little cause to complain, so far, upon my own place, I am thoroughly convinced that the negro race will not work and cultivate the soil without coertion, and there are many planters of my acquaintance who do not believe that the present crop will be gathered. But let that be as it may; in former time it cost about twelve and a half per cent. to cultivate this plantation, where we produced about 300 bales of cotton and about 450 hogsheads of sugar; and from 600 to 800 barrels molasses, with plenty of corn, potatoes and everything to eat; and we have no idea of raising more than 200 or 250 bales of cotton, and say 125 hogsheads of sugar, and 200 or 250 barrels molasses. I feel perfectly confident that I am now ahead of my neighbors, and apparently doing well; but to see what we have made previous, at a cost of twelve and a half per cent., and now, with a larger force, at a cost of fifty per cent., and not make over half as much, you can make the calculation for the net cost; and it is my opinion that the present crop is the last that will be gathered by freedmen's labor, as a general thing, while a few plantations may be cultivated by a few that will work. The great mass of them will tell you plainly that they will not cultivate the soil alter this year. They are an improvident "race" money seems to be no stimulant at all; it has been my object to instruct, and try to encourage them, and hold out inducements for them to labor and save their wages in order that they may have a start next year; but it is all for no use. If they do not do better in other cotton growing sections of the country than they do here, there will not be more than one-fourth of a crop made, say 1,000,000 bales, this year. Now, in conclusion, I would like to know of you if you have any idea about the probabilities of getting white labor; about the cost of them per hand, and what they would be likely to want; what kind of houses, food and other necessaries they would require, etc. I have comfortable quarters, and one of the most desirable plantations in the country. You will please give me all the information you can. I am, respectfully. 2.-ESTIMATE FOR CULTIVATING 500 ACRES OF COTTON LAND. THE following is an estimate of the expense and cash capital required to cultivate Five Hundred Acres of Cotton Land within the scope of the SOUTHERN LAND AGENCY of FLOREY & DE FRANCE, for the year 1866. 25 Mules, $190.00.. 25 Sets Single Plow Harness, $5.00.... $4,750,00 3 Lumber Wagons, $75.00. 25 Single Plows, $13.00... 225.00 325.00 10 Double Plows, $18.00... 180.00 700 Bushels Cotton Seed, $1.00. 700.00 Total outlay for Stock, Seed, and Implements. 1200 bushels of Corn, $1.00... $1,200,00 120 Bbls. Corn Meal, $6.00 (1 lbs. per ration... 720.00 Wages for 60 hands, for ten months, $15,00. 84 Bbls. Pork, $35.00 (2-3 lb. per ration.. 18 Bushels Salt, for stock and hands.. 2,940.00 15.00 9,000.00 1,000.00 Total for supplies, wages and incidentals.. Rent for 500 acres of land at ten dollars per acre.. $14,875.00 5,000.00 Total expeditures for the year.. For the amount of cash required up to the time a portion of the crop may be disposed of, say Sept. 30, deduct two-thirds of rent, which is not due until the crop is gathered. Last quarter's expenditures for supplies, wag. gons, &c...... $21,278.00 3,333.00 3,893.00 7,226.00 $14,052.00 From which calculation we see that the actual cash capital required is $14,052.00, or about $28.00 per acre; and the actual expense about $42.00 per acre. But, as men's financial abilities differ materially, we think it quite possible to cultivate land with smaller capital. Many are hiring men, agreeing to pay but a small portion of their wages monthly, and the balance at the end of the year; while others save the use of capital by procuring supplies on a short credit, or by allowing a portion of the crop for rent. The average crop on alluvial land is fully one bale per acre, on second bottom, or table lands, about two-thirds of a bale, and on uplands half a bale. Clothing and extra supplies furnished to hands are usually charged against their wages. This calculation is considered by the most experienced cotton growers in the country a fair estimate, and from it you may estimate the profit on any sized tract, as the difference in the amount of land tilled will not materially change the figures. From this estimate we see that the actual expense of procuring one bale of cotton for the market on average bottom land does not exceed $42.00, or ten and a half cents per pound; and as any well-tilled alluvial land will produce.one bale per acre, and cotton at its present valuation-say from thirty-five to forty cents per pound, with every prospect of its being higher during the year it will be seen that the nett profit willexceed two hundred per cent., or $108.00 to $118.00 per acre. 3. A TAX ON COTTON; OR, HOW TO KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG. The following protest by the New York merchants is sensible and manly When this tax is laid the good sense of the people will soon demand its repeal. IMPORTANT MEETING OF THE NEW YORK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-REMONSTRANCE AGAINST ANY INCREASED TAX-CONGRESS OUGHT TO ABOLISH ALL TAX UPON COTTON INSTEAD OF INCREASING IT. A special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, A. A. Low, President, in the chair, was held yesterday afternoon, to hear the report of the committee appointed at the last meeting, upon the proposed tax of five cents per pound on cotton. The chairman of the committee, Mr. Maury, read the report as follows: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. The committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce to consider "the effect of the proposed tax by Congress of five cents per pound on cotton," beg to report: They feel that the subject is one of vast interest to that section of the country in which cotton is grown, of great national concern, and especially worthy of consideration in view of the political state of the South. They assume that in an enlightened community of merchants the importance of dealing justly with the South at the present juncture will be deeply felt; and adopt as the sentiment of this community, that if any error is committed in our national legisla tion it shall not be on the side of severity. If it is necessary to exclude representatives of the Southern States from the halls of Congress, because of disabili ties growing out of the recent war, and measures to be adopted affecting the industries of a large section and of numerous people, these measures should be charcterized by a spirit of generosity which will take the sting from the declaration that "taxation without representation is tyrannical." It should appear in after years, when prosperity in the South takes the place of present adversity, and fraternal relations are again restored in and out of Congress, that in the days of her weakness the North and West did not take undue advantage of the South, discriminating against her industry, and imposing burdens too heavy to be borne; but, on the contrary, that a spirit of magnanimity ruled in the councils of the nation, disposing our legislators to deal generously with the people of the South, thus to aid in restoring them from a state of weakness to a condition of strength. These are the views that animate your committee, and they are such as in their opinion the Chamber should urge upon Congress, as of most importance in considering the amount of internal revenue tax to be levied upon raw cotton. They are deeply impressed with the feeling, as they suppose all right-minded men are, that the cultivation of cotton should be encouraged by all proper means, and should not be discouraged by onerous taxation. And your committee beg to present reasons which, in their judgment, are conclusive, against a duty of five cents per pound on the great Southern staple. First. That the cotton interest in India, Brazil and Egypt, have accumulated large capitals from the high prices of the last three years, while our planters, as a rule, have lost all theirs. Second. That nothing has yet occurred to arrest the extension of cotton production in these countries, and nothing will arrest it short of material and permanent decline in prices hereafter. Third. That in the last five years railroads have been opening the traffic in India, and other means of transportation have been improved; and as the Indian Government guarantees an annual dividend of not less than five per cent. to railway stockholders, we must suppose branch railroads will be made whenever they are likely to pay. Fourth. That during the four years' famine of United States cotton in Europe great improvements have been made in the manufacture of yarns and fabrics from India cotton, so that eminent manufacturers, who thought formerly that they could only use American in making their standard fabrics, have found that a mixture of four-fifths India and one-fifth American, or even nine-tenths India and one-tenth American, produced the requisite quality; at least so it is stated on authority which your committee are forced to respect without being competent to endorse it. Fifth.-That the expenses in the United States of producing, transporting and selling at the ports, exclusive of tax, must be estimated this year at not less than thirteen cents per pound in case of yield of two and a half millions of bales, and about two cents more if the yield is less. It is sometimes said, but very inconsiderately, that the cultivation of cotton in India and Egypt has been a failure. Let us examine this up to the time, and and give the latest possible light upon the question. The average imports into Liverpool, from the first of January to the 20th of April, have been as follows, in bales: 1865 to 1866... .292,000 144,000 151,000 Quantity shown (on 20th of April, at Liverpool) to be at sea for England from India in bales Stock of all kinds of cotton in Liverpool on April 20th each year .575,000 1862. Bales. Bales. 203,000 .422,000 Average twelve months' imports into Great Britain in ten years— The above table shows that the production of cotton has been an eminent suc cess in India, Egypt and Brazil, in quantity; and whatever may be said to the contrary, the quality, even of the India cotton, is good enough to drag down the price of our own growth, as happened in Liverpool last month, to the extent of sixpence sterling per pound, equal to fifteen or sixteen cents of our money, in less than six weeks. The natural course seems now to be for cotton to decline, perhaps very slowly, and by fits and starts, until it reaches half its present value, if the growths of 1866 and 1867 are prolific; and it is equally natural to suppose our planters must make two successive crops, each of three or four millions of bales, and sell them very low prices, before the cultivation in the Bombay district will be materially curtailed. at The prospective difficulties of the American planter, even without any tax on cotton, are great, probably greater than he supposes, as both in the North and South there are still lurking ideas that "American cotton is king;" for if he secures a large lot he is sure to meet a low price; while if the crop is short, and his earnings therefore small, the cultivation in other countries will continue to increase. Yet, at this very time when he is struggling for existence, a tax of five cents per pound is proposed, which, being practically an export duty, is equivalent to charging him with that amount for the purpose of paying it over to the cultivation of India, Egypt and Brazil. And still it is expected he is to compete successfully with those growers. Our knowledge of the proposition is mainly derived from the sketch of a bill for amending the internal revenue act, published some days ago. We deem it reasonable to suppose that if it was first suggested when cotton was worth fifty cents, and expected by some persons to be sixty or seventy cents per pound this summer, while the present average value at the ports of the United States is little more than thirty cents, and if it is to go to forty cents it must be from speculation for re-sale, chiefly to our spinners, and because of anticipated failure of the growth of this year. The bill is based upon the assumption that thirty-four millions of revenue will be derived from this tax, and connects with the recommendation of other proposed changes in the law, which are as favorable to the wealthier portion of our country as the tax referred to is oppressive to the South, viz.: 1. The reduction of tax on income. 2. A drawback on cotton goods, when exported, of five cents per pound, thus increasing the bounty on their production from two to five cents per pound. 3. The abolition of the tax of one dollar per barrel on crude, and one-fifth of that on refined petroleum. There is in these and other modifications suggested in the existing law a want of impartiality which, in the judgment of your committee, is calculated to provoke hostility at the South, and to excite in all honest minds at the North a hope that such a purpose will not prevail. It is not as though the people of the South were prepared to enter into competition with the manufacturers of the North for the benefits to be conferred through the payment of the proposed bounty on cotton goods exported. They are not, and cannot be for years to come; and the imposition of a discriminating tax which tends to make the rich of the North richer, and the poor of South poorer, operates as a discouragement to those who, with heavy hearts but honest endeavors, strive to regain their lost footing. Your committee think it would be wiser and better to lift up those who are now cast down; by just and generous legislation to inspire the Southern people with hope of better days, rather than, by an opposite course, to prolong the era of political and commercial distrust. If it is true that when "one member suffers all the members suffer with it," your committee would urge a more moderate tax than that now proposed; not in the interest of the South alone, but for the common good of all the States of the Union. 4.-THE GRAIN PRODUCTS OF THE UNITED STATES. EXPORTS Of flour, wheat, corn-meal and corn, from the United States for a series of years previous to 1864 were as follows: Reducing flour to wheat and meal to corn we have 58,000,000 bushels of wheat and 28,000,000 bushels of corn as the total exports of 1863. The wheat crops of Illinois and Ohio, and three-fourths of the corn crop of Illinois for that year, would alone more than supply this amount. The export trade of breadstuffs carried on with the United Kingdom by the United States and Canada has undergone some remarkable changes during the last two years. During that period almost the whole trade has been transferred from the producing countries of this continent to France, Russia, and other European countries which produce a surplus. The following statement of the imports of wheat, flour ad corn, into the United Kingdom for the nine months ending September 30, for the last three years, puts the matter forward in a very plain |