that the discounts of the Bank of France, discount from two to three per cent, Jan. 13, were f.316,000,000, being an and all the discount houses give notice increase of f.42,000,000 on the month; that 134@2 per cent. will be the rate and that to check the flow of gold out- hereafter "at call," it is quite time for wardly, a great curtailment in these the banks here to "snug ship.” items must take place. The first effort of the screw was the fall of pig iron from 80s. to 60s. or 25 per cent. Now, simultaneously with the expansion in those two banks, the institutions of NewYork raised their loans from sixty-four to eighty-five millions, and this enormous expansion here was sustained only by the expansion there. Hence when production was. the London Bank increases its rate of The efflux of gold is no doubt but temporary, the mere effect of going a little too fast, whereby a slight re-action is given to the progressive depreciation of gold as compared with other commodities. The impulse caused the gold to distribute itself over the continent a little faster than the mines produced it, great as that FACTS AND CONSIDERATIONS WHICH RECOMMEND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LINE OF STEAMERS BETWEEN VIRGINIA AND ANTWERP. Wheat. Agricultural Productions of Virginia as per Census of 1851. .bush.....14,516,950.... at $1.00 value....$14,516,950 60 17,769.989 03 66 53,333. 66 1 10 46 56.666 30 2,156,073 00 5,000,000 00 .$86,249,314 00 Home manufactures.. Cord wood, Oysters, Fish, Peas, Beans, Potatoes, Garden Vegetables, Fruits, and Melons, estimated at not less than.. Amount brought forward.... $1,686,145 74 port trade are now made to meet, and where the great mass of our commercial payments are made, is thereby enabled, through her exchanges, to exert a controlling influence over our financial interests, which keeps down prices here, and raises them correspondingly there. Six per cent. estimated upon the value of our remaining productions not embraced above, viz.: $69,861,457 43, shows a further loss of.. Which, added to the foregoing, exhi- 4,163,371 29 $5,849,517 13 These estimates, founded upon the late census returns and such other reliable information as could be obtained, are be lieved to be sufficiently accurate for all practical purposes, and to fall below rather than exceed the actual loss which a more rigid statistical analysis would exhibit. For want of any certain data by which to ascertain it, we can only approximate the amount of loss sustained upon the domestic consumption of articles brought Virginia and Antwerp Line of Steamers. into this state from elsewhere. It is believed that of such articles we consume an amount in value fully equal to that arising from the sale of our own productions, viz: $16,861,457 43. Upon that amount the controlling influence of New-York before mentioned equally operates, and consequently produces the same depreciating effect. We may therefore properly estimate 501 senate by the select committee, and its ultimate effect in opening and promoting our direct trade, have applied to Congress for aid in the construction of a line of steamers between that city and some port in Belgium. Not content with the monopoly of nearly all the existing lines of our foreign commerce, that grasping city seeks with eager haste to pounce upon and appropriate to her own ex the loss arising from this cause at $1,686,145 74 clusive benefit, or to break down by To which may be added for profits to the Northern factors, and incidental charges, at least 12 per cent. more... Making the whole loss upon domestic consumption.. Add to this amount of loss upon productions, as above... And it exhibits an aggregate annual loss of .... opposition, every new line sought out and suggested by the enterprise of 2,023,374 89 others. For want of the necessary statistics, 3,709,520 63 nothing is said about our loss upon the value of the mineral productions of Virginia, which, it is believed, amounts to several millions more. 5,849,517 13 $9,559,037 76 Will Virginia continue to remain passive, and rest satisfied with the present ruinous course of her trade, without an as are her resources, can she sustain so effort to change and improve it? Great heavy a drain as from ten to twelve value of her productions every year?—a millions of dollars depreciation in the sum more than sufficient in three years to off her whole debt, and perfect all the great lines of internal improvement necessary to develop her own resources, and invite the commerce of other states through her borders. If the foregoing estimates are correct, they show clearly why it is that the Virginia merchants cannot, except to a very limited extent, import directly from abroad. The merchant of the North enjoys an advantage over ours of at least 12 per cent. additional profit (6 per cent. on the export and the same upon the import trade)—a per centage more than pay twice as large as that usually charged by the import dealer upon the cost of his goods. This gives to him an absolute control over that entire branch of trade. The great benefits resulting to the northern merchants from our present commercial vassalage is fully appreciated by them, and hence their constant and vigilant efforts to retain it. No sooner had Virginia begun to move in this matter by the call of a convention at Old Point, for the purpose of considering the best means of promoting our own direct foreign commerce, than did those merchants commence the construction of five first-class steamers to ply between their port and ours. This could only have been done to prevent the achievement of our commercial independence, and secure to themselves the continued enjoyment of their present monopoly. But this is not all. Within the last two weeks, citizens of New-York, no doubt stimulated by the apprehension of the passage of the bill for establishing a line of steamers between the waters of Virginia and Antwerp, reported to the The bill above mentioned proposes to stop that drain without either charge or risk to the commonwealth or her citi zens. Will she not avail herself of the opportunity thus afforded to accomplish an object so imperiously demanded by the best interests of her citizens? Before another so favorable can ever be presented for her acceptance, New-York will have stepped in, pre-occupied the line, and secured to herself forever all its benefits. At the present time, nearly all of the mails of continental Europe pass through England and on to New-York. The direction of trade ever follows the line of postal communication, and for that reason mainly is it that the trade between this country and Europe now centres at New-York. Let a direct communication by steamers be established between Norfolk and Antwerp, and we shall at once secure the whole of that portion of the continental mails which come through Belgium, embrac One Oats. Butter.. Lead Wool. Cotton 1850. 1851. 1851. 340,462.. 1,149,783.. 2,596,231 ..lbs. 5,365,708.. 2,354.277.. 3,989.917 .bales. Broom Corn Leather. ...rolls. Hides... Iron... 51,604.. 61.823. 45,172 1,066.. 2,139.. 3,598 472.. 310.. 77 769 5.420 7.155 50,866. 95.452 665.. 439 11,436.. 31.916 524.. 1,707.. 6.620 Tobacco...hhds. Staves Lumber.....feet 47.416,744 84,068 589.72.337,255 Cattle 97.697.. 111.223 18,906.. 16,590 8,594.. 15,928 ing a population of more than one hundred millions, and sweeping over a territory containing some of the finest Barley agricultural and manufacturing districts in Europe. And besides, in a short time we shall obtain a good share of the Bacon residue, for the following reasons: 1st. The inward voyage from Liverpool to Norfolk is from eighteen to thirty hours shorter than it is to New-York. day will be thus saved. 2d. Another day will be saved in escaping the detention incident to the transit through England. The saving of two days in the transmission of intelligence, at an era when time enters so largely into the computation of all business operations, would of itself be controlling. But when we add to this, 3dly, the further saving of the onerous charges now imposed by England upon the transit postage through that kingdom, it can hardly be doubted that the Virginia and Antwerp line will de la Marina, of the 1st inst, contains in a few years after its establishment full tabular statements of the commerce transport the largest portion of the mails of Havana for the year 1852, and, also, between Europe and this country. comparative statements for several preWhen this is done, trade will neces- ceding years. The products of the exportation at sarily follow, and the great seaport of island registered for Virginia, being the centre of commercial Havana, for twelve years, are as follows: intelligence, must become also the centre of commerce itself. No longer de- Years. pendent upon New-York, Virginia will then be the recipient of the benefits of exchange and other commercial profits, instead of paying them to others, as she now does to the amount of nearly twelve millions of dollars per annum. Buffalo Robes.bales 1,176 1851, entered 1,934 vessels, of these 623 Spanish. 66 14,522 1852, 1,758 Wheat....bush. 3,608,261.. 4,260,004.. 5,549,778 1851, cleared 1,865 2,521,149.. 6,080,330.. 5,136,746 1852, 46 661 1,789 66 699 6,814 and 1852 were as follows: Lake Imports-Commerce of Havana-Fisheries. THE FISHERIES.-We give below some interesting statistics relative to the fisheries, which are taken from the invalu 503 able forthcoming work of Hon. Lorenzo Sabine, referred to in the annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury: Statistics of the Fisheries of the United States in 1840— General View, showing the Produce, Men, and Capital Employed in each State and Territory. 344,665.. 1,228.. 179.. .472,359.......4,764,908.... .7,536,778 STATISTICS of the Codfishery of the United States during the years 1849, 1850, 1851: Imports of Salt. -Exports. Tonnage. Bushels. Quintals. Value. 3,610.. $526,967 Year. The following statistics show how 949,250 much these fisheries have fallen off. 16,460 The value of exports of codfish was: 93,275 Delaware... 7,987.. 165.. 170,000 88,947 1804. Virginia... 1817. North Carolina.. 23,800.. South Carolina.. 1823. 1,617 1824. 1832. 1839. 1843. 1845. .$2,400,000 203,000 734,024 873,685 749,909 709,218 381.175 803,353 7.. 242 165.. 453.. Statistics of the Mackerel Fishery of the United 28,640 1834. 67.. 10,000 1835. 138.. 61,300 64,500 -Mackerel InspectedIn Mass. In N. H. In Maine. bbls. bbls. bbls. 212,946.. 19,375.. 252,884. 18,200.. 40,661 194,450.. 15,300.. *The tonnage in 1851 was divided as follows, viz.:-Maine, 45,528; New-Hampshire, 1,916; Massachusetts, 39,982; Rhode Island, 376; Connec 36,584 $16,429,620 ticut, 6,785; New-York, 1,034. STEAMBOATS IN THE UNITED STATES. -We are indebted to A. Guthrie, Esq., steamboat inspector, for the following list of steamboats in the United States. The list shows that the western cities have the largest number-St. Louis taking the lead, and Cincinnati next in the figures. The eastern cities, however, exceed in the proportion of tonnage, as New-York, with ninety-two boats, gives a tonnage of 64,447 tons, while St. Louis, with 126 boats, only gives 30,948 tons. Most of the western boats are high pressure, while the eastern are low pres sure. Places. No. of 6,843.... 38.... 5 4 2 4 1 1 Cincinnati Wheeling. 38... Pittsburg 101. 6 2 New-York Sag Harbor.. New-Haven. 2 1 1,205....391,557....853... 352 to the city of New-York is only ninetyThe number given in the above table take in the numerous ferry-boats and two, which is a very small figure if we rivers adjacent to the city. With these tow-boats that ply about the bay and added, the aggregate would amount to one hundred and fifty at least. MR. FABENS lately delivered a lecture upon French Cayenne, in which he said -Cayenne presents itself at this time in a peculiar aspect, as being the asylum of 5 political convicts and exiles, and the 3 theatre whereon the great and thrilling drama of emancipation has been enacted, and as offering a field for mercantile 1 enterprise. People, generally speaking, are almost ignorant of even its geogra phical locality; and no wonder, for very often the newspapers publish accounts which are incorrect and misleading. He would present a few observations on its physical aspect, and then proceed to glance at its commercial and social condition. In accordance with this programme, the lecturer described the 24 geography of the colony, and, regarding 5 its physical aspect, remarked, that in scattered portions of the coast are deep tracts of country of low level surface, covered with thick bushes. This solid mass of vegetable life strikes the beholder at first as an army of intruders on a foreign domain. That the soft mud, in which these bushes have taken root, has been thrown up by the sea, there cannot be a doubt. Shells of oysters, and even the anchor of a ship have been 6 10 24... 26 3.. 1 1 1 2 |