In 1854 the English railways carried 111,000,000; the number killed in consequence of accidents beyond their control was 12. Those 111,000,000 traveled about 15 miles each, so that it was clear a man must make between ten and eleven journeys, traveling between 150,000,000 and 160,000,000 miles-and that would take, he calculated, between 2,000 and 3,000 years-before a fatal accident might be expected to happen to him. Now, he challenged comparison, in point of safety, between railway traveling and that of any other mode of traveling, or any other avocation. Two-thirds of the accidents occur from moral causes, and not from physical ones, as the breaking of an axle, or some defect in the permanent way.

CANAL COMMERCE OF OSWEGO.

The following table, derived from an official source, shows the tonnage of property shipped and received at Oswego, by canal, for a series of years :

THE FOLLOWING TAELE SHOWS THE TONNAGE OF PROPERTY SHIPPED AND RECEIVED AT

OSWEGO, BY CANAL, FOR A SERIES OF YEARS:

1847

1848.

1849.

1850.

1851..

1855......

Increase in 1855.

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF TOLLS COLLECTED AT OSWEGO FOR TWO SEASONS:

$271,158 941854

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.

$219,194 02

$51,964 91

OF THE EXPORTATION OF GRAIN FROM THE OTTOMAN DOMINIONS.

CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 26, 1855.

FREEMAN HUNT, Esq., Editor of the Merchants' Magazine, etc :— The following is a copy of an official note from the Sublime Porte to each of the foreign legations, on the subject of the prohibition issued against exporting Grain from the Ottoman dominions, and the total exemption from all duties whatever of grain imported into this capital.

[Translation.]

JOHN P. BROWN,

Dragoman and Acting Consul.

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SUBLIME PORTE.-NO. 4.

Some doubts having been expressed on the subject of the meaning to be attached to the word "grain," used in the official note recently communicated to the diplomatic corps, on the subject of the notice which it contained that the exportation from the empire was prohibited, and that no duties would be collected for the period of three months, upon any grain imported into this capital, it has been deemed proper to relieve the matter from every possible misconception by the present explanation.

The grain of which the exportation is prohibited from the empire is maize, (Indian corn,) barley, wheat, oats, rye, and when these are imported into the capital, they will be exempted from the payment of any duties whatever. With these different kinds of grain is also included flour and biscuit.

You are therefore respectfully requested to make these explanations known wherever they may interest; and occasion is taken of the opportunity which it offers, to renew assurances of the most profound respect and the most perfect consideration.

November 21, 1855.

A correct translation,

JOHN P. BROWN, U. S. Dragoman.

BRITISH LAW RELATING TO BILLS OF LADING.

AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO BILLS OF LADING.

Whereas, by the custom of merchants, a bill of lading of goods being transferable by indorsement, the property in the goods may thereby pass to the indorsee, but nevertheless all rights in respect of the contract contained in the bill of lading continue in the original shipper or owner, and it is expedient that such rights should pass with the property; and whereas, it frequently happens that the goods in respect of which bills of lading purport to be signed have not been laden on board, and it is proper that such bills of lading in the hands of a bona fide holder for value should not be questioned by the master or other person signing the same, on the ground of the goods not having been laden as aforesaid: be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :-

1. Every consignee of goods named in a bill of lading, and every indorsee of a bill of lading to whom the property in the goods therein mentioned shall pass, upon or by reason of such consignment or indorsement, shall have transferred to and vested in him all rights of suit, and be subject to the same liabilities in respect of such goods as if the contract contained in the bill of lading had been made with himself.

2. Nothing herein contained shall prejudice or affect any right of stoppage in transitu, or any right to claim freight against the original shipper or owner, or any liability of the consignee or indorsee, by reason or in consequence of his being such consignee or indorsee, or of his receipt of the goods by reason or in consequence of such consignment or indorsement.

3. Every bill of lading in the hands of a consignee or indorsee for valuable consideration representing goods to have been shipped on board a vessel, shall be conclusive evidence of such shipment as against the master or other person signing the same, notwithstanding that such goods or some part thereof may not have been so shipped, unless such holder of the bill of lading shall have had actual notice at the time of receiving the same that the goods had not been in fact laden on board: provided that the master or other person so signing may exonerate himself in respect of such misrepresentation by showing that it was caused without any default on his part, and wholly by the fraud of the shipper, or of the holder, or some person under whom the holder claims.

BRITISH LAW RESPECTING WRECKS.

We extract from the Merchants' Shipping Act of 1854 the following paragraphs, which should be understood by our American navigators :—

Paragraph 6. The receivers and officers of the coast-guard and customs must do their utmost to keep on good terms with each other, and also with Lloyd's agents, or other agents acting for insurers, and with the consuls, vice-consuls, and consular agents of foreign countries. Disputes between these parties have often

led to great delay and loss. Should they occur in future they will be strictly investigated, with a view to discover who is the party in fault, and what have been the causes of the disagreement.

Paragraph 15. In cases where a vessel is in distress, as well as in other cases falling within the scope of these instructions, the receivers and officers of the customs, and coast-guard, will endeavor to procure the co-operation of Lloyd's agents, or other agents of the insurers, and if the vessel is a foreign vessel, of the consignee and of the consul or vice-consul of the nation to which she belongs.

Paragraph 64. In case of foreign ships, and of property saved from them, the receiver will, if neither the master nor any other agent appointed by the owner be present, treat with the consul-general of the country to which the ship belongs; or, in the case of cargo, the consul-general of the country to which the owners of the cargo belong, or any consul or vice-consul authorized by treaty in that behalf, as the agent for the owner, and, if he so requires, will deliver the property to him accordingly. If the master is present, he of course is to be treated as agent for the owner, and it will be the receiver's duty, in offering and giving him assistance, and in dealing with property which comes to the receiver's hands, to act in harmony with the consul, vice-consul, or consular agent of the country to which the ship or property belongs.

STATISTICS OF POPULATION, &c.

POPULATION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK IN 1855.

The Secretary of the State of New York has transmitted to the Senate the preliminary report, prepared by his predecessor, of the census of New York. We are indebted to the Albany Argus for the subjoined statement of the population of each county in the State, as shown by this official document, with the increase in each county since the last State census in 1845. Five counties have decreased in population during the last ten years, as follows:

Cortland, 506; Greene, 820; Otsego, 774; Tompkins, 6,652, (by the formation of Schuyler county); and Yates, 965.

The total population of the State on the 1st day of June last was 3,470,059. This is an increase since 1845 of 865,564, and since 1850 of 372,665. There are 632,753 aliens included in the population of the State. The number of voters in New York is as follows:

Native......

516,745 | Naturalized......

135,076

Total....

651,821

The total population of the State, says the Argus, upon which the legislative apportionment is to be made after deducting aliens and colored persons not taxed-is 2,797,416. The right-hand column in the subjoined table gives the population upon which the apportionment is to be found. Dividing the footing of that column, 2,797,416, by the number of members of Assembly, 128, and it gives 21,854 as the ratio of representation in the Assembly. Applying this rule, it will be easy for the residents of each county to learn how many members of Assembly they will have under the new apportionment. The only embarrassment in making the apportionment will be in disposing of the cases where large fractions occur:

ALIEN PASSENGERS ARRIVED AT BOSTON IN 1855.

According to the report of A. G. GOODWIN, Superintendent of Alien Passengers, the number of vessels arrived at the port of Boston and boarded by him during the year ending December 31, 1855, was 910, and the number of passengers arrived in the same, 20,850. The Americans and those who have been in the States before, from whom no security commutation could be required, 8,128; bonds were taken for 238; commuted at $2 per head, 12,364; extra commuted

from $5 to $25, 100.

The number of aliens who arrived was 18,313, and the places of birth are reported as follows:—

Showing a total immigration of 18,313 during the year.

IMMIGRATION AT THE PORT OF NEW YORK.

The following statement of the number of passengers arrived at the port of New York during the year 1855, compared with a similar statement for 1854, is derived from the report of the Commissioners of Emigration:

PROGRESS OF POPULATION IN ILLINOIS.

The growth of the population of Illinois is unexampled. In 1850, according to the United States census, the population was 851,470; in 1855, according to the State census, it was 1,300,251-an increase of 448,781, or nearly 53 per cent in