2.-SOUTHERN TOBACCO CONVENTION. A committee of the Kentucky State Agricultural Society recommends a convention of the producers and buyers of tobacco, to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, on the 25th of May next, which is the day fixed for awarding premiums to the growers of the best tobacco, under the auspices of the State Agricultural Society. The design is to bring the producers and purchasers together, in order to an interchange of opinions. The agriculturists may learn what grades are best suited to the market, and will meet the most ready sale. The Louisville Journal, speaking of the great commercial importance of the staple, says that the value of raw tobacco, exported from the United States to Great Britain, was over $3,500,000, in 1855, and during the first half of the present century, that country collected import duties on it to the enormous aggregate of over $570,000,000. The total value of our exports of tobacco in 1857 was $20,662,772, and in 1858 amounted to $19,409,882. During the first nine months of 1857, the import revenue, derived by France from it, was over $25,000,000; four fifths of which were exported from the United States. The Cyclopedia of Commerce says, that tobacco, next to salt, is probably the article most consumed by men. In one form or another, but most generally in the form of fume or smoke, there is no climate in which it is not consumed, and no nationality that has not adopted it. To put down its use has equally baffled legislators and moralists, and, in the words of Pope, on a higher subject, it may be said to be partaken of "by saint, by savage, and by sage." The average consumption, per head, of male population over eighteen years of age, in some countries, seems almost fabulous. In the German States, included in the operations of the Zollverein and the Steuerverein, it reaches from nine and three fourths to twelve and a half pounds; in Holland, and Belgium, and Denmark, to eight or nine pounds. The advance cost of tobacco is shown from the fact, that in 1842 we exported 150,710 hhds., at an average cost of $60 11, and in 1857 only 156,848, at the average value per hhd. of $132 40. 3. THE LARGE COTTON PLANTERS Not long since, a paragraph was published, giving some account of the cotton crop of Col. Bond, of Georgia, which amounted last year to 2,100 bales, and was the largest sent to market by any planter of that State. A Vidalia correspondent of the Free Trader (Natchez), contrasts the planters of Mississippi and Louisiana with the Georgia celebrity as follows: There are half a dozen planters in Concordia parish and Louisiana, as also many more in Mississippi, that make a higher mark than this. Not to make a thing invidious, the name of A. V. Davis, Esq., of Concordia parish, who makes all his cotton there, chalks up several hundred bales above the Georgia planter, so does L. R. Marshall, Esq., in the State of Louisiana, raising in that State alone, more than three thousand five hundred bales; so is John Routh, Esq., of Hard Times, full as much if not more; so did Frederick Stanton, Esq., but a few weeks deceased, raise twenty-eight hundred bales the present year-all in Corcordia parish-and even more than this figure in 1855-all in Louisiana ; and there are numerous others that come up, or nearly so, to the Georgia highest knot. For instance, L. R. Marshall, residence at Natchez, a planter in three States, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, is more than a four-thousand-bale producer; so is Dr. Stephen Duncan more than a three-thousand-bale grower in the State of Mississippi, besides being an opulent planter of Louisiana-more than four thousand bales in all. The great estates of the two princely planters of this region, the late Samuel Davis and Francis Surget, Esq., always produced from three to five thousand bales each, until their deaths divided the estates between the heirs. 4.-PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF COTTON. GREAT AND INCREASING PROSPERITY OF THE SOUTH AND THE BRILLIANT FUTURE WHICH IS OPENING UPON HER. The following is from the United States Economist, and will be read with interest by our planters: The increase of the use of cotton for human clothing, is observable in the following table of the average quantity taken by each country of Europe per week, for several years: AVERAGE WEEKLY CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN EUROPE. Russia, Norway, &c.. 2,923 2,923 4,057 4,000 2,577 2,404 4,423 3,846 Total on the Continent 18,152 18,939 25,437 23,093 22,440 23,535 29,055 24,465 47,277 50,927, 61,227 59,706 60,299 63,938 71,042 63,530 The rise was rapid on the Continent, as well as in England, in 1850, 1851, and 1852, under the stimulus of gold and fine crops. The rise was 30 per cent. in those years, nearly equal to 730,000 bales per annum. This figure underwent a slight reaction on the Continent, under the rise in food in the following year, and in France during the Russian war, accompanied as it was, by dear food, but the quantity taken again increased, and reached a high figure in 1856, when the aggregate quantity taken was 71.042 bales per week, or, in round numbers, 3,700,000 bales per annum, being 10,000 bales, or 17 per cent. per week, more than the maximum of 1852. At that rate the demand for cotion doubles every six years, but that was an exceptional year. The panic of 1857 carried the figures back to those of 1855. From 1852 to 1857 the circumstances of dear food and war expenditure seemed to interfere with the use of cotton. Those circumstances are now removed, and the quantity of cotton taken by England in 1858 was nearly as large as that taken by her in 1856 Should peace now be preserved on the Continent, the use of cotton will be carried more rapidly to high figures than ever before, particularly in Germany and Holland. Of the quantity taken by Great Britain, a large portion returns to the countries whence it came. India in her best days never sells so much cotton as she buys, and will never be able to make her production of the raw material to keep pace with her demand for goods, and the same fact is true of all producing countries except the United States, whence alone the countries of Europe can draw a supply to meet their growing wants. The United States produce a large surplus of cotton, but they are the largest cotton consumers in the world, taking more weight of cotton annually per head than any other nation, and the same remark applies to all clothing material. The stock of cotton on hand, at the close of 1858, in England, was smaller than at the close of any year since 1840. being but 461,980 bales. The average for the last six years was 655,000 bales The United States supply this year will be very large-a maximum crop. The average increase of the supply for a series of years is, however, far below the above figures of consumption. The average quantity taken in England and on the Continent, for three years, ending with 1852, was 53,000 bales per week, and the average for three years ending with 1857, was 66,000 bales per week, being an increase of 25 per cent. per annum, while the United States crop has increased in no such proportion. On the Continent of Europe, the average for the three years ending with 1852, was 22,000 bales per week, and for the three years ending with 1857, was 28,000 bales per week, an increase of 40 per cent., or 420,000 bales per annum, dependent entirely upon the United States for its future. These are results which point to a very extraordinary state of affairs in the Southern States. They are the only sources of supply for an article which has become indispensable to meet the demands for clothing, growing each more urgent in Europe in the double ratio of growing numbers, and increasing ability to buy clothing. This fact has for several years back manifested itself in a manner to send up the price of cotton and hands in a remarkable manner. The stock of cotton, which in England accumulated annually from 584,000 bales in 1840, to 1,200,000 bales in 1845, has since, under increasing supplies, dwindled to 461,980 bales, and the average price of cotton that, with a crop in 1845, of 2,400,000 bales was 6c., rose to 12 c. on a crop of 3,527,000 bales in 1956. The prosperity of the South has already attracted the attention of the Northern dealers and manufacturers, who have overrun that section of the country with drummers and agents, soliciting business on such terms as are likely to be productive of an immense debt. This Southern prosperity has also had a great political influence. Already the tone of the “plunder party press" is quite subdued-the free-soil North-west being bankrupt, pecuniary interests are attracted to the section that pays best, and the scheming of political adventurers suffers modification to suit the times. The advancing price of cotton and hands may tend to some new mode of production. If field hands can raise cotton in certain sections to yield a profit at 6c., other labor may seek the profit when the price is 12a20c. If the cultivation of cotton, through the large demand for it, should hold out such large profits as a proximate price of 20c. would indicate, it will attract to it great numbers of cultivators who may not be able to command hands. In any event it would seem to be impossible to limit the supply to the rule which now governs it, viz., the natural increase of hands. Either the latter must be multiplied by other means, or their operation supplanted by other industrials. 5. THE GUANO TRADE OF PERU. The government of Peru sold from the Chincha Islands, during the year 1858, guano to the amount of 266,709 tons. This sold at the ports of Europe and America, where it was delivered, for about fifteen million dollars; and deducting $3,000,000 for the freight, this leaves $12,000,000 received by the Peruvian government and their agents from the sales. The freight of the last year has averaged about $11 a ton. It is now $10, or less. At one time the freight was as high as $30 a ton. The annexed statement from the Lima Comercia, gives the amount of guano shipped during the year 1858: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. 1.-SOUTHERN DIRECT TRADE. The Paris (France) "Patrie" rejoices over the idea of a proposed Commercial connection between the Southern States and the French Empire; regarding these States to be, by their traditions, etc., the French part of the Union, as the Northern States constitute the English. This is the idea of the "Patrie." Its language is as follows: "As is well known, the Central and Southern States are the productive States of the Union. They possess the raw materials. They yield the rich staples of cotton, tobacco and grain; ores, principally copper, are plentiful, and from their magnificent forests is taken the finest timber for ship-building. How is it, then, that with natural riches so numerous, they have been to the present day superseded by the Northern States, which have, so to speak, monopolized all the trade of the Union? There are two causes; the less enterprising and active character of the inhabitants of the Centre and South, and the want of easy and connecting roads to allow them to export their products in a direct manner. They have only one important debouche on the Gulf of Mexico, through New Orleans, which the Mississippi river and its many tributaries connect with the interior. "In the North, on the contrary, we see the industrious spirit of the AngloSaxon race bring forth wonders of activity. There were dug the first canals and built the first railroads. Mills, forges, and manufactures are multiplying. All the industrial and commercial forces seem to concentrate in those States which forward to New-York the greater part of the products of the Union. Thanks to those resources, the prosperity of that city is increasing with an incredible rapidity. New-York becomes the centre of all enterprises; she attracts all the funds and stocks; she is the general entrepot and the great distributor of the merchandizes of the United States. There is their real maison-de-commerce, and there flock from all points of the globe steamers and sailing-ships. NewYork can now vie with the wealthiest towns of the world, and her population has reached the figure of 800,000 "But already, during the last few years, this relation of the Central and Southern States has been modified; the spirit of enterprise has been awakened there They have understood that they would be dependent on the North, not only commercially, but even politically, as long as they could not rely upon themselves, and they are now putting their shoulders to the work. With their own resources, they have created immense ways of communication Canals have been dug, soon to unite Chesapeake Bay to the largest rivers of the interior; numerous roads have been cut, railways are spreading in all directions, and reaching to all the harbors of the bay. The greatest railroad in the world, starting from Norfolk and Richmond, after crossing the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, drives, in a straight line, through Memphis, Cincinnati, and St Louis, Missouri, up to the base of the Rocky Mountains. Ere long it will stretch out to San Francisco, receive and carry all the products of America to both ends of the vast continent-that is, to Norfolk and San Francisco-thus connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific. Witnessing the results so far obtained, and promising the brightest future, they were led to the following natural reasoning: Why should they remain tributaries to New-York for the export of their own products, whilst they possess, on the Chesapeake Bay, the magnificent port of Norfolk, opposite Portsmouth, the military harbor and the most extensive dock-yard of the United States Between New-York and New-Orleans, for more than 2500 miles, Norfolk is the only accessible port for ships of great tonnage Canals and railroads connect her to the Central and Southern States, of which she is the natural mart by her geographical position, just as New York is for the Northern States and NewOrleans for some States of the South. Why, then, continue to submit to the exigencies of New-York? Why direct products to that port, with considerable expenses for transit, landing, storage, and transporting from one ship to another! The distance from the growing districts to New-York is not less than 1250 miles. To the expenses of the transit must be added the fees for brokerage, commission, etc. What is the good of a costly and distant medium, which can be actually spared? Would it not be more commodious and advantageous to bring all the merchandize to Norfolk, and establish direct communications by sea with Europe, and especially with France? "These ideas, propounded by a few practical men, have gained ground very rapidly. Numerous pamphlets have been published, meetings held in many important towns, and those manifestations, in spite of the efforts of New-York to repress them, have met with general response. A few months ago, the principal manufacturers and the Presidents of the railroads of the Central and Southern States convened at Bristol, Va., on the boundaries of Tennessee and Kentucky, in order to send to Europe a delegate with the special charge of making some agreement with the ship builders and the chambres de commerce. Mr. Ballard Preston, former Secretary of the Navy under President Taylor, was entrusted with that mission. After visiting England, Mr. Ballard Preston examined the harbors of the French coast. He was struck with the position of St. Nazaire, situated at the mouth of the Loire, sheltered from all danger, and connected with all the railroads of Europe by means of the Orleans railway, which surrounds her docks with a belt of rails, and puts her in direct communication with all the central places of consumption and production He thought St. Nazaire fulfilled all the desiderata for a connecting point to a trans-Atlantic line between the centre of France and the centre of the United States; such a line, merely for trade, would be of great service to both countries, by feeding their manufactories with exchanged goods, whilst it would do no harm to the postal lines already established, since the latter are mostly intended for mails and passengers. Proposals made for that purpose to the Orleans Company have been accepted, and followed by a proposed contract for the formation of a company whose object would be the establishment of a line of steamers between Norfolk and St. Nazaire. The project was ratified by the Virginia Legislature; the question is, then, pretty well advanced. But it is requisite to obtain a subsidy from the Federal Government, and such is the aim of the proposition which is shortly to be laid before Congress." 2.-OUR CITY BANKS. COMPARATIVE CONDITION OF THE BANKS IN THE FOLLOWING CITIES AT DIFFERNT 1856. New-York,. Philadelphia,. Boston,. Baltimore,.. New-Orleans, Total,.. 1857. New-York, PERIODS, JANUARY 1856, 1857, 1858. and 1859. Discounts. Specie. Circulation. Deposits. $95,114,060..$10,788,099..$7,941,946..$80,438,627 24,966,686.. 4,101,478.. 5,063,585.. 14,638,855 51,234,102.. 3,519,123.. 7,670,446.. 14,167,256 16,500,827.. 2,825,742.. 3,391,431.. 6,736,396 16,289,239.. 8,583,008.. 6,518,282.. 14,438,614 $204,104,994 $29,827,450 $30,482.698 $139,418,748 $108,527,429..$10,392,428..$8,387,167..$87,396,664 26,000,479.. 3,473,248.. 5,422,151.. 17,723,323 53,744,058.. 3,881,492.. 7,252,217.. 15,910,287 18,704,952.. 2,998,876.. 3,395,643.. 7,765,867 20,618,363.. 6,625,108.. 8,987,676.. 14,569,480 Philadelphia, Boston,... Baltimore,. New-Orleans,. Total,... .$227,595,280 $27,371,151 $33,444,858 $143,365,541 1858. New-York Philadelphia Boston... Baltimore. New-Orleans Total.. .$110,588,354..$31,530,000. $7,232,332.. $93,589,149 21,657,152.. 5,987,597.. 13,422,318 2,647,399.. 51,918,900.. 8,259,500.. 5,477,500.. 20,136,400 17,802,695.. 2,169,517.. 3,058,643.. 6,082,007 16,157,998.. 10,070,576.. 7.068,449.. 16,974,049 .$218,125,998 $57,973,190 $25,184,323 $150,203,913 |