The receipts up the latest dates, at all the ports, give the following results:

The foreign exports this season, as compared with last, will exhibit an in

The increase in coastwise exports is 275,558 bales. The decrease in stock at all the receiving ports is 15,023 bales.

STOCK OF COTTON IN WAREHOUSE AND ON SHIPBOARD.

THE GROWING CROP. Notwithstanding the unpropitiousness of the planting season, the heavy rains that followed bringing on lice and other insects, causing, to the sorrow of the planters, great destruction of the young plant, thus throwing the crop back about two weeks, the prospects are fine for at least an average crop. The weather, after the plant had attained some little age, was fine for cultivation, and so continued, and at last account from the interior the picking season had commenced, and all the hands were busy in the fields. From East Mississippi we hear complaints that the boll-worm had commenced its ravages, but with this exception, and a repetition of the same complaint from some portions of West Alabama, the reports from Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi are mostly of a favorable nature. From the great uncer

tainty in arriving at anything like a correct estimate of the amount of receipts, we refrain from giving any figures. The first bale of the new crop was received on the 19th, and last year on the 7th of August.

COTTON CROP OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA FOR 28 YEARS.

Lumber, TimbeR, AND STAVES. Our tables show a large increase in the amount of exports of the two former, and a decrease in the latter of the above articles. The lumber trade is rapidly increasing, and several new saw mills have been erected, which, together with those previously in operation, have been pretty generally employed throughout the year, sending off about two-thirds lar ger quantity than last year. Several vessels have loaded with timber, principally for French ports, and the exports double those of last year. From the uncer tainty in obtaining staves, at stated times, this business has greatly fallen off.

COMPARATIVE EXPORTS OF STAVES FROM THE PORT OF MOBILE FOR THREE YEARS, TO

COMPARATIVE EXPORTS OF SAWED LUMBER FROM THE PORT OF MOBILE FOR THREE YEARS,

NAVAL STORES. The trade in these articles, though only about four or five years old, has met with unprecedented success. Constant improvements are making in the manufacture of the various articles; the quality of spirits of turpentine is much better than at the commencement, and has commanded 40 cents per gallon for a medium article. Very little Naval Stores have been sold in this market. Most of the crude turpentine, and A No. 1 white rosin was shipped to New York, and the balance westward. The receipts and prices are as follows: 1,460 bbls. spirits turpentine, 40 cents per gallon: 799 crude do., $1 75 a 82 per bbl.; 482 do. pitch, $3 bbl.; 258 do. tar, $2 per bbl.; 20 bbls. bright and varnish at 20 cents per gallon; and 3,019 bbls. rosin, $1 25 a $3 50 per bbl. FREIGHTS. The large increase in the cotton crop gave additional animation to the freight market during the year under review, and for the greater part of the business season rates ruled high. For a long time td. was paid to Liverpool,

and to Havre 13-16 to 1 1-16 cents was the range. Until April, vessels trading to coastwise ports were doing a good business,. 9-16 cents being obtained for New York. Shipments have been made since as low as 75 cents per bale. The lumber and timber tables show large exports, indicative of a considerable business in freight for these articles. More vessels have loaded with timber for the various ports on the Eastern Continent, and with lumber to Texas and Northern ports, than we have noticed for several years. The timber freights are generally at a round charter, and those for lumber vary from $3 to $12 per M. A scarcity of vessels, of light draught, interfered with more extensive business in lumber on the Texas coast.

CURRENT RATES OF COTTON FREIGHTS, FOREIGN AND COASTWISE, at the port of MOBILE DURING THE COMMERCIAL SEASON OF 1851 AND 1852.

EXCHANGE. There is less evidence of uniformity in the rates of sterling exchange, as exhibited by our tables this year, than was noticed in our last annual report. Sixty-day bills on New York were at 1 per cent discount at the opening, and are at per cent discount at the close of the year. Bills on France have varied very little-5 20 a 5 30 being the range. The supply of exchange, particularly of domestic bills, has been moderate, and the demand pretty brisk. COMPARATIVE RATES OF EXCHANGE ON LONDON, PARIS, AND NEW YORK, ON THE 1ST or EACH MONTH, FOR THREE YEARS PAST.

STATEMENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS AND DUTIES AT THIS PORT FOR THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS, 1851, AND THE FIRST AND SECOND QUARTERS, 1852.

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES A FOREIGN MINISTER CAN SUE AND BE SUED IN

THE UNITED STATES.

In the case of Bosch Spencer vs. Romain D. Boon and Annie Vanlangenhore, in the Superior Court of Baltimore city, it was decided under what circumstances a foreign minister has the right to sue and be sued in this country. The question arose upon a motion to quash a writ of attachment which had been sued out under the laws of Maryland, Acts of 1825, chapter 114, by the plain tiff, describing himself "an inhabitant of the District of Columbia, in the United States," against the defendants, who are alleged not to be citizens of the United States, nor to reside therein.

On behalf of the defendants, a certificate from the Department of State is produced, showing that the "Chevalier de Bosch Spencer is the Charge d'Affaires duly accredited, of his Majesty the King of the Belgians, near the Government of the United States;" and for this, and other reasons assigned, the present motion is made to quash the proceedings.

* About $20,000 remained in warehouse.

1. Because by reason of his character as a foreign minister he is incapacitated to sue in the courts of the State; and

2. By reason of his not being within the designation of the Act, as he describes himself, "an inhabitant of the District of Columbia.”

The act upon which this proceeding is predicated, provides: "That it may be lawful for any person, an inhabitant or resident of any part of the United States, whether of one of the States or of the District of Columbia or other territories, and who by the existing laws of this State may be entitled to sue out and prosecute mesne process, to have, use and prosecute the process by attachment," &c. The defendants deny the plaintiff's right to sue, because of his recognized immunity from arrests and responsibility to the tribunals of the country to which he is accredited. It is also contended that he cannot reasonably claim the jurisdiction of a court against whose proceedings he has this personal immunity. They also maintain that by the constitution of the United States, the Supreme Court of the United States has exclusive jurisdiction of all such cases.

The Court, in delivering their opinion, declare that the validity of these ob jections must be determined by an examination of the nature, the reason, and the extent of the ambassador's privileges in the courts of the country to which he is accredited. If this privilege can be waived at all, by his voluntarily submitting himself as a party in those courts, he must incur all the legal consequences and responsibilities of his assuming that position. If he has the right to institute a suit, he assumes, by doing so, all the responsibilities of an ordinary plaintiff in like cases, and must be deemed to have waived his privilege to that extent. It is true, as all the authorities assume, that he is generally independent of the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the country in which he resides as minister. The general consent of nations has long since determined this immunity, upon unanswerable grounds of international policy. It is absolutely necessary to the free and undisturbed discharge of the duties of the ambassador as the representative of his sovereign. Too much facility and security cannot be afforded to him, in the exercise of functions which concern the Commerce, welfare, and peace of nations. It is reasonable that he should not be molested or harassed in the performance of duties of so much dignity and importance, where the interruption might as readily be instigated by vexatious or political motives, as proceed from justifiable causes.

But being thus protected, from reasons of public policy, does it follow that he is divested of all right of private redress, by a resort to our courts, where the door is open to all other suitors in civil cases? Cases may readily be conceived, involving no consequences affecting the dignity or public character of his mission. A public minister from abroad may, for convenience, or for necessary safety, have his funds on deposit with banks or bankers of the District. He may, without derogating from the dignity of his sovereign, have made investments in the corporate stocks and other securities of the country. He must, of necessity, contract to rent or lease a suitable dwelling for the accommodation of his family. He is in no manner restricted in private contracts that do not derogate from his mission or his public character. In the possible case of embezzlement or danger to his private funds or investments, or in any breach of contract on the part of others contracting with him on private account, would it not be unreasonable to say that he has no redress in the only tribunals which can afford him relief and indemnity?

The privilege of which we are treating is abundantly shown by all the authorities to attach to the representative character of the minister. But the same authorities are equally clear to the point that he may in certain cases renounce it. The Court, after quoting the various cases that have risen, says, it seems to be a concession of all the authorities that in a matter having no relation to his public character and functions he is not entitled to the privilege growing out of official position. Thus, then, his privilege may be both forfeited and waived. Whether so far as to submit to personal arrest is another question, and no part of the present discussion. The waiver of his diplomatic character to that extent might be considered as involving the dignity of his sovereign and his mis