The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-03
Commercial, Financial and other
Matters.
The Com n,erce Of China,


according to the custom returns from the
treaty ports of China for the past year, show
o steady increase IN the foreign trade, both
IN imports and exports, There. have been
fluctuations, of course, during the fourteen
years which are exhibited for PURPOSES of
comparison; but the gross result is that the
total for 1876 is two-thirds greater than that
Of 1864, viz:
Net profit Exports Total
1864 80. 4621O.491 e4s654 ,512 Goa, S64. s43
1876. 7o,265,574 Sos50512 Isl. 12o,Os6
The total for the past year is swollen, per-
of silks owing to the failure of the European
crop, but, even making allowance for this ex-
ceptional increase, the figures compare favor
ably with those of any previous year.
Ing 1872, 800 tons. Of these 1881 vessels were
British Germany, with 2l7 vessels, ranks
next, and America, China, France and Japan
next in the order named. Shanghai is the
tributing centre for the northern, as Hong
Kong is for the southern ports, figures,
of course, for by far the greater portion
of the direct trade; the total of imports and
sgO,ooOooo The gross trade Of the port was
of course larger, as 1t Is swollen by the coast
trade, of which the greater portion is carried
in foreign steamers; and this brings the gross
total in the trade OF Shanghai up to 1874, ia
1885,,
There are in China 1907 foreign residents.
of whom rather more than half are British,
536 American, 362 German, and 2gS French.
more than dozen different nationalities con-
tributing their quota to the remainder. The
Chinese population of the fourteen ports open
to foreign trade is estimated at 4757 000 of
which Canton alone is estimated to contain
100000. Tienstein 100000, Ankow and Foo
chow next in order-60O, 900 eaCh-and Shang-
hal 27s,000
The Nicaragua government has issued a
decree ordering an export duty of | per
cent on all articles of produce, the price of
each article being fixed by the decree.
The FIRE in the Patent Office in Washington
destroyed $4,000 models, and caused much
damage and confusion among the records of
the office. The building was damaged to the
extent of $500, 900.
A line of British steamers is to be placed,
i'm December next, on the route between New
York and Laguayra and Porto Cabelo and
Venezuela, via Porto Rico and st. Thomas.
Why should not New Orleans have a hand in
this work
There are many of our mercantile friends
who are daily returning from the North and
West. Without an exception that we have
met with, they declare that the denizens of
New Orleans are in a better condition than
those of any other city that they have Wis
tied.
We deem II of sufficient importance to notify
/, our mercantile readers of the fact that on the
Nth of this month there will be a convention
saf parties interested in the improvement of
ties Mississippi river, at the city of st. Paul,
Minnesota. Navigation, generally, to St
Louis is good all the year round but to
points above that city, 1t is, for several
months very precarious and hazardous. The
object of this convention, as we understand
II, is to adopt measures by which this great
desideratum can be obtained We earnestly
hope that our merchants will send represen-
tatives to this convention.
In regard to the matter of the burning of
sugar-houseS on the Bayou Tecbe there seems
to be some misunderstanding. We therefore
refer to this subject again. Mr.. Alexander
Moses, the agent of the New Orleans Board
of Underwriters, and more capable and
truthful gentleman does not live. gave us
yesterday a corrected statement of the cir
eumstances. He happened to be a passenger
on board of the steamboat Mary Lewis, and
was attracted by a great light when few
miles from New iberia. He, together with
the crew of the boat, landed, and BY their eff
forts succeeded in saving the purgery of Mr..
Fay, though the remaining portion of his
sugar-house was reduced to ashes. During
the progress of this fire, say about IL D. m. :,
Mr.. Emile Sillan came up to the place and re.
ported that his sugar-house had been set on
fire, but being discovered in time, was extin-
guished without much damage.
The Mary Lewis then proceeded up the bayou
Teche, but was stopped by shouts from the
shore. She responded to these, and Capt
Moses, with the crew.. succeeded in putting
out the fires, which had been kindled in the
sugar-houses of Mr.. Gravenburg and Dr.
Bussey. The whole loss, as well as we can
estimate, is from $1,000 to $1,000, almost the
whole falling on Mr. Fay, who, we under
stand, had no insurance. Our venerable and
most capable friend, MIR. Alex Moses. was
the very man for the occasion.
The Cincinnati Commercial, which laughs at
the Gems River Canal" is devoting itself
with reat yerbosity to the ad 5ocacy of a
canal from New Orleans to the GUT We feel
authorized to assert that the editors exer-
tons in this matter are not entirely disinter-
ested. But it is of no col sequence. The