markets on this side should materially improve. A few selections in good styles are all that will now command an advance upon cost, unless it be small lots of some fabric which is scarce, and happens to be in vogue. There is, however, a much better feeling than was manifested during the latter portion of the fall trade. Then merchandise seemed to have nothing but a nominal value, and the sales, particularly by auction, were not even directed by the cost or real value of the goods. Now the impression prevails that the tide has turned, and that any change in prices must be for the better. No one anticipates an early or an active trade; it is already too late for the one, and there is but little hope of the other. But all sound practical men acknowledge that this check is what was needed to restore health to our commercial system. The prosperity of the last few years had led to extension, extravagance, and carelessness of the future. It is true that in checking the rapid circuit of the busy wheels of trade, some, who kept their place while the motion was rapid, will lose their hold and fall by the way, but this must be expected. It is not the largest portion of those engaged in any pursuit who are successful; and, regulate the currents of business as we may, some will make shipwreck. Hopeful people, who are looking for a “good time coming," when commercial failures shall be unknown, need not expect the fruition of their desires this side of a general millennium. One of the best features in the aspect of affairs, and which goes to show that there is no cause for more than a temporary embarrassment in the business of the country, is the entire absence of a spirit of speculation. Produce of all kinds is at an easy price; real estate has not been purchased to any extent above its fair market value, and there are no large stocks of merchandise held at a cost far above their value. No classes in the community have met with any serious losses, except last year's importers of foreign goods, and the shippers of cotton. The masses of the people whose industry and thrift, like the springs among the hills, fill up and send out the rivers until they swell the waters of the sea-have been profitably employed, and in the main prosperous; while this continues, we need fear no general collapse, even though the surface of affairs should be troubled, and business relations be for awhile unsettled. The currency of the country is in a sound and healthy state. Those banks which were extended have either contracted to a safe point, or fortified themselves against danger. The Controller of New York has called for the usual quarterly return of all the banks in the State, and has fixed the date of the statement at the 20th of December, making it retrospective, as usual, to prevent any preparation for it. The banks in New York have severally published their returns, from which we have compiled a summary sufficiently accurate for the purposes of a general comparison. From this it will be seen that during the last quarter the capital has been increased $500,000; two banks, the Grocer's and Knickerbocker being added to the list; the specie has increased nearly $800,000; the deposits have decreased nearly $2,000,000, mostly in balances of interior banks, who have been pressed for money; the loans and discounts have decreased $1,500,000 to general customers, and $81,000 to Directors; and the circulation has decreased about $200,000. The following is a comparison :— The export of coffee has decreased about 2 per cent annually, or nearly 55 per cent since 1830. From Havana was exported in 1851 37,563 quintals, which is a decrease of 12 per cent on the quantity exported in 1850. Thus, presuming 10 per cent decrease on the quantity exported in the whole island, we may compute the total export of 1851 at 117,032 quintals. QUANTITY OF TOBACCO LEAF EXPORTED IN THE FIVE YEARS ENDING The annual increase in the export has been 7 per cent during the 25 years. In 1851 from Havana were exported 37,595 quintals, which, compared to 1850, gives a decrease of near 6 per cent. Thus presuming 5 per cent as an equivalent for the whole island, the quantity exported in 1851, would be 75,791 quintals. QUANTITY OF CIGARS EXPORTRD IN THE FIVE YEARS ENDING The annual increase has been 10 per cent during the 25 years. In 1851 were exported from Havana 261,989 millares, which, compared to 1850, gives an increase of 23 per cent; thus allowing 5 per cent for the rest of the island, gives the total export 277,569 millares. QUANTITY OF COPPER ORE EXPORTED IN THE FIVE YEARS ENDING 1845 .......quintals 5,119,190 1850 .....quintals 2,993,238 The increase during the last period, as compared to the first, is 41 per cent; but as the mining operations are daily increasing, and more attention given to this branch of industry, it may be safely presumed it will be very productive ere long. Annual increase 3 per cent during the 25 years. The quantity exported in 1851 from Havana was 11,462 quintals, which, as compared to 1850, is about 4 per cent increase; allowing like per centage for the entire island, the quantity exported in 1851 will be 15,129 quintals. We are now enabled to complete many of our statistical tables for the calendar year, 1851, and the review is full of interest. The imports at New York show a considerable increase over the previous year. In the annexed comparison they would seem to be less, owing to the fact that during most of the year 1850, the receipts of gold dust from California were included among the imports, and it is now difficult to separate them. In the imports for 1851, the item of specie includes only the receipts from Foreign ports. The California gold dust entered upon manifest in addition was $29,416,252, but even this does not include all of the receipts, as much was brought in private hands. This has been already seen in the deposits at the Mint. In the foregoing tables we have included in the imports under the head of Dutiable, the goods entered for consumption, and the amount withdrawn from warehouse, which makes the total thrown upon the market, and comprises all which will pass into consumption. The goods which are entered for warehousing are either included in the withdrawn, or re-exported. We annex a comparison of all the particulars exclusive of specie IMPORTS AT NEW YORK, INCLUDING GOODS WAREHOUSED. In the exports we included the dutiable and free foreign goods under one head as most of the dutiable were exported from bonded warehouse, and paid no duty. In the following summary we have separated all of the items : Year. 1851... 1850 EXPORTS AT NEW YORK-SHOWING DUTIABLE AND FREE FOREIGN GOODS. The exports exhibit a falling off in every item, except specie, the shipments of which have largely increased. The increase of imports at New York during the last year amounting, as seen above, to about $14,000,000, consist chiefly of general merchandise, as the imports of dry goods are only $2,027,831 greater for 1851, than for the previous year. The following tables will be found very interesting in this connection. The first shows the value and description of goods entered directly for consumption, to which the totals of the second table are added to make the entire value thrown upon the market. The third table exhibits the value and description of goods warehoused, from which the goods withdrawn are taken when wanted for consumption. Part of these are comprised in the foreign goods re-exported. VALUE OF DRY GOODS ENTERED FOR CONSUMPTION AT THE PORT OF NEW YORK DURING THE YEARS 1850 AND 1851. January $1,585,186 $1,600,098 $1,774,838 $1,843,441 $2,061,815 $4,032,002 August. September. October November December. 2,254,069 1,736,232 943,925 870,116 2,803,145 2,532,029 1,553,943 687,355 Total entered.. 14,708,779 13,358,493 9,908,938 9,618,425 19,128,766 21,802,279 1,856,237 1,893,535 1,229,457 1,409,510 1,152,268 1,684,177 Add withdrawn Total passed to Consumption. 16,565,016 15,252,028 11,138,395 11,027,935 20,281,034 23,486,456 LUMBER TRADE OF BANGOR, MAINE. We are indebted to SAMUEL HARRIS, Esq., of Bangor, Maine, for the subjoined statement of Lumber surveyed at Bangor for the season of 1851, as follows:— AMOUNT OF LUMBER SURVEYED AT BANGOR, DURING THE SEASON 1851, BY THE FOLLOWING The following figures, from the books of the Surveyor General's Office, (for which we are obliged to that officer,) show the amount of lumber surveyed for the year 1851, as follows: 876,081 Total...... 202,005,830 THE BRITISH CORN TRADE FOR 154 YEARS. Mr. Brown, one of the Secretaries of the London Statistical Society, has recently published at once the most compendious, comprehensive, and accurate view of the corn trade of England that has ever been made. A Liverpool cotemporary gives the following summary of it:— "The quantities of wheat and wheat flour imported and exported, the price, the duty, and the titles of acts of Parliament regulating the duty, are given for 154 years on a single folio page, in excellent readable print, and with lucid arrangement. Mr. Brown's tabular view is calculated to suggest many interesting and instructive inferences, and we shall submit a few. For the first 94 years, or from 1697, in the reign of William III, we imported neither foreign nor colonial corn, but we exported corn, and in some years to the amount of above 500,000 quarters. In the four years of the 17th century, the average price is about 53s. which is about 10s. a quarter more than the four years of our free trade, or 11s. including the duty now charged. In so far, then, as bread corn is concerned, our people are at present better off than they were 150 years ago-in the good old times of William of Orange. The most remarkable feature of the early years of the table, reckoning from the commencement of the 18th century, is the extraordinary fluctuation of prices. In 1706 and 1707 we have corn at 23s. 9d. and 26s. 1d., and in 1709 and 1710 at 71s. 11d. and 71s. 6d. In 1728 we have it at nearly 50s., and in 1732 we have it at 24s. 4d., and in 1740 it is 45s. 4d. In short, in one year there was a glut, and in another, not far from it, something very like a famine. This miserable state of things evidently frose from want of capital, want of agricultural skill, want of cheap means of conveyance, and reliance on the broken |