Banks.-At the commencement of 1840, there was one bank in this state, with a capital of 3,389,739 dollars, and a circulation of 696,855 dollars. Public Works.-The Muscle Shoals canal is designed to overcome the obstruction in the Tennessee river. It extends from the head of the falls, thirty-five miles and threequarters, to Florence, and cost 571,835 dollars. But to extend the work to its completion will cost 1,361,057 dollars. The Huntsville canal extends from Triena on the Tennessee, sixteen miles, to Huntsville. The Alabama and Florida railroad extends from Pensacola, 156 miles and a half to Montgomery, and cost 2,500,000 dollars. The Selma and Cahawba railroad is a branch of the Alabama and Florida railroad, extending from Selma ten miles to Cahawba. The Montgomery and Westpoint railroad extends from Montgomery, the northern termination of the Pensacola and Montgomery railroad to Westpoint, at the head of the rapids of the Chattahoochee river, thirty miles above Columbus. It is eighty-seven miles long. The Tuscumbia, Cortland, and Decatur railroad extends from Tuscumbia, forty-four miles, to Decatur. The Wetumpka railroad extends ten miles, and is designed to connect, when completed, the Tennessee and Alabama rivers at Wetumpka.-U. S. Gaz. FINANCES.-The total amount of outstanding bonds of the state of Alabama, on the 1st day of November, 1842, was 9,834,555 dollars, according to the report of the cashier of the State bank. The amount has not been increased. The legislature, at its session in 1843, passed an act laying a tax of twenty cents per hundred dollars on real estate, and specific taxes upon other species of property, sales at auction, &c. It is supposed there will be realised from this tax about 250,000 dollars; which will be sufficient to defray the expenses of government, and leave a balance of about 100,000 dollars for other purposes. The following is a specimen of the items Slaves under ten years of age, ten cents each; over ten years, unless superannuated, sick, or disabled, fifty cents; free negroes and mulattoes, one dollar each; white males between twenty-one and forty-five years, twenty-five cents; goods at auction, two per cent; monies at interest, one-fourth of one per cent; moneys employed in shaving, thirty cents per 100 dollars; exchange, fifty cents per 100 dollars; billiard-tables, fifty dollars each; bagatelle-tables, nine-pin alleys, &c., ten dollars each; commission merchants and factors, twenty cents per 100 dollars on amount of sales; tavern licences, ten dollars; licences to retail liquor, fifty dollars each; cotton stored in warehouses, one mill per bale. PRINCIPAL TOWNS. TUSCALOOSA, city, capital of the state, 160 miles south-south-west of Huntsville, 335 miles north of Mobile, by course of river 818 miles from Washington. Situated on the south-east side of Black Warrior or Tuscaloosa river at the lower falls, on an elevated plain, at the head of steamboat navigation on the river, 256 miles north of Mobile by land. It contains a handsome state house, a court house, goal, a United States land office, four churches:-one Presbyterian, one Episcopal, one Baptist, and one Methodist, a masonic hall, Washington and La Fayette academy, an athenæum for young ladies, a lyceum for boys, the Alabama institute, a number of stores, and 1949 inhabitants. streets are broad, crossing each other at right angles, and the state house stands in the centre of a public square. About one mile east stand the halls of the University of Alabama, which was founded in 1828, has a president and seven professors, or other instructors, sixty-three alumni, four of whom have been ministers of the gospel, sixty students, and 6000 volumes in its libraries.-U. S. Gaz. The MOBILE, city, port of entry, and 1013 miles from Washington, situated on the west side of a river of the same name, at its entrance into Mobile bay, thirty miles north of Mobile point, at the mouth of the bay, fifty-five miles west-by-north of Pensacola, ten miles west-by-south of Blakeley, ninety miles by land, and 120 miles by water south of St. Stephens, 160 miles east-north-east of New Orleans, in 30 deg. 40 min. north latitude, 88 deg. 21 min. west longitude. Population, in 1830, 3194; in 1840, 12,672, of whom 3869 were slaves. It contains a court house, gaol, market house, custom house, city hospital, a United States naval hospital, three banks, Barton academy, seven churches-one Presbyterian, one Episcopal, one Baptist, two Methodist, one Roman Catholic, and one African. It is situated on a beautiful and extended plain, elevated fifteen feet above the highest tides, open to refreshing breezes from the bay, and commanding a beautiful prospect. Vessels drawing more than eight feet water pass up Spanish river, six miles, around a marshy island into Mobile river, and then drop down to the city. It has forty-six wharfs, and next to New Orleans, it is the greatest cotton mart of the south; 320,000 bales have been exported in a year. The exports amount to from 12,000,000 to 16,000,000 of dollars annually. Tonnage of the port, in 1840, 17,243. It is defended by Fort Morgan, formerly Fort Bowyer, situated on a long, low sandy point, at the mouth of the bay, thirty miles below the city, opposite to Dauphin island. It was surrendered to the Americans by Spain in 1813, chartered as a town in 1814, incorporated as a city in 1819. It has suffered severely by fire; 170 buildings were burned in 1827, and 600 in 1839. But it has been rebuilt, with additional beauty and convenience. Excellent water is brought in iron pipes, a distance of two miles, and distributed over the city.-U. S. Gaz. STATEMENT of the Cotton Crop of South Alabama, for the Years ending the 30th of September of each Year, from 1818 to 1844. Exports from Mobile.-For the foreign we are indebted to a friend in the custom house. The coastwise exports are confined to cotton, not having the means of ascertaining other articles, which are comparatively small. It will be seen that the value of the exports of this state, with a population of some 16,000, reaches the enormous sum of 16,749,498 dollars, being a little the rise of 3,500,000 dollars more than Charleston, numbering about 40,000 souls. EXPORTS from Mobile, from the 30th of September, 1839, to September, 1840. EXPORTS of Cotton from the Port of Mobile, for Four Years, 1841, ending the 31st of August, the others the 30th of September. "In consequence of 'divers and grievous complaints' having been made of the captains and masters of vessels coming into the port of Mobile, and throwing stone, gravel, and other ballast, from on board their vessels, to the great detriment of said harbour,; and as the laws heretofore enacted have been found inefficient to prevent such offences; therefore, the senate and house of representatives of the state of Alabama have passed an act, containing the following provisions, which was approved by the governor, April 28th, 1841. “I. That from and after the passage of this act, if any captain or master of any ship 66 vessel, or other water-craft, which shall hereafter come into the bay or harbour of Mobile, shall throw from on board of such ship, vessel, or other water-craft, into the waters of said bay or harbour, any stone, gravel, or other ballast, he shall forfeit and pay for every such offence the sum of 2000 dollars, and be imprisoned for a period not exceeding three months, nor less than three days, at the discretion of the court wherein such offender shall be sued ; one half of said forfeiture to be paid to the first person who shall, on oath, before either of the officers hereinafter named, give information of such offence, and the other half to the harbour-master and port-wardens of the port of Mobile. "II. That the said forfeiture may be sued for and recovered, by the harbour-master and port-wardens of the said port of Mobile, in any court having cognizance of the amount sued for, by process of attachment; to be issued in the same manner, and subject to the same rules of construction, provided and established in other cases of attachment; the said attachment to be issued by either of the officers hereinafter named, and to be levied upon the ship, vessel, or other water-craft, the captain or master of which shall be the alleged offender; provided, however, that oath be first made by the informer, or other credible person, of the commission of the offence, before some judge or justice of the peace, or clerk of the county or circuit court of the county of Mobile; and provided, also, that the said ship, vessel, or other water-craft may be replevied on, the captain, master, or consignee thereof giving bond with good and sufficient sureties, to be approved by the officer issuing the attachment, in treble the amount of forfeiture or penalty sued for, conditioned for the forthcoming of the said ship, vessel, or other water-craft, to satisfy such judgment as shall be recovered in the suit. "III.—That it shall be the duty of every pilot and deputy pilot of the bay and harbour of Mobile, to inform the harbour-master and port-wardens of Mobile, of every violation of this act coming to their knowledge, as soon as possible after knowing thereof, and every pilot or deputy pilot knowing such offence to have been committed, and failing to give such information, shall forthwith be deprived of his licence, and be for ever thereafter disqualified for the office of pilot or deputy pilot of the said port and harbour of Mobile. "IV. That all laws contravening or impairing the provisions of this act, be and are hereby repealed; provided, however, that all suits commenced, or liabilities heretofore incurred, shall in no manner be affected by this act.” COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS OF MOBILE. TARIFF of Charges, agreed upon and adopted by the Mobile Chamber of Commerce. General Tariff of Commissions, applicable to Foreign, per ct. On sales of cotton, hides, bees'-wax, and other articles, the products of the state................... Consignment of merchandise withdrawn, to pay full commission on amount of advances and responsibilities, and one-half commission on the invoice value of goods withdrawn. N.B.-The above rates to be exclusive of brokerage, and other charges actually incurred. The following Rates to be especially applicable to European and other Foreign Business-any thing in the preceding General Tariff to the contrary notwithstanding: per ct. On remitting proceeds of sales in bills without gua rantee ..... ........ 24 All other produce or merchandise.. 5 Guarantee of ditto, if not exceeding six months ..... 03 1 1 If with guarantee of bills.. 24 Selling vessels or steamboats 5 Purchasing ditto 1 ........ Guarantee of such bills... 24 5 ..... 24 5 5 Adjusting and collecting Insurance on other claims, without litigation... 21 Drawing, endorsing, or negotiating bills in payment 1 If the bills remitted are guaranteed.. 23 If bills or notes remitted for collection are proteste d and returned.. 1 20 Above 120 to 200 ditto Above 200 to 300 ditto Above 300 to 400 ditto .... 50 00 Besides charges actually incurred, and the regular commissions for particular services, such as collecting freight, paying disbursements, &c. Loss by fire (unless insurance has been ordered), robbers, thieves, and all unavoidable accidents (if usual care has been taken to secure the property), to be borne by the owners of the goods. Rates for Receiving and Forwarding Goods, exclusive of Charges actually incurred. For barrels of five cubic feet, and on goods that are carried by weight (200 lbs. shall be considered a barrel), per barrel RATES OF STORAGE PER MONTH. Bolts of bagging, duck, &c ......................... 0 03 dols. cts. Bottles, per gross....... 0 10 Cotton, hay, and peltries, per bale Brick, per 1000...... 0 624 Cables and cordage, per ton 0 50 Barrels of pork, beef, whiskey, sugar, and other wet barrels.. Carriages and waggons, each... 1 00 Cedar logs, each. 0 03 0 03 0 10 Corn, per sack 0 03 Sacks of coffee, ditto 0 12 .................. Spice, ditto... Cotton, per bale.............................................. Crates and tierces of crockery, per five feet... 0 10 0 04 Bagging, per piece Coal, per ton......... 0 30 Coils of rope 0 6 Cotton gins.. Kegs of nails Coaches.... 1 50 All dry goods for the whole time they may be on hand, on amount of sales.. 0 1 0 5 0 75 On dry goods received for forwarding, per cubic foot... Crates and casks of crockery-ware FREIGHTS. When Vessels are chartered, or Goods shipped by the ton, and no special agreement respecting the proportion of tonnage which each article shall be computed at, the following regulations shall be the standard: That the articles, the bulk of which shall compose a ton, Coffee, in casks, 1568 lbs. ; ditto, in bags, 1850 lbs. Beef, pork, tallow, pickled fish, and naval stores, 6 barrels. Ship-bread, in casks, 672 lbs. ; ditto, in bags, 684 lbs.; ditto, in bulk, 896 lbs. Wines, brandy, spirits, and liquids generally, reckoning the full capacity of the cask, wine measure, 200 gals. Grains, peas, and beans, in casks, 22 bushels; ditto, in bulk, 36 bushels. Salt, European, in bulk, 36 bushels; ditto, in West India, 31 bushels. Pumpkins, per 100 ditto ....... 0 03 0 01 ....... 0 624 1 00 0 124 ........ 0 124 0 04 Twine, per bale........................................................................... Wheelbarrows................................... Wood, per cord..... Flats, broken up in the slips, will be charged, each 2 00 Goods or coun The above rates will be charged for landing, and also for shipping. try produce discharged from a vessel, barge, or flat, lying at a wharf, or in the second or third tier, into another vessel, barge, or flat, will be charged to the owner of such produce or goods, one wharfage. Also, goods or cotton landed on one wharf, and taken from the Deer skins, per bundle............. ......... 0 06 0 10 0 04 0 01 0 16 0 02 0 10 ..... |