is rather less than that of London, while its export-trade is much more than twice as great.  The explanation of this fact is, that the vessels employed in carrying the million or million and a half of tons of coal used in London, appear in the London return; while the canal and river flats, to say nothing of the railway trains, employed in carrying the million and a quarter of tons of coal used or employed in Liverpool, do not.  State the case fairly, and the maritime superiority of Liverpool will be found to be as decided as is its commercial.  We ought also to add, that while the Custom-house returns for 1850 give Liverpool only 3,262,253 tons of shipping, the payment of rates to the Liverpool Dock Estate in the twelve months ending June 25, 1851, gives 3,737,666 tons, or nearly 500,000 tons more.  Comparing the rate of increase of the exports of Liverpool with that of other ports, it appears that Liverpool is not only the first port in the kingdom, but that it is becoming more decidedly the first every year.  During the last five years the increase of the exports of Liverpool has been from 26,000,000 to nearly 35,000,000, while that of London has been from little less than 11,000,000 to rather more than 14,000,000.  The exports of Hull—­which is undoubtedly the third port of the kingdom—­though still very large, have rather declined, having been L.10,875,870 in 1846, and not more than L.10,366,610 in 1850.  The exports of Glasgow, now the fourth port of the empire, shew a fair increase, from L.3,024,343 to L.3,768,646.  No other port now sends out exports of the value of L.2,000,000 a year, though Southampton comes near to L.2,000,000, and Cork passes L.1,000,000.—­Liverpool Times.

AN UNFORTUNATE MAN.

I am fallen into the hands of publicans and sequestrators, and they have taken all from me.  What now?  Let me look about me.  They have left me sun and moon, fire and water, a loving wife, and many friends to pity me, and some to relieve me; and I can still discourse; and, unless I list, they have not taken away my merry countenance and my cheerful spirits, and a good conscience; they have still left me the providence of God, and all the promises of the gospel, and my religion, and my hope of heaven, and my charity to them too.  And still I sleep, and digest, and eat, and drink; I read and meditate; I can walk in my neighbour’s pleasant fields, and see the varieties of natural beauty, and delight in all that in which God delights—­that is, in virtue and wisdom, in the whole creation, and in God himself.—­Jeremy Taylor.

SLOW BUT SURE.