be extended to the Mississippi river, and to act in harmony, as far as practicable, with the Internal Improvement Commissioners, and any Boards of Internal Improvement, which may be formed in the State. 3. That such permanent committee shall immediately cause books of subscription for stock to be opened, under the direction of such persons as they may designate, and at such places as they may deem advisable, both within and without the State, if they deem it expedient; and, whenever the sum of fifty thousand dollars shall have been subscribed, including such sums as may or already will be pledged to the work by members of this Convention, they shall call a meeting of the subscribers for stock, a majority of whom, with such committee, shall immediately organize an incorporated company, under and in conformity with the general corporation law of this State, for the purpose of building said road at least as far as White river, with such capital as may then have been subscribed, and to be increased to a sufficient amount, in shares of one hundred dollars each, and shall elect a President and Directors, under their organization, who shall cause the proper surveys to be made, and commence the work. 4. That said committee shall, as soon as practicable, prepare an address to the people of the State, and cause it to be published and distributed, upon the subject of a general system of Internal Improvement in our State, and cause to be presented throughout proper agencies, memorials to Congress and our General Assembly, invoking their aid, by grants of the public lands to this and other roads, in extension. 5. That we pledge ourselves, not only to this specific work, but to encourage and sustain other works of like kind connected with it, or in extension of it, until the great agricultural and mineral resources of our State, now comparatively dormant or in embryo, become developed, and our State assumes the proud attitude to which her position and her boundless sources of hidden wealth so justly entitle her. 6. That each and every Internal Improvement Commissioner in the State be, and is hereby, specially requested to retain in his possession such portion of the Internal Improvement fund as he now has or may hereafter come into his hands, without applying the same to any local or temporary work, until unity of action may be obtained, and such fund applied to some general and permanent work, in which the whole State may be interested, and in conformity with the intent of the original grant by Congress. 7. That this Convention does cordially approve of the objects of the Convention to be held in New Orleans, on the first Monday of January next, and will send her delegates to mingle in their deliberations. 8. That, when this Convention adjourn, it will adjourn to meet again on the second Monday of February next; and specially requests that every Internal Improvement Commissioner in the State come and commune with them, and that every county, neigborhood, and town, throughout the State, attend either in mass or by delegates, with us, on that day, and at this place, to consult with us, and with each other, as to the proper ways and means for the general improvement of our State. The following resolutions and report contain a strong rebuke to the political press of Arkansas, and we are pleased to discover that they go far to sustain the views expressed in the leading article of the present number of our Journal. We shall rejoice to see the views of the meeting, in respect to this subject, successfully carried out. Col. Newton introduced the following preamble and resolutions : WHEREAS, It is highly important to the present welfare and future prosperity of this State, that an Independent Journal, devoted to Internal Improvements, Education, and kindred subjects, should at once be established at the Seat of Government, to bring before the minds of the people such information as will lead to correct views, and practical results to aid in developing the great mineral wealth now Îying hid within our borders, and to furnish such statistical information as may be useful and necessary as the basis of future action, and generally to diffuse such wholesome truths as will be calculated to elevate us abroad, to bring into action the energies of our now depressed people, and to push on to completion, this work of Internal Improvement, by which alone our State may hope to attain her proper position in the Union; which Journal, to be effective, shall be separate from, and independent of, all political parties. Therefore, Be it resolved, That the members of this Convention will not only subscribe for the establishment of such a Journal, but will give to it, when established, their most cordial and zealous support. Which was read and adopted. Mr. Beebe offered a preamble and resolution to the following effect: WHEREAS, The press, throughout this State, in its character, is well known to be exclusively political, and consequently neglectful of all industrial pursuits, and the leading interests of the people: Therefore, Be it resolved, That we deem it expedient, right, and proper, that a paper be immediately established, at some central point in Arkansas, to be conducted by men of acknowledged ability, and devoted to the development of the mineral, commercial and agricultural pursuits of the country, manufactures, arts, sciences, literature, and the advancement and establishment of a permanent system of internal improvements, to awaken the people to a just sense of their most vital interests, and imbue them with a spirit of emulation and public enterprise. And it is further resolved, That we will aid, by every fair and honorable means, the establishment of a press for the promotion of the above specified purposes. Read. On motion of Mr. Beebe, the resolutions offered by Col. Newton and himself, were referred to the standing committee on resolutions. Mr. Beebe, from the committee to whom was referred various resolutions relating to the establishment of an Independant Journal, made the following report: The select committee to whom were committed the preamble and resolutions, offered by Messrs. Beebe and Newton, concerning the establishment of a Journal devoted exclusively to Internal Improvements and other kindred subjects, beg leave to offer the following as a substitute, and recommend their adoption by this meeting: Resolved, That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is a matter of vital importance to the interests of the people of Arkansas, that a Journal should be immediately established, at some central point in the State, to be exclusively devoted to the encouragement of all industrial pursuits, in fostering and developing the commercial, agricultural, mineral, and manufacturing resources of our conntry, in advancing the great cause of education, literature, the arts and sciences, amongst us; and to advocate the consolidation of the Internal Improvement and Seminary Funds, under the control of Boards of Internal Improvement and Education executed, in such form, and with such authority, as will give full life and vigor to those purposes, and tend to the permanent social and moral advancement of the condition of our people. And, also, that it shall be one of the primary objects of the Journal, to cultivate the spirit of peace, and to seek, with earnestness, to eradicate from the minds of our people all ancient animosities, and to dissipate all political, social, commercial and sectional jealousies, and, in a word, to pursue such a course as shall prove the initial point from which to mark a new era in the history of our State, and from which her people may march proudly onward and upward to the fulfillment. of her glorious destiny. Resolved, That we call upon our people, everywhere, to come up, and, as we now do, to pledge themselves to aid in finally establishing and liberally sustaining a journal, conducted by men of acknowledged ability, for the objects above set forth. Mr. Newton introduced the following resolution: Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to receive subscriptions to a Journal of the character indicated by the resolutions adopted by this meeting; and, whenever a sufficient number of copies shall be subscribed, to warrant the establishment of such a press, to make such arrangements as will speedily carry into effect the objects sought to be obtained. Which was read and adopted; and Messrs. Caleb Langtree, John M. Ross, Col. A. Fowler, Gen. Wm. E. Ashley, and Geo. C. Watkins, appointed such committee. Mr. Newton introduced the following resolution: Resolved, That the chairman of this meeting appoint, at his leisure, some suitable person in each county in this State, to receive subscriptions to the Journal to be established under resolutions of this body (From the Arkansas State Gazette and Democrat.) COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT. VALUE OF BREADSTUFFS, ETC., EXPORTED FROM THE Statement, exhibiting the aggregate value of Breadstuffs and Provisions, exported annually, from 1821 to 1850, inclusive. Years. Value. | Years. ...... ..... Value. Value. | Years. 1821...$12,341,901 1831... $17,538,227 1841.. $17,196,102 1822... 13,886,856 1832.... 12,424,703 1842...... 16,902,876 1823... 13,767,847 1833.... 14,209,128 1843*.. 11,204,123 1824... 15,059,484 1834.... 11,524,024 1844...... 17,970,135 1825... 11,634,449 1835.... 12,009,399 1845...... 16,743,421 1826... 11,303,496 1836.... 10,614,130 1846...... 27,701,121 1827... 11,685,556 1837.... 9,588,359 1847...... 68,701,921 1828... 11,461,144 1838.... 9,636,659 1848. 9,636,659 1848...... 37,472,751 1829... 13,181,858 1839.... 14,147,779 1849...... 39,155,507 1830... 12,075,030 1840.... 19,067,535 1850...... 26,051,373 1851...... 21,948,653 $557,155,938 Total......... We have been induced to publish the following statistics of British and American Shipping, for the purpose of correcting an erroneous opinion, which prevails to a considerable extent in this country, that our Mercantile marine is now greater than that of Great Britain. We have not examined the official documents from which the following tables have been made up; but the source whence we obtain them: the "MERCHANTS' MAGAZINE❞—is good authority for their correctness. Tonnage of the United Kingdom and the United States compared. In compliance with the request of a correspondent, we have compiled with great care, from official documents, British and American, for the pages of the Merchants' Magazine, the subjoined comparative statement of the tonnage of Great Britain and her colonies, and the United States. The tonnage of the United *) For nine months ending June 30th, 1813. Kingdom, for want of the official data, we have only brought down to 1846, while that of the United States embraces the year 1850: A TABLE, SHOWING THE TONNAGE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES, FROM 1821 TO 1846, AND THAT OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1821 TO 1851, INCLUSIVE. Enrolled & licensed. Total. United K'gd'm. Colonies. Total United States. United Kingdom and Colonies. Tons. 679062 30 1829 650142 88 610654 88 1260797 81 2199959 211273 2559587 214875 2543682 2241832635644 279362 2460500 324891 2518191 317041 2517000 From the above table it will be seen that the increase of the tonnage of the United Kingdom and colonies in 1846 over 1821 was 1,259,900; while the increase of tonnage in the United States during the same time-that is, from 1821 to 1846- amounted to 1,263,126, and from 1821 to 1850, the increase of our tonnage appears to be 2,236,496 tons. The Mercantile Marine of England and the United States. From the annual report of the "Trade and Navigation" of the United Kingdom presented to both Houses of Parliament for the year ending January 5th, 1851, and from the annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on "Commerce and Navigation," for the year ending June 30th, 1850, we are enabled to lay before |