TAXES OF EACH COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA. STATEMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF TAXES CHARGEABLE TO EACH COUNTY, AND THE PAYMENTS MADE ON THE SAME, FOR THE YEAR 1851-52. Names of counties. Butte...... Contra Costa.. Placer .... San Francisco 9,868 82 15,576 94 11,690 81 146,771 06 103,460 80 Sacramento. 41,151 65 14,770 69 55,922 94 30,694 59 333,138 97 53,770 81 385,909 60 245,359 97 15,934 01 DEBT AND FINANCES OF ST. LOUIS. The total debt of the city amounts to $1,536,096 10. A considerable portion of this has been incurred for river and harbor and for various city improvements, and has been judiciously expended. The above sum includes $75,000 of stock issued to the Pacific Railroad. The following is from the Controller's Report: THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF DEBT FALLING DUE IN EACH YEAR. 4,000 $1,400 at various dates from 1853 to 1861. 75,000 For the payment of harbor bonds, (117,000.) and the common sewer bonds, (42,000,) with the interest on the same, there is a fund provided by special tax. The total amount of receipts into the Treasury for the past year were $714,195 80. Of this sum, $348,275 81 were received from merchant and harbor taxes, $278,443 27 from loans, and the balance from various sources of permanent revenue, making the aggregate income, independent of loans, $440,752 63. The expenditures for the same period were $470,791 44. Of this sum over $100,000 have been expended for works of permanent improvement, such as the new Water Works, City Hall, Market House, etc., which will yield a handsome revenue when completed. The city will soon incur further contingent liabilities to the amount of about $1,000,000, being the aggregate of the loans voted to the Pacific Railroad, which is now in progress from St. Louis to the west line of the State, and to the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, from Cincinnati to the former city. Both of these works will be of great utility to the city; vastly more so than the amount of aid to be extended to them. But as there is good reason to believe that both projects will prove good investments, the stock taken in them by the city will not, in reality, be any additional burden upon its finances. CAPITAL AND DIVIDENDS OF BOSTON BANKS, APRIL, 1852. The following table shows the capital of the several banks in Boston, and the semiannual dividends declared and payable in that city on the 5th of April, 1852: By reference to a similar table, published in the Merchants' Magazine for November, 1851, (vol. xxv., page 314.) it appears that the amount of bank capital in October, 1851. was $23,660,000. The amount as above is $24,410,000, showing an increase of banking capital in Boston of $750,000, since October 1851. The Cochituate Bank pay on $150,000 on old capital-have increased $50,000 more since last dividend. The Faneuil Hall Bank went into operation September 1, 1851, on $250,000 paid in. Second assessment paid in October 1, 1851, $250,000. The above include all the dividends with the exception of the Suffolk Bank, which has not as yet been able to make up its accounts. FINANCIAL STATISTICS OF LOUISIANA. LOUIS BOURDELON, Auditor of the State of Louisiana, in compliance with a resolution of the Senate, reports the amount of liabilities of the State in each of the years 1880, 1835, 1840, 1845, and 1850-also the amount of the annual receipts and expenditures from 1830 to 1852, as follows: STATEMENT SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF THE ANNUAL RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES, FOR STATEMENT SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF THE SCRIPTION, AT THE SEVERAL PERIODS NAMED, SAY FROM 1830 TO 1850. LIABILITIES OF THE STATE, OF EVERY DE THE LIABILITY OF THE STATE, OF EVERY DESCRIPTION, ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY, 1850. Depositary at Buffalo, New York.. UNITED STATES TREASURER'S STATEMENT, MARCH 22, 1852. TREASURER'S STATEMENT, SHOWING THE AMOUNT AT HIS CREDIT IN THE TREASURY, WITH ASSISTANT TREASURERS AND DESIGNATED DEPOSITARIES, AND IN THE MINT AND BRANCHES, BY RETURNS RECEIVED TO MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1852, THE AMOUNT FOR WHICH DRAFTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BUT WERE THEN UNPAID, AND THE AMOUNT THEN REMAINING SUBJECT TO DRAFT. SHOWING, ALSO, THE AMOUNT OF FUTURE TRANSFERS to and fROM DEPOSITARIES, AS ORDERED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY. Treasury of United States, Washington... Depositary at Baltimore, Maryland.. Depositary at Richmond, Virginia..... Depositary at Norfolk, Virginia... Depositary at Wilmington, North Carolina. Depositary at Savannah, Georgia..... Depositary at Mobile, Alabama... Depositary at Nashville, Tennessee Depositary at Cincinnati, Ohio... Depositary at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.. Depositary at Cincinnati, (late).... Depositary at San Francisco Depositary at Little Rock, Arkansas.. ..$2,486 66 Depositary at Jeffersonville, Indiana. Mint of the U. S., Philadelphia, Penn..... Deduct suspense account. Add difference in transfers Net amount subject to draft... 12,928,090 95 1,710,233 04 11,220,344 57 Transfers ordered to Treasury of the United States, Washington. 2,486 66 $11,217,857 91 1,555,540 00 $12,773,397 91 $460,000 00 975,000 00 120,000 00 540 00 $1,555,540 00 31,678 74 48163 39 10,633 17 37,530 22 83,595 45 16,885 33 66,710 12 27.124 96 "A NATIONAL CURRENCY:" CONFIDENCE ITS BASIS. FREEMAN HUNT, Esq., Editor of the Merchants' Magazine, etc: SIR-Allow a constant reader of your valuable journal to offer some reflections upon the above subject. Though much debated, yet the many opposing theories thereon show how little it is understood. Some insist upon a metallic basis," some upon "credit as a basis," while a late writer, N. F. C., in your journal, vigorously pushes forward his own favorite theory of “A National Currency: Real Estate its Basis.” The first of these is no doubt a substantial basis, the second, with perhaps some sup port, is a very essential one, while the last, contradictory as it may seem, is not a real one. The views of Dr. Hall on this subject are well worthy of the attention of your readers, being clearly laid down, his elucidations being much to the point. The theory now offered is not proposed as a new one, but merely as the placing of the ideas of others in a tangible form, for in it nothing absolutely new is asserted, nor will it disagree with the ideas or opinions of any. N. F. C., in his paper, first pours a broadside into the banks, (well merited,) to whose parlors he traces the late panic in the money market, which appeared without notice and without apparent cause, for the country was every where prosperous, and the panic chiefly confined to the city and its immediate dependencies. N. F. C. then proposes that the money-making power should be taken from the banks and put with the State, that the basis of these issues should be the real values, or real estate of the country, that the State should give the owner of productive real estate money in "State notes" equal to a certain valuation on the real estate, taking a mortgage as security, without interest-the valuation to be made by "a board of value," and the sum loaned should never exceed the policy of insurance, the amount of which policy should be the touchstone of value. Now we have to inquire, Will these State issues have any more substantial basis, though it may be real estate, than " bank-notes"-is not real estate as fluctuating as other values? Can real estate sustain a value put upon it (against reverses) by this board of value and insurance policy? or is it the indorsement of the State "bearing the proud name of Pennsylvania, New York," or Missouri, that is to sustain it against depreciation! (PENNSYLVANIA credit once fell to 37.) Real estate is valuable like everything else, only in proportion to the uses to which it may be applied, and like everything else depreciates in times of panic. Who is there who does not know of real estate which has depreciated 75 per cent, and of insurance policies on which, after a loss by fire, payment even of 50 per cent, on a just and bona fide valuation of damage, has been stoutly disputed, and that too by the most RESPECTABLE companies? There is a speculation in real estate as well as stocks, and a much greater uncertainty in its value. See what vast changes have taken place in value of real estate even in this city of New York in the last few years; depreciation in some situations, increase in others. Who has forgotten the condition of real estate in 1838 and 1840 houses vacant, and stores to let. Value of real estate and business prosperity rise and fall together. If this is so, and that it is so no one can deny, upon what must these State notes depend for their value but State credit? and what is that worth in hard times? Then the notes will certainly come back for redemption. Redemption in what? real estateor gold? Whether they are backed by real estate or not, the only way to give value to these State notes is to induce the community, and the world at large, to believe they have equal value to gold, or to beget confidence in them, for without confidence, in a commercial point of view, there is no real value in any thing, except such things as are absolutely necessary to our existence. Water and air exist everywhere, and ean be got without labor, therefore they may be said to be without value. Bread to eat and clothing such as is necessary to keep us warm cannot be had without labor, therefore they are of value, they have intrinsic values. Bread may increase greatly in value, but does not depreciate greatly in value. One country being at peace while the rest of the world was at war, would of course alter the relative value of things very much. But in a state of general peace, if there should be onee established a general confidence in the commercial circles, there would be a great increase of value both in commercial things and real estate; but once destroy that confidence, and real estate will fall as rapidly as other things of value, and the absolute necessaries of life would fall less than real estate. In fact, the value of real estate depends on the general prosperity of the country, and the foundation of THIS can always be traced to confidence. Upon this also depends a merchant's credit, for let his wealth be what it may, if the commercial world have no confidence in his business ability, his industry, and integrity, he can get no credit, and so with corporations and communities of all |