lbs. and not exceeding 75 lbs.........
3. Half-boxes or smaller packages of tea not exceeding 12 lbs.,
and boxes and parcels exceeding 25 lbs............................
4. Jars, jugs, and tins above 3 and not exceeding the content
of 5 gallons......................................................................
5. Demijohns and dubbers not exceeding 6 gallons in capacity.
6. Segars in single or separate packages or boxes exceeding 500
and not exceeding 1,000..................................................
7. Half-tubs of sugar candy, oars............................................
8. Chairs...... .........................................................................
9. Chinaware, earthenware..................................................... per 25 pieces 1 penny.
10. Cocoanuts.......................................................................... 100 in number 1 penny,
11. Salted and dried fish........................................................... per cwt. one penny.
12. Gargoulettes per 25...........................................................
13. Cheeses not exceeding 12 lbs. in each, packed singly..........
14. Cordage, cables, and hawsers.............................................
class 3.
1. Bags, bales, bundles, mats, and trusses above 150 lbs., and
not exceeding 200 lbs.......................................................
each two pence.
2. Casks or kegs above 75 lbs., and not exceeding 100 lbs. or
it
25 gallons.................................................................... .
3. Boxes, cases, and baskets not above 2 cubic feet in measure­
ment, cases and baskets, containing wine, oil, spirits, or
u
other liquids not exceeding one dozen bottles each...........
4. Jars of almonds, sausages, biscuits, preserves, &c., exceed­
«
ing the capacity of 5 gallons or not above 100 lbs............
K
5. Dubbers, &c., above the capacity of 6 gallons.....................
6. Iron and brass cauldrons....................................................
7. Tubs of sugar candy and boxes of tea exceeding 12 lbs......
8. Homs, slates, bricks, and tiles............................................ per 100 two pence,
9. Grinding stones..................................................................
each two pence.
10. Cheese packed singly exceeding 12 lbs. and not exceeding
n
30 lbs.... ............... .........................................................
11. Carrots of tobacco.............................................................. per score two pence.
12. Turtles..............................................................................




Commercial Regulations.

553

CLASS 4.

1. Bags, bales, and bundles above 200 lbs. and not exceeding
250 lbs............................................................................
each three pence.
2. Casks or kegs above 100 lbs. or 25 gallons in content and
not exceeding 300 lbs. or 60 gallons in capacity...............
“
3. Spars and masts..................................................................
4. Copper in sheets................................................................. per cwt. three pence.
u
5. Cheese in tubs or in bulk....*..............................................
6. Hams and dried beef..................................................... .
“
7. Wax and rattans.................................................................
“
8 . Shingles................................... .................................... .
per 1,000 three pence.
cla ss

5.

1. Bags, bales, and bundles above 250 lbs. and not exceeding
500 lbs............................................................................
2. Casks above 300 lbs. or 60 gallons in content and not ex­
ceeding 500 lbs. or 100 gallons in capacity.......................
3. Boxes, cases, trunks, and baskets above 2 and not exceeding
4 cubic feet in measurement............................................
4. Jars containing almonds, sausages, &c., exceeding 100 lbs.
in weight....... *...............................................................
5. Sugar pans.........................................................................
6. Slabs of marble.........;........................................................
7. Anchors not exceeding 500 lbs. weight................................
8. Horses, mules, and asses.....................................................
9. Crates................................................................................

each four pence.
“

“
“
“

“
u

CLASS 6.

1. Bales, bags, and bundles exceeding 500 lbs.........................
2. Casks exceeding 500 lbs. or 120 gallons in capacity.............
3. Boxes, trunks, and baskets above 4 cubic feet in measure­
ment, chests or cases of tea, segars or other goods having
inner packages.............
4. Anchors exceeding 500 lbs.................................................
5. Pianofortes...... ..................................................................

each eight pence.
i(

“
'

“
a

CLASS 7.

1. Wood, stone, iron, lead, and other heavy goods, machinery,
boilers, chain-cables, ordnance, iron tanks, and boats....... per ton one shilling.
cla ss

8.

1. Carriages of all sorts............................................................ each two shillings.
Goods landed from ships entering the port in distress to pay half the above rates.
G o o d s e x e m p te d f r o m th e p a y m e n t o f q u a y d u e s. —Art. 3. The following goods shall
be exempt from payment of the quay dues established by the aforegoing table, namely:—
Government, military, and naval stores.
Passengers’ baggage.
Goods landed from or shipped on coasting vessels and vessels trading to the dependencies.
Goods landed from or shipped on board of vessels belonging to His Highness the Imaum
of Muscat.
Ice and guano manure.
Art. 4. This Ordinance shall take effect from the day of its publication.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 14th day of February, 1848.
XI.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLACING CERTAIN ARTICLES OF FOREIGN .PRODUCTION WHEN IMPORTED
INTO MAURITIUS DIRECT FROM THE PLACE OF PRODUCE ON THE SAME FOOTING AS IF SUCH AR­
TICLES WERE IMPORTED THROUGH THE UNITED KINGDOM ; AND OF REPEALING THE DUTIES OF
•CUSTOMS ON CERTAIN OTHER ARTICLES.

Whereas by an act passed in the session of Parliament holden in the ninth and tenth
years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled “ An act to enable the legis­
latures of certain British possessions to reduce or repeal certain duties of customs,” it is
enacted that if and whenever the legislature of the Island of Mauritius make or pass any
act or Ordinance, acts or Ordinances, reducing or repealing all or any of the duties of
customs imposed by an act passed in the session of Parliament holden in the eighth and
ninth years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled “ An act to regulate the




554

Commercial Regulations.

trade of British possessions abroad,” upon any articles imported into the said island, and
if Her Majesty, by and with the advice of her Privy Council, assent to such act or Ordi­
nance, acts or Ordinances, such duties of customs shall, upon the proclamation of such
assent in the colony or at any time thereafter which may be fixed by such act or Ordi­
nance, be so reduced or repealed in such possession as if such reduction or repeal had been
effected by an act or acts of the imperial legislature, anything in any act to the contrary
thereof notwithstanding: And whereas it is expedient to reduce or repeal certain duties
of customs imposed by the last recited act on certain articles imported into the said Island
of Mauritius: His Excellency the Governor in council has ordered and does hereby order:—
C h a n g e o f. d u tie s o n f o r e i g n a r tic le s . —Art. 1. In lieu of the duties of customs now
chargeable, under the act last recited, on the foreign articles hereinafter next mentioned
imported into the Island of Mauritius, the following duties shall be charged, levied, and
recovered in the same manner as if they had been imposed by the last recited act, that is
to say:—
Hams................................................................................................... per cwt. 2s. 3d,
Sausages and puddings...................................................................................... 2 3
Tongues, salted or cured................................................................................. 2 3
Butter............................................................................................................... 6 0
Cheese............................................................................................................. 3 9
No abatement of such duties shall be made if any of the articles hereinbefore men­
tioned shall be imported through the United Kingdom, having been warehoused therein,
and being exported from the warehouse, or the duties thereon, if there paid, having been
drawn back.
F o r e ig n a r tic le s e x e m p te d f r o m d u t y . —Art. 2. The duties of customs now payable,
under the act last recited, upon the foreign articles hereinafter next mentioned imported
into the Island of Mauritius, shall cease and determine, that is to say:—
Bacon, beef salted, lard, pork salted, bran, wheat meal, pollard, dholl, lentils, leeches,
vacoa leaves or vacoa bags, government stores and articles for the public service.
Art. 3. This Ordinance shall come into operation at such time as shall be fixed by a
proclamation of the Governor.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 14th day of February, 1848.
XII.
FOR REPEALING THE TONNAGE DUES AND THE DUTIES ON COASTING VESSELS, AND FOR ALTERING
THE DUTIES ON THE LICENSES OF BOATS, LIGHTERS, & C .

Whereas it is expedient to reduce or repeal certain colonial duties imposed by Ordi­
nance No. 65 of 1830, No. 4 of 1840, and by a proclamation dated 16th December, 1823 :
His Excellency the Governor in council has ordered and does hereby order:—
D u tie s o n b o a ts a n d c o a s ti n g v e s s e ls r e p e a le d . —Art. 1. The duties imposed by Ordi­
nances No. 65 of 1830, and No. 4 of 1840, on boats and vessels employed in the coasting
trade round the Island of Mauritius, and the regulations enacted by the said Ordinances
are hereby repealed.
L ic e n s e r e q u ir e d f o r v e s s e ls u n d e r 15 to n s e m p lo y e d i n th e c o a s tin g tr a d e . —Art. 2.All vessels under 15 tons burthen and which are not required to be registered under the
act of Parliament 8 and 9 Vic., cap. 89, shall, when employed in the coasting trade round
the Island of Mauritius, have a license from the collector of Her Majesty’s customs; and
if any such vessel be so employed without such license, the owner or owners shall be lia­
ble to a penalty not exceeding .£10 sterling.
T o n n a g e d u t y o n g o o d s r e p e a le d . —Art. 3. The duty imposed by the thirteenth article
of the proclamation, dated the sixteenth day of December, one thousand eight hundred
and twenty-three, on goods landed from or shipped on board vessels in the harbor of Port
Louis, and commonly termed tonnage duty, and the regulations enacted by the said arti­
cle are hereby repealed.
D u t y o f 4s. p e r to n p e r a n n u m to he le v ie d o n th e lic e n s e s o f b o a ts , l i g h t e r s , <J-c.—
Art. 4. In lieu of the duties imposed by the fifth article of the proclamation, dated the
sixteenth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, on the licenses
of boats, lighters, barges, and other craft employed in loading or unloading vessels or in
supplying and discharging ballast, there shall be levied from and after the 31st day of
March, one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, on the licenses of boats, lighters,
barges, and other craft employed for each, any, or all of the purposes aforesaid a duty of
four shillings per ton per annum.
Art. 5. This Ordinance shall take effect from the day of its publication, with the ex­
ception of the duties imposed by the 4th article, which shall come into operation from and
after the 31st of March next.
Passed in council at Port Louis, Island of Mauritius, this 14th day of February, 1848.




Commercial Regulations.

555

NEW NORWEGIAN TARIFF.
A letter recently received in this country from a reliable source at Stockholm, furnishes
information which cannot fail to be interesting to persons engaged in the trade between
the United States and Sweden and Norway, and to the readers of the M e r c h a n ts ’ M a g a ­
z in e generally. Extracts from the communication referred to are subjoined.
“ S t o c k h o l m , A u g u s t 1, 1848.
“ The Norwegian Storthing has recently adopted a new Tariff. The document in ques­
tion is dated at Christiania, the 31st day of May, and will continue in force from its com­
mencement, July 1, 1848, to the same date in 1851.
“ Since the receipt of this Tariff, I have employed considerable time in a minute ex­
amination of its contents, and now submit an extract of such duties as bear especially on
articles of American produce and manufacture.
“ It may be remarked, in advance, that the Norwegian weights and measures are the
same as those of Denmark. Their relative value and capacity—compared with those of
the United States—will be found in the latter pages of this despatch.
“ Adopting an alphabetical arrangement of the Norwegian Tariff, we extract the fol­
lowing duties:—
C o tto n .............................. per lb.
$0 00$ G r a in not ground—
Maize.........................per bbl. $0 60
In bond not less than 2,400 lbs.
Malt, all kinds............per bbl.
0 374
C o tto n Y a r n —
White, not twisted........ per lb.
In bond not less than 50 bbls.
0 05
0 374
In bond not less than 200 lbs.
Rye............................per bbl.
Rye at the custom-houses of
0 08$
White, twisted...............per lb.
In bond not less than 120 lbs.
Hammerfert, Vard and Vads
0 18J
0 10
per bbl.
Dyed.......................... per lb.
In bond not less than 100 lbs.
In bond not less than 50 bbls.
G r a in (coarse ground) or G r i ts —
C o tto n M a n u f a c t u r e s —
Of buckwheat, per bbl. or 10
Blond lace, bobinett, bone lace,
0 90
1 00
and gauze................. per lb.
lispounds...........................
In bond not less than 20 bbls.
Unbleached cotton cloth (plain
or com. linen texture) .per lb.
0 16§
Of barley (whole) per bbl. or
1 00
In bond not less than 100 lbs.
14 lispounds.......................
Of barley at the custom-houses
Hosiery, knit or woven, both
dyed and not dyed, such as
of Hammerfert, Vard and
stockings, bonnets, jackets,
Vads..................................
0 50
veils, gloves or mittens, &c.
0 33$
In bond not less than 20 bbls.
Of barley (in halves) per bbl.
In bond not less than 50 lbs.
0 83J
or 11 lispounds..................
Printed......................... per lb.
0 33$
Of barley at the custom-houses
In bond not less than 50 lbs.
Other kinds.................. per lb.
of Hammerfert, Vard and
0 26§
0 41§
In bond not less than 50 lbs.
Vads..................................
0 90
Of oats, per bbl. or 11 lispounds
Joined with other materials,
Of oats at the custom-houses
v id e Stuffs.
0 45
of Brod and Troms............
G r a in not ground—
Bailey......................... .per bbl.
0 25
In bond not less than 12 bbls.
Barley at the custom-houses
Of oats at the custom-houses of
of Hammerfert, Vard and
Hammerfert, Vard and Vads Duty free.
Vads........................ per bbl.
0 12$ G r a in y ground—Flour or meal—
Jn bond not less than 50 bbls.
Buckwheat, bean and pease
Buckwheat...................per bbl.
0 30
flour or meal, per lispound.
0 07$
In bond not less than 50 bbls.
Of barley- (in bond 8 shipPease (which are not to be com­
0 07$
pounds) per lispound.........
prehended under the title of
Of barley at Hammerfert, Vard
garden stuffs or vegetables)
and Vads,........................ 0 01 9-16
per bbl.
0 37$
Oat meal......... .per lispound 0 05 5-6
In bond not less than 30 bbls.
Oat meal at the custom-houses
Oats............................ per bbl.
0 20
of Hammerfert, Vard and
Oats at Hammerfert, Vard and
Vads..................................
0 02$
Vads..................................
0 10
In bond not less than 10 shipIn bond not less than 50‘bbls.
pounds.
Wheat......................... per bbl.
0 60
Wheat flour a,nd farina, (such as
In bond not less than 30 bbls.
potato flour) &c., p. lispound
0 13$




556

Commercial Regulations.

G r a in ,

ground—Flour or meal—
S p e r m a c e ti —
Rye flour, per lispound.......... $0 08*
Oil........................................ $ 0 01*
Rye flour at the custom-houses
T o b a cco —
of Brod and Troms....
Stems (in bond 1000 lbs.) per lb. 0 04 1-6
0 02*
In bond not less than 8 ship
Blade & carrotle (in bond 1000
pounds.
lbs.)...............................perlb.0 04 1-6
At the custom-houses of Ham
Snuff.................................perlb. 0 111
merfert, Vard and Vads.... Duty free.
Cigars............................. perlb. 0 25
P o rk and B acon—
For smoking, chewing, and oth­
Smoked...................... per lb
er kinds not enumerated, per
0 01|
0 08*
Salted.......................... per lb
lb.......................................
o oh
In bond 600 lbs.
O ’ No tare is allowed on the
R i c e ..............................per bb
papers in which tobacco is
0 61!
Flour............................... perlb. 0 02 *
packed.
In bond 15 barrels o f rice and
S t u f f s , made of cotton, wool, lin­
800 lbs. of flour.
en, hair, or of two or a great­
S te a r i n e ...............................perlb. 0 03*
er number of these materials,
Candles....*................ per lb.
0 26 §
per lb.................................
0 06§
S p e r m a c e ti ................................ Duty free
In bond not less than 50 lbs.
Candles........................per lb.
0 10
“ As to Norwegian weights and measures, it may be remarked that the pound is about
o n e -te n th greater than that of the United States, giving actually for each 100 pounds Nor­
wegian, 110 25-100 avoirdupois.
“ The lis p o u n d contains 16 Norwegian, or about 17* English pounds.
“ The *Toende,’ which has been translated 4b a rre ls ’ in the extracts given, may be es­
timated at a trifle less than 4 English bushels. When great is required, its contents are
expressed by 3,950 bushels and decimals, being a very near approximation to the amount
first stated.
“ With 1,400 miles of sea-coast to protect from smuggling, the Norwegians have acted
far more wisely than their neighbors. They have admitted many articles to the ports of
Bod and Troms at h a l f r a te s of duty, while at Hammerfert, Vard and Vads, they are
d u t y f r e e .”
•
TARIFF REGULATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA.
The following circular, addressed by the Secretary of the Treasury to collectors and
other officers of the customs, is published in the Merchants’ Magazine for the information
of merchants trading with that part of the American Union:—
T reasury D epartment, O ctober 1 t h , 1848.
On the 30th of May last, upon the exchange of ratifications of our treaty with Mexico,
California became a part of the American Union ; in consequence of which, various ques­
tions have been presented by merchants and collectors for the decision of this department.
By the Constitution of the United States it is declared that 44a ll tr e a t ie s made, or which
shall be made, under the authority of the United States, s h a ll be th e s u p r e m e la w o f th e
la n d .” By the treaty with Mexico, California is annexed to this Republic, and the Con­
stitution of the United States is extended over that territory, and is in full force through­
out its limits. Congress, also, by several enactments subsequent to the ratification of the
treaty, have distinctly recognized California as a part of the Union, and have extended
over it in several important particulars the laws of the United States.
Under these circumstances the following instructions are issued by this department:—
1st. All articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of California, shipped there­
from at any time since the 30th of May last, are entitled to admission free of duty into
all the ports of the United States.
2d. All articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States are enti­
tled to admission free of duty into California, as are also all foreign goods which are ex­
empt from duty by the laws of Congress, or on which goods the duties prescribed by those
laws have been paid to any collector of the United States, previous to their introduction
into California.
3d. Although the Constitution of the United States extends to California, and Con­
gress have recognized it by law as a part of the Union, and legislated for it as such, yet it
is not brought by law within the limits of any collection district, nor has Congress author,
ized the appointment of any officers to collect the revenue accruing on the import of for­
eign dutiable goods into that territory. Under these circumstances, although this depart-




Nautical Intelligence.

557

' ment may be unable to collect the duties accruing on importations from foreign countries
into California, yet, if foreign dutiable goods should be introduced there and shipped thence
to any port or place of the United States, they will be subject to duty, as also to all the
penalties prescribed by law when such importation is attempted without the payment of
duties.
R. J. W alker,
S e c r e ta r y o f th e T r e a s u r y .

NAUTICAL

INTELLIGENCE.
/

TO RIO AND OTHER TRADERS AND NAVIGATORS.
N ational O bservatory, W a s h in g to n , A u g u s t 9 th , 1848.
brig Oceamis, Captain Sullivan, with the wind and current charts on board, sailed
March 13th, 1848, from Boston bound to Rio, where she arrived July 8th, after a passage
of 117 days.
It is known that Captain Sullivan set out with the intention of taking the new route
to the Equator. I s a y to the Equator, for at that time the Rio sheet was not published,
and I had given no sailing directions as to going south from the Equator, further than to
express the opinion that vessels would find no difficulty in weathering Chpe St. Roque
from the point where the new route requires them to cross the Equator.
Had Captain Sullivan been provided with the sailing directions which have since been
given for clearing St. Roque, (which it was impossible for him to have,) and had he fol­
lowed them with as much confidence as he did those for reaching the Equator, there is
every reason for the belief that his passage to Rio would have been less by a week or ten
days than the usual average.
That this long passage may not serve to prejudice navigators against the new route on
the charts, I have deemed it proper to make the following statement, based on the abstract
of the voyage which Captain Sullivan has been so kind as to send me.
With admirable judgment he followed the chart as far as it went, crossing the Equator
on April 13th in about 31° 45’ W., on the 31st day out, which gave him a passage, so
far, of 10 days less than the average by the same route. His guide went no further; and
after crossing the Line, he was left to his own judgment.
I quote from the abstract which he has sent me:—
T he

Latitude.

Longitude.

Currents.

Winds and remarks.

. . . .

April 12
... 0° 44' N. 31° 38' W. 0° 5' W.
East, moderate.
13 ... 1° 39' S. 31° 50' W. 1° 0' W.
East, strong tide up.
14 .... 2° 10' S. 30° 59' W. 1° O' W. 10° N. N. N. E., light wind.
15 ... 3° 05' S. 32° 50' W. 1° 5' VV.
E. S. E.,
«
16 ... 3° 57' S. 35° 10' W. 2° 5' W. by N.
17
. 3 ° 40' S. 34° 12' W. 2° 5’ W. by N.
18
. 2° 00' S. 37° 15' W. 2° 5' W. by N. E. E. & E., squalls and rain.
t*
a
19 .. 1° 56' S. 39° 40' W. 1° V W. by N.
20 ... 1° 20' S. 39° 12' W. 1° 5 'W. by N. Variable from north.
21 ... 0° 44' S. 40° 20' W. 1° 9 'W. N. W.
“
and light airs.
22
0° 10' S. 41° 01' W. 1°
9' W. N.W.Moderate squalls from east.
it
a
23
0° 15' S. 40° 59' W. 1°
2' W. N.W.
0° 20' S. 41° 20' W. 2° O'W. N. W. Calm.
24
25
0° 15' N. 42° 00' W. 1°
5' W. N.W.Light airs from east.
And so on, getting as far to leeward as 11° 30' N. in 52° W. Now it will be observed
that the winds on the 18th and 19th were as fair as winds could blow for going to the
southward, and that, instead of standing in that direction, the brig was running off to
northward and westward at the rate of 210 miles one day and 140 the next.
If she chose not to take advantage of a fair wind, it certainly can be no fault of the chart.
June 21st, or 69 days after crossing the Line the first time, he crossed it again in very
nearly the same place ; where I again extract from his log:—
June 20.....,.
21.......
22.... ..
23.... ..
24.... ..
25.... ..

Latitude.
i ° o r N.

Longitude.

31° 52' W.
0° 13's. 31° 52' W.
2° 13' S. 32° 01' W.
2° 00' S. 31° 34' W.
4° 07' S. 32° 41' W.
5° 24' S. 33° 35' W.




Currents.

0° 7'
0° 8'
0° 8'
1° 0'
1° 0'
1° 0'

W.
W.
W.
W.
W.
W. N. W.

Winds and remarks.

S. E., squalls and moderate.
S. E. by E. and E. S. E., mod.
S. E., stiff breeze.
t(

((

S. S. E., “
S. E. and E. S E., heavy
squalls of 4 hours duration.

558

Journal o f Mining and Manufactures .

And so on, weathering St. Roque without difficulty, and arriving at Rio July 8th.
I
Now, I submit it to any navigator to say whether the winds, notwithstanding the westwardly current, were not more favorable for clearing Cape St. Roque after crossing the
Line the first time than they were the second: and I leave it to them, further, to say
whether this journal is not calculated to inspire confidence as to my route.
I have the tracks of eight vessels that have sailed the new route to the Line, and the
mean passage of the eight is short of 31 days, which is 25 per cent less than the average
passage by the usual route.
More ample materials, collected since the chart was first published, have enabled me
to give more specific sailing directions for this route. They will be ready for publication
in a few days. But as vessels are daily departing in that direction, I will here remark that,
at this season of the year, I would recommend them to cross the parallel of 30° N. in
about 50° W .; to make the best of their way thence to 5° or 6° N. in about 30° W .;
near which they may expect to meet the S. E. trades. After getting there, vessels are re­
commended to make the best of their way to southward, and, in case of their being not
likely to clear St. Roque, they are advised not to tack, unless with a favorable slant of
wind, but to stand boldly on until they get as near the land as it is prudent to go, recol­
lecting that, by so doing, all the chances of a change of wind are in their favor, and bear­
ing in mind that the currents are generally not so strong close into the shore as they are
some 50 or 100 miles from it, as the chart shows. When, however, they are compelled
to tack, with the wind obstinately in their teeth, they are recommended to make short
stretches of not more than twelve hours each. In proof of the advantages of so doing, I
refer to the tracks of the “ Osceola ” and “ Plymouth,” last April, which are laid down in
a broken green line. Those who will take the trouble to examine these two tracks will
perceive that each of these vessels, had they have had the benefit of this suggestion,
(which they had not,) would have saved several days between the Line and St. Roque.
M. F. M aury.

JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COTTON MILL IN INDIANA.
THE FIRST CO-PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE FOOD AND COTTON PRODUCING DISTRICTS OF THE
UNITED STATES.

F r e e m a n H u n t , E s q ., E d i t o r o f th e M e r c h a n ts ' M a g a z i n e , fyc.

D ear S ir :—The low prices of cotton and food in the Mississippi valley, has at length
resulted in the commencement, on a large scale, of a third interest and employment in aid
of the two first. The West and South have determined, by a fair experiment, to see if
it is not more economical to manufacture their cotton and eat their corn at home.
The first movement is seen in the recent organization of the C a n n e lto n C o tto n M i l l ,
chartered by the last legislature of Indiana, with a capital of $500,000, and to be operated
at the Cannelton Coal Banks, in Ferry county, Indiana, and on the bank of the Ohio
River. This site affords superior coal at four cents per bushel; it is peculiarly healthy,
is below all the important obstructions in the river, and is the centre of a rich food-pro­
ducing district. The financial arrangements and sales will be made in this city, where
there is a large banking capital.
The stockholders in the company are substantial men, who have taken hold of the thing
to make money. They number thirty-six; twenty-one are residents'of Kentucky, five
of Indiana, two of Louisiana, six of Mississippi, and one of Arkansas. Together, they
are able to put up a cotton factory of 10,000 spindles every year, and they doubtless will
do this, if they realize, on the first, even the minimum of estimated profits, or 15 per cent.
They are weil known throughout the country, and the result of their operations will be
looked for with great interest. If this is favorable, but a few years will elapse before we
shall manufacture a ll the coarse cotton goods (say No. 14 and under) required here or
elsewhere, and which are to be made from our cotton. The effect which this change will
have here and abroad, is a problem I shall not attempt to solve. That it will be seen, is
as sure as that the cheapest material, the cheapest food, and the cheapest power is likely
to attract the cheapest labor, and must make the cheapest goods.
This Cannelton Cotton Mill will adopt the general principles and most of the details of
the “ Lowell system.” Ten thousand spindles will be put in operation early next fall;




Journal o f Mining and Manufactures.

559

and if the first work to the satisfaction of the stockholders, the number will be duplicated
in the year following.
The officers of the company are W i l l i a m R i c h a r d s o n , president, and Alfred Thruston,
treasurer. The machinery will be built in New England, Pittsburgh, and Louisville; the
overseers, machinists, &c., and teachers of the female operatives, will be obtained from
New England. Female labor can be had in the greatest abundance at an average price
of $1 50 per week, exclusive of board, and board can be had at $1 per week. These
rates are about 25 per cent lower than in New England.
I regard this movement of as much importance to the East as to the West and South­
west ; for this is a clear proposition, that a country, out of its infancy, which does not
work up its peculiar staples, and make its co a rse fabrics, must become a very unsafe cus­
tomer to the foreign manufacturer and factor. Yours respectfully,
H. S.
PROCESS OF WORKING A LAKE SUPERIOR COPPER MINE.
the editor of the T r ib u n e , who recently visited the Lake Supe­
rior copper mines, thus describes the process of opening and working a copper mine in
that region:—
We will suppose that the district of country has been hurriedly examined by the pio­
neer adventurers, or p r o s p e c te r s , who, coasting along the lake, have landed at some petty
bay or inlet, followed a stream back into the wilderness, watching the rocks it exposes,
and then the faces of the cliffs, or steep, rocky eminences, around and among which it
meanders, in search of mineral outcrops or indications. These discovered, of a satisfactory
character, a lo c a tio n is made, and a lease of it (hitherto) taken. Next, (probably next
season,) workmen, a team, provisions, powder, mining tools, &c., &c., are landed at the
most convenient point on the lake, a trail cut back to the vicinity of the discovered vein
or veins, and a part of the force build some sort of dwellings, while others are setting up the
indispensable blacksmith’s forge, hauling up the stores, (the most necessary first,) &c. As
soon as possible, the vein is probed further, by pickaxe, drilling, and blasting; but, if the
force consists of only three or four men, they are not likely to penetrate the earth beyond
twenty feet the first season. Soon water begins to pour in, especially after storms, and
still more abundantly in the thawing season, and arrangements must be made for its re­
moval—at first by bailing, and, as the hole gradually becomes a shaft, by raising with rope
and bucket, until a w i m can be constructed, or an a d it run up—the latter is preferable, if
the ground descends rapidly from the mine in any direction. But the adit can be relied
on for surface water only; your shaft will in time be below it, and then you must raise
water by hand or machinery, (a wim.)
What with making road, building, getting up provisions, iron, tools, &c., cutting wood,
limber, and the like, of the first five thousand days’ work done on a location, only from
one to two thousand, except under peculiar circumstances, can be devoted to mining; but
at length, if the work is prosecuted, the shaft has obtained a depth of forty to sixty feet,
at which is commenced a d r i f t —a horizontal gallery or excavation in the rock following
the course of the vein, (usually both ways from the shaft,) and from six to seven feet high,
and four to six feet wide. The rock is not merely to be blasted out, but raised to the
surface by such rude machinery as may be at command, with probably a hundred lifts of
water to one of rock. The rare exceptions are the cases (like that of the Cliff) in which
the vein is discovered at the base or in the side of a steep acclivity, into which may be run
upon it without sinking a drift, which shall also be an adit, dispensing from the first with
all necessity for raising either minerals, rock, or water. In ninety-nine of every hundred
cases the process is very different from this.
But the shaft being sunk and a drift or adit run for fifty to two hundred feet, and if the
product answer or exceed expectation, your vein is tolerably proved; but you have as yet
obtained very little mineral. All you will obtain in sinking, even on the richest vein, will
pay but a small share of the cost; in drifting you do a little better, and but a little. You
want two shafts sunk, and one of them down a hundred feet so, with your second drift
opened for some distance at the bottom, and now (if the vein be a good one and you
have a practicable road and other fixings) you may begin to s to p e or blast down the forty
or fifty feet of vein over head of each drift, in which only you can hope for profit. Six
miners will take out more mineral in this manner than sixty in sinking and drifting.
Very few companies have reached this point. I consider $50,000 a moderate estimate
for the cost of opening a mine in this region, counting from the location to the moment
at which the mine will pay its way, and including the cost of land. The Cliff expended
over $100,000, but its managers inevitably bought some experience which others may
now borrow.
H orace G reely , E sq.,




560

Journal o f Mining and Manufactures.

When a mine has been fairly opened and proved, it will not do to work it only with a
view of immediate profit by stopping out all the backs so far as you have gone down.
If that course be taken, you will soon have no place to work—no mineral to take out.
You must keep sinking deeper and deeper, and working your drifts longer and longer, the
vein probably extending as you go down. New shafts from the surface will also be re­
quired, in order to purify the air in the mine, and afford room for hoisting out the mineral,
rock, &c. If this be done energetically, the number of miners employed may be steadily in­
creased, with a corresponding increase of product. There will also be an increasing de­
mand for more perfect and expensive machinery, as the distance to be overcome and the
amount to be raised increases. The Cliff Mine must already have at least $30,000 worth
of machinery, fixtures, &c., which it is rapidly increasing. The space about the mouth
of the mine looks like a combination of ship-yard and steam-engine manufactory.
A quantity of rock and vein having been thrown down, the copper masses it contains,
and the masses of rock as well, severally are here grappled by giant machinery, dragged
to the most convenient spot, and lifted to the surface, where they are placed on railway
tracks and promptly wheeled their several ways. If a copper mass is thrown down too
heavy to be thus handled, or too large to be got up a shaft, it is at once set upon by cut­
ters, one holding a hardened chisel, another striking heavy blows upon it with a sledge,
and thus wrought upon until it is cut into two or more pieces, the largest weighing not
more than two tons, though a ton and a half is the preferred maximum. These are
dragged out and up, wheeled off to the place of deposit, and are soon on their way to
the lake, thence taking the propeller to the Saut, and so on to Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
I observed masses that have thus been cut on three sides, indicating an original bulk of
ten tons or over, but such are not common, though I observed one mass in the mine which
must weigh f i f t y tons. This, however, will doubtless, when taken down, exhibit fissures
and indentations which will seriously lighten the labor of cutting it. I believe the av­
erage cost of cutting up the large masses is not far from $10 per ton, all things consid­
ered, though raiher less than that sum. If any Yankee can invent a means of cutting
up these masses at a dash by steam or lightning, his fortune is made.
The masses being disposed of, the vein-stone is next in order. This is likewise hoisted
out into daylight, whereof its first experience is a roasting for twelve to twenty hours on
a fire of logs, after which the rock is easily knocked to pieces with a sledge, and the
larger junks of copper thrown aside for barreling. The residue, in pieces of one to two
inches in diameter, is now ready for s t a m p in g . To this end it is passed through a hopper,
and along with a stream of water, under a set of steam-moved trip-hammers, pile-drivers,
or what you please, with iron faces coming down alternately on their iron bed with tre­
mendous power, and grinding the calcined rock to powder. The copper hardly conde­
scends to be rubbed bright by this ordeal; but it comes out free and clear of rock, and is
found in a trough below, whence it is taken to be barrelled for market, ready to be coined
into cents, if required. These stamps, six in number, are kept steadily going, and turn
out several barrels of copper daily, but the mine gains upon them, and the speedy exten­
sion of this part of the machinery is inevitable.
SARDINIAN PRODUCTS OF INDUSTRY.
The “ J o u r n a l

o f th e F r a n k l i n I n s t i t u t e o f th e S t a t e o f P e n n s y l v a n ia f o r th e P r o ­

m o tio n o f th e M e c h a n ic Arts,” an old and valuable periodical, having reached its fortysixth volume, furnishes the following translation of a “ Notice of the Sardinian Exhibition
of the Products of Industry,” by M. B onafous :—
The work which I have the honor to present is compiled by M. le Chev. Giulio in the
name of the Royal Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, and presents a classified table
of the products of Sardinian industry admitted to the public exhibition which took place
last year at Turin, with a list of the recompenses awarded to the most deserving of the
exhibitors. I shall confine myself to npticing only a few of the arts.
There are at present worked in the kingdom of Sardinia, 28 mines of iron ore, which
employ from 3,000 to 4,000 workmen, and produce 80,000 quint, metriq. of iron, value,
4,000,000 francs, ($800,000.) This product not being sufficient for the consumption, the
rich Elba ore, and charcoal from Tuscany are transported to several points on the shore
of the Mediterranean to supply other works, in which they prepare 30,000 quintals of iron
by the direct method, which in France is called the Catalonian, in Italy, the Ligurian
process.
Add to this 8,000 quintals of wrought, and 30,000 quintals of cast iron, and we get the
amount consumed.




Journal o f Mining and Manufactures.

561

The establishments of this country also produce steels of a remarkable temper. In
the exhibition of 1844, there were files which promised competition with those of Styria
and of England. The iron wire and hollow ware also attracted attention. There are three
mines of argentiferous lead, those of Pesey and Macot in the Tarentaise ; those of SaintJean-de-Maurienne and of Tenda, produce only a mean value of 300,000 francs yearly,
($56,000.)
From 25 workings for gold only 500,000 francs are produced, ($93,500.)
Several copper mines are also but feebly worked.
Three mines of manganese furnish 35,000 kilogrammes of peroxide (34£ tons) fit for
the manufacture of chlorine for bleaching linen and cotton goods.
Two mines of cobalt are neglected.
The pottery is almost entirely abandoned to the peasants. Yet about 100,000,000 pieces
of bricks and tiles are produced, of which about one-tenth part is exported.
No glass is as yet made in the Sardinian States, but several manufactories of flint and
bottle glass are in progress.
The chemical products amount annually to 300,000 francs, ($56,000.)
The Genoese paper a century ago was celebrated everywhere. At present, since Eng­
land, and especially France, have paid attention to this article, it is only in Spain, Portu­
gal, and South America, that the paper of Genoa is consumed.
Sardinian industry furnishes from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 kilogrammes (3,000 to 4,000
tons) of leather coming from 8,000,000 or 9,000,000 raw hides, of which one-fourth are
imported.
Silk holds the third rank in the scale of agricultural or national products of the kingdom
after grain and wine, and is the most important object of commerce of the country. The
annual production is estimated at 600,000 kilogrammes (1,322,842 lbs.) of silk, having a
value of about 38,000,000 francs, ($7,000,000.)
The silk-spinning establishments are about 1,000, and employ 65,000 persons of all
ages. Were it not for the loss caused by the m u s c a r d in e * in the cocooneries, this act
would suffice of itself to pay the whole expenses of the government.
The cotton trade furnishes about 6,000,000 francs ($1,122,000) of spun cotton, and
employs more than 5,000 workmen.
The woollen business, notwithstanding the competition of foreign cloths, which get
access indirectly to the country, furnishes more than 1,540,000 metres (1,680,000 yards)
of stuffs of all qualities. To add to its importance, this manufacture awaits the time when
it shall be freed from the necessity of using foreign wool.
PRODUCE OF GOLD IN RUSSIA.
Accounts from St. Petersburgh, says the London .Mining Journal, give a summary of
the returns of gold delivered from the mines of the Ural Mountains during the half year
ending the 31st December, 1847. The quantity of gold produced in the royal mines du­
ring that period had been 60 puds., 27 lbs., 77 sol., 79 parts. The private mines had pro­
duced 101 puds., 24 lbs., 1 sol., 76 parts. The quantity of platina obtained from the
crown properties and from private mines had been 18 lbs., 92 sol., 17 parts. The royal
and private mines in the Altai Mountains, and in East and West Siberia, had produced,
in 1847, 1,434 puds., 12 lbs., 57 sol., of gold; and the district of Nertschinskinche, 25
puds.—making a total of 1,780 puds., 37 lbs., 69 sol., for the year 1847, independently of
the silver obtained from the Altai Mountains and Nertschinskinche, which amounted al­
together to 168 puds., 25 lbs. more than in 1846.
THE COAL FIELDS IN ENGLAND AND WALES.
A Ruabon correspondent in the C h e s te r C h r o n ic le , signing himself “ Asbestos,” says
that the North Wales coal field, measuring from the point of Ayr, in Flintshire, to a few
miles beyond Oswestry, in Shropshire, covers an area of 200 square miles, of 10 yards in
thickness. The weight of a cubic yard of compact coal is 19 cwt., 16 lbs. The total
weight of the coal in this extensive area will thus be 5,929,690,000 tons. These coals at
6s. per ton, at the pit mouth, would produce XI,778,907,000. To exhaust this field it
would require that 2,000,000 tons be worked annually for nearly three hundred years.
The extent of the other coal-fields in England and South Wales, estimated at the same
thickness as the North Wales fields, would yield 177,890,700,000 tons, which would fur­
nish us with 40,000,000 tons of coals for nearly 4,000 years.
* A disease of the silk worm—a kind of mould or mouldiness which destroys it.
V.
36

V O L . X IX .-----N O .




/

562

Journal o f Mining and Manufactures.

MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE FAR WEST.
The P r a ir ie d u C h ie n of July 26th states that Mr. A. Randall, of the United States
Geological Corps, accompanied by his assistant, Major M. Dagger, of Iowa, reached this
place on Wednesday, July 19th, from the sources of the Des Moines River, which he has
explored from its mouth. He has also made a critical examination of the Coteau des
Prairie, west of the river, and the western portion of the Undine Region of Nicollet, on
the east.
Mr. Randall speaks in the highest terms of the country which he traversed for beauty,
agricultural capacity, and mineral resources. Coal was found for 200 miles on the Des
Moines, and from indications, heavy deposits of iron ore ate believed to exist. Gypsum,
in abundance, for miles was encountered; an article that is very important in the arts, and
extensively used in the East for agricultural purposes. This must prove of immense value
to the West, as this is the great valley of the Mississippi. Limestone that makes a supe­
rior hydraulic lime exists in abundance. Limestone suitable for lime, clay suitable for
bricks, rocks suitable for polishing, for grindstones, whetstones, and for building purposes,
some of superior quality, are found in abundance along the Des Moines River. There is
a great abundance of water-power in the whole region over which he passed, and timber
plenty throughout most of the country.
A PROCESS OF HARDENING HIDES.
The following patented process for hardening hides, extracted from Examiner Page’s
Report, will be found to be not a little interesting. The hide is hardened and rendered
transparent as horn.
In the first place they are submitted to the sweating operation, or the liming, for re­
moving the hair. They are then submitted to the action of powerful astringents, such as
sulphuric acid, alum, or salts of tartar dissolved in water at a high temperature. During
the operation of cleaning the hides of the oil, they are rubbed, or friction is applied in any
convenient way, whereby the hide becomes thickened; and after this process is finished,
they are rinsed in warm water and dried. After being dried they are submitted to the
action of boiling linseed, or any other drying oil, and retained in the hot oil until a yellow
scum appears on the surface of the hides, when they are withdrawn. If it is desired to
impart color to the material, as staining it in imitation of tortoise shell, it is done while in
the oil bath, and when removed from the bath it is submitted to pressure in moulds for the
formation of various articles, as knife handles, Ac.; for the article, when it comes hot
from the oil bath, is very soft and pliable, but when allowed to cool it becomes hard, and
susceptible of a high polish.
A SHOE AND BOOT MANUFACTORY.
The editor of the L a w r e n c e (Mass.) C o u rie r , gives an account of the shoe and boot
manufactory of Mr. G. F. Tenney, in Georgetown, (Mass). He says:—“ The work of
this establishment is intended for the South, principally, and is confined to the manufac­
ture of boots, shoes, and brogans of the heaviest description. A large building, three
stories high, is occupied exclusively for cutting, crimping, treeing, finishing, drying, and
packing. Three men do the treeing and finishing; two are engaged in crimping, which
is done by machinery. We were informed that this establishment used and sold last year
te n a n d a h a l f to n s o f shoe ta c k s a n d n a ils . The bare boxes in which to pack the boots
and shoes of this establishment, cost upwards of $1,000 per annum.”
IRON MANUFACTORY AT POUGHKEEPSIE.
A new and extensive iron manufactory has recently been put in operation by Mr. Wil­
liam Bushnell, at the old Union Landing, near Poughkeepsie. The Poughkeepsie Jour­
nal says the works are very extensive, put up in the most substantial manner, and are
calculated to use ten thousand tons of iron ore in a year. The operations are aided by
an engine of one hundred and twenty horse power. Anthracite coal alone is used, and
the same heat that melts the iron drives the engine. But large as the works now are,
they are to be much extended, as soon as possible, by the construction of additional build­
ings, to manufacture the iron into bars, &c. A large number of hands will be constantly
employed, and such an establishment cannot fail to be of great and permanent benefit to
the village.




\

Journal o f Banking , Currency, and Finance.

563

JOURNAL OF BANKING, CURRENCY AND FINANCE.
COINS AND CURRENCY OF NORWAY.
Under the department appropriated to u Commercial Regulations,” in the present num­
ber of the Merchants’ Magazine, we have published several ordinances of the Norwegian
government, relating to the tariff, port charges, &c. The following particulars of the
coins and currency of that country, derived from authentic sources, will not, therefore, be
without value at this time:—
This country was formerly a part of the dominions of the king of Denmark, but in 1813
was transferred to Sweden. It has always preserved a separate national character, and
has a distinct system of coinage.*
There appears to be no gold coin peculiar to Norway. The silver coins consist of the
r ig s d a le r -s p e c ie s , of 120 s k i l l i n g s , the half, of 60 skillings, the fifth, or 24 skillings, and
the fifteenth, or 8 skillings, all coined at the rate of
dalers to the Cologne mark of fine
silver. The standard fineness is 14 lo d s, (8 7 5 thousandths,) at which proportion, 8 3-32
dalers weigh a Cologne mark; equal to 445.8 grains to each piece. There are smaller
pieces of four and two skillings, coined at the rate of 10 2-5 dalers to the fine mark.t
These are the old established standards ; no change was made at the time of the alter­
ations of Swedish coinage, in 1830. However, the dalers of Norway, Sweden, and Den­
mark are interchangeable as to intrinsic value.
The daler of Norway may be distinguished from that of Sweden by the legend on the
obverse ; in the former, the word N o r g e s comes before S v e r i g e s ; in the latter, this order
is reversed. Before the separation from Denmark, the Norwegian coins were not to be
distinguished from the Danish by the legend, but by the shield containing a lion rampant,
and underneath two hammers crossed, probably referring to the silver mines of Norway.
The silver mines at Kongsberg yielded 17,000 marks in the first half year of 1834 ;t
and about the same amount in the whole of 1835.§

FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
POPULATION, DEBT, LOANS, TREASURY NOTES, REVENUE, ETC.

From a circular for the European correspondence of Cammann and Whitehouse, we
are permitted to copy the annexed interesting tables, compiled at their request by the
Treasury Department, in order that official information might be given to foreigners de­
sirous of investing in American stocks—of the extent of our population, resources, and
debt
STATEMENT EXHIBITING THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE PUBLIC qpB T , THE RE­
CEIPTS FROM LOANS AND TREASURY NOTES, THE RECEIPTS, EXCLUSIVE OF TREASURY NOTES*§
AND LOANS, AND THE PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT OF THE DEBT EACH YEAR, FROM 1791 TO JUNE,
1848, INCLUSIVE.

Year.

Population.

1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797

4,067,371
4,205,404
4,343,457
5,481,500
4,619,543
4,757,586
4,895,629

Receipts from
loans and

Debt.

$75,463,476
77,227,924
80,352,684
78,427,404
80,747,587
83,762,172
82,064,479

52

66

04
77
39
07
33

Revenue exclusive
of loans and

Principal and iivterestofdebt

treasury notes.
treasury notes.
paid.
$5,791,112 56 $4,418,913 19 $5,287,949 50
5,070,806 46
3,669,960 21
7,263,665 99
1,067,701 14
4,652,923 14 5,819,505 29
4,609,196 78
5,431,904 87
5.801,578 09
3,305,268 20
6,114,834 59
6,084,411 61
362,800 00 8,377,549 65 5,835,846 44
70,135 41
8,688,780 98
5,792,421 82

* Eckfeldt and Du Bois’s Manual of Gold and Silver Coins.
t Letter of H elmich J ansen, Esq., United States consul at Bergen, to the Treasury
Department, August, 1834.
X Consul’s letter.
§ Karsten’s Archiv. The Norwegian mark equals 3857.7 troy grains; and a mark of
fine silver would be worth $10 39 in our money.




564

Journal o f Banking, Currency, iand Finance.

1798 5,033,672 $79,228,529 12 $308,574 27 $7,900,495 80
1799
5,171,715
78,408,669 77 5,074,646 53 7,546,813 31
1800 5,309,758
82,976,294 35 1,602,435 04 10,848,749 10
1801 5,502*772
10,125 00 12,935,330 95 7,291,707 04
83,038,050 80
1802 5,695,787
80,712,632 25
5,597 36 14,994,793 95
539,004 76
1803 5,888,801
77,054,686 30
11,064,097 63
1804 6,081,816
9,532
86,427,120 88
64 11,826,307 38
1805 6,274,830
82,312,150 50
128,814 94 13,561,693 20
1806 6,467,845
48,896 71 15,559,931 07
75,723,270 66
1807 6,660,859
16,398,019 26
69,218,398 64
1808 6,853,874
1,882 16 17,060,661 93
65,196,317 97
1809 7,046,888
7,773,473 12
57,023,192 09
1810 7,239,908
53,173,217 52 2,759,992 25. 9,384,214 28
1811
7,479,729
48,005,587 76
8,309 05 14,423,529 00
1812
7,719,555
45,209,737 90 12,837,900 00 9,801,133 76
1813
7,959,381
55,962,827 57 2G, 184,435 00 14,340,409 95
1814 8,199,208
81,487,846 24 23,377,911 79 11,181,625 16
1815 8,439,034
99,833,660 15 35,261,320 78 15,696,916 82
1816 8,678,860 127,334,933 74 9,494,436 16 47,676,985 66
1817 8,918,687 123,491,965 16
734,542 59 33,099,049 74
1818
9,158,513 103,466,633 83
8,765 62 21,885,171 04
1819 9,398,339
95,529,648 28
2,291 00 24,603,374 37
1820 9,638,166
91,015,566 15 3,040,824 13 17,840,669 55
1821 9,959,965
89,987,437 66 5,000,324 00 14,573,379 72
1822 10,281,765
93,546,676 98
20,232,427 94
1823 10,603,565
90,875,877 28
20,540,666 26 5,530,016 41
1824 10,925,365
5,000,000
90,238,777 77
00 19,381,212 79
1825 11,247,165
83,788,432 71 5,000,000 00 21,840,858 02
1826 11,568,965
81,054,059 99
25,260,434 31
1827 11,890,765
22,966,36.3 96
73,987,357 20
1823 12,212,565
67,475,043 87
24,763,629 23
1829 12,534,365
58,421,413 67
24,827,627 38
1830 12,856,165
48,565,406 50
24,844,116 51
1831 13,277,415
39,123,191 66
28,526,820 82
1832 13,698,665
31,665,561 16
24,322,235 18
1833 14,119,915
7.001,032 88
33,948,426 25
1834 14,541,165
4,760,082 08
21,791,935 55
1835 14,962,415
351,289 05
58,191 28
85,430,187 10
1836 15,383,665
291,089 05
50,826,796 08
1837 15,804,915
21,822 91
1,878,223 55 2,992,989 15 24,890,864 69
1838 16,226,165
4,857,660 46 12,716,820 86 26,303,561 74
1839 16,647,415
11,983,737 53 3,857,276 21 30,023,966 68
1840 17,068,665
5,125,077 63 5,589,547 51 19,442,646 08
1841 17,560,082
6,737,398 00 13,659,317 39 16,850,160 27
1842 18,051,499
15,028,486 37 14,808,735 64 19,965,009 25
1843 18,542,915
861,596 55
27,748,188 23 12,551,409 19 8,231,000 26
1814 19,034,332
24,748,188 23 1,877,847 95 29,320,707 78
1845 19,525,749
29,941,853 90
17,093,794 80
1846 20,017,165
16,750,926 33
29,699,967 74
1847 20,508,582
38,956,623 38 28,900,765 36 26,437,403 16
1848 21,006,000
58,526,349 37 21,256,700 00 :*35,425,750 59
Present debt, including the amount to be realized on the 1st of May, 1848, of the loans
of 1846, 1847, and 1848, $65,787,008 92.
DEBT OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT TO ENGLAND.
By a Parliamentary return just issued, it appears that there is due to the naval depart­
ment of the English government from the Queen of Spain, for supplies of naval stores,
provisions, &c., for the hire of transports, and for the subsistence of the men belonging to
the British Legion employed in her service, £11,132 3d. There is also due to the Ord­
nance department, for arms and ammunition, £553,037, making in the whole a debt of
£564,169 3d.




* Estimated returns not completed.

565

Journal o f Banking, Currency, and Finance.

BRITISH COIN AND BULLION STATISTICS.
Amongst the British Parliamentary returns, one relating to the export of bullion from
the United Kingdom is very interesting. From this document, prepared by the Inspector
General of imports and exports at the custom-house, the following appears to have been
the aggregate exports of coin and bullion from the United Kingdom for the years under­
mentioned s—
■SOLD.

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

British.
Oz.

Foreign.
Oz.

166,485
34,996
375,548 105,883
251,696 405,626
57,700 316,871
17,952
13,683
107,829
9,363
564,509
28,296
23,979
40,209
46,643
99,529
38,878
1,005,651 236,896

Total.
Oz.

201,481
481,431
657,322
374,571
31,633
117,192
592,805
64,188
58,371
138,305
1,242,637

S IL V E R .

British.
Oz.

Foreign.
Oz.

285,920 13,354,084
464,918 12,894,904
779,257 13,021,226
471,869 15,496,408
502,243 14,812,180
149,832 13,832,956
553,586 11,809,408
325,721 13,403,310
429,458 14,439,174
237,209
9,380,419
952,955 14,320,824

Total.
Oz.

13,640,004
13,359,822
13,800,483
15,968,277
15,354,423
13,982,788
12,362,994
13,729,031
15,368,632
9,617,628
15,273,779

Of the 1,242,637 ounces of gold and 15,273,779 ounces of silver, thus shown to have
been exported in 1847, it appears that 1,005,651 of the gold and 952,955 of the silver
was in the coinage of this country, the remainder being foreign. While, however, near­
ly all the gold exported was British, the silver was almost exclusively foreign, the propor­
tions being as follow:—
Gold.
O z.

British coinage.-..............
Foreign coin and bullion.

1,005,651
236,986

Silver.
Oz.

952,955
14,320,824

Total exported.
1,242,637
15,273,779
On an analysis of the account, the total amount of specie exported appears to have been
shipped to foreign countries in the following proportions:—
Gold.
Silver.
Gold.
Silver.
Oz.
Oz.
To the
Oz.
Oz.
6,569
201,108
United States........... 838,029
British N. America
France.....................
7,293
560,872
43,341 9,252,115 British W. Indies..
74,879
33,954 3,312,233
63,596
465,491
630,429 Other countries.....
Holland...................
23,112
430,086
47,400
Total exports.... 1,242,637 15,273,77?
•Portugal..................
144,342
93,502
Cape of Good Hope. 10,662
277,093
Valuing the above amounts at the mint price of gold and the average price of silver, it
would appear that the bullion exported exceeded .£10,000,000 sterling, of which sum
about half was gold and the remainder silver. From this amount, however, in order to
ascertain the nett sum exported, the value of the specie imported must be deducted, but
the custom-house returns do not afford any information on the point. The Bank of
England returns show that the highest amount of gold and silver held during the year
1847 by that establishment was £14,951,575 on the 2d January ; and the lowest amount
£8,312,691 on the 23d October; the difference being £6,638,881. This may afford suf­
ficiently correct data to estimate the actual amount of specie exported over the amount
received.*
COINAGE OF THE BRITISH MINTS IN 1847.
According to a Parliamentary return, the total value of the gold coinage in 1847 was
£90,029,763, of the silver coinage, £13,573,906, and copper, £243,051. The numbers
of the different coins were 16,119 double sovereigns, 81,711,149 sovereigns, 16,572,717
half-sovereigns, 2,319,561 crown pieces, 38,560,098 half-crowns, 119,508,840 shillings,^
76,017,875 sixpences, 16,575,200 groats, 88,209 fourpenny pieces, 1,463,308 threepenny
pieces, 121,308 twopenny pieces, 271,920 silver pennies, 24,299,500 copper penny pieces,
34,379,520 half-penny pieces, 66,296,832 farthings, and 12,902,400 half-farthings.




* Wilmer and Smith’s Liverpool Times.

566

Railroad , Caned, and Steamboat Statistics.

i

RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS.
THE BOSTON AND MAINE RAILROAD.
last annual report to the stockholders of the Maine Railroad, made at their annual
meeting held September 13th, 1848, exhibits the financial affairs of the company as in a
prosperous condition. This road, extending from Boston to Portland, a distance of 111
miles, was opened to travel as far as Andover in 1836, to Dover, N. H., 1841, and to
South Berwick in 1843. The capital stock of this company is $3,236,541. The receipts
and expenses for the financial year ending June 1, 1848, to which time the accounts of the
corporation are made, as per report of the Treasurer, are exhibited in the following table r
T he

RECEIPTS.

• Reserved profits, June 1,1847...............................................................
Reserve of account of repairsof engines and cars, June 1, 1841..';......
Passenger fares......................................................................................
Freight..................................................................................................
Mail.......................................................................................
Rents....... .............................................................................................

$34,491
16,000
347,308
187,778
6,528
4,727

89
09
19
74
23=
93

Total.................................................................... ...................... $596,834 89
EXPENDITURES.

Repairs of engines...........................................................
“ passenger cars................................................
“ freight cars.....................................................
“ gravel cars................................................ ..
“ roads in Massachusetts...................................
“ road in New Hampshire.................................
“
“ Maine.................................................
“ depotsin Massachusetts...................... . ..........
“
“ NewHampshire.............................
“
“ Maine........................................ .
“ bridges in Massachusetts............. ...„ ......... ...
“
“ New Hampshire............................ .
“ fence in Massachusetts.................. ...............
Care of bridges.................................
Clearing snow.................................................................
Merchandise expenses.....................................................
General expenses............................................................
Portland, Saco, and Portsmouth Railroad Company toll....
Wood account.................................................................
“ and water account..................................................
Oil.................................................................................
Depots and offices...........................................................
Conductors and brakemen....... .......................................
Engine and firemen.........................................................
Taxes, including New Hampshire State Tax...................
Interest...........................................................................

$32,110 50
11,432 10
7,648 00
1,120 15
12,634 39
13,668 63
598 42
2,709 92
2,713 57
516 24
447 23
290 80
•
2 50
1,303 69
32 25.
19,030 08
19,210 97
22,668 09
44,921 09
12,540 08
10,808 53
13,926 29
12,751 88
25,536 78
6,636 86
14,870 71
------------$280,129 67

Nett profits................................................................................. $316,705 22
Dividend of $5 00 per share, paid January 1, 1848......... $119,015 00
“ $4 50 “
“ July, 1,1848..............
133,834 50
------------- $252,849 50
$63,855 72
Charged off for depreciation of engines and cars.............
“
bad debts...............................................
Reserved profits, June 1,1848.




$40,000 00
696 11

$40,696 11
$23,159 61

Railroad, Canal, and Steamboat Statistics.

567

Thia, like all the railroads from Boston, famishes great facilities to the merchants and
business men of the city, as well as to residents in the towns from two to ten miles from
Boston. Trains run to and from Medford, a distance of five miles, fourteen times a day ;
fare, 12$ cents; time, fifteen minutes. Season tickets, with privilege of going over the
road that distance at pleasure, are sold by the company at $25. Packages of tickets are
sold at one-half the usual fare for any place on the route.
The following table, furnished by Charles Minot, Esq., the efficient superintendent of
the road, gives the places, distances, and rates of fere for single and season tickets:—
DISTANCES, RATES OF FARE, & C ., ON THE BOSTON AND MAINE RAILROAD.

Stations.

Miles.

Fares.

Season tickets.

3 months.

6 months.

12 months.

Somerville.......................
$0 06
$5 50 $10 00
$20 00
Medford..........................
0 12
6 87
12 50
25 00
Malden............................
0 12
6 87
12 50
25 00
Melrose...........................
0 15
8 25
15 00
30 00
Stoneham........................
8
25
0 18
15 00
30 00
South Reading................. ...............
10
0 20
9 62
17 50
35 00
Reading...........................
0 25
11 00
20 00
40 00
Wilmington......................
0 35
13 75
25 00
50 00
Ballardvale......................
30 00
0 45
16 50
60 00
Andover...........................
0 50
30 00
60 00
16 50
Lawrence........................
32 50
0 60
17 87
65 00
North Andover.................
35 00
0 65
19 25
70 00
Bradford........................
80 00
0 75
22 00
40 00
Haverhill....................
0 75
22 00
40 00
80 00
Plaistow..........................
0 85
Newton..........................
0 92
...............
45
1 05
Exeter............................
1 12
27 50
50 00
100 00
...............
54
1 22
Newmarket...................... ...............
57
1 30
Durham...........................
62
1 40
Dover.................
1 50
30 25
55 00
110 00
Somersworth................... ...............
70
1 56
South Berwick.................
1
65
72
................
78
1 85
Wells........... .............
83
2 15
...............
88
2 30
Saco........................
98
2 80
...............
105
3 00
Portland...........................
3 00
On the 1st of July, the Directors of the road reduced the passenger tariff from 2 60-100
to 2 25-100 cents per mile. The receipts for July last fell ofF from those of the corre­
sponding months of last year, but in August there was a gain over August of last year, an­
other fact in favor of low fares.
AMERICAN OCEAN STEAM NAVIGATION.
It is a well known fact that the entire enterprise of ocean steam navigation was but
recently in British hands, and conducted by British capital. The following particulars of
the progress of this enterprise in the United States are furnished by a correspondent of
the J o u r n a l o f C o m m e r c e :—
The gigantic enterprise in which E. K. Collins is at present engaged, is the most ex­
tensive of any of the same character yet undertaken by a single individual in the United
States—one in which upwards of $2,500,000 are involved. Mr. C. contemplates the con­
struction of five steamers of immense size to ply between this city and Liverpool, and
carry the United States mail. Without exception, they will be the largest frame steam
vessels ever built. Two of them are now far advanced; one in the yard of William H.
Brown, and the other in that of Jacob Bell, and will probably both be launched in November




568

Railroad , Canal, and Steamboat Statistics .

next. Their extreme length is 285 feet, breadth of beam 40 feet, depth of hold 31 feet.
They will measure 3,000 tons, or about the same as the Great Britain (iron.) It is in­
tended that they shall be completed in season to make their first trip in the early part of
the fall of 1849. In model, they are unlike any steam vessel heretofore built, having more
floor and sharper ends. They are also without a cut water, and carry no bowsprit.
Their frames are all sided, 12 to 14 inches, and floors 21 inches, moulded, filled in solid
to the floor heads, and coaged with locust throughout.
Some idea of the extent of this department of naval architecture may be gathered from
the following list of steam vessels that have been recently, or are soon to be, built in this
city.
1,000
Southerner....
.,
Charleston packets............. .................................. \ Southerner
1,100
r
f Northerner..
Northerner....
1,750
( Washington...................
Washington....
Southampton and Bremen.
Bremen.....................................J Hermann........................
1,805
nermann.......................
Hermann.......
Franklin......... ...........
Franklin.............
2,200
1,100
i California........
California....... ...............
Howland & Aspinwall’s
line.
Aspinwall’s Pacific line.....................
) Oregon...........................
1,200
Oregon...........
f Panama...........................
1,100
Panama.........
1 250
V ----- U ---------7 C>___________ L .
..........................................
1
Savannah......................
New York
and Savannah.
Pawnee.........
Crescent City..
Howard’s New York and New Orleans.
Empire City....
Havre....................................................
United States...
Ohio...............
Law’s New Orleans and Chagres branch.
(Mate)...........
Two unknown
3.000
3.000
Collins’ New York and Liverpool line.
3.000
3.000
Here we have 22 steamships whose aggregate tonnage is about 40,000 tons, and in
which is, or is to be, invested a capital exceeding $9,000,000.
FRENCH RAILROAD TRAFFIC.
The traffic returns of French railways for each month of the present year, ending July*
1848, show the effects of the revolutions upon commerce and general trade. The car­
riage of passengers and'goods of every description has very much declined, and of course
the receipts have been proportionably small. The number of passengers by all the lines
during the month of July was 325,565, against 363,127 at the same period of last year,
and against 377,640 in 1846. The receipts had been 997,539 francs during the same
month in the present year, against 1,384,032 francs in July, 1847, and 1,354,108 francs
in 1846. The total receipts from January to July, inclusive, this year, had been 6,726,293
francs against 8,005,031 francs to the same time last year, and 7,218,137 francs in 1846,
for the same period.
PASSENGERS ON THE RAILROADS OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND.
2,000
A British Parliamentary return shows that the number of passengers carried on the
va­
1,500
rious railways in Great Britain and Ireland, in the half year ending June 30, 1848,2,706
was
26,330,492. In the same period 90 persons were killed, and 99 injured by accidents.
Of the persons killed, 11 were passengers, 59 servants of companies or contractors, 19
trespassers, and one suicide.

NOISE ON RAILROADS PREVENTED.
Mr. Grant, one of the engineers on the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad, states that a
plan has been devised and carried into effect on that road, to prevent the noise which
causes so much annoyance on railroads. The plates in general use are abolished, and the
ends of the rails are connected by dowel pins, entering about 1£ inches. The cars glide
over the rails without any disagreeable jarring or noise.




Mercantile Miscellanies.

569

MERCANTILE MISCELLANIES.
THE UNFORTUNATE AND THE CRIMINAL CREDITOR.
is a certain innate feeling of contempt in the breast of the creditor who makes a
pecuniary loss for the individual or individuals who, having proved unfortunate, are obliged
to offer a portion only of what they justly owe to their creditors, and a man who has suf­
fered in his purse, is apt to look upon those who have caused it with a sharp eye. The
creditor is not apt to take into account the uncertainties incidental to every business, but
judges at once, and oftentimes too harshly. There are failures which are caused by gross
negligence and the private extravagance of the partners, and cases also occur when a fail­
ure seems to be the result of no lack of integrity or business qualification, but occasioned
by a sad run of what is called b a d l u c k , entirely beyond the control of human beings. If
this is true then there should be a distinction made, and such persons certainly deserve
from those even who suffer better treatment than the man who under false pretences ob­
tains credit and then leaves the creditor in the lurch. There are many, we are thankful
for it, who make this distinction, but there are also those who are hard-fisted and over­
grasping, who pursue the u n fo r tu n a te debtor as w’ell as the culpable creditor to the last
point; hesitating not at invading his household and taking from his wife and family the
smallest article to cancel their debt, and when he again endeavors to rise, he is crushed
by those to whom he has relinquished his last farthing; and worried and harrassed till his
energy is subdued, he is driven as a last resort to intoxication to drown the thought of his
cares and perplexities. Such instances have occurred, and may occur again. We can
point out a man in this city who has been driven by such treatment to be what he now is.
He was an honorable man at heart, but he was an unfortunate not a criminal debtor.
Driven by the demands of his creditors to the brink of the precipice, he was there kept
till he fell. Had he been allowed his time, not one man would have lost a penny by his
unfortunate failure. There is a vast difference between the unfortunate and the guilty,
which creditors should reflect upon before they condemn or before they act.— B o s to n E v e n ­
T here

in g G a z e tte .

A MODEL STORE IN PHILADELPHIA.
The D r y G oods E e p o r te r gives the following description of a store recently erected
in Philadelphia, where convenience is combined with comfort, and utility has been made
the handmaid of good taste :—
Many elegant stores have been erected in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, within
a few years, but perhaps none is better entitled to the appellation of a m o d e l store, than
the one recently erected in the latter place, built partly upon an old burying-ground be­
longing to the first Presbyterian Church. This burying lot, fronting on Bank-street, and
lying in the rear of a tavern and an irregular pile of buildings which opened on Straw­
berry, (a parallel street,) has been neglected for many years, and having lately been sold
by the church, has only just been opened for improvement. The most of it was purchased
by an enterprising importing and commission house, who have erected upon it a block of
stores, the largest of which is for their own use. It is of this last that we design more par­
ticularly to speak.
This store has two entrances, as it runs entirely through from Bank to Strawberrystreet, making a length of 135 feet. The first story is of hewn granite, massive and
substantial as the fortunes of the proprietors. The remaining three stories are of brick,
and the whole building is handsomely lighted, and rendered more secure by fire-proof
shutters.
The main front is on Bank-street, where it has a width of 35 feet: after running back
about 85 feet, the line on which the store is built widens abruptly 10 feet, so that the re­
maining 60 feet, back to the entrance on Strawberry-street, is 45 feet wide. The extra
width thus gained, which, as will be readily seen, is 10 feet by 60 feet, is partitioned off
from the main room on the first floor, and is divided into four distinct apartments, with
glass-doors; the first one is used for a private counting room by the members of the firm,
the second and third are withdrawing rooms for the reception of persons calling on pri­
vate business, and the fourth is occupied by the clerks of the establishment.
The main room on the first floor is a noble show room, 136 feet in length, 35 feet in
width, and 13 feet in height. It is lighted in the centre by an enormous skylight, which




570

**

Mercantile Miscellanies.

is protected from the second story by a graceful iron railing, and wainscotted in from the
third and fourth stories. The capacity of this room will be better understood when we
state that exclusive of the proper passages, it will conveniently display over two hundred
large cases of goods.
The room on the second floor is larger than the first, and bein^ well lighted from the
windows at each end, as well as from the skylight in the centre, it is well calculated for
a sales-room. The ascent is by a flight of steps against the side wall, immediately under
which is the descent to the basement.
In the latter, on one side there is now nearly finished a steam-boiler and accompanying
apparatus, which is to answer the double purpose of warming the house, and furnishing
power to raise goods through the several hatchways to any floor where they m£y be re­
quired. The latter object is of great importance, as the labor of handling such a vast'
number of heavy packages, without superhuman motive power, must be immense.
Nor is the former object unworthy the attention of persons building for the same uses.
The most suitable method of warming large buildings has led to a great deal of profound
study, without as yet producing a n e p l u s u l t r a , or final method. Large stoves with
great stretches of pipe, are very dangerous fixtures. Furnaces have been objected to as
creating a dry atmosphere very injurious to the lungs; but whatever may be said of their
influence on the health, the heat they generate is positively ruinous to goods. The plan
adopted in this establishment combines all the improvements as yet known. It is simply
this. The steam is carried through a great extent of pipe laid horizontally in contiguous
rows in a large air chamber, from whence the warm air, thus heated, is allowed to circu­
late through the various apartments.
The difference between air thus warmed by steam, and that which has been robbed of
a vital principle by contact with the red-hot pipes of a furnace, may be illustrated by
comparing a potato that has been steamed in a pot with one that has been baked in an
oven.
THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF BONES.
A correspondent of the Philadelphia Enquirer thus describes a manufacturing operation
which is going on successfully at Williamsburgh, on the East River, opposite New York:
Taking advantage of a few hours’ leisure on Saturday last, I took a trip to Williams­
burgh, on the other side of the East River, to inspect a newly erected factory there, owned
by Horatio N. Fryatt, Esq., of New York city, well known as the proprietor of the Belle­
ville (N. J.) White Lead Establishment. This establishment has been erected at an ex­
pense of $40,000, for the purpose of making money out of nothing, which is done there
daily on a tremendous scale. I will detail to you how it is done. The proprietor pur­
chases by the quantity animal bones of all kinds, which are gathered in our streets by the
c h iffo n ie r s , at the rate of 25 cents a bushel. These are submitted to several processes for
different purposes, each of which results in a large profit. In the first place they are boiled,
and the grease thoroughly extracted from them. The product is sold to the soap makers
at six and a half cents per pound. They are then submitted to another operation, the re­
sult of which is glue of the best description, and which commands the highest market
price. The bones are then converted into ivory black for the use of sugar refiners, and
the portions which are too small in size for this purpose, are sold as bone manure at the
rate of a cent per pound, at which price a gentleman of Philadelphia takes it all. Thus
it appears that there is not a particle of waste throughout, and at each stage of the busi­
ness a considerable profit is made.
IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUALITY IN BUSINESS.
Method is the very hinge of business: that there is no method without punctuality i9
important, because it subserves the peace and good temper of a family; the want of it
not only infringes on necessary duty, but sometimes excludes this duty. The calmness of
mind which it produces is another advantage of punctuality. A disorderly man is al­
ways in a hurry ; he has no time to speak to you, because he was going elsewhere ; and
when he gets there he is too late for his business, or he must hurry away before he can
finish it. Punctuality gives weight to character. “ Such a man has made an appoint­
ment; then I know he will keep it.” And this generates punctuality in you; for like
other virtues it propagates itself. Servants and children must be punctual where their
leader is so. Appointments, indeed, become debts. I owe you punctuality, if I have
made an appointment with you ; and I have no right to throw away your time if I do my
own.




The Boole Trade .

571

THE BOOK TRADE.
1.

— T h e O p a l: a P u r e G i f t f o r a ll S e a so n s . Edited by S arah J osepha H ale. New
York: J. C. Riker.
We received this “ pure ” and beautiful “ gift book ” just as the last sheet of our journal
for October was going to press, and then only had time to announce its publication. “ In
this volume,” says the “ good and gifted ” editress, “ the best as the latest, we have sought
to carry out and illustrate the original plan ; which was, to bring together, in one volume,
specimens worthy of being preserved of the various kinds of literature usually termed
‘ popular.* We have here embodied the result in the several forms of religious, romantic,
moral, and critical articles;—the poem, essay, story and biography have each and all lent
their rays to make our Opal a gem of light. The articles are original, written for this
work, and will be found of far deeper interest than usually characterizes books of this
class. We need say nothing of the contributors. Each name is known and honored in
our literature.” This is all true, and we rejoice to find that Mrs. Hale has been “ able to
enroll such writers in this experiment of forming a higher tone of moral excellence for
the fashionable books of the parlor and boudoir.” The engravings, eight in number, de­
signed expressly for the Opal, are from pictures by that accomplished artist, Rothermel.
They excel the illustrations of this work in either of the six preceding years that it has
been published. Among the contributors we notice the names of N. P. Willis, C. F. Hoff­
man, Bishop Potter, H. T. Tuckerman, Bayard Taylor, Hannah F. Gould, E. Oakes
Smith, and many of equal excellence and celebrity as popular writers. In all that pertains
to its external appearance, it will not suffer by comparison with any that we have seen, _
English or American.
2. —T h e O d d -F e llo w s ’ O ffe r in g , f o r 1849. Embellished with twelve elegant Engravings.
Edited by P ascal D onaldson. 8vo., pp. 320. New York: Edward Walker.
This is the seventh annual issue of the “ Odd-Fellows’ Offering.” That the present is
vastly superior to the earlier volumes, must be apparent to the most superficial critic. Un­
der the homely name assumed by the fraternity, we find principles pure and imperishable ;
and we rejoice that those concerned in the editorship and publication are able “ to make
a book worthy of the steady and healthful increase of the institution whose objects and
principles ” it so ably defends and so happily illustrates. Mr. Donaldson, the editor, pays
a well-merited tribute to Mr. Walker, “ for the superior materials of which the book is
composed, both as regards paper and binding;” and the really creditable manner in which
it is presented, “ must,” he says, “ convince Odd Fellows that our good brother the pub­
lisher is determined to spare neither pains nor expense in producing a Souvenir worthy of
our excellent Order.” Divested of its anti-republican regalia and its childish ceremonials,
Odd-Fellowship is worthy of all acceptation ; for its “ sentiments are those of Friendship,
Love, and Truth,” its “ teachings those of Benevolence and Charity.” The contributors
to this volume, impressed with the spirit of the Institution, have infused into its pages, in 4
the form of the entertaining narrative, or the well-told tale, essay, sketch, or poem, the
pure, practical principles of the Order, which are in perfect harmony with the teachings
of Christianity. The illustrations, engraved from original designs, are in keeping with
the character of the annual, which, as a standard gift book, will not suffer materially by
comparison with similar productions of the American press.
3.—T h e 'B o o k o f P e a r l s : a- choice G a r la n d o f P r o s e , P o e t r y , a n d A r t . Containing
twenty beautifol Steel Engravings. 8vo., pp. 280. New York: D. Appleton & Co.
This new candidate for favor in the world of annuals comes to us gorgeous in its ex­
ternal appearance, and rich in its pictorial illustrations; and the editor seems to have as­
pired to that “ high standard of merit in her department which the artists have attained in
theirs.” The embellishments will, on the whole, compare well with the most approved
productions of the “ pencil and the burin.” . The selections brought together are from
many of the best writers of England and our’own country, and of a character that give to
the volume a classical and permanent, rather than an ephemeral value. Among the illus­
trations, twenty in number, are portraits of Lord Byron and Thomas Moore. The illus­
trations are mostly the product of European artists. The gilded and tasty, but substantial
covering, impart quite an English-like appearance to the volume; and the paper and print,
which are American, are as favorable specimens of our progress in typography and papermaking as we have ever seen-




572
4.

The Book Trade,

— T h e L a w o f D e b to r a n d C r e d ito r i n th e U n ite d S t a t e s a n d C a n a d a , a d a p te d to
th e w a n t s o f M e r c h a n ts a n d L a w y e r s . By J. P. H olcomb, author of a “ Digest of

the Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States;” editor of “ Smith’s Mer­
cantile Law,” “ Leading Cases upon Commercial Law,” etc. D. Appleton & Co.
That we approve of the plan of this work, may be inferred from the fact that we com­
menced, as long ago as 1840, the publication in the Merchants’ Magazine of a series of
articles with precisely the same title and design, which we have continued at intervals to
the present time. We have already published articles on the Law of Debtor and Cred­
itor in the States of Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Ver­
mont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, Ala­
bama, Wisconsin, Iowa, Louisiana, Tennessee, etc., which were mostly prepared by gen­
tlemen of the bar residing in each of those States. We shall continue the series, until
we have gone through the thirty States of the American Union, giving from time to time
the alterations that are made in each State affecting the Law of Debtor and Creditor. The
advantage of Mr. Holcomb’s work is, that the whole subject is embraced in a single vol­
ume, and therefore more accessible and convenient for ready reference. Mr. H.’s work
contains an abstract of the laws and decisions of the various States upon every important
point of the Law of Debtor and Creditor which can interest the merchant or lawyer. It
has been compiled from the original sources, with the assistance of eminent counsel in the
several States. It contains a summary of all the provisions relative to the dignity and
obligations of the various species of contracts, and the different modes by which each may
be enforced. Thus, the procedure in each State to collect debts, including the laws of
attachment, the different species of executions, the statute of limitations, the rule of in­
terest and damages, the respective dignity of different instruments, and the defences which
may be made to each, the effect of intestacy and insolvency upon the rights of creditors,
and other matters of local importance and interesting to distant creditors. The book con­
tains full references to the statutes and decided cases, so as to supply also the wants of the
lawyer. Daniel Lord, Esq., good authority in matters of commercial law, says of this
work :—“ The plan is excellent in the selection -of the most useful topics, relating to the
most common business, and in a plain presentation of the rules which apply to them. As
to its correctness, judging from its statement of the law of New York, of which only I
can speak with assurance, I consider it remarkably accurate and comprehensive.”
5. —C o n s id e r a tio n s u p o n th e N a t u r e a n d T e n d e n c y o f F r e e I n s t i t u t i o n s . By F rede­
rick G rimke. 8 vo., pp. 554. Cincinnati: H. W. Derby & Co. New York: A. S.
Barnes.
This work, as we learn from the author, is the labor of more than eight years, having
been commenced in 1840 and finished about eighteen months ago. The author seems to
have been /leeply impressed with the difficulties which surround the science of govern­
ment; but that has not deterred him from meeting them with a manly courage, apparently
free from any prejudices calculated to warp the judgment or mislead the understanding.
His propositions are stated with great clearness, and the deductions presented with a force
of argument that will interest the general reader if they do not satisfy the enlightened
statesman. Whatever may be the conclusions of the reader as to the general soundness
of the views embraced in this work, he must, we think, admit that the author brought to
his task profound thought, and the ability to take the philosophical view which belongs to
things the most common and familiar, joined to a keen insight into men’s characters and
dispositions; qualities absolutely necessary to the mind that would penetrate into the prin­
ciples of a science but yet in its infancy. The volume is divided into four books, and each
part into chapters, which are devoted to the discussion of a distinct subject, all, however,
relating to the design of the work. We have space only to enumerate a few of the points
considered and discussed, namely, the reason of the rule that the majority have the right
to govern; nature and operation of the elective government; the principle of equality,
and to what extent it can be carried; the electoral franchise; whether any, and what,
limits should be imposed; the mode of electing public officers; parties; a republic essen­
tially a government of restraint; political toleration; sovereignty of the people; a written
constitution; its efficacy in giving meaning and consistency to the political institutions ;
idea of monarchical government; the legislative power; religious institutions; institutions
for the education of the people; military institutions; institution of the press; institution
of slavery; the judicial power; the veto power of the States; the executive power; the
various classes of society, their mutual influence, and their influence upon the motions of
government; the influence of America on Europe; the French and English constitutions.
We hope to find time and space to give the work a more elaborate review in the pages
of our journal, as we consider it one of great value, which should be studied by every
citizen of the Republic.




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6. —K i n g s

a n d Q u e e n s , or L i f e i n th e P a la c e . C o n s is tin g o f H i s t o r i c a l S k e tc h e s o f
J o s e p h in e a n d M a r i a L o u i s a , I jo u i s P h i lip p e , F e r d in a n d o f A u s tr ia ., N ic h o la s ,
//., L e o p o ld , a/id V ic to r ia . By J ohn S. C. A bbott. Pp. 312. New York:

Harper & Brothers.
This volume portrays the prominent incidents connected with the lives of some of the
principal crowned heads of Europe. The sketches are clear and well drawn, and the
author appears to have exercised a due degree of diligence in investigating the facts which
certainly ought to render a work of this kind faithful and accurate. Some of the charac­
ters which he exhibits furnish models of excellence, while others present traits which can­
not but be regarded whh regret, and even abhorrence. It will hardly be denied that those
who occupy public stations sustain most responsible positions, nor should they seek to avoid
scrutiny. Most of all should the rays that stream from the regal diadem be pure and se­
rene. The influence of the actions of such individuals is extensive in proportion to their
elevation. When guided by no moral restraint it resembles a volcano, which casts up sul­
phurous smoke and ashes before the eye of heaven, and with its lava blasting and destroy­
ing all in its desolating course. During the present period of revolution abroad, these
sketches, embellished with appropriate engravings, will doubtless attract interest, and be
widely circulated.
7. —T h e

I m a g e o f h is F a t h e r : a T a le o f a Y o u n g M o n k e y . By the Brothers M ayWith Illustrations. 12mo., pp. 249. New York: Harper & brothers.
It is not absolutely necessary that the moral of every book published in this nineteenth
century should at once strike the mind of the unsophisticated reader. Now there are
certain conditions of the body and mind that require food easy of digestion, and for such
conditions, we apprehend, the author designed this work. It is amusing; and if it con­
tains nothing of a positively instructive character, it is free from vitiating influences. The
illustrations, ten in number, are admirable in conception, and do credit to the skill of the
artist who designed, and to the graver, who imparted to the wood the power of multipli­
cation.
h ew

.

8.—

A H i s t o r y o f F r a n c e , f r o m th e C o n q u e s t o f
o f L o u is P h i l i p p e : w ith C o n v e r sa tio n s a t th e
ham .
P r e p a r e d f o r th e u s e o f S c h o o ls b y th e
tio n s , a n d a s u p p le m e n ta r y c h a p te r , b r i n g i n g

G a u l , b y J u l i u s C aesar , to th e B e ig n
e n d o f e a ch c h a p te r . By Mrs. M a r k ­
a d d itio n o f a M a p , N o te s , a n d Q u e s ­
d o w n th e H i s t o r y to th e p r e s e n t tim e .

By J acob A bbott. l2mo., pp. 629. New York: Harper & Brothers.
The History of France by Mrs. Markham, as Mr. Abbott, the American editor, justly
remarks, is a very clear, succinct, and entertaining narrative. It communicates a'distinct
and connected idea of the progress of events of which that most remarkable country has
been the scene. The reputation, well deserved, of Mr. Abbott as a teacher, writer, and
thinker, is, to our mind, a sufficient guaranty of the excellence of this work; and we have
no hesitation in recommending it not only to schools but to the general reader, as a com­
pendious and satisfactory history of France.
9. —C h a m b ers ’ M is c e l la n y o f U s e fu l a n d E n t e r t a i n i n g K n o w le d g e . Boston: Gould,
Kendall, & Lincoln.
We have received Nos. 27 and 28 of this popular Miscellany. Two more will com­
plete the work, forming ten duodecimo volumes; which, we are free to say, embody a
mass of amusing and instructive reading that we should scarcely know where else to
find in the same compass. For variety and interest, the work is without an exception.
The well-told story, the choicest gems of poetry, the able essay, the touching and truth­
ful narrative, and the instructive biography, are well represented in the collection. For
family, popular reading, no work perhaps in our language excels Chambers’ Miscellany.
More than a million copies of it have been sold in England.
10. —S k e tc h e s o f S t . A u g u s t i n e . W i t h a V i e w o f i t s H i s t o r y , a n d A d v a n t a g e s a s a
R e s o r t f o r I n v a lid s . By R. K. S ewall. 12mo., pp. 69. New York: G. P. Putnam.
St. Augustine is the oldest town within the limits of the United States, the settlement
having been commenced by the Spanish as early as 1565, and is, in many historical points
of view, one of the most interesting in the country. The little volume gives a succinct
history of the place, and is well calculated to satisfy the curiosity of the invalid who is
about to resort to it for the restoration of impaired health. . It moreover embraces a de­
scription of the class of diseases reached and supposed to be favorably affected by the cli­
mate. It is illustrated with tables of the comparative an d absolute temperature of the
city, an d several engravings.




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11. — T h e S k e t c h B o o k o f G e o ffre y C ra y o n , G e n t. The Author’s revised edition. Com­
plete in one volume. New York: George P. Putnam.
This is the second volume of the new, complete, and beautiful edition of the works of
Washington Irving. It seems to us almost, if not quite, a work of supererogation to
notice the “ Sketch Book" of Irving, as almost everybody that reads anything has en­
joyed the pleasure of perusing the inimitable tales and sketches embraced in it. The
work has been revised by Mr. I., and is introduced to the public by a new preface,
recounting the trials and triumphs of the author, which is almost worth the price of the
volume. The uniform and exquisitely beautiful style in which this edition of Irving’s
works are presented to the public, deserves to be spoken of in terms of high commenda­
tion ; and we earnestly trust that the intelligent publisher will be amply remunerated for
capital so well employed.
12. — T h e

R i s e a n d F a l l o f L o u i s P h i lip p e , E x - K i n g o f th e F r e n c h ; g iv i n g a H i s t o r y
o f th e F r e n c h R e v o lu tio n , f r o m i t s c o m m e n c e m e n t i n 1789. By B ek . P ekley P oore,

late Historical Agent of Massachusetts to France, and Paris Correspondent of the Bos­
ton Atlas. Illustrated with Historical Engravings, Portraits, and Fac-Similes. 12mo.,
pp. 316. William D. Ticknor & Co.
Mr. Poor has brought together, in a convenient compass, all the profninent facts con­
nected with the rise and fall of the ex-king of France. The principal,events that have
transpired in the history of that remarkable nation from the birth of Louis Philippe d’Orleans in 1773, and from the commencement of the French Revolution in 1789 to the
memorable events of the present year, are related with apparent fidelity, and the work is
written in a popular and pleasing style. In an appendix to the work the author has given
concise but comprehensive sketches of the leading men of France; and the volume is il­
lustrated with several portraits.
13. — T h e

C o u rse o f T i m e ; a P o e m . By R obert P ollok ,
h is P o e tic a l G e n iu s . By J ames S cott , D. D., Pastor of the

A. M. W i t h a n E s s a y on
Reformed Dutch Church,
Newark, N. J. 18mo., pp. 433. New York: Robert Carter.
No poem, perhaps, in our language, created at the time of its appearance a greater sen­
sation ; and none, perhaps, since that time, has passed through so many and so large edi­
tions, or been so widely circulated wherever the English language is read or spoken. A
great number of editions have been republished in this country; and we are informed by
the publishers, that no single poem produced since the “ Course of Time ” first saw the
light, has been so extensively sold. We know not how many we have seen ; but we do
know that they have been, so far as our own country is concerned, printed on wretchedly
poor paper. Indeed, this is the first really handsome edition that has yet been published :
the paper, type, and indeed the entire material of the volume, cannot fail of securing for
it a place in the library of every person of taste. The introductory essay of Dr. Scott, a
true admirer and just appreciator of the genius of Pollok, greatly enhances the value of
the present edition.
14. — R o b e r t B u r n s ; a s a P o e t a n d a s a M a n . By S amuel T y l er , of the Maryland
Bar. 12mo., pp. 209. New York: Baker & Scribner.
The genius and character of Robert Burns has been the theme of many able and gifted
minds, and yet the subject, it would seem, was by no means exhausted. The author of
this work is a sincere admirer of Burns; and while he gives a prominence to his genius
as a poet, he defends him from the false and narrow imputations cast upon his character
as a man, by a class of minds deficient in those elements of moral vision and intellectual
criticism so absolutely indispensable in forming a correct judgment. The author will find
many who heartily sympathize with him in his estimate of the poet’s character. We
cheerfully acknowledge ourself to belong to that number.
15. — O b se r v a tio n s

on th e P a t h o lo g y o f th e C r o u p : w i t h R e m a r k s o n i t s T r e a tm e n t by
T o p ic a l M e d ic a tio n s . By H orace G reen , A. M., M. D., etc. 12mo., pp. 115. New

Y o rk : John Wiley.

The system of treating the croup, as practiced by Dr. Green, is by the introduction of
a solution of nitrate of silver into the larynx of a child affected with it. The practice
herein advocated will doubtless attract the attention of that portion of the profession who
have the liberality to admit that improvements in the practice of the medical art can be
made, and the energy and honesty to test such proposed improvements before condemning
them. Several cases, we are assured by the author, have been treated on this plan with
success, not only by Dr. Green, but other members of the New York Medical and Surgi­
cal Society.




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16. —N a o m i ; o r B o s to n T w o H u n d r e d Y e a r s A g o . By E l iza B u c k m in s te r L e e , author
of a life of “ Jean Paul.” 12mo., pp. 324. Boston: Wm. Crosby & H. P. Nichols.
If the Boston press is less prolific in the production of works of pure fiction, it more
than makes up for the deficiency in the practical character of the few it sends out, and in
the beautiful and substantial character of the m a te r ie l , in every application of that word.
The present volume may be referred to as an illustration of this remark, the object of
which is to “ present the bigoted age, the limited views, the deep provocation, and the
stern justice (?) of our forefathers in their dealings with the Quakers,” and preserve an
exact justice between the two parties; while the author does 41 not conceal the audacity, .
the determined perseverance, and the spiritual pride of those illiterate Quaker women who
came to this country as much to gain notoriety as from a sincere desire for martyrdom.”
Some of the actors of the narrative are fictitious, but no “ incidents are introduced touch­
ing the Quakers that did not actually occur in the years through which the events of the
story pass.” Taking the “ neutral ground of manners and sentiments that are common
to us and our ancestors, arising out of the principles of our common nature, and existing
alike in both states of society,” Mrs. Lee has undoubtedly reproduced as perfect a picture
of the domestic manners of our ancestors as “ hints gleaned in the records of police offi­
cers and the invoices of vessels ” would permit.

17.

— T h e P o e m s o f S a m u e l T a y lo r C o le rid g e .
W i t h a n I n tr o d u c to r y E s s a y o n h is L i f e
a n d W r i t i n g s . By H. T. T uckerman . 12mo., pp. 384. New York: Charles S.

Francis & Co.
This is certainly a very handsome, and, we believe, complete edition of Coleridge’s
poems, of which to speak in this place would be a work of supererogation on our part.
Not the least interesting portion of the present volume is the admirable introductory essay
of Mr. H. T. Tuckerman. It is at once a kind, but just and discriminating criticism of
the genius and character of the philosopher and poet, and although brief, is remarkably
comprehensive.
18. — T h e W e s t : i t s C o m m e rce a n d N a v i g a tio n . By J a m es H a l l . Cincinnati: H . W .
Derby & Co. New York: A. S. Barnes & Co.
In the compass of three hundred and twenty-eight pages, Judge Hall has contrived to
present a vast amount of information relating to the commercial growth and greatness of
the West. The navigation of the western waters, the steamboats, the cities, manufac­
tures, and, indeed, all those facts and figures which bear upon the extraordinary and rapid
development of the resources of the West, are exhibited in a concise but comprehensive
form. Although we have embodied, in former volumes of the Merchants’ Magazine, most
of the statements of this volume, our readers will find it a valuable book of reference, as
the facts are very conveniently grouped for that purpose.
19. —T h e A r t U n io n J o u r n a l. A r t U n io n M o n th l y J o u r n a l o f th e A r t s . London:
Chapman & Hall. New York: J. P. Ridner.
The September number of this beautiful work contains three line engravings, viz:
“ The Intruder,” from a painting by Landseer; the latest portrait of Napoleon, (on board
the Bellerophon,) painted by Eastlake in 1815; and Narcissus. The work continues to
maintain its high character as a work of art, and its literary contributions would not de­
tract from the reputation of the most popular European periodicals.
20. —E l l e n M id d l e to n . A T a le . By Lady G eorgiana F ullerton , author of “ Grantley
Manor.” From the last London edition. New York: D. Appleton & Co.
This tale, like “ Grantley Manor,” which preceded it, will find a large class of readers
and admirers. It is deeply irpbued with the religious sentiment; and its lessons of virtue
and religion are enforced far more effectively in the form of its judiciously constructed nar­
rative, than they would be in a prosy discourse from a spiritless, formal pulpit. The tale
is interspersed with many rare and just, if not original, remarks, and hits off the petty vices
and foibles of conventional and every-day life not unsuccessfully.

21.

— A n E l e m e n ta r y P r a c t i c a l B o o k f o r le a r n i n g to S p e a k a n d W r i t e th e S p a n is h L a n ­
g u a g e . From the Method of Dr. J. H. P. L erdenstuecker . By J. G irard , P. L.

New York: Collins & Brother.
The design of this elementary book is, as we learn from the preface, to imitate as nearly
as possible the natural way by which children come to the knowledge of their mother
tongue, and to prepare them for the study of a complete grammar, and for the use of the
larger reading books. Adults will find in this little book an excellent assistance, by which
they may gradually acquire the art of speaking and writing the Spanish language “ with
less labor and time than by any other method.”




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1849. Edited by M r s . S. C. E dBoston: A. Tompkins.
A melancholy interest attaches to the present volume of this favorite annual, as “ the
last that will be edited by her” whose name has graced the title-page for so many years,
and whose pure and beautiful productions have added so much to the value and interest
of its contents. She died just as the volume was ready for the press, and “ the last lines
that she wrote are here ; the last pages upon which her eye rested are here.” It was fit­
ting that one who knew her well should close the volume she had prepared with a tribute
to her memory and her character. The articles in the present volume are all original, and
Will compare well with the best that have in former years contributed to the substantial
character and elevated religious (not sectarian) tone of this unpretending but beautiful
souvenir. The illustrations, seven in number, the “ Dawn of Love,” “ Guardian Angels,”
Our Father in Heaven,” “ Brother and Sister,” “ Contemplation,” “ The First Theft,”
are beautiful, certainly among the happiest of Sartain’s mezzotints. The literary illustra­
tions are generally creditable to the writers.
22. — T h e
garton

R o s e o f S h a r o n : a R e l i g i o u s S o u v e n ir f o r

M ayo.

23. — T h e L i t e r a r y W o r ld . E. A. & G. L. D u y c k in c k , Editors and Proprietors. 157
Broadway, New York. $3 per annum.
The attempt to establish a journal combining the selectness of literature into the mis­
cellaneous interests of a newspaper has never been fairly tried, either in this country or in
England. Under its new management we hope this will be the case of the L i t e r a r y
W o r l d ; it has the basis for the undertaking, and in the rising talent which might and
should be engaged in its columns, it would find a guarantee of success. The recent num­
bers, edited by Mr. E. A. Duyckinck, show a tendency of the kind we refer to. They
are more various, more general, less “ cabined and confined ” to the mere circle of books.
The plan of the paper as now conducted seems to embrace the news of art, literature, and
society, as well as critiques on books. A most piquant department is the miscellany under
the title of w What is Talked About,” which allows a chance comment on every passing
question, and, under an agreeable cover, has its “ say ” as freely as any daily paper of the
hour. The pictorial illustrations, with which the text is now accompanied, give the pub­
lication a cheerful look, and are calculated still further to extend its reception among the
friends and promoters of art. We regard the Literary World as now fixed, after a two
years’ trial of the weather, on a firm foundation both of business, prosperity, and influence.
“ L ectures on the L iterature , L earning , and R eligion of t h e M iddle A ges .”—
L eicester F. A. B uckingham , Esq., from London, a son of the well known author, lec­

turer, and traveller, has issued proposals for a course, to consist of five lectures, on the
above-named subject, which he intends to deliver in the city of New York during the
present season. An extract from Mr. Buckingham’s prospectus, will give the reader an
idea of the character and design of the series:—
“ The researches of historians have elucidated and illustrated much that is important and interesting
with regard to the Political History of T h e M i d d l e Agtss ; their battles, their victories, and their warlike
achievements have been investigated with diligence and learning, and the most prominent events of their
civil and military annals have been placed within the reach of the student, and narrated with copious de­
tail. But that more interesting portion of their history which treats of the condition of mankind in respect
of Learning and Religion, has been either wholly neglected, or discussed with prejudiced partiality. The
evil spirit of bigotry, which has exercised so extensive and baneful an influence upon secular studies, has
refused to give ear to aught but vehement denunciation of the men of those remote centuries; partisan
writers have depicted them as ignorant, vicious, and enslaved; and the general reader has been unable to
correct, by his own study, these erroneous impressions, since the materials for the illustration of these in­
teresting topics lie beyond the range of popular inspection, buried in the inaccessible works of antique
writers, ana scattered through the rare literature of bygone centuries.
“ To correct these inaccurate impressions, and to convey, by the adduction of authentic evidence, a faith­
ful view of the intellectual and religious condition of mankind in the Middle Ages, will be the object of
the present lectures. Conceived in no sectarian spirit, they will aim at presenting the men of those centu­
ries as they really were; and illustrating the means which existed for the multiplication of Books, the dif­
fusion of Learning, and the circulation of the Sacred Scriptures among the people. These are matters a
correct acquaintance with which is indispensable to the reader of history; and in conveying the evidence
upon these points, which has been collected by a long course of careful and laborious study of ancient
writers, it will be endeavored to present the knowledge thus accumulated, in as popular a form as is con­
sistent with the gravity of historical investigation.”

These lectures have been listened to by large and delighted audiences in London and
other parts of England, and are spoken of by the English press in terms of the highest
commendation. The several Mercantile Library Associations in all our large cities would
do well to engage Mr. Buckingham for the course.
25.— T h e S e v e n C a p ita l S in s . E n v y , o r F r e d e r ic k B a s tie n . By M. E ugene S ue , author
of the “ Mysteries of Paris,” etc. New York: Burgess, Stringer, & Co.
A powerful delineation of the workings of “ Envy,” fully equal to “ Pride,” which pre­

ceded it, from the same masterly hand.