CONTENTS OF NO. VI., VOL. XVI. ARTICLES. ART. PAGE ..... 547 1. COMMERCE OF FRANCE, IN 1845.-A General Review of the Commerce of France with her Colonies, and with Foreign Powers, during the year 1845. Translated and made up from the Report of the Department of Customs of France....... II. COST OF PRODUCTION AND FOREIGN DEMAND FOR OUR BREADSTUFFS. By RICHARD WILLIAMS, Merchant, of Massachusetts........ III. THE IRON TRADE OF EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES: With special reference to the Iron Trade of Pennsylvania. By C. G. CHILDS, Esq., Editor of the Commercial List, Philadelphia IV. THE AMERICAN ART UNION........... V. COMMERCIAL TOWNS AND CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES.-No. I.—THE CITY OF BUFFALO .... 557 574 598 596 JOURNAL OF MERCANTILE LAW. Equity-Costs-Jurisdiction of the United States Courts-Practice-Fraud-Agency-Contract. 602 Collision-Steamboat Neptune..... COMMERCIAL CHRONICLE AND REVIEW: 603 EMBRACING A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES, ETC., ILLUS TRATED WITH TABLES, ETC., AS FOLLOWS: Bank of England and its operations-Bank of France-Drain of Bullion from England to the United States - Russian Gold Mines - Price of Grain in England, in 1845, 1846, and 1847Grain sold in the United Kingdom, in fourteen days-Progress of Freights-Cotton CropValue of British Exports-Means and Liabilities of the New York Banks, from 1845 to 1847 -Pressure in the British Money Market-Duty on Copper Ore in England... COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS. Commercial Treaty between the United States and Hanover.... Post-office Regulation on Letters to Bremen.... 604-610 611 616 RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS. Ocean Steamers between Havre and New York.. PAGE Traffic of the German Railroads, in 1846......... Vessels built and launched on the American Lakes, in 1846.. Pennsylvania State Tolls on Merchandise as adopted by the Canal Commissioners. New York and Liverpool Steamers........ JOURNAL OF BANKING, CURRENCY, AND FINANCE. Coins and Currency of the Hiwaiian Islands... Condition of the Bank of France............. Coinage of the United States Mint and Branches, in each year, from 1793 to 1846.. 617 619 620 621 621 622 623 623 624 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. Domestic Exports of the United States, their Quantity and Value, for the year ending June 30, 1846 625 Pro-forma Sales of Flour, a Bona Fide Abstract from the Books of a Commission House....... 626 Importations of Corn into England, in 1846-47...... 62$ Commerce of Russia, in 1845. 623 Exports from Odessa, (Russia,) from 1840-46 628 Commerce of France during the last fifteen years. ..... Imports from Texas into France, in 1845...... .... 557 JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES. Product of the Gold Mines in Orel and Siberia, from 1819-46..... Coal and Iron Trade of the Ohio Valley. Chemistry applied to Arts and Manufactures-Method of Detecting Cotton in Linen. 629 629 630 681 631 622 632 692 Letter from an Unfortunate Subscriber to the Merchants' Magazine.. Differential Duties, Translated from the French of M. Bastiat. Position of the American Merchant, from Parker's Sermon of Merchants.. Notices of 41 New Works or New Editions, published since our last........... 640-643 HUNT'S MERCHANTS' MAGAZINE. JUNE, 1847. Art. I.-COMMERCE OF FRANCE IN 1845. ▲ GENERAL REVIEW OF THE COMMERCE OF FRANCE WITH ITS COLONIES, AND WITH FOREIGN POWERS, DURING THE YEAR 1845.* THE Tableau General du Commerce de la France, is a "public document" published annually by the custom-house department of the French government, exhibiting, in tabular form, full and detailed statistics of the commerce of France during the previous year. The Report, for 1845, is a folio of some 700 pages, the contents of which are digested and exhibited in brief form, in twenty tables, which, with some general observations prefixed, referring to each table, are placed at the beginning of the work, under the title of Analytical Summary. These general observations we now lay before the reader. The terms " general commerce and "special commerce," which frequently occur in the course of them, are explained in the Merchants' Magazine for May, 1846, Vol. XVI., p. 467, where may be found, also, a translation of the like summary of French commerce for 1844. It is sufficient, at present, to state, that the term general commerce, as technically used in these reports, embrace every branch of commerce, as well the carrying trade through France, as importation for home consumption, and exportation of home products and of For similar reviews of the commerce of France, for the years 1843 and 1844, see Merchants' Magazine for July, 1845, Vol. XIII, No. 1, pp. 26 to 37, and Vol. XVL, No. 5, for May, 1847, pp. 476 to 486. For an elaborate article on the trade and commerce of France, from 1827 to 1840, with full and complete tabular statements, derived from the French official documents, we refer the reader to the Merchants' Magazine for September, 1842, Vol. VII., No. 3, pp. 229 to 241. Also, to same work, for May, 1843, Vol. VIII, No. 5, pp. 435 to 439, bringing the commerce of France down to 1841, and the present paper to 1845. For the official documents, furnishing the materials for these papers, we are indebted to M. D. L. Rodet, a distinguished political economist, residing at Paris.-[ED. Mer. Mag.] such foreign products as have paid import duties and are re-exported. The term special commerce, designates importation for home consumption and exportation of home products, and excludes the carrying trade. GENERAL AND SPECIAL COMMERCE. The general commerce of France with the colonies and with foreign powers, in 1845, again presents results more favorable, on the whole, than those of previous years. In value, it has risen to the considerable amount of 2,427,000,000* francs; of which, there were imports, 1,240,000,000 francs; exports, 1,187,000,000 francs. Compared with the movement of 1844, and taking imports and exports together, there is an increase of 88,000,000 francs, or 4 per cent. Compared with the average of the four years preceding 1845, there is an increase of 257,000,000 francs, or 12 per cent. In imports, the advance is 4 per cent on those of 1844, 9 per cent on the average of the last five years; the advance in exports, is 4 and 15 per cent on those periods respectively. The special commerce of France, or that which, on the one hand, imports foreign products for home consumption, and on the other hand sends home products abroad, amounted, in value, to 1,704,000,000 francs, which is higher, by 47,000,000 francs, or 3 per cent, than the figure of 1844— by 167,000,000 francs, or 11 per cent, than that of the average of five years preceding. The value of foreign goods entering into consumption in France, was 11,000,000 francs, or one per cent less than that of the imports of, but greater, by 34,000,000 francs, or 4 per cent, than the average figure of the last five years. On the other hand, the export of French products has, at the same time, increased 58,000,000 francs, or 7 per cent, on 1844, and 133,000,000 francs, or 19 per cent, on the average of five years. COMMERCE BY LAND AND BY SEA. With reference to the two great The following table exhibits the general course of the foreign commerce of France, during the last 15 years, in periods of 5 years. The excess of the 2d period over the 1st, is 34 per cent; of the 3d over the 1st, 61 per cent; and of the 3d over the 2d, 20 per cent: branches of commerce-commerce by land and by sea-of the total value of imports and exports, say, 2,427,000,000 francs, there were carried by water, 1,736,000,000 francs, and carried by land, 691,000,000 francs; maritime commerce thus forming 72 per cent of the whole. This relative proportion between land carriage and water carriage, has but little varried during the last five years; but both these distinct branches of the commerce of France have been on the increase. Maritime trade has advanced 5 and 11 per cent on the year preceding, and on the average of the five years past, respectively; the increase of land traffic is 1 and 13 per cent. This two-fold progress extends to both imports and exports. The import maritime trade has gained 5 and 7 per cent; import land traffic, 2 and 13 per cent; the export maritime trade, 5 and 16 per cent; the export land traffic, 1 and 13 per cent, as compared with the last year, and the average of the five years preceding. MARITIME TRADE. Of the amount of 1,736,000,000 francs, forming the sum total of merchandise imported and exported by sea, there were carried in French vessels, 808,000,000 francs, or 46 per cent; foreign vessels, 928,000,000 francs, or 531 per cent. The relative proportion between French and foreign flags, in 1844, was 46 and 54 per cent. Of the 808,000,000 francs, forming the value of goods carried in French vessels, we have, under the head of privileged navigation, 284,000,000 francs, or 14 per cent more than in the previous year; open commerce, 524,000,000 francs, or 2 per cent more than in 1844. Of the different branches of commerce exclusively confined to French bottoms, but one presents, in the value of goods transported, a sensible increase, amounting to 33 per cent; it is the French trade with Algeria. COUNTRIES TRADED WITH. The countries which have dealt most largely with France, in 1845, are the United States, England, Switzerland, Belgium, the Kingdom of Sardinia, the German Customs Union, Spain, Russia, and Turkey. The value of French commerce with these countries forms 72 per cent for the entire commercial movement of the year; the proportion, in this respect, being the same as in 1844. The course of trade with each of these powers, in particular, was as follows: There was an increase in the trade with Russia, of 4 per cent; Switzerland, of 5 per cent; Belgium, of 14 per cent; Turkey, of 2 per cent. There was a falling off in the trade with England, of 1 per cent; Sardinia, of 8 per cent; Spain, of 12 per cent; Russia, of 1 per cent. The amount of trade with the Customs Union alone, of all the above States, remained the same both years. The trade of France with almost all the other powers, has improved; more particularly with the Two Sicilies, Sweden, Norway, the Papal States, Peru, Portugal, Greece, Egypt, Austria, Denmark, and the countries beyond the Sound. The French colonies have contributed to this advance, at the following rates of increase: Senegal, 60 per cent; French possessions in India, 9 per cent; Algeria, 31 per cent; Bourbon, 9 per cent; Martinique, 5 per cent; Guadaloupe, 1 per cent. There has been a falling off, in 1845, in the French trade with the |