house records, was $76,344,569 against $81,216,925 last year. Of this amount $48,076,197 was to foreign ports, and $28,268,327 coastwise. The value of foreign merchandise exported during the same period was only $44,780. These figures exhibit a decrease in the total exports, as compared with last year, of $5,273,526. In the exports to foreign countries the decrease is $6,312,986, but there is an increase coastwise of $1,039,460. There has been a material falling off in the operations of the Branch Mint, the total deposits of gold and silver, for the year ended on the 31st July, 1852, being $6,103,650 against $9,107,722 last year. Of the gold, $5,821,695 was from California, against $8,152,878 from the same source last year. The coinage in the same period has been 675,500 pieces gold, value $6,370,000, and 1,488,000 pieces silver, value $235,600. Total 2,163,500 pieces, value $6,600,000. Last year the total coinage was $10,044,500.

COTTON. This article has long been, and is likely long to be, the leading staple of our Commerce; and that its importance is not waning is evinced by the fact that the receipts of the past year, at our own port alone, reach nearly a million-and-a-half of bales; or an excess over any previous year of nearly two hundred and fifty thousand bales. Yet with this large increase we have the pleasure of saying that there probably has never been, in the whole history of the cotton trade, a season more satisfactory in its general course and results than the one just closed. We propose to review, as briefly as possible, the leading features of the market's progress.

The first bale of the new crop was received here on the 25th July, which was seventeen days earlier than the first receipt of the previous year, and the earliest arrival since 1844. The total of new crop received up to 1st September was 3,155 bales, against 67 bales the year previous, and 477 bales in 1849. The early sales of the new crop were at 8 a 84 cents for middling, and 8 a 9 cents for good middling to middling fair, which was a higher opening of the market than could have reasonably been anticipated, as the previous season had closed most disastrously, and the impression was general that the crop would be likely to be a very full, if not a very large one. In the early part of September, though, a still higher range was attained, the quotations having reached 9 a 91 cents for middling to good middling. From this point, however, the market began to yield under the pressure of increasing supplies, but the decline was very gradual, the market touching 64 a 7 cents for middling about the middle of October. For a strict classification of middling this was the lowest point of the season, and the market remained steady up to the first week in November, when increased demand, especially for middling to good middling descriptions, and their comparative scarcity, caused a slight upward movement in prices, which continued to maintain a remarkable degree of steadiness up to near the close of the season. The following tables, which we have prepared from our records, will illustrate more fully the movement in our leading staple.

A reference to these tables will show a steadiness and regularity in prices during the leading business months which has no parallel in any previous year; for it will be seen that from October to May, within which period nearly the whole of our supply was disposed of, the extreme fluctuation for the whole time was but half a cent per pound. The whole season gives an average of 8 cents per pound, against 11 cents last year. The average weight per bale we have ascer tained to be 438 pounds, which would give an aggregate weight for the portion of the crop received at this port of 625,982,154 pounds.

TABLE SHOWING THE QUOTATIONS FOR LOW MIDDLING TO GOOD MIDDLING COTTON ON THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH WITH THE RATES OF FREIGHT TO LIVERPOOL, AND STERLING BILLS, AT SAME DATE.

TABLE SHOWING THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST POINT IN EACH MONTH FOR LOW MIDDLING TO

TABLE SHOWING THE PRODUCT OF LOW MIDDLING TO GOOD MIDDLING COTTON, TAKING THE AVERAGE OF EACH ENTIRE YEAR FOR SEVEN YEARS, WITH THE RECEIPTS AT NEW ORLEANS, AND THE TOTAL CROP OF THE UNITED STATES.

The total receipts at New Orleans since 1st September last, from all sources, are 1,429,183 bales. This amount includes 34,959 bales from Mobile and Florida, and from Texas by sea; and this being deducted, our receipts proper, including 21,760 bales received direct from Montgomery, etc., are shown to be 1,394,224 bales, being an increase of 444,004 bales over last year, and of 205,491 bales over any previous year. The total exports since 1st September are 1,435,815 bales, of which 772,242 bales were shipped to Great Britain, 196,254 to France, 210,607 to the North and South of Europe, Mexico, etc., and 256,712 to United States ports.

On a comparison of the exports with those of last year, there would appear to be an increase of 189,869 bales to Great Britain, 65,892 to France, 78,701 to the North and South of Europe, Mexico, etc., and of 103,895 bales to United States ports. The total receipts at all the Atlantic and Gulf ports, up to the latest dates received, are 3,021,519 bales, but the actual crop, when made up by the New York Shipping List, will fall somewhat short of this amount, as it includes some 25,000 bales of last year's stock, which was on hand at Augusta and Hamburg, and was counted in the last crop.

Thus, the largest crop ever produced in the United States has been disposed of, and with results more generally satisfactory than we remember to have witnessed in any previous year. The circumstances which have tended to these results present some remarkable peculiarities, and we propose to touch briefly upon a few of the most prominent, among which we may mention the policy of the factors generally of meeting the market freely, and thus guarding against any unwieldy accumulation of stock, which would tend to break down the market. In this course they have been aided by circumstances which to many were a momentary evil of magnitude, though they contributed favorably in the gene

ral result. We allude to the remarkable drought, which, while constituting a season of the most favorable character for picking, at the same time kept nearly all the tributary streams too low for the purposes of navigation; and thus the great bulk of the supplies which come from the banks of the main river had been received and disposed of before the tributaries were in a condition to contribute to the stock. We would also refer to the great abundance and cheapness of money in Europe, which brought speculators into competition with spinners, and to the remarkable increase in the consumption. This is most prominently shown by the half-yearly returns from Great Britain, by which it appears that the quantity taken for consumption, for the six months ended on the 1st July, was 1,031,764 bales, against 776,120 bales for the corresponding six months of the previous year. This made a weekly average of 39,683 bales, or an increase of about 5,000 bales per week over any previous period. Besides this, there is an increase in our exports to foreign countries, other than Great Britain, of 210,000 bales, while the quantity taken for home consumption probably exceeds that of last year by about 200,000 bales.

We append a table which exhibits the import, delivery, stock, etc., in the whole of Great Britain, for the first six months of the current year, ended on the 30th June last, and a comparison of the same period in 1851:

As to the quality of the last crop, it may be said to have been remarkable for its medium average, as the proportion of very inferior_and_stained cottons was small compared with the previous year, while the grades denominated fine and choice have been in unusually limited supply. Indeed, the well known fancy crops, which have always brought extra prices, scarcely approached the standard of former seasons. Besides this, the crop, as a whole, was deficient in staple, and we often, in our market reports, found it necessary to advert to this fact, in explanation of the wide range of prices for the same classifications. Nevertheless, it has found a ready market, and the season of the largest crop ever known closes upon lighter stocks, both in Europe and in this country, than were shown to be on hand at the same period last year.

The probable extent of the coming crop, which is a matter of absorbing interest to all parties engaged in the cotton trade, cannot be determined, with any degree of certainty, until after the lapse of several months. Its present prospects, however, we conceive to be a legitimate subject of remark, and these, we are gratified to observe, are of a decidedly favorable character. It is true the crop is generally represented to be somewhat later than last year, particularly on the bottom lands, and this may possibly prove a material disadvantage; but should no serious casualty ensue, and the picking season prove a long and favorable one, it is conceded that the yield must be very ample.

With respect to the market prospects for the coming crop, we think they may be said to be decidedly encouraging; for the experience of the past season would seem to give assurance of a ready demand for even a large crop, and at prices which will be likely to afford a fair return to the producer. As has already been shown, moderate prices, abundant pecuniary means, and other favorable circumstances, have greatly stimulated consumption within the past year, and there is

nothing now apparent to discourage the hope that, with the same wise policy of promptly meeting an active demand, a crop even larger than the last may be disposed of, with equally satisfactory results.

The first bale of the new crop reached here on the 2d August, being eight days later than the first arrival last year, and there have been received up to this date, 5,077 bales, against 3,155 bales last year. As usual, the first few bales brought fancy prices, but the market rapidly ran down to a more appropriate basis, and the closing quotations are as follows, embracing both old and new crop, the grades below middling belonging exclusively to the former :

The total sales of new crop up to this date amount to about 2,500 bales, the greater part classing good middling to middling fair, though there have been some lots of middling received, and also a few parcels of good and fine; thus presenting a considerably higher average of quality than the early receipts of last year. The season closes with a stock on hand, including all on shipboard, of 9,758 bales, of which about 3,500 bales are on sale.

The following paragraph made a part of our last year's annual report, and as the evil therein discussed has continued to be a source of much annoyance and loss during the past season, we republish it by request of both factors and purchasers.

MIXED COTTON. We have, on former occasions, called the attention of planters to the existence of an evil which loudly calls for remedy. We refer to the culpable negligence of many whose duty it is to attend to the packing of cotton, as shown by the frequent discovery of mixed bales, viz.: bales that are found to contain two, three, or more qualities and colors. This negligence often leads to vexatious reclamations, and sometimes to expensive lawsuits, as it generally happens that the discovery is not made until the cotton has reached the hands of the manufacturer, at a distant market. Then, if any portion of the bale is found to be inferior in quality to the sample by which it was purchased, the whole bale is reduced to the value of the lowest grade found, and the difference reclaimed. Nor is this all, for reclamations are sometimes insisted on, even when the purchase has been made by a sample of the lowest grade, on the ground that mixed bales are unmerchantable. Thus the planter not only loses the difference in price between the lower and higher qualities, which careless packing has mingled in the same bale, but is called upon to pay that difference again. And besides all this, when the irregular packing is once discovered, as it necessarily must be somewhere and at some time, it throws discredit upon the planter's crop gene rally, and thus operates to his disadvantage. It sometimes happens that the discovery is made here, before sale, by drawing samples from different parts of a bale. When this is the case, the factor can seldom obtain more than the market value of the lowest sample. The evil which we have here depicted, and which is not only attended with direct loss to the planter, but is also productive of many vexatious controversies, is venal in its character, and only reprehensible for the confusion it introduces into a most important branch of trade, and one that can only be conducted with facility and economy upon the basis of good faith in the honesty and integrity of the planter. These virtues being accorded to him, he owes it to himself, to his factor, and to his purchaser, to exercise more care and vigilance over those who have his interest in charge.

The following tables, which have explanatory captions, we have compiled from our records, under the impression that they would probably be found interesting to parties engaged in the cotton trade:—

It will be seen by the above table that the cotton alone sold in this market within the past ten years has yielded a gross product of $378,079,976.

SUGAR. The crop of 1851 proved, according to the very valuable statement of Mr. P. A. Champomier, to be 236,547 hhds., estimated at 257,138,000 lbs. Of this quantity there were 203,922 hhds. brown sugar made by the old process, and 32,625 hhds. refined, clarified, etc., including cistern bottoms. This was the produce of 1,474 plantations, of which 914 are worked by steam, and 560 by horse power, and the result shows only a moderate yield, as the cane generally was not well matured, besides which the loss by crevasses is estimated to have have been about 10,000 hhds. The crop also presented a low average in quality, as besides the immature condition of the cane, it was somewhat injured by frost, and we noticed several sales on the levee as low as 14, 14, and 2 cents per lb. The following table, which shows the highest and lowest points in each month for fair sugar on the levee, will indicate the general course of the market:

These figures present a considerably lower average than was obtained for the crop of last year, the increase in quantity and the deficiency in quality having both tended to this result. The reported sales on plantation have been at the following rates, for crops-31, 31, 34, 31, 4, 41, 51, ‍41, 48, and 5 cents per lb., the lowest being in December, for a mixed crop, and the highest in April, for a prime one. The prevailing rates of the season have been 4 a 4 cents per lb. for prime crops.

* Estimated.