James Lewis, for professsional services as atorney for the commonwealth, in the case of Beard against Deitz, in the District Court of York county,

case

Samuel Douglas and David Krause for professional services in the of the commonwealth against John Kelker, in the Courtof Common Pleas of Dauphin county, Benjamin Parke, prothonotary Supreme Court, for costs in the case of the commissioners of York county, against Elizabeth Beard, in which the interest of the commonwealth was involved, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives, for repairs of the Capitol, per resolution of 4th April, 1833, John Sergeant and Walter S. Franklin, commissioners relative to the use of the waters of the river Delaware, per resolutions of 10th of April, 1832, and 8th Feb. 1833, John Roberts, prothonotary of Dauphin county, for costs in the case of the commonwealth against John Kelker, per resolution of the 14th April, 1834, James Trimble, for expenses paid by him for publishing appropriations for school purposes,

Appraisers of canal damages, Andrew Dennis, compensation for

50,00

100 00

675

86 25

1,205 00

18 60

11 50 653 00

a tract of donation land, per act of 15th Feb. 1834,

200 00

This important article has become scarce in our market, and advanced, within a few days, to two dollars per bbl., at which price several hundred bbls. have been sold and shipped down the river. This branch of industry has languished and struggled for years-the price being two low to reward the toil or capital invested-has ruined several smaller manufacturers; and others here, after expending much labor and capital in erecting works, retired for a time from a business hitherto so dull and profitless as not to pay the prime cost of its production. Salt has been selling for several years at from $1 to $1 50 per bbl. of 280 lbs. net. The bbls. for salt at the works cost 25 cents; the freight and expenses from the works to Pittsburgh about 25 cents more; which left to the manufacturer from 50 to 87 cents per barrel for its manufacture, and other expenses, which all who know any thing about the labor of making it, after heavy expenses for boring, machinary, buildings, &c., is much too low a price to remunerate capitaliats or others employed in the trade. The writer has sold a great deal of Lake salt in our city, at fifteen to twenty dollars per bbl., and from three to five dollars per bushel. Numbers of our farmers and citizens, now living, remember the time well, when every bushel of salt consumed in our section of the country was packed over the mountains from Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Hagerstown on horseback, at a heavy expense of time and labor, and then sold at from five to ten dollars per bushel.

Then, our farmers, who are the principal consumers and purchasers of salt, suffered severely for want of this very necessary and useful article, and paid too much for it. Latterly, they have been getting good prices for all kinds of produce, and buying their salt in great abundance lower than it can be manufactured; and two dollars a barrel for salt is but a fair price, and as low as manufacturers can make it to have a living and fair profit for their capital, labor, and expenses, from the present price of labor, provision, &c., and demand for salt. The writer, who is unconnected with, and has no other interest in the trade than a wish to see all branches of useful industry fairly remunerated, believes salt, for some considerable time, will not sell at less than two dollars per bbl. I was pleased to learn, a few days ago, in conversation with General Stewart, Mr. Sterrit, and others employed in the salt trade, that one reason why our market was so bare of salt, was the demand at the works for salt for the eastern counties of this state. Buyers now come or send their orders immediately to the manufacturer, and pay one dollar and fifty cents cash for salt; ship it on board the canal boats for all the towns on the canal, as far as Harrisburgh; thus opening a new and immense market for our salt in the interior and far eastesn counties of our state, and thus also we furnish an immense back frieght for our canal boat lines. The probable amount of salt brought to and sold in our city hitherto, may be estimated at about seventy five thousand bbls.* In our immediate vicinity, and above the Alleghany, Mononga. hela, and the Kiskiminetas and Conemaugh, salt to any amount can be manufactured, provided the price will pay all expenses, and a small profit. There is now,

Some years, the salt brought to our city, and sold or shipped to the lower country, has exceeded 100,000 bbls. ; but, from causes stated above, the trade has fallen off very much.