The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-06-02
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1858.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1858.
The Philadelphia Board of Trade has recently
issued report upon the practicability OF opening
lucrative trade between that city and Canada,
and embracing statistics showing the extraordinary
increase of commerce upon the great lakes since
the adoption of the reciprocity treaty By this
report, taken from official data, we learn that,
Gin 1851 our whole imports from the British
provinces hardly ranged with those from Switzer-
Gland or the Zollverei1. In 1854, this trade was
worthy to be classed With that of the East Indies.
''the Brazils, or the West India Islands In 1855,
''it had swept past them all, and ranked next to
'France in our foreign commercial list, having
Preached the enormous amount of $50, 900, OOO-
'In 1856, as will be seen jy the report of the Sec
''retary of the Treasury for the fiscal year,
"Our imports from Canada and the British
,to rrovlnces TO June 80, 1856, were S2l ,310,421
"our exports do. do. 2s,o2s,s4s
''Total, s5o,sss, no
1.-The total trade thus exceeding fifty millions Of
''dollars. The figures of the same period in 1857
''were
"Our imports to June 80, 1857, S22, l24, 296
Sour exports to June 80, 1857, "a, 1862, 4S2
"Total, SAG, 1886, IT'S
''Thus placing the British provinces decidedly
':third on our commercial list both as to the i'm
"porance and variety of the commodities exported
"and imported between that country and the
fUnited States"
A large proportion of this trade centres. at the
present time, in New York. owing to the facilities
afforded for cheap transportation to a market, by
the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. But this
mode of conveyance, excellent as it may be regarded
in the absence ola better one, impraccabe during
the winter months, and tedious at all times. These
are found to be such very serious objections in view
of the rapid development not of the Canadas alone
but also of our Northwestern States, that several
attempts have been made to establish direct trade
between the Lake ports and Liverpool Thus far.
however, the project has not proved very Success
full That it is practicable, to n certain extent we
have not the least manner of doubt but there are
many reasons for supposing that it cannot be made
profitable. No vessels larger than schooners, or
drawing more than nine feet water, can pass
through the Welland Canal, and the Canals be-
tween Prescott and Montreal; and as these canals
are the only navigable outlets to the ST. Lawrence
it necessarily follows that the craft thus employed
are scarcely adapted to brave the storms of the
Atlantic, or to economic time-which in itself is
money-in an Ocean voyage of two thousand
miles. The same objection also that has been
urged against Canal navigation in the State of New
York. applies with even greater force to the Canals
of Canada-they are locked up by ice when they
are most needed That grain can be floated to a
market at cheaper rate than it can be carried by
land is not so much the question to be considered
as how soon it can be made to reach its market
and with what degree of certainty can the Produce
Merchant or the larger Agricuturalists look for
their returns. One of the primary conditions es-
sential to the prosecution of a successful inland
trade, is a market within reach at all seasons of
the year; because of the opportunity such q market
gives to the Farmer oftaking immediate ADVANTAGE
OF sudden rise in the value of his commodi-
ties so that he may sell at once and reap the
benefit of it, or of any fall in price, so that he
may either hold back his crop and wait for favor
able change, or part with it at once through fear
of sustaining greater loss 1t is only the rail-
way that can accomplish, with any degree of COM
parative certainty results so desirable and to the
Railway system of communication between Pbila
delphia and the Great Lakes, the Board of Trade
OF that city, are beginning to turn their serious
attention. Any good Map will exhibit the fact,
that the principal Lake ports are nearer to Phila-
dephia than they are to New York; and that a
system of Railways extending to those ports so
far as shortening of distance is concerned, would
nor fri,-a 10
New York. But the latter has one signal advan
tage over the former in the ease with which she
can reach the ocean at all seasons of the year In
severe winters Philadelphia is perfectly land-locked
for no steam tugs, were they ever so powerful.
could keep the tortuous channel of the Delaware
free from the immense masses of ice that float
down from the upper waters, and accumulate in
the bends of the river. The only way, therefore,
that Philadelphia can reach the ocean at such
times-apart from New York-is by the railway
recently constructed across New Jersey to Absecom
Beach. But the harbor there is at best an in
different one; and the delays to which the ship
ment of heavy freight would be thus subjected,
sensibly detracts from the usefulness of haven in
such close proximity to the ocean.
If we turn now, once more, to the map, we
shall find that by the Northern Central, and Sun
bury and Erie Railways, Baltimore is nearer to
Lake Erie, and consequently, to Upper Canada,
than either Philadelphia or New York-that, in
fact, almost in direct line to the finest
natural harbor upon the Lake-that of Sodus
Bay-and it may be worth while to state, in this
that the Railway, as laid down from
Baltimore to the Lakes, follows, with scarce
ly any deviation, the route which was
traversed by government couriers from Wash
ington during the war of 1912. If, therefore,
we put in claims, in behalf of our own city, for
share of the commerce of the Lakes, what have we
to show to justify such expectations? We have the
nearest and most direct route from Lake Erie to the
Ocean. We have harbor which, with merely or
binary care, can be kept open at all seasons of the
year, and, beyond it, broad, noble, and perfectly
unobstructed outlet to the Atlantic. We have the
coal, and the manufactured commodities, which
comprise the principal exports to Canada and the
Northwestern States and we can also supply them
with the products of the West India Islands and of
the Southern States quite as cheapy they are to
be met with elsewhere Under these circumstances,
why should not we also take into due consideration
position and seek to establish commercial relations
with the vast region that is drained by the Great
Lakes, and which is destined, at distant day. to
become the most densely populated portion of the
Western Continent?
fussy little gentleman is NJ. FELIX BELLY,
and digent collector, we believe, of beetles and