QUICKSILVER MINES IN CALIFORNIA.

A gentleman, whose letter we have seen, and from which we are permitted to make an extract, says the American Mining Journal, dating from "Rancho de la Prussima Conception," in California, thus writes to a friend of his in Connecticut, of a quicksilver mine, owned by Alexander Forbes, Esq., British Consul at Tepsic. Mr. Forbes is the owner of, perhaps, the richest quicksilver mine in the world, situated about 13 miles from this place. The mine has been worked but a few months, but the ore is extremely rich, and very abundant. The bed of ore is 42 feet thick, and of extent unknown. The only apparatus at present used for extracting the metal consists of three or four old potash kettles -very imperfect-yet, with these, over a thousand pounds, or $2,000 worth are obtained weekly. With suitable apparatus, it could clear easily half a million a year. Several other mines of quicksilver have been found in the neighborhood, of more or less promise, but none of them apparently so rich as this. They are mostly, with the exception of that of Mr. Forbes, in the hands of Americans. Mines of silver and gold bave also been discovered; but what they will amount to remains to be seen. Mr. Forbes owns a tract pertaining to his mine of fourteen square miles."

THE BRITISH IRON AND STEEL TRADE.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF IRON AND UNWROUGHT STEEL.-The total quantity of foreign iron ore imported in the year ending April 5, 1818, was 21 tons; chromate of iron, 1,797 tons; pig iron, 473 tons; iron bars unwrought, 33.371 tons; bloom iron, 904 tons; rod iron, 3 tons; broken iron, 310 tons; iron hoops, 12 tons; cast iron, 41 tons; unwrought steel, 654 tons; and steel scraps, 36 tons. The declared value of wrought iron and steel imported amounted to £23,510. The total quantity of foreign bar iron exported was 5,053 tons; unwrought steel, 667 tons. The total quantity of British pig iron exported within the same period was 176,086 tons; bar iron, 214,874 toas; bolt and rod iron, 13,419 tons; cast iron, 26,321 tonus; wire, 1,972 tons; anchors, grapnels, &c., 4,561 tons; hoops, 17,163 tons; nails, 5,735 tons; other sorts of wrought iron, 74,036 tons; old iron, 5,751 tons; unwrought steel, 9,776 tons. Our principal customers for British iron and steel are Prussia, Holland, France, and the United States of America, the latter more especially. The total quantity of British hardwares and cutlery exported from the United Kingdom in the year 1847 amounted to 20,614 tons, the declared value of which was £2,341,980 11s. Id. The British machinery and mill work exported within the same period amounted in value to £1,263,015 10s. 4d.; of this amount Russia paid £226,635 19s.; the Hanseatic Towns, £151,665 2s.; Spain, £97,527; Italy, £108,888 19s. 2d. ; British territories in the East Indies, £148,645 153.; the British West Indies, £52,290 4s. 6d.

DAVID'S IMPROVED RAZOR.

Mr. David, cutler, of Leadenhall-street, London, has recently registered under the Utility Designs Act, a razor of highly improved configuration, which consists in giving a curvilinear form, lengthwise, to the edge of the blade, and leaving more room for obtaining a good purchase on it when shaving. The handle also is bevelled within-side, to allow more space for the entry of the blade when shutting to-thus preventing the injury to its edge, that frequently occurs from catching on the sides of the handle. These improvements, combined with the improved principle adopted in grinding the blade, produce an instrument having every advantage over those hitherto made.

CULTIVATION OF COTTON IN INDIA.

The experiments which have been making in Manchester by the Commercial Associa tion, recently, under the superintendence of Dr. Royle, to test the small cottage gin proposed to be sent out among the small cultivators of cotton in India, show the following results as contrasted with the large hand gin and the churka, at present used there. The cottage gin, made of iron, is found to clean 20 lb. per man per hour; made of wood, it turns out 17 lb. per man per hour. The average quantity cleaned by the large hand gins of India per man per hour is only 10 lb. and a fraction, and the churka cleans only 3 lb. This result is decidedly more favorable than that detailed by the chairman at the late meeting, a fact which, we are informed, is owing to a further improvement in the machine The saving in cost would be in proportion.

JOURNAL OF BANKING, CURRENCY AND FINANCE.

THE REVENUE OF FRANCE IN 1847 AND 1848.

THE return just made by the French Minister of Finances of the amount of the receipts received by the Treasury, under the head of "Imposts and Indirect Revenues," during the first nine months of 1848, as compared with the receipts for the same period of 1846 and 1847, presents some curious though not very gratifying results. They show a fearful diminution since February in the aggregate trade of the country, and, unfortunately, they also show very clearly, notwithstanding the rumors industriously spread of a gradual resumption in the trade and manufactures of France, that there is not the slightest ground for that statement. By the receipts for July, August, and September, 1848, as compared with the same months of 1847, it appears that in July there is a diminution in the receipts of 12,796,000 francs; in August a diminution of 13,807,000 francs; and in September a diminution of 13,761,000 francs. On the whole three months there is an aggregate falling off of 37,203,000 francs as compared with 1846, and of 40,544,000 francs as compared with 1847. It also appears that while the falling off for the quarter just past of the present year is upwards of forty millions and a half, the falling off for the two previous quarters was under sixty-two millions. This surely shows no symptoms of a resumption of trade.

The following is a detailed table of the receipts of indirect taxes, for the first nine months of 1848, as compared with 1847:

This shows an aggregate falling off on the present year of 102,362,000 francs. There is a diminution under every head excepting three, and these are significant. The export duties have increased to the amount of 45,000 francs, in consequence of the vast quantity of property removed from France. The post-office revenue has increased 651,000 franes, in consequence of the enormous quantity of newspapers and correspondence occasioned by the revolution of February; and the produce of places in the packet-boats has increased, in consequence of the vast number of persons who have fled from France. This species of improvement will hardly be a matter of congratulation to the Minister of Finances. On the other hand, it will be seen that the import duties have fallen off to a frightful extent. Take, for instance, the duties on French colonial sugars, which have diminished from 31,836,000 francs to 15,909,000, or rather more than one-half; and the custom-house duties on miscellaneous merchandise, which have diminished one-third. The only article producing a large revenue, upon which there is not a heavy falling off, is tobacco. It still returns nearly as much as it did in the flourishing times of the monarchy. Even the misery produced by a revolution does not affect the consumption of that

pernicious weed. On the contrary, it must have considerably increased, as it has been ascertained that a large quantity was surreptitiously introduced into France during the confusion produced by the first days of the revolution.

The return of the direct taxes collected has also been published. The total amount of these taxes is-ordinary direct contributions 430,437,000 francs, and the 45 centime tax, 191,780,000 franes, making in all 622,217,000 francs. Of this sum, the amount collected up to the 30th of September was 375,744,000 francs; so that there remains 246,473,000 francs of arrears still to be collected, and out of that sum 65,695,000 francs is of the 45 centime tax.

REVENUE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE NETT PRODUCE OF THE REVENUE OF GREAT BRITAIN, IN THE YEARS AND QUARTERS ENDED JULY 5, 1847 AND 1848, SHOWING THE INCREASE OR DECREASE THEREOF.

FINANCES OF THE CROTON AQUEDUCT BOARD.

The annual report of the Croton Aqueduct Board shows that the receipts for the year commencing the 1st May, 1847, and ending the 39th April, 1848, have been $226,551 83, an increase of $32,000 49 over the receipts of the preceding year. The expenditures for the same period of time have been $71,565 74, which is $17,162 74 more than the outlay of the previous year, but of the items which contribute to the total of these expen

ditures, the large sum of $34,519 16 has been paid for water pipes and branches. The line of pipe laid down in the city has been extended nearly five miles; the whole length of pipe with this addition is now about 175 miles. The report for the last quarter commencing May 1st and terminating July 31st of the present year, exhibits receipts amounting to $189,917 03, being an increase of $14,866 98 over the receipts of the corresponding quarter of the last year. The expenditures for the same time were $20,310 69, of which more than half was for new pipes and branches. The opinion is expressed that the revenue will, in a few years, pay the entire interest on the debt, and, with good management, in time contribute to the discharge of its principal. The aqueduct, reservoirs, and lines of pipe throughout the city, are represented to be in good condition. The enormous waste of the water is complained of, resulting from the practice in some tenements of letting it run day and night for the purpose of purification in summer, and to prevent its freezing in winter.

THE WEALTH OF NEW YORK CITY.

We give below a tabular statement of the relative value of the real and personal estate in the city and county of New York, as assessed in 1847 and 1818, as made up at the Comptroller's Office, city of New York, October 6th, 1848:

It would seem from the following statement, which we find in Wilmer & Smith's Times, that Ireland is one of the least taxed portions of the British empire. Out of £52,000,000 levied in the United Kingdom, scarce £4,500,000 is raised in Ireland, from a population equal to half the population of England. The total nett revenue of Ireland in 1846 was only £4,333.933, a sum barely more than sufficient to provide the interest of the portion of the national debt assigned to Ireland. Taking the annual revenue in round numbers of Ireland at present as £4,600,000, the expenditure as £3,600,000, and the interest on debt at £4,200,000, the deficiency is £3,200,000. Ireland, therefore, costs the British Exchequer at least this sum. Estimating the annual deficiency of Ireland at £3,000,000 sterling, the cost of Ireland to England since the union amounts to £141,000,000.

MERCANTILE MISCELLANIES.

THE LITERATURE AND STATISTICS OF COMMERCE.

[FROM THE DRY-GOODS REPORTER AND MERCHANTS' GAZETTE.]

DR. JOHNSON, in writing the preface for a Commercial Dictionary, remarked that there was no man who was not in some degree a merchant, who had not something to buy and something to sell, and who did not, therefore, want such instructions as would teach him the true value of possessions or commodities. This remark of the learned Doctor applies with peculiar force to the citizens of the United States, the descendants of a people who were denominated by Napoleon a nation of Shopkeepers. The description of ports and cities may instruct the geographer as well as if they were found in books appropriated to his own science; and the doctrine of funds, the laws of trade, insurance, coinage and currency, monopolies, exchanges, and duties, is so necessary to the politician, that without it he can be of no use either in the council or in the Senate, nor can he think or speak justly either on war or trade.

A brief notice of some of the most celebrated Commercial Dictionaries may here be referred to as an evidence of the early attention paid to the literature and statistics of Commerce. The GRAND DICTIONNAIRE DU COMMERCE was published at Paris in 1723, in two volumes folio; a supplemental volume being added in 1730. This was the first work of the kind that appeared in modern Europe, and has furnished the principal part of the materials for most of those by which it has been followed. This work was liberally patronized by the French government. In 1769, the Abbe Morellitt projected a Commercial Dictionary in six volumes; but for want of sufficient encouragement but one was ever completed. Another Commercial Dictionary was published in Paris in 1783, in three volumes quarto, forming part of the Encyclopedia Methodique. The editors borrowed largely from M. Savary, and added but little to the stock of commercial information col lected by that laborious statician.

The earliest Commercial Dictionary published in Europe was compiled by Postlethwait, a diligent and indefatigable writer. The first part of the first edition appeared in 1751. The last edition, in two enormous folio volumes, was published in 1774. It was little more, however, than a translation of the French Dictionary published in 1730. In 1761, Richard Rolt published a similar work in one pretty large volume. McCulloch considers the preface the best part of the work, and that was contributed by Dr. Johnson. It is for the most part an abridgment of Postlethwait. Thomas Mortimer, at that time consul at the Netherlands, published a Dictionary of Commerce in 1766. McCulloch's Dictionary was published, we believe, in 1825-30. The first impression of 2,000 copies was entirely sold off in less than nine months from the date of its publication. It has undergone various modifications, and many additions and alterations have been made, as new editions have been called for. It is now in general use, and was made, perhaps, at the time of its publication, the best work of the kind; but the compiler is far advanced in life, and in the new editions that have been published has scarcely succeeded in keeping pace with the progressive developments of commerce. The best work of the kind, in our opinion, is the "Dictionnaire du Commerce et des Marchandises," published at Paris in 1837, prepared by a great number of competent hands. We should be glad to see an English translation of it, with such emendations as would adapt it particularly to the United States.

Passing from the "Dictionnaire du Commerce," the series of papers prepared and presented to the British Parliament by John Macgregor, by command of Her Majesty, are worthy of notice. They bear the general title of "Commercial Statistics; a Digest of the productive resources, commercial legislation, customs, tariffs, navigation, port and quarantine laws and charges, shipping imports and exports, and the moneys, weights, and measures of all nations, including all British Commercial Treaties with Foreign States, collected from authentic records, and consolidated with special reference to British and foreign products, trade and navigation." The first two volumes, which were laid before Parliament in parts, contain about 2,300 pages, and embrace most of the countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The third part is devoted entirely to the United States, and of itself occupies a volume of 1,427 royal octavo pages, equal to one-half the space devoted to all the parts of the world included in the two first volumes; a fact showing, we think, most conclusively, how large a share we hold in the rank of industrial nations, and we may add to the abundant materials furnished and sources indicated by that unique periodical, the "Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review," which deserves and shall re