Commercial Notes

Hon. Caleb Cüshing thinks our country, particularly the agricultural population, will be vastly benefited by the war in Europe. The great Dupont powdcr milis, near Wilmiugton, Del., havo been biisy of late supplying Turkish and ltussiau orders for powder. In California theïe are thirty savings banks, with deposita of $72,542,700. During the past year there has not been a failure among them. Kates for interest vary from 7 to 9 per cent. Tiee trado of the United States with Russia and Turkey for the fiscal ycar 1875 was ag follows : Kussia, iinports $1,399,759, export, 811,481,758 ; Turkey, iinports $579,706, exporta $4,244,884. Tiie ;S'Ao; and Ieathcr Reporter disenssBs the probable effeets of the Ellropean war on the trade it represente, and comes to the conclusión that it will créate au abnormal demand for all kinds of lenther, and that prices will be largely (nhanoed, The French Government has published the statistics of the value of imports and exporta into France dnring the til'st quarter of this year. The total of exporte and importe together ia $335,800,000, less by 8,700,000 than for the same period last year. The only import which shows an increase is that of articles of food. The exiBting troubles between Eussia aud Turkey, and the unsettled condition of other European powers, have alrondy ereateu a uemuna upoii tius country lor timber suitnblc for ship-building, and tlic agenta of sevoral foroigu powors are in the United States íor the purpose of purchasing. Two cargóos wero reeently sliipped to France, and it is said more have been purchased for Great Britain. Hon. Caieb Cushlng, late Minister to Spain, severely criticises the aotion of CongreBB in abolishing Consulates. He maintains tliat our Consuls do notcost the Government anything, and that they are simply treasury agents who develop American commerce, and who ought to to be in every comer of the globe where thore is a prospect of trade. He believes that the commerce of England is largely due to its extensive Consular service. The Canadian Government flnds itself seriously embarrassed in its finances by the construction of the Pacific railroads. Between 18G7 and 1876 the public debt has giwn from .$92,000,000 to $152,000,000. The Intercolonial has cost $21,000,000, and to keep it running takes $500,000 to $1,000,000 a year. Besides this, the Government is at work enlarging the cañáis ; and in Quebec and Ontario large railway expenditures are being inade by the provinces out of the subsidies supplied by the Dominion Government. The silk industry of Lyons, Franco, is in a languishing ü not desperate condition, and the French Government intends to appropriate 8100,000 for the purchase by the State of silk fabrics iu Lyons, "in order to give work and relief to the suffering operativos. " Tlie silk business in China is also considerably depressed ; but in America, according to the report of the Silk Association, the indusfcry was never in a more thriving condition. The products liave developed from 2,000,000 to $25,000,000 within the last few years. The following stctement, by the Bureau of Stiitistics, sliows the imports of whoat to the United Kingdom (Great Britnin), during the tifteen months which ended March 31, 1877 : From the United States, 24,299,162 cwt. ; from Russia, 10,112,444 cwt.; from British India, 3,986,200 cwt.; from Germany, 2,928,013 cwt.; from France, 571,867 cwt.; from Egypt, 2,452,070 cwt.; from Turkey, Wallachia and Moldavia, 1,441,183 cwt. ; from British North America, 2,482,059 cwt.; from Chili, 994,619 cwt.; other countries, 3,683,691 cwt. Total, 52,951,358 cwt., or nearly 100,000,000 bushels, of the valuo of L28,085,007. Duriug the sume peñod Hiere was iniported 7,469,0öl cwt. of wheat flour, of whieh 2,749,579 cwt. was received from the United States. Two tlans are on foot in Massachusetts to utilize the Hoosac tunnel for through railroads to the West. One proposes to charter a Boston and Chicago llailway Trust Oompany, with a capital of 3100,000,000, $:35,00b,000 of it to be giiarantecd by the Bay State. Tiie olli'-r plan has in view the oreatiou of a Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western llailway Company to lease and build linos, making a through connection from Boston to the village of Fair Haven, on Lake Ontario, the lake terminus of tl ie Southern Central raibroad. Both plans are in the hands of energetic men, and there is abusy time in the Massachusetts Logislature over them. Among the pro.moters of tlie latter of the two are Oliver Ames, Estes Howe, Elisha Atkins and George I. Post.