A third loan of $400,000 was authorized to the several counties, excepting New-York, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester, in proportion to the number of their electors. In case the supervisors of these counties applied for a share, a further sum of $50,000 was authorized to be issued. In 1819 the above loan was transferred to the Common School Fund. In 1850 the office of Loan Commissioner for the loans of 1792 and 1808 was abolished, and the loans remaining in their hands were transferred to the custody of the commissioners for loaning the United States Deposit Fund. The United States Deposit Fund originated as follows: An act of Congress, passed June 23d, 1836, directed the surplus in the treasury on the 1st day of January, 1837, excepting $5,000,000, to be deposited with the several States in proportion to their representation. The amount appropriated was $37,468,859 97, of which New-York was allotted $5,352,694 28. This was apportioned to the several counties according to population, as follows: The sum allotted to the State of New-York was nominally $5,352,694,28, but the fourth instalment never having been paid by the United States Treasury to the several States, the amount actually received by this State was only $4,014,720,7 LIST OF DONATIONS TO THE LIBRARY OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, FOR THE YEAR 1859. By THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. Commercial Relations of the United States. 1 vol. By JAMES L. BUTLER. The New World in 1859. By Messrs. ROOT & ANTHONY. New-York Marine Register, for 1859. By Messrs. TAYLOR, HARTSHORNE & KING. American Lloyds, for 1859. By VAN RENSSELAER RICHMOND. Annual Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor of New-York, for 1858. By SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE. Pamphlet on the Distribution of the Forests and Trees of North By PROSPER M. WETMORE. Proceedings and Debates of the Third National Quarantine and By GEO. E. KUnhardt. Hamburg Handel und Schiffahrt, 1858. By C. W. FREDRICKSON. United States and Liverpool Cotton Tables, for theyears 1858 and 1859. By Messrs. ROBERT SANDS & SON, of London. Melbourne Directory, for 1859. By I. SMITH HOMANS. Bank Reports, for the years 1858 and 1859. By Lieut. T. T. HOUSTON, U. S. Navy. Navy Registers, from the year 1854 to 1859, both inclusive. By ROBERT LEBBY, M. D. Report of the Committee of the City Council of Charleston, S. C., upon the Epidemic Yellow Fever of 1859. By CHARLES KING, L. L. D. Inaugural Addresses at Columbia College, November, 1859. By W. H. C. LOVETT, Secretary. Annual Report of the Merchants and Mechanics' Exchange of Norfolk, Va., June, 1859. By W. C. FOSTER, Secretary. Second Annual Report of the Merchants and Mechanics' Exchange, of Norfolk, Va. By Commander M. F. MAURY, LL. D., U. S. N. Maury's Sailing Directions. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, FOR THE YEAR 1859. Quarterly Meeting, Thursday, January 6, 1859, at Clinton Hall.-Mr. P. PERIT, President, in the Chair. Mr. J. H. BROWER gave notice of a proposed amendment to the by-laws, changing the mode of electing members from ballot to viva voce. Mr. C. BARSTOW was unanimously reëlected a director of the Merchants and Clerks' Library, his term having expired. The resignation of Governor E. D. MORGAN, as trustee of the Institution for the Savings of Merchants' Clerks, was read and laid on the table. Mr. R. B. MINTURN presented a report on the subject of locating the Quarantine on the West Bank. The report was adopted and a copy ordered to be sent to the mayor. Mr. J. H. BROWER, from the committee on "Collisions at Sea," after some remarks, read an additional section to the proposed law as adopted by this Chamber last May. On motion, it was resolved that his reply to the Boston "Critic" be appended to the report for circulation. The additional section was adopted, together with a memorial to Congress on the subject. Mr. W. S. GRIFFITH, from the committee on Steam Navigation on Canals, read a memorial to the legislature, which was adopted, and ordered to be transmitted to Albany. Mr. E. E. MORGAN offered a memorial to the legislature, requesting that the provisions of the Port Warden law, compelling the employment by merchants of certain appointed persons, be repealed. The memorial was adopted, and ordered to be transmitted. On motion of Mr. M. MAURY, the report of the Health Commissioners, of this city, was referred to the committee on that subject. A resolution on Marine Signals for night, as used by European nations, was referred to the former committee on signals. A memorial to the legislature, on the subject of the canals, was adopted, of which the following is a copy: CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, New-York, January, 6, 1859. To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New-York, in Senate and Assembly convened: The memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York respectfully represents: That the recent examinations and report, made by a committee of the Chamber, as to the possibility and usefulness of navigating the canals of the State by steam, have, more forcibly than ever, impressed our merchants and business men generally with the preeminent importance of our canals. In order to realize the great benefits that your memorialists confidently predict, it is evidently very important that the canals should be placed in a condition to perform, with efficiency, the additional work that will be put upon them. ↓ Pursuant thereto, your memorialists respectfully ask, that the entire enlargement and deepening of the Erie and other canals of the State may be completed at as early a day as may be found practicable. For a more detailed specification of the benefits likely to result from the enlargement of our canals, and the use of steam upon them, your memorialists would respectfully refer to the accompanying report of a committee of this Chamber upon that subject. Monthly Meeting, Thursday, February 3, 1859.-Mr. P. PERIT, President, in the Chair. Mr. C. BARSTOw, from the committee on Usury Laws, read a memorial, which, after considerable discussion, was adopted almost unanimously,' and copies ordered to be sent to the legislature, viz. : CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, New-York, January 6, 1859. To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New-York, in Senate and Assembly convened: The memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York respectfully represents: That this Chamber regards with increasing interest the importance and great need of removing all unnecessary restraints upon the natural and healthful flow of our banking currency. Your memorialists, as citizens of this State, highly appreciate the beneficial workings of our general banking laws. That the banking system of our State is meeting with a more and more widely extended approval, is shown by the number of States that are enacting similar banking laws. With this in view, your memorialists feel deep regret that a financial system, which might be so preeminently useful, should be encumbered by so damaging and discreditable an element as our Usury laws have for years shown themselves to be. The praiseworthy motive with which those laws were enacted twenty-two years ago, was soon discovered to have been founded in error. The advancing intelligence of the age condemns them. This is shown by their rapidly fading away from the presence of nearly all the enlightened commercial communities in the world. Your memorialists confidently re-affirm all the arguments and averments against such laws contained in the accompanying copies of the reports and petitions for the past four years, and they again most respectfully solicit from your honorable bodies a favorable consideration of this exceedingly important subject, and earnestly hope that an entire repeal, or very essential modification, of our usury laws,may meet your approval. By order of the Chamber. P. PERIT, President. Mr. M. MAURY, from the committee on a Time and Weather Observatory, offered the following preamble and resolutions, which were adopted, viz.: Whereas, This Chamber, having already decided that a Time and Weather Observatory would be beneficial to the commercial and other interests of New-York, therefore, Resolved, That a new committee of nine be appointed to investigate the question. Resolved, That they be authorized, if they think it expedient, to nominate trustees, to be confirmed by this Chamber, to draft an act of incorporation under the general law, to be submitted to this Chamber for approval; and also, if thought desirable, to open books of subscription for not exceeding thirty thousand dollars, for the purposes of the contemplated observatory, and conditioned upon obtaining from the Common Council the lease of a suitable site upon the Battery, at a nominal rent. The President appointed as a committee, Messrs. M. MAURY, L. BIERWIRTH, J. H. BROWER, T. DEHON, F. M. FRENCH, A. A. Low, A. NORRIE, R. PHELPS, M. TAYLOR. Mr. P. M. WETMORE offered a resolution, which was adopted, that the Executive Committee appoint a suitable person to call upon the merchants of this city, as may be designated, and urge the importance of this Chamber to the commercial interests of the city; also, that a circular be prepared by the same committee, making known the advantages and claims of this institution. A motion to discharge the committee on the bill for codification of the revenue laws was laid upon the table. The Executive Committee were authorized to prepare a revision of the by-laws, and submit it at a regular meeting to the Chamber. Memorial on the Reciprocity Treaty, in accordance with a resolution adopted TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of New-York respectfully represents: That by the terms of the reciprocity treaty between the United States and the British provinces, flour ground in Canada from wheat grown in the United States, and also shingles, after being shaved, and so far manufactured in Canada, cannot be admitted free of duty into the United States. The Chamber considers that the operation of this treaty has been extremely serviceable to the trade and industry of our country; and that a combination of our own interest would require that a mutual spirit of liberality should prevail in our intercourse with those provinces, to the end that we may continue to secure the benefits conferred thereby. It is accordingly respectfully recommended that this treaty be amended in the cases referred to, in order that their flour and their shingles may be allowed to enter our ports free of duty, on the ground that general interests with us would be thereby promoted; and that such other changes of a similar character, conducive to the end proposed, might be introduced, as the treaty-making power may deem it expedient and wise to approve and ratify. And your memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray. Monthly Meeting, Thursday, March 3, 1859.—Mr. P. PERIT, President, in the Chair. A communication was received from a committee of the Provisional Trustees of the Central Park, in reference to the establishment in the Park of an observatory, and asking a committee of conference. The matter was referred to the committee on the Time and Weather Observatory. Mr. J. H. BROWER urged the adoption of the amendment to the ByLaws, as proposed at the January meeting, changing the mode of electing members by ballot to viva voce; after some discussion, the subject was referred to the Executive Committee to report upon. On motion of Mr. J. H. BROWER, it was resolved that the quarterly meetings heretofore held at Clinton Hall be discontinued. |