The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-05-07

| INTERESTING FAcrs-The report of the Sc
cretarv of the treasury forms volume Of near
" seven hundred pages. It contains some Gu
rious and valuable statements, not heretofore
republished. Hon. Philip Allen, senator from
Rhode Island, furnishes the secretary with some
useful memoranda relative to manufactures
He estimates the amount of cotton consumed in
the United States during the year ending Au-
gust 81, 1855, at 673, ,584 bales, of which 8O,-
600 bales were consumed in Virginia and the
States south of it.
1t is estimated that 7O1 1865, 764 pounds of
warn were spun from cotton in England during
the year ending January, 1855, of which 44o,-
163.131 were exported, and the balance re-
tanned for home consumption. The quantity of
warn poduced in the United States is stated at
ESQ, 1856 900 pounds. The average value of a
pound of cotton manufactured is % cents, ma
king total for last year. manufacture of $780,
4O6, ,O8O. The value of cotton manufactures
exported was S5,857,181. The imports of cot
ton manufactures retained for consumption were
valued al l6,385,327 The total supply of
cotton goods for domestic consumption was $77,-
1874, ,226. s@.rsfs-.u.r.4t5 gpa #af1 ~ay%
The average weight of cotton prints is six
wards to the pound. The weight of foreign
prints is about the same. It thus appears that
the raw cotton necessary to produce yard OF
calico, or domestic. costs between one and
half and two cents. e4a- t.u..s 49,
Twenty eight print works are enumerated,
producing over three thousand pieces per week
The average number of cotton yarns spun IN
the United States is said to be 80 or 80. The
average number spun in Great Britain is Co.
Sixty-one pounds Of drugs, dyes, and other au-
Hillary materials, are used in a great cotton
manufacturing establishment, Of which thirty
two are American, and twenty nine of foreign
production.
In the great material for -gunpowder-
we are entirely independent of the world, hav-
ing exported in 1856, of our own production,
1926 ,051, and imported $418s in value Not
so in respect to that other great materia-iron.
OF iron and steel we imported within the last
fiscal wear to the value of SIT ,l62,5O3. The
manufactures of the same material imported
duling the same time were worth Us, 6,782,97l;
aggregate $23, ,945, ,274. '"@ sEs~# .-.
| The pin question is treated in the report con-
cisely but satisfactorily. The number of pins
made per annum in the United States is two
billions six hundred and seven millions three
hundred and sixty thousand, and it is senten-
tiously remarked, "pns have the American
market" If so, it cannot be denied that the
market has the pins. And there the question
comes up for solution-What becomes ofthese?
The population of the country is twenty six mil
lions. Does each individual consume one hun
dred pins year? for that is the average sup
| ply. But it is we'll known that it is only one
sex that consume pins at all. Does each Amer
ican example of feminine gender suppress two
hundred pins a year, from baby yhood to matu-
rity, and from that to the grave? The pas
sion for pins, it is admitted, is part of woman's
nature, but we submit that this fact affords no
satisfactory explanation of the disappearance of
twenty six hundred and seven millions of pins
per annum.
Flax manufactures are at very low ebb,
and the secretary of the treasury thinks that,
with Is per cent duty on the raw material, and
only 90 per cent on the foreign manufactured
article, no increase OF our establishments can be
expected. The greater part of the flax used in
the few mills we have is imported from Riga,
Russia. The manufacturers say our country is
capable of producing as much flax as is now
raised by all nations put together. But Amer
lean farmers, as general thing, raise flax only
for the seeds, not understanding the method of
rotting or separating the fibre from the woody
part Of the plant zss-... s. Z .sst -z.s .zs
| -~-~<>-~~-~~->~>~--~~-~~
| MOVEMENT IN THE CHuRcH-The London
correspondent Of the National Intelligencer, in
! his letter of March go, says: ..- e-g'-s
An extraordinary movement in the church"
is recorded by some of the metropolitan jour
nails, being nothing less than a union OF the
church with the Wesleyan methodists. Sew
eral meetings of clergymen and laymen have
been held to consider what measures it may be
expedient to take for promoting a union with
the church Of England on the part of christians
not at present in active communion with herr
A committee wasappointed who directed their
attention to the Wesleyans, first, because the
Wesleyans generally disclaim the title Of dis
senters; second, because John Wesley was al
ways strongly opposed to any separation from
the church, third, because the apathy of the
church of England in the eighteenth century
contributed to their estrangement fourth, be-
cause many Wesleyan ministers wished for
episcopal ordination; and fifth, because the re-
Cancellation Of so influential body seemed to
be an important first step towards general re-
ligious union We state the matter as we find
it in the daily papers. 1t is a striking incident
of the times but we do not think it will lead to
any practical result. Before the church of
England can hope to unite with any other body
of christians, it must cement its own many dis
cordant fragments into one communlty-a mea-
sure which does not appear practicable at pre-
sent FL. .--= -r@- ~- 5-I va = -g
~--~-->~L~--~-~-~~I~@--
| A letter to the Columbia Times, dated Sump-
tervi'le, S. c., April II, mentions that court
is in session, and then says:
On Tuesday night we were all thrown into
state of excitement by the apprehension Of
one of our quasi merchants for negro stealing.
The negroes are returned, and the parties who
were concerned in their purchase will bear tes~
timony in the case. Perhaps it is not proper
should say more before the trial, as good deal
of excitement has prevailed in this vicinity, for
some weeks, on account Of the frequent and
mysterious disappearing of slaves from their
owners. The accused will be put upon bis trial
next week, unless his counsel makes strong
showing for its postponement. The Times, In
publishing the letter, remarks: - = a
We have heen informed recently by inhuen-