United States of Mexico British Honduras..... Central American States.. COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES WITH OTHER NORTH AMERICAN STATES. Canada... Other British possessions.. Total....... $82,219,483 $87,887,434 Add debts of the several States of the United States.... ...... $195,730,922 192,026,298 Grand total....... $387,757,220 The amount of debts exhibits only the absolute indebtedness of the various States, etc. Several have also contingent debts, being guaranties issued on account of municipalities, public improvements, etc., and for which they are liable on failure of the original parties to the issue. Thus, Canada has a contingent debt of nearly £10,000,000, and to a smaller extent the other British provinces. The total contingent debt of the several States of the Union in 1855 amounted to $44,767,851. The Indian and other annuities of the United States may also be considered as debt, but which are provided for by an annual appropriation. In former numbers we have given similar details respecting the extent, population, commerce, revenue, debts, etc., of the several States and countries of the West Indies and South America for the year 1855. We now proceed to sum up the totals of these several divisions of the Western World, and thus complete the task we have imposed upon ourselves, viz., to exhibit in a connected series for a single year the material statistics of the States involved in the inquiry :— COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES WITH OTHER STATES, ETO. Exports from 71,251,635 132,758,227 $550,990,543 Imports into United States. $18,785,801 18,061,963 27,894,126 The official figures for the imports and exports of the United States for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1858, have been published, and they compare with former years as follows:- 1858 251,351,033 20,660,241 42,407,246 10,225,901 52,633,147 324,644,421 The exports of domestic produce suffered by the panic, showing a decline of $27,600,000 as compared with the former year, and a diminution as compared with 1856. The re-export of foreign produce was larger than in 1857, but not so large as was accasioned by the pressure of 1855. The exports of specie show the most remarkable result. The effect of the panic was to cause a cessation of the exports of the metals to some extent, and to convert the United States metal into coin instead of bars. The large immigration of the previous years had brought in a good supply of foreign coins in addition to the imports, and these were re-exported, but a large portion of the re-exports of coin were doubloons to Havana, following the course of the sugar market. The United States remittances in gold bars declined $17,600,000. The aggregate exports of gold, produce, and goods reached as high a sum as ever before, except in 1856. The imports at the port have been, on the other hand, as follows: The imports of dutiable goods declined nearly $92,000,000, involving a loss of $22,100,000 in the revenue. This was due partly to the panic, which caused goods to be countermanded, orders to be declined, and consignments withheld, and was also partly due to the new tariff, which came into operation July 1, 1857, that is to say, the commencement of the fiscal year, and which passed under the free list many goods before dutitable, raising the free list by $6,800,000 instead of diminishing it. The import of specie was large, partly of doubloons on their way to Havana, and partly silver drawn from Mexico and Central America into New Orleans. The aggregates show that if the exports declined $38,300,000, the imports declined $98,200,000, or thus: The fiscal year 1858, which ended June 30, commenced with the operation of the present tariff, and also with the development of the panic, which culminated in the middle of October. The course of business in that year therefore furnishes some points of interest beyond those of ordinary years. If we analyze the movement of merchandise the results are as follows, as compared with the previous years, exclusive of specie: Thus curiously leaving specie out of the calculation, the apparent balance was in favor of the United States by $8,676,620. It is probable, however, that the produce exported did not realize those invoice values, although American produce was better sustained abroad than were foreign manufactures in this market. If we now compare the specie movement of the two years, we have results as follows:- Thus as the balance on merchandise was for 1857 $54,604,582 against the country, and we exported net $56,675,123, there was still a balance of $2,070,541 due the United States at the close of the year, without taking into account the profits on produce shipped that year, and which must have been large, since cotton and other produce rose through the year. GENERAL STATISTICS OF JAPAN. Japan, properly speaking, is a large island empire in the North Pacific, off the coast of China, consisting of an archipelago, comprising three large, mountainous, and volcanic islands-Niphon, Kiusiu, and Sikok—and an immense number of smaller islands. Of these lesser islands the principal are Sado, Tsousima, Awadsi, Tanegasima, Yki, Yakesima, and Osima, with the groups Okisima, Gotusimo, and Kosikisim, forming Japan proper; and the large island of Yesso, north of Typhon, and separated from it by the Straits of Tsugar, or Matsmai, with the south half the island of Tarakai, Krafta or Saghalin, and the larger and more southern Kurile Islands, forming a dependency called the principality Matsumae. The Bonin-Sima and Lew-Chew also form dependencies. The following summary gives the extent of the Japanese Empire, including all these dependencies:-Area of Japan proper, 116,405 square miles; area of dependencies, 43,312 square miles; total, 163,717. The population is variously estimated at from 15,000,000 to 50,000,000; the mean of the two estimates being, perhaps, nearer the truth. The principal or more important towns of the Empire are :- On Niphon-Yedo, (or Jeddo,) Mijako, (or Kio,) &c. On Kiusiu-Nangasaki, Saga, Korkurn. On Sikok-Simoda, Kotsi, Takamutsi, &c. On Yesso-Hokodadi, Matsumae, &c. The interior of the country is unknown to foreigners; but it is represented to be in many parts, sterile-agriculture being compulsory, and under a system of sumptuary laws long known to exist in Japan. The natural productions of this vast Empire are various and valuable. Its mineral riches include gold, silver, and copper; sulphur and nitre abound; coal is found in the greatest abundance; and precious stones, including sapphires, agates, jasper, cornelians, and even diamonds, are obtained in different parts of Japan. The mulberry tree grows in the greatest perfection, and dispenses food to myriads of silk worms. Cloths, stuffs, cordage, &c., are manufactured from the paper tree, (Kadsi.) The varnish tree, (cerusi,) yields a milky juice, employed in varnishing articles-an art which has attained to such perfection in Japan, that the English language has adopted the name of the Empire itself to signify the highest perfection in the art of varnishing. Besides these, there are numerous other valuable trees indigenous to Japan, among which may be classed the bay tree, the camphor tree, the fig tree, the cypress tree, all of which are made subservient to the wants and luxuries of the Japanese; and should commercial intercourse ever be freely opened with that Empire, could be made available in supplying most valuable export staples. Hemp, cotton, rice, and every variety of cereals, some of them abounding with superior farina, are extensively and successfully cultivated. Rice is the principal food of the natives, and that raised in Japan is said to be the best grown in all Asia. The silks, muslins, and cotton goods are manufactured with superior skill. Indeed, in several branches of handicraft the Japanese have no rivals. This is especially true as respects their ingenious and elegant carving in wood, ivory, pearl, and fish-bone. By the laws of Japan, all intercourse is forbidden between the Japanese and foreigners, though for a long period of time the Chinese have been permitted to carry on a limited trade at Nangasaki. The number of junks engaged in the trade yearly is limited to four. The trade consists in the exchange of broadcloths and woolen stuffs for lacquered wares, copper, and other produce, and manufactures. The Dutch have been also permitted to send two vessels annually to this port for purposes of trade. The merchandise imported by the Dutch consists chiefly of wax, spices, ivory, iron bars, quicksilver, glassware, musk, sapan wood, sugar, piece goods, and woolens, which they exchange for copper, camphor, silks, and lacquered goods, wax, pitch, wheat, and Japanese manufactures. RECIPROCITY. At a meeting of the New York Chamber of Commerce, held in November, the committee appointed to report upon the working of the Canadian Reciprocity Treaty submitted majority and minority reports, the latter of which, presented by Royal Phelps, was finally adopted by the Chamber. In it they say:-Your committee look upon the Reciprocity Treaty with Canada as one of the most important commercial treaties ever made by our government. The following statistics, taken from official documents, will give the Chamber some idea of the enormous increase in the trade of the two countries since the treaty has been in operation : |