PARAMARIBO-HENRY SAWYER, Consul.

OCTOBER 5, 1863.

I have the honor to transmit a brief report of the trade and commerce of this port with the United States, for the year ending the 30th September, 1863.

ANNUAL REPORT.

Imports.-The aggregate value of imports from the United States, which consist of flour, beef, pork, fish oil, herring, alewives, mackerel, soap, candles, pails, tubs, clocks, and lumber, have amounted to $382,300 68, in 30 vessels; their tonnage, 8,2257.

Exports-The aggregate value of exports, consisting of sugar, molasses, cocoa, coffee, and old copper, have amounted to $306,276 94.

Emancipation.-Owing to the emancipation of slaves, which took place on the 1st of July last, the plantations are at a stand-still. But it is to be hoped that as soon as the regulations of the government regarding the newly emancipated are put in force, agricultural affairs will improve.

The emancipated placed under government. The freed slaves are all under the surveillance of the government for the term of ten years; that is, they are not at liberty to leave the district where they were formerly held as slaves, but they are obliged to enter into contract with some of the planters in said district, and all who refuse to abide by this law are at once taken to the government authorities and compelled to labor on the public works or estates.

Wages. The rate of wages stipulated by the government is 80c. (32 cents American) per diem. But even at that price of labor it is quite impossible to grow sugar at the present low price, (84c., or 31 American per pound.) Many of the estates have changed hands or been abandoned by their former owners, as they will not risk their capital upon them.

Immigration.-Efforts are being made to introduce coolies from the colonies near here, which are overpopulated with immigrants, and who are, in some of the islands, in a state of starvation at this moment.

It is very certain that if agricultural labor-saving implements were introduced here, sugar could be raised at a much greater profit than it now is, as it is quite impossible to compete with other colonies where they are introduced. There is not a plough used in this whole colony, and the majority of the present planters are much averse to anything in the shape of modern implements of tillage. The same land is cultivated year after year without any change, simply by planting the cane on the surface and covering it a few inches deep, and all is worked with the hoe and cutlass.

Machinery. The machinery in use is the common evaporating kettle; not one steam-engine is used in the colony.

Coffee. There are but very few estates on which coffee is cultivated, but that produced is of a very fine quality, and is mostly shipped to Holland.

Cocoa.-Cocoa, in former years, was an important production of this colony, but for some reason a great portion of the estates have been abandoned, or the cultivation changed to sugar.

Cotton. The quantity of cotton raised here is very limited, but of the very best quality, being of the long staple. The whole amount produced per annum

is about 250 tons.

Trade. Since the emancipation the manner of trade has altogether changed; for instance, the merchants formerly purchased the cargoes and loaded the vessels; now the articles are sold for cash, and the masters or agents purchase the products for cash from the planters.

Currency. The currency of this colony is the Dutch guilder, valued at forty American cents.

Exchange.-There is nothing doing in exchange on the United States, but bills on Holland and England are at par: twelve guilders to the pound sterling. Gold mines. Thus far the gold mines discovered here some four years since have amounted to little or nothing. The obvious reason is that on the mountains where they are found, it is very unhealthy, and nearly all the parties who have explored them have returned sick; and because the gold is in quartz, and there is no kind of mining instruments here, it is very difficult to extract it.

Wood. In my report for 1862 I made mention of the various kinds of serviceable wood of this colony, especially for ship-building purposes. It is said by competent judges to be equal to teak. The names of some are, brown-heart, purple-heart, green-heart and ball-tree. It is mostly cut by the maroons or bush negroes, and floated to town from the interior.

I believe there have never been any shipments of this wood made to the United States. The ordinary price is forty American cents per cubic foot. There is much of the brown and green heart shipped to the West India islands, where it is used for building small vessels, and also for houses.

Tabular statement of the trade and commerce of Paramaribo with the United States for the year ended September 30, 1863.

I have the honor to inform you of the prices current of produce of this country, and the value of exchange.

Sugar is 113 cents per pound, Dutch currency, weights and measures; coffee 40; cocoa 30; molasses 30.

Exchange on Holland and England is at par. Bills on the United States, either in coin or in currency, are unsalable, owing to the speculation in remitting bills on Europe to the United States.

The currency of this colony is gold and silver-forty cents to the guilder, estimated in United States coin.

ST. MARTIN, W. I.-CHARLES REY, Consul.

JULY 7, 1863.

I have the honor to transmit to the department my report for the quarter ending June 30, and a statement of fees received for the same period.

I regret that nothing of interest has occurred for that period here. No American vessel has arrived at this port, for the purpose of trade, for the last five months. The trade of the island is entirely carried on by British-American vessels, and American vessels navigating under the Swedish flag.

We have a large quantity of salt on hand of the present year's gathering, which moves off but slowly.. * *

*

OCTOBER 10, 1863.

I have the honor to make known to the department that no American vessels have arrived at this port during the last quarter ending September 30; the trade between the United States being confined entirely to neutral vessels.

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS-GEORGE SAUER, Consul.

JULY 15, 1863.

I beg leave to bring to the notice of the department the great irregularity practiced in this country with regard to the verification of invoices.

Large purchases of Brussels lace have lately been made here. Indeed, I am credibly informed that they have been larger than ever before in the same length of time; yet the invoices produced at this consulate have been quite

small.

A practice, it appears, has prevailed for some time to carry the invoices of the manufacturers to London or Paris, and there the goods are repacked and invoiced by the partner or agent who makes the purchase in Europe on account of the American importer, and who fiually obtains a certificate from the consular officer at some out-port. Such irregular mode of proceeding causes not only the identity of the goods to be lost, but favors misrepresentation of their character and a lower estimate of value-the supposition being that Brussels lace can be mixed with common English kinds.

Nor is this practice solely confined to the lace trade, manufacturers from the woollen districts of Belgium being in the habit of sending invoices to other places on this continent, where the partners or purchasers of the New York houses reside, leaving them the option of obtaining a consular certificate at whatever shipping port it suits their convenience.

There being no direct steam communication between Belgian or French ports and the United States, large quantities of goods are shipped here via Hamburg and Bremen, and the practice alluded to has been much favored by circulars sent to shippers here tending to the inference that the consul encouraged the verification at the seaboard.

As these may probably mislead shippers, I have, in concert with my colleague at Antwerp, sent a notice to shippers. This has had but little effect, and I respectfully submit, that unless shippers of this country receive through the consular officers some peremptory warning that their goods will be detained at the port of entry, they will, it is feared, continue to carry their invoices wherever they please-a practice that must tend seriously to injure the revenue of the country.

ANTWERP-A. W. CRAWFORD, Consul.

JANUARY 8, 1863.

I have the honor to communicate that the rebellion has but little power over commercial relations with some of the European states.