The New York Herald Newspaper, June 18, 1848, Page 1

NEW YORK, SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 18, 1848. Affairs In the Hast Indies. Cacurta, March 8, 1848. Preparations for War in British India—Probability of A Wer with Ghina—Mercantile Matters—Curious Manner of Doing Business—Bank of Caleutta— Earthquake—- School” of Elephants—Mesmerism in India, $c., $e. In commencing this series of letters, I do not pro- pose to restrict myself to any definite plan. When there is news you shall get it ; when there is none, you must contrive to ga without, contenting yourself with whatever I may have to offer in the way of comment on an infinite variety of subjects, which will, probably, many of them be new, andat the same time interest- ing, toa large portion of your readers. Of my ability to da justice to my varied theme, | have no inordinate opinion; but alengthened residence in this country, under circumstances which have given me peculiar op- portunities for observation, leads me to hope that my lutters will not be altogether worthless. If worthless they should turn out, you will know what to do with them. ‘The mail from China came in yesterday, with Hong Kong dates to the 20th of January. We had been ox- pecting to receive by this opportunity, Keying’s final answer to the demands of the British Plenipotentiary, but have been disappointed. The.news is neither one thing or the other; but there seems to be no immediate roxpect of a war. I do not enter into particulars, sinco Exicutta is no far out of the direct route between Chin and America, that whatever I might offer on this h would bo stale before you get it. I shall only say, then, that whatever may be doing in China, here we are pre- aring for war. Troops have already been sent to Hong Kong. and it is generally understood that goverament has contracted with the Peninsular anf Oriental Steam Navigation Company, for a steamer of 1500 tons, to be kept in readiness to proceed at a moment’s notice with strong reinforcements. There are now in Fort William two Queen's regiments of about 600 strong each. There is a large force of artillery at Dum Dum, seven miles off. and at Barrackpore, sixteen miles from town, arc three Sipahi regiments of 1200 strong each—the flower of the native army. They are already sending troops from Bombay, and there are plenty of soldiers, white and black. at Madras and along the Coromandel const, rea ly to proceed on service at very short, warning. ‘The probability of a Chinese war has already had its effect, and that serious enough, on the optum market. Of late years the prices of opium at the Calcutta sales, have averaged from 12 to 1300 rupees per chest. At the last sate held twoor three weeks agv, the drug only fetched from 760 to 800 rupees. and even these prices were only obtained, owing to the loss of a steamer with 800 chests on board. which of course were lost to the market, Should the depression in prices continue. the effect on the public finances must bo disastrous. Next to its land revenue the opium monopoly is tho mainstay of the government of Bengal. When the drug brings 1200 or 1300 rupees per chest, the net annual revenue from this source is above a million and a half sterling ; so that you may imagine how seriously must be felt the present reduction in prices, and how embarrassing a further fall would prove. Still, the severest blow that could be given to the company’s revenue, would be the legalization of the opium traffic by the government of China. Let the use of this drug be once permitted in the Celestial Empire. and it will soon be found more advantageous to allow of its cultivation at home, than to import it at a heavy cost from abroad; and thus the enterprising Chinese agriculturists would soon learn to roduce a better and acheaper article than that now imported. ‘There can be no doubt but that the Celes- tial Government will, before long. see the policy of le- galizing both the cultivation and the traffic. “As the trade.goeq now, it is sadly to the disadvantage of China; for the opium is nearly all paid for in bullion. You will observe that Iam speaking of this question merely as a matter of polley—withits moral bearings I have nothing to do at present. although I imagine there can be but one opinion on this head. ‘The news from Rangoon is of some importance. The {neolence of the successor to Tharawaddie is growing day by doy. and British interference in some shape can- not be delayed much longer. Captain Crisp, a British subject, trading at Rangoon, has just been put in pri- son, and threatened with the stocks; and only inanaged to escape on payment of aheavy sum. It is gid that our government intends to send a “resident” to Rangoon. If he ia not well received. he will proba- Ply be backed by “eredentinls” of the proper sort. A couple of war steamers would very soon settle the bus!- ness, You have, of course, heard of our recent mercantile Alaastors. About twenty houses, great and small. have “guecumbed to to the pressure”. during tho past four months. and the total amount “ failed for” cannot fall short of five crores of rupees. or five millions ster- ling. These failures have taught Calcutta a lesson that sho will not be in a hurry to forget. They have put an end. and it is to be hoped an_ effectual end. to the most flagrant abuse of credit that has ever dis- graced the annals of trade—a system which. in enrich- ing hundrects, has beggared thousands, and now that it is exposed in all its hatefulness, has made the “inte- gri of the British merchant a bye-word among the natives of India—the history of our trade with Eng- land since the renewal of the charter. is, indeed. extra- ordinary. The phases of the markets have puzzled the wisest among our mere economists; none but the ractically initiated ever Set paetianded, the matter Fianchester goods. such as twists and caliceos, have almost invariably beon cheapor in Calcutta than in Manchester. and sugar, indigo, silk and lac dye, always dearer in Calcutta than in London! You look inere- dulous, but Tam “peaking from book.”? From year to year the fact has been known and wondered at—it is now accounted for. and every body is astonished at his stupidity in not having guessed at the truth be- fore. The solution is now easy enough. The London merchant bought goods in Manchester for shipment to India. simply because he was in want of money. He paid for the goods in bills of Tudia at six months date; ‘and as soon as they were shipped, an advance was ob- tained again by a Dill at six mouths fora large part of the first cost by the consignee, who again, in his turn, not unfreqnently drew upon the house in India, agalnst the bills of lading when transmitted. By this means both parties were put in funds months before they ac- tually paid for the goods; and very frequently these bills were renewed at maturity, on pretence of allowing for the ‘ “long trade.” So much for England. ia the same thing was done, only the abuse of credit was still more extravagant People went into tho bazaar, not because they had money to trade with, but because they wanted money to mect obligations. “ What way so simple,” says a knowing writer, “as to urclase acargo of sugar, pay for it in bills on the ondon house at ten months date, transmit the ship- ping documents by tho overland mail; and inless than two months the goods on the high seas, or perhaps not yet passed the mouth of the Hooghly, were pawned in Lombard street. putting the, London house in possor- sion of funds, eight months before the drafts against those goods fell due."? Indeed, [have known of mo- ney being raised on bills of lading which were signed not only before the goods were on board, but even be- fore they had arrived in Caleutta from “up the coun- try.’ [suppose there are very fow Calcutta merchants whohave not been guilty of the “impropriety” of induc- ing a captain to sign documents for goods not yet ship- 1. Froqnently have our merchants drawn’ against fuch fictitious documents, and taken the proceeds of the bills into the bazaar to buy the very goods whieh the documents pretended to represent. “You may well ask what isto be thought of the eaptain who would rign bills of lading for a cargo not shipped; but you must bear in mind that a good dinner will make a’ Li- yerpool ekipper wondrous kind when there is any thing of this sort to be done But as I have said, I hope the system has been effeo- tuntlymashed. It was one which no house onze in- volved in it could ever have hoped to escape from un- harmed, and at could never have been broken = but by the general crash we have just witnessed. All the damage is not yet done—at least further failures seom to lo; but it is to be hoped that the cause ters exists no longer. (rayagane of the partners of many of the Cal- firms. has hastened their ruin and deprived ympathy, now that they are down. Some of ple have been living at the rate of £10,000 num, and yet fally aware of their insolvency, What, you’ willeay, would be thought of a London merchant deeply implicated in horse-racing? And yet, some of the partners of our Calcutta houses have been over hoad and ears involved in the speculations of the bettingring. They have not dared tolet their own names appear as the bifida Elbe and iy Bead of their noms deguerre, havo, perhaps, manage vhe from their ‘cobviapoadente in England; but the thing has been for years the scandal of Calcutta. Extravaganco, too, in other shapes, has helped to get rid of their money, and at the same time to keep up @ too general bolief that their resources were inox- haustible. What tho business extabl@hmeut of the firm of Cockerell & Co., which has failed for a million and a-half sterling. may have cost. | cannot say: but T know that the book-keoper of the house received £1440 per annum, and that two other clerks had £2,490 be- tween them. This frm may pay sixpence in the pound; and yet, now that it is in the Insolvent Court. the ‘wife of one of the partners drives out every evening in hor britzka, drawn by a pair of Arabs, worth at least athousand rupees cach, Axd this, too, while many who once kept their carriage, have’ been stripped of everything by the failure of my lady's husband. In my next letter, I shall attempt a short history of the Union Bank of Caloutta, an institution whose fail- uve has ruined hundreds of families. and crowned the dis of the Yritish ‘mercantile body. The y. hank had + paid up capital of & million sterling, A year ayo. It deolarod # dividend of seven por cent, and Ou that cceasion the directors congratulated the sharo- Wot tere on the flourishing condition of their peony. It now turns out that the whole ofthe eapital has bee F swept away, and its place supplied by liabilities amounting to half a million over and above the paid up «tock, It also appears that the bank has been in- solvent for years, and that the dividends have been paid out of the capital, merely to conceal the losses and to allow the directors time to help themselves to the sharcholders’ money, The accounts published every half year were false from beginning to end, Yet thoy were believed in, for the position which tho direc- tors held in society was such ag to place any doubt of Woe ntegty out of the question. The thief delin- uent seems to have been Mr, W. P, Grant, Master in quity and Accountant General of her Majesty's Su- | leges in their own ports, reme Court, and son of Sir John Grant, one of the Rauges. ‘Then are Mr. A.deH. Larpent, sonof the well known Baronet, and senior partner of the firm of Cockerell & Co.; Sir T. Turton, and others. But! must not anticipate. Io bringing the sommetisiol rere my letter to a close, I may mention, and it will be to your satisfaction, that none of the American houses here have suffered seriously, if materially, from the storm that has brought down so many of their neighbors. Yankee merchants hore have the reputation of being a canny set of fel- lows. They do not. like English merchants, put them- selves in the hands of the natives; but a1 rer wide awake tothe necessity of acting for themsel it of all are they addicted to that extravagance of which I have spoken. But I must give over this heavy writing for the pre- sent, or I shall degenerate into a Stock Exchange grumbler. Calcutta is not entirely beaten down. ‘There is, 1 hope, plenty of life in her yet. We had an earthquake the other day to keep us a going, and it was a very successful move, in so far as it gave us something better to talk about than commercial con- yulsions. Earthquakes are by no means uncommon hci but they are generally. vet porte ee aay worth a newspaper paragrag! . just came up to my idea of what a well-behaved earth- quake ought to be, Compared with one of the South American breed, it was certainly “ no great shakes.” but yet it was sufficient to remind one that people who talk of terra firma don’t know what they are driving at, and to lead one to suppose that geology must be a highly interesting study. The shock lasted for some seconds, and at last succeeded in knocking down three ompty brandy bottiox, the property of an invalid major, whose rooms are next to mine. It was accompanied by a rumbling uoise—but this was nearly drowned by the screams of the 6rows and Coolies who infest my neigh- borhood, One house, in the European part of the city. was rendered untenable. 1 don’t believe it did any more harm, In fact, the houses of Calcutta are so we built that it is 10 casy matter to nae them down. The connection between varthquak a the atmos- here is a curious subject, and [ am inci to think | ate yet boen satisfactorily accounted for. [am aware that Mr. Scrope has suggested that the pheno- menon may be simply barometrical; tha: is, if I re- member him correctly, that the intensity of the action dependa on the degree of atmospheric pres*ure exer- cived on tho la in volcanic craters. ‘')'s is intel- ligible and satisfactory enough in the case of earth- quakes happening in the neighborhood of active vol- canoes; but we have no volcanic vent of any sort within 300 miles of Calcutta, and even these only eject a little “mud now and then, More than this, the last shock ap- peared to come from west to cast, and as it was not felt at Bombay, it must have arisen in central India, where there are no activo volcanoes at all. Perhaps the con- nection between the air and the oarthquake is more electrical than anything else ; but one thing is certain, that in India the connection is so marked that you can almost always predict a shock from the state of the atmosphere, just as sailors anticipate a storm from the bad behavior of the barometer. You, perhaps, never heard of such a thing as a school of elephants. The idea was new to me until yesterday, when I hoard of it from a passenger on board the Eng- lish steamer. It seems that as the Haddington was on her way up the river, she suddenly came upon what was at first supposed to be a wreck, but which turned out to be a school of elephants. No less than nine of these animals were Crone the channel, each with a mahout (driver) on his back. They were all tied to- gether, and were in tow of a small boat. This where the stream is nearly two miles wide! The story has been a good deal laughed at here, and wondered at still more, for elephants and their ways are unknown to Caloutta cockneys. There are probably thousands of natives in Calcutta who have never seen an ele- phant in their lives—the animals are not permitted to enter the town. The same is true of the other stars of the monagerie, tigers and such like cattlo. A tiger is far more of a lion in Calcutta than in any obscure Yankee village. Lord Hardinge brought a fine fello into town the other day, en route for England ; this the firat that I have seen in Calcutta—the only on¢ that has entered it to my knowledge for two years, I was told the other day by a lady, born and bred the country, that she saw hor first tiger at Womb- well’s menagerie in England! Laughable as this is the case is a very common one. Apropos, of this T may mention that I heard a person say recently, that he was afraid to visit England ju-t now, for fear of the cholera! I suppose this was meant for a joke, but there is after all some reason for it. When the cholera last visited the west, its horrors were increased ten fold by an absurd notion that the disease was infec- tious, and that to visit the bedside of a cholera patient was almost certain death. In a large proportion of cases then, the sufforer was left to help himself, and no wonder that the pestilence should have revenged itself for this slander on its character. We manage these things differently here, No one ever dreams of dan- ger, whether in waiting at the bed side ofa sick friend. or in visiting the wards of a cholera hospital ; every case the best attendance, and in good attendance are comprised the most favorable conditions for reco- very. The favorite remedy is half a tumbler of raw brandy with from forty to eignty drops of laudanum. Take this at the first appearance of decided symptoms. and the chances are three to one that you will get well. We caught a now governor general a few weeks ago. and are turning him to the most profitable account. Lord Daihousie is a little man, but by no means insig- nificant looking. He bas not yet had any opportuni- ty for immortalizing himself, but he is getting very popuiar, not only because he is hospitable, but on ac- count of his attention to business. Old Bishop Wilson is becoming daily moro infirm, but still has his heart about his work. The bishop's hobby of late has been the cathedral which he hat erected on the margin of the magnificent plain that bounds Calcutta to the south. This edifice has cost £50.000, ten thousand of which was paid out of the good metropolitan’s own private purse. It seems a pity that so much money should have been thrown awa: The church accommodation of Calcutta is already mere than ample, and the money was sadly neoded by the missionaries. Then the building itvelf mr affair. The style is bastard gothic, the material bric and stucco; the coup d’ail that of a highly ornament- ed Christmas cake. But perhaps after all, the worst thing about it is that it was not needed, and that now when built at euch an enormous expense, it will only seat 400 or 450 persons, though its dimensions are some 250 feet by 180. Thero isa ting on glass in the chancel, which bas been highly admired by the meueape: reporters, and highly abominated by everybody else. It represents the crucifixion. and is said to have been left in an un- finished state by West, and eomcuved by I don’t know who. It is altogether worthy of George the ‘Third’s pet painter. If it have any particular fault. besides that of being altogether a sad daub, it is that the angels introduced inte the piece, see=: to have any- thing but a tendency to fly udwards, They look more like a set of Icari, too heavy for their wings din the act of falling from their high estate. It may be, ac- cording to Newton and Laplace, to afflict cherubs and that sort of people with gravity; but it isn’t very ar- tistical, and I don't think it is orthodox, either. In one eorner, to be sure, there are two or throe airy crea- tures, that seem to have been touched with a kinder hand than their neighbors; but a friend of mine main- tains that there are second-hand spirits, which have transmigrated from another canvas, and | am disposed myself to believe in this sort of metempsychosis, for like the Hindoo and his cow,! think J remember to have seen them in another state of existence; though. to throw away the metaphor, I can’t pretend to say from whom they were copied. Tho sainis are not much better than the superior beings, aud I don’t think, the piece on the whole, likely to improve au; body's devotional feelings. The cathedral-lius a large staf attached to it, such as canons and a!i the other appurtenances of the church militant. | one of these canons. His calibre can got over the contradiction, he is great boro. Tree I am making a long letter of it; andias 1 have come to punning at last, perhaps you and [had bet. ter part for the present. My head is full of subjects. which I must defer. Among other things, I havea wonderful chapter to give you on meamerism in India Perhaps you are not aware that a mexmeric hospital was established here in 1346 by order of government and at government expen: It has done won nd there are not now ten regular surgeons in India who aro not mosmerists. Of course. we have chloroform too; but ‘mesmerism has a higher destiny than any nostrum, however beneficont. But, as I fore, ‘| must not anticipate. So with my best salaam, 1 bid you good byo for the present. | DOWN EAST Caxcutta, March 20, 1848. Important Commercial Arrangement—More Funny Fail- ures—Mesmerism and Chloroform in India—The Chotera—Ethonology of the Natives of India—Inte- resting Informal Thad scarcely posted my iast letter, when a govern- ment gazette was put into my hands, containing an aot abolishing all discriminating duties on articles im- ported or exported on forcign bottoms. From the 25th of March, this act goos into effect, placing tho trade of all the world, British or alien, on an equal footing with respect to British India, Such # liberal measure as this augurs well for the administration of Lord Dalhousie. Our tariff has always been a light ono; the very highest duty hitherto charged has been one of 10 per cent on British and 20 per cont on foreign wines and liquors the ordinary duties on otfier articles being from 3 te Sper cent ad valorem. It is now still lighter, and 1 dpe the Boston merchants will lose no time in taking | advantage of the change. Two American vessels have arrived during the past week—the Audubon and the Cato; both. I suppose, will k their hatches closed until after the 25th, when, as I have said. the now act comes into play. Regarding this act, the Friend of India justly eays :--“ It is a bright and noble measure; all tho brighter, too, from the certainty that foreign nations have not the spirit or the wisdom to reciprocate it, and to admit British bottoms to an oquality of privi- This ia emphatically legisla. ting for India, and mot for the interest of a section of her exotic community. It pening the trade of In- dia to the world, enlargin, multiplying the mar- kets for her produce, and giving her the advantage of obtaiwing supplies European nations on the cheapest terms,’’ that Lord D. It ‘thle proaniye by ihe a was ad- he loft is oneat home. American ships can now take “ bread- stuffy” to Liverpool, and there ship cargoes for Caleut- ta, Madras. or Bombay, csrgofor America. for your ships are can afford to take freight at an abatement of 60 per England. The days of the British navigation laws are no doubt numbered, and it is somewhat curious that the first blow @ their vitality should come from India. I am inclined to think, then, that Lord Dalhousie’s aet tended to pave the way for a more comprehensive purchasing here the return This trade ought to be profitable, much cheaper than ours, that you cent on the English rates. 1 enclose a copy of the new act, for the guidance of your merchants:— Fore Winz1am, Howe Deranraey, i Logislative, March 4th, 1348, The following act is brought up before ‘the legislative council this day, the that no time volved, Tha the rales requiring general of India iu conneil shall be 'n two months, or in three months from the date of the first ing, be suspend in respect to the following proposed Act, and that it Be at once passed into law:— ACT NO. VI. OF 181% An Act for equalizing the Duties on Goods imported and ex- ported on Foreign and British Bottoms, and for establishing duties on goods carried from port to port in the Territories governor general of India in counell being desirous ould be lost in passing tho act. that all Avts of the governor ought up for second readin tive—not to mention that, having in view application to other respondents of different nations, it follows that the blanks in one paper might be filled up in another.” The vocabulary is followed by a granuinar simple enough, like the language of which it treats Then comes what may be more strictly called the Eth- nolagical Essay, occupied with the history, religion, manners, and customs of the people. tribes under consideration is composed of three mem- bers—the Kocchs, Bodes, and Dhimal. Of the Kovchs, however, only a remnant retains its primitive stamp; the mass of the tribe has been absorbed amotg the Mussulman. and Hindoo population. Strange to say, the grades of the con- verts were admitted to. eminent status of Raj- put, or Kshatriya, a fact which seoms to be well ascer- tained, and which fortms @ remarkable exception to all that history tells us of the exclusiveness of Hindooism. ‘This transfusion seoms to have taken place about two centuries ago, Thetribe has had its days of power. Under Hajo, who flourished in the fifteenth and six- teenth centuries, the Raj, or kingdom, extended from 88 to 0344 east longitude, and from 25 to 27 north lati- tude, and it was not till 1773 that this territory was subject to the Government of the East India Company. I. Itis hereby enacted, that from and after the twenty-fifth day, of March, 1348 all goods imported on foreign bottoms hy sea into any port of the presidencies of Fort William in Bengal, Fort St. George, or Bombay, shall be charged only with the same rates of duty’as auch goods would now by law be charged with if such soods were imported into any of the said ports on British bottoms, any thing in any act of the couneil of India contained to the con- trary notwithstanding. TT. And itis hereby-onacted, that from ancl after the anid day all goods exported on foreign bottoms by sea, from any of the said presidencies, shall be charged only with the same rates of duty as sch goods would now by law be charged with if snch goods wore exported from any of the said ports on British bottoms, any thing in any act of the eounell of India contained to the contrary uote withstan IIL, And {Cis hereby enacted, that from and after the waid day, no duty shall be charged on any goods lawfully carried from a1 port in the territories subject to the goveramont of the East India Company to any other port in tho said territori in any act of the counell of India contained to the standiny TV. Hrovided always, that nothing in this act contained shall apply to the artiolos of salt or opium, Eine my last, weliave had 000; all these liabilities arising This will probably bring down more houses, and it is generally feared that the large firm of Bagshaw & Co. will be compelled to stop after the arrival of the mail of the 7th of February. A bankruptey in India is gene- rally a splendid affair. It is highly disreputable to fail for anything less than £50,000, and most of the houses shoot farahend of that sum. You will understand me better when I tell you that the liabilities of six houses which failed in the year 1830-34. amounted to fourteen crores forty-eight lakhs of rupees. or fourteen millions anda half sterling! Tho namos of these houses were, Pal- mer & Co., Alexander & Co., Mackintosh & Co., Calvin & Co., Fergusson & Co., Cruttenden. Mackillop & Co The amount of dividends paid by all six is equal to 24 per cent. on the above sum. One firm, that of Alex- ander & Co., paid 6 per cent.on more than four mil- Hons sterling. These statements, incredible as you may think them, may be relied on; they are derived from the very best official authority. But what is more, I find I have spoken of these dividends as id, whereas many, though declared, have nover ace paid and probably never will be. This is owing to the defalcation of O’Dowda, the official assignee to the insolvent court, who received all the assets of in- solvent firms, and whose business it was to pay them out at once. O’Dowda’s account recently exhibited a deficiency of many takhs of rupees, so that the credi- tors of the above mentioned and other firms lose great part of thetr dividends, pitiful as those dividends were. What do fou think of Calcutta now? In my last, I had a few words to say about mesmer- ism in India. and J had been intending in my present letter to enter at some length into the history of the science of passes. as cultivated among us. This I shall defer, however, till another opportunity, as also what I have to say about our banking affairs. I may as well tell you, however, that the new Governor General has already become a convert to mesmeriam—if one is to judge him by his actions, It is understood that when ho first came out, be scouted the idea of giving the least countenance to what he called a “ humbug that we exploded in Europe long #¢9;" but a day or two since, it was anneunced that his lordship had appointed Dr. Esdaile. the apostle of mesmerism in the cast, as Presidency surgeon. This is an appointment only be- stowed on very old or very distinguished public ser- vanta, Now Dr..Esdaileis a young man, and his name stands at the bottom of thelist of surgeons in the com- pany’s army. and he is distinguished only by his advo- cacy of mesmerism, so that there is no mistaking the import of his promotion. ‘The following note from the doctor himself will show you how the act is inter- reted:— Pity Dear Sin—I was disposed to think Tord Dathousie a sone sible man, and now I know it. Having had the honor to feed with his lordship last night, he took the occasion to congratulate me on being Presidency sarzoon, and was pleased to say in reply to my thanks, thad “Chad only myself to thauk—he had only done an aot of Justice”. May he live to do many more ike it to the ame lesorving individual! Tam told that he has taken ¢roat pains with his mesmeric reports, and he has expressed himgelf quite sat- istied, both to myself and to others. This intellectfial conversa. tion does honor to his understanding, and will not be without good effects, Yours very truly, Jas, Esparir, Dr. Esdailo, though « mesmerist, is not a mesmerist only. He was the first to use ether in his practice, when the discovery was made known here, and I had the honor of being the first person in India who took chloroform, and it was by him that the chloroform was administered. By the way, it seems highly probable that both ether and chloroform will prove most valua- ble remedies for cholera. The disease has already made its appearance in Calcutta, and as the season has been very unfavorable, there is a prospect of its assuming a virulent type. The researches of Dr. Pritchard have invested the study of ethnology with so much interest that I have no doubt a fow words on the present condition and prospects of the science, as prosecuted in India, will be acceptable to a good many of your readers. ‘The study of races has always incited no little attention among observing men among us; it has gone hand-in-hand with Indian philology, and the transactions of the Asiatic Society, together with the published records of the various missions, afford an amount of information which does credit tothe industry and sagacity of sojour- nersin the East. But hitherto enquiries of this sort have been conducted without the slightest regard to system, and the available result ofall that haa been done is lam- entably insignificant, With the history of the Ariah or immigrant family, which comprises both the Hindu and Miussulman occupants of the soil, we are tolerably fa- miliar; but it is those classes whose history is of the least value in an ethnological point of view, since they are plainly exotic, and it is comparatively cacy to say where they came from. But with the Tamulians or iborigines, the case is different. We find them scatter- od all over the country—that is—in every jungle or hilly tract throughout the vast continent—if [ may se call it—of India, There exist hundreds of thousands of human beings wrose state has been not inaptly com- pared to that of the Germans, as described by Tacitus. They cover the subordinate range of hills that skirt the base of the Himalayas ; they make their dwelling in the South, where cape Comorin sinks into the sea; Aa- sam, in the far East. is their home ; so is Gugerat, in the extreme West, while central India swarms with my- ciads of these children of nature. who have never bow- ed the knee to Vishnu, nor yet been taught to pray with face toward the setting sun, whose creed is as sim- ple and as little repulsive as that of the old Mohawk, and who for centuries have lived as isolated from hie {lindu and Moslem invaders of the country. as though they had dwelton the plains of Tibet. It is plain that they are the people to be studied, if we would solve the problem of the diffusion of the human race from its parent stock, as far as India is concerned; and I am et to find that there is a prospect of the investigation ing carried on with vigor, and what is of no less im- portance, in asystematic manner. Mr. B. H. Hodgson, who was formerly resident at Khatmandoo. on the com- tortable salary of six or seven thousand rupees per m, but who sometime since resigned the Compa- ay’s civil service, that he might devote his whole time to scientific researches, has just appeared under the auspices of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. as the pro- pounder of a system of ethnological enquiry, expecially applicable to India, and to which it is intended that aleuture investigations in this field, by whomsoever undertaken, shall conform as far as possible. Thirty years or more of unremitting labor in the fields of ori- ental philology, archacology. ethnology, not to speak of zoology and other natural sciences, have well qua lifled this gentleman to become the Magnus Apol- fo of our Indian savans, and not a student is there, of whatever calibre. who’ will not gladly look ap tohim. So much for his antecedents. He enters the field with a» normal exeay ona single group of tribes, his first of a series of extays, part of which he proposes to fill out himself, leaving the rest to those who are wil- ling to follow in his footsteps. A rapid sketch of thia ossay May not be unacceptable. First. then. the au- thor, in his preface, introduces the subject of Indian ethnology. He starts with x theory—that 1s, he as- sumes the original unity of the scattered tribes. of which I have spoken. ‘This assumption is made purely for what I may call empirical purposes; that is, as a sti- mulus to observation, and as a sort of fixed point, with which subsequent ascertRined facts may be compared. The author does not profess to hold it as a creed, and [ have no doubt would be perfectly satisfied if the result should upset his assumption, only so long as he arrived at the truth. I need hardly say that lingual means are mainly relied for the determination of the unity of all these families, or, as they may be collectively called, the Tamulian race, | The task will prove a difficult one, however; for itis ascertained that there exist no less than 28 different languages among the aboriginal tribes of the sub-Himalayan region only—that is, the narrow strip of alternating hill and dato, subordinate to tho Himalayas proper, which extends from Kamaon to As- sam, and divides ‘the British territories and the king- dom of Oude from Nepol, Sikim, and Bhotan, You may imagine. then, the number of languages to be stu- died throughout India—languages, too, absolutely without literature or oven written charactera—and thus form an idea of the advantage to be derived from a food model, faithfully followed. in giving to the labors in this wido field that unity of purpose without which their aggregate value must, of necersity, be compara- tively small, as far as concerns the solution of the im- portant ethnological question involved, Great part of the work is occupiod by the model vo- cabulary, The words are not arranged alphabetically, but according to association of ideas by similitudes, contrast, and habitual connection. It is extremely copious, and possorses the peculiarity of showing « large number of “ Dlanks’'=-that is, English words for which no corresponding word has been found In the languages under consideration. The author gives an excellent reason for retaining those blanks. He deems “the negative evidence almost as valuable as the Poel. | absorbed by the company's gigantic power. These poo- ple have beon described by Buchanan, and aa they are fast lcsing their distinctive characteristics, their eon- dition is not half so interesting as that of some of their neighbors, The Bodo and the Dhimal are two rac inhabiting scattered spots within the geographi limits just mentioned, the Dhimal being confined to the most westerly portion of this wide range of country. ‘Though they would seem to possess tho land in com- mon. and to share it very amicably, yet they live in separate villages, and there is no intermarriage between the two tribes. "Their condition is in many respects 0 much the same that they may be spoken of collective- ly a one tribo; yet the language of each is as distinct as English is from either. All writers have agreed in giving a tolerably favorable picture of the aboriginal tribes in North Eastern India, but Mr. Hodgson’s esti- mate of the Bodo and Dhimal is far more flatterin than all; and one would be disposed to think he had been misled, were it not that he has been in actual ecntact with them for several years, The condition of these people is semi-nomadic; they cultivate the soil, et remain in one spot but a short time, seldom exceed- ng four, never six years. Their religion is distinguish- ed, as Mr. H. says, “like their manners and customs, by the absence of everything that is shocking. ridiculous, orincommodious.”” They seem to have deities innu- merable. Mr. H. gives a list of them, occupying some pages octavo; but they are all very amfable gods, there ing no malignant powers, and as in wuch case one would expeet, no inhuman’ propitiatory rites—suttee and infanticide are abhorred among them. It is true, that their divinitios are apt to resent neglect; but a very trivial sacrifice is sufficient to restore them to good humor. Few nations are less priest-riddon than the simple Bodoand Dhimal. ‘The sacred office ix here- ditary; neither does it require any very formidable amount of initiation, It is open to any body who cho- ses to enter it, and for all that Mr, H. says to the con- trary, the whole mummery might be picked up at a single lesson. If the ecclesiastics aro soon made they are soon paid; their perquisites being wonderfully reasonable. ‘Tho priest is obliged to work for his bread like an honest man, and all he gets for his spiritual counsel, {x a share of every animal offered up, and three days work per annum from every male in’ his flock. He takes unto himself a wife, like any body elso, and if ho gets tired of assassinating cocks and pigs he may throw off the canonical dress, (if he ever had any) and take to the dibble or bill-hook, Mr. Hodgson thinks this avery good spacimen of ‘natural religion.” ‘Tom Car- lyle would be sure to admire it for its freedom from all shams. ‘These two tribes may be said to live much better than their rice eating low land neighbors. They de- your fish, flesh and foul, in all their varieties, except Dooes and cats, “Ghee,” the delight of Hindus and Mussulimans, and the quientessence of all the abomina- bilia, they know not even by name, and oil with which all the Caucasian Indians anoint themselves, till they stink again, is only used by the Bodo and Dhimal for food, and that but sparingly. They distil no spirits, but make a fermented liquor from rice or millet, which Mr. Hodgson appears to have found tolerable tipple — They also use tobacco, whether they smoke, chew or snuff, is not said ; but are innocent of opium or homp. The manners of the Bodo and Dhimal are described as a pleasing medium between tho unsophisticated rough- ness of their highland neighbors and tho artificial smoothness of the plains. There ix not a bit of the cringing rascality of the Bengali about them; thoy are frank and good humored, and what is bost of all, use their wives and daughters well, treating them with confidence and kindveas, ‘The position of women among some of their Northeastern tribes, is a fact as gratifying as it is curious, Among the Kocchs just mentioned above, the women alone are entitled to hold property! This I state onthe authority of Dr. Bu- ehanan. | “To suin“up,”’ says Mr. H “the character of the Bodo and Dhinal is full of amiable qualities and almost entirely free from such as are unamiable. ‘They are intelligent, docile, honest and truthful in deed and word, industrious in their own way of life, but apt to be mutable and idle, when first placed in novel situa- tions, and to resist injunctions injudiciously urged. with dogged obstinacy,” which last character remind- ed me of the North American 'ndians. Perhaps you will suppose Ihave got through the whole list of their virtues, but I have not come to the climax. In the last page but one of his book, Mr H. says :—“ Aniong all mankind, women, wine and power, are the great tempters, the great leaders astray. Now the Bodo and Dhimals rise decidedly superior to the first temptation, are not unduly enslaved to the second, and are entire- ly exempted from the third.” What more ean you want. I amsorry to be obliged to say that these exemplary barbarians have very gly Mongul mugs, "Add to this that they are outrageously dirty, and you will only have another illustration of the’ truth, that perfect men are scarce. DOWN EAST. Political Intelligence, New Hamesnine.—Moses Norris, Jr., democrat, has been elected Senator in Congress for six years from the 4th of March next, in place of Mr. Atherton, whose term then expires. Maine—A democratic legislative caucus has nomi- nated Gov. Dana for re-election, and Hugh J. Andet- son and Rufus McIntire, for Presidential electors at large. Ovv Henker Meetine at Avnany.—The old hunk- ers held a meeting at Albanyon the evening of the 14th instant, which is thus described by the Knick er- bocker :— This gathering was one of the most comical affairs that ever came off in this city. If possible, it excelied in picturesqueness and low comedy, even the celebra- ted Cass procession. The meeting. as we said yexter- day, was very lat ut at least two-thirds of the heads belonged to whig bats and barnburners, The first man to open the hall was Senator Allen, who went back, (for the purpose of a good start we suppose.) to the time when Adam kept a soological garden. Having got watied, he floated away down the stream of time. till he reached the dark ages, when he seized a ban- dana handkerchief and gave himself a pull by the nose that was duly appreciated by those who were being bored by his endless presiness and tiresome repetitions. While he wzs performing this feat three cheers were roposed and given for Henry Clay, John Van Buren, Fourth of July, the Wilmot proviso, yellow corn, and baked beans. Having cleared himseif of his maccuba he revived his “ course of time,”? and glided down the stream of years till he run against the old Federal, where he grounded for one or two hours. His conclu- ding remarks were porticularly rich, and almost ver- batim as follows : “ Gentlemen, the formation ef the old federal party «hut up your trap) was an era in the history of this country (Joe Burns, stop squirting cy- ane pepper against that old gentleman's trowsers.) «Don't do any such thing, if people attend political meetings they ought to be excited.” at's a fact.” Ni ‘Another squirt, Joe.” “Give old Allen a tarn next, and see if you can’t animate him.’ “Order.” “Where's old Taylor.” ‘hree cheers for Buena Vista.’ “Hur- rah! hurrah! hurrah !"’) Gentlemen, as | said before, the formation of that party was an era in the history of this country (So was the Baltimore convention, and the man that struck Patterson.’ ‘“ Where's the man with the claret colored coat?” “Whoare you poking with that stick?” “Lay down, you old fool. and suck a doughnut.’ “ Where's the hangman from Miss ssippi ?’? “Three cheers for the horse boat.” “Stop your noise.” “ You be d—d." “Tell me that again and [ will swot you over the mug."') Gentlemen, the formation of the federal party took its rise un- der the elder Adams. («The h—I it did.’ “Two quarts of fried pies.’ “Don't throw that tin pan at me again or I'l ran you down ’— Three cheers for Old Ritchie, and the Cass mourners! “Where's Sam Houston?” “Hurrah for Texas.’— “Bring out old San Jacinto.’ “Show us the elephant; we've seen common animals long enough.” “Houston. Houston, Houston.”) In response to thelr call, the Se- nator from Texas came forward and made as good an address as he possibly could, under the circumstances, It was evident that he had beeninvited to a feast, of the the majority of whose dishes he was totally un. acquainted. Senator Bright also offered a few admira- ble remarks, which elicited the most unbounded ap- plauso. By the way, Senator B, is one of the most glo- rious speakers we ever listened to. His words flow out like a stream of water, and partake of an enorgy and eloquence that is difficult to surpass, He is the ‘Lavin Forrest of tho Senate, and has a yoics like a spenkin, trumpet. The Ge ceremonies were performe by Senator Foote. e meettng adjourned about 11 o'clock. From Venezurta.—Schooner George Pollok, Captain Sweet, arrived at this port this morning, from Curacoa, which place she left on tho 24th ult. Capt. §, reports affairnin Vonesnela as becoming toere quiet, with the exception of Maracaibo, which was still in possession of the revolutionary party under General P ‘A body of troops under Monagas, to the number of five or six thousand, had landed on the | dian coast. and were to march upon Maracaibo on the day upon which Capt. Sweet left. There were various rumors of @ contradictory character in circulation, and therefore entitled to but little eredence, one of which was, that there had been another outbroak in Opposi- tion to the government at rome place to the windward. | Capt. Sweot also reports the U, 8. ship Albany as hav- ing arrived at Curacoa, on the 2th ult,, to sail samo | day for the windward. | A habitant, arrived at'Pointe Levi this morning, from Ste, Marguerite, [south shore,) states that when left there, seven inches of snow lay on the groun Quebec Mercury, 1BtA inst, ‘The group of | A Few Words about the Tombs, The building in Centre street, known as the Halls of Justice, alias the CityPrison, alias the Egyptian Tombs, comprises a greater variety of public offices than is generally supposed, and respecting which volum might be written,developing mysteries such as Ned Bunt line and others who have attempted to pourtray the evil doings and sayings in Gotham, never dreamed of ; nor will they ever come to light until every poor devil who has had the misfortune to be locked up within its walis, with seme of the needful at his command, shall have revealed to the world the result of his experience—an event that may be looked for in vain; for where will you find the man who has been guilty cf a single offence, and suceeeded in escaping the punishment which he ought to have received, through the magic influence of that “sovereign balm of; Gilead,” the “almighty dol- lar,’ that will come forward and make known the fact? It is true that some of them will occasionally speak of oxisting evils, and allude to this person, and that person, as being corrupt; and bya peculiar shrug of tho ishoulder or shake of the head, intimate that they know something —that they could tell a tale, if they were so disposed, that would create a stir amongst the officials in this quarter, And there is no doubt but developemonte of a startling character could be made by them ; but to re- veal what they know would be coming too close home, and place those persons, previously above suspicion, in very unenviable positions before the public. On the other hand, those who have been faithless in the dis- charge of their public duties, for the sake of luere, will of course “keep dark” as to what has passed. For these reasons, then, as we have before remarked, the most shameful abuses, heinous offences, series of in- trigues, seductions and peccadilloes, connected with af- fairs of tho “ upper ten,” will probably forever remain behind the curtain. But te return to our first point: we would state that this massive structure of granite, to which we have alluded. comprises the Coroner's Of- fice, Court of Sessions Room, Grand Jury Room. Po- lice Court, Sixth Ward Police Station, and the City Prison, proper; besides the Keeper's and Physician's offices, and others unworthy of notice. Conoxen’s Orrice.—Of all tho departments in the “ Halls of Justice,” that of the coroner furnishes mat- ter ef the deepest interest. What a record of human wo! Secrets, stifled until life becomes a burthen, aro unfolded to that worthy official. Mental sufferings, long endured in silence, at last come to his knowledgo In his hands fall packages of letters that unfold the miseries that “flesh is heir to,’—these are consigned to the flames—their contents unknown, except to him; their publication would harrow the souls of the living. and carry desolation to many a family, The dead could not be restored to life by exposing to public view their contents; neither would their publication tend to make society more virtuous, or deter the seducer from arepetition of his infamous arts, Amours in h gh life, as well as in low; jealousies between husband and wife, and the hundred causes which lead mankind volunta- rily to shake off this “ mortal coil,” are revealed to him by the examination of witnesses; and were it not for the confidence imposed upon him by the very nature of his office, what a budget of startling facts, “ stranger might he not daily furnish, and thus ity of those who feel an interest and anxiety in having exposed the misfortunes of their neighbors! Tho details connected with the multipli- city of cases to which the coroner’s attention is called, cannot in any wise affect the result required by the investigation; they are not, therefore, except in cases where the public welfare requires it, brought to light. Thus the secrets acquired by the coroner, will be bu- ried with him, unless in after times he should leave a “ diary,’ exposing the miseries and mysteries of the humaw heart, as developed by his official duties, Porace Counr.—But few persons can form the slight- est conception of the varied and singular nature of the cases whieh the police justices are culled upon to give their attention to and dispose of ; and it certainly re- quires @ stock of patience and fortitude,which very few possess, in order to pass through the ordeal to which the magistrates and clerks are almost daily subject. If any one should feel sufficiently interested in learning a chapter in “ New York as it is,’’ let him attend daily in this court, for a week or a fortnight.from its opening in the morning until its close in the evening; aud mix. as it were, with the degraded, dissolute and half co- vered wretches, who are brought in from the different police stations cach morning—look upon the picture, note down their language, and remember their sum- mary disposition. There he will probably see a genteel rowdies, who have been cutting up some shines during the previous night, who are called give an account of themselves; when earnest appeals are made to the presiding magistrate to let them slide for once, as their mamas don’t known they're out. and by promises of future good bebavior,and the shedding of afew crocodile tears, as far as possible enlist his sympathies. After paying a small fine as a penalty for his folly,and listening to a suitable admonition, the fashionable rowdy is, perhaps, allowed to depart. The remainder of the day is usually occupied in making out vagrant commitments, attending to cases of bas- tardy, hearing complaints, and examining parties charged with the commission of offences of a serious character. In days gone by, considerable * Star Cham- ber’? business was done; but for some time past, very few examinations, if any, take place, from which the reporters are excluded. Count or Sxssions.—With regard to the affairs of this court, we can speak in a less satisfactory manner, inasmuch as there has long appeared to be considera- ble mystery connected with proceedings and mat- ters which ought to come before it more promptly for adjudication. Again, the manner in which the pro- ceedings of some trials are conducted on the part of the people, not unfrequently appears to be very objection- able. For instance, the culpritjor prisoner, when he comes into court, he once surrounded with all the rejudices arising from a presumption of guilt. Infact, Revix looked upon as being quilty before he is tried. ‘This is altogether wrong; for it is a well settled rule, that when a party is to be tried for an alleged of. fence. for which he has been indicted, the evidence in the case must strictly be confined to that issue only ; but here, if the aecused party happens to be known ty a policeman, or any other person in court, they are very ready to say that he is an old offender; and then, during the course of the trial, the public prosecutor. instead of confining himself entirely to the facts and evidence adduced, by way of remark observes: “ This man is an old offender—it appears that he has alread served an apprenticeship in the State prison” —whic! statement very naturally has its prejudicial influence, upon the minds of the jury. This course, it must be ad- mitted, is an abuse, and an illegal mode of trial, not re- cognized by any sound principle of law. The fact. that Aldermen set as associate judges of this court, is likewise a ground of frequent complaint, and apparently to us, @ very just one, inasmuch as no one who has been an_ observer of its proceedings. can for a moment doubt that they are not unfrequently governed by party influence ; and the truth of this remark strikes us more forcibly by a recollection of the circumstance , that on several occasions when active politicians have been placed on trial, Aldermen who aro not only of the same political creed. but probably even intimate friends and associates of the accused party, contrive to be on the bench during the progress of his trial; and singular as it may appear, the Aldermen , regardless of politios, aeem to be very accommodating amongst themselves, in these matters, changing off. or, in other words, resigning their seats to the more interested dignitaries, for the time their particular influence is desired. Several cases of this kind could be referred to, in which the jury found the accused parties guilty of the offences charged, aud the Recorder, as presiding judge of the court, was disposed to intlict severe pirslshment, but was overruled by a majority of the bench; and that majority consisting of the two Aldermen belonging to the same school of politics as the accused to save whom they had volunteered, or sought, the privilege of sitting as associate judges. Graxo Juny.—The nombers of this body are usually selected from amongst the most intelligent citizens of the county. to inve-tigate such cases as are presented to them from the different police courts ; also, to take cognizance of notices of alleged existing nuisances that may come before them. With respect to the proceed- ings of the Grand Inquest, on account of their priva- cy, we have had less opportunity of forming an opinion on the subject of any abuse. or mancavring, on their part in disposing of cases presented for their considera- tion. We have good reason to believe, however, that notes are frequently received by members of thix body relative to complaints preferred against parties whore cases have been Inid before them; and that in many instancethose communications it is eonfidentlybeliev- ed, have had a very prejudicial influence upon the minds of the recipients in their deliberations. Crty Prison.—Of the doings in this department, we hear less and know less than formerly; no trials of de- puty keepers or demi-offictals, for aiding in the exeape of felons, having taken piace of late, whereby we could obtain information relative to the internal machinery of this establishment, or the wonderful effects which champagne and oyster suppers, d lo Babe and Hong, might have in securing peculiar privileges, or greasing the prison keys. ApvorntMents ny THe Puesioent —Arthar P. Daghy of Alabama, to be envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to Russia. in the | Place of Ralph 1. Ingersoll, recalled at his own request Colin M, Ingersoll. of Connectiont, to be seoretary of the legation of the United States to Russia, in the place of Joha R. Clay, appointed chargo d'affaires of the United States to Peru. | H.'T. A. Ratnals, to be consul of tho United States | for the port of Elvenoro, in the place of E. L. Rainals, resigned. | Land Offices—John Taylor, register of. the Land OMce at Defiance, (removed from Upper Sandusky.) | Hender- Ohio, vice R. MoKelley, resigned. William L (removed | son, receiver of public moneys at Defiance, from Upper Sandusky.) Ohio, vice Purdy MeEIvaine, deceased. Joel S. Fem, supiatee of the Land Office 2% Green Bay, Wisconsin, vice John F. M Duncan B. Graham, register of the Land Office at Montgomery, Alabama, pointed. Wade H. Green: oppolnted, of the Land OMe ¢ at Sparta, Alabama, re. in By Cates Lyon, oF Lronspace. Rise, land of the shamrock; no longer in chains Lie weeping and pierced by th No longer in a Of darkness and sorrow thy heart overflow! Where, where is the spirit of Clontarf of ol ‘That taught the invader the strength of thy might? Unshackled by tyrants, unfettered by gold, Ye battled for freedom-—ye conquered for right. All Europe looks to thee, thou pearl of the sea, ‘The tears of whore sorrow make emerald thy sod; Remember, thou’st power in thyself to be free— ‘Then arise for thy children, thy country, thy God. Where, where is the spirit whose patriot strain | _ Was breathed by an Emmett, 4 Grattan, a Moore ? | Have Bruce, Kosciusko, and Tell lived in vain ? Have ye tears, und not blood, o’er the gibbet to pour? | Thy sons battle well in a despot’s employ, And ye have the blood and the hearts of the brave; Why sleep in your fetters’ Wake '—varn the true joy | He feels who is winning (for freedom) a grave. | ‘The people of Rome are a calling to thee: “ Now, now break thy fetters and dry up thy tears,” And France cries, in barricade glory, “ Be free !— Our tricolor’srison—away with thy f Thy iron-armed Ruler hath smitten again Thy people, through Mitchel, the fearless and bold— The martyr—the felon—who's dragging bis chain, For theo, dearest Erin, the bartered of old. Arouse, for the sake of the Virgin, whose shrine ‘The hirelings of England absse and decry. Arouse! By Saint Patrick, what glory is thine ‘To live asa slave—as a coward to dio? Dirvicutry aMona THE WINNEBAGOKS.—ReE- FusAL To Eatgrate.—Very great opposition wad manifested by tho Winnebagoes to emigrating to their new home. Stormy interviews have been held with the sub-agent, Gon. Fletcher, and severe threats were made & the Indians, in view of force being used to compel their removal, When Mr. Henion (by whom the news was received) left, the Indians had taken down nearly all their wigwams, and all the squaws and most of the male Indians had left for parts unknown. Little Hill was addressing those who remained behind. Baptiste, a chief Seorly, hostile to removal, was just starting for the Agency, his countenance filled with indignation. Capt, Morgan was apprehensive he should be compelled to send to Fort Crawford for reinforcements.— ‘The principal reason of the refusal of the Winnel foes to remove to their new home is sald to be that they ave not received a certain sum of money from the government, which they were promised should be paid to them before they were called upon to omigrate. It is said they offered to take even one half the promised sum, and remove peaceably ; but that was refused them. Another fact which aggravated the difloulty waa that Gen, Fletcher, the subagent, had revoked the licenses of all the traders, save Messrs, Rice. The Indians say the design is to fleece them unmercifully when they ar- rive at their new homes, and that the sub-agent {s to ticipate in the profits of the operation. One of the raders, D. Olmstead, was expecting from Washington daily a permit to trade. Much hostility existed toward the Sub-Agent personally, and threats against his life were freely vented by the Indians. His residence was guarded by a detachment of troops each night. One of the Winnebago bands still continue in Wisconsin, obstinately persisting in their refusal to come in. Th say they never have receivedany money at the hands of the present sub-agent, and they never will.—Du- buque (fowa) Tribune. Miscellaneous. A young man named Middlebrook jumped off a log overhanging Genesee Falls on the 16th inst, He was drowned, as was Sam Patch at the same place. Business on the Erle canal {# said to be very dull. ‘There are 100 boats laid up at Buffalo, 100 at Albany, 100 in Troy, and 100 in New York. Eight or ten tow boats are lying still at Albany for want of employment. Alexander Ely, a revolutionary veteran, died at Ro- chester on the isth inst. He witnessed the execution of Major Andre, and was ® participant in many of the deods of valor which occurred in his youthful days. Mr. Thurston is to make his second cerial voyage at Canandaigua on the 4th of July. A new and beautifal steamer, called the Alabama, was launched at Detroit on the 10th inst. Her ar- rangements aro similar to those of the North Rivor steamboats; she is to run on the Sandusky and Buffalo line, Her dimensions are 240 feet keel, feet beam, burthen 1000 tons. She draws only @feet 8 inches of water, and has two engines of 850 horse power each, with 28 inch cylinders and7 feet stroke. ‘There was a grand turn out at Albany on the léth inst., to see a new steam ferry boat launched. The company were waiting in almost breathless expectation to see her go off- the band struck up a beautiful air, he block was cut away, and —— the craft stood stock still; she wouldn’t budge # line. After a close inspec- tion, it was discovered that sonm mischievous scam had driven an iron spike, about a foot long, through the ways into her hull. This was finally removed, and off she went, ‘The centre watch in Boston reported on Wednesday night last, that on their ‘‘first out’) they saw 234 per- sons smoking in the streets, The sheep shearing festival commenced at Nantuck- et on Wednesday. The steamer Bay State came out of the dry dook, at the navy yard, Charlestown, on Thursday morning, snd on Monday next will make wn excursion down the ay. There was a frost in the vicinity of Albany on the night of the 14th inst. The plum troes were the prin- cipal sufferers. The Board of Aldermen in Providence have granted Heenses¢for the sale of spirituous liquor: refused to grant $700 for the celebration of the national anni- versary. 3 5 On the 16th inst., as the men employed at the Charlestown Navy Yard wore raising to its place the main topgallant yard of the U. 8. steamship Missiasip- pi, the tackle gave way, and the yard fell, striking one of the cranes and breaking the spar in two. At the time of the accident, a man, who was either on or near the topgallant masthead, was thrown from his position, and caught in the crotch of stays to the mainmast, where he hung until he was taken down, in a state of insensibilty. He was takon on board the sloop of war Franklin, where medical afd was rendered him. Hia physician considers his recovery doubtful.—Boston Ad ~ vertiser, 16th inst. On tne 5th inst, a young man about seventeen years - of killed his ‘uncle, Samuel Cooper, near Renoh- ler's, five miles from St. Louis. They belonged to an emigrating party from Tennessee, on their way to Ar- kansas. The young man’s father and uncle were drink- ing; the father had whipped his mother, and the uncle suid be would beat her todenth. Some altercation took place between the parties, the boy taking the of is mother. but finally attempted to get out of fe may of his uncle, who pursued him, when young Cooper seized a rail, struck the old man a blow over the head, and killed him, and then delivered himself ido eus- ody. British Exactions In America, Mr. ‘on . The experience of a number of years has con- vinced me that your able journal is at all times ready to expose abuses of every character, whether they be perpetrated by governments, States or in- dividuals. With this opinion I take the liberty of pointing out what I, and every one else acquainted with the circumstances, consider an abuse, an im- position, an extortion. You are aware, no doubt, that British Consuls, unlike, in this respect, the consulay representatives of the United States, are paid a regular annual sa. lary, and thut they are not, like American Consuls, dependent on the fves of their office tor jremunera- tion for their services. Thus the British Cousuk at this port receives a salary of eight hundred pounds sterling per annum, which sum one would, suppose was abundantly liberal for the servicers pertormed. This, however, it appears is not sufhy cient, at least in the opinion of that functionary, for he levies on every British vessel that arrives in this port, a_sum varying according to the size and tonnage, of from fifteen to tweuty-five dollars ; and yet the very certificates which he issues for those services are marked “No Fees,” Now my object in addressing you at this time is to protest against this levying of black mail on Irish ships, at least. ‘That couvtry has for centuriea been basely trampled upon by the British. Its trade and commerce have almost been annihilated. 14 1s within my own recollection, Mr. Editor, that previous to the carrying of that infamous and dia~ polical act called the act of Union, Ireland’s com- mercial relations with the United States were very extensive. Time and time have [ seen Irish ves- sels freighted with her linen, bobbinets and other manufactures, reach our shores, and in return cari back the productions of America. Now how dit- terent is the case! Until within a very shorttime, it was a rare thing to see an Insh veseel in our wa- ters. Shotild not this trade be encouraged: but more than that,should we, in Ameriea,permit the ty~ ranny of the tyrannical British government ta reach, Inshmen in America tA vessel arriving jrom Ire- land,xccording to the present usage, must deposit ita register with the British Consul hefere it can enter the Custom House. For undergoing this forma- lity a sum of fifteen or twenty-five dollars must be paid; and yet ‘no feos” is endorsed on very certificate which gertifies that this formality has been complied with! et Tapprehend, Mr. Editor, that it is fall time this system of black mailing should stop. I don’t see | any reason why the functionaries of that infemons and tyrannical government should be permitted to make such charges in this country on Trish vessels arriving at our ports. ; P By giving publicity to this you will confer an ob- ligation on your obedient servant, ‘* No Firms,”