SIXPENNY SAVINGS BANKS IN NEW YORK.

The establishment of Sixpenny Savings Banks in the city of New York, which have proved thus far quite successful, are thus alluded to by the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin:

The lads, whom the bank is intended to accommodate, appear as eager, we are told, to deposit their savings as formerly they used to be to spend them. We cannot well conceive of a more beneficial institution. The habit of economy is that in which poor lads, compelled to earn their own livelihood, are especially deficient. Indeed, one great cause of continued poverty is the want of such a habit, for in this country no person need be indigent long, unless they are thriftless spendthrifts. In this favored land there is work for all, so that he who has a willing pair of hands and who knows how to practice self-denial, may not only earn a respectable livelihood, but rise to competence itself in time. Our richest men have generally started in life poor boys. Astor, Girard, the Lawrences, and scores of others, are proofs of what habits of economy, united with perseverance and industry, can do, when brilliant abilities are wanting.

Everybody is familiar with the assertion of the richest of these men, that the making the first ten thousand is the great point in amassing a fortune. In saying this, he did not mean only that to obtain that much capital was the great object to be surmounted, but that the habits of business acquired during the getting together of that sum, would remain through life. It is for its beneficial influences on the character that the savings bank is so valuable to poor lads. By depositing their little earnings in such an institution, they obtain a practice of economy which not only enriches them at the time, but contributes to the formation of their future character. As it is their want of this self discipline which retains inen poor, their acquisition of it in boyhood will secure them from ever coming to want. The pauper population of all countries is thriftless. To remove this vice is better than even giving money to the poor; for the latter as often leads to improvidence as relieves actual want. If we had plenty of such savings banks, we should soon have fewer vagrants. Our street population would grow up to respectability. We should have less crime. Courts and jailors would lose half their employment. In short, society would have advanced with giant strides.

COUNTERFEIT GOLD COIN DETECTOR.

The Patriot notices the invention of a counterfeit gold coin detector, by Dr. G. B. SMITH, of Baltimore. The Patriot says:—

It is constructed upon the well-known scientific principle, the specific gravity of metals. A piece of money that will weigh 26 grains, if made of any other metal than gold must necessarily be one-third larger than a gold dollar; or, if made exactly the size of a gold dollar, it must of necessity be one-third lighter. Now this instrument will instantly detect either of these differences. Any piece of money that will pass of its own weight and size into it, must necessarily be gold. If it be too large, it cannot be forced into the instrument; if too light, it will remain suspended on the balance; if it be a genuine gold coin it will instantly pass through the guage over the balance and fall into the receptacle below. The detector is adapted to all the gold coin now issued by the United States mint, or that are in circulation, and to the English sovereign, and to all gold coins of other countries of like value. The coins can be passed through the instrument as fast as they can be counted singly. The instrument is simple in construction, not liable to get out of order, and will last a life-time.

CAUSES OF SCARCITY OF SILVER.

This is a subject which comes home to the feelings of every one who rides in an omnibus or buys his sugar by the pound. Mr. D'Israeli appears to have hit upon the causes of the scarcity, which he declares to be the following::

First, while the annual production of gold has quadrupled, the yield of the silver mines has remained stationary; and as the influx of gold has given an immense expansion to business of all kinds, and increased the demand of every commodity, silver,

Sec

being no more plentiful now than formerly, has become proportionally scarce. ondly, in Holland, and some other European States, silver is the standard of value; and hence the excess of exportation to those countries over the importation from them has to be paid for in silver coin. Thirdly, and chiefly, in India gold coin is not known among the natives, from whom the commodities of Commerce are purchased, nor is gold in that country a legal tender; and as the excess of Indian exportation over importation is exceedingly great, there is an enormous drain of silver from Europe and America to pay for the excess. In the year 1852, England alone sent fifteen millions

of dollars in silver coin to India.

Mr. D'Israeli proposes as a remedy to the growing scarcity of silver, that gold be made the standard of value, and a legal tender, throughout the British possessions in the Oriental world. That done, perhaps it will not be necessary for store-keepers to ladle out three-cent pieces when a small sum is to be subtracted from a five-dollar bill; and one may ride down town without being horror-stricken at the discovery that he has no sixpence. Both are consummations devoutly to be wished.

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

COMMERCE OF DANZIG, STETTIN, AND SWINEMUNDE, IN 1852.

The number of vessels which arrived at Danzig, in 1852, was 1.151. Of these 379 were English, 225 Prussians, 131 Dutch, 127 Norwegian or Swedish, 106 Danish, 36 Hanoverian, 35 Bremeners, 25 Hamburghers, 20 French, 26 Mecklenburgers, 11 Lubeckers, 9 Russian, 3 Italian, and 2 Spanish.

The number which cleared out was 1,185. Of these 614 were for England, 164 for Holland, 106 for Sweden and Norway, 78 for Prussia, 78 for France, 51 for Bremen, 38 for Denmark, 14 for Belgium, 14 for Hanover, 17 for Russia, 8 for Oldenburg, 1 for Italy, 1 for Mecklenburg, and 1 for South Africa.

The imports into Danzig were 142 cargoes of bale goods, 9 of wine, 136 of herrings, 33 of salt, 164 of coal, 54 of old and bar iron, 75 of building stone, 13 of wheat and seeds, 6 of timber, 1 of tea, 21 of chalk, lime, and cement, 16 of mixed goods, 81 of railway machinery, 5 of fruit, 3 of sulphur, 1 of sugar, 2 of artillery munitions, 2 of spirits, 1 of train oil, and 386 of ballast and limestone.

The exports were, 447 cargoes of wheat, 501 of timber, 39 of divers goods, 23 of seeds, and 72 of ballast.

The number of vessels that arrived at Stettin, in 1852, was 1,540; the number which sailed, 1,403; nationality not stated.

The number which arrived at Swinemunde, in 1852, was 1,664. Of these 726 were Prussian, 409 British, 128 Danish, 113 Dutch, 99 Norwegian, 48 Mecklenburgers, 38 Swedish, 12 Hanseatic, 28 Russian, 44 Hanoverian, 14 Oldenburgers, 7 French, 1 Spanish 2, Neapolitan, and 1 American.

LUMBER TRADE OF QUEBEC.

We are indebted to Messrs. FORSYTH & BELL, of Quebec, for the subjoined statement of the lumber trade of Quebec for the year ending December, 1852:

STOCK OF LUMBER IN THE PORT OF QUEBEC, (INCLUDING BOTH MERCHANTABLE AND CULLS,)

STATISTICS OF THE TRADE AND COMMERCE OF CINCINNATI IN 1852-3.

In a former part of the present number of the Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review, will be found a statement of the "Trade and Commerce of Cincinnati for the year ending August 31st, 1853." We publish below tabular statements of the imports and exports, destination of specific articles, value of principal products, prices, of the same, etc., for the year ending same time, which, in connection with the statement referred to above, furnishes a very correct commercial history of Cincinnati, &c., for the year. For similar statistics for previous years, our readers are referred to the Merchants Magazine for October, 1851, (vol. xxv, pages 485-489,) and for November, 1852, (vol. xxvii, pages 613-617,) and the volumes of this Magazine from its commencement in July, 1839.

DESTINATION OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES EXPORTED FROM THE PORT OF CINCINNATI FOR THE YEAR ENDING AUGUST 31ST, 1853.

VALUE OF PRINCIPAL EXPORTS FROM THE PORT OF CINCINNATI, FOR THE YEARS ENDING AUGUST 31ST, 1852, AND 1853.