The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

THE COAL TRADE.

-

To such an extent has our coal industry been de-
veloped that at the present time not less than 37,000,000
of tons are annually raised, the value of which at the pit's
mouth is little less than 10,000,0001.—at the places of con-
sumption, including espenses of transport and other charges,
probably not less than 20,000,000!. The capital employed
in the tride exceeds 10,000,0001. About 400 iron furnaces
of Great Britain consume annually 10,000,000 toss of coals,
and 7.000,000 tons of ironstone, in order to produce
2.500,000 tons of pig iron, of the val ue of u pw s rds of 8,000,0001.
For the supply of the metropolis alone 3,600,000 tons of coal
are required for manufacturing and domestic purposes ; our
eosatioa vessels conveyed, in 1850, upwards of 9,360,000 tons
to various ports in the United Kingdom, and 3,350,000
tens were exported to foreign countries and the British
poeseesions. Add to this that about 120,000 persons
are conizantly employed in extracting the coal from the
mines, and that in some of the northern counties there are
more persons at work under the ground than upon its surface
—and some approximate idea will be fence of the import-
ance and extent of this branch of our industry. The extent
of the a al a in the British Islands is 12,000 square
miles, the annual produce 37,000,000 tuns; of Belgium, 250
miles, annual produce, 5,000.000 tons ; of Fr,nce, 2,000
mike, annual produce, 4,150,000 tons; of the United
States, 113,000 miles, annual produce, 4,000,000 tons ; of
Prussia, 2,200 miles, annual produce, 3,500,000 tons ; of
Spain, 4,000 mile•, annual produce, 550,000 tons; of British
North America, 18,000 miles, annual produce not known.
Taking the British Islands alone, and dividing them
into districts, we find the supposed workable area
ss follows in acres:—Northumberland and Durham,
500,000; Cumberland, Wesmorel.ind, and West Riding,
99,500 ; Lancashire, Flintshire. and North Staffordshire,
550,000; Shropshire and Worcestershire, 79,950; South
i Staffordshire, 65,000; Warwickshire and Leicestershire,
80,000; S ,mersetshire and Gloucestershire, 167,500; South
Wales, fit 0,000 ; Scottish coal fields, 1,045,000; Irish coal
fields:—Ulster, 500,000; Connaught. 200,000; Leinster,
150,000; Munster, 1,000,000. Our exports, which in 1840
amounted to 1,606.000 ton., •clued at 576,0001., had in-
creased in 1850 to 3,531,000 tons, of the value of 1294,0001.
In 1841 nur exports to France were 451,300 tons ; to 1101-
Imo, 173,378 tons : to Prussia, 116,296 tons ; and to Russia,
77,152 tons. In 1850 they were, to France, 612,515 toss;
to Holland, 159,953 tons; to Prussia, 186,528 tons ; and to
Resale, 215,198 tons.—Dorhans Aderrliser.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following I
gentlemen having undergone the necessary examinations for I
the diploma were admitted members of the c,,llege at the
meeting of the court of examiners on the 23rd instant :
Messrs. John James Trevor Lawrence, Whitehall-place ;
William Taunton Plowman, Brook-street. Grosvenor-
,
square ; Edward Waddington, Saltash, Devon; Augustus
William Baylis, Frederick-street, Albany-street; Henry
William Hubbard, Bury St. Edmunds; John Hopkins
Willis, Plymouth, Devon ; Henry Harden, Wrington,
Somerset ; William Peyton Partridge, Birmingham ; Joseph
l
Chadwick Festoon, Manchester.