Summary statement of inward and outward cargoes of produce, merchandise, and treasure in transitu and for consumption in Panama, New Granada, for the year ended September 30, 1862. Statement of vessels arrived, and their tonnage, for the year ended Sept. 30, 1862. No. Tonnage. Vessels arrived inward. No. Tonnage. Vessels outward bound. Value of cargoes in American bottoms inward and outward, $59, 671, 194 02. Statement showing the number of passengers, the amount of treasure, mails, and other freight transferred over the Panama railroad during the year ended September 30, 1862. SAN SALVADOR. The following communications respecting this republic were furnished by A. R. McKee, consul at Panama : MAY 22, 1862. From reliable authority I am able to lay before you the following facts touching the resources of the republic of San Salvador and its commercial relations with the United States. In proportion to its territory San Salvador is the most populous of the five Central American states. The population consists of Indians, old Spanish resi dents, and foreigners. Among the latter Americans are the most numerous. The chief ports of the country are La Union, Libertad, and Acajutla; the first named possessing one of the best harbors on the Pacific. The chief production is indigo, of which from 10,000 to 12,000 bales of 150 pounds each are yearly produced, and valued at $1,500,000. This production may be divided as follows: 6,000 bales are exported to England, 2,000 to 3,000 bales to the United States, and the balance to South America. From 2,000 to 4,000 bales of cochineal are yearly produced and shipped to England and the United States; from 40,000 to 50,000 quintals of sugar are shipped to Europe and South America; dyewoods, mostly shipped to the United States and Europe by vessels as return cargo; mahogany, cedar, and other timber, largely exported to California, South America, and, recently, to New York; silver mostly exported to Europe; hides exclusively exported to the United States; rice exported to the neighboring states; coffee exported to England, California, and other ports of the United States. The chief imports from the United States are cotton goods, domestic, hardware, agricultural instruments, and machinery. A comparison of the tables shows an increase of about forty per cent. in the year 1861 over the previous year. The abundance and variety of its productions and increase of intercourse with the United States exceed those of any other of the Central American republics; and yet all the other states have been thought more worthy of friendly cultivation. I am assured that all the states, conjointly, do not fill the value of the exports and imports of the one state of San Salvador. MAY 30, 1862. Since my despatch (No. 12) I have the honor to inform you that I have conversed with intelligent men from the republic of San Salvador, who gave me glowing descriptions of that country, as regards excellence of climate, health, fertility of soil, variety and increase of productions, and general progress. Treaties of friendship and commerce with Italy have recently been concluded, the first signed by Victor Emanual as King of Italy, and the last by Count Cavour. The laws, civil and criminal, have been codified. Lands have been set apart or purchased by the government for the cultivation of silkworms. Coffee, sugar-cane, cochineal, vanilla, and indigo are cultivated with unprecedented success; and indigo, rubber, and Peruvian bark are cultivated in large quantities. Hospitals are being constructed on the most improved plans in many of the principal cities of the republic. A number of turnpike roads leading to the capital are about being finished. The people are alive to the importance of education. School-houses are going up in many towns. The university at the capital has been finished and the best instructors procured. The government has purchased many smooth-bored and rifled cannon, and are erecting capacious public buildings for the legislative, judicial, and executive departments. Two iron bridges have been thrown over the San Miguel river. The English debt has been fully paid off. San Salvador is distinguished for her liberality towards all religious denominations, especially Protestants. She stands pre-eminent among her sister republics for her continued efforts in the cause of education. VENEZUELA. LAGUAYRA-ELIAS WAMPOLE, Consul. OCTOBER 10, 1862. I have the honor, in conformity with section No. 153 of Consular Regulations, to present this my first report. The fact of my occupying the consulate but little over three months will, I trust, be a sufficient apology for my but partially fulfilling the requirements of the department. Favored by climate and soil, nature here offers a new reward to the hands of the cultivator; nowhere has she been more lavish of her favors; most, if not all the products of the different zones can be produced here and in great abundance, some crops yielding three to four times a year. I arrived here on the 21st of May, when a fine crop of grapes hung on the vines. Now a second has taken its place equally good; and so of many other crops. Sugar-cane, cotton, Indian corn, Irish potatoes, with all the kindred crops, can be produced here equal to any other part of the world, besides the great variety of fruits peculiar to this climate. For the want of labor, with all these advantages, the following are the only or chief articles of exports: Coffee, cocoa, hides, deer skins, Indigo, &c., &c. My accompanying tabular statement for 1861 and 1862 will show what part of this trade the United States has enjoyed. The increase is not such as our situation as neighbors would warrant. This may be traced to the fact that the business community is made up of citizens of other lands not in sympathy with the union of the states. If we had American merchants here in sympathy with us this would soon be changed. If this war continues, this fair land will be laid waste. Many hitherto princely estates, producing from 1,000 to 2,000 and 5,000 bags of coffee, annually, are entirely worthless for want of labor. Even the property itself in some cases is destroyed, life insecure, and the prices of all kinds of provisions have risen enormously; we have no statistics whatever here published. But I should say but little American capital is employed in this consular district; we have no business house here. I think the fact should be known in the United States that there is no house here in sympathy with America; no manufactures, no flouring mill, no mechanics of any note, so that American capital as well as American influence is but small here. How long shall this state of things continue? The language may have some effect, but I should think that is not the cause. In my opinion, Laguayra is a healthy place, and why Yankee enterprise has not found it is the marvel. To do business here now requires a large capital, as the old houses are trained and jealous of their long-earned positions. My opinion is, there is an opening for American enterprise in Laguayra at this time; most of our American articles imported are now very scarce and high. The following paper shows the changes made in export duties as per decree of November 16, 1861, and also some further general information : Cotton continues 50 cents per 100 pounds. Starch pays $1 20 per 100 pounds. Indigo pays $1 11 per pound. Oil of copaiva, pays $6 per pound. Cocoa-nut oil pays $2 50 per 80 bottles, large. Oil of sassafras pays 6 cents per pound. Horns pay 25 cents per 100. Asses pay $4 each. Horses and mares pay $16 each. Cocoa, $3 per 100 pounds. Coffee, $1 25 per 100 pounds. Cetadella, $1 per 100 pounds. Cocoa-nuts, 25 cents per 100 pounds. Hides, 75 cents each, equal to about $3 per 100 pounds. Deer skins, 25 cents each. Tiger skins, $1 50 each. Skins of other animals, 10 cents per pound. Divi Divi, 15 cents per 100 pounds. Mules, $12 each. Lignumvitæ, $1 80 per ton. Dyewood, $150 per ton. Peruvian bark, $2 per 100 pounds. Ipijapa hats, $2 per dozen. Vanilla, 50 cents per pound. Leaf tobacco, $3 per 100 pounds. Articles not specified pay 10 per cent. ad valorem. The subsidiary duty of 10 per cent. which formerly was added has been done away with; money pays no export duty. All import duties have been raised 18 per cent. Say formerly the constitution on the ordinary duties as per tariff was 32 per cent. Now it is 50 per cent. All duties, imports and exports, are payable in cash. Income tax has been raised as follows: On incomes up to $1,500, 3 per cent., and on all sums exceeding $1,500, 3 per cent. on the first $1,500, and 4 per cent. on the balance. Articles free of duty are precious metals, coming in bars or dust, printing materials, printed books, machinery, and all other articles exempted from duty by the decree of 22d February, 1851, such as rice, corn, potatoes, &c. There are other articles that should come free at this time, as they are almost essential to human life. If more general information is wanted, we must have money to buy it, as they love money here and nothing of a statistical character is published at present. There being no official return whatever published this year, I give a comparative recapitulatory statement of 1861 and 1862, from our consular books in the office. The above tabular statement shows the number of vessels in 1861 eight less than in 1862. This may be accounted for from the fact that English vessels did much of the carrying trade, and no account of their tonnage was taken by my predecessor. Hence more tonnage appears in 1861 by 5,2551 tons, but the largest imports in 1862 by $60,767 23, while the exports of 1861 exceeded 1862 by only $3,283 37. CIUDAD BOLIVAR.-JOHN WULFF, Acting Consul. DECEMBER 31, 1861. The following statement shows the number, aggregate tonnage, and value of outward cargoes of American vessels arrived at the port of Ciudad Bolivar for the year ended December 31, 1861: Number of vessels, 6; tonnage, 1,575; value of outward cargoes, $253,823 41. Value, United States currency, at 74.42 per $1, $188,895 38. Statement showing the number, nationality, and value of outward cargoes of foreign vessels arrived at and departed from Ciudad Bolivar for the year ended December 31, 1861. Hides, our only staple, pay an export duty of 75 cents each. Our exports of dry inoca hides are as follows: To the United States, in 10 vessels, in 1861.. Hides. 149, 077 124, 125 192, 346 228, 555 234, 552 CHILI. VALPARAISO. JAMES CHURCHMAN, Consul. MAY 1, 1862. An impression has prevailed that the cereals composed the most important item of Chilian production and export. It is not so. The metals (particularly copper) are first in importance; grain and flour second. Our country has but little idea of the immense amount of wealth, silently |