heard of him before." "I am not surprised at that," said Evelyn; "he is not much known in this place. I met him last summer at the city of Surfside, and found him an intelligent, although somewhat brusque and eccentric gentleman. He is from the ancient town of Weathersfield, and has resided for several years in the state of Peru, and I read a paragraph in the Lunar Narcotic of last evening, stating, that he had recently been elected Chief Justice of the Court of Arbitration in that State." "It is so long since we met," interposed Amelia, "that I am really anxious to know what you have all been doing this summer." "I," said Philomath," have been very quietly rusticating on my estate, and experimenting on the new galvanic process of farming." "And how does it answer?" asked Edward. "Its success is only partial. I have succeeded in producing but six good crops, but have no doubt of eventually harvesting nine, at least, in the year;-and what have you been doing, friend Sidney?" "As usual, wandering about. I visited the celebrated Fourierite Establishments, at Sing Sing and Auburn; danced a new waltz at the Shaker Cathedral at Coeymans; and bowed down at the Shrine of Joe Smith, in the great city of Nauvoo. On my return, I stopped at one of the Anti-Rent Settlements, and saw a strange animal, which had been caught in a steel-trap in a neighbouring wood. It is called a Patroon, and is really a lusus naturæ." How would you classify it?" asked Louis. "That I can hardly do. The creature is certainly a nondescript. It is evidently gramniverous, as it feeds principally on wheat-although it is said to be fond of chickens. You will all be able to see it, however, as the proprietor of the Fredonian Institute purchased it at one of the last quarter sales, and intends to exhibit it with the Caraboo Indian, who was recently found on the shores of the great Slave Lake." "We must make a party to go and see it," said Amelia ; "and now, Mr. Edward, what account can you give of yourself? What have you to say?"

(To be Continued.)

THE IRISH MOTHER.*

A WOMAN in the throes of death
Lies on her cabin floor-

A wife and mother yesterday,

But such, alas! no more!

Her husband-yet in manhood's prime-
Her children, young and fair-

Before her eyes have perished all,

And she alone is there.

No-not alone. The priest of God

Is kneeling at her side;

One blessing hath she still, e'en though

All others are denied.

The hand that on her infant brow

The cleansing waters poured,

Now offers to her dying lips

The Body of her Lord.

[These touching and spirited lines were suggested by a recent incident of the famine in Ireland. The poet has so well told the story that we need not repeat it here in prose.-ED.]

"Father," she says, with feeble breath, "God will reward the care

With which you've watched o'er me and mine,
Through hours of black despair.

Yet one more favor would I beg—
To her beyond the sea,

When I am laid beneath the mould,
A blessing send from me.

"And tell her, father, we are dead,
But say not how we died :-
Why should her gentle heart be wrung
To know how ours were tried?
Why should she know the bitter pangs
Her parents' hearts that tore,

When vain they found their toils to keep
Gaunt Famine from their door?

Then tell her not how, day by day,
Her father's strength did fail—
Nor how her darling sister's cheek
Hollow became, and pale.
Though I beheld her father yield
Himself to hopeless woe-
Her sister die in lingering pain;-
All this she need not know.

"Nor how her little brother looked
Into my face, and cried

For food which I had not to give,
Till in my arms he died!

No, father, no-for Heaven's sweet sake,
Send not across the sea

That all she loved have perished thus,
Or she would frenzid be.

"Say we ne'er wronged her by the thought
That we had been forgot,

E'en when the aid we well might hope
From her did reach us not.
But tell her, father, in the scroll
My dying words that bears-
She still can help us, if she will
But name us in her prayers."

She ceases, as a haggard form
Darkens the cabir door,
That to the holy man extends
The letter which he bore.

It brings from a far land, though long
By adverse winds delayed,

The earnings of a pious child,
Her parents dear to aid.

FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

As the business of the year 1847 progresses, new and marked evidence of the great prosperity and increasing wealth of the country becomes everywhere apparent. The war, which unfortunately exists through the anarchy of Mexico, has not retarded the general progress, but has only served as a means of testing the resources of the country; and these, for the first time in its history, have been found vastly to exceed the emergency. That we are at war with Mexico is, in some sort, our own fault, inasmuch that, in our disposition, according to the spirit of our institutions, to attend only to our own affairs, we have too much neglected what may be called the social duties of nations. Belonging, as we do, to the great family of the civilized nations, we have duties to perform towards them similar to those which a good citizen owes towards the other members of the community in which he lives. Hence, when a nation keeps a "disorderly house," it is the duty of neighbors to interfere. For a quarter of a century Mexico has been torn by contending factions, destructive to her own interests and dangerous to her neighbors. Military chiefs have, in turn, used all pretexts to overthrow the existing government and obtain power. The first pretence of quarrel with the United States was seized upon with this view, and the country plunged in a war, having no government sufficiently responsible to make peace. Vattel, and all writers upon international law, urge the necessity of the mediation of foreign powers to put an end to civil war in any nation; and if their mediation is fruitless, the right accrues to them of lending their aid to one party in establishing its power and restoring peace. Had the United States performed this duty, years ago, we should not now have been exposed to the evils of war, with but little chance of a solid peace. If the Mexican government of to-day makes peace, that of to-morrow may repudiate the whole and re-commence the war. In August, 1845, Herrera was regularly chosen President, and being disposed to peace, he invited negotiations, and agreed to receive a minister. This produced the revolt of Paredes, who, to obtain a chance of plundering the treasury, overturned, at the head of the war party, Herrera's government, repudiated the negotiation, insulted the American minister, and attacked the United States troops on their own territory. The moment Santa Anna talks of, or concludes a peace, similar events may occur. No faith can be reposed in such people. A twenty years occupation of the chief cities at their expense, as hostages for peace, seems to be the only alternative. However desirable peace may be, there is no safety in trusting a divided nation, the reasonable part of which has no power to fulfil its negotiations, and the remainder no disposition to recognize the engagements of those in power. Under such circumstances, the admirable revenue system projected for the Mexican ports should, it would seem, be persevered in.

Thus far, the war has not checked the progress of business, and has interfered with commerce in no other way than that the purchases of vessels by the government have, in some degree, enhanced the exorbitant freights that the active export of produce induced.

The wants of the government, in the way of loans, developed the fact, that under a low tariff, and with the Independent Treasury three months in operation, the amount of capital offering for investment is much greater than ever before, and vastly exceeds the wants of the government. The debt of the Federal Government is now as follows:

In addition to this debt, the act of February, 1847, authorizes the issue of a six per cent. stock instead of land, as a bounty to volunteers engaged in the war. The quantity of this stock that will be issued is very uncertain, but will doubtless amount to several millions. By the law of July, 1846, a loan of $10,000,000 was authorized in either stock or treasury notes. These latter were issued to the extent of one-half the loan; and in November, proposals were issued for $5,000,000 on ten years stock. Great efforts were made at that time to coerce the government into a change of the Tariff law, or a modification of the Independent Treasury law; and threats were distinctly held out, that unless the 'specie clause" was abandoned no loan would be taken. This notion was based upon the supposed influence of the banks of New-York, and the idea that New-York capitalists controlled the market. Nevertheless the loan was taken on favorable terms, and very soon a new loan of $22,000,000 was proposed to and authorized by Congress, to be issued in treasury notes or a twenty years 6 per cent. stock. Of this, $5,000,000 was taken in treasury notes at par, payable in specie. Proposals for the remaining $18,000,000 were advertised to be opened April 10th. The bids for this loan were therefore to be made after eleven months of actual war, without prospect of peace; after eight months of the operation of the Warehouse law; after four months of a low tariff, and more than three months of the Independent Treasury law. All these were circumstances, each of which was asserted to be fatal to the government credit-more particularly when the tea and coffee tax was rejected by Congress. In view of this loan, however, the capitalists of New-York attempted a combination to obtain it at par, although the stock negotiated in November was selling at three and three and a half per cent. premium in the first week of April, 1847. When the bids were offered, however, it was ascertained that offers to the extent of $55,000,000 had been made above par, and a sum near the amount of the loan at one-eighth premium, and some small sums as high as three-eighths premium. All the bids amounted to $58,000,000, or more than three times the amount asked for. Thus, the government, under a line of policy which, it was asserted, would ruin its credit, commands the resources of the country in a more ample manner than ever before. The low tariff had not, though in the midst of war, injured its credit; nor had a hard money policy deprived it of resources. The fact that the calls of the government were so liberally and promptly responded to from the internal resources of the country is matter of great gratification, when we reflect upon the unfortunate position of American credit, growing out of the defalcation of many of the states, which pushed a false system of credit to an undue length. In 1841 an agent of the United States government hawked a United States six per cent. stock all over Europe, and was not only unable to obtain a dollar, but was derided for the attempt to renew loans among a mass of dishonored promises. It was then intimated that future wars would find the United States without the necessary credit to conduct it. The results we have recounted show that the federal government is independent of foreign aid. This great fact is owing as well to the enhanced wealth of the country as to the high credit of the government; and perhaps no nation ever evinced a greater degree of general prosperity than does the United States now. Every branch of business is paying a good profit; and even the banks, which pretended to date their ruin from the operation of the specie clause of the Independent Treasury law, are declaring better dividends in the last few months than in any previous years. The following are the January and February dividends of certain New-York banks, and the April dividends of those of Boston:

SEMI-ANNUAL BANK DIVIDENDS.-NEW-YORK AND BOSTON.

Div.

Am't

1847.

Capital. Div. Am't. Div. Am't. .10.050,700....3 25....324,536....3 35....327,036....3 50........ ...346,792 ..18,180,000....3 25........593,000........3 31....603,000....3 40....620,000

Total........33.....$28,230,700.......... $917,536...

.$930,036...........$966,792

This shows a regular increase of profits: and those of the Boston banks were earned, one-half, during the operation of the specie feature of the Independent

Treasury law. This one fact evinces, more than anything else, the absurdity of the bank opposition to a sound currency. The operation of the low tariff has been no less successful; and so far, the revenue derived from it exceeds not only the estimates, but the business of last year. The indications of this fact are found in the import and duties received at the port of New-York, from December 1st down to April 23d, being the period of the operation of the new tariff:

IMPORTS AND DUTIES AT THF PORT OF NEW-YORK.

Dec......

1847.

1846.

1847.

1846. 61,346....537,496....4,279,813....4,076,672....4,878,655....1,056,896.... 1,143,327

Jan.......90 847....478,443....5,499,682....5,263,010....6,068,972....1,471,845....1,434,836 Feb....1,235,122. .285,128........5,889,387....4,749,091....7,409,637....1,255,651....1,496,716

March..1,329,458....786,937....6,060,746....9,812,484....8,177,141....2,603,734....1,652,092

....

Ap 1-16 1,894,067...1,707,341....7,130,559....5,5€3,973...10,731,967. ..1,070,270........1,783,250 Tot. '47 $4,610,867..3,795,345...28,860,167...29,445,229. .37,267,372.

" '46

.7,463,396....7,510,221

373,482..4,464,321...24,607,436

The increased imports, for four months and a half of the operation of the new tariff, have been, it appears, $7,822,143, of which amount $4,610,867 has been received in specie. The amount of dutiable goods imported has increased $4,252,731, while the free goods have diminished $668,976. That the aggregate imports have increased is the natural result of large demand. There can be no considerable sales of produce made abroad without a return of the proceeds into the country in some shape. Under the high tariff, there was a continued effort to avoid the high taxes. The returns for farm produce sold abroad were made in such shape as would be the least oppressed on their arrival here. Hence the large import of free goods and of those bearing the lowest duties. The following table shows this disposition:

GOODS IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

The average rate of specific duties declined more than 8 per cent., which might partly be owing to the advanced invoice prices of the articles; but the amount of revenue actually declined $700,000 on an advanced import value of $5,000,000, showing the prohibitive effect of the highest class of duties. The average rate of ad valorem duties also declined. It appears that the average rate of duties for the first four months of the present tariff was 26 30 per cent. against 30 25 per cent. in the same period last year. The large exports of produce have impelled the return of proceeds; and a large portion of the excess has been, as we have seen, in specie, and that the duties are actually but little in excess of last year. A new element has, however, been in operation, which, while it has tended vastly to facilitate commerce, has deprived the government of the immediate receipt of a considerable sum for duties. We allude to the warehouse system, which has become admirably organized in New-York, and to which we have alluded on a previous occasion. This system has been a great desideratum, since the enforcement of cash duties deprived merchants of that facility for the re-export of goods which they enjoyed under the long credits formerly granted, and by which they could reexport and realize upon goods before the bonds came due here, and without the payment of the 24 deduction from drawback. During the quarter, the amount of goods warehoused at this port has been as follows: