at £3,000,000. "In 1886," says McCulloch in his Commercial Dictionary, "53,849 dozen hats were exported, of the real or declared value of £158,282; but in 1841, the exports only amounted to 22,522 dozen of the value of £81,583; the falling off having been principally in the exports to the West Indies and Brazil."

STATISTICS OF THE MANUFACTURE, ETC., OF SALT FROM THE ONONDAGA

SALT SPRINGS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

We compile from the official returns of the Superintendent of the Onondaga Salt Springs, made to the Legislature of New York, the following condensed summary of the whole quantity of salt manufactured and inspected in the city of Syracuse, and the villages of Liverpool and Geddes, in the year ending December, 31st, 1850, as follows:

Showing a total amount of bushels inspected in the year 1850 of 4,268,919. The duties on this amount of salt received by the Superintendent, at one cent per bushel, was $42,689; and the total revenues from all other sources amounted to only $135. The quantity of salt inspected during the year 1850, as compared with the previous year, shows a diminution of 814,450 bushels. The Superintendent attributes this falling off in the quantity to the unusually large amount manufactured the previous year. The markets on the lakes being overstocked, required but little, until the 1st of August; and the importation of foreign salt for the year 1849, exceeded that of any former year by 397,978 bushels.

The amount of Onondaga salt reaching tide water on the Hudson River, and the ports of Oswego and Buffalo, from 1845 to 1850, inclusive, appears from the following table:

From the foregoing it will be seen that the quantity of salt arriving at tide water is decreasing annually, and the Superintendent expresses the opinion that if the foreign article shall be imported at a much lower rate than at present, the Hudson River market will be lost to the State entirely.

The following table shows the market price per bushel of Turks Island salt in the city of New York in October of each year since 1839:

This great reduction is attributed, by the Superintendent, to the reduction of duty by the Federal Government on the foreign salt, but mainly by the competition in the market with the Onondaga salt.

The price of salt made by artificial heat at the works the last year has not exceeded ten cents per bushel of 56 pounds, including the duty paid to the State, and that of solar salt 14 cents.

By the analysis of Professor Cook, attached to this report, it will be seen that Onondaga salt compares favorably with the best specimens of the foreign article, and th

same result was shown by the investigation made last winter before the agricultural and salt committees of the Legislature.

During a period of twenty years, there has been manufactured at the Onondaga salt springs 59,685,228 bushels salt, on which the sum of $3,005,222 25 in duties has been collected and paid into the treasury of the State; a sum over all expenses incurred by the sinking of wells, erecting buildings, machinery, paying officers salaries, &c., of about $2,467,022 10.

By the passage of the act of 1846, reducing the duties from 6 cents to 1 cent per bushel, the policy of the State of making the salt springs a source of revenue, was abandoned. The only fear apprehended on the passage of the act was, that the receipt of a duty of 1 cent per bushel would be insufficient to keep the State's property in good repair, and pay the ordinary expenses. But experience has shown that a sufficient amount of money is collected to pay all necessary expenses, and pay into the treasury some fifteen or twenty thousand dollars annually.

The Register of the Treasury of the United States, in a communication under date of December 6th, 1850, says: "In respect to the importation of salt during the year ending on the 30th of June, 1850, I have to state, that there were 11,224,185 bushels imported, and that the cost or foreign value thereof, as returned by the collectors, was $1,237,186. The import of salt into the ports of the United States during the year ending with June 30th, 1849, was 11,622,163 bushels, and the cost or foreign value, as returned by the collectors, was $1,628,921. Thus it appears that the quantity of salt imported in the year ending with June 30, 1849, exceeded that imported in the year ending with June 30, 1850, by 397,978 bushels. The import of salt into the port of New York for the year ending with November 30, 1850, was 1,998,042 bushels. It appears from a communication of E. Merrian, Esq., that the salines of Kenhawa, in Northwestern Virginia are now worked extensively, and yield all the salt that the market they supply requires, which is limited, and will continue to be so, until railroads afford the facilities for a more extensive distribution of the salt.

THE BAY STATE MILLS-THE MANUFACTURE OF SHAWLS.

In a former number of the Merchants' Magazine (vol. xxiv. No. 1, for January, 1851,) we noticed " a remarkable instance of fraud committed by foreign manufacturers upon the Bay State shawls," an article of merchandise which has acquired a more than ordinary degree of celebrity in the market, and which is really one of the most comfortable and becoming articles worn by the ladies infour Northern States. As an illustration of the progress of the manufacturing interests of the country, we abridge from a cotemporary the subjoined sketch of the manufacture of the "Bay State shawls:"

The manufacture of woolen shawls is yet in its infancy, having been established among us only about three years, but we find already engaged in the production the Waterloo Company, producing about 400 per day; the Skaneateles and Burnham Mill about the same quantity; the Watervliet Company about 100, and the Bay State Mills 1,500 per day, with numerous small concerns which turn out in the aggregate say 600, making a grand total of 3,000 per day.

The Bay State Mills are situated in Lawrence, Mass., on the Merrimack River, about. twenty-four miles from Boston, and fourteen from Lowell. The village contains a population of 10,000 souls, all deriving their subsistence, directly or indirectly, from the manufacturing business. It has two railroads, one running to Lowell and the other to Boston, and its churches, school houses and public buildings, give evidence that its inhabitants are moral, religious and intelligent people. Within the town limits are three Atlantic Cotton Mills, a large machine shop, and three Bay State Mills. These last employ 1,550 operatives, (more than a moiety of which are females,) in the production. of shawls, and 250 on the cassimeres and satinets. The whole contained in three large brick buildings, the largest one being four stories high, 100 feet front, and 400 feet wide; and the machinery is driven by six water wheels, fifty-six feet long by twentyseven feet in diameter.

The

It requires 3,500 sheep to be kept a whole year to supply these mills with wool for one single day. The consumption of cochineal alone amounts to $60,000 per annum. pay roll foots up to $24,000 per month, and of shawls alone they produce 1,500 per day. This is all done in a place where three years since there was not 500 inhabitants, and accomplished solely by the energy of one man, whose name well deserves to be, and is identical with the place-Samuel Lawrence, Esq. He stated a few years ago, that the successful manufacture of new fabrics could be introduced into the country sufficient to consume 10,000,000 lbs. more wool. It was thought impossible. It was said he was too sanguine; but here we see one new manufacture alone which consumes equal to 4,000,000 lbs. We ask was he mistaken?

The total capacity of these mills, when working full time, is about 45,000 lbs. cotton per day, or 100 bales; they are at present not working over 15,000 lbs. per day— about one-third the power of the machinery-and have been so running since the first of October last.

Within the circuit of the city of Baltimore, of less than ten miles average, there are the following named mills :

On the Patapsco River-the Union, Oakland, Okisko, Howard, (at Sykesville,) Granite, Patapsco, Thistle, Patuxent, Triadelphia, Savage, Laurel, and Avondale.

On the Gunpowder River-the Phoenix, Warren, and Franklinville.

On Gwynn's Falls-the Powhatan, Pocahontas, and Ashland.

On Jones's Falls-the Washington, Woodberry, Whitehall, Rockdale, Mt. Vernon, and Lanvale.

On Herring Run-the Columbia Factory, and Canton Factory, at Canton.

There were destroyed by fire, within two years, Knox's Factory, Lexington street, in Baltimore, the Ivy Factory, and the Ring Factory.

* Stopped for three months, from accident to dams.

+ Stopped since 1st September, but now starting on.

Stopped in February last-commenced running 1st November, 1850.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY OF NEW YORK CITY.

We are indebted to H. F. Talmadge, the United States Marshal; for the subjoined returns of the productive establishments of the City of New York. The table, it will be seen, shows the number of manufacturing establishments, number of hands employed, capital invested, and annual product of manufactured articles, in the several wards of the city. New York, the acknowledged commercial emporium of the Union, is by no means deficient in the amount and character of its manufactures. But to the table:

RETURNS OF THE PRODUCTIVE ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK-CENSUS

A writer in the Baltimore Clipper, who under or over the signature "Aristides," writes as follows:

"I saw a piece of black cloth this morning, that took the premium at the National Swedish Fair last June, in Stockholm. It was made at Nordkupen, in Sweden, by a Swede, of Swedish wool. It surpasses anything of the kind I ever saw, for fineness of thread, softness of material, regularity of texture, brilliancy of color, and abundance and evenness of nap. In Sweden it was valued at four dollars a yard. Our customhouse rated it at twelve dollars a yard, and exacted duty on it at that price. Ten years ago Swedish woolens, under a high protective tariff, were a by-word in Europe for the coarsenes and poorness of manufacture. Under free trade and competition, of which policy the celebrated Hebbe was the author, Sweden now makes finer, and cheaper, and better cloth than France does."

STATISTICS OF BRITISH FACTORIES.

By a return made to the British Parliament recently, it appears that the total number of factories of all kinds in the United Kingdom is 4,330, containg 26,638,716 spindles, snd 298,916 power looms. The moving power employed is 108,113 in steam, and 26,104 in water. In the silk-throwing mills, 1,737 boys, and 3,916 girls, between 11 and 13, are employed. The total number of children under 18 years of age employed in factories who attend school is 19,400 boys, and 15,732 girls. The total number of males employed, between 13 and 18, is 67,864, that of females above 13 is 329,577, and that of males above 18 is 157,866. The total number of persons of both sexes employed in factories is 596,082.

HEAD REST FOR RAILROAD CAR SEATS.

Mr. Alonzo Isbell, of Norwalk, Connecticut, says the Scientific American, has invented and taken measures to secure a patent for a new improvement on car seats, which will be very useful and convenient to all who use it. The improvements consists in a moveable pad for the head to rest upon, which is made to be carried by any person, and can be attached to the back of any railroad-car seat, &c., and raised or lowered to the proper height for the head, either to recline for ease, or take a comfortable nap when traveling, or otherwise. The rest is a pad, which slides in a sheath (folded up) and having a ratchet cut on its rod, is held by a spring at any desirable height. It can also be permanently attached, but its convenient qualities lie in being portable, whereby it clasps on to the back of any car seat, for the benefit of all whom it may

concern.

RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS.

STATISTICS OF THE RAILROADS OF NEW YORK FOR 1850.

The annual report of the State Engineer and Surveyor, covering the returns of the railroad corporations of the State of New York, made in accordance with, or in consequence of the thirty-first section of the general railroad law of 1850, submitted to the Senate January 7th, 1851, has been published. From the introductory remarks of Mr. Seymour, the State Engineer, it appears that the following roads have reported in full, namely:-The Albany and Schenectady, Auburn and Rochester, Hudson and Berkshire, Hudson River, Northern, Oswego and Syracuse, Rochester and Syracuse, Tonawanda, Utica and Schenectady, and New York and New Haven. Partial reports only have been received from the Attica and Buffalo, Buffalo and Niagara Falls, Cayuga and Susquehanna, New York and Harlem, Rensselaer and Saratoga, Saratoga and Schenectady, Schenectady and Troy, and the Syracuse and Utica. The Auburn and Syracuse, the Long Island, and the Saratoga and Washington, made no returns whatever.

Most of the information required to be given by the law, says the State Engineer, is such as, from the nature of the case, must be known and recorded by each company, if they keep any reliable accounts at all, and the cost and trouble of collating and arranging must be the only cause which any company can assign for not making the reports as the law requires. The fact that so many companies have reported as required, is sufficient evidence that the law can be complied with.

The law of 1850 imposes a fine of $250 on each corporation failing to comply with the requirements of the thirty-first section thereof. The Engineer recommends that the penalty for a failure to report be modified. He would have a similar penalty as for any other violation of chartered rights or duties, but if a fine is to be imposed, it should, he maintains, and justly in our judgment, be a much larger amount than it is at present.

In calling especial attention to the nature and importance of the information to be gained from reports made as the law prescribes, and its directness to the point in determining the actual cost of transportation, Mr. Seymour says:—

"The report of the Utica and Schenectady Company is complete in all the details required. The road of this company has a larger traffic and income (per mile) than any other, and its profits are abundant. For this reason, if for no other, we may confidently rely upon their statements, as embracing all the expenditures properly chargeable to the cost of transport. The only doubt which can be entertained as to the entire accuracy of their report is in the amounts of expenses, as allotted to passenger and freight transportation. It may be, for aught I know, that as this is the first time the company have been called upon to make for public inspection such a division of expenses, that their accounts during the year have not been kept with especial reference