results have been eminently successful. One institution only, before alluded to, which failed to effect the object for which it was established, long since ceased to exist, and another has taken its place.

of the “ general conduct and condition ” of these institutions, (the Commissioners say:) we are able to state that they are in a safe “condition” for depositors, and, in their “ general conduct,” they are, in the main, accomplishing the benevolent purposes for which they were created.

The ranye of selection for investments, within the limits of the statutes, is wide, and hence they differ in character according to the preferences of various boards of investment.

In Great Britain, the deposits of savings banks are invested in government securities—the policy being to establish confidence in their safety, and, at the same time, to create an attachment in depositors, to the maintenance of the laws and institutions of the country. The wealthier classes there, as here, take a deep interest in them, because, in a wonderful degree, they diminish the evils of pauperism, and relieve the opulent classes from heavy pecuniary burdens. The philanthropist regards them with favor because they tend to promote frugality and providence in the habits of the people, to improve their morals, to cherish a sense of personal independence, and to diffuse numerous blessings through the community. À savings bank may be regarded as amung the best institutions of modern times, and one which reflects honor upon the age.

In Massachusetts, savings banks were made subjects of general statute regulation, by the act of April 2, 1834. By the seventh section of that act, modes were prescribed for the investment of deposits. These were incoporated into the seventyeighth section of the thirty sixth chapter of the Revised Statutes, which is as follows: “All such sume may be invested in the stock of any bank, incorporated under the authority of this Commonwealth, or of the United States, or may be loaned on interest to any such bank, or may be loaned on bond or notes, with collateral security of the stock of any of the said banks, at not more than 90 per cent of its par valve ; or they may be invested in the public funds of this Commonwealth, or of the United States, or loaned on a pledge of any of the said funds; or invested in loans to any county, or town, in this State, or in mortgages of real estate; provided, that the whole amount of stock, held by the institution at any one time, in any one bank, both by way of investment and as security for loans, shall not exceed one half of the capital stock of such bank, and that not more than three quarters of the whole sum, deposited in the institution, shall be at any one time invested in mortgages of real estate.

By the seventy ninth section of the same chapter of the Revised Statutes, it is provided that “if the moneys, held by any such corporation, cannot be conveniently invested in any or all of the mudes herein before prescribed, then it shall be lawful to loan not exceedling one-half part of the amount thereof, on bonds or other personal securities, with at least two sureties; provided, that the principal and sureties shall all be citizens of this Commonwealth, and resident therein."

By the act of March 5, 1841, “all savings banks and institutions for savings may make loans npon bonds or notes, with the pledge of the stock of any railroad company incorporated under the authority of this Commonwealth, the whole amount of whose capital is actually paid, such loan not to exceed 85 per centum of the par value of such stock; provided, that no such loan shall be made upon the stuck of any company whose road or franchise is subject to any mortgage or pledge; and provided, further, i hat no loan shall be made on any railroad stocks, which stocks shall not, at the time sail loun is made, comunand at least their par value in the market, and no such bank or institution shall so lvan more than 50 jer cent of the amount of their deposits."

VALUE OF GOLD IN LONDON.
The following are the rates of gold coin and bullion in London :-
Foreign gold in bars (standard).....

£3 17 9 Foreign silver ditto.....

5 6 Gold coin, Portugal..

ounce

BANKS AND SAVINGS BANKS OF RHODE ISLAND. We are indebted to the Hon. William Beach LAWRENCE, late Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, for a copy of the" Abstract exhibiting the condition of the banks of Rhode Island on the 8th day of September, 1851, from the returns made to the General Assembly at its annual October Session.” From the abstracts, prepared by Hon. Mr. Potter, Secretary of State, we learn that the banking capital of the State, actually paid in on the 8th of September, 1851, amounted to $12,906,160; of which the twenty-six banks in Providence had a capital of $9,518,810; and the forty-three banks out of Providence of $3,487,350.

We give below the aggregate resources and liabilities of all the banks in Rhode Island, distinguishing the Banks in Providence and the banks out of Providence, as follows: AGGREGATE CONDITION OF THE 26 BANKS IN, AND THE 43 BANKS OUT OF PROVIDENCE,

RHODE ISLAND.

DUE FROM THE BANKS.

26 Banks in 43 Banks out of

Providence. Provideuce. Total-69 Bank, Capital stock actually paid in. $9,518,810 00 $3,487,350) 60 $12,906,160 60 Bills in circulation.....

1,831,339 75 1,245,661 00 3,077,000 76 Deposits on interest..

169,496 85

46,234 62 205,731 47 Deposits not on interest.

1,133,590 04 527,811 94 1,661,401 98 Debts due to other banks...

831,798 43 102,411 64 934,210 07 Dividends unpaid...

21,409 84 21,440 78 42,850 62 Net profits on hand

592,708 94 189,919 57 782,628 51 Total amount of liabilities....... $14,000,193 99 $5,621,113 69 $19,621,307 68

RESOURCES OF TUE BANKS.

Debts due from directors..

$261,914 39 $708,079 19 $969,993 58 Debts due from other stockholders.. 303,848 49 298,192 35 601,540 84 Debts due from all others....

12,031,936 87 4,267,914 70 16,299,851 57 Specie actually in bank......

177,078 16 100,637 82 277,715 98 Bills of other banks...

525,464 24 100,841 69 626,305 93 Deposits in other bauks..

428,464 04 200,569 37 629,033 41 Amount of stock beld by bank..

1,484 50 35,621 20

37,105 70 Amount and description of stock a.. 36,356 47 83,447 87 119,704 34 Real estate.

184,867 52 86,673 62 271,641 14 Other property..

6,309 28 7,581 51 13,890 79 Total amount of resources, .... $14,000,193 99 *$5,610,365 17 *19,610,659 16 Increase of capital since last return. 447,390 00 147,292 50 594,682 50 Amount of dividend ..

319,150 26 120,604 16 439,764 41 Amount of suspended paper b..

35,733 20 82,332 58 118,065 78 Reserved profits c......

392,575 30 185,160 12 527,735 42 Amount loaned d...

156,550 94 236.872 18 393,423 12 Debts due and not paid.

119,598 93 279,424 98 399,023 91 Amount of bills e..

669,977 40 313,443 25 983,420 65 Average semi-annual dividend of banks in Providence..

3 11.16 of banks out of Providence.

3 91-164 of all the banks..

3 157-260

• per cent

SAVINGS BANKS OF RHODE ISLAND.

According to the report referred to above, there are eight Savings Banks Rhode Island; one at Providence, one at Newport, one at Bristol, one at Pawtucket, one at Warwick, one at East Greenwich, one at Woonsocket, and one at Wakefield. The whole number of depositors in these banks, on the first Monday in October, 1851, was 11,161 -of which there were of sums under $100, 5,356; of $100 and under $200, 2,332. of $200 and under $500, 2,736; of $500 and under $1,000, 646; of $1,000 and up? warils, 89. We give below the aggregate condition of all the Savings Banks in Rhode Island, as follows:

AGGREGATE OF SAVINGS INSTITUTIONS. Deposits ...

$1,907.233 81 Of cash on hand....... $26,713 02 Profits on hand.

109,603 26 of loans to various corpo-
rations...

161,158 00 $2,016,837 07 Deposits drawing interest. 20,000 00 Invested in bonds and mort

Premiums for bank stock.. 1,666 12 g ges...

$1,241,050 01 Invested in stocks 461,393 95

$2,016,837 07 Secured by stocks....

3,000 00 Of reserved profits ... 59,454 74 Loaned on personal security 101,855 97 of last dividends....

*70,314 93 VIRGINIA STATE DEBT, MARCH 20, 1852. January 1, 1852, Bonds registered in office of Ist Auditor...

$793,146

12,699,412 March 20, 1852, Bonds registered since January 1, in office of 2d Auditor 879,517

2d

Total funded debt, March 20, 1852
Valid subscriptions to companies organized since 30th September, '51.

$14,312,175 3,337,928

261,720

$17,914,823

732,560

5,901,374

Funded debt and valid subscriptions...
Subscriptivus authorized to conipanies pot yet organized...
Bonds guarantied by the State as surety for corporations and joint-
stock companies...

Total debt and liabilities.....
of the above, there is held by the Literary Fund in State stocks
And in bank stock at par..

$22,548,757

$1,132,606

379,272

Held by the State in bank stocks at par......

“ Internal Improvement Stocks and Bonds......

$1,511,878

2,346,800 14,016,919

$17,875,597

RECEIPTS OF THE FUND FOR INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT,
Dividends derived in 1851, (year ending September 30):-

From $14.016,919 stocks and bonds..
From $375 912 interest on State Scrip..
On bank stock ....

$91,306 Bonus from banks.

46,818

$59,120 21,481

138,124

Deduct salaries, surveys, and other expenses

$218,725

57,848

Probable increase for 1853..

$160,877

33,606

Estimated receipt of the fund for 1853.......

$194,403 The constitutional requirement for interest and siuking fund on State debt is 7 per cent per annum. The above does not include the expenses of the government of the State, nor the revenue derived from taxes to pay the ordinary expenses of the government.

* Amount of dividend not stated in the return for East Greenwich Institution.

CONDITION OF THE BANKS OF NEW ORLEANS, MARCH, 1852. We give below a statement of the condition of the banks in New Orleans on the 27th of March, 1852, from the official statement of Charles Gayarre, Secretary of State, and George McWhorter, State Treasurer. For a similar statement of the condition of the s me banks on the 28th of February, 1852, see Merchants Magazine for April, 1852, (vol. xxvi., page 474 :-)

VALUE OF PROPERTY IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1851.
Mr. FRANCIS TURNER, one of the Assessors at New Orleans, furnishes the following
statement of the assessed value of property in that city :-
AN ABSTRACT OF THE ASSESSMENT OF NINE DISTRICTS, PABISH OF ORLEANS, FOR 1851.
Districts.

Real estate.
Negrues.

Capital. License: First...

$5,443,010 $484,950 $163,1180 $3,347 Second..

6,536,570 669,680 461,550 7,792 Third..

18,154,900 530.850 6,904,775 54,443 Fourth.

8,529,200 421,850 2,417,650 15,856 7,593,950 774,550

650.700 13,032 Sixth

4,295,850 645,100 411,950 6,483 Seventh.. 2,823,770 280.750

261,650 4,014 Eighth 2,447,900 359,400

122,450 2,845 Ninth.

2,447,900 359,100 122,450 2,845

Fifth ...

$11,516,255

$110,157

Total.

$58,273,080 $4,526,530 Negroes.

4,526,530 Capital...

11,616,255 Total assessment, 1851 $74,315,865 State taxes on the above, 21 cents per $100... State Licenses...

Total amount of State taxes.. Assessor's commission 3 per cent..

The above is the total compensation 9 Assessors.

$156,063

110,157 $266,220 $4,681 89 CONDITION OF BANKS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, ABSTRACT OF THE QUARTERLY REPORTS ON FILE IN THE BANK DEPARTMENT, SHOWING

THE CONDITION OF THE 17 INCORPORATED BANKS AND 23 BANKING ASSOCIATIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 27, 1852.

RESOURCES. Loans and discounts

$64.828,061 , Bille of solvent b’ks on hand $1,052.666 Loans to directors......... 3,701.001 | Bills of suspen'd b’ks on hand 4,394 All other liabilities

788,580 Due froin solvent bauks on All sums due from brokers. 3,017,992 demand.....

4,407,357 Real estate........

2,539,315 Due from solvent banks ... 7,131 Bonds and mortgages

242,4:27 Due from suspended banks. 4,108 Stocks....

4,954,081 Due from suspended banks Promissory notes. 30,336 on credit..

649 Loss and expense account.. 357,958 Add for cents.

164 Overdrafts.

39,021 Specie..

9,716,070 Total resources........ $106,290,551 Cash items..

11,385,439

LIABILITIES. Capital

$35,187,870 Due individuals and corporaProfits.

5,534,138 tions other than banks and Notes in circulation not reg.

depositors....

$298,658 istered.....

270,841 Due banks on demand. 13,593,732 Registered nutes in circula

Due banks on credit.

180,000 tion

7,401,139 Due to others not included Due Treasurer of the State

in either of the above of New York...... 218,743 heads.......

190,231 Due depositors on demand. 43,415,125 | Add for cents.

74 Total liabilities....... $106,290,551

PROPERTY AND TAXES OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. In the Merchants' Magazine for April, 1852, (vol. xxvi., pages 424-443,) we published an elaborate article under our series of papers on “Toe COMMERCIAL CITIES And Towns of the United States” touching the trade and growth of Chicago in 1851. We are now enabled through the politeness of Mr. H. G. Loomis, one of our sub. scribers in Chicago, to compile from the “ Annual Financial Statement of the City of Chicago for the Municipal Year 1851” two tables, embracing a statement of the taxes of Chicago for 1851-52, and also a statement of the valuation of property, real and personal, taxes, &c., from the incorporation of Chicago, in 1837, to 10th of February, 1852 : STATEMENT OF POPULATION, VALUATION OF PROPERTY, TAXES, ETC., OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, FROM ITS INCORPORATION IN 1837, TO THE 10TH OF FEBRUARY, 1852.