Commercial Notes

The United States has been a heavy buyer of silver in Eiu'opc this spi'ing. The largo sales of the metal by Germany lowered tho pricc so tliut it could bc bought oheaper in Europc than in Nevada. Ter annual report by the Austrian Board of Trnde of the commerce of that (-01111117 for 187G shows a decrease in importe amountiug to iibout 6 per cent, Etna mi increaso in exporte of alittlemore thnn 2 per cent. The overland movement of cofl'ee from California porte lias lallen olï wouderfully within tliree years. In 1874, 926,000 pounds were sent East from iSan Franoisco; in 1875, 1,281,000 pounds, and in 1870 only 100,000. Tire Bureau of Statistios has publislicd ii statement showing that tlie exports of oleomargarine or butterinefrom New York during the sevon moutlis endng March ;il amounted to 3,549,820 pounds, with a valué of 481,747, of which 2,352,250 pounds was shipped to Trance and 991,329 to Great Britaiu. Tue Angora goate from Asia have been introduced into Texas very largoly within the lust few years. One man nowlias about 1,000 crossed witli üie Mexican goat. The hair, or wool, is long, and will sell for from 75 cents to Í51 a pound; the skin or hide makes tlie morueco leather and the kid glove; tho suet is the best in the world, and the meat of the youug goat is tender and toothsome. On the wnole the goat business in Texas and Mexico promises to be a great feature of their future. Fjunce, during tho last four years, has been accnnmlating a largo stock of gold andsilvir preparatory to a reKiiniption of specie payments by the Bank of Franco. The average gain in specie of that institution has been about $55,000,000 a year, one-third of which luis been silvor. The declared importe and exporte of gold and silvcr oj the republio for the first two months of tho present fiscal year show a gain of $19,777,400 in gold and $3,594,570 in silver, about onelialt' of which went into tho bank. Tuk amiual meeting of the Silk Assooiation of America was held in New York, a few days ago. The annual report shows the total producto last year were 1,284,860 pounds, valued ut f26,568,103. Notwith stand ing all the embarrassments onder which the manufacturer has labored, the total consumption of raw silk in the United States for the calendar year 187G was within 150,000 pounds - about 10 per cent. - of that of 1875, whieh was the year of the largest consumption of raw silk on record. In the city of Paterson alone the sum paid to operativts in silk faetones was $2,000,000.