FOREIGN IMPORTS AT THE PORT OF NEW YORK FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31st, 1863. [The quantity is given in packages when not otherwise specified.] This table embraces the following unusual list, and aided farm produce to pay for im items in the list of importations: ports, but by the change produced by war they are now to be paid for by farm produce, and thus curtail the national resources. Rosin was formerly sold at 80 cts. per bbl., it is now bought back at $32 per bbl. That is, we give for one bbl. what we formerly got for forty bbls. The exports from the port of New York were in the aggregate, monthly, as follows: Sp. Turpentine... bbls.] 487 811 $1,760 43 18,081 19,439 4,560 272,715 1,502,493 545,10S Petroleum, Lard, &c.... ..galls. 21,141,845 PROVISIONS-Beef.. RICE.. SOAP...... SPICES-Pepper.. 77.160 41.990 198,928 245,210 423.271 8,008 168,976 201,448 Actual net proceeds.................... Weighing, screening, &c. per ct.. 88 07 Without either buyer's or seller's commissions, the loss would have been 16 cts. per bushel. Such a trade could not continue, and corn 806,718 ceased, with the summer, to be exported; es7,525,036 55,084 pecially as a severe frost at the West was 34,462 supposed to have done much damage to the 320043 crops, and the distillation of whiskey was car390,320 ried on to a great extent in the prospect that 1,470.440 the necessities of the Government would re1,281,525 10.460 quire a higher tax to be imposed upon that article, and that all whiskey on hand, when that tax should be laid on the manufacture, would have the benefit of the rise. Under these circumstances corn rose to very high prices, and ceased to be exported. The exports of wheat were diminished, and suffered loss in most cases, but with an occasional rally as the price fluctuated abroad. The internal movement of the grain trade, as indicated in the movements at Chicago, the great growing grain market, and Buffalo and Oswego, the points of receipt, will be seen in a table on the following page. 4,464 251 ......tes. .....bbls. .bbls. 1,880,950 Lard. .....tes .....bxs. 239,478 16,031 TOBACCO. .bhds. 86,004 TOBACCO, Manufactured.......100 lbs. WHALEBONE. 5,796 5,383 41,114 435.474 2,128 52.640 9,550 169 Sloops...... 16 121 725 26,901 1,870 470,034 Of which Passengers from Pass, from Br. vessels. California. foreign ports. Foreign arrivals. 5,122 1,449 80,790 9,117 5,487 1,919 94,607 7,421 5,129 2,280 179,727 11.561 Loss by disasters-sailing vessels steamers.... 7,262.300 $16,720,800 The freights in American bottoms became very unsafe, and the majority of goods were carried in foreign bottoms. The sales of American vessels to foreign nations were numerous. cut off, there has gradually been produced a The cotton trade of the United States being most extraordinary change in the commerce and financial condition of Europe. The great rise in prices in Europe, consequent upon a short supply of cotton, naturally gave an immense impulse to its production in all parts of the world. It also diminished the local con2,049,431 sumption of the article, and urged shipments from all quarters to the common centre, Eng915.66 land, for the supply of the workshops of Eu120,520 842,082 rope. The general tendency is seen in the im28.250.721 ports into England for four years: 1832. 1851. 1,112.476 10,887,701 1863. 19,547,604 5,895,739 Egypt. 892.447 865,108 526,897 701,847 cotton, is apparent in the following figures of the value imported into Great Britain, rendering the £ at $5 each: Cotton imported into Great Britain. From United States.... Egypt. 7 124 271 E. Indies. 44 74 Egypt. 20 This enormous rise has brought forward large supplies, with the drawback upon thie Production that the moment the American war should cease the product would become unsalable, since the accumulated American cotton would everywhere have preference. Meantime the amount of money that must be paid into new channels for the produce of Other countries... Total... 66 cwt..... Thus, in 1861, England bought 1,262,607,800 lbs. of cotton for $197,886,985, and this year she has been obliged to pay as much money for only 431,085,300 lbs., or little more than one third the quantity. This is, however, not the chief difficulty growing out of the change. The cotton purchased now is not of the same quality as the American, and will not answer the same purposes; moreover, it is to be paid for in money, and not in goods, as was the case with the United States article; and this fearful drain of money in a new direction, has produced great changes in the financial condition of France and Great Britain, notwithstanding that an improved harvest greatly reduced the payments abroad for food. COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE. Extensive regulations were adopted by the Govern, ment of the United States relative to trade with the inhabitants within the lines of the army in the insurrectionary States. On the 13th of July, 1861, Congress passed an act to provide for the collection of duties on imports and for other purposes, which authorized the President to issue his proclamation declaring certain States in insurrection, and prohibiting all commercial intercourse with them, except under certain conditions. On the 16th of August, 1861, the President, by proclamation, declared certain States and parts of States to be in insurrection, and that all commercial intercourse with them by citizens of other parts of the United States was unlawful, and would remain unlawful until such insurrection should cease or be suppressed, and that all goods, &c., coming from or proceeding to any parts of such States without his license through the Secretary of the Treas ury, would be forfeited. An exception was made to this prohibition in these words: "except the inhabitants of that part of Virginia lying west of the Alleghany mountains, and of such other parts of that State and the other States hereinbefore named as might maintain a loyal adhesion to the Union and to the Constitution, or might be from time to time occupied and controlled by forces of the United States engaged in the dispersion of said insurgents." nated as in insurrection against the United States Government, and prescribed the manner of proceeding. On the 20th of May, 1862, another act of Congress was approved, which authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to refuse a clearance to any vessel or vehicle laden with goods, &e.. destined to any domestic or foreign port, whenever he thought such goods were destined ultimately for places in possession of the enemy. It further authorized the Secretary to take se curity in such cases and to establish such regulations as he might deem necessary for the purposes of the act. On the same day that the President issued his last mentioned proclamation, general orders were issued by the Secretaries of War and Navy to the officers of their respective departments, for the purpose of "more effectually preventing all commercial intercourse with insurrectionary States, except such as shall be authorized in pursuance of law, and of securing consistent, uniform, and efficient action in conducting such intercourse as shall be autherized, and for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the act of Congress entitled An act to provide for the collection of abandoned property, and for the prevention of frauds in insurrectionary States.'" These orders prohibited every officer of the army or navy or any person connected with either from having any interest in the transportation of any goods, &c, into any State declared by the Fresident to be in insurrection, excepting supplies for the mil itary and naval forces, and excepting sutlers' supplies, and other things for the comfort of the military and naval forces moving under aathorized permits of the Treasury. The orders further continued: "nor shall any person afore said have any interest in the purchase or sale therein of any goods or chattels, wares or mer chandise, cotton, tobacco, or other product of the soil thereof; nor the transportation of the same, except as aforesaid, therefrom or therein: nor shall any such officer or person authorize, prohibit, or in any manner interfere with any such purchase or sale or transportation, which shall be conducted under the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, unless under some imperative military necessity, in the place or section where the same shall be conducted, or unless requested by an agent or some other auOn the 31st of March, 1863, the President thorized officer of the Treasury Department. issued another proclamation, stating that em- in which case all commanders of military debarrassments had arisen to the due enforce- partments, districts, and posts, will render such ment of the original act, by the exceptions of aid in carrying out the provisions of the said the first proclamation; therefore, so much was act, and in enforcing due observance of the withdrawn as "related to the parts of States said regulations of the Secretary of the Treas which might be from time to time occupiedury, as can be given without manifest injury to and controlled by forces engaged in the dispersion of the insurgents." Under this proclamation, licenses were granted by the Secretary, as the armies progressed; some ports, such as Beaufort, Port Royal, and New Orleans, were opened under licenses, except to whatever was contraband of war, and the collectors and surveyors on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers were instructed to act, dispensing with applications to the Secretary for licenses. On the 12th of March, 1862, an act of Congress was approved, which authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to appoint special agents to receive and collect all the abandoned property in any of the States and Territories desig the public service." Further regulations prescribed the manner of proceeding with abandoned property. At the same time, the Secretary of the Treas ury prescribed the Regulations for the government of the several special agents and agency aids in pursuance of the act of March 12th, |