take and disappointment. In a word, the theories of the books, and the practice under them, in all that pertains to legal tender, its offices and its influences, are now for the first time being tested by the effects of supply. That test is yet but partially applied, when to the surprise of most men, the whole towring fabric of money power is crumbling into ruins. Upon this first weighing in the balance, it has been found wanting; and the gold supply will ere long annihilate the last vestige of that once debasing and iron despotism.

R. W. HASKINS, A. M.

IMPORT OF THE PRECIOUS METALS AT SOUTHAMPTON.

The aggregate importations of silver, gold, gold dust, &c., into Southampton for the year 1850, are, as nearly as possible, as follows:

By the Royal Mail Steamers from California, the
Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and the
West Indies...

$24,982,273

By the Peninsular steamers from Alexandria, &c. By the Peninsular steamers from Constantinople, &c...

By the Peninsular steamers from Gibraltar, Portugal, &c....

Total......

or

£4,956,319

The grand total of importations in 1849 reached the enormous sum of $33,943,275, or £6,788,655 sterling, thus showing, when contrasted with the above, that the receipts in 1850 have declined to no less an extent than $5,241,177, or £1,085,439 sterling. While the receipts have so largely declined, the exports have undergone very considerable augmentation. They are estimated for the year as follows:

COINAGE OF GREAT BRITAIN IN 1849.

The total assets remaining in the mint, at the end of 1848, amounted to £145,553 88. 5d. The total amount of sums issued out of the consolidated fund for the purchase of bullion in 1849, was £150,000. The purchase value of the silver bullion and old defective coin, purchased by the mint in 1849, was £163,605 12s. 34d.; the mint value of which was £122,072 2s. 34d. The total loss on the purchase of worn coin was £13,150 2s. 7 d. The amount of seignoroge, £16 12s. 74d. The light and defective silver coin withdrawn from circulation, purchased at its nominal value, of the Bank of England in 1849, amounted to £135,000, the mint value of which was £121,949 17s. 44d., making a loss on the purchase of £13,150 28. 74d. The amount of silver and copper coin delivered by the moneyers into the mint office, in 1819, amounted respectively to £119,592 and £1,792. The cash received for the sale of British silver and copper coin amounted, in 1849, to £108,471 17s. 6d. The sums paid into the exchequer, from cash received for coin in repayment of advances for bullion, amounted to £120,000.

SPURIOUS COINS-SPANISH AND AMERICAN.

We learn from the "New York Bank Note List" that there has been detected in circulation a great quantity of spurious coins, purporting to be American Eagles, Halves, Quarters, and one dollar gold pieces. The difference in them from the true weight is very trifling, of the same circumference, and but a very little thicker than the genuine. They are made of silver, covered with a coating of pure gold, of uniform thicknessthere are also Spanish silver dollars counterfeited, by the covering being pure silver, filled with copper, the silver covering being so thick as to withstand the ordinary tests with acids-the whole work being so well executed, renders it very difficult to dedect them by any other method than filing.

DEPOSITS AND COINAGE AT THE UNITED STATES MINT, PHILADELPHIA.

The coinage at the United States Mint at Philadelphia for the year 1850, as stated by E. C. Dale, Esq., Assistant Treasurer, has been as follows:

The deposits of gold and silver during the same year were as follows:

9,635,335

$28,206,471 00

Total silver deposits....

DEPOSITS FOR THE YEAR 1850.

$33,150,000

$31,500,000
1,650,000

33,150,000

The deposits for the month of December from California are about...

428,000 4,500,000

The number of gold and silver pieces, and the value of the same, coined at the United States Mint, Philadelphia, for the month of December, 1850, was as follows:

[STOCK DIVIDENDS PAID IN BOSTON.

The following table, prepared by Stephen Brown & Sons, brokers, of Boston, exhibits the capital, and dividends declared and paid, on or about the 1st of January, 1851:

The Worcester and Nashua Railroad Company have declared a dividend, payable January 1, of $2 25 per share on 12,678 shares, amounting to $28,525 50. We understand that their earnings for the six months ending November 30, have been enough to pay expenses, interest on the debt of the company, the above dividend, and there will be left over about $4,000.

492,500 4

19,700

24,875

50,000

$2,383,770

State Bank of South Carolina.

Bank of

South Carolina. $1,000,000 00 281,362 50 68,205 33

35,118 80

1,674,897 50

91,066 53

30,502 90

825,419 00 78,700 80

228,390 64

88,254 82

2,000 00

8,255 00

Due from banks in this State
Due fr'm b'nks in other States

Loans on personal security. 1,422,463 42

Loans on its own stock

Loans on other stock.

161,611 35

44,287 47

68,799 00

165,024 23

Domestic exchange

435,772 49

30,494 67

31,582 00

239,008 38

312,637 47

134,474 43

656,232 54

67,862 00
442,248 78

Foreign exchange..

105,016 76

34,735 09

106,876 74

144,778 44

522,734 71

25,507 14

366,035 11

Money invested in stock

Suspended debt

• This is due to the mother bank at Charleston for capital, &c.

CONDITION OF THE BANKS OF MASSACHUSETTS.

The abstract from the returns of the banks in Massachusetts, showing their condition on the first Saturday of September, 1850, was published, as prepared from the official returns, by William B. Calhoun, Esq., Secretary of the Commonwealth, near the close of 1850. The following is the aggregate of the 29 banks of Boston, and the 97 banks out of Boston-total, 126 banks:

Capital stock paid in.....

LIABILITIES OF THE BANKS.

$36,925,050 00

Bills in circulation of five dollars and upwards.

Bills in circulation less than five dollars..

Net profits on hand...........

Balances due to other banks.

Cash deposited, including all sums, whatsoever, due from the banks

not bearing interest, its bills in circulation, profits and balances due to other banks excepted..

Cash deposited bearing interest.

Total amount due from the banks.

13,984,953 00

3,020,873 25

4,627,659 59

6,549,929 53

11,176,827 59

442,084 68

76,727,377 64

RESOURCES OF THE BANKS.

Gold, silver, and other coined metals in their banking houses....
Real estate....

2,993,178 29 988,235 93 3,715,848 66

332,673 28

Balances due from other banks

5,335,003 56

Amount of all debts due, including notes, bills of exchange, and all stocks and funded debts, of every description, excepting the balances due from other banks.

Total amount of the resources of the banks..

63,330,024 57

76,694,964 29

Amount of dividends since the last annual returns..

1,872,310 00

Amount of reserved profits at the time of declaring the last dividend...

2,847,287 02

473,938 33

193,388 52

Amount of debts due to each bank, secured by pledge of its stock
Amount of debts due and unpaid, and considered doubtful.......

Average dividends of twenty-eight banks in Boston, in April, 1850, a fraction over 3 88-100 per cent.

Average dividends of ninety banks out of Boston, April, 1850, a fraction less than 4 9-100 per cent.

Average dividends of the above one hundred and eight banks, in and out of Boston, in April, 1850, a fraction over 3 97-100 per cent.

The subjoined tables, compiled from the annual returns to the Legislature of Massa chusetts, show the condition of the banking institutions of that State, for the periods mentioned::