PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF COAL.

The following valuable statistics on this important topic have been furnished by W. H. Roberts, Esq., of the Statistical Bureau, United States Treasury Department, and lately appeared in the Philadelphia Ledger. They have been compiled from official data found in the archives of the Department:

PRODUCTION OF COAL.

The production of coal in the year 1863, in the United States and Europe, reached a sum sotal of 150,000,000 tons, distributed as follows among the respective coal producing countries:

The consumption of coal in the same countries in the year 1863 was as follows:

Note.-The difference between the totals of production and consumption in Europe and the United States is owing to an export of 3,000,000 tons from Great Britain to South America and Asia.

CONSUMPTION OF COAL AS A MEASURE OF STEAM LABOR POWER INDUSTRY.

The quantity of coal consumed by a nation may be well taken as a correct measure of the extent of those industries which employ steam labor power. Great Britain, "the workshop," not only produces but consumes a larger quantity of coal than the rest of the world combined. Her miners in 1863 produced 86,000,000 tons of coal; 78,000,000 tons to supply her own necessities, and 8,000,000 fons for export to her commercial dependencies. In 1863 three of the great manufacturing countries of Europe, England, France and Belgium, compared in consumption of coal with each other, and the United States as follows:

The production of coal in these four countries stood in 1863:

7,000,000 15,500,000

Tons Coal Produced.

10,000,000

15,500,000

These data exhibit that Great Britain and Belgium, by a full development of their means of sustaining manufacturing industry, supply not only

their own wants; but also those of their neighbors-Great Britain exporting 8,000,000 tons, and Belgium 3,000,000 tons; that France, poor in coal, depends upon her more fortunate neighbors for the prosperity of her manufactures; that the United States, with a far larger coal area than France, consumes but the same quantity of coal; that the consumption of coal is as five to one in Great Britain and the United States respectively; that the steam labor power industry of Great Britain is, in its present development at least, in the ratio of 2 to 1 to the combined steam power industries of Belgium, France and the United States; that taking into consideration the relative areas of the counties compared, their order in extent of steam power industry, as measured by their consumption of coal, would be-first, Great Britain; second, Belgium: third, France, and fourth, United States. An examination of the British statements of exports, foreign and domestic, during the year 1864, and a comparison between them and the exports of the United States for the same year, fully supports the assumption that consumption of coal is a measure of steam labor industry. In the calendar year 1864, the value of articles exported from Great Britain, exclusive of specie, amounted to $1,030,080,000, $779,000,000 of which were the products of the United Kingdom, and classified as follows:

Breadstuffs, provisions and raw materials*..
Maunfacturers..

Total....

$78,000,000

701,000,000

.$779,000,000

The exports of the United States for the fiscal year 1864, exclusive of specie, amounted to $232,000,000, $217,000,000 of which sum was the value of articles the produce of the United States, and classified as follows:

Breadstuffs, provisions and raw materials....
Manufacturers..

Total....

$162,000,000

55,000,000

$217,000,000

The report of domestic manufactures from the two countries respectively, was, as we see, in 1864 :

Great Britain....

.$701,000,000

55,000,000

.80,000,000 tons,

..16,800,000 tons.

Supposing that five-eighths the coal consumed in Great Britain was employed in steam labor industry, viz.: 50,000,000 tons, the quantity of coal consumed in steam labor industry in the United States measured by the relative ratio of values of manufactures exported, would be but 4,000,000

tons.

AREA OF COAL FIELDS.

Coal fields are found in almost every portion of the globe, but it is only n Europe and the United States that any approximate measurement of

*Of these, coals, pig iron, (unwrought), leather, steel, copper and tin, and salt, amount in value to $57,000,000.

their areas has been obtained. The area of the coal fields of Great Britain, France, Belgium, and the United States are estimated thus:

The figures of this estimate exhibit the vast superiority of the United States over Great Britain, France and Belgium in the natural resources of steam labor power, and clearly point to the supremacy of the Republic at no distant period by steam labor industries. The coal fields of Great Britain, France and Belgium extend over an area of 14,096 square miles, those of the United States over 148,569 square miles, a ratio of ten to one.

PRODUCTION OF COAL IN THE UNITED STATES.

The production of coal in the United States is continually on the increase, as will appear from the following statement of the production of coal in the fiscal years 1863, 1864 and 1865, the quantities being calculated from the Internal Revenue report of the amount of tax upon production of coal. Tons of coal produced: 1863, 15,500,000; 1864, 16,300,000; 1865, 17,000,000.

In the year 1860 the production of coal was estimated by the Superintendent of the Census at 15,000,000 tons. The production in 1865 was 17,000,000 tons, an increase in five years of 2,000,000 tons. At this rate of increase our production in 1870 might be estimated at 20,000,000 tons. The development of manufactures, however, consequent on the adoption of a protective policy, will greatly increase the production of coal, and it will be no matter of wonder if in 1870 its production in the United States reaches a total of at least 25,000,000 tons.

COMMERCIAL LAW.-NO. 31.

FIRE INSURANCE.

(Continued from page 192, vol. 54.)

The usual Subject and Form of this Insurance.

We have seen that fire is one of the perils insured against by the common marine policies. It is usual, however, to insure buildings, and personal property which is not to be water-borne, against fire alone; and this is what is commonly understood by Fire Insurance.

The general purposes and principles of this kind of insurance are the same as those of marine insurance; and the law in respect to it differs only in those respects and in that degree in which the difference is made necessary by the subject-matter of the contract. Very many of the questions which occur under fire insurance may receive illustration from what has been already said upon similar topics and questions under marine insur

ance.

This kind of insurance is sometimes made to indemnify against the loss by fire of ships in port; more often of warehouses, and mercantile prop

erty stored in them; or of personal chattels in stores or factories, in dwelling houses or barns, as merchandise, furniture, books, and plate, or pictures, or live stock. But by far the most common application of this mode of insurance is to dwelling-houses.

Like marine insurance, it may be effected by any individual who is capable of making a legal contract. In fact, however, it is always, or nearly always, in this country, and we suppose elsewhere, made by companies.

There are stock companies, in which certain persons own the capital and take all the profits by way of dividends. Or mutual companies, in which every one who is insured becomes thereby a member, and the net profits, or a certain proportion of them, are divided among all the members in such manner as the charter or by-laws of the company may direct. Or both united, in which case there is a capital stock provided, as a permanent guaranty fund, over and above the premiums received, and a certain part or proportion of the net profits is paid by way of dividend upon this fund, and the residue divided among the insured.

Of late years the number of mutual fire insurance companies has greatly increased in this country, and probably by far the largest amount of insurance against fire is effected by them. The principal reason for this is. undoubtedly, their greater cheapness; the premiums required by them being, in general, very much less than in stock offices. For example, if the insurance is effected for seven years, which is a common period, an amount or percentage is charged, about the same as that charged by the stock companies, or a little more. Only a small part of this is taken in cash; for the rest a premium note or bond is given, promising to pay whatever part of the amount may be needed for losses which shall occur during the period for which the note is given. More than this, therefore, the insured cannot be bound to pay, and it frequently happens that no assessment whatever is demanded; and sometimes, where the company is well established and does a large business upon sound principles, a part of the money paid by him is refunded when the insurance expires, or cred ited to him on the renewal of the policy; if such be his wish.

The disadvantages of these mutual companies is, that the premiums paid and premium notes constitute the whole capital or fund ont of which losses are to be paid for. To make this more secure, it is provided by the charter of some companies that they shall have a lien on the land itself on which any insured building stands, to the amount of the premium. But while this adds very much to the trustworthiness of the premium notes, and so to the availability of the capital, it is, with some persons, an objection that their land is thus subjected to a lien or encumbrance.

There is another point of difference which recommends the stock company rather than the mutual company. It is that the stock company will generally insure very nearly the full value of the property insured, while the mutual companies are generally restrained by their charters from insuring more than a certain moderate proportion, namely, from one-half to three-fourths of the assessed value of the property. It would follow, therefore, that one insured by a mutual company cannot be fully indemnified against loss by fire, and may not be quite so certain of getting the indemnity he bargains for as if he were insured by a stock company. But this last reason is, practically, of very little importance, and the lowness of the premiums effectually overcomes the other.

of

The method and operation of fire insurance have become quite uniform throughout the country; and any company may appeal to the usage other companies to answer questions which have arisen under its own policy; only, however, within certain rules, and under some well-defined restrictions.

In the first place, usage may be resorted to for the purpose of explaining that which needs explanation, but never to contradict that which is clearly expressed in the contract. And no usage can be admitted even to explain a contract, unless the usage be so well established, and so well known, that it may reasonably be supposed that the parties entered into the contract with reference to it. Thus if, under a policy against fire on a vessel in one port of this country, an inquiry is raised as to the local usage, the policy is not to be effected by proof of usage upon any particular matter in other ports of the world, or even of the United States. And not only the terms of the contract must be duly regarded, but those of the charter or act of incorporation; thus, if this provides that "all policies and other instruments made and signed by the president, or other officer of the company, shall bind the company," an agreement to cancel a policy should be so signed; although it cannot be doubted that a party insured might otherwise give up his policy, or renounce all claim under it, and that a valid agreement to that effect between him and the company would not be set aside, and the company still held, on the ground of a merely formal defect.

In regard to the execution of a fire policy, and what is necessary to constitute such execution, we say that delivery is not strictly necessary, and a signed memorandum may be sufficient, or, indeed, an oral bargain only, and that this insurance may be effected by correspondence, and that the contract is completed when there is a proposition and assent, as we have already said in reference to marine insurance.

The leading case on this subject came by appeal before the Supreme Court of the United States. The facts were briefly as follows. John Minot, the agent of an insurance company at Fredericksburg, at the request of Tayloe, who was about leaving for Alabama, made application for an insurance on his dwelling-house to the amount of $8,000 for one year. This application was dated 25th November, 1844. A reply from the defendants was received, under the date 30th November, 1844. On the 2d of December Minot wrote to Tayloe, informing him of their willingness to effect the insurance, stating terms, &c., and added, "Should you desire to effect the insurance, send me your check, payable to my order, for $57, and the business is concluded." But, in cousequence of a misdirection of the letter, it did not reach Tayloe till the 20th. On the next day, the 21st, Tayloe mailed a letter accepting the terms, and remitting a check for the premium, with a request that the policy should be deposited in the bank for safe-keeping. This letter of acceptance was reeived by Minot on the 31st of December, and upon the 31st of January, 1845, he wrote to Tayloe, communicating his refusal to carry into effect the insurance, on the ground that his acceptance came too late, the house having been burned on the 22d of December. The company confirmed the view of the case taken by their agent, and refused to issue the policy or pay the loss. The court below passed a decree in favor of the defendants; but upon appeal to the Supreme Court, it was held that the decree should be reversed, and the plaintiff recover.