The New York Herald Newspaper, January 12, 1857, Page 3

weated behind the convicts, pot, as before, facing em. Sundays, we are civen to understand, drag he vb the puners at ming Sing: the workshop: ree Closed. and notving 3 to be dome be: #& in the ce Is att PA unt ® paste to the ma sonyts 8 @ priest ne of coaviels th 24 from former seventh var teams, and 2:400n oay piety ibe avenues, TRE OW4PLAIN. The Chaplain of the Prison, Rev. John Luckey, is ‘well qualitied for the posttion be kas occupied during some nine \e «rs. We had the pleasure of passing a cry agreeatte halt hour with bim,and we are confi- cient that the courtesy with which he treats the con- viets must heve @ beneficial effect upon them. Mr. Luekey has gathcred together a library of 606 books, which he lends out to such of the ners 25 may ask for them. The works are of general interest, and works of fiction, even, are not excinded, unless tbe chaplain consider them of bad or questionable tendency. Soon after his arrival, Huntington request- ed Mr. Luckey to supply him with reaaing matter, and the rollowing works w subauitted to his choisee— Kossuth and lis Generals,’ and “Boswell’s Life of Johnson” The convict chose the last. Ti ¢ friends of some of the prisoners send them books, which, like all letters, pass through the hands of the chaplain, who examines before Banding them to their destination. ‘We asked Mr. Luckey what his opinion was in re- gard to the pardons granted wholesale by Gov. Glark. He shook bis head, and informed us tha that gentleman was a very weak minded man; the female relatives of convicts would go to him, and their entreaties were too poeta for the ex-Gover- nor to resist. end that only in three instances had he, the chap'ain, ever advised any executive clemen- a being shown during the Governor's terin of offive. rmer Governors had generally comuvunicated with him, in reference to prisoners to Sing Sing, bat such was not Mr, Cluk’s practice. Mr. Luckey also ob- served that during the nine vears he had oeen chap- jain of the establishment, he had remarked that only ene per cent of the criminals had retarned to it a se- end time, and that he believed the habits of industry aequired by them at the prison generally made good citizens of them eventually. He had no doubt that a oumber of innocent men were sent there, and in- stanced the case of a young German sentenced for six years on a charge of burglary. The prisoner was put into the barber’s shop, where he had the duty of fixing off the convicts aud the vew comers from time w time. The second yoar ot his term he was called upon to oj te upon one of the latter, Taking hold che nose eof the stranger, and raising bis ead to eommence operations, he discovered that the in- dividual was the very mac woo had committed the crime for which be was sentenced. His agitation was such as to make him drop bis razor, particular- Ty as the newly arrived gave him to waderstond be would do for bim if be betrayed him. The keepers noticed the barner’s agitation, aud questioned him as to the cause of i od om aéditions: iequiries being made, his innoceucy was made ciear, aud he was ultimately set free. HOW THEY TREAT FRESH On the arrivat of aconvictat Sit submitted t toe chief keeper, Mr. Stewart, who de- cides in which shop be ill puthio. Should he porsess an alias, it 1s inserted opposite his name in wee “Book of Aliases,” which work has now becoue of considerable size. He is then taken to a reo in which he is uodressed to the skin, anc then placed in 4 large tu) of water and washed ali over. This arranganest must be highly disagreeable w taose individuals who have been accustamed to pass their time amougst ibe gree: unwashed, but most exces- sively mortilying to such as have been clea their hah! Some of the latter occasionally . but they are han roughly ix retara, and forced to go through the ceremouy. The superfluous dirt dG, they are then weighed and mev- striped cloth is fornished them, aud ce emongst the initiated. MEALS. Breakfast is served in the cells at 7:30 A. M., and eovsisis of bread, meat, and coffee. The bread is composed 0” coarse whest and indian flour, and the coffee is made trom the leavings of the bread at dif- ferent meale. The fragments tuat remain after eaci: yepast are gathered together, baked and ground, and @ decoction is made therefrom, hich wil! ev: favora- bly compare with Java or Mocha. It cannot bea pleasant refiection on the part of the edneuted por- tion of tbe convicts, that some greasy nigger has been biting the day befove at a crast which be is now swallowing as a liqwd. At noon the prisoners are marched ont of the various workshops into the dining room, which also eontains the kitchen. The cooking is done by steam : the same boilers wi!l eventua \y be used for beating the main building. Tie convict are mar ed across the centre quadrangle in singie ile, according to their trades ; darkiee and white men ell being on a pr. Each man is armed with e knifeand ‘ok, and they outnumber their unarmed keepers fifty to one, yet the latter awe them. We remarked that one-third of the rations, at leas! is left at dioner, so ample is the allowance to eac) man; the bread is roasted into coffee, avd the meat is hashed for next morning's breakfast. The De pd is served in the eells at 4:20 P.M, and consists invariably of muah and molasress, unless mush should disagree with apy, when bread is served ivetead. PUNISHMENTS. Of course, among such « number of evil dispored persons, there are msny who are nelined to disobey the prisun rales. To bring them ‘0 their senses, cer- tain corrective agencies are employed which never fail of the desired effect. These consist ot admon- ishings in the first place, followed by deprivation of Confinement in dark cell. The shower bath. Dark cell and shower bath conbined. Troned with ball, chain and yoke. Dark cell, ball and chain, Shower bath, ball an’ chain; hair cropped. The offence for which the abo. ¢ penalties are im posed, consist of attetupting 1 scape, destroying food, cisobeaience, profanity, disturbing the prisou at night, escaping from prison, fiehting, insolence len ching and talking wn shop, seaving permit, lying, making fee keys, nowe in room, ne- gilecting work, quarreling, refusing to work, spoiling work eT smoking, interfering with otaer convicts. The shower beth is @ persuasive agent whieh always sncceeds in wmter,but is rather a inxo. ry than otherwise in summer. The yoke is an iroc bar, weighing some fourteen pounds, and fitted to the neck and wriets; the convicts nickname it “the erocifix.” The keepers state, however, that these extraordinary measures are only required fur a few persuasion availing in most instances. THE WOK sors. The trades carried ou at Sing Sing prison ar the following Tailoring tor the prison. Hat making. Cigar making. Cabinet making. Carpets and rags, Meta! work for harness, silver plating, &c. Saws. Shooks. Piles. Tapestry. The men in each department are let out by the State on contract, except the tailors, who merely work for the establishment. THE HAT DEPARTMENT. This branch employs 135 men, who are leased out to Mr. Charles Watson. The manafactnre is con- fired to felt hets, and the machtnery for weaving them is of very elaborate character, Passing from the first room, weenter the it where the hate are washed and pressed; vitriol water is nsed im the process, and a le odor accom- panies the operation. The vitriol nov merely stains the skin, bot frequently reoders it sore; wltimately the convict becomes ned to the arrangement. When prepared for oinding and lining, the hate are transferred to the women's prison, This oontract has been a fruitfal source of aanoyance to the hit ters of New York, and many unsuccee#ful attempue have been made tw get rid of tt. The excellence of the machinery and the various facilities in the hands of the contractor must enable him to glut the market witir®ing Sing produce. CABINET MAKING. There are some sixty convicts enared in this branch and the contractor is Mr. . Il. Woodruff. The articles manufactured are various—from the commonest kind of cheep farniture up to the most elaborate carved sideboard and hedsteads. Hunting. wn, who has exetted a good deal of attention in the prison, is engagéd in thix de it; ir, Beware thought first of putting tim w the hat trade, where he would have had 6 mice time w the vitriol water, but learning that he was originally « cabinet maker, he put him to his old employment HUNTINGTON. From the moment of his arrival »t Sing Sing, Fiuntington showed every disposition to comply with the prison regulotions. He requested to be in- formed of the rule-, in order that he might not un- knowingly break them. He seems to have rasigned himeelf to bis fate, calmly awaiting the day of bia release. We have heard it stated in certain well ia- forme quarters that he will leave Sing Sing the Posseesor of $200,000, im addition to the interest a» comulated thereon during the four years and wa months of his sentence. It is improbable that nothing shonid be left to him out of tis extensive operations during several years past; aad if so many have been swind.ed, justice cannol be satisfied by *he palery term of five years recorded against hin wn the Helden & Haroesk indictment. [If the other charges will be nelle prowequied, the gurrdians of the law Leoome open to on accusation of moral. iv- ot worse, and every swindler in the State his fate, and be asking the question: go Sing Sing for a aiky thou ’ xcept daring dinver or | ay We rather imagine that | room, raising @ considerable disturbance with a | op wither: | rand dollars & year?” ‘That Huntington certainly joes porsess large sams untonched and unknown, is rted by hie dave associates. If this ve so, who s of the property e found the forger hard at work in the uy cobinet making shop. He was #@ the end of mer. We-were given to understand that he was engaged on common bedsteads The loss of his TMmoustache ad whiskers, and the close cul crop of bair, gave tim the appearance of a man of ‘wenty-six years of age, and his countenance aid not at all marks of sorrow or contrition. If anything, be looked far more eom- fortable then during his trial, and it is well known that he was, apy tly, the most unmoved man in court He ted wast at his bench, drove in the pails with regularity and precision, but his thoughts were evidently intent on other scenes, perhaps amongst the bulls and bears of Wail street. Hunt ington’s fate may, we trost, deter many from asso- ciating with such company. HARNESS DEPARTMENT. This, we are told, is the only establishment in the States in which the metal work of harness is com- menced from Fin Pg sn and completed through ail the stages. Tne foundry is an immense batlding, 200 feet in length by 40 feet wide; twenty men are employed in it. The filers aud finishers number orty, and the silver and brass platers twenty-three. were capable of Jodgiog, i of the very beet ser. were Cay le of , is of the very crip- tion. 5 the at tl of this department George Hayden is brute fe sentenced last May for robbing the store of . Black & Co. He appear- ed perlectly contented with his lot, and took but lit- Ue notice of visiters. Messrs. Hayden and Saflord, of New York ctty, are the bolders of this harness contract. THE SRGAR SHOP. A German, named Kroeger, who formerly kept a tobacco store on the corner of Broadway aud Barclay street, has leased forty men from the State on this contract, and he considers he shall make a good thing of lus bargain. The con- victs are divided into two classes, the first being rented at twenty cents a day per man, the second at thirty. With such moderate wages, the absence of quarter day and other expenses, Mr. Kroeger will shoriy show a satisfactory balance shee? at the end of the year. The segars manafac- toured are of excellent tohaceo The rolling is rather ernde at present, but will no doubt improve after a little, as the men are new at the work, Tais von- tract will one day be one of the most important in sae establisiment. This is the tirst year of its trial. Saw SHOP. There are three departments in this manufacture —the handle, smithing and griading shops. Messrs. Piatt & Holroyd, of New York, are the contractors, and one hundred men are employed by them. From the quantity of arvieles made aud the appliances for finishing them off in the best manner, we have no doubt that the wholesale has dware trade of the State is largely indebted to Sing Sing. An Italian convict in this department was introduced to us, and ex- bibited a model ehip which he has constructed dur- ing his iuoprisonment. The vessel is the most per- fect of its kind we ever eaw, «nd is invariably shown to visiteis asa great curiosiy. The term of this Ttwlian expires on the i7th instant. He has served six years for mutiny on board ship, and every officer in the prison, from the principal, keeper and warden down to the guards, bear witness to his excellent conduct since bis incarceration, and express their belief in bis perfect inuocence of the charge brought against bim. but not having any temale relatives or friends to plead with the execncive in his behalf, he has been permitved to serve out Lis full senteace. SHOOK DEPARTMENT. “H. R. Hubble, ot Troy, is the contractor, and thirty men are employed in the manvfacture. Ihe shooks are set up in barrel form, then taken to pieces and packed for expertation to sugar raising dis- tricts. The machinery in this department enables the convicts to tarn out the staves very rapidly, and the work is of excellent description. FILE DEPARTMENT. Two shops are devoted to this, one for forging, the other for cutting and tempering. 125 bands are en- fared in the various branches, James Horner & Co. ing the contractors. CARPETS. ‘There are two contracts under this bead; one for common descriptions of carpetings and rugs, taken by A. H. Smith, of Sing Sing, and the second for Brossels ond tapestry, by Jawes Johnson, of the same place. The go ds manutacture by the latter ore of the best quality, and may account for the cheapvess of such erticles in various carpet stores of our city. The entire operations of the manufac- re are gone through, from cyelog the woul, making the de: &c., everything being performed by convict Tt is very painful to watch an et man execnting the most beautiful designs on paper, know ing that vutside of such gn establishment his talents would give him respectability and opulence, 125 men are employed on these two carpet coutracta, _ THE VEILED MURDSAEDA, The female convicts are al! seated in one room en- gored in bat Snishin; before stated; there are g present in operation, and n ly be added. About the centre ppartment sits M: out to the visiters, as “the | who turns up her hair under her ears.” She is ploced at a small table by herscif, aud eyes con. Unually whet is going on around her, evidently let- ting nothing pass unnoticed. She .cemed to be per- fectly aware of the interest she was caucing, and proud of it too; a constant smile was on her faco, giving ber th nce of being balf-witted. If noteo, she plays her part admirably. We judged ut thirty-three years of age, and not by be beautiful woman represented. THY GUARD HOUSE. ‘This establishment is #'tuated between the men and womens’ prisons, and overlooking the former. Thirty wood markemen, meke heir hea dqoarters, receiving $30 a mouth Pay. There are hete thirty stand of breech loading, light muskets, in excellent order each wee sure of a ball’seye at eighty ards, and fitted with beyone:s two fect in leagth. in case of mutiny, these guards are armed with re- volvers and rent down amonge’ the rebels. Sentry boxes are placed about the pills and rocksin the neighborhood of the prison, and the men relieve each other every hour doring the day. At might time the prisoners are all locked up, and there is no bg ~ rally chance of their escap % The sumber of convicts at Sing Sing range from "00 to 1,000. At the present time there are 520 males and &6 females, making 966 in all. TAK PRISON FOX } EMALES. This is the only handsome edilice about the estab: lishment. The architectare is that of a Grecian nd the building i sitented on a g tbe Hudson. Mrs. Dodge is te biatron, r it Matron, Mrs. Squier, There are, at the lepartmerit. six femcles in coufinement, not woman, the majority @ movtly enzaced ti ed off for weaning, brough the present ume, eig one of them is an educ being low prostitates. The hat finishing, except a few cooking, &c. The ceils are kept in most ex silent ler, and most of them are decorated by their in mates the most surprising menner. its of colored cloth and paper, smail cuttings from th: leather bat Hoings, ace worked into devices on the walls, and in one cell there was a Christmas tree Some of the decorations are very tasteful, bul the negro girls carry off the palm in ornamentation. Punishments for infraction of the rales are not of frequent occunence; when resorted to, solitary con- fnenent is weverally found safMicient. Mra. Squier informed ts that abe generelly found appeals to the convict’s pride would revder her tractable; 6) pointed oe to as who was more unruly than the rest unti] put under ber care; by f attering the pri- eonor with the title of her “best man,” without ved, she waa induced whom order could nt be Where other means to conduct herseif properly. fail, barsh ones are sometimes resorted to, such ae the shower bath, Ao. VALUE OF THE COMTRACT syeTen. Great opposition hae seen inade heretofore in re ference to prison contracts. Some years a depotation from the saw interest of the State weut to Albany with the idea of inducing our legisiators to quash the contract which interfered with their bu- tinees. The law makers are mostly poor men, and the grievance preseed hoavy upon them. They hong shout the Cupita) lobbies, day after dey, until the sereion was nearly concladed, when they vere coolly iwiormed that nothing could be done unless they planked down $1900, Not having that amount about them, the lew contract is continued as betore. But it is of * that something must be dove with the criminals of the State, and we know 09 better method of employing them than that obwined at Bing Sing. It iss benefit to the convicts them pel fince 6 large proportion of them, on their in carceration, are witbont employment, and being aa able to obtain an boneet living, they are led int crime. Le man & trade, and he hag the means to support , and the probabilities are a han- dred to ome thet he will not commit wrong again. Creat Britain has tried evary other rystem, nud them to fail, and she dors not know to-day what to do with her convicts. ‘iy the system obtaining in our prisons, we not merely benefit the prisoners, but | it will eventually benefit the coffers of the State. This would already bave Leen tie case thia year were it not for the fire of Inst year, which enta‘led a seriona joes, nol merely ae rerarde bulidiogs, bot also in the services of the convints. A Waowr Famy to ae Hexa.—The five nx | eroes—a grandmother, mothor and three sons (the | eldest 19 and the youngest 12) ~who their | master, the lale George Green, in Princ | coanty, Ve, on Christmas night leet, convicted on. Tuesday night last after a trial lastinw two daya.' They are sentenced to be hung in thirty days after the cate of their conviction. , Ovr Virginia Correspondence. Riewwcxp, Va., Jan. 8, 1967. The Organ hip at Washington—Beverly Tucker, Banks and Pryor—Sentiments of the Press of Virginia in Refirence to Governor Floyd’s Ap- pointment to a Seat in the Cabinet—State of the War between the Wise and Hunter Party— The Whigi Fanning the Flames— Military Celebra- tion— The Inauguration at Washington—Change in the Mails. Various reports are now in cireulation here as to who shall be chosen to take charge of the organ at Washington. This question seems to be discussed solely with reference to Virginia, aa though she alone can furnish the proper material for trampeter- in-chief at the federal metropolis. The fact that a vigorous spirit of rivalry for this position seems t> exist in Virginia alone, would indicate that a pur. pose had been expressed by Mr. Buchanan to selec from there the lucky individual fer this post, with- out determining who that should be. Hence the great efforts now being made by some of our leat- ing democratic cditors to secure the ap; The scramble among them is not without its in- terest. Like politicians of the higher grades, they plot, wirework and intrigue with all ths tact and cnergy peculiar to the avoca tion. When editors become rivals for any public position, the emoluments included, of course, they are unscrupulous in the exercise of the mecessary means to accomplish their objects; and the war which they wage upon each other is farious, Independent of the ordinary underhand intrigues of the politicians, they have at their command the prese—a weapon more dangerous than the poisoned jance—especially when wielded under the influeuce «f selfishness, or employed for the unworthy purpose of gratifying personal ambition. In this they have a great advantage over the ordinary politician. He, it its trae, may enlist their support for a profitable con- sideration; but motives of this character cannot, in the order of nature, influence that degree of zealand unscrupulousness which characterize efforts for per- scpal aggrandizemnent and the gratification of por- sonal ambition. Beverly Tucker, it is said, was recommended by the lectoral College for the position of organ-grinder, but Hanks, of the South Side Denwcrat, besices resorting, as it is said, to every available private means to defeat Beverly and eecere the place for bimeelf, nas said in his paper that he (Beverly) circulated tha’ report bimself. He avers that he has good authority for the statement. If auch a recommen- dation was made by the Electoral College, no official proclamation, that I am eware of, nas been made of the fact. How then did the statement originate ’ There is some feasibility aiter all, in this charge of Banks’ ; for, from what I have learned, no action of this character has been bad by the Electoral Collese. Yeu will judge of the vigorous character of this wir- fare, when informed teat the respective candidates for this position of organ-grinder (Mr. Pryor excep ted) are, as I am informed, seeking to enlist the sup- port of the little country press in their behalf. If the sentiments of the smalitry newspapers in Vir- gina, as they exist, relatively to the wther two, con esteemed @ proper criterion in the matter of this appointment, Beverly stands no chance. The Staunton Vindicator, a weckly paper of some imflu- ence, published at Staunton, cannot see “how the Virginia democracy can sustain Mr Tucker, who has been a bitter fve te the administration of Mr. Pierce.” Poor consoiation that. Meanwhile it is understood that Beverly has some infiuence ai headquarters that will more thap counter-balance the em = of the smal! fry newspapers of Virginia. was informed. day or two ago, that Mr. has no aspiration for the post of edwor of this Washington organ. I aim inctined to think that, had be expressed any wish for the position, he would at least be chosen in preference to any of the other two. The fact of their being in the field as candidates satisfies tue that he has no ambition for thus honor, and if I am rightly informed, he will make a formal avoral to that effect before many & bs have carefully canvassed the sentiments of the press in Virginia with rofgerence to Guyerner Floyd's appolntasent to a seat 1a the Cabinet, and while they veem Lo disapprove of the action of the Electoral Coliege, from motives of patrioticia und expediency, and a strict view tothe harmony of the party, they nevertheless approve strougly of the selection, ani would, eo far as J can observe, regard it as @ liberal concession to old Virginia. And it could hardy be otherwise, for. indepeadent of the claims which he porsesses upon the Old Dominion, on ibe score of izeage, he embodies wihin himself every quality that could merit popularity. The action of the Electorai Colleze, therefore, , garded as nothing more or iéss reflex of the public scntiment, disapproved of by some, not from any objection to the Governor, but on the groundsof ¢rpohency and an unwilliog- ness to compromise the dignity of the Old Dominion by leaving room {oi ference that she was in- fiuenced in ber poli ‘on by motives of a mer- cenary character. bia spirit alone that apy objection was raised to the course of the Electo- ral College. Wise's friends be:e are indignant at the efior's being made by the Hunter Congressmen at Wash- ington to identify him with the action of the E! tors, because, forsooth, Bocock, the friend ef Hunter has thereby been foiled in his efiurts to secure a Cabinet office. A gentleman from the weste: por- tion of this State, where the democratic influence is most powerful, informed me yesterday that a gene ral determination existed in bis region to elect Wii fo the reat in the United States Benate now ocen pied by Hunter, and in order more certainly to a»- complish that object the question of his election would be mede an abstract issue in the State elev tions preceding the exviration of Hunter's present term. I know that Wise has declined to accept tha position, but bis friends, so far as 1am informed, will insist apon his election. While the relations of both parties would indicat: | the probability, nay, the inevitable contingency of a split in the Virginia democracy, the absence of the necessary clements ‘or a division will obviate the possibility of such a casnalty, There does not exiet | outside of the Wise ranks sufficient materia! to con- stitote an opposing party, and hence my conviction that no evil can result to the party in this State from the course of Faulkner, Bocock & Co. with reference to Wise. The Whig loves no opportunity to fan the flame, being eure wader all circumstances to array himeel! against Wise. There is an account p betereen the two since 1854, which the Whig is every honest effort to disc! . What the outatandinz balance is Iam not w A heavy. Some allegefthat the balance is in favor of the Whix, for the first crand opportunity that his party hid jor mony years of gaining an ascendancy was lost through cency of the Goversor. In. the matter of denunciation, however, the state of the account is altogrther different, for o le brondeide from Wise i» equivalent to a six months’ crusade of the HW’). Iv will need pretty vigorous eflorte to square vp matters. The several volontecr companies of this city, forming the firstjre¢iment of Virg inia Volunteers, under the commend of Col. T. O. August, turned out to-day to celebrate the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans. They paraded through all the rincipel which they fired several an, Intes in Capito: , immediately in front of the Governor's house. ¢ Montgomery Guard wil! give a splendid bell ight in honor of the occ sion. Among the oy Governor Wise Caekie, Jud, H ith, Judge Wm. W. Crump, James Lyons, John M. Patton, late candi- date for the Attorney Generalehip on the Know No- thing ticket, with mony other distinguished person- ages. landerstand that some of the volunteer compa- nies of this city are making preparations to attend the inauguration of Mr. Bucoanan at Washington, on the 4th of March next next. Ido not know the motive by which thie move is prompted. That it iv patriotiam, I much doubt. Perhaps it might more Pp ae ie eal alitude Wt hing fo vans iv on the of the gallant capta! who ‘ine the very acme of itetinction” and honor to con: ist in marching at the head of a voluntecr company, with plumes, swords and epadiettes, merely to exalt themselves, as they suppose, by this torced or hothouse process jp the estimation of some equally vain friend or ve. Bat it is well eo long as they can eucsee in duping the poor rank and file into acquiescence. They pay the piper who- ever dances. Ry an order of the Postmaster General, received here on yesterday, all night maila to and from this city, north, bave been discontigued. This will — rate very disadvastageously to the business interests, and, in ‘act, ail interests in this community. The Liman, due bere in the morning, will not arrive, oncer this arrangement, before Soar o'clook ia the afternoon—that is, will not be delivered before that hour. The irregalarity of the conncotions between this city acd Washington bes been, I understand, pleaded as a jastification for change; but, thus far, nothing bar occurred, that | am aware of, which could infivence @ movement of so serious @ } ter. The mails from the North up to this, have been almost as regnlar as they were during the summer season. If trains can travel im the North in the night time, gurely they can do so he fect Richmond; nor can I see the object of detaining the Southern mails, one night 'n Washington, which will be the result | of this new ment. This ix certainly a gticvance, avd one by no means jurtied upon the plea set forth. It 'a particularly so im view of the fact that the interruption occurs between this and New York- the paint with vhich communication ts most important. J mistake tne feeling im this quar- much if this arrangement Joes not meet the copdewnation it so sichly merits. This is +he coldest day we have had this season but one. |t bas been freezing incessantly for the past two or three days. Navigation onthe James river is ruapeuded, and there is but little prospect of its opening soon. Our ica Correspodence. Unica, Jan. 7, 1857. United States Senator—Folitics—State Prison Appointments— Know Nothings—Supreme Court —Alttempt to Kill— Kansas Consulship, Se., $e, There is little going on in this great city worth making a note of. Sleighing is good and oar mar- kets are well supplied with all kinds of game from the northern wilds. Political matters have been at a stand still since the election. This is Ja very strong republican Jo cality, and did its full share towards the overthrow of the democrats and Know Nothingg last fall. The latter are much stronger in this city since the elec- tion, and there is strong talk of a fusion with the democrats in the spring electi ms. Wesley Bailey, the new Prison Inspector, is busy making his appointments for the Anbarn prison, f which he is to take charge. He has already appoint- ed Simon Ryan, of this city, and ex-Deputy Sherifi Hutchinson, of Deerfield, both of whom are demo- crats. Richard Sa) and John J. Castel, Canal Super- intendents of this county, refuse to pay the tax le vied on them by the Know Nothing committee. This bas made some trouble in the camp, and they wil! oo ey the oni ¥ oe ae officers in thia ity wi re-apprinted, as tl is no opposition to them iv the Conncils. A term of the Supreme Court, with a fall bench, commences its sessions in this city to-day, and the calendar is very large. 4 colored man made a ae attempt to kill the City Maishal and several of the watch, on Fri- day night, in Post street. He was finally secured and is now in jail awaiting the action of the Grand Jury. Tesrn Palmer V. Kellogg, Richard N. Sherman, E. H. Roberts and the reat of the republican leaders are making a desperate effort to eleet Hon. Wari Hunt, of this city, United States Senator iu the place of Hon. Hamilton Fish. Mr. H. has always been with the democratic party until 1848, at which time he supported the Buffilo ticket. In 1862 he supportéd the Pierce ticket. He is endorsed in the west by Benj. Welch, of the Buf- falo Republic, who for a jovg time waa the editor of the Utica Democrat, the organ of Mr. Hun: in this city. John B. Miller, of this city, will be a candidate for aconsulship under the Buchanay administration. He was nowinated to Peru by Mr. Pierce, but owing : the opposition in the Senate his name was with: rawn. The present Postmaster will hold over, he being a personal friend of ex-Governor Seymour, who will stand by him to the death. _ Our Know Nothing cazal officials are trembling in their boots, by a rumor that Commissioner Wha lon will sell out to the republicans. In fact Kellog: has offered to bet that they will have the Canal Board the present year if they have to pass a law taking the power of appointing from the Board and giving the -ame to the Commi mer. Mr. ©. C. Brown, of Kansas, and formerly of this city, is making speeches around this vicinity for aid He says thet he was mobbed and lost al! Le had, in- cluding » pianoforte worth $400. Our Kansas Correspondence. Fort Riury, K. T., Dec. 21, 1856. Situation of Fort Riley-- Military Quarters—The Hosp tat and Library—Stormy Weather. Fort Riley is sitaated on a hill about one hundred and twenty-five miles northwest of Fort Leaven. worth, and oue fourth of a mile from the Kansas river. It is garrisoned by the Sixth com»any of the Second dragoons, and by one company of the Sixth infantry. The quarters are bnilt of white limestone and are two ctories high, with balconies on the front and rear. The officers’ apartments are situated on the north and south sides, and those of the privates on ‘he exst und west portions of the building, forming a squere and a large parade in the centre. There are also six very neat stables, one story and a bait high, constsueted for the accommodation of tb dragoons horses. A commodious and neat Lospital is in iy he of erection about a hundred yards trom quariers om the east side, and Iam confident that when it is funished it will be well regulated and supplied with medicines as a1 fi hoepital in the service. The “regimental” library of the second dragoons is very comfortably furnished, and contains five han- dred select volumes, bound in calf, in imitation of marble, whieh, with the “post” library, made up of books owned by the various companies, amounts to seven Luvdred volames. It omg means of € ve a weet oo ff the leading montbiy ond quarterly mag newspapers are on the table, to ‘which the men have free Mnovens at all times. The post is a healthy one, but in consequence of the severity of the weather some of onr men have been froet bitten. During’ the last week the weather has rendered walking very disagreeable, for it-has been alternately snowing, freezing and raining. Tux Dock TRang.— Among other soarces of wealth which have been developed by the establishment of aline of steamers between this port and New York. we have heretofore overlooked the traffic in wild ducks, which gives emplo: to a larze number of persons, and ttle or no capital to carry it or. How many are employed in the slaughter ot the web-footed tribe we are unable to say; but we will take, for example, the operations in this line as emried ou by Edgar Burronghs, Eeq., a substantia! and resp*ctable farmer of Princess Anve, on Loug inland, Back Bay, (which he has lately hy from time iromemorial famous as the resort of wild ducks and geese. He has had twenty men employed constantly since the commenemert oi the season, aud up to the 20th of December they bad consumed in their Secesten wen sines in of gunpowder, with shot in Pt my » The ducks which they killed were brovgbt to Norfolk once a week, and 2 in the warehouse of ng & square, where, onevery Wednesday, were packed in borrels and shipped for New Yo by steamehip Jamestown. Toe number of harcele thus sent off weekly have, up to this time, averaged from fifteen to twenty five barrels, and one week the number reached as high as 31. They con- sist of all the varieties of the duck species known in our latitude, such as canvas backs, red beads, mal lard, black ‘(acks, sprigtails, bullnecks, baldfaces (or wigeons,) shovelers, &c,, to which may beadded a goo! preportion of om wee. Yesterday being packing day Cys} invit a ton 407 ruagbs to step in ond see the. game; there Yo , & considerable pol canvas backs, which were ancom- monly fine. Heretofore the season has been highly favorable for the success of ee See time in euch weather as continue to have J, the average rice sold fo cow York market, tnd the prouable netted to the enterprising indi who carry on the busimess. It would form a curious re- cord, especially to those who remember when Nor- folk was the only market that was ied with | —y from the same Ne Herald mn. Re Worse tn \w Nicorn Rrstro.—We are credibly informed that, on the night before Christmas, the tn the reat of mankind company of out en » & com : the house of a Mr. A LK county. mi . evidently with the Intention to murder ant pienter. rifle, and, on being informed do no euch thing, they advanced to the gate, ening to break down the doors of the house and fire the premises. Brown forbid them advancing nearer than the gate, with the that he would shoot the first men putting his in daunted, however, two out the honse, ond while of the gun in the of 5 up with a club to assist his comrade. by this time had armed herself with « with » stout heart and determined tieman and put him to with Brown retreated ‘tter ended for the nig ander- going ndicial investigation, and we forbear further remarks for the present— Shelbyville (Tenn.) Ex- poettor. Brvoviar Comcrence.—On the 6th inst., while a moet brilliant féte, called a “warming,” was going on at Colambue, ition of the open- ing of the Btate ha by the another in the confederacy, at M PH 52 a “warming” of a very ended in ie ceirg burnt down, NEW YORK HERALD, WONDAY, JANUARY 12, 1857. Oar Geor An Corecepondent Wavon, Ga, D. The Anticupated MSiane Insurrection Alivn among ithe Whites, Sc., de. A general, Aonsternation perv at varts of this State 'ror4 Year of a terrible insurrection, rumors of which ? se privately circulated. Many of these m- more ‘aave proved false or exaggerated; bat whilst the, nirculation of such stories way be condemned as ‘eorse than folly, it may perhaps be equally danger- ous and unjyat to our security that the press of the he military companies and establishing an arme? patro! in that quarter of the State. at the same tim. surrection in Cass and Walker counties, in the ex- treme northwestern part of the State, The military of the place have been kept under arms Jora number of days past, and a gentleman jast ‘rom there informs us that they have cannon loaded with grape planted about the town. The excitement is at its height during the holidays, and the wildest romors are swall , without a grain of allowance, by the timid and credulous. Yet as there can be rumors to give cause for alarm, there is undoubted!y = occasion for the strictest measures of vigilance. ¢ forewarning which Florida has given, and the northwestern counties, have very naturally excited neighborhoods much stronger grounds of suspicion are reported. No discovery of arms is as Pe knowa, on any reliable information, to have made among the negroes, but in eg search there were discovered a few days ago, within twelve miles of this place, a number of incendiary pamphlets pub- lished in the North. The last advices from Florida represent a good dea) of excitement as still existing in Madison county. this State are of a part with travelled the length and breadth of the Sonth, in- cluding Texas, Arkansas, , Virginia and Fiorida ; and that spreading over such a space, and tit nena State should treat the matter too lightly, and tura a deaf ear to the voice of alarm. Some time ago ad- vices were privately sent across the Florida border to Thomasville, and communicated ta the other Southern counties, of an anticipated rising of the slaves in that quarter; and an importance was at- tached to the communication by the Judge of the Superior Court of the district takmg notice of it in such a Way as to have had the effect of calling out private reports have heen circulated of plots of in- In Milledgeville the utmost consternation prevails. gathered some few authentic facts from the masa of simultaneousness of a like report in the extreme alarm throughout the State, while in particular The Vegro Rumors. {From the New Orleans Picayune, Jan. The holidays have come and d, and Dewhere of the disturbances amang ins be; lation which, according to rumor, were th 48 likely to take place generally inthe Sou Christmas, Everything is peaceful and or usual everywhere. re was never any fear of a coneerted to rise, or a general insubordination, nor cee given to rought us from time to time of alleged a insurrection in various places. A t de. this has been felt to be exaggerated, in the ing excitement of the moment, or by the 1 Frebeuniie craving for notoriety in the here has never been the mightest a sion of any combination am: the’ that would @ day anywhere, and all, of any concerted rising beyond a sing! borhood. The most that has been supposed was that the seducines of fanstical teacher. | tion from abroad might prevail in some plac facilities of intercommunication exist, ome of the worst of the negroes rdination, which would find insane hope 0» ul external aid in the fanatical propagandie bas ail manifested itself with such vehe the Northern States. Therecan be no do the late political canvass was so manag awaken tl vague hopes, and to help cendiary cfforts ot the travelling traitors heir way, in various capacities, into sla munities, in unsettling the minds of a { exposed to their contammations, But at has the mass of that po j or affected by their superficial agi poor victims of these delusions might have s' n distressing some isolated family, ani ‘ confusion, for a moment, into the communi they, hve; but the disorder would have v sient, the reaction sudden, the punishment ate and terrible; and in the work of restori: no class would bave been more prompt and than the bulk of the slave population, The enoe contented, cheerful and happy, be boring classes ot any other nation under and in the improbable cave of anattempt at by the turbulent an immense majority v found to raily spontaneously for the suppri the insurrection. We know that mthia £ planters generally while inmost watcbful 1 the movements incendiaries, have unix fidence in the fidelity of the mass of the slay But these attempts at seduction demand i It is judged here that the developments made in | gence and new precautions, tor the sak sence ‘an which jet slave tite as much for the master, Hei, with the means for coercion and pupishmer command. They are weak, need his BU} against the machinations, which from other circumstances, they prove a concert | tematically directed vow to unsettle the which the slaves themselves could never have effec- ted, and which is plainly the work of Northern emis- | certain to be adverse to them, and mi, +h in most instances | structive. It is the greatest merey to the! saries, white or black ; thou, the latter are suspected in this State, as many, who read and write, and, as 1 am told, have besides eor- and to draw them into projects of which th: ig i it is the bigbest daty of the master, to pres from contact with these adversaries, wh respondents in Liberia, are known to have visited | mislead him to bis inevitable ruin; and the North on various pretexts, such as that of wait- | bas evidently come for ing at the watering places during the summer montbs, or attending gentlemen. In any event the ees alarm will have the effect of placi jis slave gentry under a surveillance an discipline ; and if a Yankee should be nabbed with a hand in the game, you may rest assured that in bey areas state of public feeling he will be treated a Macon, Ga., Dec. 31, 1956. The Effect of Senator Toombs’ Tariff Letter—The African S'ave Trade— The Cotton Culture—Cot- ton Manufacture in Georgia—Internal Improve- ments—The Slave Troubles—Aid for Nicaragua. The proposition made by Mr. Toombs in the Sa- vannah convention, to exclude Northern goods from the markets of the South by a State teriff, has fallen still-born. The Southern press has either been in iting the whole ¢ slave police and slave discipline into a ne in view of the plain dangers from a pert exterior and hostile influence, which is in at work. The whole black code of the State needs vised, in view of the late developements; a every safe melioration of the condition of will be cl ly granted, the ition: the mischiefs of foreign tamperlng wih th rance, and foreign practising upon viciot them, sbould be precise, stern and unreler short and terrible doom should be made to 1 certainty, on every man who, under what tence, lends himeelf to the promotion of ai and insubordination among the blacks, or: disturbs the peace of Southern communitie: New Patents Issaed, The following is the list of patents iss: sensible of its importance, or has but tamely dis- | the United States Patent office for the wee! cngsed it. On the other hand men of reflection, who do not usually express their judgment through the press, pronounce it one of the most practicable, efti- cient and clearly constitutional measures that bas been invented for the commercial interest of this portion of the Union. This contrast of opinion is not strange; it is characteristic of the South; her history proves that everything that has been done for her not been by herelf, not by the masses, but by @ few choice spirits. The press, with honor- able exceptions, has of doubtful service; it has indulged itself most tet ried on the subject of the woes and wrongs and pride of the South, and in use- less yoctferation, while it eer remedies—such in this instance as Mr. January 6, 1867, each bearing that date:— John Broughton, of Chicago, for improv: oy | of » Ky. provement in grinding mill. ’ William Cady, Eaton, Obio, for improv cut sawing machine. ‘ istam Campbell and Henry B. Poorn® . for improvement in bullet mould. J. Perley Derby, ot Boston, for impvov: ae John G. Ernst, of Harrisburg, for fre hoo? James Fernald, of Boston, for improved of attaching filiers to supply pipes. ‘f Russell W- Gates, of Homer, Mich., for iv has invariably slighted | machine for upsetting tire. Cbaries Green, of Bethel, Ohio, for i ‘combs’ tariff and the slave trade proposition—the |, morticing machine. one advance — the est, the other the and which, taken together, as they were intended, are characterized in the private judgment of poli- ticians as one of the completest Southern remedies ever propoted, And constitutional withal. {It is the old story of the lack of public spirit in the South, and its extreme indocility when at all exhibited. to commercial inter- agricultural interest— In the opinion of the advocates of the African | went in slave trade, it is clear that the great want of the icultnral interest of the South is sufficiency and laber. Even under a steady advance in the prices of labor, and while the cotton crop of the world is declining in point of production, that of the United States alone has in- Sresod, way Boas per cept, or 50,000 bales annually. ‘iency of labor from the re opening of slave trade the whole difficalty might be liticians, who rea that it extent W Nor is this strange ‘thea it neglects its own inter- ests immediately at home, and such as are dictated far more potent ot than those alluded to. us, to mention it only by way of illustration, we send our cotton to Northern manufactories, when it is an easy calculation that it costs near twenty per cent hoe the price of the raw material to transport itfrom Macon, Ga., to Lowell, Masa, What @ commentary upon our _ enterprise! and again we bave bad cotton pianters’ conven- tions sitting in this city, and instead of taking into consideration practical measures, they have made themselves supremely ridiculous and unpopular as well by visionary schemes as the most | assignor to Jobn -_ Such, for instance, Beardsley, of some place, for improvement -nstrous plots of me was the celebrated so called Florida scheme, by the different States should secure to themeelves the whole cotton commission business of the United States, by guar- antecing a certain price to their customers, and compelling the manufacturers to buyat the mini- mum fixed, or the cotton would be purchased by the aseociation and sold only at cost, vm 3 storage, insurance, interest on the investment, with a com- mission for purchasing and another for selling. Despite, however, lack of public spirit at the South, to encourage — measures of sevcrit; and industrial in ce, it of + ing to ob- serve the comparative growth of 2 manu- facturing interest in Georgia, which enjoys the dis- tinction of being the lar; cotton producing as well as manufacturing State in the South. The di- in the State have already factories We hear little of 1 any part of our State, since the Christmas have passed away without any outbreak. the hotidaye an extraordi excitement vailed in many of the counties bordering on the Macon and Western Railroad. Two reporta had heen rivately circulated in the a counties that the slaves for a number of mi around had appointed the 26th for a secret meeting in Griffin, Bpalding county. Nothing of the kind is 1 to have oceu: ; but the patrol, who were alert to arrest the jrators, made a deacent upon acolored meeting, which is reported to have nothing more than o Christinas merry-making. Coweta county, the people were in such a alarm that slaves were forbid to come into the towns at = time during the holldays, even day timo. Our safety may have been at the of vigilance. A notice is re by W. M. Bromily, “Com- missioner of the Republic of Nicaragua for the State of ——, that arrangements will be made ry. ives 260 acres of land to each emigrant on his arrival, and thirty dollars per month te al! who may join the army. ved | in folding umbrellas. considerations. | manufacture. Time | provement in buckles. y | ment in iocms. from Selma on the 20th of Andrew B. Gray and Alexander H. Bi Washington, D.C., for improvement in veio jor vessels. Anson Hardy, of Dorchester, Mass., for i rotary sbeara. C.” Jillson, of Worcester, for manufa oa thes bery, of New York, {1 jenry enbery, lew York, for travelling trunks. J. J. Laubach, ot Easton, for improve forming joints for sheet metal. Evan Morris, of Philadelphia, for improv Josiah B. Pomroy, of Chicago, for i 1 agg of adjusting ciroular eaws to any L. K. Seldon, of Haddam, Conn., for impr James Smith, of Cleveland, for improved strips for doors, w! + &Ce james He Thompson, of Newark, N. J proved raking attachment for reapers. Andrew Teal, of Aurora, Ili., for improv metallic crors ties and chairs for railroads, James Tuerlingx, of New York, for imp» in maintejning for time pieces. Seth Ward, of Princeton, Ind., for improv riding saddles. Henry 8. Wentworth, of Napoleon, M improved eelf reguiat wind director 1 mits ikea George P. Woodruff, of Watertown, Conn Jomes D. Green and Edward Ivers, of © pita. assignors to Joseph D. Greene, afore provement in air beating furnaces. Beardsley, of New Haven D. Umberficld and I Daniel 8. cooking stoves, jamin Clarke, ot Oriskany Fall, « E. L. Ferguson and C. B. Clark of the sw for improvement in extension tables, Cornell Bradley, of Manchester, Ve., for ment in valves for steam evgines 7 A. B. Crossman, of Huntington, N.Y provement in rudders. _ Jobn W. Crannell, cf Olivert, Mich. ment in carriages. Francois Durand, of Paris, France,fo Edwin Daniels, of Lafoyette, Wis.,f ment in tenning hides. Thomas D. Dalton, of New York, for im: in anchors. | Henry Eddy, of North Bridewater, » © | proved mode of constructing stalls for hors Robert H. Pletcher, of Brooklyn, for impr: in operating alide valves of eteam engines, James Jones, of Roc! for improve measuring boards. Gt Gilford, N. W., Benjamin W. Je parame in artificial legs. Orwell La peo, & New York, for ment in mil hme! Weather Bethlehem, Po. en ones tor pe zine ©) gitar Wilton eee or to G. W. Keene, of 1; Mass., itmore, of Somerville, steroid, for ‘ ment in ote. ’ Samuel H. Little, of St. Louis, for im; brakes. . W. B. Gidney, of New York, for imp: in pumps. a Jimes P. Cramer, of Schnylervilie, N. signor to Hiram Cramer, for improvement vator teeth. Lig ma Yep of Sou ing, Maee., for design right stoves, ki} i’ Kopp ot New York, fur design cance. Ghats Chiomeck, of New York, for d eee care tnearot New York, for design as 32 z ADE OF THR Wesr.— The Cincinnati thie season, waa 328,865, against 2/ , and 512,740 the abont over. ? 2? we understand that ‘Was offered for | refueed. Our from the West co statement made in onr last with re; to ciency in the crops. Packing has been fir everal places, and is dra ing to a clo otbers, and the Will be over this , lier than wenal. At Louisville the wh slaughtered the present and the past threr | is set down for each season 98 follows: + 263,798; 1855+, 6992,354, and 1856-7, 247,