is, in every case, that the merchant of capital and standing must either abandon his business or lose his capital. He chooses the former, and leaves swift ruin to overtake his injudicious opponents, though he too suffers in a considerable degree. But it may be said, that such competition is for the benefit of a country and its population, by bringing all productions and commodities into the market at a cheaper rate. If it brings these, however, at a price lower than either the grower, manufacturer, or merchant can afford, it must ultimately prove a general evil, not a general good. It requires no arguments to establish this. Every day's experience confirms it. The stream that overflows its banks, in expending its violence, produces mischief, not good, and the torrents which have swelled it, sweep away, not fertilize the soil. These things we have here pointed out and others of a similar nature, which we have in former Numbers pointed out, and above all, the system of large capitalists leaving their business, which had made them, and rushing, like the hurricane, into every market, and every land, with goods and wares of all descriptions, in such abundance as to overwhelm every market alike, whether the right or the wrong and other individuals striving to monopolise any branch of business in a commercial country like this these things must always be productive of indescribable loss and distress, and must either be conducted upon more judicious and prudent principles, or altogether abandoned, or the ruin they occasion will frequently occur.. Instead of individuals who have made princely fortunes in business retiring from it, and laying the field open to industry like what theirs had been-laying out their wealth on fixed property, by which independence and repose would be secured-by which they would withdraw and find a healthful employment to a part of our superabundant population, instead of pursuing a system which crowds them to an already overcrowded mart for their labour-instead of doing this, we daily see men madly' risking the labours of a prosperous life upon hazardous speculations, the extent of which alone must render them unprofitable, were none of those vicissitudes in human affairs to come in the way, which render their best laid plans abortive, and turn their most sanguine prospects of success into scenes of general ruin and distress. But it will be said, that if you withdraw the large capitals from our trade, it must cramp it, and give foreigners a decided advantage over us. Our answer is not to withdraw the capital, but the superabundant portions of it--we want to see that laid out in agri. cultural improveinents where it would be permanent, and increase the great capital of the nation, and not go, as it often does by the measures we have mentioned, into the pockets of foreigners--we want not to see our capital or the strength of our population expended in supplying the wants of foreign nations-wants which vary as fashion, fancy, or caprice point out. Leave the trade of the country to moderate capitals, activity, industry, honour, and the credit which must be procured by these both at home and abroad, and these things will, in a judicious manner, supply every channel of trade with streams sufficient to fill but not to overflow their fertile banks. The capital we would wish to see withdrawn is not lost. It lends its aid to honest industry in a surer and more beneficial manner, and it creates an additional internal consumpt for all those productions our skill and our industry may produce. Instead of looking to remedies that are near at hand and within our power, we look only for relief to those resources which are beyond our reach, and which are also perfectly ideal. The emancipation of South America is looked to, and hailed as an event which is to relieve our commerce from embarrassment. This is a bubble which, if followed, will burst to the ruin of thousands. South America does not contain more than eight millions of inhabitants. More than a half of these are savages, or but a degree removed from that state. The majority of the remainder are naturally, from the climate they inhabit, indolent and slothful, and cannot and will not exert themselves in a manner that an active and beneficial commerce requires. It is not difficult to see how limited the field of commerce must be in such a country as this, and how quickly the market must be overstocked. Those who refuse to see and consider this matter, may lay their account to pay for their rashness. Amongst the various portions of this globe which we have pointed out as openings for our trade, there is one which can be easily reached, and yet it has hitherto been altogether overlooked, or not inquired after with the judgment its importance deserves. We mean the interior of Africa. There cannot remain a doubt but there is an immense population comparatively removed from the savage state, to which we might, without much difficulty, find an easy access. The countries containing this population abound with many lucrative articles of trade, and particularly gold dust. Along the banks of the Niger, and his numerous tributary and mighty streams, there is undoubtedly a country comparatively cultivated, and a population probably exceeding fifty millions, who are either willing or who could be soon led to be willing to engage in lawful trade. That the Niger communicates with the Atlantic ocean there is no longer any reason to doubt. The absurd hypothesis that it terminates in a lake amidst burning sands, or that, lessened by the evaporation in the torrid regions, it runs on to augment the Egyptian Nile, can no longer be maintained. All the information we receive worthy of credit shews the reverse. The Gulph of Guinea is the outlet of the Niger, and the Bight of Benin or Biafra, the point seen. where its central mouths disembogue. From the Lagos River inclusive, to the Rio de Gaboon, a distance of about six hundred miles, twenty rivers (independent of numerous | creeks or inlets, perhaps arms of the others) of surprising magnitude, open into the deep. These at their mouths are from ten to twenty iniles in breadth, of rapid currents and of great depth. The Rio Lagos, the Rio de Formosa, Bonny River, Old Calabar River, New Calabar River, Cross River, Cameroon's River, Malemba River, and the Rio de Gaboon, are all of them streams of this surprising magnitude. A branch of the Rio de Formosa has been navigated ninety miles from the sea by large vessels, and there found two miles broad. The Lagos River, at a considerable distance from the ocean, is so broad, that in the middle of the stream, the banks, crowned with lofty trees, cannot be It flows from the northward, and from that to north east all the others come. The land around their mouths is all alluvial. At Benin it is level, and stones are unknown. The whole coast in the distance we have mentioned is mud. These rivers, according to all accounts, communicate with each other, by branches at a distance from the sea. Amongst these is the outlet of the Niger, if the whole are not found to be outlets belonging to that mighty stream. The natives round the Rio de Gaboon maintain, that all the rivers in that part of the world flow from the Wola, a mighty stream, described by them as coming from the northward and eastward, the direction in which the Niger must flow. The length of the parent stream of the Niger, even at this outlet, must be near three thousand miles. Bearing along all the waters of Central Africa, from the sources of the Senegal to the sources of the Nile, and on the north east, from the kingdom of Bernow; the Niger must be swelled to a magnitude inferior only to the Maranow. Accordingly, we find, from tolerably good information, that this is the case. At the ferry, in the direct road from Ashantee to Bernow, about five hundred or six hundred miles below Tombuctoo, and before it is joined by any of the mighty branches from the eastward, it is represented as extremely rapid, and about five miles broad. At Wassanah, where it turns to the south, the breadth is so great, that the shore cannot be seen from the opposite bank. Such a river cannot sink in the sands, even were such to be found in that quarter, which all recent accounts lead us to disbelieve. The navigation of the Niger must lay open the whole of Central Africa, by far the most interesting part of the southern portions of that vast continent. It is surprising that while expedition after expedition is sent from the west and the north, to travel three thousand miles through countries barbarous and rude-barren deserts, and barbarians hostile to the Christian name, that no attempt has been made to penetrate into the interior of Africa or the Niger, by means of these rivers we have mentioned—from whose outlets to the termination of the Niger (if it terminates, as has long been supposed, in a lake) the distance cannot exceed three hundred miles, and through countries in every respect easier and safer to travel in than by any of the hitherto attempted routes. This is the more extraordinary, as numerous European ships frequent these rivers. Since the abolition of the slave trade by this country, several ships from Liverpool seek these rivers for the purpose of honest commerce. A small reward to any of them would soon explore the Niger, and without any loss of time to then, because to arrange for and procure a cargo in Africa takes a considerable time, during which they might sail up these rivers and trace out the parent stream, from whence we firmly believe most if not all of them flow. Such an expedition, we are confident, would, in a few weeks, lay open the whole interior of Africa-develope the greatest field of geographical knowledge, which has hitherto remained hidden on the face of this globe-confer immortal honour on the name of Britain-render the greatest service to Africa ever conferred upon her by the hand of man—and, by degrees, open up a field for our commerce, of an extent at present incalculably great. Course of Exchange, Oct. 1. -Amsterdam, 12 : 2:2 U. Antwerp, 12 : 5. Ex. Hamburgh, 36 : 9:21 U. Frankfort, 153 Ex. Paris, 25:85: 2 U. Bourdeaux, 25:85 Madrid, 35% effect. Cadiz, 36 effect. Gibraltar, 30. Leghorn, 474. Genoa, 43%. Malta 46. Naples, 381 Palermo, 116, 50 per oz. Oporto, 53. Rio Janeiro, 571. Dublin, 12. Cork, 12. 55 to } per lb. 95 0 8 14 . Prices of Gold and Silver, per oz.-Portugal gold, in coin, £0 : 0:0. Foreign gold, in bars, £3:17: 104. New doubloons, £3: 13: 6. New dollars, 5s. Od. Silver, in bars, 58. 2d. PRICES CURRENT.-October 2.-- London, October 1, 1819. DUTIES. 59 57 to 58 85 63 £1 10 0 Fine and very fine, 84 81 82 Refined Doub. Loaves, 135 150 140 153 93 114 110 114 103 113 112 108 95 102 92 95 57 52 86 87 MOLASSES, British, cwt. 32 28 30 32 30s 60 0 7 64 COFFEE, Jamaica cwt. Ord. good, and fine ord. 95 93 108 93 108 102 115 Mid. good, and fine mid. 112 122 110 120 110 120 125 150 Dutch, Triage and very ord. 85 96 80 98 85 114 Ord. good, and fine ord. 98 116 96 114 (100 110 120 122 0 0 73 Mid. good, and fine mid. 117 128 115 126 111 120 122 135 St Domingo, 105 106 108 110 PIMENTO (in Bond) Ib. 7 8 6* 7 6 72 73 8 0 0 94 SPIRITS, Jam. Rum, 16 0. P. gall. 3s 10d 4s 0d 3s 3d 3s 4d 3 1 3 5 2s 6d 4s Od 3 10 4 6 SB.S. 0 17 022 2 8 3 0 F.S.) 0 17 1122 Aqua, 7 4 7 6 15 6 WINES, B.S. 2143 18 0 Claret, 1st Growths, hhd. 60 64 £35 65 0 (F.S.) F148 4 6 54 600 28 68 B.S. 95 11 0 Teneriffe, pipe. 30 35 25 38 0 (F.S. 98 160 Madeira, 60 50 63 0 B.S.l. 96 13 0 (F.S.) 99 16 6 LOGWOOD, Jam. ton. £7 £8 7 0 7 7 6 0 6 5 6 15 7 0 Honduras, 9 0914 Campeachy, 9 8 10 9 0 6 15 7 5 8 0 8 5 FUSTIC, Jamaica, 8 8 0 8 10 9 9 10 0 1 4 63 INDIGO, Caraccas fine, lb. 9s 6d lls 6d 8 6 9 6 8 0 8 9 10s Od 0 TIMBER, Amer. Pine, foot. 2 0 2 2 2 6 2 8 2 Ditto Oak, 3 9 4 0 1: Christiansand (dut. paid) 2 3 05 62 2 4 Honduras Mahogany 1 4 1 8 1 2 8 1 23 1 6 1 1 1 2 3 16 0 St Domingo, ditto 1 2 3 0 1 52 2 0 1 6 1 10 8 14 2 TAR, American, brl. 16 B.S. 1 1 45 (F.s. 1 2 Archangel, 19 18 6 21 0 19 6 PITCH, Foreign, cwt. 10 10 6 SB.S. 1 8 (F.S.) 1 10 1 TALLOW, Rus. Yel. Cand. 58 60 60 61 61 0 3 2 Home Melted, 58 61 HEMP, Riga Rhine, ton. 48 49 £48 0 SB.S. 0917 Petersburgh Clean, 43 46 44 045 0 F.S. 0 10 0 FLAX, Riga Thies. & Druj. Rak. 67 68 72 0 70 0 0 43 Irish, 54 0 0 776 MATS, Archangel, 105. 88 90 £4 12 6 4 15 B.S. 1 3 9 (F.S.) 1 4 112 BRISTLES, B.s. 0 7 67 Petersburgh Firsts, cwt. 15 13 10 (F.S. 0 3 115 ASHES, Peters. Pearl, 33 0 4 63 38 (F.S. 0 6 Montreal ditto, 12 44 16 Pot, 34 33 0 1 7 38 OIL, Whale, tun. 38 40 38 39 Cod, 84 (p. brl.) 38 39 38 TOBACCO, Virgin. finc, lb. 9 93 9 55 Os 70 0 0 8 8 0 41 0 10 Inferior, 8 5 0 3 0 37 0 5 COTTONS, Bowed Georg. 3 25 1 1 1 34 9 2 0 2 8 5 Middling, 2 B.S. 0 8 7 Demerara and Berbice, 7 7 1 3 1 7 F.S. West India, 17 2 1 3 1 5 Pernambuco, 1 8 1 6 1 7 1 7 1 8 Maranham, 1 6 1 13 1 6 1 1 6 . 50c.f. ton. per 12 brls. 181 elll cwt. (B.S. per 100 lbs. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF ENGLISH BANKRUPTCIES, announced between the 234 of August, and the 23d of Sept. 1819, extracted from the London Gazette. Andrews, J. Manchester, dealer R. Portwood, cotton-spinner nufacturers facturer Holland, P. Blyth, ship-builder bankers 1 ALPHABETICAL List of SCOTCH BANKRUPTCIES, announced between 1st and 30th Sept. 1819, extracted from the Edinburgh Gazette. Blyth and Lesslie, hatters in Edinburgh, both as M'Symon, John, jun. baker and grain-dealer in a company and as individuals Dumbarton facturers in Arbroath, and Alexander Brown Smith, William, innkeeper in Hamilton and Blackburn, cotton yarn merchants and duals agents in Glasgow, as a company and as indiBlack and Isaac, manufacturers in Glasgow, and viduals Alexander Black an individual of that concern Tait, Messrs. James, jun. and company, merchants Caw, James, formerly merchant in Perth, now in Glasgow. residing at Benchill, in the county of Perth Wilson, John and Son, wire-workers, Glasgow Cowan, I'homas, junior, brewer and corn-dealer, Watt, Isaac, merchant' in Dundee Newburgh, Fife DIVIDENDS. Anderson, Andrew, merchant in Greenock; by Hart, John, grocer and spirit-dealer, Kelvyn Dock, the trustee, No 43 Virginia Street, Glasgow; & near Glasgow dividend on the 29th October Hamilton, John, haberdasher in Dumbarton Bathgate, John, late skinner at Bell's Mills; by Jaffery, James, meal and grain-dealers, in Airdric Thomas Miller, 21, North Bridge Street, EdinJaffery, Robert, baker and grain-merchant in burgh, till 11th October; a dividend. Creditors Airdrie to meet in the Royal Exchange Coffeehouse Kelman, Alexander, brewer and baker in Aber- there, 12th October, at 1 deen Clark, Malcolm, bricklayer in Glasgow; by WilLawson, John, clothier, Glasgow liam M'Creadie, briekmaker there, till 3d NovM-Knight, Samuel, jun. corn-merchant, ship- ember; a dividend owner, and general merchant, Kirkcudbright Eddie, Thomas, and Co. merchants, Forres; by M'Donald, Robert, and Son, clothiers in Glasgow, John Cumming, agent for the British Linen and Robert M‘Donald, partner of said concern, Company at Forres, till 17th October ; & divias an individual dend. Maitland, John, flesher and cattle-dealer in Ayr Hunters, Rainey, and Morton, merchants in Glas. James Muirhead, mason and builder in Glasgow gow; by the trustee, Post Office Buildings there ; a dividend of Hohe per pound on 29th Sep. Laird, James, and Co. manufacturers, Murthill, tember. near Forfar; by David Jobson, jun. a dividend Kidd, David, sometime a spirit-dealer, Notting- on 8th October. ham Place, Edinburgh; by Robert Mitchell, Simpson, Robert, late builder in Edinburgh; by spirit-dealer, Old Physic Gardens, Edinburgh, the trustee, No 42, James's Square, till 30th til 4th October; a dividend. September ; a final dividend of 3d. per pound. . Old . . . London, Corn Exchange, Oct. 1. Liverpool, Oct. 2. so Wheat, S. d. S. d. 3. d. 3. 3. d. 3. Wheat, Red 50 to 58 Boilers 52 to 54 Pease, for. 40 0 to 500 Fine 63 to 65 Small Beans 42 to 44 English . 10 0 to 11 oRice, p.cwt. 0 0 to 00 68 to 70 old Superfine 0 to 0 Scotch 9 0 to 10 o Flour, Eng. 59 0 to 61 0 Es. White, new 58 to 63 Tick. 30 to 38 Trish, new 9 0 to 10 01-Seconds. 54 0 to 55 0 Old 73 to o Foreign to ol Dantzic 10 0 to 10 6 Irishp.240lb. 50 0 to 51 0 Superfine 71 to 74 Feed Oats .1 to 21 Weimar . . 10 0 to 10 6 Ameri. p. bl. 38 0 to 40 0 77 to 0 Fine. 22 to 21|American. 8 6 to 9 3 --Sour do.. 31 0 to 33 0 Rye 30 to 36Poland do • 24 to 26 Quebec ...90 to 9 3 Clover-seed, p. bush. White 0 21 to 30 Fine. O to Barley 27 to 29 Barley, per 60 lbs. 32 to 31 Potato do... Fine. 27 to 29 English,grind.40 to 4 6 O to - Red 0 Superfine 35 to 40 Fine 30 to 31 Malting 5 0 to 5 3 Oatmeal, per 240 lb. Malt, 30 0 to 34 0 . . 60 to 65 Flour, p. sack 60 to 65|Irish . 4 0 to 00 English Fine 74 to 78 Seconds 55 to 60 Scotch 28 0 to 30 0 4 2 to 4 4 Scotch Hog Pease 48 to 52 North Country O to 0 Foreign 24 0 to 26 0 4 0 to 4 6 Irish .... Maple . 50 to 54 Pollard 16 to 18 Malt p.9gls. 10 0 to 11 6 Butter, Beef, foc. White, new . . 40 to 50Bran 9 to 10 Rye, for. 36 0 to 40 0 Butter, per cwt. S. 8. Oats, per 45 1b). Belfast 97 to 0 English 3 4 to 3 6 Newry 94 to Seeds, fc.-Oct. 10. Scotch'pota. 3 4 to 3 6 Waterford, new 92 to 0 S.) Welsh 3 4 to 3 6 Cork, 3d 84 to 86 Must. Brown, 14 to 0 Hempseed. 50 to - Irish, new 3 5 to 3 6 Pickled, 88 to 90 -White ... 14 to 0 Linseed, crush. 56 to 65 old 3 0 to 3 2 Beef, p. tierce 85 to 95 Tares. ... . 17 to 16 New, for Seed to - Common . 2 10 to 50 p. barrel 55 to 63 Turnips 0 Ryegrass, 36 to Foreign 2 8 to 2 10 Pork, p. brl. 90 to 98 -New .... 10 to 16 Clover, Red, . 100 to 105 Beans, pr qr. Hams, dry, 64 to 66 -Yellow... 0 to 0 White 105 to English . . 46 0 to 52 0 Bacon, Carraway . . . 56 to 0 Coriander 16 to 40 0 to 42 0 Short middles 0 to 0 Canary 80 to 01 Trefoil 70 to Long 0 to o New Rapeseed, £38 to £-, Boiling . 40 0 to 50 O'Rapeseed £30 to £32. . . S. .... 0 to Irish ... . Average Prices of Corn in England and Wales, from the Returns received in the Week ended 25th Sept. 1819. Wheat, 69s. 1d.-Rye, 415. Od.-Barley, 388. 11d.-Oats, 26$. 7d.-Beans, 49s. 20.--Pease, 48s. 11d. Beer or Big, 0s. Od.Oatmeal, 27s. 10d. Average Prices of British Corn in Scotland, by the Quarter of Eight Winchester Bushels, and Oatmeal, per Boll of 128 lbs. Scots Troy, or 140 lbs. Avoirdupois, of the Four Weeks immediately preceding the 15th Sept. 1819. Wheat, 65s. 100.-Rye, 458. 2d.-Barley, 35s. 1d.-Oats, 26s. Od. -Beans, 41s. 4d.- Pease, 92d. 20. Beer or Big, 328. 5d.-Oatmeal, 20s. 3d. Wheat. .23s. Od. EDINBURGH.-Oct. 6. Oats. Average of Wheat, £1:11:19d. Pease & Beans. 1st,......21s. Od. 2d, ...... 20s. Od. 3d,.. .18s. Od. 3d, ......? Tuesday, Oct. 6. Os. 6d. to Os. 8d. Potatoes (28 lb.) 28. Od. to 3s. 6d. Butter, per lb. Veal Os. 7d. to Os. 9d. New Salt ditto, Pork Os. 6d. to Os. 70. Ditto, per stone Tallow, per stone 10s. Od. to 15s. Od. Eggs, per dozen Hides 7s. Od. to 8s. Od. | Os. 9d. to Os. 10d. ls. 6d. to Os. Od. . ls. 3d. to ls. 4d. 20s. Od. to Os. Od. ls. Od. to Os. Od. . O ..... 208. Od. HADDINGTON.Oct. 1. Oats. Beans. 1st,......38s. Od. 1st,......25s. Od. 1st,......21s. Od. 1st......20s. Od. Ist, 2d, ......355. Od. | 2d, ..23s. Od. | 2d, .18s. Od. 2d, 18s. Od. | 2d,...... 18s. Oą. 3d, ...... 29s. Od. 3d, ...... ..19s. Od. 3d, ......16s. Od. / 3d, ......16s. Od. 1 3d,...... 16s. Od. Average of Wheat, £1:9:7: 2-12ths. Р |