The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-09
COMMERCIAL MATTERS, Etc.

The grocery, commission and produce mer-
chants of New York city, have organized
board of trade, which met for the hrst time
on the 30th ult.
At the late fair Of the Lynchburg Agricnl-
tural Society, its President took the premium
for butter with sample which represented
5000 pounds, which he had then ready for
market. The production of butter promises
to become leading interest in Southwestern
Virginia.
The twenty cent pieces have proved q
failure in California. The San Francisco Post
says: Nobody seems to want either to pass
or to receive them, and in some mysterious
manner they disappear and 60 back to the
Mint, and though destitute Of such CON-
we still reckon in bits for all our small trans
actions"
Foreign Commerce Of Baltimore.
Statistics of the commerce of Baltimore for
November. show the arrivals of vessels from
foreign ports to have been forty loaded and
one in ballast. Of this total, eleven were from
Rio Janeiro. six from Liverpool, and the re-
mainder from less important ports The
foreign clearances were 60 vessels, OF which
25 were American. IA Norwegian, IL British
The value Of aggregate exports for the month
is 81, 622 O33, a decrease OF 81, 3o4 U49, COM
pared with October.
Virginia State Finances.
Gov. Kemper says in his message: The
gross receipts of the Treasury for the past
fiscal year were S2,647, 100 O5, Of which
$3.50, 900 was raised by temporary loans. Of
the State debt he says: The whole debt prop
er, as assumed by the Funding Act, was $780,
478, TAI 49, 1t has since increased by the
sum Of 81, SIG, rs AZ, by reason OF the accu-
mutation of interest arrears, and during the
last four years the average increase from this
cause has been S454, ITS IS for each year. l
make no account of the third of the original
ante-l lum debt which was by the terms of
the Funding Bill contract set apart and as
signed for future settlement with West Viz
ginia The sum so assigned stands as go West
Virginia's third" 1t is not part OF the ex-
listing debt of Virginia.
"Under the terms of the Funding Act, as &C
coded to by creditors, and consequently FORM
ing a contract between the State and the
parties 30 acceeding, no liability can attach to
Virginia for the payment OF the third thus
assigned, except by virtue Of settlement yet
to be contaminated" He adds "Virginia
will pay her debt, and pay it in full, as soon
as she is able. She will pay it, not because
her hands are tied with the withes Of the
Funding Act, but because her untarnlshed
traditional honor requires it, and because
what is right, as well as what is expedient,
renders the least faint Of reputation in her
action forever impossible. She will pay now
so much interest as can be paid, and ult-
mately all the interest and principal OF every
just debt"
Tho Astor Estate.
The reports in circulation about the value
OF the estate of the late William B. Astor are
said to be greatly exaggerated. Similar re-
ports followed the death of John Jacob Aston,
l848, whose property at the time was estim-
ated by popular rumor at $4,000, 900. and
turned out to be worth about $2O, OOO, OOO.
Some published statements have fixed the
ueAJWm. B. Astor's estate as high as
5000, ulo3 900. Its real vatue is probably less
than one quarter of that sum. It is believed
that the bulk of Mr.. Astor's property con-
sisted OF real estate in New York. The records
at the tax Office show that he paid taxes this
year on 100000 worth of real estate in
New York according to the valuation of the
tax commissioners
The market value of the property is from
thirty 10 forty per cent above the assessed
valuation-about S25, 100000. The same re-
cords show that he owned $500, 900 worth o.
bank stock, and he is known to have been the
holder Of considerable amounts Of State, city
and national bonds. What may be the value
of government bonds and other property ex
empt from taxation belonging to the estate
there is no means OF ascertalning, but 1t II
believed by those best acquainted with Mr.
AStOr that the LOtal value VI LIS osldto VIII
not exceed $45, 600, 900.
No matter how much we may insist on the
rights of property as one of the fundamental
principles of q republic or government, mol
how much we may moraliZe about the ina
bility of wealth to confer happiness, we doub
if there is single man or woman who vii
read the account OF Astors wealth withou
feeling that there is something radically
wrong in the whole organization OF society
t. 49, Goal frcko Ia Ex
Joining the Commune! And yet it is known
that there was time, many years ago, whe1
old John Jacob Astor made formal offer t.
the city authorities of New York to make then
q deed of gift of very large tract o
his land "a large proportion of the whole tina
he owned on the island) if they would RELEASE
him from the obligation to pay the cost o
cutting large number of streets through tn
high, rocky territory up toward Central Park
They would not accept the gift, and the oil
fur trader thought he was ruined. To tn
chatting spirits of those who have tried har
to make money and have not succeeded it vii
be consoling to know that such immens
fortunes as the Astor estate were not so niue
the result of greater shrewdness than othe
people as of fortuitous circumstances. Aston
fortune was largely the result of his having 9
one time las he thought got swampsd in res
estate.
Activity In Raw Sugar.
IN Y Bulletin, 4th nstl
For some weeks past there has been an III
usually brisk trade in raw sugar, with an in
portant advance in prices. Though for man
months the quotations have been considers
bly, under those for the corresponding date
last year, they are now higher tor some a
scriptions. During November the receap
did not approach the sales, which were a., on
hogsheads, $4,000 boxes and 1850 bag
This effected considerable reduction
stocks on hand. The following will show th
supply on the LIST inst. and the comparison
Hhds Bxs. Bags. Mel
Stock Oct. l. 3D.. 90 $40 30441 10l AIS .141
Stock Nov l. '75.6l oil - 902 1858 Isl
Stock Dec. 2, rs 1880. 2324l 1866 1913 40
Stock Dec 3, To- -53 255 GIBBS 29,s0O -
Stock Dec b.. 81 529 3262o 31l 427 40