HEMP.

The French government have prohibited the exportation from France of all hemp, the growth of France or on which the French import duty has been paid. Many British merchants and manufacturers had made purchases of hemp at Havre and Nantes, and have been much annoyed to find the removal of their property to this country prohibited, especially as it was so much needed here for manufacturing purposes. The application of our Ambassador at Paris to the government has been fruitless, and our merchants have been obliged to sell again in France, and at a loss. So far as we understand, there is no prohibition on the exportation from foreign hemp lying there in bonded warehouses, being considered as only in transitu. It is well for traders to know that by the provisions of a customs Act of 1814 the French government may prohibt the exportation of goods of French origin, growth, or manufacture, and those considered such by payment of import duty, whether they have become the property of British merchants or not, and that purchases are made in France subject to the risk of such a prohibition, which has been actually applied to hemp.-Cor., May 25, 1854.

CHINESE CRAPES.

By B. T. N., March 29, 1854, there has been received a copy of a French Imperial Decree from Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, to the effect that "the ports of Boulogne and Calais are added to the list of ports into which the importation of Chinese crape shawls in the piece, of foreign origin, destined to be embroidered in France," is permitted.

SILK.

By Imperial Decree, October 12, 1853, the customs duties on floss-silk are regulated as follows:- plain raw floss-silk is exempt from duty, if carried in French vessels; if carried in foreign vessels the duty is 1f per 100 kilos.; dyed floss, 10c. the kilogramme; waste, and all other descriptions, 10 c. the kilog.; ferret (fleure), if raw, 1 f.; if dyed, 3f. the kilogramme.

SILK MARKET.

According to the monthly circular, June, 1854, of M. Arles Dufour, of Lyons, the silk-market has not improved, the American as well as the European demand being unsatisfactory. Meanwhile it is said, with the exception of Naples and Spain, the silk crop is making excellent progress. Until August, however, stocks will be very short, and any speedy resumption of activity would, therefore, be likely to produce an immediate advance."

SHAWLS.

By Imperial Decree, December 14, 1853, plain China crape shawls (Unis) of foreign origin, intended to be embroidered in France, may be temporarily admitted, free of duty, on condition of being re-exported within six months, under the bonds and formalities prescribed by the 5th Art. of the law of July 5, 1836, and upon the particular conditions hereinafter indicated.

2. The shawls shall be declared to the customs, under legal penalty, by number, dimensions, and net weight. Every declaration shall comprehend the number of shawls which it is intended to include in each transaction.

3. The customs will place on each shawl a flying seal in wax, the expenses of which shall be reimbursed by those interested at the rate of 10 centimes per seal.

4. Chinese crapes, admitted temporarily by virtue of the present decree, can only be imported at the ports of Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes, Havre, Rouen, and Dunkirk, and by the custom houses of Lille, Fourbach, Strasbourg, Saint Louis, and Pont-de-Beauvoisin. They can also be withdrawn from the

entrepôts of Paris and Lyons, where they may have arrived by way of transit. The re-exportation must take place through the same ports and custom

houses.

5. Every substitution, deficiency, or subtraction, proved by the customs authorities, will involve the application of the penalties and interdictions prescribed by Article 5 of the law of July 5, 1836.

PRICES OF WINES AND BRANDIES.

Paris, April 4, 1854.

The wines of 1851 fetch large prices at Bordeaux. The St. Emilion is very scarce and dear, the price varying from 950f. to 1,050f. per hogshead. Medoc lately sold as high as 3,000f. and 3,800f. Brandies have fallen in Bordeaux to 162f., and even 160f.-Cor.

SIRE,

WOOL.

REPORT TO THE EMPEROR.

Paris, May 12, 1854.

The development of the commercial and maritime relations of France with the countries situated beyond Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, especially with Australia, has always been the object of your Majesty's solicitude. With this view a decree, issued on March 5, 1852, reduced from 20 to 15 per cent. the duty levied upon raw wools imported under the French flag from the countries situated in the zone above indicated.

But this measure, as I have reported to your Majesty has not produced all the effects that might have been expected from it. The difference between the general duty on wools and the special duty established on Australian wools had not sufficed to induce shipments, which are always very expensive, and the results of which are long in developing themselves. On the other hand the system of ad valorem duties was not well suited to transactions with Australia.

Your Majesty had ordered me to devise a combination which, without prejudicing the interests of our agriculture, might be more adapted to operations which it is so important to encourage.

It appears to me that I should fulfil these conditions by proposing to you, Sire, to substitute for the Tariff specified in the decree of the 5th of March, 1852, a duty according to weight, calculated at the rate of 10 per cent. on the value of Australian wools in French ports. Thus classified, the Tariff will be of easy and simple perception, while the difficulties which arise between the custom house and the trade on the subject of the correctness of the values declared at the period of importation of the merchandize would disappear.

It appears to me, moreover, that the benefit of the measure should be extended to Cape Town, which is the seat of a considerable trade in wool. Such, Sire, is the object of the decree which I have the honour of submitting for the approbation of your Majesty.

I am &c.,

P. MAGNE,

Minister Secretary of State to the Department of Agriculture,
Commerce, and Public Works.

DECREE.

NAPOLEON, by the grace of God and the national will, Emperor of the French, to all whom it may concern, greeting

On the report of our minister, secretary of state to the department of agriculture, commerce, and public works, referring to article 34 of the law of December 17, 1814, referring to our decree of March 5, 1852, we have decreed and decree as follows:

·

Art. 1. The import tariff for raw wool is modified as follows:

EXCHANGE.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about 3 per mille discount (according to the last tariff), which, at the English Mint price of 31. 178. 10d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 2509; and, the exchange at Paris on London at short being 24-95, it follows that gold is about 0:58 per cent. dearer in Paris than in London.

The Swiss Federal Council has addressed to the Confederated States a copy of the declarations made by England and France with regard to neutrals, accompanied by a circular to the following effect:

Faithful and dear Confederates,-You will perceive by those documents that the Western Powers are resolved to carry on the war in a manner calculated to render it the least possible onerous to trade, and in particular to the commercial interests of neutral states, and that, with that intention, they have renounced, for the present at least, all idea of delivering letters of marque. But, on the other hand, a positive expectation is expressed that neutral nations shall not neglect to adopt the measures necessary to avert the danger that might result to them from acts likely to compromise their neutrality. We consider that expectation to be perfectly well founded, and we accordingly request you to do everything in your power to observe faithfully, sincerely, and in every respect the strictest neutrality, which has been already admitted in principle by the Confederation. With that view it would be expedient to advise the persons placed in your jurisdiction who might trade in military effects with foreign countries, that they must only impute to themselves the damages resulting therefrom, and that, under such circumstances, they cannot expect protection from the Swiss authorities.

We seize this opportunity, faithful and dear confederates, to recommend you, with us, to the Divine protection.

In the name of the Swiss Federal Council,

FREY-HEROSEE,

President of the Confederation.

coloured glass, 110 lb.

Hardwares: unwrought, cast; plates, stoves, wheels,

&c., 110 lb.

Iron, pig and bar, 110 lb.

Leather manufactures, fine :

saddlery, harness, boots, shoes, gloves, &c., 110 lb.
coarse, 110 lb.

Lead, in pipes or rolled, &c., 1104 lb.

Linen, yarn, and thread, 1104 lb.

manufactures:

ticking and cloth (having less than 40 warp
threads to the inch), unbleached and undyed,
1104 lb.

cloth or tape, bleached, dyed, or printed, 110 lb. Machinery, all sorts, 110 lb.

Rum, in casks, 110 lb.

£ 8. d.

0 12 6 0072

0

1 8

0

2 11

6 8

068

0 7

0

0 1

0

1

0 6 8

0

6 8

in bottles, 110 lb.

0 12 6

Salt, kitchen, 110 lb.

0 0 1

Silk manufactures, 110 lb.

0 12 6

Steel, unwrought, 110 lb.

plates and wire, 110 lb.

Sugar, of every description, 110 lb.

Tin, in blocks, 110 lb.

0 7

Wool, raw or combed, 110 lb.

Woollen yarn, raw not dyed, 1104 lb. dyed or bleached, 110 lb.

manufactures, all kinds, 110 lb.

MONEY.

The new money in this country, as well as the accounts are kept as in France, in francs and centimes; thus setting aside the extremely variable currencies of every canton for one universal coinage for the Helvetian Republic. ADAM SPIELMANN & Co.

FINANCE.

The financial report of the Federal government has made its appearance in thirty-six folio sheets. The revenue of the year 1852 was 300,481.; in 1853 it amounted to 349,378. The receipts of last year were 567,499., exceeding the former estimate by 69,4997. The expenses were 524,447/.; thus leaving a balance of 43,0521. The highest item is that of the military department, being 57,1321. or 12,9271. above the original budget. The whole federal administration cost 11,7647.

SPAIN.

LONDON, &c.

ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY AND MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY.
DON JAVIER ISTURITZ,

9, Cavendish Square.

FIRST SECRETARY OF LEGATION.-DON JUAN CUMING.

CONSUL GENERAL.-MARQUIS DEL BAYAMO.

VICE CONSUL.-DON ANT. F. DE SAN JORDI.
Office.-17, Gracechurch Street.

Consul at Liverpool.-Don Juan de Mazarredo.

CONDITION.

It is hardly possible to see greater poverty and misery than is to be witnessed in most parts of the interior of Spain. Along the seaboard, things are better; there is a ready outlet for produce, which the inland provinces do not possess, and the lucrative trade of smuggling comes to the poor man's aid. Recent attempts have been made, by the government and its organs in the press, to represent smuggling as greatly diminished, indeed, as nearly extinct. This is merely dust in the eyes of the credulous. At particular points, a diminution may possibly be shown, but along the French and Portuguese frontiers the contraband trade is as lively as ever. There are very many important articles, of large and inevitable consumption in Spain, on which the duty is actually prohibitive, although they cannot be manufactured in this country except at enormous prices, and of inferior quality. Prominent amongst these are woollen and cotton stuffs, upon which successive governments have been deterred from diminishing the duties, at least to any useful extent, by fear of the turbulent population of Catalonia, the most industrious and perhaps the most flourishing province of Spain, but whose interests are diametrically opposed to those of the rest of the country.-Blackwood's Mag. June, 1854.