Account of goods exported from St. Petersburg, &c.-Continued.

Gold, in imperials..pieces, 214, 257 Green peas

Ducats..

...do..

300

Dried vegetables.

BAYARD TAYLOR, Vice-Consul.

OCTOBER 1, 1862.

The shipments from this port to the United States, which were slack during the summer, have greatly increased in the last two or three weeks. There is at present a very active demand for flax, hemp, sail-cloth, duck, and cordage, to meet American orders; and a prominent house here has recently been obliged to order two vessels from Liverpool, in order to procure the necessary transportation. The English merchants have been making large purchases of flax, in the belief that the continuance of the war in America will deprive England of cotton for another year to come. It may interest you to know that a new field for the supply of cotton is being developed in Central Asia. The Tartar khawates of Bokhand and Khokara appear to be very well adapted to the production of the plant, and the amount of cotton imported from those regions into Russia, though still comparatively inconsiderable, is rapidly increasing. The bales, of convenient size for transportation on the backs of camels, are brought across the Kirghiz Steppes to Orenburg, and thence find their way to the great market of Nijni-Novgorod. Last year the receipts of cotton at the latter place amounted to between seven and eight thousand American bales; this year, upwards of fifteen thousand. The staple is of good length and fine quality, and when mixed with American cotton produces a superior manufactured article. When an organized line of transportation by way of the Volga and the Caspian sea shall be established, Russia can draw an important proportion of her supply from those regions.

* In ballast.

REVEL. HENRY B. STACY, Consul.

NOVEMBER 20, 1862.

A residence of a few months in a foreign country does not enable one to speak very positively of its business, nor much in detail, and especially in a country like this, where society and business are divided and characterized by a multiplicity of languages. I shall therefore limit myself on the present occasion to a few suggestions of a more general character, touching the commercial relations of the United States with this empire.

Among the consequences of the present disturbed condition of things must be set down the suspension of nearly all commercial intercourse between the United States and this consular district.

Cotton has heretofore been the basis of nearly all the direct trade with this country, and, until that article comes into market again at something like reasonable rates, it is hardly probable that I shall have much to say of American ships.

The manufacturing interests of this district represents a capital of about ten millions of rubles. One-half of that sum is embarked in the manufacture of wool, hemp, and flax, and the other moiety in cotton; the latter branch is almost entirely suspended, and to say that this has produced considerable sacrifice and some suffering would be but to repeat a truism of the day. But I am happy to say that this interruption is borne with a notable degree of forbearing patience. The noble spirit manifested by the Russian government towards us in this our hour of tr al is largely shared by its people, and these incidental sacrifices are accepted in a spirit of patriotism which challenges alike our admiration and acknowledgment. Next to cotton, tobacco is the leading American article of consumption in this country. This, however, as well as cotton is derived largely from second hands, principally by way of England and the German states. Formerly it was subjected to an excessively high duty in its crude state, and followed in its various stages of manufacture and sale with a highly onerous excise. In 1859 the attention of the Russian government was called to this subject, and then were urged to review their policy. The American article, it was claimed, did not come in competition with the inferior article produced to a limited extent in Russia; and as revenue was the prime object, a judicious removal of restrictions would be more than compensated by an increased consumption. In that spirit of friendly concession which has ever characterized the dealings of this government with the United States, the whole subject was examined and considered in all its bearings, and the result was a large reduction in the import duty and a liberal modification of the restriction upon sales. It is gratifying to add that experience has fully justified the measure. The consumption has increased, the trade has been relieved from inconvenient restrictions, and the local production has not been injuriously affected, while the revenue has been handsomely augmented.

Two American vessels have been lost within the past two months, just opposite to this consular district, in passing to and from Cronstadt through the difficult channel of the Finnish Gulf. This is a severe tax upon the amount of our commerce in the Baltic the present season, and it is earnestly to be hoped that the time is not distant when we shall be relieved from the dangers by having the capital of Russia opened to the commercial world through a port of safe approach, which is accessible to vessels of the largest class nearly or quite the whole year. This will be accomplished by the construction of a railroad from Petersburg to Revel and Port Baltic. This subject has already fixed the attention of government. The route is now being explored, and the logic of events seems to have decreed its construction. Russia has now some twelve or fifteen hundred miles of railroad, which open an important and productive interior to

her two great northern cities of Petersburg and Riga; but how can these cities deal with the trade of a vast interior while their harbors are closed from six to eight months in each year? The idea of piling up and holding for one-half or two-thirds of a year the products of an empire is simply absurd. To attempt it is to withhold from agriculture its legitimate reward, to deny to railroads their special mission in northern latitudes, and to dwarf commercial enterprise. A vigorous naval arm and an extended commerce seem to be the necessary complement of extended possessions and vast natural resources, and thinking men here are considering the problem whether Russia can maintain a healthful naval establishment without a sound commercial marine as a basis, and whether she can build up a successful commerce without open ports. The experience of the world is full of instances on this subject, and there seems little room for difference of opinion.

To the inquiry "Where can the cornerstone of such a commerce be planted?" there is but one answer, so far as the Baltic is concerned. Revel seems to be the point that meets the required conditions. Situated nearly midway between the two great cities of Petersburg and Riga, with a capacious landlocked harbor, easy of access, with good anchorage, ample depth of water, and open many seasons the entire winter, she possesses the natural facilities for a great commerce. That these are shortly to be called in requisition seems hardly doubtful. One hundred and fifty miles of railroad is all that is required. When this is accomplished our vessels will escape the dangers of the gulf and the coast of Finland. They can then accomplish twice as much as they now do in the course of the year, and our commercial intercourse will be vitalized and quickened by saving profits and new developments.

Russia has just celebrated with enthusiastic pomp the thousandth anniversary of her empire, and enters upon another cycle with new zeal and large hope. Her diverse people are well compacted and nationalized, and generally satisfied with a compensative present prosperity which promises so well for the future. The local policy of the government is enlightened, liberal, and eminently paternal. The ruling idea of the day seems to be to elevate and improve her people, and develop her natural resources. To this end her schools, her colleges, and her scientific institutions are more liberally endowed and encouraged, new rights and privileges are conferred upon the people, a new system of jurisprudence has just been established, which secures to every citizen a public hearing and trial by jury, the revenue system is being remodelled, because it is found to bear disproportionally upon the poorer classes, her system of railroads and internal improvement is urged judiciously forward, her extensive mineral resources, her manufactures, even her commerce are receiving increased attention, and, more important still, the great interest of agriculture and its million masses seems to be the speciality of the present Emperor. In their behalf, at a single dash of the pen, the shackles fall, and twenty millions of bondmen exchanged the heritage of slavery for individual liberty and happy homes. To the working out and realization of this grand idea of advancement the highest intellect of the nation stands committed, and the result is not doubtful. To the philanthropist, then, the statesman, and the business man Russia presents an interesting field of observation, and the philosopher of our day even may be compelled to admit that there was much of suggestive truth in the idea that "that is the best form of government that is administered by a wise and virtuous prince."

But it is mainly to the new state of things growing out of the emancipation of the serfs that I would call the attention of the manufacturers and business men of the United States. That great act of state policy is realizing all that was claimed for it, and has thus far proved a perfect success. So far from resulting in the anarchy and confusion predicted by some, the transition has been peaceful and benign; and one of its first fruits is the organization of numerous