The average freights on merchandise, groceries, etc., from Baltimore, by ragons, to Knoxville, used to be from seven to eight dollars per one hundred pounds, and from the best information of which your committee are in possession, the average freight via Richmond, the Virginia Canal, and wagons from Lynchburg, is about four dollars and fifty cents per one hundred pounds-about twothirds greater than the railroad rates now paid.

The tariff of freights on the Carolina and Georgia railroads, and which are likewise subject to a heavy transmit charge at Augusta, but which are included in the rates above, are based on the existing business, which will not admit of just rem ineration for services performed at any great reduction. But the business of a railroad is unlimited. Any amount, with adequate motive and car power, (which constitutes but a small proportion of the outlay, compared with the cast of the road-bed,) can be performed and freights can be made to decline on that universal law of trade, by an increase of business. On the Reading road, in Pennsylvania, where the cars are constantly employed, with inexhaustable quanrities of coal, always ready for transpor ation, and where their locomotives lose no power, but are always employed to their full capacity, the rate of freight has Den reduced to the extraordinary low figure (and paying a profit) of one cent per ton per mile. At the same rate, a ton of goods might be transported from Knoxville to Charleston at $5 20 per ton, or about 24 cents per 100 pounds. Your committee do not present this statement to encourage the idea that our Southern railroads could be worked profitably at these low rates, nor do they believe the community would desire less than reinunerating prices for services perforined; but they are offered in illustration of the vast capabilities of railroads in reducing charges, and as the strongest evidence that the increased business which would necessarily be stimulated by the completion of the entire line of railroad to Kaoxville, would strongly induce and fully authorize the managers of these league roads (Georgia, Carolina, and Tennessee) to fall on rates some 25 or 30 per cent. Lelow the present ruling fares.

In conclusion your committee can only add, that under the spirit of the age for rapid railroad intercommunication, if this section of the country will not avail itself of the vast benefits which those avenues of intercourse proffer, others will, a1 East Tennessee may soon be surrounded by railways, as she is by the mountins which from this city (Knoxville) bound the horizon in every direction. But your commitee will not permit themselves to doubt but that the spirit of the Convention of 1836 will re-animate those to whom this appeal is addressed, and that with one united effort there will be a hearty co-operation in making Knoxville one of the environs of Charleston, and the citizens of each feel that they are the people of but one community.

Y.-ST. LOUIS AND CINCINNATI RAILROAD.

THE project of connecting St. Louis, Missouri, and Cincinnati, on the Ohio, by a railroad and thus bringing the valley of the Missouri river into communiaion with the great lakes, is also in active discussion. A Convention at Indianopolis passed the following resolutions upon the subject:

WHEREAS, public attention has of late been directed to the importance of estructing a railway be.we n the city of St Louis on the Mississippi river and Cincinnati on the Ohio, whereby in course of time a continuous railway commuLacation will be formed with the Eastern Atlantic cities; and whereas, the right of way for such purpose has already been granted by the States of Ohio and Indiana under liberal charters passed by the respective Legislatures; and whereas, the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad Company, created under the charter of the last Legislature of Indiana, has already been organized, be it

Resired, That this Convention does not doubt the practicability and ultimate empletion of this great public improvement, passing, as it does, through one of the richest agricultural regions in the world-connecting the commerce of the East and West-bringing into the immediate proximity the chief commercial cities of the Union, and promising the richest returns for their investment of capital.

Resolved, That a committee of seven, (of whom the President of this Convention shall be one) be appointed by the chair to prepare and publish an address

setting forth to the country the character, importance and practicability of this work-the commercial and agricultural resources of the country through which it passes the great advantages it will secure to the country and to capitalists, and such other matters connected with it as may be of general importance, and that the same be prepared and published at as early a period as possible after the adjournment of this convention.

VI.-MOBILE AND OHIO RAILROAD.

MR. TROOST, who was appointed to survey the route for a railroad from Mobile to the Ohio river, and whose valuable paper upon the subject we published last year, (though incomplete, in consequence of the author's not sending the whole of the manuscript, as we maintain,) has published a letter in which he refers in flattering terms to the prospect. We wish our sister city. Mobile, the most unbounded success in this, her great enterprise. Mr. Troost says:

The estimates which I made for grading the road, in the pamphlet, will be greatly reduced; indeed I have no hesitation in expressing the belief that your railroad can be built in the best manner for a smaller sum per mile than any other railroad in the United States. The route, generally speaking, is level. It abounds in timber of the best quality. There will be no rock to encounter, and the excavations and embankments will be for the most part through a good mixture of sand and clay. As far as my examinations have extended, I could not wish for a more level or direct route. If the northern portions of the line will compare with the southern, a railroad can be built which will excel any other for the transportation of freight and passengers, for the reason that it can be constructed straight and level, or with a descending grade to the point (Mobile) to which the heavy freight will be transported. A very lively interest in favor of the road has been expressed by the planters and citizens along the line and to the west of it.

VII. CONNECTION OF SEA BOARD AND MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

WE have before referred to the various schemes advocated in South Carolina for the connection of the sea board and interior with the mountains of that State and North Carolina. The Legislature has been invoked in aid of private enterprise, but jarring views in reference to routes, have excited an unfavorable influence, as far as we can learn. A meeting lately held at Monticello, in its report, states the following propositions as demonstrable:

1st. That the Broad river valley affords the best route for a railroad, whereby to reach the interior of the State from Columbia.

2d. That the interest of the Charlotte, Greenville, and Spartanburg schemes would be eminently promoted by a union over our common trunk along the valley of said river, inasmuch as the cost to each would be greatly less, while the good of the greatest number would be secured.

3d. That should the Legislature determine to apply any portion of the "surplus fund," in aid of these several enterprises, it would be best expended in the construction of one common trunk, along the line indicated in the preceding resolutions, to which they all could and would unite at some point.

4th. That the Greenville Company, independent of any prospect of union with other companies, would promote its interest by locating over the Louisville survey, along the Broad river valley to a point as high as Cannon's creek, if no higher.

VIII.-CONNECTING LINK RAILROAD.

We may so entitle this road, which is proposed between Wilmington and Manchester North Carolina. At the latter point it will unite with the branch road to

Camden, S. C., and thence on the Augusta Road. Thus will be united by one continuous chain of locomotive travel the extremities of our union. A late number of the Rail Road Journal edited by our esteemed friend, D. K. Minor, remarks: By examining the map it will be seen that the Camden branch, which is now in course of construction, and which will probably be extended to Charlotte; and the Columbia branch, is now, and has long been in operation, and which will beyond all question, be extended to Greenville, will open to this road an extensive region of the upland and most productive part of South Carolina; which, in addition to the through and way business, must ensure good returns upon the investment; and therefore, the people of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and Richmond have a double inducement to give their aid to this work, and especially the merchants of Baltimore and Philadelphia, to whom a wide berth is given by all who go direct from Charleston to New York by those splendid steam packets. If the merchants of Philadelphia and Baltimore would secure the visits of Southern merchants and business men, they must aid the people of Wilmington, and others laboring in this enterprise, to build this road; they must subscribe to its stock-they must show that they feel an interest in its early completion-they must do as Boston did to draw business from New York. Indeed, they have the same inducements for aiding in this work that Boston had in building the Western road, and has in constructing the Ogdensburgh and the Vermont roads; and to a certain extent, that the Philadelphia' people have in building the Central road to Pittsburgh-viz: to make the communication easier with Philadelphia, than with other cities,

-

IX.-MINING RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

FROM a late No. of the "Mining Journal," New York, we learn the following: The Washinton lead mine in Davidson county, cleared, during one year of its existence, twenty-five thousand dollars, on a capital of only double that amount. At Gold Hill, there are eight different mining interests, averaging fifty per cent. on their capital on the yield of gold.

At Salisbury, there is a fine quarry of granite, superior to that of New York or New Hampshire.

In Gaston and Lincoln counties, there are abundant iron ores, and also in Catawba Active forges are in operation.

A fine bed of chalk exists near Lincolnton, answering for pencils or paint; also a bed of limestone and a quarry of variegated marble. Dr. Burton has discovered a vein of lapis lazuli of the finest quality, said to be the first in America.

Throughout the counties of Montgomery, Caldwell, Rutherford, Burke, and McDowell, gold ores abound and mines are worked.

X.-MINERAL WEALTH OF MISSOURI

DR. Lewis Feuchtwanger gives us this summary:

The mineral wealth of Missouri has long been proverbial. The discovery of lead, in 1715, and the production of 9,000,000 pounds, in 1816, must naturally attach sufficient importance to this State. Latterly, also, iron has been made very conspicuous in it, especially since attention has been drawn to the iron mountains of Southern Missouri, which, according to my approximate calculation, contain not less than 600,000,000 tons of iron in their bowels. A short time ago, (1847,) a report was made by Dr. King on the subject of erecting more furnaces on a new locality on the Mississippi river, called Birmingham, and he says that iron exists in that particular spot in great abundance. One ridge, which is called the Iron Ridge, contains an immense deposite of hydrated brown oxide, averaging from fifty to sixty per cent. cast iron, which shows itself for several acres over the summit of the ridge, and extending down its flanks on each side to the adjoining ravines, where the ore may be seen in thick masses.

As regards iron in the State of Missouri, it appears as plenty there as coal im Pennsylvania; and wherever it is situated, appears to lay in such huge masses, like the coal mines in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania.

Next to iron is COPPER of great importance to the State of Missouri. Large tracts, containing this valuable ore, have been discovered on Current river; and on Merrimac river, and in the Southern part of the State, very good veins of copper have been discovered, and wrought to some advantage. In Jefferson county, à very good prospect of copper mines may be seen.

COBALT, is an ore of no less importance than the former. It occurs in the form of black oxide and sulphuret, and is found either in thin layers, in lead mines, accompanying the drybone, (carbonate,) or in connection with manganese, which is found to contain the cobalt from five to fitty per cent.

ZINC, in the form of sulphuret and carbonate, or calamine, is found in great abundance in the lead mines, where it appears to form the lens, or shell of the veins of lead, it being found on the upper and lower crust of the rock. It is thrown. away as useless by the miners, although there are imported into this country over $200,000 worth annually.

SILVER. It is ascertained that the average of silver contained in all the Missouri lead ores, is from six to eight. ounces to the ton, but it has never been. attempted to separate the same before bringing the lead in market.

NICKEL. This rare ore has been found to accompany the copper and cobalt, particularly in localities where the latter is found in a state of sulphuret and combined with the copper ore. One shipment of a mixture of the three metals, averaging in the greatest part the copper, and cobalt and nickel in smaller proportions, has been made a year ago froin Mine la Motte, and I understand it has proved profit-

able.

MANGANESE abounds all over the southern part of the State of Missouri.

Among the non-metallic substances, BARYTES deserves a conspicuous place in this State; for it is found here in great abundance, and of a beautiful white color, suitable for admixture with white lead.

XI.-RAFT IN RED RIVER.

IN November last, there assembled at Washington, Arkansas, a large convention of the citizens of that State and Texas, to take into consideration the subject of the interruption of the navigation of Red River by the great and well knowID RAFT. From the memorial of this convention addressed to Congress, we

extract:

There is a great and growing barrier to our commerce and prosperity, and the longer it remains the greater will be the difficulty of its removal. We need scarcely state that we allude to the great Raft in Red river. This great obstruction has retarded our growth as a State, for so long as our navigable rivers are locked u”, emigration will be cheeked, and the fertile lands which are everywhere to be found above the raft on and contiguous to Red river, will continue to be unsold and settled.

The whole people of the United States, are, as we conceive, indirectly interested in the improvement of this great river. It takes its rise far beyond the southern and western limits of our national domain, and the productions of millions and millions of acres of land must of necessity be shipped down it to the various markets for which they may be designed. There are thousands and thousands of acres of unlocated lands above the raft, which would meet with ready sale if there were only open navigation in said river-indeed, we know of no section of the Southern country which would offer so many and varied inducements, and become so inviting to emigrants, as the whole of Southern Arkansas. Northern and Western Texas, and the rich and picturesque country now owned and inhabited by the Choctaw Nation of Indians. We have not the language to express in adequate terms, the many and great inconveniences we suffer on accout of this great obstruction in the river. In consequence of it, our finest

lands are frequently overflown and greatly injured; besides, the damage done to our crops by such inundations is incalculable.

It is known that freights on Red river are two hundred per cent. higher than on any other river on our continent, and all on account of the ratt. We pay upon tach bale of cotton that we ship to New Orleans from any point above the raft, from two and a-half to five dollars, and the freights on every thing else are proportionably high. How different, then, is our situation from that of our neighbors n the Ouachita river, some seventy miles from this. They pay from fifty cents to one dollar per bale for about the same distance. We would also further state, that the distance from many points at which cotton is shipped, at the enormous freights mentioned to the foot of the raft, varies from fifty to two hundred miles, and that cotton is shipped from the foot of the raft at one dollar per bale, and from Sareeveport, forty miles below that point, it is shipped for from fifty to seventy-five cents per bale.

*

The river is now completely blocked up for a great distance, and the water is spgzish and almost stationary in the raft region; and when there is accumulation of water from the heavy rains, it must seek and have an outlet, and when it escapes from its natural course it runs over the country on either side of the river, for many miles. This would not be the case if the channel or bed of the river were pen, so that the water could pursue its wonted course. If the raft could be once removed, and kept out for three or four consecutive years, we have no doubt but The constant washing of the current would widen the river and deep in the channel, and in a few years those fine lands now subject to overflow and lying idle, would be reclaimed, and speedily purchased froin the Government. In making an appropriation, therefore, our Government would in reality be selling its wild, and at present, worthless lands. Furthermore, the major portion of the land bordering Red river and its tributaries, are now, in consequence of its obstruction above referred to, waste, and comparatively valueess, and will continue so until the raft is removed, and those inundations of Red river and its tributaries are obviated; and so long as the raft does remain, these equent overdows in our rivers may necessarily be looked for, and while such Mandations continue there will be no lands sold that are at all affected thereby. In support of this view of the case, we can state that Capt. Shreeve was appointed by the General Government to superintend the removal of the raft, and that he succeeded in cleaning out about one hundred and sixty-five miles of it, and all the bae lands bordering that part of the river were reclaimed thereby, and were readily sold by the Government, and there are now flourishing towns and villages, where there was nothing but a wilderness when Captain Shreeve commenced the work.

COMMERCIAL JURISPRUDENCE AND POLITY.

REVISION OF THE LAWS OF LOUISIANA.

Or all the sciences, none are more progressive than what Burke calls "the toolest of them all"-the Law. From the simple and wise commandments God gave to Moses amid the thunders of Mount Sinai to the huge tomes of Cujas, we perceive the necessity of an almost every day addition to the pages of the Statute Book. As long as mankind remained in that primeval ignorance and simplicity which required only the twelve tables to rule them, and which were made the termen necessarium of the early Roman Youth, there was little use for the more than two million of points decided in the common law alone at the present day; or the infinity of reports that stand on our shelves in inglorious repose, because wer-ruled by later law. But since the Augustin and the dark ages, a great change has come over human nature. The press, steam and electricity have opened sources of information and communication that has made nations neighbors almost unheard of before. Profit, hawk-eyed, has sought far-off people, and talked with them of barter as with familiar faces and tongues; and thus a thousand avenues have been opened for intelligence and knowledge that the Christian era never