The conclusion of the war has diminished the demand for meat provisions for export, but there must yet be a liberal supply of breadstuffs needed before the next harvest. To the continental States but little is shipped besides rye, and we are not sure that the Germans are not wise in their selection. It is certain that ryeflour makes far more wholesome food than much of the wheat-flour exported during the last year. We do not allude now to the few invoices known to have been mixed for the purpose of deception, but to the lowest grades of Superfine State and Western flour. The standard of inspection dropped very low in New York, and as the wheat was much of it very poor, being "grown" on account of the wet weather, the lowest grades have been totally unfit for human food. A new system of inspection has been adopted, to go into operation the coming season, and if the harvest shall be favorable, and the wheat turn out a good quality, we may hope for a better supply of family flour than we have had during the last eight months. We do not wonder that foreigners prefer to buy our wheat and grind it for themselves, after testing several specimens of "superfine" American flour.

NEW YORK COTTON MARKET FOR THE MONTH ENDING APRIL 18. PREPARED FOR THE MERCHANTS' MAGAZINE, BY CHARLES W. FREDERICKSON, BROKER, NEW YORK, At the close of our last monthly report an upward tendency was observable, which has continued throughout the entire month, prices on all descriptions having advanced fully one cent per pound, with large sales, to which our own manufacturers largely contributed. The quantity taken from this port by shippers has been small, the great bulk of the export trade being now transacted by the purchase in this city of parcels on shipboard and in transitu between Southern ports and the whole of Europe. By this means the execution of orders is rapid and certain, and many of the perplexities attending the purchase and shipping is done away, and the delivery of a cargo at any given point or time can almost be calculated to the hour; besides, it gives to the purchaser in our market the range, as it were, of the entire Southern markets, and he is able to pick what he likes, from the bright cottons of the Atlantic States to the long and stronger qualities of the gulf, thus saving him trouble and expense, and making New York the cotton market of the Union, as it is evidently designed to become the cotton emporium of the world. This branch of the trade, as yet but in its infancy, each year must add to its progress, until it becomes the giant trade, and New York, instead of being satisfied with sales of a few hundred thousand bales, will reckon its transactions by millions-the South will ship and classify, the North will buy and sell the entire crop.

The advance of the past month is owing to the general and favorable influence which peace is likely to exert upon trade-the negotiations being brought to a successful termination at Paris on the 30th March, there is now to be expected a healthy reaction in all branches of industry and commercial enterprises; and as cotton forms the upper and lower strata in the affairs of the world, it is the soonest to be effected by the result. The total transactions in this during the past month foot up 96,000 bales.

Our market for the week ending March 28th was active, at an advance of c. per pound, on sales of 19,000 bales, inclusive of 9,000 sold in transitu. The sup

ply on sale was meager, and holders, as a body, indifferent about offering. The quotations at the close were as follows:

PRICES ADOPTED MARCH 28TH FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:

For the week closing April 4th increased activity and a further improvement ofc. per pound took place, on sales of 22,000 bales, inclusive of 12,000 in transitu. The foreign advices being of a peaceful character, and aided by an upward tendency in prices at the South, our market sympathized to the above extent, and the following quotations were obtained for rather an indifferent classifi cation :

PRICES ADOPTED APRIL 4TH FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:

The transactions for the week ending April 11th were estimated at 25,000 bales, inclusive of 13,000 sold in transitu. An active demand existed throughout the week for our own spinners, who purchased freely of the better grades. The reports of a slight falling off in receipts strengthened the position of holders, and full rates were obtained for average lists. The market closed with an upward tendency at the following:

PRICES ADOPTED APRIL 11TH FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:

For the week closing at date transactions to the extent of 30,000 bales took place, inclusive of 18,000 sold in transitu. The foreign advices being conclusive as to peace, and advancing prices at all the Southern ports, gave an impetus to our market, resulting in sales as above at an advance of § c. a c. per pound. Our own spinners continued free purchasers, and the market closed firmly at the following

PRICES ADOPTED April 18TH FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:

The total receipts now amounts to 3,064,000 bales; excess over last year 922,000 bales; excess in export to Great Britain, 300,000 bales; to France, 100,000 bales; other foreign ports, 200,000 bales; total foreign exports in excess of last year, 600,000 bales.

JOURNAL OF BANKING, CURRENCY, AND FINANCE.

FINANCIAL STATISTICS OF THE NATIONS.

THE BALANCE SHEET OF THE NATIONS, ACCORDING TO THEIR STATUS AND POPULATION.

We are indebted to ELIHU BURRITT, Esq., for a copy of his " Year-Book of the Nations for 1856." The above table, Mr. Burritt writes us, "cost me six weeks'

* Year ending April 5th.

+ Estimated income and expenditure, ordinary aud extraordinary.

Year ending June 30; expenditure exclusive of payments on public debt. VOL. XXXIV.-NO. V. 38

labor." The book from which it is taken is small, only fifty pages, but contains more statistics of the nations of the world, we venture to say, than were ever exhibited in a form so condensed, and at the same time comprehensive. "It brings,”

to quote a British journalist, "within a nut-shell the information scattered through many volumes of English, European, American, and Colonial statistics." The merchant, statesman, and political economist will find it a perfect vade mecum. It is emphatically multum in parvo.

VALUE OF SILVER COIN AT UNITED STATES MINT.

The Director of the United States Mint at Philadelphia, in pursuance of an authorization from the Secretary of the Treasury, has given notice that purchases of silver for coinage will be made on the following terms, payable in silver coins of new issues :

The silver offered for purchase will be weighed, melted, and assayed, as usual, and the standard weight determined therefrom in ounces troy, to the hundredth part of the ounce, and will be paid for (as at present) at the rate of $1 224 per standard ounce. The receipt given at the first weighing must be presented by the seller or his order, and usually payment may be expected on the day following the date of receipt, or the second day following.

For the information of the public it may be stated, that according to the above rate of purchase, the yield of various classes of coin or bullion will be about as follows:

Old Spanish dollars.....

dollars

101

521

Revolutionary or "hammered" dollars, often mistaken for the true Spanish

Half dollars of the United States, coined before 1837.

The same since 1837 to the last change of standard in 1853

524

Quarter dollars are proportionally less productive of premium, while dimes and half dimes coined before 1837 have lost rather more by wear, on an average, than the premium would make up; those coined since 1837 to 1853, will average a premium of 34 per cent on their nominal value.

German, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian crowns.
Old French crowns

German florins..

Prussian and Hanoverian thalers...

American plate, best manufacture.

Cents.

..each

114

114

Genuine British plate

Purchases will be made at the branch of the mint at New Orleans at per cent lower than the above prices, payable at the option of the Department in drafts on Boston or New York.

At San Francisco the purchases may be paid for in gold or silver, at the option of the superintendant thereat, until a sufficient supply of silver bullion is received to meet the public demand for silver coin at that institution.

BANKING IN VIRGINIA.

Several bills extending the charter of certain banks in Virginia have recently been passed by the legislature of that State. We give a copy of the " bill to ex

tend the charter of the bank of Virginia." The other bills contain similar provisions:

Be it enacted by the General Assemby of Virginia, That the charter of the bank of Virginia be and is hereby extended from the first day of April, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, for six years; and the bank is hereby invested with all the rights, powers, and privileges conferred, and made subject to all the rules, regula tions, and restrictions imposed by the 56th and 58th chapters of the Code of Virginia, and the act entitled an act to amend the 10th section of chapter 57 of the Code of Virginia, passed April 9, 1853, so far as the same may be applicable to banks of circulation.

2. The notes of the several banks of this State received in payment of the public revenue except the notes of this bank, the Farmers Bank of Virginia and the Exchange Bank of Virginia, and the branches of said banks, shall not be redeemed by the deposit banks in specie before the expiration of fifteen days after such deposit. Should either of the deposit banks refuse to receive on deposit the notes of any specie-paying bank, the Governor of the Commonwealth, upon written notice thereof from the Treasurer of the State, shall direct the removal of the deposits of such bank, and have them deposited in some other bank.

3. The loans and discounts of each branch shall be so regulated that they shall not at any branch exceed twice the capital of the branch.

4. The total amount of the paper circulation of a branch of this bank shall never exceed five times the amount of the coin in possession of such branch, and actually the property of the bank.

5. The bank shall give no certificate of deposit, or other evidence of debt, which is not payable in specie.

6. Every quarterly statement of the bank, shall, in addition to the information which the code of Virginia requires to be made, also exhibit the aggregate debt due by such bank; the outstanding debt due such bank; its discount of inland and foreign bills of exchange; its loans to directors; its specie circulation and deposits on the first day of each month of the quarter it embraces.

7. The bank shall not issue or pay out any note for circulation except the denomination of five dollars, ten dollars, or of some multiple of ten.

8. It shall be lawful for the said bank to increase its capital stock by the amount of $650,000 by the sale of stock; provided it shall not be sold at less than par. The said increased capital, as also the present capital of said bank and branches may be distributed between the mother bank and its several branches as the stockholders in the general meeting may determine.

9. This act shall commence and be in force from and after the time when its provisions shall have been approved by the stockholders in the said bank convened in general meeting at any time before the first day of February next, and such approval shall have been made and certified by the President and Cashier of said bank under its corporate seal to the Governor of this Commonwealth.

NOTES OF CIRCULATION ISSUED BY OHIO BANKS.

We find, among the many interesting tables appended to the Annual Report of the Auditor of State on the condition of the finances of Ohio in 1855, a statement showing the amount of bank-notes of each denomination issued by each of the various banks of that State, which were in circulation on the first Monday of November, 1855, as reported to the Auditor in pursuance of law. From that table we compile the following aggregate of the bank-notes of all the banks in circulation:

This table shows a total circulation of "promises to pay" of $9,072,170. The

names of ten banks are given in the Report of the Auditor, not included in the above statement. The cause of the omission is not stated.