The New York Herald Newspaper, February 12, 1856, Page 2

Our Washington Corresptadenec. Wassunaron, Feb. 6, 1856. Me Bok at Willards—Great Preparations—Arrival of he Quests—Description of the Saloon—The Beaus and the Belles— Who was Mere—Portraits of the Ladies and the Mrcbe—4 Fashionable Letter, dc. ‘Willard’s rang jubilant of the ball ‘ast night. Long eve the pall of night had chased away the languid sunset, ‘wes the little fashionable world of Washington in ‘utter. Pesple stared and people whispered, amd cacy gaited gallants, sauntering, so straight of person, to and fre the hotel aisles, now puffing !ustily the weed, thes wimbly fingering long dangling watch chains, inquires, fm aecents becoming a modern Claudius, “De you goto Willard’s to-night?” Nervous sffirmatives bet told how ffercely beat the heart for the coming time, when battles ef empire would be fought with glittering arriwa, and eemquests won; when cach beau would plume himeclf a gentle knight, floating with the fairest belle down the walts of time, Again, in boudoirs redolent of costly tapestry, might be seen belles of fair and reven hair, re- @lining in dowdy undress, or arranging with delicate | fiugers thore white satin sandals, while spread upon ecstly toilet tables were those fine tiactured robes, those | aliver girdles, those flounces of Honditon lace, those capes |} et @f richest Spanish poimt, those sparkling necklaces. / Here Rachel might be seem arranging the yelden hair of!, her fair mistress, wheee sott eye gianedd curiously from Deneath the heavy folés along that botdice, s0 richly mbadded with pearls; that white satin dress, 90 tacte- faily trimmed with gold blonde; that’ksaddreas, soe- sembling tiara set with diamonds and emeralds; ‘that masatve bracelet and clasp, burning with the giere o Jewels, and that veil, that lite a mist spread over a bou- quet of fresh erange blossoms and ‘mowy chiponecues. ‘Then a bevy of damsels were seen*admiring themselves Defore tollet glanser, adjusting vo exactly each rimpie: as Mf 1% were an additional arrow in their quiver, -waiting But the touch of some gentle emction ere i¢ darted. Your prudent deughter, too, was arraying herself in Irish poplin of mowy whiteness, which ske clasped Bigh about the neck and recurea with a pin af ruby, jest like those who, more aadrewsed then dressei, @anced before Sardinapaius, the broad diss of her ala- aster shouiders serveas an arrow of Satan for the wound- tag of souls, Ths fashion of untiross, I have thought—and the thought fmas stremzth in the balls ot your secreta, wies—was aguin taking lie in-overy respectable socie- ty. But the balls of your secretaries stm: into insig- mifieance beside Willard’s, to be present at which every- Dody seemed on tiptee. By 9 o'clock thewista of the avenue, pale of poor gas ght, glemed with the lanterns of gaily esparisoned car- wiages, burrying into the foreground aed forming in a barricade at the private entrance of Willard’s, into which swept their gaily attired occupeats. Them into the gorgeously furnished saloon the gay throng began to assemble, lending it»grace ead animation to the scene. Even the paintings that range along the walls of the (great gallery seemed to'have taken a transparency of eutiine im striking contrast with their real merits. Tae seene @ow became-a blaze of beanty, end Beoux end belleaqrent flashing on their way, ‘Through halls perfumed with b eath of flowers; And ciamond lightegteamed lustrous down tue vale, Gasting » halo round each queenty face. And then there followed those rollicking promenades, in- terehenging of raiutations, and that never ending clash of small taik whien forms the reparter of our fashi2nable peciety, and'for which'I entertain a suspicious regard Mew the notes of music fal!, dulcet, on the ear, like the pwelling strains of some counter chorus in ‘‘La Prophete,’? and suddenly. waved gossamer and satin is seen, as if wuched by some unseco hand, rolling away for the deers of the-dancing hall, which are thrown epen, to the great delight of those-who throng it. Walwer after waltcer now floated, sylph-like, into the whirhng ring, ‘there glittering with bright uniforms, and paling away into cloth of meeker hu:s. Here, whirling comes the belle of the ball, be<pangied with jewels, yield- tng gracefuliy to the tonch of him who, in dashing uai- form, lg7s hisihand so. gently about her classic waist. | Away down thevvista' they flit, her ‘eet playicg like moonbeams on waves, and ere lost in the glace of brocade amd blonde. Here the brusque figare of an honorable Benetor.clasps clamsily the slender figure of # dusy- tere giv), and whirls her into the gitay maize; then a wtately fom bearsu with such exact motion the blust- ing caxasel of bis own statnre; now foliows the dushtng oaptain, spiriting the tively blonde, until wita whirling and twirling, like the sequel of an Aveyrian banquet, thy morne precent one blaze of barbaric splendor. ‘Hewing read some where in the Arabian tales of a ship ‘that ap too near the mountain of loadstone all theiron ¢rawn from ner hall by the mighty magnet, { began to fear the magne: Willard had set tor his quests qras alittle too strong for my own. Henoe { Jett this ecene so,jeyous, tuose gyrations so vewitchiag, 9708 80 raviahiag, and turned awsy to recount the ‘of thore who -formed the galaxy. The task was t f ‘Bames beyondane, for their names were legion, and for once | envied the pen ofa Falzac. You may. nowever. find ia ‘the fullowing list the names of the most prominent per- sons present. The-sedate, but ambitious, Mr. Banks, Speaker elect ofthe House of Representatives; Gatbrie and lady; Semator Toucey and lady; Sens*or Fos- ‘and lady; Seuavor Houston, whose stalwart fizare ted bere and there through the «praylike gossamer ‘ef the seone; Senstor-Wilson and lacy, Mrs. and Miss \eiphia;. Senators Jones, Foot and Ham- Crittenden. and lady; Judge Priogle, iady ;Judge-Gilchrist and iady; ©. G. Haven, 5; E. B. Morgen, Iady and daughter; ;’ Hon. Reverdy’ Johnscr, Ixdy and Hon. Mr.“Vood and lady, of Portland, Me. ; Hon. ‘Mr. Morven and , of Boston; Capt. VanV eet and lady. of the army; Hon. Mr. Brooke and lady; sirs. Wardell, of ; Mesare. Pelton, Richardson, Murray, Geow, Mattison, Cilngman, Allen, and sundry ‘ethers of the Honse of Representatives. My ¢riends the young misses, Iknow will not lay ats Goor the charge of aegiecting that worthy ambition of the. @ im this his thamame of some fair one chance m. to find e place. A treseherous memory at times beguiles . 1 confess, too, that I regard it not only invidious bat extremely unkind to single out and bold prominently before an admirieg world those upon whom capricious mature has bestowed an unequal share of her gifts. Beauty, nevertheless, hath a transcendent value with which ‘st irzesistibly impels worshippers to bow at its Theresia, indeed, something in the human heart, however stern its metal, that cannot bear up agains: ite ; it is that-which finds the hero of an hundred ‘victories bowing the knee before it. Gray told his read- ers ‘a faworite has no friends;’’ but oy, forgot beauty. If, then, it de irresistible, so also must I be pardoned for prominence toe few fair forms that fig . There glided slong tne seautifal et New York, so erect of figure aad fair to look upon, dressed: ina robe of gossamer, that touted bout her iike a mist, and refectiog her veauty as a mir- vor dves a rainbow. Here, promenading on the arm of a Senavor, is the stately Miss G——, of Tenmesaee. robe seoms ofarhite Irish poplin, richly embroiderd im colors of orange ano.green, and tipped with delicate ilk fringe, im beautiful contrast with the jewels about dber head and neck. Yonder ‘lite the bland manmered Kentueky belle, her Ggure so embonpont, her face vo Fadiant of love and. gentleness; her gossamer skirts fall ke +pray from her white sa:in bodice: how exactly it is looped with frech plucked flowers! She it was who moved to and fro like a queen of eh A land, too conselous ot her besuty. A diamond necBiace of great brilliancy gave a bewitotuing charm to the gentle i eaving of that macwy breast, over which it pendoa #0 dove-like. There, floating from the gorgeous vists, comes the elastic step. pang Georgian, wearing, queensike on her head, a half eircting coronet, studded with pearls and rubies. ‘There, seunterirg along on the arm of an astute statesman, is the dashing Mre. W——, of the Fitth avenue; her emiles, uperring arrow, heqiless whither she them. What 2n oval-fuce ic bers, and how fair and regular her features’! how beantiully robet her Younted form! Her dress is of orspg colored brosade, studded wih jewels down the corset, and flounce} with finest Honolton lace. Here, the lithe ficure of Miss K—, of Miscissippt, glows in the foreground; the dyes of Tyre could not 2 brighter tiet to her vermillion eolored skirts, which sh> with the grace of » Tady Cons‘anee, ever and anon gathering then into folas ad then letting them stream, eloud-like, behind her. Her dark auburn hair is girded with 4 band cf emeralds and diamonds, the value of which we dare not LS py ae aeaeed iy beck to the dancin, gallant Capt. , Whore beoomt: uniform sets off well bis erect gare, ‘a the vivacious and in' Mise C——, of Massachusetts; hor dress a erirt of white satin, tantetuty trimmed witk gold blonde, looped with }oseoms and chipovic ues. low, fhe flean of admiectica ts turned a the placid Misa kh, Cpe grr How ravishing:y her fair tea ‘pares and golden hair blend in ome hue of beenty! A‘l modest and Cape ebe waers on her head resembling a of diamonds, while her fal) ‘with a cape of 8 & chain of it ker neck. danghter; i f tt t | i i i i i i F | * E ef | nt came the imperious Carolinian; stately step, her face of Grecian mould, dark lan- yer, and Ian-like expression, marked her in iy And then there ¥ reground of the throng. Nor must I omit the ma- ‘tron)y mother of the old school, and her two bouncing ters, whose rich Imutch blood does now and then make riot at the round tabie. To the above names may be added those of the pretty Miss Brewer, of Wiseonsi Mies Mies #, of Alabama; Mine Humphrey,of New Yor! Bale, of Now Hempabire; Mise Preble, of Maino; Miss of Maryland, Miss Cutta, of Washington; Miss { in the midst of a vast most fertile Dine; bat tho poo ql Ochomogo, | others the have beea allowed 10 go to decay Gears | Siasost catty, kad tke busioee of onece Sathag sat tt digo making, w! into > wes society. The ladies all admure 8.; his hair was parted with such exactness dewn the centre of his reclining head, and lay so smooth; fis face always wore snch a sunita, he knew #0 much @ politeness, erranged the dis- moni ring so nicely over his tight gore enie ‘be never seemed to have a place for. wardrobe ‘was so unexceptivwable, ‘and when he ‘moved, which he did great effort, he would either od ‘the ribbon about his neck, or keep ins eyes set upon ou sbiny boots, as if tenacious of the ting pantaloons—tw'a word, ‘tremeny nice and very respectable few of which neither the veritabte Chevalier Webb would ever think of giving s tea-party; but then, as Mrs, Pendennis‘woild say, notwithstanding his amiable qealities, he was such’ an—. S. was Fem the queste. And the ‘rigorous men from the State department, who moved here and there, seeming as if care pressed reavily upon his ample shoulders. Toere too, was the slender, but very reserved gentleman of « more importemt a it, who flitted here and tl i‘ ‘unseen and Heen nal iternately,'te a apes in the shadow of his lithe master. And there was the fast Jemac from the Post Office, am extremely fast Maes mec ie thio; nowadays. Everybody ada: man the Fost Ofice, be ras eeade up 10 Tespectably, and had such an air-of indepengeneo about him. He seemed to have a fellow sympathy for the e'astic gentleman of the Attorney General's t, to wham he huog during the whole‘evening, ever for cnce regarding the air of mistrust with which tha: gentieman viewed everything around, es if the atmosphere to which he belonged was as open to mistrust as young bees are to the honeycomb. And there was G., ao sexcoudingly nice young gentle man, amd the beau oftie house. I rather hke G., who has an eye to wincward; but I confess I have thought ke pow aml then stirred « iittle too mnch sweetening ia his ly detore company. With G., and she aav- age-louking gentieman of the War Deoartment, who honored the gay throng with his vrosence, we alose this hisrory, which leaves the jubilant party at two o'clock in the mornicg eeexing their homes, as merry as larks in the month of May. s ‘The National, { lecrn, will soon give a ball, at which an attempt will be made to cutrival Willard’s. Your astute correspomdent will be about. DON, ‘Wasursatox, Feb. 9, 1856, The Nicaragua @uestion—Destgns Attributed to General Walker in Preming for the Immediate Recognition of wis Government Public Meeting to be held in New York, én Support of the Claims of Col. French. Colonel French bas certainly not advanced his case by the re presentetion of his demand for recognition es Minister of Nicaragua to the United States. Oar rela- tions with Grea: Britain, it must be seen, are such as to prevent us for'the presen: from recognizing, in a forms! mecner, the independence cf Nisaragua—a fact which Col. French canaot be ignorant o—and as such, it should receive frog: tkim every proper allowance. The Colsael cannot doubt of the deep interest which is felt by the President, Cabinet, and the public generally, in the euc- cess of the enterprise which he is here to represent; neither can ‘ho fuil to see that a compliance witn his re- quests would take from the United States the position she now cesuples in her demands upon Great Britain. Why, then, this haste in pressing a point which is eur- rounded by-ombarrassments and impracticabilities, un- Jess i: is to.give exis‘ence to prejudices, and to create enmities berreen the two republics? Col. Freach is not charged with such inten“ons, but there are those ia this city who begin to chink that a peace policy, in the settle- meat of the Central American question, finds no favor with Gen.\Walker’s government, and that a rapture with Great Britain ani the United states ix red as a meaus for ‘the furtherance of certain designs tor exten- sion of territory on the part ot Walker and his frtends. How tar the recognition of Nicaraguan independence would go towarce effecting this onject, if in reality any such exists, you-are the best jucge te determine; but there are reasons, and strong ones too, to sustain the opinioa that the diffioultes of bringing to @ peaceable se*tiement the Central American questicn would be greatly inc-eased by the acoption of any sush act on the pari of the United States. But after all, there may be nothing to justify sur pi- cions of ulterior designs onthe part of Col. French or his goverpment towards the United Siates, by the pressure of his application; but certain it 1s that no re- cegnttion-will be made of either tae Cotonel or his go- Yernment until the affairs of the United States with Great Britain are drought to # termination. It is proper, how- eve:, to mete that moneyed interests and sympathies ave sensibly éocreacea in Col. French’s favor since the ao. pearance of Secretary Marcy’s last card rejecting the iurther edvapces of the new minister. Nor does this feeling rest alone wita this intecest is to be found with the masves, who, either not knowing or not caring fer government rearons, stand ready to publicly proclaim the right of Nicaragua to recogaition as a new Ame yican republic. A pubdiic meeting is spoken of as like'y to be held in New York, to support the claims of Ccl. Frepch. Should 1¢ take place it will not alter the present ceterminaticn of the government upon the sub- ject. . 8. young: Mra. Wasutyctow, keb. 10, 1866. Nicaraguecnd the Filibusters—How the Revolution was Effoeurd—JInteresting Letter from General Waticer—Agri- cultural Resources of the Country—Department of Rivas. Afver ail that has been suid and written on the subject of Nicaregus, and the Walker government, a strange misapprebension of facta seoms to exist in the public 5 | mund. Ivde common to hear Genersl Walker spoken of a8 @ filibuster, who invaded the republic of Nicaragua as the Spanish General Pizarro did Peru—overturnei the government and seized the political power. Why not compare him to acertain French general, who left the aliurements of one of the most dazziing courts of Europe, to come a filibuster to our own shores, when an infant republic wae resisting tyranny, and struggliog for exist- ence? A civil war had been desolating the fair fields o Nicarages for a long time. On tne one side was the libe. ral party—the democracy; spposed to them was the le- gitimists—e.party of uncompromising hostility t» every thing like en‘j¢htened freedom, and ruled by the pniest- nood. Such was the condition of thingy whea Walker ‘was tendered.c general’s commission in the democratic army, wnish be accepted, as did La‘ayette the one ten- dered him by the rebel Congress of the British colonies. Through hie agency the war was terminated, pease restored, ami prosperity established throughout the republic: and we are told this is filibus- bustering. Nor is it generally known that ali the modern imprevements im government have boen established inWicaragua ringe the close of the revolution. ‘The warehousiag system, the offspring of the brain of that distinguished financier, the Hon. Robt. J. Walser, has deen adopted there, and the mercantile community rea- lize the great advantages flowing tcom it. Record offices are established throughout the repablic, and all 1and- holders are secuired to record their deeds, and have their lands markod with metes and boundaries, so that it may be known what lands are oceupied and by whom. Assessments are made of all proverty, and inataad of the former arbitrary exaciion of any amount it might suit the whim or caprice of the reigning power to make, now a regular ad rem tax is imposea on all. This deligut+ the agriculturicts, who now feel some security for their property, and can fix a valuation on it ia siew of a cer- twin knowledge of what vhs toxation ist) be. The condi- tion of the peasantry has also been mach improved, and ali classer of society in Nicaragua feel auc know that their condition has been vastly c! for the better by the ‘' filibuster * Walker and his gallent companions, But my object now 1 to give the readers of the Haraty an interesting letter from General Walker himself to 4 friend in this city, which gives us an ides ef the rich ultural resources of that sunny clime, sod will den the hearts of those.who have determined to fix taoir fortunes in Nicaragua. ee ee GRanaba, Jan. 10, 1856. ‘Mr Dran Coroxri—I have lately taken « tour throagh one of the most interesting seetions of Nicaragua—tbat of the department of Hivae--and have seen eaough of the sertiltty of the soil, the able.climate, there, to satiafy me at ia a-cory short time this por. | = of blind pores int of great attractioe to || immigrant who comes Ko w agrievitaral || purvults, The entire route;from (iranada tothe old espi- | tal of Kivas or Nicarsgue,ds throygk a very fine and dec. | tile country, but not much.cultivated between Greasds and the rzer Gonzales. are, itds true, a few cecee | eatates, but they are quite neglected, god at most of the ‘the route may be seen ruined iniigo vata, which must have been built atwery great expense. ‘The little Indian village of is the only tower of Mr ne tg Gronede and the river Gonzales, @ miles. This vidlage 18 situated no attention.to the cultivation soll, rad of coxn; and this they esise only patches. The old hacienias of Sen Frencisco, sod te ond , Which was formerly the great business of these estater, is now wholly neglected, and for no poxsible reason or, that the proprietors have, from tines time. been robi oy the government of all they vera, and have become disheartened. Many of these propristors would now recommence working their put the revolution has so impoverfabed them that they have oot funds to begin with, and they aré auxious to a4)] their lands for money enongh to commence again upon new Janda. Estates vhat thiee yeats ago were held at $50,000 can Low be iad at from $5,000 to $10,000; and these name erta‘er will pay back the purehase money in two, cer. tainly three, years, I have arrived at this latter eoncia rion from statietieal calculations which I think are eor reet, and which are based on the best and most retisole ipformaticn I can obtain. Vor ingtauce, a capag putato Hi wil produce—ro the cacao grewers here tell if not ite 8,000 po ‘offcacno to the Tre eno of Nicara the finest in tae mea thre it is unknown in the American ms"bet, would certainly | commend as bigh a priee as the best a:ticle from any -—say ten cents poand. Accordiog to crepe rn, Sa acre ene produce $80 worth, of the estate in order, enough to gether and prs for are entire crop. One hurdred and Bey dollars each would be a very high rate for the wages these men per year—say $1,00 for ta>or. The other e—freght, custom dues, de—could not exseed sist more. This would bring the New York market at ten cants per pound, and leave te the raiser i cleat profit uf $6,600 yearly dred acres thus c:ltivated. ‘Tiere are very that will produce reralta similar to those above ated. now for sale, at such wl hove belsve nemat £08 which are in Dern elias nothiug more being wanted than the removal of the underwood, which bas acoumulated during three years of negtect. The tree retains its vger-after it once arrives at meturity, as long as the oak or the pime—much lomger than the appie 1s sold at prices) people onc aceee would not drink such ehecolate ‘an is called the best in New York at avy price. During afew years, doubtless, all the cacao that ean be ratred’in Nicaregua wou d @utl an immediste market at bome, and atma-h higher prices thin cveld be o- tained for it in the United Steen; but shoald the busi- ness ofgrowing'it be gone into’ex‘ensively, as I have ne doubt will be the case very soon. the lo-al markets would become overste:ked, and a foreign marke: weald have to betound. Should 3 of toe Norte Ameriosns ever becomeecquainted with the flavor of ‘he delicious chocolate we have heve, they ‘would never give up the loxury at ary price; but ("hive enceavored t» show that Nicaragua'can compete with other countries in pro<iuc- ing this celicious beverage, even at the grices which ara wow phidra the United Si: for very ta%erior articles, end, therefore, I comchutie that the purchase of these es- tutet-witt be a'very popstar ‘speculation on the part of | imorigrants to this country. ‘From the Lengeles river to Rivas, a distapee of Boone ‘tworntles, the entire/iand along the road is under cuit'- vation, but in a most rud primiva maoner. Corn —crns:non Indien ¢orn—is sown broadcast, not planted’ in Dis or rows, andtyet it seems to flourish. I do not Know bow much tapsroduced per acre sy tais move of cultivation, but the ears are large, and the grain tully developed—hence, conclude, the product must be very great. There is nct such a thing asa grist mill in th: ‘entire country, andthe only coru bread, such ae ts com “mon in the Uwited® States, that I nave ever tasted in Nicarsgua, wes mave of meal imp rted from New York. ‘We cut the young corn for horse ‘eed—it is the oaly foi- der tor horses ix ‘Granada—cut the ears, cud and atl when very young; after boiling, meke it into dortillar with cbeese, and’ fortilias without cheese; but canao’ mase that delreious article, “Hoosier bread.” I wish somebody would come ont here witn a cora mill, make forture for bimself, anc mxke us happy at ihe same vime. Tera sure such would be the result ofauch speculation, We would not be very particular about tine flour if we could only have our corn broken into pieces without the process cf boiling it im ley. We woald no grumble much if the hulis were vot taken off, or if the flour were @ little coarser tran that your cora breed is made of at St. Louis or New York. There are plenty of water privikeges bere; there is pien'y or corn t> grind, ano there are pienty of Americans to eat corn cakes. All we want 1s@mit'l, Wno will ome out here and mame as happy in this terpectY Ifyou know the miler who wil give un gow corn meal, } p:ay you totell him there is a yortone for him here in Nicaragua, and beg him to coms and put itvin his purse. WasninGton, Feb. 11, 1856. Interesting Confessions of one of the Immortal Cuncil of Fifteen Secret Sessions Resisted— Approval of the Serr.” tary and President not Anticipated by the Board—Rich Deveiapenents of Conspiracy, e., Le. According to promise, I no sead you in advance, the substanes of the confessions of a member of the ‘Navel Efficiency Brard,”” whieh I will take, occasion to way is true to the Jetier, and will be read ina fow days im the Senate ofthe Urived States. fhe names now suppressed, will then be made known, and will carry weight with them wherever they are known. Read snd ponder weil, ye ** Immortal Council of Fifween.”” E I have spoken io you of # conversation held in New Yerk, since my return from the cous: of Atries, with Com. the sutject being the ac:ion of the late Ns- vai Beara, of which be was » wember. [ had also seen 4 Jerter in Com ’s hendwrit'ng t» Me. v » Kon of Com. , lave a li utenant, in whirb Com. ———erm- yliment> ———. acd then adds: “[ hope the aay witl soon come when the mons'rous injustice «bich has been 4 ne te you and otbers will be corrected.” im visiting Com. , Ldid not suppose he would be very eomumuat :s- tive, but he received ine with so much warmth of fee 19g ape courte: y that! determined to express myseif very freely upon the whole matter, and dia so. Tne Comm dove then said tnat he could not ‘alk to me of my own case, being uncer implied obligations of mcvesy to the Doacd, but be would say taat be abowineted the action of the boord; that be bad protested against ite secret sessions, that he hea presentea a resolution (wbich ne bad preserved) to have open meetings, oc to that effact, which was voted down; ‘hat he nad been dishonored ‘and ¢isgraced by the action of tne board, he pemwg a merober ot it; that he hoped be should soon be called upen to cisclose his views of alt that bad been done here. sud that when called upon to discione bis views of a'l it had been done these, or takem place at the board, isher before Corgiess or a court of jaxtice, he won tell the whoie truth—that be had protested. before the presicent and secretary, against such Star Chamber oro ceedinge; that he coxsidered it monstrous in every wiy; thatit was @ packed conspiracy aguiost the honor ot “he tawy: that {1 haa ruined his reputation, and he knew it: ana he also now knew that he haddone wrong tn+re a6 Uitieas he had cove, and he was sorry for 11; tba it was the first time in bis life that he had been caida ‘upon to do trat which had caused him to love his self respect, but that the action of # majority of that board bed-done it, ‘We Commcdore also said ‘‘that he hoped that not cne of the vew commissions would be confirmed by the Sewate till a ful inves:ization could be had. and the sbhezve‘ul concuct of these conspirators exposed,” He said he aid not make ary secresy of bis opinions about this matter: that the bourd had disgraced and dishonored him, and he knew it. ‘The name of was in every way identified with the navy, avd he had lost ali interest in the pavy, and would resign instanter it he had the means of ving.’ He regretted that he had not given up his commission—if necessary—or placed it on the issue, rather then act; and not to have done so he now sees was to set as'de his orcinary sagacity; regrets that he did not refuse to be even a conservative member of the buacd. The Commodore alto raid: ~“‘Sir, the board never imag. ines for one moment that all the list aa the action of wv boarcjwoulc be approved’by, the Secretary and rresideat; but surposed it would be sent oaek for revision, sud then (he said) ‘the conservative members of the board weuld have had some power and could have co npelied the con- spitators. or these men, to do justice wuere so much in- from penitent and suffering member, which his whole manner and sctioa showed to be real. The Commodere slso said:—Str, if I was ordered to the command of a ¢apgerous and important expedition to-morrow, [ would tell the department and the world thatd would prefer to select my officers from those who have been discarded rather than those who are lefs. There ix wovhing but a bundle of sticks left; never aid abytting, and never will; who mistabe because they never attempted anything.” Such fs the excuse of Commodore for his part in vhe Grama which has been enacted, following the example cf , Spanish inquisition, which executes firct and tries afterwards. It cannot be that proceeding #0 characterized by the most prominent member oan stand the test of public opinion. Our Detroit Correspondence. Dernorr, Fed. 8, 1955. Death af the Hon, Dawid Smart—Maning Prospects at. Lake Superior—Charter Elections at Detroil—Priumph of the Live Gak Cantidate, de., de. On the morning of the 4th instant, Detroit lost one of er best, 20st benevoleat and most beloved eitizeos—tne Hon. David Smart—who died after a short liness, 3. J Smart hada large circle of friends and acquaintance § very many of whom are your neighbors in the city of New York. He wes a Scotchman by birth, but had resided in this city romething over twenty-five years. Last xum- mer, being in a cebilitated state of heaith, he spent seve- ral weeks ut the White Sulpkur and otaer springs in Vir- gizis, and serurned with his heaith nearly recovared. was in affluent pecuniary citcumstances, and distin. guished among bis ‘riends and acquaintances Yor hls disin- ‘Vrexted benevolence and friendship. He had « ho:t of friends, ond many an eye among the readers of the Heap will moisten with grief on the announcement of his death. He leaves a widow, the sole heir of his large ertate. Though « Svotchman by birth, de waa an American in principle, an¢ warmly espoused the cause of the Ameri- oun party. He acknowledged the necensity of « strouzer Auwericen element in our it, to counteract the foreign influence too manifest in our affairs, through che targe influx of newly arriving rants, wholly iga>- t of our laws and institutions. » Smart was an ad- vucate of the nomination of George Lag for the Presiden. cy, and had he been would haee been his Uber! Sass aie ee ry ior (‘a rare Ing dnring the wiute Besson) gives very encoursging scoounts of “he rotating prorpecta. ie worktcg t2 @ solid mass of copper, the lass Houghton is iooking better thea before, and the Portage is looking better than ever, ena to be oqual to ite sister, the {ele Koyale, Ameng the new , tae Evergreen Blut (io cated near the end propably haviug the given great promise, aud the opening on the Jobnson toosiion, On tae adjoin: ing section and om the same vein, is the wonder of the Onumegon In & hole of eight feet deep and about the same ia eter they have already taken out ten tor copper, with mo prospect arth ogure ‘the termi. per t. Oar charter election, om the bth, was e spirited contest, resulting in the election ot Hon. 0. M iste, Mayor, by about 260 majonsty aver Hon. A. W. Buel, ¢x-M. C.,’the democratic candidate, The balance of the democratic ticket wax eleeted by an average of 640 majority, The secret of Mir. Auceess war im hia not being a re. publican, and refusing to identafy himself with that party by accepting ite ination. The balance o' the ticke upon vm he ran were acknowledged republicans, and thereby suffered @ defeat. Another power of strength in favor of Mr. Hyde conristed tu his being in favor of Geo, Faw for the Presidency. “Straws show which way the wina blowy.”” The House ia finally orgauized, and tue country rejoices. Many of the American party olala a tinmph in the élection of Mr. Banks, as be was formerly & member of that party, and muy be yet. The formation of hi committees and bis future course will test his fealty to the party, Births, Deaths and Marriages in Boston in 1855-- Btucd- of the number of births, desths and marriages in Boston, fm 1855, at a recent meeting of the Common Uouncl. The whole number of births was 6,816, belagan increase of 128 cver the number in 1864, but not di@ering materially from NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 12, 1856. /Qur Boston Ourrespe dence. Boron, Feb. 9, 1856. tional Statistics of Massachus-tts—Mr. Bankes’ Elction— “pinkering” the Constitution— Yolly of Ratlroad Diree- tors—Patition in Favor of the Restoratim of Lieut. Maury —Capttat Triale—Jases of Aves Tobin, of McNally, and of Merrit. Mr, Appollonio, our excelient Regi-trar, wade his report the average of the six years wxding 1804. The aggregaie ra- to was one birthin every 27.98 iuhabitante. Thsre were 29 colored children born, or ome to 76.55 of that class of our population. Of Irish, the per centage was 60.31; and of Americans, 24 per cent. The greatesé positive namber of virchs was in Ward 1, being 764; and the greatest tom- parative iccrease was in Kast Bosion. There Were 50 cases of twim births, in 21 of which the eliildren were males, and in 11 females, The number «f marriages solemoised, acvetding to the record, was 2/955, a decrease of 27% ‘in ene year. The number Of 'cer‘ficates irruea #xa 3)001, 2 Wecrease of 268. There were-35 colored coupies merried,& caven in which the grooms were black aud tee latices white, Tne oldest couple was sompuxed of @ mun df Ol and » woman of 71, ‘the parties beicg & widower and an ancient jeay, Who changed ber raiden sia, or “made om ‘effort’? io ‘het end, one year after suat ume when, accordimg to Mr. Jonas Uhuzsiewl., ali tpereons who have any ‘regard for toe Soriptares #hould have beiaken themadl es to their graves, without smoking any fuss abeut it, that pious youth taking tae éeclaracion that the years of the life of msn are three roere and ten in ite most Few sense. One gentiemiu of 74 gave his hand toa iady of 44; but this was a ja- yerile indiseretiuz comparec with the case just meo- tioned. A widower took for his fifth wite a lady of 28. She probably took him ior the same reason that, acsord- ing to Scott, Godfrey Bertram’s wife married nim. namely, that rhe hed arrived st the reflec ing age of twenty- eight. Tre case of youngest marriage was that of a boy of 18 toa girl of 16, They will have ample time to ‘“re- pent at leisure,” 03, sa the divorce busuess ts now easy, can get rid of ‘the chains of matrimony” whoa they shalibave arrive? at the years of discretion, Toe wird marriuges numbered 44, und there was one fourta warriege, auc one fi'th the numoer of deatas 861, a8 cowpared witn 18) wos in ward 1, betog £87. «4,080; decresre im one year, 04. "Toe grestes: aumbe- Tow average age was 19.88 years. There died of wales, 2084; of fennies, 1,996; of soloed maler, 30; of cclored females, 43, Of luag oom plaints these diea cousvinption, 735; of «malip ox, 18%; of casualties, 18.2; of old age, 81. 960 of the ourials were made 1p town, aud 3,130 cut ot it The number of desths here in Juauary, 1856, was 362—164 maies, 168 exales. There were 60 d-atus from copeumpticn, 30 from inflammation 6f the ‘ungs, 17 trom measies, 15 fem smallpox, and 10 byacsideuts. Four- teen perhcnr died trom old age, eight wen and six women, the oest being @ woman, in her lOist year, aad t vo others were $0 and 88 yeurs respectively Th-re was not # rolitary case of typhus fever, and but five of typhoic, do bof which are comu.un here ia winter. In January 1855, there were seveniy-tws ceaths feom scariet feve: in Boston; but in January, 1856, there were but two deaths caused by it, The whoie mamber of dea hs was three less then in the corre-poncing mouth o: 1855, ana yet the menth has been the severesc in weather known here in the memory ot most persons now living ‘The vineteem b aunual repor’ of ‘he Board of Educa. ticn shows that the uumb-r 0. public schoois in Marsa- ebwete is 4,215; 0” perscns bet«eor five ana Afveen years, 219,984; ot obolars of ul ages atteading the pao- lic schools in’ sumae-, 189.997; iu winter, 22,709, of children under five years attecdiog them, 15,601; over fif'een, 21,877. ihe female teachers were 5,825, 9 $17 29 per month, including board; of male tescners, 1,8(9, averagiog $4145 per mouth [he amouat ex- perced on public schools, for » ages, fuel, and #1peria- venderce, was $1,266,436 42. Tue number o: insorp) rated academies 18 seventy-ove, with 4,715 scholars, at ’D apbuai expense of $8. 4¥6 10. U* private schools ara academies ti ere are 646, with 17.671 scholars ant kep* up a: yearly expenditure of $271,296 06. The to- tal amount txpe.dec for educationa' purposes ia tae Store is $1,620,222 68. The iocresse of app-upr one year bas been adout 12 percen:. There are 332 scholars in the normal schouls, ali out 42 of woom are females. Scre of our people are laboring very hard for “ postal retorm.’”? ‘Ibe firet thing to hbecone fa that way is to place the government ia ‘he hands of mec of ¢xamon s-nse, and not have persons wt the head of the mati ser- vice who treat it ay if it were a pisce of mouey-mating business, instead of being » great instrument of civiiza- tion, anc for tbe promotion of men’s bappiness, ‘The whole number of paapers admitted to ar state alm:- bouses since taey were opened, in May, 1854, 14 8,295. spa the average expense ot suppurtiog thm has deen SLE). poarch. Tne ame ch coe hecncuses acano very pocr that ont little of the Jand can de cultivated. They were probably got hold ct as jobs, and ressonany cou.d not pave been expected to be mach. We have nothing of unterest in poistie: American State Council, at its laie m-etiog, adopted thy SpriegGeld platiorm without » diss-nting vous. As that platicrm war adopted at a time whea it was expected the republican and Know Nothing ourties were avoat to be- come one flech, this endoreement muy be looked upon as op avti-slavery movement. Tar. Banks? triends wave bad ® good time fore week, and are now beginning to take things noberly. Theie tri- pe is a great ove, and is »1toe more valuable from baving been so tong delayed. Tne conte-t bas mada Mc Beuks known to the nstiov, sna already bis name nus deen coupled with the Presidential nomination of nis par. ty. They might have a worse candidate. The Legivla ure is -“tivkering” toe constitution, the particular object now being to require twenty-one years’ iesicence of foreiga born persons betore they shali'be al- lowed to vote. The Sevate bas passec the amendaent, as it sequires only a majoricy of tinkers in that body, where- a6 ir: the House there must be two-toirds of those disci- ples of Jchm Bunyan to get it through, sud they are Shought to be not q te #0 numerous there as all that wou'd come to, The requirement is altogether too strong, while most people would acquiesce in. ten years, Ith ght that twenty-one years were adopted in or- der to bili the whole thing, ehoald it ever come before the people. Some of our railroad companies, not satisfied with the fant pace at which they have been gving to the dogs o° late, are getting up the steam at ine same rate that Apollyon did on the celestial railroad, as he took the “long train’? through the Valley of the Shadow of Desth. The price of season tickets on the Providence and Boston railroad is to be advanced 50 per cent, and of transieat travel 20 per cent. The Boston and Worcester Company content themselves with 25 per cent advance on season tickets, while other rates are to be 8 ceuts.a mile. There are three classes of persons who will be affected by these acd cther similar insane movements, ‘The first is oom- posed ot the owners of real estate in and around Boston, where property must rise under their workings. fhe second 18 that class of people—and a very large one it is, though someshat decreased ot late—who live in the coumiry, but most of whom will be residents of Boston, or of the towns hard by it, ina twelvemonth or so. The third class is the railroad stockholders, who might as well go in search of the Great Carbuncle, as to look for another dividend on their property, as it’ is facstiously called, that being now compelled t> pay taxes, while it is endowed with irealculable powers of non-production, They way believe that the good times will return, snd so there are people who have » lively faith in the return of the golden age—but it don’t come back to earth. Isaac ot York said that he ex- pected to nee a Christian pay a debt to a Jew, except un- der coercion, in the same rene as he expected to see a rebuilding of Zion; and J think our rallroad owners will get a dividend, most of them, with the increasing of the Jews, cn the oceurrence of the Greek kalends, on the return of the days when good Queen Bertha apun. The fact ix that the directors having commenced with too low fares, are now making them too high, thus falling into the chi dish e:zor of imitabng the reverse of wrong for right. The end of the business will be, that government will have to step in and regulate the whole matter. A petition bas been got up among the merchanta, and is very numerously signed, praying that Congress will re- verse the action of the Naval Board so far ax Leutenant Maury is concerned, in ccnsideration of his eminent ser- viees to commerce ard navigation. The entire doings of the board ought to be reverned. ‘The Supreme Court will commence the trial of capttal cages here next Tuesday. The first is tuat cf e young wo- man, named Flew Tobio, who stands charged with having killed her child, at Chelsea, last year. ‘Then will come that of James McNally, for killing Charles S. Smith, in Boston, in 1861, and who was recently arres in Canada. It is exveoted that David Merrill, who killed bis wi'e, will be tried; but it is not certain that his cng can be reached. McNally will probably get off witn a verdict of manslaughter Lot ade iss Todin’s case is a melancholy one. Mr. t, who is one of the most kind bearted of men, voluntarily took the charge of her defence, and will be assisted by Mr. Tnexter. ‘The legislauve committee cn the rum law have held one meeting, and heard more evidence as to the work- ings of that slatute. The law seems to be enforced cvery- where but in our county end city—that is, as much a« pom pes in are i: oa eet pet nine verdict were in one day, which aespatch is rally worthy to be named with that of the sssocinted gentiemen who, in 1704, were so easily convinced by the eluguence of Monsieur Finguler ‘Fioville. The advocates of the lew are,confident that ms short time they xball te able 10 entorce dt 4a Boston. Perhaps so— We’ fall this weok as will make up for what we've lost (and that loss is. gain) by eva- poration. of y la made travelling the worse, “There is a struy for sucther snow storm now go1g on in our ALGOMA. Tar Cuwaco Cans Covncitmen—Commenting om some atrictares of the New York Hxrs on the appro- priation of $500 to Rar ei beaten canes by the city courcil of the Chicago Journal takes off the Gity Fathers in the following utyle:—Our cotemporary dues the City Fathers wrong. They did not vote them- selves canes worth the petty sum of forty doliars. Fifty dollars a c: Mr. Hemarp, if ta please. Our Aldermen walk with forty dollar canes, forsooth | We would have sur New York cotemporary know, that they are above any such weakness. Nava Mepican Board.—A board of naval sur- geons will be convened at the Naval Asylum, Mhiladel- phia, on the Ist Cay of March next, for the examiaation of aseistan? ewigeons for promotion and of candidates for edmisricn into the medical corpa of the navy, "ne fol- lowing officers will compose the board:—Président, Sar. gecn, James M. Greene; members, Surgeons Samuel Bar- licgton and Jobn M, Fol's, and passed assistant surgeon Joseph Wilson, jr. exoept that the previcus to the “Gus ‘op c¥ty% on ti With this letter bY t 46 ctrouitoun lige af New Orleans. Our davans Corresp . vacnce, axa, Jan. 31, 1955.3) « Condition of Mexito—Or ganization of te Hawaea | Posicg the French Marine’ de, de Aswoshall not have 4, steamer for New York direc's th, I troable you The frequent TO’ jreries that cecur alimeat daily in the streets of this cl’ y remind the old inhabitants of thedays when General vivg was Captain General, between the years 182647 4 1831, The last affair of this kind of which Tbave hes’ -g, took place at 12 o'clock om Tuesday lest, when th’ e¢ gentlenen walking together near the Camp? Marte ere met by agarg of highwaymen, who selected 006 ‘of the gentlemen, desiring the two others to walk on, ‘Wialeh they did. The highwaymen, or rather one of their umber, then demanded the gentleman’s money, watch, ke., which were, ofcourse, given up. The highwayman then cecamped, but as he was passirg through the getes, the otber two gentlemen who bad been watching, ar- rested him, and with the gentleman who had been robbed, conveyed him before Ovlonel Manoz, the Chief of Police. Instead, however, cf committiog the highwayman to jail to take bistrial, Colone! Munoz inquired of the gen- tlemen ‘‘it they were Polloewen, and by what right they bad made the arrest?” Theo turning to the highway- map, he desired him vo go about his business. Such being the «tate of things bere, is it any wonder that robberies so frequently occur? Last Sun‘ ay and Monday the Regla steam ferryboat in crossing the bey ran over two row boats, and I under- stand on Sunday a young man, about nineteen years of age, was drowned. Colonel Robertson, the actiog United States Consul, has been removed to make room for Mr. Singleton, @ member of Congress from Mississippi. Woen Mr. Singie- ton does arrive I hope he wiil prove as faithful and iodus- trious in bis cflice ss hax C.lonel Robertson. By tue way, will it not be usetal for Mr. Singleton to study the Spanish language? He will find it handy in the discharge of his cuties. Boatmen are all over the world extortioners, but in n> ‘more #o than ia this city of the Hsvaua, as the fol- lowing incident will prove:—i'wo young men, who were rathe- belsted, were ces: f processing to New York in the Black Warrior oa her last trip heace, and golug to the wharf with aninterpreter—they no: being familiar with the Spanish language—engaged a boat, with tw» boatmen, to put them on board the steams: for haifa coliarvach. When they arrived’ alongside ihe b>atmen cemunded dos pesos (two dolti for their fare. Ons of the young men tad thriwn his carpet bag on board the stesmer; but the boatmen retused to permit the remafa- der of the heggege to leave the buat unless the imposition was submitted to, which the young men refased to co. The cap ain of the Black Warrior, perceiving t gn altercation in the bout alongside, having pa' or two minutes, refused to wait any looger, and the stewener proceeded on ber cassage without the young mea, but taking the carpe. bug of one of them, which possioly it will cos: him some trouble to recover. The Spacish steamer Mexico (late United States) ar- rived under the command of her Spanish captuia (Villa more) om the 28:h iost., from Vera Cruz, She had un- tortuvate.y brought a paesenger who had not a passport, ard two of her passengers’ rames were not included in the list of pass-ngers handed to the visiting officer. For these serious offences Captain Viilamore was fined fifty- two dodlare. ‘The intellig¢nce from Mexico representa that unfortu- pate cenn:ry to be in # terriole state of anarchy and con- furion. Party #pirit rages with unexampied virulence. Several military chiefs bave been arrested aad throwa into confinement, Kobberies and avsassinations are so frequent, tbat two passengers who weut hence to Vera Cruz in a recent steamer with the inteution of proseed- ing to the cl'y of Mexico, returned here in the sama steamer, having been advised at Vera Cruz that their lives would be iu danger if they veutured to proceed. [ have beard of an iostance in which the stage was stoppet between Vera Cruz and Mexiso, the driver killed on his box und all the p.rsengers except one dangerously wourded. Ove of the passengers being armed with a double barrelled riffe, xillea one of the highwaymen acd woonded another; anc this pansenger, as I understood alene, of all who were in the stage, escaped uaharie i By an order dated 28th iast., *‘captaias ot parti ios the first clare in this island are vo receive $1,100 pe: nom, those cf the second clars $900, and those of the $700 per aunum. This is followed ry a list of he nam ut the eaptaine ef partidor. There are fifteen ot the first cluss. fifty-eight of the second, and one hundred and six of the bir; ¢o you cen easily reckon what in the cost of thove otcers. The police expenditure of thir city alone, 1 heart itrtated a day or two since, was tne email amount of $400.000 per apnum; and yet robberies ure 0 frequen: fo the streets ot Havava. Js ir mot a disgrace to a country pretending to an advanced stage of civilization ? The French brig of war La Perouse, with her own boats ‘ano ‘bose of balf ot the Spanish squadron ia this port wwing her, attempted to beat out of this harbor on the morning of the 29th inss ; the wind, which was: blowing moderately, was abead, aud afrer tacking about for fu ‘wo hours, La Perouse nad to give it up for abad jor, and returne3 t> her mco ings. She is one of the squadron, I delieve, whom the Marquis Duquesne, brother of the lave Acmiraa. said i ear Was coming hera to show us wha’ the French sailors wnd ships wer. idea cf them trom the fact thet a daal little brig could not de bo henolec. with ner deck« crowded wit men, at towcra her way out ot ba:bor with » sligat breezo ah-ed. What mace ibe watier ooubly vexatious to her officers, ‘wan the fact that « few spirited gevtiemen in Matanzas had invited them :o s grard ball in that city the next eveoing, which ievitation neving been duly accepted, they zere Ddound to attend, and they hed, therefore, to go to the exvense of proceeding to Matanzas by railway. The Ladien’ Benevorent Institution of this city would appear to be in a languishing condition for want of fanns. T have noticed @ polite invitation ia the Gacela requesting subscribers to come forward and make their donations at one of the churches of this city, and iast weer a pig, worth perhaps s dollar anda half, was railed off ata riai scincilla (ten cente) a chauce, for $200! to be applied to the ‘Benevolent Lostitution.” There ty alao, [ un- éerstand, noon to be given w grand masked ball at the Cerro for the same charitable parpose. All taiags prov- ing agreeable, I shall endeavor to be present, and should aught transpire worthy ot being recorded it shall form the subject of a subsequent letcer. een ed We can form some Hiram Powers, the Sculptor. A statement has recently been going the rounds of the newspapers to the effest that this well known artist Q struggling with pecuniary difficulties. We have 4: in our power to contradict it by a letter from Mr. Powors himseif to Gen. Duff Green, in which he speaks gratefally of the success which bas already attended his professional efforts, and of the prospects whieh be bas before him:— Fronence, March 28, 1855. It is now over eighteen years since I mo¢eiled your bast, in Washington, and you paid me—t¢ 1 remember right—one half the price upon it ($150 ) leaving the other $150 to be paid on its completion in marble, It was expected, that as I should go atroad w execnte ali the busts I had urdertaken, I should no; have toem all done tor some years; and I found, on ar- riving bere. that many years would pass before thase contracts could be fuldiled. tor it was a long tine betvre I could secure that asmstance on the marbie which, from representations at home, I had supposed to be always at hand in the counry of art and artists. Workmen I found, in¢eed, but not eucr as I could employ, foc my busts were not such as they had been accustomed to exs- cute. The detai’s on them were new to them—they had worked only oz generalizations of the human face—and when with my own hands I hed got some of my works Gone, and sent them to the annual exhibition in Florerce, grout was the surprise at theic appear. ence, and there was much discussion as to their merits; some ecndemned thum as being ‘servile copies of the actual featares;” others approved; but finally all prejudice was overthrown, and from that or to this the style (if truth bas any style) of the Florentine sculptors has been as near my own as their various abilities would permit. By degrees I was able to train some of the best marble carvers here into copying iny busts, vat many years passed over unfinished orders, for I was obliged (ia order to hive) to undertake all the new orders that wo'e offered, that I might have the means to falfil the old oaes. Some there have been who have complained of long ae- lays, and many have been the letters like this, by me, filled with exsuses; but you, m; reir, have never sent me any comp'ainte, and though loog about 1c, the work han not been forgotten. The dust is now carefully en- cased end baled. and at Leghorn, waiting for s ship whish ie now up for New York, so that you will soon reseive it. You will have to pay the freyht and other expenses atter its arrival in New York, but nothing more to ma. You will perceive that:i have choeen a most exquisite pleoe of marble for the bust, have spaced no pains in tho execution. It msy please you, toe, to know that I am now most prosperous, hat ed over many years of great trial and difficulties, , but for the Yankee blood in my veins, would have broken me up ago and sent me home to pursue # more lucrative business. A lorge family has grown up sround us here—seven children with us, one, our eldest pon. in America, To support these and keep afloat hes at times been al- most the bounds of my ambition and hope; but, by tho Diewing of Providence I have done more than that, and we now turn our gyesfagain to the West, upon the pres- pect of a jut home among our couatrymen, and under the laws of the only Sey, which assures fall equalily to mankiad. Your fai servant, HIRAM POWERS. Latest News from the Piains, A Kaness journal says: We ¢xtract the following from the dai.y journal of T. Brown, Eaq., who arrived io this city a tew os ee direct from Fort Laramie: Left Fort Laramie on the 28th dey of Oetober. Com- menoed snowing on the 4th ot November, and continued to snow withont cessation until the 24 } Weather very severe from the first date; and from which time we began to lose cattle from the frost—the me § also, suffering reverely, many being badly frozen. ‘November 6th, mets war party of Pawnees, some 300 strong, going, as their chief (White Bear) informed us, to fight the Sioux cn White River. Appeared to be titeee towards us, but very mach exasperated against 16 Hioux. Immenee herds of buffalo on the Platte, and os far as the Litile Blue, It would be {mp sible for me to oouvey an idea of the quantivues, unless I should say were hundreda of thousands, ‘the old mountaineers ray that the people who live in botteme hed better be hunting the hills before spring, as the murkrats have built their houses from three to five feot bigher this fall than they have for the last nix years, which je a indication of immense floode, Crovee) the Big Biue on the 18th of December. We had intences to go into winter quarters there, but as the weatber moderated some. we concluded to push on. Lost 10 men, but, as before stated, several badly frozen. Lost 25 bead of cattle, but those we got in with were in fair order, New Regulation: the Government of the > Mexico. ‘THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR TO THE GOVERNORS AND POLITICAL CHIEFS. Mrxico, Dee. 28, 1855. His Excellency the Provisional President of the Repub- le, wishing to combine ty with order, to leave the citize ns the exercise of rights, and at the same time to prevent, as much as possible, abuses, has decreed the following regulations fur the government of the press, which I hereby coumunisate to you. The government {+ weil aware of the great difficulty in- herent to s satisfactory regulation of this particular object; for the time hus not yet cone for the discovery of ctive means to avoii the excesses of the press without at a)l interferiog with its liberty. This is likewise proved “by the incessant efforts made by the mcst eminent Euro- pean statesmen, who were trying different systems—at one time restricting, at another extending the with- in which the exercise of this right is to be allowed. There- fore the actual government does not pretead to believe: that the newly published rs tious will fully answer this important object; it is con’ |, on the cuntrary, that they will be attended with a great many defects and. Gloncles which eppenred to be insigalfcant” Will, Ny she: a ns: nt, . ‘xecation of the law, be rhown in thelr real” light,” His + xoelleney the President oelieves that althoughjail citizens: ave the uncontested right ot expressing their opinions hrough the medium of the press, it is the duty of the go- ernment to prevent these pnblications trom ‘con- eried into elements of disorder; for the press _is the ex- Teseion of iceas, not the e of passions, Ia the one haracter it is destined ro: rhten society, and to spread’ he germs of civilization amongst the less advanced classes... nthe other it has only the ceplorable etfeet of exciting Upgenerous and awakening anarchiel thoughts; for, violently affecting the mind, they cloud the fa! ond stifle the voice of reason, so that only the discordant «ry of persrnal interest may be heard. which is but rarely : Onsistent with that of the oommaunt:y. To this sacred aim are directed all the efforts of the go- vernment, which, whist preventing abuse, haa endea- vored to preserve the right of opinion inteat. ‘therefore, sales Oe ‘@ basis the regulations of the ldth November, is Excellency the Presitent has issusd the fotlow- ing decree:—Tne principal alterations the guvernment has deemed necessary to make in relation to the above vegulations are—firstiy, the prombition of anonymous writings; seconaly, the hind gover of the institution of the jury. Of both changes I shail give you the explana- tion you are entitled to, for a loyal governnent owes to the lon and to iteelf entire frankness where # measure of such high importance as that which now ocsapies us is concerned. ‘The press is the mouthpiece of society; therefore, as man finds himself necewsitated to submit, under peculiar circumstances. to cerwin restrictions in regard to the use of his words, in tue same way society must submit ‘to conditions which limit the use of the press. ht is, in every respect, tree; but whenever it is shaped into the form of words, man 1s not allowed either to wrong, to offend, or ty prejudice in any way his telloy man; for then the use of language becomes a real evil, con- demned 4 reason, morals and pcliteness. In the same manner the citizen has the right of expressiog his opi- nions in print; but he must neitner injure nor calumniate his tellow-citizens, sul less prejudice sacie'y; for then liberty is changed iato license, snd tne press becomes an element ot dicorder. ‘This is the orgin of all commen restrictions of the press; but with them the evil still exist, owing to the culity of coneealing the name of the writer, and the cor- responding difficulty on the part of the offeniied party of calling to account the iojarer. ‘the system of hat responsible editors remedies to a certain degree thi abuse; but either is it just in itselt tomake a man responsible for the productions of another, nor is the ob- ject attained, because tnere always remains a doudt as to ‘the real author of the writing. _ ‘The government hus tought to attain this end by pro- bibiting the practice of auonymous writiog. Im fact, if the rignt of writing is nothing bat the extension of the faculty of speaking, it cannot be deaied that the right of printing must subdmi:, as far as possible, to the same rules which regulate the ure of the spoken word. Noble and gentleman-like as is the conduct of tuose who, face to face, each other r¢ proach. or show each other’s defects in order to correct them, or give advioe as to the way of ac- tion, or how to avoic errors, just as iufamous and treacherous is the behavior of those wno teader # friend- ly hand to one whom they have just calumniated, whose defects they make pubiic wiih complacency, and whose errors, in which they had cften their share, they not only condemn without pity, but exaggerate with malig- nity. The more worthy the former are to be praised aud esteemed, the more the iatrer deserve to be despised, and society, which applaucs the trankness of the one, reprooates the vilany of the other. Therefore the same sto the sight of a writer. With what reason hat juevcecan you call i: liberty, when « writer onyimonsly exsites so rebellion, overthrows social or- cer, Violates public morals, attacks the most sacred in- stitutions, disseminates discord amongst famiites, and vil- lifies the most respectable mames? ‘This is not liberty, but liceat right thus changed into abuse is a weapon the more augecuus, the more the arm which strikes 18 hidden. How cana democratic govermeat, a government which pretends to be loyal even towards its enemies, a government which is decided to establish ite administration upon the basis of morality; in » word, how can the government of his Excellency the Provi- sional President sath rive eo great aa evil? Certainly it cannot; and the minis:ry which has unanimously voted the law is anxious that the fivst reform introduced msy carry within itself a character of joyalty in order to show the republic the convictions of tnose who com- pose the ministry. Liberty, in all’ and everything, and for all; but liverty, notabuse. The Mexicuus may write whu: they please, but they must sign th-ir names. They may develope po- litical questions, examine the acts of the g vernment, re- prove the errors and denounce the fsults of the authori- ties; but they shall ac’ with the frankuess of repablioans, without wearing » maek covering a false ‘This is true liberty; the liberty whieh worship, the liberty brought {ato the pel, the libecty which during oeaturies x*ruggles every moment against tyranvy of all deecriptions. [his is the use of the priuting prees, that wonderful invention of the buman mind, whore sacred missicn is to disseminateevery- where the germs o! virtue, to establish everywhere the priccipl-s of justice, and to render nations happy by the immense bévefite of civilization. The government, relying upon these premises, deems it necessary to probibit aro. ymous writings, excepting only those works the publicati n ot which is witaout any unger. Moreover, the government requires the signa- tures those writings besr to belong to persons of respeo- tability, because the liberty of printing being one of the righte of citizenship, it is necessary ‘hat he who exercises ic be not deprived of thew, and # man wao dves not live respectably, cannot be » citizen of a society truly repub- lican. The other clausos of the law are the necessary consequences of the principies here establisned; for it is necessary to provide for cares ia which tne law may be violated, which in general containg the same clauses ae pie the year 1846, ea Concerning the jury, the undersigned speak to you in all frankness. There {1 no doubt bu: that the judgment by jury is the highest expression of democratic principles; and the minister who aut rorised its establishment in 1846, ces not order to-day its revacation, but ealy its suspen- sion, considering the actual state of the repuolis. We have just passed througa a period of tyranny when all a rights were trodden down and reviled; the reac- tion is consequently to be feared. The greater the op- prersicn, the greater in all probability must be the licen- tiousness, When you add to this the constent efforts of the enemies of pubiic order, who assume a variety of disguises in order to impede ‘the progcess of the natzon, you will easily understand that our sociery is at present passing through one of those édange-ous crises in which not only the political system, but the existence of the nation itself, is at steke. In the presence of the teriible shock which the triam of the revoiuticn bas communicated to the republie, the victors remained united, and the vanquisned, during the firet two mon:hs, fe:l into a state ot lethargy; bus scarce- ly was the goverrment organized when the factions again rained their heats, with their exargsrated tendencies of all deseriptions—with their exclusiyeness and un- varying pretension to in‘ullibiiity. The press, aa it wae natural, was converted into the echo of conflicting ideas, which, breaking forth, in thin short lapse of time have ety produ:ed armed movements, insurrections amd convulsions—elements all of which tend to impede the establishing of order and quiet and to deprive coun. try even ot the hope of haypiness. The government, in the meantime, considers it a eacred duty to remove all press of which the enemy may avail himself for in- icticg new evilx; and ax its unalterable principle ia free. dom for al, it believes the ordinary jurisdiction to be the most proper to inquire into violations of the laws on je press. In normal times of woll established order, the jar; the offapring of the polltical authorities whe ty tke lista, does not offer any inconvenience; for then passions are silent, and the voice of’ public in- terest makes itselt easter heard; bat in moments of poli- tical convulsion, such as that which to-day agitetes the tepublic, the jury can only be thy expression of a faction, and then what might be the guarantee of ths one proves to been attack upon the rights cf the otner., It in » State the liberal party triumphs, the jury wil! be liberal: if the opposite party triumphs, ‘the jury will partake of its character, tor party apirit is the conseq uence of if in one case reactionary prodactions are those of the progransiste will have the same fate; and the positive consequence will be that the guarantee of the jury will remain bat a dead letter, and political parties in their turn will acquit or condemn. The liberty of the press wilt ve an ilaxion:. our citizens will remain exposed to being judged without impartiality, and the government to being aviacked with impunity ite enemies, And as his the- reality, he feels that 5 Presicent wishes the law to bea ‘until order bas been entablished, {t would be more eonve- Bient to society, and even to public writers themeslyes, that the the Sanat bape corsage big eaten eee ere a ieine in which th r= wey repeat egain, that the government is believ- tog that it has completely succeeded in ‘the cal tion of & matter which, up to this time, has been subject to the most contradictory mesaures in the mort civilized eoun- fries of by wens batt believes that the evidence whieh given of lntention to corr: buses, tity nation of itn zeal in ita rorelees ss sem Will aatiaty the I hope that in religtonaly executing the law, take carefully into consideration the diffi its execution wil eneounter, in order ly to ro move the defec's which are inherent in all haman pro- cuetions, and more especially in those which, lice the pre- sent, are surrounded by difvoulties of a special nature. Tassure you of wy respect and affectionate considera- Vion, God'and Liberty! LAFRAGUA