The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-06-25
Berlin.
Correspondence of the Herald

F0Tetgn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at Beitn-frNSStdn
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Extraordinary Ereits-
ment inthe Stocks ountsraetion by the Govern-
men-Ihe Observation-Disclosures thereon-Com-
mercial Matters German Linens-ReHgious Er-
citement-Roman Catholic vs.. Protesta,..
cratic tendencies Condition Of the Country.
JAMES GORDON BENNETT, ESQ.,
We continue to enjoy the most complete
political calm, and nothing appears likely to dis
turb it in this part of the world The state of Italy
and Turkey, indeed, is such as to render catas
trophe OF some kind inevitable the people of those
countries having been driven to desperation by the
most execrable misgovernment and the last
counts from Rome and Constantinople, render it
not at all improbable that both the Pope and the
Sultan (arcades ambo) may be sent to the right
about in the course of the year, and have to pass
their next carnival at Venice, like the seven mo-
narchs mentioned in "Candide."
But all this is taking place at too great distance
to excite any particular interest among the good
folks of Berlin, whose attention has for some time
been quite absorbed by railroad speculations. All
| every possible denomination, in esse and in posse
not soul but what has been dabbllng IN them, to
tine great deirment of all legitimate business.
OF Prussian railways. there are now about
forwardness. Most of their shares bear high
premium, the highest being those of the road
from Madgeburg TO Lepsic, that were issued
at one hundred Prsslan dollars each, and
with a tendency to rise. This is owing to the
great traffic the above route, which has enabled
| the comeany to pay half yearly dividend Of seven
and halt per cent, besides the annual interest of
four per cent. The Government has guaranteed the
interest several roads at three and half per
cent and the additional security this affords has
induced many to invest their capital in shares,
| stead OF applying II to other purposes. Besides the
railways already IN operation, upwards of twenty
| new ones have been projected, and it is the wild
speculation in the shares of such as have not even
| had their charters granted by government and
whose existence is quite predetermined, that l am
| now aludlng TO.
The spirit of jobbing has seized upon the whole
community bargains on time to amounts tar more
considerable than the sum total OF all the railroad
shares extant, have been entered into on Change,
where the excitement is such as to remind one OF
| the Stock Exchanges Of London and New York, or
the Bourse at Paris. The shares generally rise at
| the beginning of the month, and fall towards the
| end, when the settling day arrives. During the
| month of March considerable fluctuations took
place, and something OF crash was apprehended,
but it fortunately happened that rise occurred in
the very nick of time, SO that differences were
more easily regulated than might have been ex-
pected.
Meanwhile new schemes are continually appear
ing for starting railroads in all directions, and the
eagerness with which proposals of this kind re-
celved Is such, that sooner ale the subscription
lists opened, than the actual amount required is
generally exceeded. by subscriptions in the proper
tion of Is to l. There are instances where two
and halt millions Of Prussian dollars have been
| wanted for road, and upwards of fifty millions
subscribed and the shares being generally Of one
hundred dollars each, person subscribing, 10000
dollars would not get more than 1000 dollars, or
ten 100 dollar shares. The latter il is expected,
will bear premium soon as the different COM
panles are chartered by Government; and, in that
profit by selling off their shares before call is
made for the fret instament. If the contrary
| should happen and the shares be at a discount,
bers, great part of whom have not The remotesl
intention of taking to their shares and would not
be able to pay the first instament, even if only ten
per cent were called for. day or two ago, how
ever, notice was published by the Minister OF Fl
nance, that no charters will be granted for some
years to any railroads excepting such as have
been already authorized, or may be found alb
solutely necessary; that no other plans will
will, consequently, be of no effect. 1t is reported,
too, that government will issue an ordinance, sta
ting that no debt originating from differences in
that the courts of justice are to take cognzance
OF any suit instituted for these claims. similar
| law as long since enacted in England, and there
IS every reason to believe that 1t will put stop to
these wild speculations.
You are of course aware of a treaty having been
concluded with the United States, by the German
commercial league, (Zollverein, )accordDg towhich
| the duty on American tobacco, imported into the
l
manufactured IN, and exported from these coun-
tries are to be admtIedin into your republic at duty
not exceeding twenty per cent. This treaty was
signed about the end OF last month by the PrusslaD
minister tor foreign affairs, Baron Bulow, for the
Zollverein, and Mr. Wheaton, the American minis
ter at the Court of Berlin, the representative OF
your government. Mr. Fay, the secretary OF ega-
zion, left this on the 9th ult. on his way to Lon
don, from whence the treaty will BIZ forwarded to
| Washington, to be ratified by the President. can
hardly think that it will be productive Of any ma
teria benefit to either party, as riflng reduction
IN the duty will have but little effect on the guam
tty OF tobacco used larger profit may accrue to
| the manufacturer, but the consumer will have TO
pay the same very nearly the same price as be
fore. As to the exports OF German manufactures,
| those of cotton, linen, and silk, will have
with the manufactures of England, France and
Belgium, and they will not find it an easy task
to eclipse such formidable rivals. BY, the last &C
counts you gave Us, the duties the latter in the
u s. are not to exceed 25 per cent ad valorem; and
II the reports contained In the newspapers are GER
rect, those imported from the domlnions of the Zo-
| vereln, Will have to pay no more than ~ per cent
but this difference of per cent in the duty is alb
sorbed in the first place by the freight of the cotton
being higher to the ports of Germany than either
Liverpool or Havre, and then by the carriage from
the, interior of this country to the seaboard, and
higher freights across the Atlantic. This will
make them come into the market upon nearly
equal terms, and It remains to be seen which party
the preference wi be awarded to-.
The Germans have great opinion of their linen,
which was formerly the staple produce of Silesia,
their exports extending to Spain, South America,
| and the o. s., but various causes have contributed
to diminish them. A short time since the weavers
in the mountains Of Silesla, being reduced to star
vatlon, pctitoned the Minister of Finance for re-
| lief, and requested him TO conclude commercial
| treaties with those countries that were formerly
| supplied with their linens, by which means the
| trade would be brought back to the same channel,
| and restored to more flourlshing condition The
| answer OF the minister an extract of which found
ITS way into the newspapers, was to the following
effect The German linens, he said, had lost their
of the Irish, which were better bleached, of more
even texture, Their yarn being spun by machinery
and sold at greatly reduced prices Instead of EN-
uating these improvements the German weavers
had tried to compete with them by stiniing their
goods in the width, mixing them with cotton, and
bleaching them by artificial means, endcavorine
without success to give them the appearance of Irish
linen (whice is grass bleached). The deterora-