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The newest publication of the statistical bureau enables me to give a clear oversight over the Bremen commerce in all its details, as well as in comparison with former years. In general the Bremen commerce has been better than it was expected at the beginning of the year 1862, when all transactions were restricted by the blockade of the southern ports of the United States. The year 1862 can be ranked amongst the most favorable of the Bremen commerce, although the results were not so favorable as in the year 1861, which year is marked in the history of the Bremen commerce as the most favorable one.

The newest report of the treasury department shows that the Bremen income duty in the last year, which was paid for the revenue of the year 1861, amounted to the immense amount of Louis d'ors 118,988 12. This duty amounts to one per cent. of the yearly income of Louis d'or 500 and over; of Louis d'or 2 of the income of 400 to 500, and only one thaler for the income of Louis d'or 250 to 400; and of all yearly incomes under Louis d'or 250 no duty is paid at all. The income tax of the last year represents a yearly income of about 12,000,000 thalers, which amount is only paid from that part of the Bremen population that has a greater income thau Louis d'or 250. The amount of the Bremen income tax only once exceeded 100,000 rix-dollars, namely, in the year 1857, as the income of the most fortunate business year, 1856, was taxed with 101,501 rix-dollars. In the next year the proceeds suddenly diminished in consequence of the crisis in 1857, to Louis d'or 69,388, and since that time it increased by and by, viz., in the year 1859, to Louis d'or 77,329; and in 1860 to Louis d'or 85,999, and in 1861 to Louis d'or 99,132, till it amounted, in the year 1862, to Louis d'or 118,988, for which only 100,000 rixdollars were estimated. For the year 1863 the estimation of the income tax is rix-dollars 110,000. This estimation seems a little high; however, it may serve as a proof that even the treasury department has a very high opinion of the business year 1862.

The statistical summaries of the Bremen commerce in the year 1862 give no in sight in the profits of the business transactions, which it principally derives from the fact that the merchants were working under gradually ascending fluent notions of the prices of wares, and that they obtained a far higher price from the

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smaller quantity of imported goods than in normal times; yet they give us a certain view of the course of business in the year 1862, and it can be seen how the Bremen merchants have tried to cover the deficiency in their connexions with the blockaded southern ports of the United States. The total commerce of Bremen in the year 1862 increased in weight on 293,359 hundred-weight, and diminished in regard to the value on 4,466,493 rix-dollars, against the total commerce in 1862, which amounted to 23,707,592 hundred-weight in weight, and in value of 131,031,966 rix-dollars, against, in 1861, 23,494,233 hundredweight in weight, and in value of 135,498,459 rix-dollars.

The total importation in 1862 amounted to 16,6 mill hundred weight, in value of 67 mill rix-dollars, against, in 1861, 15% mill hundred weight, in value of 70 mill rix-dollars.

The total exportation in 1862 amounted to 77 mill hundred weight, in value of 63,2 mill rix-dollars, against, in 1861, 7,5 mill hundred weight, to 64% mill rix-dollars. The total importation of Bremen decreased only 2,7 mill rixdollars, which, by no means, is very important, as no goods were imported from the southern ports of the United States, and the value of the Bremen import from there amounted, in the year 1861, to 19,003,531 rix-dollars, against, in 1862, only to 11,055,524 rix-dollars, which shows a decrease of 7,948,007 rixdollars.

Bremen imported in 1861, from New Orleans, a value of 6,065,472 rix-dollars, against, in 1862, only of 160,739 rix-dollars. Bremen's former considerable importations from Richmond, Petersburg, and Norfolk, Virginia, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Florida west coast, and Mobile, ceased entirely in the year 1862. The decrease of the import falls principally on cotton, of which in the year 1861, from America 38.7 mill pounds, in value of 7.6 mill rix-dollars, arrived here, against, in 1862, on 534,354 pounds, in value of 247,297 rix-dollars, which shows a decrease only in American cotton of 7.3 mill rix dollars. It is not to be denied that the principal American character of the Bremen business has its great dangers, which especially increased in so critical a moment as the present one. The active transactions of Bremen, based on American business, and immensely increased by the emigration via Bremen, the immense importion of American staple goods, as well as by the intimate relations between the German firms in the United States and those of Bremen, &c., &c., made it nearly unavoidable that a crisis in America, like the actual war, must have a retroactive effect on this place to move, as the connexions with other countries have been very much neglected here. Many Bremen ship-owners perceive now, bitterly, that their great vessels are only accommodated for the voyages to the United States, and that they are not fit for the freight voyages to the East Asiatic seas, while the middle-sized vessels of Hamburg and Oldenburg make very good freights to and from the East Indies, China, &c., &c. The Breman flag would also be very much favored and wanted in the East Asiatic ports, but by the construction of the Bremen ships a greater participation in that trade is deficient. The crisis in the United States is an argument for the press to warn now the Bremen merchants, very forcibly, not to confine themselves exclusively to the old and comfortable relations with America and to the trade in the old articles, but to look for new import and export places, and to supply this place always with new articles, and to give the Bremen commerce hereby a more varied and extended character; and indeed the statistical statements show already that, driven by the sudden change of the circumstances in America, the Bremen merchants have already tried to begin transactions with other import and export places, which trials formerly were completely neglected by them, and that they commenced to import from there such articles in which formerly there were no transactions at all. Bremen's transatlantic import from Cuba, Mexico, New Granada, Brazil, British East Indies, Burmah, shows a considerable increase, and even Japan is found, for the first time, in the Bremen tabular state

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ments as a place of import, although the Bremen flag is not admitted there. So Bremen imported in the year 1861, from Cuba for 3,275,601 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 4,393,311 rix-dollars; from Mexico, east coast, in 1861, for 117,832 rixdollars, and in 1862 for 307,510 rix-dollars; from New Granada in 1861, for 2,375,909 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 3,549,111 rix-dollars; from Brazil in 1861, for 2,670,815 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 3,164,793 rix-dollars; from British East Indies in 1861, for 1,168,915 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 1,747,021 rix-dollars; from Burmah in 1861, 640,674 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 804,782 rix-dollars. As for the importations from the United States, the deficiencies caused by the blockade of the southern ports have nearly been covered by the increased importation from the port of New York. There has been exported from New York to Bremen in the year 1861, only for 6,633,834 rix-dollars, while in 1862 the exportation amounted to 8,546,853 rix-dollars. To those articles by which a greater exportation took place belong, namely, West Indian and South American tobacco, which import shows our surplus of 3,841,000 rixdollars; further, rice, of which was imported in the year 1861, for 1,989,809 rixdollars, and in 1862 for 2,453,430 rix-dollars. The importation of American lard has been raised nine-fold, for in the year 1861 there was only imported 10,918 hundred-weight, in value of 168,701 rix-dollars, against, in 1862, 96,496 hundred-weight, in value of 1,236,335 rix-dollars. Rye was imported in 1861, for 1,221,201 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 1,556,824 rix-dollars; tea, in 1861, for 110,879 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 194,345 rix-dollars; honey, in 1861, for 162,072 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 247,252 rix-dollars; pepper, in 1861, for 86,787 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 143,453 rix-dollars; hams, in 1861, for 119,355 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 217,471 rix-dollars; bacon, in 1861, for 106,018 rix-dollars, and in 1862 for 390,313 rix-dollars. The new article petroleum seems to have a great importance for Bremen.

The communicated figures give sufficient proof that the stirring Bremen merchants did not neglect to look for other articles and countries than those they were formerly accustomed to, and that the crisis in America, notwithstanding the heavy pressure on the Bremen trade, will be of very salutary consequences for the commercial speculations of this place.

The international commerce and the production and consumption of all nations of the earth has been so immensely increased, that the accidental interruption of the commerce of single countries will only double the activity in the transactions with other countries, and will open other new sources to the commerce of the world.

The principal directions of the Bremen commerce are the transatlantic places. This will be seen by the facts, that the transatlantic import of Bremen exceeded that of Hamburg, although the total commerce of Hamburg was four times larger than the commerce of Bremen. The transatlantic import of Hamburg, in the year 1861, amounted to 30,607,975 rix-dollars, whilst that of Bremen amounted to 37,728,256 rix-dollars. The total import of Hamburg, in 1861, amounted to 264.9 millions rix-dollars, whilst Bremen imported only for 77.5 millions rixdollars.

The total navigation in 1861 amounted, in lasts, to—

This transatlantic character of the Bremen commerce has been confirmed again by the year 1862, in so far as nearly the half of the coming and outgoing amount of freight came from, or went to, transatlantic ports. In the year 1862 there arrived, namely, from transatlantic places 133,370 lasts, and from Europe and the Levant 136,433 lasts, while there cleared to transatlantic places 138,512

lasts, and to Europe and the Levant 147,830 lasts. The total value of the import of Bremen from transatlantic places sunk, in consequence of the decreased importation of cotton, from 34.2 million rix-dollars gold in the year 1861, down to 29.08 million rix-dollars in the year 1862. The transatlantic export of Bremen in the year 1861 amounted to 9.3 million rix-dollars, and raised in th: year 1862 to 13.5 million rix-dollars, which was principally caused by the increased exportation of manufactured goods. Whilst it was feared that in 1862 the exportation of German manufactured goods to the United States would further diminish, it turned just to the contrary, for Bremen exported to the United States in the year 1961 only for 6.6 million rix-dollars, against, in 1862, for 10.2 million rix-dollars. The shipments of manufactured goods, principally from the Zollverein and Austria, increased from 3.7 to 5.7 million rix-dollars gold. In the last years the export of Bremen to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Holland, and Italy, increased very considerably. The export to the Zollverein decreased considerably, in consequence of the suffering cotton trade; in 1861 it amounted to 36.9, and in 1862 to 31.7 million rix-dollars; (in 1854 only to 20.9 million rix-dollars.) Prussia received in the year 1861, from Bremen for 12.2, and in 1862 for 11.2 million rix-dollars. Hanover, in 1861, for 8.4, and in 1862 for 7.5 million rix-dollars. Oldenberg, in 1861, for 3.7, and in 1862 for 3.5 million rix-dollars. Saxony, in 1861, for 5.6, and in 1862 for 4.3 million rixdollars. Kurhesse, in 1861, for 1.5, and in 1862 for 1.4 million rix-dollars. Bavaria, in 1861, for 2.1, and in 1862 for 0.9 million rix-dollars, goods. The imports of Bremen from the Zollverein, in the year 1862, increased very much in consequence of the larger shipments of manufactured goods to the United States; in 1861 it amounted to 20.2, against, in 1862, for 22.08 million rix dollars, gold. In relation to Bremen's navigation, there arrived in the year 1862 2,775 ships, with 269,803 lasts, against 3,152 ships with 290,142 lasts in 1861. There sailed from Bremen, in the year 1862, 3,146 ships with 286,343 lasts, against 3,473 ships with 299,199 lasts in the year before. In general the navigation of Bremen, in the year 1862, attained very good results on account of the unsafeness of the American flag, and the increased importation of breadstuffs to England. In consequence the Bremen navigation increased very considerably. The commercial fleet of the Bremen merchants, at the close of the year 1861, amounted only to 253 ships, with 82,868 lasts; it advanced in the next year up to 277 ships, with 91,072 lasts; consequently an increase of 24 ships, with 8,204 lasts. Likewise the navigation of Hanover and Oldenburg increased. In 1861, Oldenburg had 25,440, and in 1862, 25,465 lasts; and Hanover, in 1861, 5,105, and in 1862, 5,412 lasts, on the Weser. The total commercial fleet on the Weser in 1861 amounted to 483 sea-going vessels, with 114,413 lasts, and at the close of 1862, 507 sea-going vessels, with 122,212 lasts. Besides these there are 352 lighters, with 12,068 lasts, on the Weser, of which belong to Bremen 117 lighters, with 6,284 lasts; to Oldenburg, 156 lighters, with 3,481 lasts; to Hanover, 79 lighters, with 2,303 lasts.

The Bremen maritime insurance business increased in the last years very much. The total amount of risks which the Bremen and foreign insurance companies undertook amounted in 1862 to 79,393,314 rix-dollars gold, while in 1861 for 69,683,029 rix-dollars, and in 1852 only for 30,632,200 rix-dollars gold, were insured.

The emigration via Bremen in the year 1862, according to the statistical tables, amounted to 15,187 persons, while in the year 1861 there were 16,540 persons shipped.

The total amount of emigrants which have been shipped via Bremen from 1832 to 1862, inclusive, amounts to 792,973 persons, in 5,469 ships.

If, finally, the total import and export of Bremen is compared with the single results of the last ten years, it will be seen that the import in 1852 amounted to 8.9 million hundred-weight, in value of 48.2 million rix-dollars, against in

1862 16 million hundred-weight, in value of 67.8 million rix-dollars gold; whilst the export in the year 1853 amounted to 4.8 million hundred-weight and 44.7 million rix-dollars, against in 1862 7.7 million hundred-weight and 63.1 million rix-dollars; consequently, the total commerce raised since 1853 is from 13.7 to 23.7 million hundred-weight, and from 92.9 to 131.03 rix-dollars gold, showing a steady and nearly uninterrupted progression and extension of the commerce and the navigation of Bremen.

NOVEMBER 24, 1863.

In obedience to your despatch (No. 89) concerning the treatment to which preserved fruits imported from the United States are subject at the customhouses in Germany, I had a long conversation with the chief officer of the custom-house of the German "Zollverein," at Bremen, Mr. Pieg. Mr. P. has been five years in office, and he declares that the facts, as reported to the department and contained in your despatch, cannot be correct so far as Bremen is concerned. During the five years of his being inffice he cannot remember more than two cases where a single box has been taken out of a whole lot and opened, and that opening took place only at the request of the consignees. It happens often that fruits or other similar merchandise are packed in a large tin box, hermetically sealed. Such boxes are opened like all other boxes; they were again hermetically sealed by special employés, who are learned tin-smiths. The tariff of the German "Zollverein" admits only two different duties on preserved fruits. A higher duty is applied to fruits which are preserved in a liquid-p. s. brandy, juice of sugar, &c. A smaller duty is paid by fruits which are preserved dry in air-tight cans. To discriminate between these two different kinds of preserved fruits it is enough for the custom-house officers to shake one or two of the cans, and to discern by the sound if the fruits are dry or in a liquid. Mr. P. affirms that the opening of the single boxes has never taken place, and would and could not be done.

This is the information I obtained from him, and I give it only as a matter of information in regard to the custom-house at Bremen. The department will probably learn from the consuls at Hamburg, Aix-la-Chapelle, and on the French frontier in Baden, how the custom-houses in the places of entry there are acting in regard to that subject.

HAMBURG-J. H. ANDERSON, Consul.

NOVEMBER 1, 1862.

I have the honor, for the second time, to lay before the department some tabular statements respecting trade, navigation, and emigration.

Annexed hereto are 23 tables, which, together with the despatches I have transmitted from time to time during this year, will give a tolerably clear idea of the nature and extent of the business carried on at this place. The statements herewith sent are very elaborate, and were drawn from high official sources. They are perfectly reliable, with a few exceptions pointed out on the despatches. My excuse for making them so lengthy is that this city has a trade inferior only to that of New York, and justice has not been done to it for the last few years in the consular reports.

I am sorry to say that, as no export duty is laid at this port, there is no means of ascertaining the value and character of the exports. Therefore this report will contain no account of that branch of trade. Table A contains the whole amount of importations of Hamburg for 1861, and specifies the character and value of the imports from the United States and from all other countries. It is a most valuable table, showing, as it does, the places which