He has discovered in Alabama, especially, a prevailing opinion that the law of Louisiana is alone the corpus juris civilis. Even the erudite author of Law Studies has committed this error. (Introduction to Law Studies, by Warren, p. 252, last edition.) In the hope that he may be corrected in this error, whose practice and studies do not authorize the investigation, he submits it, hoping the Louisiana bar will pardon the effort to treat of the ancient sources of their law, and excuse any errors which their better knowledge may discover.

"It is thus we have witnessed the formation (even its process of crystalization, as it were), of the existing jurisprudence of Louisiana. Its ingredients are derived from various sources, and after being filtered through numerous codes, meet in one harmonious mass. The protection of wives, incautiously engaged for the contracts of their husbands, rests upon a Roman Senatus Consultum-their ultimate rights in the property acquired during the marriage, upon the customs of the erratic tribes that overran Gaul, and were carried by the Visigoths across the Pyrennees. The wisdom of Alphonso is found infused into many of the institutions, which owe their origin to Alfred the Great. The common law has paid back a part of what it had borrowed from the Roman Jurisprudence. The commercial law, standing out almost independently of the Code, rests in a great measure upon the usages of commercial States, but more especially of the United States and Great Britain, but slightly modified by positive local legislation. The whole body of our law thus forms a system, most admired by those who understand it best, and who can trace back its principles to the sources from which they originally flowed. Of the spring-heads of our law it may be said, as it has been of the waters of Castalia:

'There shallow drafts intoxicate the brain,

But drinking deeply sobers us again.'

If I might be allowed to enlarge still farther upon this interesting topic, I would say that the same process of the formation of laws has been going on in all ages and in every region within the range of history. Conquest, and, commerce and the migration and intermingling of races, have everywhere brought about changes of laws. The oracular obscurities of the twelve tables were brought by the Decemvirs from Greece. At a later period, the same laws, developed and improved, were disseminated everywhere by the victorious legions of the Republic. They became mingled with local usages, which were respected by the conquerors. The migratory Germanic tribes carried with them their customs, which acquired the force of laws-and hence many of the different customs and fueros which prevailed in France and in Spain. The Norman conquest introduced into England many of the customs of that province, and the law itself was administered by Normans in Norman French. Hence we may trace to the customs of Normandy the widow's third and other peculiarities of the English law. The Military Feudality of the middle ages upset the whole system of land titles and tenures, and established that relation of lord and vassal, a fruitful source of innumerable laws and customs. In Rome, not only the edicts of the Prætor often modified the existing laws, but the wildest decrees of the plebeian order were respected even under the reign of the Cæsars. The Saracen conquest of Spain left indelible impressions on the laws and institutions of the peninsula, and the Alcalde of the present day derives his name from and exercises similar functions to those of the Cadis of Bagdad.”—HON. HENRY Bullard.

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DOMESTIC STATISTICS.

1.-COMPARATIVE PRICES OF NEW ORLEANS SUGAR AND MOLASSES IN NEW ORLEANS AND CINCINNATI,

Average... 4 40-100 14 77-1004 97-100 19 46-100 6 11-100

21 83-100 5 75-100 28 47-100

Mr. P. A. Champomier has just issued his Annual Statement of the Sugar Crop of Louisiana. It is a neat pamphlet of some thirty-seven pages, containing the name of every sugar planter in the State, the product of each plantation, and much other matter, which renders it a work of great value to all interested in the growth and consumption of this important staple of Louisiana. After enumerating the different plantations, with the product of each, &c., Mr. C. furnishes the following interesting

I have thought proper in this recapitulation to include the Cistern Sugar, estimated at 5 per cent. on the crop, believing that a large portion of it will be re-boiled by the planters themselves, as the refiners last year lost money at the prices they paid, and besides, it is really sugar, and should therefore be estimated in the crop.

The molasses, as was the case the last year, is generally estimated at less than usual; but, while the old plantations have made less than usual, the new ones have given a fuller yield, and it will therefore not be correct to estimate it at less than 54 gallons per 1,000 lbs. sugar, or upward of nine millions of gallons.

Though, with extended culture and new plantations on the river and Bayou Lafourche, the parishes have yielded less than last season; with a few exceptions, all planters have fallen short, while the Attakapas parishes have produced considerably more than last season.

The early frost has probably injured the crop to the full extent of 15,000 hhds., and some crops have been entirely lost by not being ready in time to grind; one large crop by the sugar house being burnt when just begun making sugar.

Since completing my work I have learned of the existence of several sugar houses having made sugar the past season, but as it was too late for me to visit them, I have concluded not to notice them for the present.

I find there will be in full operation in 1847-8, 1,240 sugar houses, owned by

MERCANTILE INTEGRITY-LIBRARIES IN NEW ORLEANS. 381

2,077 separate proprietors or heads of families; the produce this last year from 955 sugar mills is 186,650 hhds., or 207,377 hhds. of one thousand pounds net; that there are 204 sugar mills that will produce in 1846-7 and 81 that will produce in 1847-8, but fully expect the number will be still farther increased, as there are such large bodies of sugar lands on the river and bayous that only require capital to place them under culture, and there is no doubt the culture of the cane can be extended farther west, and I believe the day is not far distant when our Red river steam-packets will be equally loaded with sugar and molasses as well as cotton, as our Bayou Sara packets now are.

Of the 1,240 sugar mills, which will be in full operation in 1847-8, about 630 will be by steam power and 610 by horse power, but the former will rapidly increase, as a good many planters now working by horse power have already contracted for their engines, besides the new planters that are, generally speaking, preparing for steam engines.

Had my statement been deferred until the last of April, I have no doubt it would be ascertained that the crop is larger than 1 make it, as I am sorry to say that some parties interested, who view a large crop in a different light to what I do, have endeavored to lead me into error on that subject, though I owe my thanks to many who have assisted me in obtaining correct information.

3.-CULTURE OF SILK IN LOUISIANA,

Mr. L. Garnier lately exhibited to the Legislature twenty-two pounds of silk, produced by him, and spun in his house by individuals attached to his family. Mr. Garnier confesses that the results of his labor have not been encouraging, but that he does not yet despair. He refers to Mr. Maillé, who is making other experiments near Covington, on a farm, where he has already two hundred thousand morus multicaulis, and a steam engine for spinning silk. Mr. Garnier is earnest upon farmers to join in the enterprise, inasmuch as one million of that class in France are engaged in the pursuit, and the produce of their labor is one of the richest branches of the national industry.

4. MERCANTILE INTEGRITY.

The creditors of James Reed, of Boston, have recently presented him with a costly service of plate, in testimony of their high appreciation of his character and conduct. Mr. Read, in the commercial embarrassments of 1841, was compelled to stop payment and go into bankruptcy for the sum of $850,000, his whole assets not producing over $800 000, leaving a balance against him of $50,000, from which, according to the usually understood rules of trade, he was discharged. This noble-minded individual looked upon the matter in another light, and having applied himself again to business with success, tendered to his creditors, within a few months past, a check for the remaining $50,000. Let these things be recorded!

5.-LIBRARIES IN NEW ORLEANS.

This city contains at present four libraries accessible to the public. The first in size and importance is the private library of B. F. French, Esq., now occupying two apartments in the Merchants' Exchange, Royal street.

This extensive and unique collection of books, when no public library existed in the city, four years ago, was thrown open to the use of the public for reference, gratis, on which footing it still remains. It now contains about seven thousand five hundred volumes of standard works in the Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and English languages; including works on statistics, commerce, history, biography, natural and physical sciences; besides some beautiful specimens of early printing, from 1452 to 1490, and most of the classical writers in folio, from 1495 to 1550.

A manuscript history of the English revolution in 1688, a manuscript history of the proceedings of the American Congress, held at New York in 1765, formerly owned and was presented to Mr. French by the Hon. Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Congress held in Philadelphia in 1774.

It would be extremely desirable to see this valuable collection of books forming a part of the collection belonging to the Public School Library of the Second Municipality; the city might then boast of the largest and best-selected library in all the South-west.

The second in importance is the library belonging to the State, now located in

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the wing of the State House on Baronne street. It contains about 3,000 volumes of well-selected books, including a folio copy of Audubon's Ornithology, Dinon's Egypt, Humboldt's Travels and Musée Français.

The third in size is the Public School Library of the Second Municipality, just opened in the City Hall on St. Charles street. It contains about three thousand volumes, one half of which are valuable standard works in every department of literature. This is a subscription library, and is opened from 2 P. M. to 9 P. M., every day.

The fourth and last is the "Young Men's Free Library Association," located at the corner of Custom House street and Exchange Place, First Municipality.

This is a new institution, and promises to be exceedingly useful. Files of pa pers from all parts of the Union may be seen here. The library contains about two thousand volumes of well-selected books. It is a subscription library, and is opened every day, from 9 A. M. to 9 P. M.

6. HEALTH OF NEW ORLEANS.

The total number of interments in the city of New Orleans for the year 1815, was 2,783, classified as follows, viz.: white adults, 1,287; colored adults, 386; white children, 683; colored children, 381; not distinctly marked, 46.

There is but little doubt that a greater number of extremely old people may be found in Louisiana than in any other State in the Union, as was shown by the last census; which proves that how much soever immigrants may suffer while undergoing acclimation, the climate per se is by no means inimical to longevity. We invite particular attention to the comparative mortality of the white and colored population; the statistics here given would indicate the deaths to have been greater among the colored than the white, in proportion to numbers.

We have long been under the impression, that when a fair comparison should be instituted, the annual mortality of New Orleans would be found to be as small in proportion to the population as any large city in the Union; or, indeed, the world. The results of 1845 will show the fact with regard to Boston, which is esteemed one of our healthiest American cities, and we hope to be able to give, in our next number, the comparison with New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. We learn from a late number of the British American Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences, that the mortality of Montreal, Canada, a city of about 50,000 inhabitants, for the month of December last, was 270; while the mortality in New Orleans for the same month was 246.

Now, taking the average annual population of New Orleans at 150,000 (which is probably considerably short of the mark), our mortality of 2,783 would be about 1 in 54, or within a fraction of 1.85 per cent.

Our estimation of the population will surely appear most moderate. if it be recollected that the census of 1840, taken in the summer, gave us 102,000; that for three decennial periods previous the population had been nearly doubled; that since 1840 the increase has probably been as great as at any time before; and that during six months of the year we are supposed to have a floating or transient population amounting to 40 or 50,000.

New Orleans is looked upon abroad as a perfect charnel-house-a Golgotha— a "whited sepulchre," fair enough without, but within "filled with dead men's bones," but the results of careful investigation would lead to a very different opinion. Will it be said that we are fortunate in having one of our most healthy years for the comparison? It is true we had no epidemic last summer; but we had as much other sickness as usual when yellow fever does not prevail.-Now Orleans Medical Journal.