Of sugar, imported in 1822, the value exceeded that of the import in 1821 by 200,000l. In tobacco, snuff, beer, candles, soap, and spirits, the improvement has been progressive every quarter. But perhaps the most gratifying, and certainly one of the most surprising proofs of the increasing prosperity of the lower classes of the people, is the fact, that on the 5th of January, 1822, there was standing, in the name of the commissioners, on account of the saving banks of England only, the prodigious sum of five millions eight hundred and seventy-seven thousand pounds, accumulated within the short period of four years.

The inhabitants of the flourishing town of Bolton have come to a determination to erect a Town-hall; offices for the transaction of public business; places for the imprisonment of offenders; and a house for the residence of the deputy constable. The site of ground selected for the purpose is in St George's-Street.

A recent letter from Manchester says, "Every weaver is now fully employed, and, in addition to this, immense quantities of goods are made by power-looms; and what is very curious, by the by, is, that the goods capable of being made by these looms, and in which the greatest competition of course takes place, happen to be the very articles most in demand, which shews that, to the extent they have been used, the steam-looms, so far from overstocking the market, have created new markets for themselves. Profits, however, are low, which is the result of the employment of very heavy capital by individuals who are satisfied with a mere commission profit on the amount turned over, now that the interest of money is so low. Trade is, however, in a healthy state for the people; there are much fewer instances of goods sacrificed by needy people than there were in more speculative

times. A man makes money more slowly now, but he does it more certainly."

The iron trade in the counties of Salop and Stafford is in the fullest state of activity; the prices are low, but the demand for the article exceeds the supply; and almost every one that can handle a hammer is employed in the nail trade. The population are contented and happy; yet many of the workmen from the furnaces are enticed over to France with a promise of higher wages; but the climate and living do not agree with the English constitution..

THE GUN TRADE.

We understand that workmen, in every branch of this important trade, are now fully and actively (though it is feared temporarily) employed. The demands for an increase of wages are yet matter of dispute; some advance, we believe, has been already made. Meetings have been held by the masters on the subject, and much fear is yet entertained by them, that orders will find their way to other countries, if the men still persist in their de mands. Lists of prices have been sent by the masters to agents in various parts of Europe, and from the silence maintained by the greater part of those agents, it is expected that the prices stated may possibly have been thought too high. We hope nothing will be neglected by either the masters or men, to secure to this country-so valuable a branch of our commerce.

LINEN AT THE LEIPSIC FAIR FOR MICHAELMAS, 1823.

As the manufacture of linen is carried on in all our villages, and the article is sold and used there, only a very small part of it is mentioned at our fairs. The manufacture of linen in

Germany, as well in Saxon-Silesia as in Westphalia Eberfeld, is increasing very fast, and great activity everywhere prevails in it. The great linen magazines in Hamburgh and Bremen were entirely emptied in the course of the summer, by the great demand from America and the West Indies, and new orders were transmitted to the manufacturers. At length, the inhabitants of those countries have become fully convinced, that linen mixed with cotton is not lasting; that a shirt made wholly of cotton is not cooling; and the Irish linen, in consequence of the chemical method of bleaching, becomes tender after a few washings. In consequence of this, the demand for real linen, such as is made in Silesia, Westphalia, and Saxony, with soundness, and the value of which is regularly certified, is everywhere increasing. In Saxony and Silesia many of the weavers who had begun to weave all sorts of half-cotton and woollen cloths, have returned to weaving linen. The public papers say, that the linen merchants of Hirschberd and Schmiedeberg, the two staples for fine linen in Silesia, on hearing that the linen they had sent to the sea-ports had been speedily sold at a good price, immediately set all their people at work, and sent off cargoes directly to North and South America. The Rhenish West Indian Company, the profits of which have hitherto surpassed all expectation, have constantly sent orders to Silesia, and increased activity has also taken place in the circles of Landhut and Volkenhayner. Under these circumstances, it will be worth the trouble to improve the manufactory of linen, and to encourage the growth of hemp seed. If our flax seed is to be made equal to that of Russia, the flax must be cultivated for its sake alone. In Russia, everything is now done to manufacture good linen from the flax grown in Russia. A Warsaw house

recently purchased a flax machine in Chemnitz, and linen, which formerly paid an entry duty of 60 per cent., is now entirely forbidden. The same Warsaw house, however, received permission to import six thousand pieces of linen, most of which was purchased at Leipsic fair. In Saxony, there is a Mr E. Gottlieb Schwaegrichen, a very ingenious and industrious man, who has much improved the manufacture of fine linen and damask, and who has lately established a large manufactory of the finest thread and a bleachingplace at Colditz, and has already sent large quantities of his work to all parts of the continent, and even over the sea. His show at the fair met with general applause, and many foreigners have visited Colditz to see his wellcontrived natural-bleaching ground. Grosschonau and Zittau, and the neighbourhood, still remain the prin cipal seat of the damask manufacture. Twenty years ago the weavers did not amount to more than 500, and now they are at least 1200; and many have returned from weaving cotton, by which they scarcely earned potatoes and salt, to weaving damask, which, though it requires more toil, rewards their labours. Before the invasion of the north of Germany by the French, they had scarcely any other table linen than white common linen; now damask is in general use in the more opulent families. Table-cloths and napkins, in which the ground is white and the ornaments are white, are always the most sought after, and will remain so. Among the patterns, none has been so much in vogue as that of the Petersburgh Exchange, with the statue of Alexander. Lately, the pattern of the statue of Schadow, by Luther, in Wittenberg, has got into great favour. A very particular and valuable invention, however, is that of making ladies' garments of damask strength, of natural raw flax, but remarkably fine, and

crossed with white silk. The work ing of the arms of the noble families into table-cloths and napkins has also lately employed a great many hands. Napkins made of half silk are, how. ever, of doubtful value, though very often eighteen different colours are wove into one. This mixture of colours is not only very dear in consequence of the great quantity of work, but it is also soon destroyed by washing.

ELBERFELD, May 19.-The Rhenish West India Company has received the agreeable intelligence, that the company's consignment of goods, intended for Mexico, has safely arrived at Vera Cruz.

Thus the first ship, laden exclusive ly with German goods, and fitted out from a German port, which has reached the new empire of Mexico, belongs to the Rhenish West India Company.

MEXICAN MINES.

A new employment for capital has been proposed to the public by the formation of a company for working the Mexican mines, in which the union of interest between the natives of that country and Europe is accomplished, with a view to render productive those extensive sources of national and individual wealth, the gold and silver mines of Mexico. The follow. ing are the principal articles and conditions:

The company is in the joint names of the managing founders, at the head of whom is Mr Alaman, proprietor of gold and silver mines, and minister of state of the interior and foreign affairs in Mexico; but it is a joint-stock company, on shares to bearer, with respect to the share-holders.

The term of the company is fixed for fifty years, and the joint-stock capital at one million two hundred thousand Mexican dollars, divided into 6000

shares of 200 dollars each for Mexico, 401. sterling for England.

The interest on the capital is fixed at five per cent. per annum, payable half-yearly, by the respective agents, on the first of March and first of September. The dividends, being the division of the yearly profits, are to be declared and paid in the month of December, and the first payment will take place in December, 1824.

The shares are printed in the Spanish, English, and French languages, with yearly dividend warrants, and half-yearly interest warrants, attached thereto.

The payment of the shares in London is to be made into the hands of Messrs Hullett Brothers and Co. viz. one-third down, against provisional receipts, to be exchanged upon the payment of the remaining two-thirds, on or before the 15th of January next, against the shares.

A reserved fund shall be made, from the profits of the company, to secure the payment of interest on the shares

to provide for unforeseen works and contingencies-and to form a fund for the repayment of the capital of the company at the time of its final liquidation. This reserved fund is to be raised by retaining 10 per cent. out of the yearly profits of the share-holders.

The managing founders, as a greater security for their good administration, shall pay 20 per cent. on their shares of the profits, until a capital is completed equal to that of the company.

Both these funds shall be invested in public securities, in England and France, in proportion to the respective number of shares held in each country.

A committee, composed of shareholders, and two deputies or counsellors of the supreme council of mines in Mexico, shall be formed there, to assist the managers, audit the accounts, and give its advice on the affairs of the company; power being reserved for

the agents in England and France each to appoint a delegate as a member of this committee.

The books of the company shall be kept by double entry; and every year a statement of the affairs of the company shall be transmitted to England and France, for the information of the share-holders. Gold and silver, in bars and coin, will be consigned to both countries, for the payment of the respective interests and dividends.

At the expiration of the term of fifty years, the concerns of the company will be liquidated in the accustomed form, upon the general and final inventory, comprising all the assets which may then belong to it.

BANK STOCK.

March 20.-A meeting at the Bank of England took place, when a proposition by the directors, quite unexpected by the public, for reducing the half-yearly dividend from five to four per cent., gave rise to a lengthened discussion. On a division for the old rate, the numbers were 43; for the proposition of the directors, reducing the interest from five to four per cent. 62. The effect upon the Bank of England stock was excessive, falling from 236 to 210. Another amendment for making the half-yearly dividend 4 per cent. was also negatived. The half-yearly dividend is, therefore, reduced from five to four per cent. Bank stock again advanced from 210 to 215.

THE STREETS OF LONDON. Some curiosity having been excited by Mr M'Adam's plan, for converting the pavement of streets into a smooth surface, we have extracted from the Minutes of Evidence, taken before a Committee of the House of Commons, those passages tending to show how far the plan has been acted on, and in what degree it is practicable.

Mr James M'Adam examined. Has any suggestion been made to you, of converting the pavement of any part of the streets of London into road? I have been ordered by the Parliamentary Commissioners having charge of Westminster-bridge, to prepare an estimate and report, with a view to convert that pavement into a broken stone road, which documents I have furnished; and I have reason to believe that the same will be imme. diately carried into effect. I have been also directed by the trustees and proprietors of St James's-square, to prepare (which I have done) the same documents, with a view to substitute a broken stone road in St James'ssquare, in lieu of the present pare.

ment.

What is your opinion of the effect that would be found from its being carried into execution in all the streets of London, as to the reduction of expense, and benefit generally to the public?—I consider that the expenses would be most materially reduced; the convenience of passing over the surface, there could be no doubt, would be generally facilitated, and made more convenient, particularly in the great leading streets, such as Piccadilly, Pall-mall, Parliament-street, and Whitehall, and others of that description; the expenses of the same weight of stone now put upon those streets, as pavement would be obtained at infinite less expense, in a differ ent form, for the purpose king.

of road-ma.

Is it your plan to raise the present pavement, and convert that pavement into materials for making the road, or to bring new materials, and dispose of the pavement?-For Westminsterbridge I recommended to the trustees to sell the pavement, because, as long as pavements continue to be generally used, stone in that shape and size will always be valuable, and the same weight