The report of Messrs. A. C. ROBINS, of Brunswick, and FRANCIS K. SWAN, of Calais, the bank commissioners of Maine, has been presented to the legislature. There are 79 banks in the State, with an aggregate capital of $7,968,850. These banks have a circulation of $4,075,433, a liability of $7,338,846, a loan of $12,540,367, and $724,036 specie in their vaults. There are also in the State 14 savings institutions, which have an aggregate deposit of $1,620,270. The banking capital has been increased $135,472 since the last report, the circulation has decreased $694,314, and the loans have decreased $1,030,080. The report shows that all the banks are in good condition.

TOOLS FOR WORKING IN IRON.

Twenty years ago it was difficult to find a good American lathe, planer or gear-cutter. Our best tools then had to be imported from England. But all this is changed. American iron tools, as now manufactured, are of a very superior character. Some of the English tools are a little better than ours, and some of ours are better than theirs, so that we stand about equal; but as our inventors are never to be beaten in any thing, and as our country is more extensive than England, and our wants more numerous, we shall soon shoot further ahead. As the accurate, superior, and rapid construction of machinery is dependent upon good tools, we have hailed with the utmost gratification our progress in tool-making; it is a sure sign of excellence and advancement in the arts.-American Railway Times.

NATIONAL ARMORY, PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

THE question of a national armory in the West is one that is at present exciting much interest. We have been too forcibly reminded the past year of the unprotected condition in which we have heretofore left our vast Western commercial interests, to permit us to wait until another foreign war threatens before we make the necessary preparations for defence. The Chamber of Commerce of New-York have taken a very proper step in calling attention to the enlargement of the State canals, so as to admit of the passage of armed vessels through to the lakes; and the legislature have passed an act removing all obstacles in the way of Congress, should they see fit to take any action. Yet even this would not remove the necessity of a national armory in the West. Our attention has been called to this matter by the receipt of the following printed circular, setting forth the advantages of Peoria as a place for the situation of this Western armory. We give the circular in full, deeming the facts stated of importance in the discussion and decision of a question involv ing so great interests:

Peoria, Ill., October, 1861.

Dear Sir, In view of the contemplation on the part of Congress to establish a national armory west of the Alleghanies, to supply the place of the one vacated at Harper's Ferry, and supposing a scientific commission will be appointed to locate said armory in such Western city or town as affords the best facilities for manufacture and storage of arms, in all particulars relating to cheapness of manufacture, safety from riots and invasion, facility of transportation, beauty of location, its contiguity to all other sections of the Great West, &c., a meeting of the business gentlemen of this city was convened, and the undersigned were appointed a committee to present the peculiar claims of this city over any other, for the consideration of Congress. The committee, in doing so, have procured the publication of a map, showing, according to a correct scale, that portion of the Northwest embracing all the loyal States west of Columbus, Ohio, (which is on the dividing line between eastern Massachusetts and Kansas,) and the cities of Kansas and Nebraska on the west, the southern boundary of Kentucky and Missouri on the south, and St. Paul on the north; embracing a section of country about nine hundred and twenty miles square, and containing a population of over 12,000,000 souls. It is, without controversy, the richest agricultural region of equal extent to be found in any country, possessing greater resources within itself than any other section of country of equal extent to be found on the American continent. The city of Peoria, in Illinois, is located precisely in the geographical centre of this vast section. It is situated on the west bank of Peoria Lake, a beautiful body of water, about twenty miles in length and one to two miles wide, being an expansion of the Illinois River. Its elevation from the river is by a fine levee, about two miles in length, rising gradually about twenty-five feet to Water-street, then a gradual rise for three blocks to Jefferson-street, then a level plateau extending up and down the river about four miles,

then from Jefferson-street back to the bluff about one-half mile, then an abrupt bluff, rising about one hundred feet, extending about four miles up and down the river, and touching it at both points, forming a crescent. The country, after ascending the bluff, is mostly a level prairie. From this bluff a magnificent view is obtained of the country and river for many miles, and on it are situated some of the finest residences in Peoria. The site of Peoria was one of the earliest trodden by the whites west of the mountains, it being explored in 1673. Six years later was erected the Fort of Creve Cœure. This was for a long time the halting place for the French between the Canadas and the Mexican Gulf. In 1779 a colony of French settled here, and named it La Ville d'Mailleit. In 1813 an expedition was planned against the Indians of the territory, the result of which was the expulsion of them from the Peoria country, and the erection of Fort Clark, by which name the village was afterwards known. In 1819 a colony of Americans located here, and in 1826 the present city was laid off, and received the name it now bears. In 1832 a panic was created by the ravages of BLACK HAWK in Northern Illinois, and the settlers in the north fled in dismay; but the inhabitants of Peoria formed themselves into a company, called the Peoria Guards, and resolved to defend the place, which they did, and a treaty was made in September of the same year.

The value of manufactured articles per year, including agricultural implements, flour, etc., as shown by carefully prepared statistics, exceeds $5,000,000.

Boat-building is an important branch of manufacture.

The first steamboat that arrived at Peoria was in 1820; the first built in Peoria was in 1848.

The American pottery manufactory, established by a gentleman from Vermont, was located in this city (after examining various sites throughout the West) as the one affording the best facilities for manufacturing. The works are in operation, manufacturing porcelain and stone china of the finest quality. The completion of the buildings alone will involve an expenditure of $300,000.

The number of brick manufactured at the several yards in and near the city is not less than 14,000,000.

Besides the immense amount of grain consumed in the manufactories, the annual export, as per last report, was 3,326,236 bushels.

The amount of bituminous coal consumed by the various manufacturing establishments in the city, per year, will exceed 3,000,000 bushels, or 120,000 tons.

There are a great number of other manufactories, too numerous to give the details, but which are not the less important to the social welfare of the city.

The Peoria County fair grounds, of 22 acres, are tastefully laid out and conveniently arranged for the accommodation of exhibiters and spectators. The avenues to the same are numerous, and disposed in the most approved style.

The pork-packing business is very important, and has steadily increased from year to year; the number of hogs packed per year is about 80,000. The lumber business is also an important branch of trade. The amount sold is not less than 28,000,000 feet in round numbers, the precise amount, as per last report, being 27,463,539 feet.

In population Peoria is the second city in Illinois, and fourth in size west of the lakes. There are six public school-houses, all large and fine structures, some, indeed, elegant; the schools of Peoria, which are all free, are not excelled by any city. There are twenty-three churches, representing twelve different denominations, most of them commodious houses of worship, many fine and costly structures. There is a public library, containing some 5,000 carefully selected volumes. In times of peace Peoria supported five military companies, and, since the rebellion, has furnished more men for the war than any other city of its size within our knowledge.

We can say with truth, that Peoria has suffered as little, if not less than any other city in the Union, from the financial revulsions of our country. There is no place where less property is owned by foreign capitalists, and no place where the property holders are so free from embarrassment from foreign creditors. Having never been the recipients of special government favors, or of private capitalists from abroad, as has Chicago and many other Western cities, Peoria has depended upon her own resources; consequently her growth has been slow, but continued and permanent.

Since the opening of the various rail-roads leading out of the city, the importance of the Illinois River, as a channel of communication, has somewhat diminished. Still, the river and canal business is very heavy. There are regular lines of steamers and canal boats plying between this port and Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Pekin and Chicago. The rail-roads, as shown by the map, afford easy communication with all parts of the country. In this particular it surpasses any other city in the West.

Peoria is immediately surrounded by immense and inexhaustible mines of bituminous coal of the very best quality, which can be furnished to such an establishment as the national armory, or any other requiring a large amount, for from $1 25 to $1 50 per ton, delivered at the manufactory. There are favorable localities in this city for such an establishment as the national armory, underlaid with coal, and the works could be supplied for the bare expense of sinking a shaft upon their own grounds. In this particular Peoria offers facilities for manufacture that cannot be furnished by any other city, East or West. For the erection of buildings Peoria can furnish as readily, and as cheaply, any required amount of building materials as can any other city. For healthfulness of climate, for beauty of location, diversity of scenery and fruitfulness of soil, it is not surpassed by any city within our knowledge.

And one other very important requisite, as we conceive, in the selection of a locality for the national armory, is a dry atmosphere. In this particular Peoria is exceedingly favored, which is the result of the following: First, the city is considerably elevated above the river, and its gradual slope affords sufficient drainage to prevent the accumulation of the least surface water. Second, the soil, being a sand loam, bedded on a deep gravelly sub-soil, readily absorbs light rains, thus preventing those heavy fogs that occur almost every morning through the year in localities of clay soil and different altitudes.

The following also are among the peculiar advantages Peoria offers over many other places for the establishment of the national armory: It is an inland city, free from danger of invasion from a foreign enemy by way of the lakes, and cut off by free territory from domestic foes.

Situated, as it is, on the best navigable stream in the section embraced within the map, heavy freights can be obtained, at cheap rates, and the best quality of iron can be furnished as cheaply as at any other point in free territory.

We feel confident, that should a commission be appointed by Congress to examine sites from which to select a location for the establishment of a national armory, they will find, upon careful examination, that Peoria presents claims greatly superior to any other city.

Citizens' Committee of Peoria, Illinois.

The above circular has been presented to Congress in the form of a memorial, addressed to “The Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States." We trust the advantages of Peoria will not be overlooked in the decision of this question. Whether it or some other place combines all the necessary requisites, we cannot, of course, undertake to say. At least one consideration, however, we consider of special importance, and that is the fact of its being an inland city, away from the lakes and away from the sea-coast, and yet having excellent connections. In case, therefore, the control of the lakes is lost, or our sea-coast became untenable, in any war, the armory would still be retained.

GUNNY BAGS.

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The London Mechanics' Magazine, in answering the question, What is a gunny bag? says: It is a bag made from the coarse spun fibres of a plant which grows in India, of which there are many varieties. On the Coromandel coast this plant is called Goni, and "gunny" is a corruption of this name. The cultivation of the chuti, jute, or "gunny," has been carried on for centuries in Bengal, and gives employment to tens of thousands of inhabitants. Men, women and children," says Mr. HENLEY, "find occupation there. Boatmen, in their spare moments, palankeen carriers and domestic servants-everybody, being Hindoos, for Musselmen spin cotton only-pass their leisure moments, distaff in hand, spinning gunny twist." The patient and despised Hindoo widow earns her bread in this It is said that 300,000 tons of jute are grown way. in India, of which 100,000 tons are exported as gunny bags, besides 100,000 tons in a raw state. A London company has established a manufactory in Calcutta, at an expense of £300,000.

The gunny bag is used for a great variety of purposes. Sugar, coffee, spices, cotton, drugs, indeed, almost every article which we pack in dry casks and in boxes is, in the East, packed in gunny bags. It is also made into mats, carpets, ropes and various other articles. It is related that the old gunny bags which contained sugar are sold to the beer makers, who sweeten their beer by boiling the sugar out of the bags, and then selling them to the mat-makers.