3d. Seamen or boatmen deemed incurable, or those employed in the fisheries, are not entitled to the benefits of the marine hospital fund.

4th. The period of hospital relief is restricted to four months, and is not to be extended for a longer time, except by the special authority of the department.

At all ports, except those on the Pacific, where no hospitals have been provided by the government, the following limitation and rules will be observed:

In ports north of Newbern, North Carolina, there will be allowed for suitable boarding, lodging, and nursing, the sum of three dollars per week for each patient, and in those south of that place three dollars and fifty cents per week for each patient.

Medicines will be paid for at the usual apothecary rates, but in no case shall the cost of them exceed ten cents per day for each patient.

Professional services to each patient at the rate of twenty-five cents per day, not in any case to exceed six dollars and twenty-five cents for any one patient, and applicable only to not exceeding ten patients. For all patients above ten, the maximum aggregate charge not to exceed three dollars, at the rate of twenty-five cents per day up to that sum.

No charges for medical and surgical services will be paid until the patient is discharged, and in all cases the accounts rendered for those services must show the number and names of the patients, the number of days, attention to each, and a specification of their diseases.

Whenever seamen or boatmen shall abandon their profession, and enter upon other employments, they will not be entitled to hospital relief during the continuance of such other avocation; and in no case where disease has been contracted during such abandonment, and while engaged in other pursuits, will relief be extended.

At all ports on the Pacific, the cost of boarding, lodging, nursing, medicines, medical and surgical aid, and all other attentions and care of marine hospital patients, will be specially regulated, from time to time, at each port by the Department upon a full statement of facts and circumstances connected with the care and medical treatment of them. THOMAS CORWIN, Secretary of the Treasury.

COMMERCIAL TREATY BETWEEN FRANCE AND SARDINIA. The following are the chief points of the new treaty of Commerce concluded between France and Sardinia. It is another step in advance of free trade principles.

1. The abolition, by Sardinia, of all export duty on raw spun silks, also on skins of kids and lambs. 2. The abolition, by the two countries, of import duties on the same articles. 3. The reduction, by Piedmont, to a uniform duty of 3f. 30c., the hectolitre instead of 10f., and 14f. on all sorts of wines; of 10f. instead of 30f. on brandies of the first quality; of 5f. 50c. instead of 18f. on common brandies, and 10c. instead of 30c. on every bottle of wine, brandy, liquor, or vinegar containing less than a litre. 4. The reduction, by France, to 15f. instead of 20f. the 100 kilogrammes of the duties on Sardinian oils. 5. The admission, by France, at a reduced duty of 3f. of 12,000 kilogrammes per annum of the steeled cast iron of Savoy. 6. The reduction, by France, of one-half of the existing duties on the Cheeses of Savoy, and some facilities for the importation of cattle from that province.

Letters from Genoa state that trade has revived wonderfully in the city since the treaty of Commerce with France came into operation on the 14th February last. The improvement has given rise to a project for converting the Darsena into docks, at a cost of f.18,000,000.

The Sauli Palace, one of the finest specimens of Genoese architecture, is to be demolished to make room for improvement. A French company has bought it for that purpose, to the great wrath of the citizens.

TO REGULATE THE SALE OF OATS IN MAINE.

The following "act to regulate the sale of oats," was passed at the last session of the Maine Legislature, and approved by the Governor, February 14th, 1852.

AN ACT TO REGULATE THE SALE OF OATS.

From and after the passage of this act, all oats offered for sale in this State, shall be sold by strike measure, or thirty pounds per bushel, and whenever any oats shall hereafter be offered for sale, and either the seller or buyer shall require it, said oats shall be sold by the aforesaid weight.

THE LAW OF MARYLAND REGULATING PILOTAGE.

We publish below a copy of the new Pilot Law of Maryland, which passed the Legislature of that State in April, 1852:—

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That J. Smith Hollins, William Graham, Samuel T. Thompson, and John Haynie, or any three or more of them, be and they are hereby appointed a board to examine any person who shall desire to be admitted a pilot, he first producing a certificate from the Circuit Court of the county where he resides, or from the Court of Common Pleas of the city of Baltimore, in case he resides in said city, of his honesty and good behavior, and paying to the said board the sum of five dollars, and to the register of the board seventy-five cents, and if upon public examination the person shall appear to the board of sufficient ability, skill, and experience, they shall grant him one of three kinds of warrants of appointment and license, according to the qualification of such person, thereby authorizing such person for one year from the date of such warrant, either to pilot vessels of any draft of water, or vessels not exceeding twelve feet draft, or vessels not exceeding nine feet draft; and every person receiving a warrant of appointment and license agreeably to this act, shall thereafter be reputed a lawful pilot; but no person shall be entitled to receive a warrant as aforesaid, as a first rate pilot, unless he hath employed himself at least three years in the business of piloting vessels of any draft, or unless he shall have served at least five years as an apprentice to the business of piloting; and every pilot shall receive his warrant of license every year in the month of April or May, and that no warrant shall be granted at any other time, or renew license applied for, unless the pilot had been carried to sea, or confined by sickness so as to prevent his application within that period; and every first-rate pilot shall pay two dollars, and every second-rate pilot shall pay one dollar and fifty cents, and every third-rate pilot shall pay one dollar, to the register of the board, and the board may renew any license or not, as they may think proper.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted. That every member of the said board, before he proceeds to examine any person applying for a warrant as pilot under this act, shall take the following oath of affirmation, to be administered by a Justice of the Peace, to wit:do swear (or solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm) that I will impartially examine and inquire into the capacity, skill, and experience of any applicant or applicants in the art of piloting in the Chesapeake Bay, and the rivers thereof, and will adinit them as I find them qualified, or reject them if I shall find them unqualified, without favor, affection, or reward."

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the said board may make and use a common seal, and alter and renew the same at their pleasure, and may appoint a register, who shall enter in a book to be provided for that purpose, all applications to and other proceedings of the said board, and the register shall countersign all warrants for pilots granted by the board, and every such warrant shall be under the seal of the said board.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any person to act as a pilot, notwithstanding his having obtained a warrant as aforesaid, unless he, or the company to which he belongs, shall keep one sufficient boat, of twenty-six feet keel, straight rabbit at least, and decked and well found, under the penalty of one hundred and fifty dollars for every vessel such person shall undertake to pilot; and the name of every boat, and the place she belongs to, shall be put on her stern, and on her mainsail and on her foresail, in large letters.

SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That if any person, not having a warrant as a pilot agreeable to this act, shall presume to take upon himself to conduct or pilot any vessel bound from any port in this State to sea, or coming from sea, and bound up any river of this State, to any port thereof, every such person shall forfeit one hundred and fifty dollars, and such person shall also be liable for all damages occasioned by his undertaking to conduct or pilot any vessel, by action at common law: Provided, that this prohibition shall not extend to prevent any person from assisting any vessel in distress, if such person shall deliver up such vessel to any pilot who shall come on board and offer to conduct or pilot such vessel, and he shall pay such person one-half the fees received by him for the pilotage of such vessel; and provided, that this prohibition shall not extend to prevent any master or owner of any vessel from piloting or conducting any vessel of which he may be master or owner.

SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That the said board of examiners may make such rules and orders for the government and regulation of pilots appointed and licensed by them as they may think proper, not contrary to the provisions of this act; and the said board may, by their order, deprive any of the said pilots of their license, or suspend

them for a limited time, for breaking such rules or orders, or omitting anything required by the same, or for acting in any manner contrary thereto; and if any of the said pilots so suspended or deprived, during the time of their suspension or deprivation, shall take upon himself to pilot or conduct any vessel, such pilot shall forfeit and pay one hundred dollars for every such offense.

SEC. 7. And be it enacted, That if any of the said board of examiners shall die, resign, refuse to act, or remove from the city of Baltimore, or be otherwise rendered incapable to act, the remaining examiners, or a majority of them, shall fill up such vacancy, provided they shall so regulate their appointments as to have at least one member of the board a person skilled in the business of piloting.

SEC. 8. And be it enacted, That all persons now holding license to act as pilots in the waters of this State may renew the same according to the provisions of this act, as if the several acts of Assembly relating to pilots and pilotage, heretofore passed were still in force.

SEC. 9. And be it enacted, That any pilot who may be licensed to act as such agreeably to the provisions of this act, may charge and recover for his services, such reasonable compensation as may be contracted for by such pilot, and the owner, master, agent, or consignee of any vessel which may be piloted by him.

SEC. 10. And be it enacted, That the act passed at November Session, 1803, chapter 63, entitled "an act to establish pilots and regulate their fees," and all the acts supplementary thereto, relating to pilots and pilotage, are hereby repealed, provided that nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to compel any master, owner, or agent to pay any pilot except he be employed as pilot.

REDUCTION OF ANCHORAGE DUTIES BY BRAZIL.

The following translation of a decree of his Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, interesting to those concerned in the trade to that country, has been officially communicated to the Department of State, at Washington.

DECREE NO. 928, of MARCH 5, 1852.

Pursuant to the provisions of the 28th article of the law No. 369, of September 18, 1845, I think it proper to decree :—

ARTICLE 1. From and after 1st July, 1852, the anchorage duty upon vessels trading between foreign ports and the ports of the empire will be reduced to three hundred reis the ton; and the same class of duty now levied upon coasting vessels shall be abolished.

ART. 2. That part of the provisions of April 26, July 20, and November 15, 1844, which has not been altered by this decree, will continue in force.

Joaquim Jose Rodrigues Torres, of my Council, a Senator of the Empire, Minister and Secretary of State for Financial Affairs, and President of the National Exchequer Court, will so understand the above, and cause it to be executed.

Palace of Rio Janeiro, March 5, 1852, the thirty-first of the independence of the Empire.

By his Majesty the Emperor.

JOAQUIM JOSE RODRIGUES TORRES.

ACT TO REGULATE THE SALE OF COTTON IN ALABAMA.

The following Act passed at the last Session of the Legislature of Alabama, and approved February 10th, 1852, is now in force :

AN ACT TO REGULATE THE SALE OF COTTON BY COMMISSION MERCHANTS.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted, &c., That from and after the passage of this act, all cotton sold by commission merchants to brokers or buyers shall not be considered as delivered and the ownership given up, until the same is fully paid for; any order for the cotton, law, custom or usage to the contrary notwithstanding.

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SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That any cotton broker engaged in the business of buying cotton, either on his or their own account, or for others, who shall buy or engage to buy, cotton from a planter or commission merchant and shall fail or refuse pay for the same at the time agreed to, and shall make way with, or dispose of any cotton purchased and not paid for, shall be deemed guilty of fraud and embezzlement, and shall be liable to be imprisoned, on conviction, in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than five years, at the discretion of jury trying the case.

BRITISH COMMERCIAL AND NAVIGATION TREATIES.

The Gazette of London gives the following list of potentates &c., with whom commercial treaties have been made by Great Britain.

The Emperor of Austria, the King of the Belgians, the Republic of Bolivia, the City of Bremen, the Republic of Costa Rica, the King of Denmark, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of the Equator, the French Republic, the City of Frankfort, the King of Greece, Republic of Guatemala, the City of Hamburg, the King of Hanover, the Republic of Liberia, the City of Lubeck, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz, the Mexican Republic, the King of the Netherlands, the Republic of New Grenada, the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Peru, the Queen of Portugal, the King of Prussia and the other States forming the German Commercial Union, viz:— Bivaria, Saxony, Wurtemburg, Baden, the Electorate of Hesse, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, the States forming the Customs and Commercial Union of Thuringia, Nassau, and Frankfort; the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, the Emperor of Russia, the King of Sardinia, the King of the Two Sicilies, the King of Sweden and Norway, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the United States of America, the Oriental Republic of the Uruguay, the Republic of Venezuela.

NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

OF LIGHT VESSELS AS A GUIDE TO MARINERS.

The following notice to mariners, dated Trinity-house, London, 6th January, 1852, has been received for publication in the Merchants' Magazine, from an official source: Notice is hereby given that this corporation has issued directions to the masters and mates of their several Light Vessels to the following effect, namely:

In the event of any Light Vessel being driven from her station, the master or mate, whichever be in charge, is carefully to consider whether she has driven to such a distance, or in such a direction, as to make it dangerous to shipping to continue to show her lights, and if the distance or direction be not such as to endanger the safety of vessels running on their course, the Lights and Balls are to be continued in the usual manner. But should the Light Vessel have driven so as to be of no use as a guide to shipping, the usual Lights and Balls are, in that case, to be discontinued, and two Red Lights substituted, one at the end of the davit forward, the other on a stanchion beside the ensign staff; and a Red Flare Light shown every quarter of an hour during the night.

And further, when vessels are observed from a Light Vessel to be in distress, or to require assistance:

If in the day time, two guns are to be fired on board such Light Vessel, each at an interval of five minutes, and repeated every half-hour until assistance be observed approaching. If in the night time, two guns are to be fired on board such Light Vessel, at similar intervals, each followed by a white rocket thrown in the direction of the vessel in distress, and these signals are to be continued until the required assistance has been rendered.

Masters of vessels, pilots, and other persons are earnestly requested to take such necessary note of these regulations as may be useful both for the avoidance of danger to themselves, and for aiding their endeavors to render assistance to others.

By order

J. HERBERT, Secretary.

FIXED LIGHT IN THE STRAIT OF SUNDA.

HYDROGRAPHIC-OFFICE, ADMIRALTY, April 19th, 1852. Her Majesty's Government has been officially informed that on the 28th of last November, a Fixed Light was established by the Netherland Government, on Fourth Point, in the Strait of Sunda. The Tower, which is built of stone, stands on the sea beach nearly 3 miles from Anjer, in 6° 4' 50" south, and in 105° 56' 35" east of Greenwich. The Light is displayed at an elevation of 94 feet above the level of the sea, and may be seen in all directions from the deck of a vessel at the distance of 16

miles.

REVOLVING LIGHT ON THE SOUTH POINT OF BARBADOS.

We are indebted to the Department of State at Washington, for the subjoined official notice to mariners, touching the revolving light on the South Point of Barbados. HYDROGRAPHIC-OFFICE, ADMIRALITY, March 24, 1852. Notice is hereby given, that her majesty's government has established a revolving light on the South Point of the Island of Barbados; and that it was to be displayed on the first of this month.

The base of the tower is 55 feet above the sea, from which it is 200 yards distant, and stands in latitude 13° 2' 45" N., and longitude 59° 33′ 30′′ W. of Greenwich. The tower is 90 feet high, and is painted in alternate red and white bands, each being 7 feet in depth.

The light is thus 145 feet above the level of the sea, and revolves once in every minute; after an eclipse of 14 seconds it again appears, gradually increases for 24 seconds to its greatest brilliancy, and then in 24 seconds more is eclipsed.

From the light, Seawell Point bears about N. E. by E. E., and Needham Point W. N. W. W.; and except from between the opposite bearings the light is visible in all directions from the deck of a vessel within the distance of 18 miles.

Vessels approaching the island from the eastward are recommended not to run down their longitude to the northward of 12° 55′ N.; and as soon as the light is discovered to bring it to bear west, steering from thence W. by S. and not passing it at a less distance than 2 miles.

If coming from the north eastward the light will not be visible until it bears to the westward of S. W. by W., being concealed by the high land forming Seawell Point; and if kept in sight well open of that point, it will lead clear of the Cobblers, a group of dangerous reefs which extend some miles from the eastern side of the island. Mariners are advised to give them a wide berth, on account of the prevailing current to the westward.

When the light is brought to bear N. E. a course may be shaped for Needham Point; but in hauling up into Carlisle Bay, that point should be kept at the distance

of a third of a mile.

THE SOUTHERN COAST OF FLORIDA.

The Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey has communicated to the Secretary of the Treasury, under date, Coast-Survey Office, Washington, May 11, 1852, the subjoined information, compiled from official records of the last survey, respecting the Southern Coast of Florida, which are placed on record in this department of the Merchants' Magazine for the benefit of navigators:

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A series of signals (fifteen in number) have been erected by one of the Triangulation parties of the Coast Survey along the line of the reef, indicating dangerous points, and so distributed that vessels may in safety make the intermediate run between any two of them. Navigators will find them highly useful. They are sufficiently remarkable always to secure attention in the day-time, and may be seen some two or three miles with the naked eye, or from six to ten with ordinary glass. Each signal consists of a mangrove pole from thirty to forty feet high, fixed in an iron screw pile, which has been sunk in the solid material of the reef, and surmounted by a barrel painted black. It is stated that with these guides there can be no difficulty in the way of steamers keeping close in and running in smooth water. The Isabel (Charleston, Key West, and Havana packet,) always hugs the reef close, to avoid the easterly current, and take advantage of the eddy setting westward.

The following list shows the reefs upon which signals have been placed as described :

1. Fowey Rocks, 2. Triumph Reef. 3. Long Reef. 4. A shoal, (coral formation,) without a name, interior to Triumph and Long reefs, described as extending from Cesar's creek, about seven miles northward, and lying midway between the line of Keys and main Florida reef. The waters inside the reef are here divided by these shoals into two main and well-defined channels; the outside being the deepest, and the inside of sufficient depth for vessels drawing less than ten feet. Small vessels may pick their way through in various directions; but these are believed to be the only well-marked channels. The screw-pile has been placed at the northern extremity of the shoals. 5. Ajax Reef. 6. Pacific Reef. 7. Turtle Reef. 8. Triangle Reef or