The city of London is situated 45 miles from the sea, in the midst of the most fertile counties in England. She has attained the vast population by her commerce and great enterprise, notwithstanding her distance from the sea; and when we compare the advantages of New York and reflect that London has added 873,676 to her population in 30 years, there remains no doubt but that New York will do likewise. A great element in the increase of New York commerce is the enhancement of her cash capital. The last ten years of large exports of produce has added wonderfully to her means in that respect.* 4. THE CITY OF BOSTON.† In 1638, eight years after its settlement, Boston was said to be rather a village than a town. consisting of no more than twenty or thirty houses. In 1675 the population was 4,000; 1690, 7,000; 1704, 6,750; 1720, 11,000; 1735, 16,000. Slaves in 1754, 989, or one-sixteenth of population. In 1765 the inhabitants were 15,520; 1776, 2,719 whites, the rest having dispersed on account of the revolution; 1789, 17,880; 1790, 18.038; 1800, 24,937; 1810, 33,787; 1820, 43,298; 1830, 61.392; 1840, 85,000; 1845, 114,366. The annual average increase shown by the first six national censuses was 3.82, 3.54, 2.81, 4.17, 3.84: but the census of 1845 shows an increase of 7 per cent. per annum, during the last five years. There are in operation 700 miles of railway radiating from Boston, having a capital of $22,202,700, and having cost $26,712,123 57. Total.... .32,890,508... 24,132,117,132.... $825,074 True Sun, August 4, 1847.-The reader will find various statistics of the commerce of New York in our back volumes-a subject we shall occasionally resume. For these statistics we are indebted to that noble work, the "Census of Boston," got up by public authority, by Lemuel Shattuck, Esq., and published last year. It should be imitated by every State in the Union. Such a monument would be worthy of our country. THE CITY OF BOSTON. 261 It thus appears that 32,890,508 publications are issued annually from the Boston press, averaging 109,098 daily, allowing 310 working days to the year, valued at $825,074. These contain 24,132,117,132 square inches, or 3,847 acres of printed sheets, averaging 12 acres each day. Deducting ten per cent. for the margin of the sheets not printed, and there remains 6,926 acres of printed surface which goes out to the public mind, to influence or educate it for good or for ill. And it is supposed that the number of sheets printed for books and other publications, not named in the above account, or not periodical, makes a near approach to the same This not including the private acts of benevolence, which are supposed as much Of these donations, $268,753 83 were given in 1845. more. 1825 .27.303 800.... .22,540,000... 49,843,800. .25,367,000.... 19,529,800... 44,896,800. 9,855. .172,423 60. .35 10,807. .228,181 65. 421 1826. 1827 .30,992,000. .21,450,600... 54,442,600.. .11 660. .34,203,000. 25,246,200... 59,449.200....12,602. 36,061 400. .29,797,000... 65,858.800.. 12,442. 242,946 40. 1828 .35,908,000. .25,615,200... 61.523.200....12,535.. 235,115 77. .351 1829....36,963,800. .24,104,200... 61,068,000....13,495....261,461 10 .39 .201,039 10. 401 .226,975 20.. 35 .35 1832. 1833. .40,966 400. Years. Real Estate. Personal Estate. Total Valuation. Tax on $100 1830....36,960,000.... 22,626,000... 59,586,000.... 13,096....260,967 30....40 1831....37,675,000. ..23,023,200... 60,698,200. 13,618.. .260,184 89....391 ..39,145,200....28,369,200... 67,514,400. .29,510,800.. 70,477,200. 14,184. 14,899. .298,085 84....41 .321,876 60....42} 15,137. ..374.292 76....47 It will be observed, that this thriving town has grown up immediately without the corporate limits of New Orleans, and evinces great prosperity. In sixteen months, as was found by the census the other day, an increase of 2,224 has been added to a population of 7,008. The Delta remarks: "There is another remarkable fact in these returns, which, in the South, will give a peculiar character to the composition of the population of Lafayette-that is, the small proportion of the slave to the free population. The whole number of slaves is about one-eighth that of the whites. This is owing to the fact that Lafayette has been chiefly settled by a laboring population, mostly German and Irish emigrants, who literally fulfil the scriptural command of eating their bread in the sweat of their brow. But this is not the only class which is pouring into this rapidly advancing city. The rear of Lafayette is most beautifully situated for dwelling-houses. The ground is high and dry, and vegetation flourishes on it with amazing luxuriance. Here are collected many of our wealthy citizens, who have built handsome villas, with gardens and large yards, and who seem to us crowded denizens of New Orleans emerging from our little, narrow, damp yards, to be perfect princes of luck and happiness. Here they have elbow-room -fine green plats, for the little ones to scamper and roll upon-trees, to shade and enliven the scene-gardens, redolent of celery and real, sure-enough cabbage-and large commodious one story houses, full of windows on all sides, and without those horrible, knee-cracking stairs, up which the city people are compelled to 'Wend their winding way 6. RESOURCES OF TEXAS. The sleeplessness of our government at this time upon every subject that can concern the national progress must be manifest even to those who deny it all wisdom. The labors of Mr. Walker and Mr. Burke have been pari passu. The latter gentleman has lately issued a circular to the citizens of Texas, through the collector, calling for full information upon many important points, which we have long been seeking from the same sources ourselves: "For instance, the quantity of cultivated, as compared with the uncultivated, land of each county, is desired, and this, it is presumed, is known to the assessor; and the same may be said of many important products. The products enumerated concerning which the information is wanted, are as follows: Cotton, Tobacco, Barley, Indian Corn, Hay. Root Crops-as beets, carrots, turnips, &c., average crop per acre. Pod Fruits-as peas, beans, &c., average per acre. Orchard Fruits-as apples, pears, peaches, figs, &c.-productiveness-what attention is paid to them. Small Fruits-as strawberries, grapes, &c. Stock Raising-amount of advance or decline-including horses, cattle, hogs, sheepprice of beef, do. of pork, do. of mutton, do. of skins, do. of wool-average weight of fleece, and number of fleeces per year. Poultry and Eggs-facility of production, price, &c. Bees and Honey-facility of production, price, &c. LOUISIANA, 7. THE WATERING-PLACES OF LOUISIANA, 263 We condense, from the humorous contributions of our friends of the Delta, a sketch of the beautiful summer retreats which are spread along the coasts of the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico, in the immediate vicinities of New Orleans and Mobile. It will be seen, that for some of the good things of life we Southerners in "sultry climes" are not so bad off after all. I. Pass Christian.-First to Pass Christian, the nearest point to New Orleans, and consequently the most accessible and desirable for those city gentlemen who cannot leave the city for any length of time. Here you can get splendid accommodations at the elegant house of our friend Montgomery-successor to Wardhere, too, you have a tolerable good bath, and good fish and oysters, though it is a long-stretch of white beach to the sea. There are a good many private residences and villas here, and many staid and solemn people, who are perfectly satisfied to sit in their balconies, to smoke their Victorias, nurse their appetites, and play out in their imaginations numerous little fishing parties. Boat excursions, lovely storms, snow-capped billows, boats capsized, bold swimming, sharks pursuing, and-but the tragic sequel drives the imagination off into other spheres, and the approaching season, with all its uncertainties-its cotton, sugar and breadstuff operations the next steamer's news-the crops, the cotton-worm, potato rot, &c., compose the staple of our city denizen's reflections, as he looks out upon the ocean from his villa's balcony and views the broad sea, a fit emblem of the uncertainties of trade and commerce. II. Mississippi City.-Next we approach that great invisible town, destined to eclipse our own Crescent City, the only apparent remains of which are the almost endless pier and tottering wharf. But we are told, for we have never trusted our precious bodies on that pier, which the enterprise and genius of the Mississippi speculators erected, to receive the vast produce which was so confidently expected to be landed here for reshipment to Europe-we have never essayed the long journey along that pier, but we understand that when you have once reached the land, there are many pleasant little houses nestled in the live oaks, where you may pass a few weeks very delightfully. III. Biloxi.-Biloxi is the largest of any of the sea-side resorts. Its regular population must be five or six hundred, and its visiting population considerably more than double that number. Biloxi has many advantages. The town is right on the sea; there is no long white beach to traverse before you can reach the sea; and the soil is good, producing vegetables, and a fine growth of trees. Here you can always get a fine supply of fish and oysters, and an abundance of fruit and all other vegetables. There are a half dozen excellent houses in Biloxi. IV. Bay of St. Louis.-This is a beautiful place, where the land is high and well timbered, the country around well cultivated, with fine roads, and an abundance of all the conveniences and pleasures, both of the sea-side and back-country. It is generally resorted to by families, and such families too! To our ancient or creole population, this has ever been an attractive and popular resort. V. Pascagoula.-The place is appropriately called by such a soft and beautiful name. Pascagoula is perhaps the most desirable of all the places on the Gulf, with reference to enjoyments. The bathing is better than at any other place, and the fish, oysters and crabs are more abundant. There is no lack of timber, the live oak and other trees being thickly strewn along the coast, and the situation of the place is very fine. The company at Pascagoula is a pleasant combination, in about equal numbers, of the citizens of Mobile and New Orleans. 8.-AVOYELles, la. The product of this parish the present year will be 1,500 hhds. sugar, from a cultivation of 2,000 acres cane. A writer from this section remarks: "As for commercial advantages, no portion of our great republic is superior to Avoyelles. During a greater portion of the year no planter is compelled to haul his crop more than ten miles. Running through the whole length of its north portion is Red river, through the central part is Bayou des Glaises, navigable for 70 miles by steam. Bayou Rouge, starting from near the centre of the parish and flowing southward into the Atchafalaya, affords steam navigation; while on the south we are blessed with the same advantage from the Bayou Bouff, and on the east we have the Atchafalaya. These streams not only afford good ravigation, but the richest bodies of planting lands. A great portion of these lands remained as their Creator had left them, till ten years ago. The cane is as fine as anything in the State, and from experiments made last year, we have every assurance that our planters must prove eminently successful in the cultivation of the sugar-cane." 9. DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC MONEY IN INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS SINCE 1790. The following is the amount of appropriations that have been made by Congress to internal improvements, specifying the amount to each State: $276,575 Brought forward.. 10,000 Florida.... 160 407 Tennessee.. .2,632,115 Kentucky and Tennessee. Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia... 28 963 Missouri.. 207,981 Missouri and Arkansas.. 38.413 Illinois. 1,038,356 Indiana.... 55,000 Ohio.. Michigan. 7,851,304 287.713 46,500 717,200 486,065 11.920 155,000 75 000 100 000 993,601 1,270,734 .2,617,662 645,724 1,901 228 Iowa... 75,000 North Carolina.. 370,377 States through which the Ohio, 243,043 Missouri, Mississippi, and .1,698,000 Carried forward....$7,851,304 Total.... $17,199,223 10.-STATE DEBTS 1847. The following table will be found useful for reference: + Including $2,777,220 arrears of interest up to Jan. 1, 1846, and $1,204,760 of domes tic debt, for which treasury notes bearing interest are now outstanding. |