in the metropolis. In 1800 the only provincial society in the kingdom was the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester; twenty-five provincial societies of importance have since been established. In Scotland six metropolitan and eight provincial societies, and in Ireland sixteen leading societies, have been established since 1800.

BRITISH COMMERCIAL STEAM MARINE.

Number of merchant steamers and others in Great Britain and Ireland, and the ports to which they belong:

-Eight hundred and seventy in all, of which only seventy-four

are over 300 tons burthen, and very few, even of them, are fit to be armed with heavy guns, as ocean steamers.

This list includes ferry and river boats, from ten horse upwards.

The above report was made in 1847; since when, some will have been added to the list; but, with the exception of the Cunard, the West India, and the Peninsular lines, none of them are available for war purposes.

AGGREGATE OF BRITISH SHIPS IN COMMISSION AND IN ORDINARY, PER OFFICIAL REPORT NO. 294; TO HOUSE OF COMMONS, MAY, 1850.

The army force of Great Britain is estimated at 61,848 regular enlisted soldiers.

COTTON TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

According to James Macqueen, Esquire, who is said to be one of the most reliable statisticians of the present day, no less than 1,500,000 souls, young and old, are dependent, directly or indirectly, upon the British Cotton Manufacture. (The London Economist makes the number four millions.) The annual amount of wages forms an aggregate of about $85,000,000. The capital engaged in all branches of the Cotton trade, fixed and floating, is estimated at $225,000,000. In the Bobbinet Trade 1,950,000 lbs. of cotton were, in 1844, raised, when fit for the market, to the value of nearly $15,000,000. In the Hosiery Trade, 5,590,000 lbs. of Cotton were raised to the market value

of nearly $5,000,000. In the year 1849, the condition of the trade was as follows:

Total value produced, £57,670,929 sterling.
Declared total value exported, £26,790,794.
Consumed in home markets, £30,846,157.

Consumed in home and colonial markets, £37,796,845.

It thus appears, first-that in this branch of manufactures, two thirds of the whole are for British consumption. Second-that notwithstanding the great sacrifices made to extend the trade to foreign countries, the increase to these countries is, in reality, very trifling. Third-that on the prosperity and solidity of the HOME MARKET, the very existence of the British Cotton trade depends.

The trade in 1849, was thus divided—

Total yarn spun, 636,078,480 lbs.

Used in home and colonial markets, 377,033,941 lbs.

Sent to foreign markets in yarn, 135,177,285 lbs.

Ditto in goods, 123,867,254 lbs.

It is contended that the export of cotton yarn decreases manual labor in Great Britain, but increases or employs it in foreign

countries.

The average prices of cotton per lb., during the years mentioned, were as follows:

The average prices of yarn per lb. were as follows:

d.

5.84

6.78

5.19

5.625

113d. 112 101

103

In 1820, the waste in spinning was calculated at 10 per cent. In 1847 at 5

per cent.

The bales of American Cotton have been yearly increasing in weight. The average now is about 448 lbs.

In 1826, Mr. Huskisson stated that the cotton goods consumed in the United Kingdom at that time, amounted in value to £32,000,000.

In 1841, the power employed in the cotton trade was thus officially stated:

Mills and factories, 2184.

Horse power, 65,949.

Fifteen years ago, from 250,000 to 280,000 hand-loom weavers

were engaged in the cotton trade. But of late years, steam and water-power have to a great extent superseded hand-loom weaving.

FRANCE.

TRADE RETURNS.

The actual value of the imports for home consumption, and of the exports of French manufactures and produce, have been as follows:

The increase in the export of natural productions is attributable in a great measure to the repeal of the corn laws in Great Britain; that in manufactured goods is most probably owing to the general prosperity in England and in the United States. During the year 1849 the amount received in specie was 306 millions of francs, while the quantity sent away was only 52 millions, showing a difference equal to more than 48,000,000 dollars, resulting chiefly from the balance of trade, but partly from the recall of sums transmitted to England and elsewhere during the revolution. Much of this, beyond what has found its way to the Bank of France, has probably been hoarded, and although at first sight so large a surplus in favor of the country may appear to denote great prosperity, an even interchange of useful commodities would unquestionably have shown a healthier course of affairs, and have given a promise of more permanent progress. The principal items among the imports in 1849 were

At the last sitting of the French Commission on the gold question, the following papers, by the Director of the Paris Mint, were communicated by order of the Minister of Finance :—

I had the honor of addressing to the Minister of Finance, on the 4th ultimo, a note, in which I endeavored to show that the decline in the premium on gold was to be attributed more to the importation of Dutch 10 florin gold pieces than to the quantity of gold sent from Calitornia. On the 7th ultimo, the Minister asked me for another note on the measures which he should adopt to protect the country against too considerable importations. The difficulty of solving this question, arises from the fact that everything is hypothetical in all the information that can be obtained. Thus, since the decimal system was adopted, there have been coined in France up to the present time

In silver,

In gold,

4,200,000f.
1,300,000f.

Serious men pretended some years since that we no longer had in France more than from 150,000,000f. to 200,000,000f. of gold; and an experienced banker estimated the amount at only 80,000,000f. These amounts are doubtless below the reality, for it must not be forgotten that there is much of our gold in Italy, and that, if some day reasons of interest should induce the holders of it to get rid of it we should again see it in circulation. It may, therefore, perhaps be reasonable to estimate the amount of gold, the nominal value of which is guaranteed by the stamp of the State, at from 300,000,000f. to 400,000,000f. It is only since 1848 that there has been any question of the produce of California. The gold of unknown origin brought to the mint amounted: