By which it will be seen that over the combined increase of those 27 towns, New York has advanced from about 30 to near 50 per cent of their population.

In the following statement is given the comparison of New York with all the towns of the various sections of the Union above 10,000.

Maryland and the Distaict of Columbia are assigned to the south-eastern section, Alabama is made a south-western, and Missouri a north-western State--this being the most natural division. The towns above ten thousand equal New York in no instance in any other section than the middle :

We next give a comparison of New York with all the towns in the United States of between 2,000 and 10,000 inhabitants, in 1840, and with all the town population of the United States, in places of above 2,000, at the same period:

From which it appears that the whole town population of New England was only about double the population of the city of New York; that of the Middle States treble, and that of the whole six South-western and five North-Western States only equal.

In the comparison here made of New York with other cities of the United States, we have included only the population actually resident within. her limits, while for Philadelphia the amount stated includes the great population of her suburbs. The cities and villages immediately around New York may as fairly be considered portions of herself, as the suburban population of Philadelphia, or of any other city, may be included in its census. The connections with these places by steamboat is so complete, and the communication so constant and great, that the rivers and bay seem scarcely to afford any separation. Estimating these appendages New York has a population of not less than 650,000.

COMPARISON WITH STATES.

There were, in 1790, sixteen States, all of them exceeding the city of New York in population. The State to which the latter approached nearest was Tennessee, which had 35,791, New York having 33,131. Of no other State, excepting Delaware, which had 59,096, did it reach the proportion of one-half. The comparative progress of the city and the States is seen in the statements following:

New York city.

POPULATION OF NEW YORK AND SEVERAL OF THE STATES AT EACH CENSUS FROM 1790.

Years.

Maine. New Hampshire. N. York State. Delaware.

Ohio.

1790....

33,131

96,540

141,899

340,120

59,096

501,793

284,574

2,428,921

78,085

1,519,467

1850....

515,545 583,188 317,964 3,097,894 91,535 1,980,408 At present, New York exceeds fourteen of the States; namely, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and California; and if we refer only to white population, we may add five other States, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and at the present time, no doubt (two years since the census of 1850) North Carolina and Missouri-or 21 out of the 31 States--only ten States exceeding New York city in white population. Of the white population of the smaller of these States, New York is very nearly equal to the following combinations :-

The increase of population in the different States of the Union, in each decennial period, as compared to that of New York city, and in the whole period from 1790 to 1850, has been as follows:

New York.... 246,636 373,193 413,763 545,796 510,313 668,473 2,757,274

69,811 156,125 161,086 259,091 147,218 185,556 157,806 122,600

185,895 850,674 356,469 581,564 460,941 1,980,408

From the foregoing table it appears that the numerical increase of thirteen States, from 1790 to 1800, was decidedly larger than that of the city of New York-that of ouly four States being less. In the next decennial period, 1800-10, the increase of thirteen was larger, and of seven smaller; from 1810 to 1820, the increase of eighteen was larger, and six smaller; in the fourth period, 1820-30, the increase of thirteen States was larger, and thirteen less; fifth period, 1830-1840, there were thirteen States having a larger, and fourteen a smaller increase; and in the sixth period, 1840–50, the increase of but ten States equalled that of New York, and nineteen fell behind. Only four States, (three beside New York,) Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, exhibit in each period from 1790 a larger increase than New York city; and of the States admitted since that period, only Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois have attained as large increments of gain. On the other hand, six States-Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Florida, Arkansas, and Iowa have in no one period had an increase equal to that of New York. Maryland, Michigan, and Wisconsin have had an equivalent increase in only one instance each, and New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, Alabama, and Louisiana in but two of the six periods. In the general result, if Texas were counted, (of whose population we have no statement back of 1850,) fifteen States have made a larger increase in population since the adoption of the government than the city of New York, and fifteen have fallen behind. Of the "Old Thirteen" nine are in the latter class.

RATIO OF GROWTH COMPARED TO STATES AND TO UNITED STATES.

The ratio of growth of New York, as compared to that of several of the States, sections, and of the United States, in the decennial periods from 1790, have been as follows:

1790-1800 1800-1810.

...

1810-1820.

1820-1830....

New York

Connect- N. Y.

icut. State. Virginia. 5.4 72.5 17.6 4.3 63.4 10.7

Ohio.

North-west S.-west United
section. section. States.

....

208.1 35.0

408.7

442.0

100.3 36.4

152.0 191.1

76.7

33.3

city. Maine. 82.6 57.1 59.3 50.7 28.4 30.4 5.0 43.1 9.3 63.8 33.9 8.1 39.7 13.7 1830-1840.. 54.3 26.2 4.1 26.6 1840-1850.... 64.8 16.1 19.6 27.5 1790-1850...1,456.0 504.0 56.0 810.7 Average.... 58.9 35.7 7.7 45.5 11.4 142.9 155.9 97.0 34.5

It will be noticed herein, that while those States, which commenced with a very high ratio, have, in consequence of the growing magnitude of the base on which that ratio is computed, suffered a great decline in that respect, New York still maintains her ratio. So New York is constantly gaining upon the States, and is growing proportionately larger constantly toward the whole United States. The latter fact is made more evident in the following statement of the per centage of the population of New York at the different periods, and of the United States at corresponding dates:—

In comparing the city of New York with the States of the Union, it may be remarked that the city is not only equal to several in population and wealth, but is much more powerful, and has, although possessed independently of municipal powers only, much greater elements of nationality than many of them, even among the more populous. She could maintain a far more respectable position as an independent nation than could above three quarters of the States, singly. Some of the most memorable nations of antiquity were only great cities, having no country region, or but an insignificant and unproductive patch of territory.

COMPARISON TO FOREIGN CITIES.

The only cities of the world which equal or exceed New York in population are those bere named:

In Europe, no other city beyond the four named is much above half as large as New York. Of the cities of Asia, the accounts are, in some cases, rather apocryphal. The Orientals have never been remarkable for their devotion to statistical subjects. They would be more likely to resort to imagination, a faculty which they are reputed to keep as a worker of all service, for what information they might desire on the matter, than to go to the drudgery of taking actual enumerations. Their princes would be satisfied with a general survey of their realms, giving them an approximate idea of

the extent of territory and density of population. Had they full statistical information, few of them would have any idea of its use, and therefore could not be expected to seek it. The population of Asiatic cities and countries is undoubtedly overestimated, yet it is certain that Asia has the largest

cities in the world.

PERIOD OF DUPLICATION.

The population of New York has progressively doubled upon itself at about the periods named below:

If we take the period from 1790, New York has within that time doubled four times, making the average period fifteen years. From 1800, the period of duplication is once in 16 years. The following is a comparison with the duplicative periods of other cities, States, sections, and of the United States. The statement as to the latter and all places within it, relates to their progress since 1800, excepting Cincinnati, Louisville, and Buffalo:

Art. IV. THE BLASTING OF ROCKS UNDER WATER WITHOUT DRILLING.

NEW YORK, August 10, 1852.

FREEMAN HUNT, Esq., Editor Merchants' Magazine, etc. :— DEAR SIR-We take great and sincere pleasure in sending you the following communication relative to the new method of BLASTING ROCKS UNDER WATER WITHOUT DRILLING, which was invented by Mr. MAILLEFERT, and for about one year has been most successfully practiced in this country.

This communication will, as soon as possible, be followed by another, relative to the REMOVAL OF BARS IN AND AT THE MOUTH OF RIVERS BY DRAGGING, a method which, in many instances, has been most successfully applied in Europe, and is destined to be extensively used in this country.

We feel very much gratified for the room which you were pleased to offer us for these communications in the columns of your highly estimated Magazine, the name of which is the very best introduction to an intelligent class of readers.

When Mr. Maillefert first presented his plans for the removal of those dangerous