The New York Herald Newspaper, January 21, 1849, Page 1

THE NEW YORK HERALD. NO. 5344. The Report of the Superintendent of Com. mon Schools, ‘This annual report is now before us, and although of great, we might say immense, length, yet the sub- stantial information it conveys may be comprised in a very emall space. Nearly one-half or more is taken up with complaints against the general looseness and in- completeness of the reports sent in from the several @istricts throughout the State; and a great portion of the other half of the report is taken up with heavy complaints, in general directions to trustees how to make out their reports in futur 4 criticisms, show- ing the absurdity of the law, the gross imperfec- tion and bad-working of the whole system. The posl- tive information is rendered much smaller by the fact that, after giving various tables and long statements, which as one reads one presumes to be some informa- tion, the report afterwards proceeds, by eriticismsand comparisons of the reports sent in, to show that these reports and the results must be erroneous, and, there- fore, that the information is not to be relied upon. Upon the whole, if narrowly looked into, this report is caloulated to produce the conviction that our common school system is anything but a good one, and that its working and operation is like that of a crazy machine, with all ite joints disjointed, and all its scrows loose. ‘We present to our readers every item of its informa- tion, all its complaints, oriticisms, instruc- tions, and other ureless matter foreign to the point, OF THE CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS, On the 3ist day of December last, there were in the State 10,621 school districts, the school houses of which ‘were situated in the town, or ward; 8,070 whole dis- tricts, and 6,462 parts of joint districts. ‘The following is a comparative statement for the last four years :— 1847. 1846. 1845, 1844. ‘Whole number of districts,...10,021 11,064 108 = 11,018 Number of whole districts... 8070 om) 8327 rity Parta of joint districts... ... 6,402 65 5543 631L ‘The number reported the past year less than the vious year, is, whole number of districts, 481; whole Rirerlets 71, parts of joint districts 103. The varia- tion from year to year shows either remarkable inao- euraey in the reports, or numerous alterations and di- visions of districts. The number of incorporated and private sehools re- ted, is 1,786; im 1847, 1,704; in 1846, 1,730; and in 845, 1,981; exhibiting am increase of eighty-one dur- Ang {he past year, but a decrease of ninety-six since The ony counties reported as having none, are Ha- milton and Montgomery, New York and Albany. The counties of Allegaayz, Cortland, Frauklin, Fal- ton, Schoharie, and Warren, have eush lesé thanten Dutchess, Jefferson, Oneida, Oteego, Orange, Ren: laer, Suffolk, Ulster, Washington, Westchester, Kings, have each fifty. nd ‘The average attendance at these schools have been a fraction over 16 to exch. But there can be little reliance placed upon these rte, as to the number of s or scholars. belitz= manifest error. None are reported for N York = Albany, while there must be a Jarge number in ach, Cattaraugus there are reported 12 such schools, 8 schools and 88 scholars; 24 scholars; in Mont holara; in Schoharie, 8 ols and 21 holars; in Yates, 2i schools and 68 scholars. A glance at this statement must convince any one that the number of scholars reported 1s not a tithe of the number actually in attendance. It must be concluded, therefore, that the number of scholars reported in attendance at private schools is much below the true number. The error of too few schools and too many scholars appears enly in aegtany county. From the obviously wrong estimate in the above named counties, and the very clearly low estimate in all the other counties, the fair inference is, that pro- bably 75,000 children are annually taught in private schools, Private schools ought not to receive the en- couragement of the State or the support of the com- munity. They are usually sustainod by those who have the ability to emplyy competent teachers, end the common schools are weakened by the means ap- plied to their support, Our district sehools may be 60 elevated, that those who seek superior advantages for a can find them only in the common achools. ‘The whole number of children between the ages of 5 and 16, reported on the Slat day of Deowmber, 1845, exciusive of the city of New York, was. . 626,399 The whole number reported on the Slst De- Ciglnlites exclusive of New sl bee! «+ 624,843 The whole number reported on st De- ber, 1847, exclusive of New York, was... 718,128 e whole number of children reported as attendin; some pertion of the year 1847, is 775,735, , 17,805 attended rohool the whole year. nded ten, and Jess then twelve months. ts 60,823 hed eight. and less then ten = wale six, and less thaneight 154673 «=~ four, and leas ¢: ix “ 194892‘ two,and lessthanfour “ 196,625 less than two number reported tau; year is 775,723, a difference of 20,631. . ‘Were accurate, those two aggregates would be equal. €CHOOLS FOR COLONED CHILDREN, The reports of the county Clerks. relating to these schools, arein sore respects pulpably faccrrect; aad the information they purport to give, is not, therefore, very reliable in other respects fifteen counties where such schoole are report- e been kept, the whcle number of cbildrea in nee has been 4741. an increase of 877 since 1846, and of 2185 since 1845, The amount ef public money apportioned to euch schools was $16 626 68. In the county of Chemung no school is report: Ro public morey apportioned ; but $6,227 ed to have been expended for teachers echools. besides the public mouey. So, without amy scheol or sppropriation yeas money, it ia reported that in Cortlamd county $4,226 10, and in Wyoming county $7,807 19 have been expended in teachers’ wages. “Ene Clerk of Rensselaer county reports, that 106 children bate attended the schoois ; that $6,171 95 public money has been apportioned to them. and that $10,632 (7 hae been paid for teachers’ wages, besides the public money. The City Superintendent of Brooklyn reports, that there are twoschools for colored children in said city, in one of which 220 scholars have been in attendance, and in the other 80; aud that $700 publie money was epportioned tothe former, and $300 to the latter.— is statement is trve. But the county Clerk of Kings county, leaving Brookiyn out of his report, re- turne no schools for colored obiidren in tte county, and yet states that $850 public money, was ‘apportion. ed to auch schools; and $8,907 56 paid for teachers’ wager, besides the public money. jere is the sum of ¢39,239 03 erroneously credited to the schools for colored children. It is impossible to tell in what columa this amount of money should be included. Nor can this Department know upon whom to charge the gross carelessness of committi: such mistakes, whether the county Clerk, or the towa or city officers. In the county ef Columbia, the Clerk reports two eolored children, to whom have been apportioned $70 public money, and $170 besides, paid tor teachers’ e8. “i contrast with the liberality of tho school officers in Columbia to the two colore1 children, is the paral- 60 in Montgomery, the 52in Greene, and e,to whom no public money hes 4 fcr whom no money has been s. han useless, for thoy sre It is plain that, 1 ge number effort bas been mude te collect accurate statistics relat to schools for colored children, and that such as have been collected arein many cases de- ficient and deceptive. FREE SCHOOLS, A free school is one whose doors are open to all who choose to enter. In Connecticut, Vermont, Massaathusetts, Rhod+ Island. New Hempebire, and Maine, the common schools aro neatly free; and in several of the eities and large villages ‘of those States, as well as in some of our own, they are entirely so. The names of the places in which free schools are maintained, with the pepulation of each in 1845, are as follows :— New York. ... Non nae sad 9,000 Baffalo ... Flushing . 3,918 Brooklyn Newton... + 5,590 Byracuse Bushwick... + 1,967 Rochester . —— Lapringburg) 631,453 ‘Williamsburgh . The whole population of the State, in 1845, was 2,604,495. It appear, therefore, that free schools are established ina portion of the State containing one fifth of the entire population. If to the above we add the following places in which the rchoois are substantially free, although not by force of law, the above proportion will be increased to ope-fourth 75.038 The money raired by the Supervisors. equal to the eweunt appropristed from the funds of the State, tu ‘a paid. In addition to this, many ual meetings, vote to raise another to be raised by gene thus voted in the State 199,008 00 156 974 20 195 061 15 + 191.473 98 vs eee 179,800 62 bitanta of towns, inserted in the ebarters of citios It would appeer from this that the people are not opposed to taxation for free schools. The probable taxation, sary to support a free echool system, can be ascertained, by showing the actual expense, in the cities and towns wi J ere it is established. ‘2 the following table the first column shows the valuation of the city or town in 1847; the second, the whole amount of school money from all sources; the third, the amount of public money apportioned to the city, or town; the fourth, the amount actually raisedin the city, or town, besides the publie money; and the fifth, the rate of tax upon $100 of valuation:— School Public Amount money, of tas, 35 y33i 71300 toes forsis ‘The amount paid on rate bills in Utica, .956 45, and in Alba: $67, is included in the school money for In the other places the schools are free— or substantially so, very little being collected on rate bile sin ‘Troy, Lansingburgh, Poughkeepsie, Hudson,and ‘lusbing. With ‘th table, any 0 tell what would be his tex mr the support of schools in either of the places named. The continual increase of the common school fund would annually diminish the ameunt of taxation It is urged by the opponents of the system, that those who have property are taxed to educate their own, as well as the childcen of the poor; and that those who are blessed with property, but denied children, are also obliged to contribute something for the edu- cation of the indigent. Thore who have omitved their duty, crare more fortunate than their neighbors in the erion of property, @ nO reason to complain of the triffing burthen which good fortune imposes upon them. Are property holders wronged orinjured by this sys- tem of taxation? Property is the creature of the law. Its ownership is regulated by law. DISTRICT SCHOOL JOURNAL. The Superintendent would earnestly recommend the continuance of the appropriation of $2,400 to the District School Journal. SCHOOL HovsEs, There is doubtless # gradual improvement going on in the State im the construction of schoo! houses. ‘| jog huts and unsuitable structures built at the fi organization of many of our school districts, are giving place to more comfortable and convenient buildings. INSTITUTIONS FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, AND FOR TH. LIND, During the summer | attended the annual examina- tion of the pupilc in the Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb, and the B)ind, im the city of New York. ‘The extracrdinary progress made by the scholars in both institutions, furnishes the strongest evidence of fidelity and devotion on the part of the Instructors. I earnestly commend these noble charities to the continued favor of the State. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. If this report, in its details, is not inall respects tutisfactory, yet the general results deducible there- from, are such as to gratify the most ardent friend of Aspect of the Thirty-First Congress. Term commencing Merch 4, 1849—ending March 4, 1 Senate. tives in Small Capitals; Democrats marked F, 8. are Free Seilers. Term New YoRx. Danial & Dickimon. M. Clay a a Danie) Sturgeon, James Cooper . Ruops Yaiann. Solomon U. Downs Pierre Soulé Maing Bennibal Hamlin... James W. Bradbury.... Massachusetts, Daniel Webs John Davie 1851 Samuel 8. William Upham. Whigs, elected and to be elected, . Damecrats, elecledand vo bo ses House of Representatives. Dist. ARwansas New Yor. 1—Robert W. Johnson, 1—John A. King. Grorota. 2—David 4. Bokee. 1—Thomas B. King. J. Phil Pi le 2-H. J. Welborn. @—Walter Underhill, 8 Allen T. Owen, ‘ge Briggs. i—Thonan Gack $— William Neloo a Lett, lo Luss OR, 5 -Howell Cebs. on Ln gee Ale. " Phomas Me ERG t een eras. oe Me Sylvester: Bi Bisel ‘12—Gideon y Reynolds, 18—John L. Schoolecr af 14—George R. Andrews, R Thu the common school item. Impertectious are pointed e Le; jure may amend them. Inacvu- ar posed, tl they may be avoided in future, hoo) system, like all other institutions, is incom- P and it cannot be expected that it should work with perfect accuracy. But its defects should beremov- nd its discrepancies reconciled, by the law-making power, and its various parts, as far as practicable, har- monious)y adjusted. ‘There are instances of trustees unable to read or write, intemperate, averse te schools and education ; of town superintendents incompetent, and dishonest ; of districts quarrelsome and biind to their true in terests; yet these are all exceptions to the general rule. When we reflect that nearly a million of dol- lare is disbursed by eight hundred and twenty town superintendents, in sma.! sums, and at different times, toabout thirty.two thousand trustees, and that the accounts of this expenditure are rendered by this legion of officers, we must ree that perfect accuracy cannot be expected, And yet the account of disburse- ments and receipts varies but a few thousand dollars. If the reports of Trustees show that 393 5617 children bave attended school less than four months during the pear, We are also reminded that fifty years since, the asses of the people had net the opportunity to obtain even therudiments of an education. We must also recollect that the enlightenment and refinement of all ancient and most modern countries, was limited tothe favored few,and that the avenues to feme and prefer- weut, except through the church. were clored against eny person who could not claim descent from some Norman robber, or other freebooter, whom plunder had enriched and wealth ennobled. tw wider, too, it over 350 000 children have attended echool more than four months during the year, and that the attendance isevery year increasing, We shell find no cause for discouragement ‘The ac- tual chool age is from four te twenty-one, (legally be- {ween five and sixteen,) snd under the preseat orgaui- gation of our scbools, it is scarcely possible tnat all the children of the Stave should not attend at least four years in the courre of seventeen. ‘Any parson of ordinary capacity, who has had from four to six years instraction in the cammon school, {s fitted to perform weil his part in most of the avoca- tions of life. If he bas been taught that most impor- tant part of ell instruction, how to learn, he will con- tinue to add to his acquisitions of knowledge. It must be borne im mind, that it is not the object of the common echool to make finished scholars. [ts great object is to give to ail the first elements of an education. Such are the reletions which the different employ ments in life te each other, that but few are needed to become scholars by profession. The cemmon scboel system gives to the commuuity at Jazge, without respect to condition or means, the op- portunity which, without it, would be enjoyed oly by the rich, for the free unfolding and dividual inclinations, tastes, and The district echool and the fot library supply all with knowledge, and open te them their rich and varied stores. In obedience to the settled conviction of the that it is the duty of every well constituted govern- ment to provide all its citizens with the means of edu. cation, the constitution guarantee integrity of the Common School Fund, and we may, therefore, hope that the common echool system wiil be perfected, and continue to exist as long as tbe constitution and lav.a by which it is guaranteed and governed CHRISTOPHER MORGAN. Such is the report of our common fehool system; and though ble document, as regards the author of it, yet the picture it draws, of confusion, expenditure, liberality, and parsimony, is deplorabl What can be expected of # school system in which # teacher's salary is on an averege twelve dollars per month! That is three dollars a week! Who but beggars, felons, dunces idiots, and imbecile old women, and worn-out ser- vants, can be obtained to sit down to such ignomini- ous and contemptuous drudgery, at such « salary, whieh is less even than a child 12 years of age can earnin New York by running errands? We invite the attention of our readers, particularly to the schools fer colored ehildren; there is some droll iuformation there! Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety- seven dollars paid for educating in one county none of them, and two hundred and forty for two colored ohil- dred in another county ! ‘That part of the report concerning Indian schools, decerves attention and is particularly interesti: It is not, perbaps, generally known that the Fourierite, or eceial system, is in practical operation in this State, and tbat its natural fruite and consequences are beg- gery, sloth, idleness, indolenee, destitution, wretched. ness, and misery! e Piracy axp Murver.—The French schooner-of- war Venus, returning trom the Uruguay, having touched at the Island of Yaguari, the officer ia commend was requested by the Montevideo com- mandant, Ledesma, to be allowed to send on board 15 men of his detachment for the purpose of being conveyed prisoners to Martin Garcia, or Monte- video, on account of having been recently con- cerned in setting fire to some property at Vaguari. ‘The request being granted, the men were seat on board. The schooner having got aground on the paseege down, the 15 men, while the greater part of the crew were engaged aloft, rose and killed the officer in command, M. Girand, and oae sea- man, and wounded the purser, M. La Coispellie, and two sailors. Having thus taken possession of the veeee), they spiked the guns and threw them overboard, lowered the long boat, and taking with them all the arms on board the schooner, and also the pilot, whom they obliged to follow them, steer- ed their course up the river. Disputes having arisen in regard to the place of destination, five of these maletactors separated and landed on the coast; the other ten, headed by @ notorious character named. Vivorita, continuing their course to the island of the Boca Falea, Other quarrels have subsequently taken place. Vivorita was killed by one of his own followere, a mere Jad, while sitting by hie side in the boat, and the body thrown overboard. The rest separated at the Boca Falsa, whereupon the oe and ore other returoed to Yaguari, with the oat and the arms taken irom the Venus, which they there delivered up tothe intrusive authori- tes. —Buencs Ayres Packet, Nov. 10. it Notage, while at prayer, was robbed of £170, The thieves wrote on his door, “ Watch when you pray.”” hoes are manufactared per wistow, Mains. There are now in New Jersey twenty-five banks, with an aggregate capital of $3.600,700, ‘Their cirou- lation is $2420714, and the shares ow hand, on the ath Inst, $€16,6¢2, E—Henry Burnett 23—Wiliam Duer. 1—Habridge Gerry. 2-Nathaniol 8 Little@eld, — 24—Daniel Gott. * S-John Otis. 2%5—Harmon 8, Conger, 4—Rufus K. Gooden, W. Ja Cullen Sawtelle, —W. A. Backatt. 6—Charles Stetson. “A. M. Bel T—Thos J. D. Faller. 3—Rov't L. Rose. siete Er Winthrop ok Raley 2—Daniel P, King. B2—E @. Spaulding. $—James H, Duncan. ‘Harvey Putraw, €Noehoics. ML, Burrows. 5—Charles Allen, F.8. Missount George Ashmun. 1—Jomes B. Bowlin T—Juliue Rockwell, 2—Wm. V.N. Bay. &—Korase Mann, &.G: 9—Orin Fowler, 1— Joseph Grmnell. New Jenszy. 1 Andrew KR. Hay. -Wam. A. Newell. 1—David T. s 2-L. D Campbell, ¥.5° E-R.C. Behenck. &—John L. Tayler. it Mones Tianpton i impten. 22— John W. Hove, ¥.% 0— Jos. R. Gid 2—Joeeph M. Root, VERMONT, 1—Wm. Henr’ Peek. x \ ‘Wiscon Micnican, 2-Orsamus Cole, hie tar. tone iu ague.F, Rk. 8. Bin le 1—E. C, Cabell. S This seat is to be contested by Daniel F. Miller, whig, tw conacruanie of the ‘rejection of the poll book of the Kaneetille pet. Elected ae Taylor men, but are'democrate ‘This t is to be contested by John 8. Little, Jr. whig, on a0 gerntofalcged ‘ead in thoreturnsfrem Richmond andthe die pu Bia vont is to be contested by Mr. Duncan (whic) for alleged THE RESULT IN VIGURES. New Concness, 01» Conenxxa Rigs Dome Whig. Dem, er - 1 fa 1 - t 4 - - 2 2 } 6 H Z = 5 i. 5 = u 4 1 ‘ 1 0 u n ” ib 9 nu 7 Baia ear’ i 3 1 1 2 - 2 . 78 6 cy 66 Whigmajority thasfar.... 26 9 ‘Total number of Representatives ... © Wisconsin isnow CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS YET TO BE MELD IN THE SEVERAL B8TATES. In the Congressional elections which are to take place, we assume, for the purpose of making a cal- culation on the probable division of parties in the next House of Representatives, that the votes of the people in the several Congressional districts will be the same, politically, that they were at the recent Presidential election; that in those dis tricts where Taylor had a majority, whigs will be chosen to Congress; and where Cass had a ma- jority, democrats will be elected. In such case, the tellowing will be the result:— New Goneness, Ou Covennss Wiig. = Dem. Whig, = Dem. 4 8 2 3 = 4 - 8 4 1 8 - 1 ped 1 - 2 4 2 3 1 3 ‘ 3 2 6 3 1 1 ete - 2 6 % Totel to be elected. 45 Members airoady leo 13 Total... eee eee ee 1M " 118 RECAPITULATION. Trotatie demoeratio majority im the Benat Probable whig mi A Canrzrr on Crime.—Some time in September Jost, a man named Stephen Putnam was released from the Auburn State Prison, after serving out a term of five years’ imprisonment, whieh bad succeeded previous term of two years, with tbree monthaof liberty between from Auburn to Syracuse. in Sep! a theft and was rentto the Cayuga county jail for 30 days. After satisfying thie pemaity, he returned to Syracure, and was there comvicted of grand larceny. But ercaping from custody, he took paseage on boat, coming to this city. Before arriving her ever, he stole the Captain's geld watch, and escaped with it, Afew days afterthis, he offered torell to the Sheriffan sxe; and it being suspected that he bad it. be was taken tothe police office, where he ognized as the person dercribed by the Captain tolen bis watch. He was convicted of both thefte, and sent to jail, and at the ritting of the county court, wae sentenced to confinement in Auburn prison for the term of nine years and four months, Tralye coreer of unmitigated wickednens! His prompt arrest and conviction for his smallest and greatest crimes ex- empiides the proveb, thet the * way of the tranrgres- sor is bari Rochetter Dom, ef the French Presiden: Election. The following details are taken from the returns published in the French papers received at this office — The Detatis .N. Cava au OP Bonaparte, er" ahers. mit 72110 R78 1,628 850,500 12,926 2,195 833,100. 16,685 bey (826,300 + 4998 353 500 3,086 337 900 saz 256,400 6, BTL = 166.100 sey ans Sakata 1627 6e2s) lz S00 100 8.585 i 330,808 mu 365,100 ce 168 MB 870,700 606 LAST 454,700 Biss 4.957 8.900 Rae 4,00, 310,800 1 ‘12 (212,900 12723 (123,583 393 800, 36,626 — 617,800 194t 732 AWD 5,269 6,680 491.800. ixool = 1.65 1ZV8 = =—442_—— 424,800 wer (8,257 at 2— Eure ct Loire, a inst 30000 bas, it Gerd 2557 «= 3102 367.300 4031873 A BU 954 = 98D «$20.10 20400 «x00 9. aH yai7 8827364 500 36,638 — 54,300 657 7094 72 1,244 nf F yar 821 ‘60 5,000, — 291.200) 6137 2.931 52,70) re, ae eam 42--Loire (lisuie), ke 3 fe t Bes 0.404 475,100 eben yom =| ota a5) i652 2930 (361.70) 7.06 -18ASL 350900 8187 35 146,000 3.727 478 486,200 ‘020,608 — 486.200 a7 T19 ©=—4518 BUS, 600 ‘S17 17.697 = 061 352,100 979,27 403 367:300 3 17.9 TAT 310,500 a 2,204 1/98 431,000 1813646407 228,500 66 48506 = 72 «467,60 60 WED UH 444,600 46a = 3,305 317,200 38 14,149 1.088.600 1772 3.013 408,700 W218 1,304 449,80 06631981 674.400 6213 ‘oxy BLO 5118 S6L 454,400 2035 1,068 252.400 Gus = XS) 178.0 ‘mS 4k74 570,20 17,735 «4.167 666,200 1,687 9897 430.400 6467 2405 3H. 667 (17,983 43,600) 37 1,082 472,300 6uI5 1708 1,696 35a7 Fon} 7) 6,716 1,901,000 rend including aie Banlieue, 4.61 wus? 8716 WIS 1,425 828,400 9.221 308k 451,400 26 UORA TIN OY 4180 8200380, R718, ‘910 3,258 489 sh aT ‘S656 | 2733 eC et 86 - Vos 3 §7--Yont 1a8% = 79m 8289 b8—Algeri¢and colonics. 7,760 bd - Aggregate... 5,282,218 1,204,908 $29,194 35,308,000 The following 1s the final state of the poll, as addressed by the committee of the Assembly to the Moniteur:— Number of votes in the 86 departments. not eat Nao'lor cf voted expressed’ 2°!) 2 Majority of votes expreesed Aver Vo Unconstitutional votes Total as above... 749474 The Boston Atlas says :—Although the newly elect ed French President received an overwhelming prepon derance of the votes of France. and nearly four time ny as was the aggregate of the votes given to Ca c, yet there wore s few remarkable exceptions south-eastern portion of the country, especially ities of Mareeilles and Toulon, and the depart. ments in their e majorities against Napoleon were 'y in proportion to the number of votes gi T emed to be rather between Ledru Rollin n was thrown quite into the background. tment of Bouches du Rhone, of which Mar- the capital, the vote wa: Cavaignac. Ledru Rollin . 9 35k 7 Bonaparte 7.078 The majority In Mareeilies the vote stood 25,454 for © 10.920 tor Rollin, 6,740 for Bonay and 2.0726 tering. It will bs seen, therefore, that the vote for Bonaparte was only one im seven in Marseilles Som tons in this department were nearly un: Cavaignac, The votes in the foliowing - Cavaignac. Bonaparte. Others. St. Jullien...... 548 28 6L La Valentine. 40 120 Allauch .... 17 a7 18 30 33 168 3,118 136 In the city of Toulon, the vote stood as fellow Cavaigne Bonaparte. Rollin Others. In conrequence of thin decided vote im that portion | of the republic for General Cavuignac, for several days after the election the belief seems to have been preva- lent that the chancer were in favor of his election — Even as Jate as the 13th, the Semaphore of Mareeilles express confident hope of having Cevaignac for President, and exults, in # long leader, over the vote of Marseilies and the neighborhood. Streamer Mevonron, Onto River, Jan, 8, 1819. Mission to Baton Rouge. De RSir— From relations and associations here- | tofore existing, I feel confident that the slightest and most unimportant injustice, towards myself, in connexion with others, would not be permitted by you. _ My attention has been called to a Washington letter, published in your paper of the 27th Decem- ber. In that letter allusion is made to me by name, and while I am duly grateful for the appreciation of my friend, the writer of the letter, (known to me,) and the compliment, equivocal though it may be, of being pronounced by him, ‘a man ot no common ergacity,” still, on behelf of others, it has been dcemed adviseble to set the matter rectus in- curiae. lam, indeed, enroute for New Orleans, and my fiend, the writer of the letter alluded to, saw me off inthe cars fic Washington, side by side with another fiiend. At the same time, however, Lam, in no sense, upon a political mission, nor am I the agent or attorney of any “ patriot, ” or office- holder. ; In fact, I have no personal acquaintance with more thun twenty “ office-holders’’ wt the fed cepital. _ In this bebalf, therefore, I may quote the words of a most distinguished man—** J ask no favor and shrink from no reepensibility.” And should it be my fortune to reach the present re- tidence of myfold and valued friend, through the panic now prevailing in these latitudes, he will at ‘once be aseured that I have come to bim to no fuvor for myself or others, and moreover to con- verse upen any other than partizan or political topics. If at any, time since 1837, I had found my- eelt within fifty Neagues of his statioa, for the me being, I should have periormed a duty in paying my respecte. That it would have been a pleasure, ne one that has ever known General lor in- tmetely and well, willneed be nesured. Ae Pre- sident, te will no doubt be formed to be the same man as when he was @ Colonel or a General. No spirit of polities or party is permitted to enter 1ato theee considerations. ‘The Melodeon isthe first steamer that has started for New Orleans within a week’s time. The panic not only has effected the steamboat men, but it has also injured trade, the exchanges and industrial pursuits generally, To-day, how- ever, as we learn at points along the river, it has considerebly abated. [t was time for non-re- eidents to Took around, when the creoles preci- pitately le(t New Orleans, in the vain endeavor to escape from the pestilence that walketh in — ness. mtn TWO CENTS. Axzany, January 18, 1849. Attempt to bring forward Governor Fish as the Whig Candidate for Umnrted States Senator— Revision of the Law in relation to Puotsof the Port of New York—Leguslative Affairs, §c. §c. It is underetood in certain political circles that a deputation of gentlemen from the anti-Seward section of the whig party have waited upon Gov. Hamilton Fish, for the purpose of prevailing upon him to offer himself as a candidate for the office ot United States Senator, in opposition to William H. Seward. Such a contingency 1s not impossible, and it is not an unfrequent thing, in some of the Western and Southwestern States, to elect the acting Governor to the Senate of the United States. It is even now proposed to return Gov. Crittenden, of Kentucky, to the Senate, though he has just been elected Governor of that State ; 1t 1s prob: le, however, that he will stand aside in deterence to the claims of Mr. Clay. But in New York State the case 18 different; the very flower of her no- bility—the whole body of her leading men, who are attached to the whig party—are bitterly op- pee to the election of Seward to the Senate. ‘he question then 13, who, of all the leading whigs in New York, shall be presented as the competitor of Seward for the splendid honors of this office? The deputation of whig members of the Legisla- ture, who waited upon Governor Fish, repre- sented to him that, in tne opinion of their col- leagues, he was the man, and the only man whom they could run against Seward with any prospect of success. ‘The emergency, they said, was extraordinary. Mr. Seward, they de- elared, could not be sonported by the whig party with unanimity ; he did not enjoy the confidence of the whig party; but unless Mr. Fish would allow his name to be used as a candidate, a very consid- erable number of members of the Legislature, who cherished a strong dislike for Seward, would be forced to give him their votes in preference to any of the candidates now named 1n opposition to him. It 18 understood that the deputation made extra- ordinary eflurts to procure the Governor’s consent ; but, though he is himselt hostile to Seward, he ie represented as having oteey refused to allow his pame tobe offered as a candidate. The aspect of affairs seem, at present, to be favorable to the elec- tion of Seward, by a large majority. Col. Fiske, the active and highly esteemed mem- ber from Kings, has reported a bill to the House, from the Committee on Commerce and Navi: tion, entitled “An act relating to the Pilots of the Port of New York.” This bill contemplates no- thing lees than the re-organization ot the system of of pilotage, as at present conducted at the port of New York. It proposes first, to create an associ- ation to be called ** The Board of Commissioners of Pilots.” This board is to be composed of three representatives ; one to be elected hy the Chamber of Commerce; a second, to be elected by the presi- dent and vice-president of the marine insurance companies of New York, comprising the board ot underwriters; and a third, to be elected by the pilow actively engaged 1n the business of piloting veseels to and from the port of New York. It is made the duty of The Board of Commissioners of Pilots” to appoint a secretary and establish an oflice in New York, where they must meet on the Baton Rovee, Dec. 27, 1848. Travel through the Cowntry—Trip to Baton Rouge — The Scenes and Perils of a Journey, c. &c. When I set out on my trip hitherward, I antici- pated much matter of comment on my travels, both from its novelty and from the variety of the scenes and people with which I should be brought in con- tact. These anticipations have been poorly real- ized. The truth is, the annoyances and discom- forts of the river route to New Orleans, in Decem- ber, are so manifold as to put all idea of enjoyment to fhght. It likewise so happened that from Cum- berland to New Orleans we did not see the sun three times. My impressions of the journey and the mver I can therefore give in very few words. In a former letter, I attempted to give some faint notion of the passage across the mountains. At Pittsbutgh one gets into a very indifferent boat, bound for Gimem- nati, where he arrives in about three days. At the latter place he takes a boat for Louisville, where he arrives in abcut twenty-four houra. Here you pick out @ boat advertised to start for New Orleans. hat evening. You go on board ina hurry, natu- ally Galatta to start at the hour specified ; but hoee of your fellow-travellers accustomed to the hing, knowing better, tuke itcasy. You are very ortunate if you get off in three “aay Our paty, after waiting a reasonable t ne after the thrve days’ grace, at length grew impatient, and made inquiry ot the captain as to when he expected to start. He was sorry to inform us that the * Doctor” was broken, and that it would be impossible to start for three days to come. Ot course we did uot wait for the recovery of the * Doctor,” bnt went on board the first boat that offered; which, by the way, did net start until the next day. 2 And here, | must say, that with the exception of two very good hotele, I know nothing else good about Louisville. The mails must be in a queer condition between there and New York, tor the agent of the Herald informed me that, notwith- standing many were exceedingly anxious to take the paper, yet itis wholly impossible to get it with an areise ofregularity. The telegraph appeared to be almost in as bad a condition as the mails. You get on board the steamboat at a plaice called Portland, three miles below Louisville, where the precipitous nature of the levee, and the magnitude of the ruts, would certainly acquit the driver (it is impaseable cn foot) of breakiug one’s neck, and would as certainly convict the euthorities of the said little town of Portland. But, tertunately, the mud is of such depth, quality, and consistency, being as adhesive as birdlime, and the carriage wheels sinking down to the axle, that an upset 18 very rare; so that Portland has, after all, some natural advantages to boast of. From Louisville, uatil you float down rato the Mississippi at, Cairo, there is nothing of interest, and all of Cairo that you see, 18 a wharl-boat, a very muddy bank, and a few dingy houses. Bat the arnval at Cairo is an event, neverthe- less, for here, as I said, you exchange the muddy stream of the Ohio, for the inore muddy stream of the Mississippi. The scenery cf either river has not much of interest for the travel- first Tuesday of every month, and as much oftener asthey ma) ccc neceeatt, The commissioners are authorized to license, for the office of pilot, iy person making application, who 18 of good moral character, and who does not hold any similar license from or under the author- ity or Jaws of any other State; and the commissioners shali give a preference to such applicants as shall be or have been actively engaged as pilots ; the next section autho- nzes the commissioners to compel appl. cants for licenses to give eureties in the sum ee for the faithful performance of their duty. The com- missioners are authorized to alter or amend any existing regulations for pilots; and to enforce new regulations not inconsistent with the laws of the United Statee, or of this State, They are also au- thorized to establish rates of pilotage, [Queay— Does not the constitution of the United States con- jer this power exclusively upon Congress 1) and enforce (orteitures of, pees Im _certzin cases; they may also impose fines upon pilots, to prevent any of them from combining injuriously with each ether, or with other persons, and to prevent any pilot from acting as such during his suspension, or after his license is revoked. They are also autho- rized to reward pilots when they shall have exerted themeelves for the preservation of any vessel in distress, &c. ‘This bill gives the Board of Com. missioners above mentioned power to regulate and contro} the pilot system of this State 1 all its de- tails. The bill, it is said, will become a law, not- with eras the doubts which exist in regard to the power of the Legislature to interfere so directly with this subject, without infringing the provisions ef the constitution of the United Stutes. I enclose a copy of the bill. : I observe that in consequence of an error of your telegraphic reporter, you were unable to compre hend the meaning of a reference lately made by him to an act lately introduced into the House by Mr. Pruyn, and entitied “ An act declaratory of the law as to the time of payment of sight biils of ex- change and promissory notes, payable on demand.” The act is as foliows:— Sec. 1. Every draft or bill of exchange, or promiasor | note, drawn or made (od beed at sight or on de shall be deemed and taken to be dus and pa: ntment or demand thereof, withor xc. 2, This act shall tak» effect immediately. The above bill has been reterred to the Commit- tee of the Whole House; it will be acted upon epeedily, and will probably become a law. A resolution offered to the Senate by Mr. Hall, providing that on Tuesday, the 6th proxumo, the Senate will proceed to elect a U. S. Senator, was adopted to-day. It will be recollected that at the last session of the Legislature, a general bill for the organization of insurance companies was passed by the Senate and loet in the Ateembly ; the present Assembly have, however, taken up this bill and will un- doubtedly pass it. In order to test the sense of the Senate upon this subject, Mr. Cook introduced « tesolution in that bogy to-day, declaring that a ge- neral law of this character was inexpedient ; but | the resolution was rejected by a vote of 21 yeasto 3 | nays. Mr. Geddes offered a resolution, requiring the Commissioners ot the Code to furnish the draft of a bill to the Senate, in accordance with the views eet forth i their late communication to the Legis- Jature in relation to highways and bridges. The resolution wus sabres r. Clark, an able and worthy Senator, effered the following resolutions of inquiry to-day, in rela- tion to the communication lately submitted to the Senate by the Commissioners on Practice and Pleadings; you have published this communica- tion :— Resolved, That the Commissioners on Practice and Pleadings be directed toexpluin thelr communication of the 8th Int . by inforn ing the Legislature lst. How the diffieulty of the work, which the Com- witsionera propose to accomplish has been increased “by the persevering hoertility of large and powerfal bodies of men, not only to the code, but to the consti. tution, of which it is the offspring?” 24. What “large and powerful bodies of men,” are chargeable with “ persevering hostility to the consti- yatie nt’? 8d. What “large and powerful bodicas of men,” are ble with © persevering hostility to the code.”” The honorable Senator made some learned ob- servations in ¢upport of the resolutions; bat, at the suggestion of Mr. Fine, he agreed they should lie upon the table until the report of the commissioners was received, when the subject would be tully be- fore the Senate. Every year considerable time 1s wasted in the discussion of the question whether capital punish- ment onght to be abolished in this State; the pre- sent Le gistature, in this respect, ate imitating the example of their predecessors. The debates are of course followed by no resu!ts; the law will remain 4s it stands. In the Assembly Mr. Jobnson introduced a bill to amend the act paesed at the lact session to pro vide more eflectually for the protection of the pro- perty of married women, _ Mr. Brewer, of New York, gave notice of his jatention to report a bill to tax the existing Satety Fund Banks of this State a sum sufficient to make vp the deficiency necessary to pay the creditors of the late Canal Bank ot Albany. A petition was circulated in the lobby of the House to-day, praying the President elect of the United States to appoint James N. Mitchell, of Ulster county, to the office of navy agent at the port of New York. rac ing, at 100'clock, ver the wires must be near 3,000 wiles. Charles Hall, 1 old, who left his father’s hboure, in North C fa ys sinoe, was found on board one of for Califor. ja, from the port of York. He had pald $03 for the privilege of working his passage to tho gold region Jadge Lacy, of New Orleane, @icd at bis residence im that city on the 1)tb inst, ler in midwinter. A dreary and: monotonous succession of leafless trees on either hand; no green lane leading down to the verge of the water, and revealing the quiet hamlet or the potated spire beyond; no mountains in the distance bteak the eternal sameness and relieve the eye; the flit river, and the flat banke, and the bare trees, and the grey sky are the only objects the eye rests upon, day af- ter day. But still the Mississippi is a mughty river, and one has some idea of its vastness when, after travelling days and days, one grows weary and longs to arrive at his destination. , ! ne teature of river travel, which will strike a New Yorker, is the entire absence of wharves in the larger cities—such as Pitteburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, and New Orleans—their place is sup- ene by levees, and in the smaller places, such as aton Rouge, by wharf-boats. Now, for the benefit of those who have never travelled on the Missis- sippi, I wall explain that wharf-boats are old steam- boats unfit for service, trom which the machinery and paddies have been removed, and which are laid close to the shore; thus serving as a kiad o floating wha:f. Levees are inclined planes, slop ing from the street to the river, rendered necessary, it is said, by the rising and falling of the Miasis_ srt and Ohio. The best I have seea 1s at Pits , urgh. Boating on the Mississippi, to an imaginative biped, 18 calculated to be ht but suggestive Of pleasant fancies. When such a one lies down at night, (it that can be called lying down which is creeping up to a bed, almeet as hard as that of Prociustus, for unless the unhap,jy occu- pant be of seequipedalian dimensions, he must “double up,” and then his knees touch the ceile ing,) one 1s apt to dream, either asleep or aweke, of being thrust up through the hurricane deck by a sawyer, or impaled by a snag. Occa- siorally, also one passes the wreck of some boat run into and sunk, or blown up, with the loss ef some, thirty or forty persons. I remember one morning passing & steamboat, the side of which had been, the night before, feloaiously and burgla- niously entered by a snag, which said snag did ac- tually, without ceremony or scruple, penetrate into the state-rooms of some of the ladies, and tumble the fair occupants pell-mell on the floor. A rather awkward theme of reflection, when creeping up to one’s uneasy perch at ni; ht Snags or saw- however, are not to be dreaded going down. zying in a direction with the current, they are dangerous only to boats ascending the river. _Fiom Natchez to New Orleans one sees om either bank sugar plantations, more or less exten- sive, with their clusters of negro huts; the smoke rolling from the chimrey of the sugar-house, showing that the process of grinding is going on within, The grinding season commences in Oc- teber, end generally continues till January. Dur- ing this season the lite of the negro 1s ind leed wietched. The labor is much heavier than on the cottoa plantation, and, as a matter of eourse, the life of the slave is much shorter. At present the value of sugar is depreciated, and the profits of these plantations are, in consequence, curtailed. Heretofore, those profits have been enormous. With good crops, an income of forty and fifty thousand dollars a year was not uacom- monly realized by the rich planter; and thus enor- mous fortunes were amassed. But times are changed. , On those plantations, or near them, one will of- ten see the orange tree,—ite glosey foliage studded with golden fruit; the hve oak, with its immortal green; and the stately magaolia, towering in sym- metrical beauty. The overseer’s house 1s general- ly near the negro huts, and the mansion of ae eo prietor at the other end of the plantation. The nearer you approach te New Orleans, the more numerous become the fiariahons The thick growth of cotton wood and willow disappears from the edge of the river, and the evideaces of habita- tion grow more and more frequent. Boats pass and re-pase at every turn. Apropos of boats:— There cannot be conceived anything mo-e unlike the noble steamboats of the Sound and tne North River, than those of the Ohio and the Mississippi. In a they resemble exaggerated bumble-bees more than anything else I ean think of. | eanno attempt a deseription of them ; but just imagine + Jersey City terry boat, loaded down until the deck is level with the water, with a sort of plattorm rais- ed about fitteen feet from the deck on woodex props, and about ten feet above, another platform, both running nearly the whole length of the lower deck, and you may have some idea of a river boat. On the lower platform are the state rooms, dining roem, &e., and on the upper, the captain’s and pi- lot’s apartments. There are very few of those boats in wh'ch any degree of comfort is attarnable. They are built tor the purpose of making money; generally ot very slender materials, and scarcely ever, last longer than eight years. Such are the floating palaces of the Western waters. Corton Crop or Nortx Lovisiana.—The cotton icking season being over, we have mate muny Poqutsie Felative to the amcunt of cotton saved in cas upper part of this State. From many parishes we havo recetved such information om the subject ae we are entitled to consider very near the trut That infor- mation ccnfirms fully the belief expressed in our oo- lumne more than two momths ago, tbat this year’s erop yous ot short of {te immediate predecessor in tho district In the majority of parishes in Li north of Red river, thi ber of balws of cotton made y it below the figure reached byt! De cotton region Inst year. of the on nert] thea thet per centege.— Concor: Intelligencer, Jan 6, During the month of November were seven thocke ofearthq ids, one of which, om the violent as to throw down a number cf heases. ity of Angers, im Teroelta, was nearly desiroyed. 4 Elizabeth Nichols, of Bostou, the Albany jail oa the loth. The bridegroom is under rentonce to the State Prison for two years, for horre: sivaling, and the bride isa pretty, imteliigent and serpectabdie girl.