The New York Herald Newspaper, April 1, 1861, Page 4

‘4 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GvuBDON BESNETT, ED'TOK AND PROPRIETOR. FPICS S, W. CORNSR OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. tmedvance, M: aot mail! wll be at the etka cae “None txt Bank Sie ve in New York FAA Lu, 000 conte 87 per annye~ LY UPI ab.*, every tt oy cenis per Edition g fednewlay, or : her aro sot — ee, Great Brivain, oathe Let ah of each month nd it == = AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. Y8 GARDEN, Bro 1 —Afternoon—NIxON's Borat Cincvs. Bveving—Vineina site Bond street.— ad WINTER GARD? 3, troadws b Tees Baves wx Tux Woor—Turnina WALLACK’s THKATGE, Sroadway.—Garmuerre—Por- PING Tax QUESTION LAVEA KEENf THEATRE, No. 6% Sroadway.— Suvey Sistsns NEW BOWER) ih Or o Boarman's Lire" UM'S AMKNIUA+ MUSEUM, Bronaway.—-Jay and —MOusxsnus Rosinsow—Hura Oakier—Hikaxs, AND ‘}THee Oe OStTERS } TS’ MINSTKKLS, Mechantes' Hall, «72 Broad PoerSuntmecse, Nfowan, Danons, &6.—Dixuis LAND, o-FirrReN YEARS OOLMASTER—Munny MONARO NIBLO'S SALOON, Broadway —Luoyp’s Minsrrets 1x Bunrxsques, Bonas, Dances, 40. —Dixies Lanv. MELODEON CONCERT HALL. No. 539 Broadway.— Bones, Dancns, srriesaves, 40. CLINTON HALL, aster Place.—Lecrore sy W. G. Dix ow A Jouuney Ackoss THx ANDES. WASHINGTON HALL, Wheeling —Unsworra’s Min- prmeis 1 BruorzaN -oNGs, Dances, £0. New York. Munday, April 1, 1861. MAILS FOR EUROPE. @he New Vork Herald—Edition for Earope. ‘The Cunard mail steamship Canada, Captain Anderson, ‘will leave Boston, on Wednesday, for Liverpool. fhe mails for Europe will close in this city to morrow Afternoon, at © quarter-past one and at half-past five @’clock, to go by +n trond ‘Par Evrormas Eprmoy or Tax Axratp will be published fat eleven o’clock tp the morning. Single copies, in wrap- Pers, six cents The contents of «ne kuRovEAN Eprnon or Tre Heratp will combice the oew- reoeived by mail and telegrazh at «the office during the previous week and up to the hour of Publication ° eed Man» ¢oR THE PACIFIC, few York dcraid—California Edition. ‘Tho mail steam=tup Ari, Captain Miner, will leave this port to-day, at noow, for Aspinwall. The mail for Cubtornw «ud othor parts of the Pacific ‘wil close at tev o'clock this morning. The Naw Yous Wresiy Hxraty—California edition— Pontaining the Lares: mtolligence from al) parts of the world, with » large quentity of local and miscellaneous matter, will be published at haif-past cight o'clock in the morning. Binglo copies, ww wrappers, ready for mailing, 8ix conte. Agents will please sond in thoir ordors as early as poe Bible. The News. Our despatches received on Saturday night an- nounced that Mississippi and Texas had ratified and adopted the constitution framed in the Conven- tion representing the seceded States, at Montgome- ry, Alabama. Five of the seven States have now ratified that instrument, and in the following or- der:— Yeas. Nays 87 6 96 6 101 7 3 7 68 2 Two States, South Carolina and Florida, are yet to adopt the new copstitution. There is little need of conjecture as to the part they will take in ratifying and endorsing the action of their breth- ren. he Convention of South Carolina is now in session, and that of Florida meets in a few days, and in a week or two, therefore, the final action of the confederacy will be perfected in regard to this important matter. The steamship Africa, from Liverpool on the ‘16th, via Queenstown on the 17th ult., arrived at this port early yesterday morning, bringing three days later news. The flow of specie from Europe continues. The account now foots up as follows:— Received por steam hip Africa . Previously reported. 22,400,000 Total received since Dec. 15, 1860. «+ ««{$22,950,000 We publish this morning particulars of the mas- sacre of the captain and a portion of the crew of the American whaling bark Superior by savages in the South Pacific. The tragedy occurred on the 14th of September, 1860. i We publish this morning an extract from the London Post—the government organ—which fore- shadows the policy of Great Britain in reference to the recoguition of a blockade of the Southern ports. The Post says that a blockade, to be recog- nised by England, must be supported by an ade- quate force. The news from Warsaw is not important. The substance of the Emperor's reply to the address of his Polish subjects is published. The Emperor says that he ought to consider the Polish petition as null and void, but, nevertheless, he graciously consents to regard it only as an “‘act of enthusiasm.’’ He devotes his whole attention to the reforms which are necessary throughout the empire, and his Polish subjects are aemuch the objects of his solicitude as are the Russians. But he has a right to expect that his sentiments and intentions shall not be “‘ misunderstood or paralyzed by inopportune or immoderate demands, which he could not confound with the welfare of his subjects.” He will not tolerate any serious disturbances, and “ nothing oan be raised on such a foundation ;"" for “ aspira- tions which should there seek for support would condemn themselves beforehand.’ A despatch from Warsaw says that the Polish deputation was “astounded "' at the tone of the Emperor Alex- ander’s reply, which has not abated the prevailing exoltement. Prince Gortchakoff unofficially told the deputation that an imperial manifesto would ®peedily grant reforms, and received from Count Zamoiski the answer:—' We accept; but we are fy from being satisfied.” A despatch from Paris states that the payment @f{ the Turkish drafts on M. Mires has been guaran- feed, A notice to that effect, signed by Count Germiny, the provisional administrator of M. Mires, is published in another column. The Bank of France had reduced its rates from 7 to 6 per cent. The Duchess of Kont, the mother of Queen Viotoria, died at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle, on the 16tfi alt. Our latest dates from the city of Mexico are to the t0ih ult. The condition of things throughout ‘Rhe republic wasas wretched as possible. The roads swarm with banditti, and no traveller is safe. Foreigners are especially obnoxious, and ‘assassinations of numbers of them in all parts of the republic were of daily occurrence. It was ‘the intention of the foreign residents in the capi- tal to give the remains of Mr. Ogden Yorke a ‘most imposing funeral. Captain Aldham, and the French lady who was also wounded in the same diligence, are recovering. M.de Saligny, resi- dont French Minister, officially recognized the Joares government on the 16th alt, The dismem- Derment of the country and the formation of the nerthorn pcrtion into a ‘Sierra Madre republic” $550,000 yet. Senor Lerdo de Tejada is convalescent from the attack of typhus fevee which it was feared would be fatal to him. The Progreso of Vera Cruz states that informa- tion had been received concerning the conditiun of .aj ‘ain Aldham, of her Britanaic Majesty's steamer Valorous, who waa recently wounded by a baad of thieves. The wound had increased in severity, and, in fact, it was considered so dan- gerous that it was supposed amputation o¢ the Captain’s leg would be necessary. The lady who was also wounded was atill ia a dangerous state. ‘he cotton market was firm on Saturday, with a eteady ef about 2,700 bales, closiog within ry Of 125¢¢. a 1230. for middling uplands; the latter figure for good grades. The flour market was inactive and the sales moderate, while prices were unchanged, Wheat was heavy, while @ fair business wes doing, including some svles for export. Corn was lees buoyant and active, and closed with the turn of the market in favor of purcha- $18 for prime. Sugars were active aad firm, with gales of nbout 2,800 bhde: end 834 boxea, at full prices. Coffee | wie firm, with tales of 3,000 mats of Java at 16K0., aad frail lots of Rio at fall wates Freights were steady, with moderate epgagements at unchanged rates. She Two Revolutionary Governments and Their Loans, To-worrow is the last day for the bids for the Iosn of eight millions asked for by the government at Washington, and to-day the new Morrill tariff goes into operation, which will shut out the ordinary sources of revenue. In a very brief time w Il be required nine mil- lions, the balance ef the twenty-five millions authorized by Congress to be borrowed, and it is probable the first proposition brought up in the extra session of Congress will be a loan of at least twenty-five millions more, on the appli- cation of Mr. Chace. The government at Mont- gomery will offer for sale on the 17th inst. five millions of a fifteen million loan, to be paid for in full on or before the Ist of May. It will pro- bably soon call for the remaining ten millions and if the threatened war should break out be- tween the two governments, this loan will be followed by loans upon loans—loans without end. Now what are the circumstances under which these loans are asked for? In the first place, both governments are revolutionary, and are preparing to plunge the country into civil war, against the will of threefourths of the peo- ple. Neither represents a majority, and neither has any right to drag the country. into war. Neither, therefore, has any legitimate claim for @ loan, nor any right to saddle it upon the community; and it may be a question nereafter whether such loans shall not be re- pudiated by a fature government representing the wkole people instead of belligerent fuc- tions. In the second place, the States over which these governments are preparing to exercise the iron rule of dictatorship are ulready cufficiently oppressed with debt with- out vew burthens to weigh them dowa, Tho debts of the several States of the Southern con- federacy sum up in the aggregate nearly eighteen millions—a much smaller amount ia proportion to population than the aggregate debta of the States of the Northern confede- racy, which reach the enormous figure of $174,000,000—which, added to city, corpora- tion and railroad debts; makes a total of $500,000,000. To this fearful sum must be added the debt of the Union, which will amount to $100,000,000 when the whole of the $25,000,000 loan shall have been taken. The total debt is thus, in round numbers, $600,000,000, the interest of which, at six per cent, is thirty-six millions per annum. Thus are we rapidly following in the wake of the bankrupt governments of Europe. The amount now due by the seven States of the cotton confederacy is comparatively small; but their new federal government has taken measures to nearly double it in a single loan, which, if war proceeds, is a mere trifle com- parefi with the debts which will be accumu- lated in avery short time. It must be con- feesed, however, that the Southern confederacy has greatly the advantage of the Nortliern in point of revenue and expenses, as well as secu- rity for itsloan. For the latter it has pledged a tax on every bale of cotton exported, and the coupons will be Jegal tenders for the duties on imports. And while the expenditures of the Southern government are comparatively small for office holders, it will receive, owing to the Morrill tariff, the great bulk of the imports, thus giving a tremendous impetus to Southern trade, and it will receive nearly all the duties which heretofore constituted the revenue of the Union. It is now receiving, it is eaid, $60,000 per day, or at the rate of twenty millions per annum. What will its receipts be when the Morrill tariff comes inte operation? In the event of war, asthe North would be the invading party, the expenses of its government would be ten- fold greater than those of the government of the Soutb. The President, however, of the Southern confederacy, aud the Commander.in- Chief of its forces, has declared that he will become invader in turn; but his plan is not to burthen his own people with the cost, bat to levy upon the rich aud populous cities of the North, where there are ample stores of provisions and accumulated wealth. In the in- vasion of the South, on the contrary, a Northern army would have to take all its provisions with it, for in the South it would find no stores of food and few cities to sack. The South is agricultural, and ite population is sparee, but its chief products— cotton and tobacco—would be of little service toa hungry army. It would cost, upon the best calculations of military men, one hundred millions of dollars to equip and provision for one year an army sufficiently numerous (say 100,000 men) to make any im- pression upon the revolutionized States. Where is this vast sum of money to come from? It is true that in the vaults of Wall stree! there are some forty millions of specie. From California, since the election, New York re- ceived ten millions of gold; from England twenty-two millions for cotton and breadstuffs; and if it were not for our own insane quarrels, which, in a few months, have made our govern- ment a mockery at home and. an object of con- tempt abroad, we would now be the most pros- perous and powerful people on the face of the earth, But the money deposited in the banks cannot be safely withdrawn but for pur- poses of trade, and if the capital of the country be consumed in gunpowder, the commercial and manufactaring interests, and every interest depending on them, must tumble down in ruins like a house of cards. The banks themselves would be speedily over- thrown if their specie were removed. Mr Chase may perhaps get the loan taken to-morrow at a discount of from $800,000 to (NEW YORK, HERALD, . MONDAY, are measures eaid to be determined op. No par- | $1,000,000, which ia ticulars of this new movement have reached us a6 | Jows ty the country, because six per cent thaa a dead iafercet bas to be paid om the lose, fie ehewing that the national securities in a few months, owing to the advent of vi: ati clavery government to power, have heen depreciated twenty-five per vent. Bat how mary more similar loans will he be able to get on any terme? The astatesmextise eegacity of the government smd the leaders of the republican party is strangely evinced by the demand of a loan at the very same moment that the Morvil) tariffcomes into operation. The monifest effect of that tariff is to drive away imports apd revenue from the North to the fcutb, and to necersitate other loans very soon to keep the government afloat. Another curious evidence of statesmanship is to be found in the warlike prepazations of the government concen- trating ships of war in the vicinity of Pensa- | cola Bay, and announcing through its organs, sore, Pork wus held with more firmness, while sales were | limited, at $16 623; 8 $16 87 for mess, and at $12 600 | at the very came time that it is compelled to evacuate Fort Sumter, that it has issued or- ders for the reinforcement of Fort Pickens. The only explanation which can be given of this policy, shortof downright insanity, is that it is intended to affect the New England elec- tions by keeping. up the courage of the rabid refublicans, and, what is more important to cur stockjobbing government, to reduce the market value of their loan, so that their friends can buy it cheap and sell it at an ad- vance, as they did the last loan. For, when the loan is taken, we shall probably learn through the stockjobbing organs of the. government that Fort Pickens is to be abandoned, like Fort Sumter, and that peace is the policy of the government. a The effect of taking the loan will be to enable the government, while they pretend peace, to prepare for internecine strife, money being “the sinews of war,” and to draw the country insensibly and by degrees into a sanguinary fra- tricidal struggle, whose result will be in- tolerable taxation. The taxes of the English government before war became its policy were less than ten millions. For many years they bave been upwards of three hundred and sixty millions per apnum, or about a million for every day in the year. During the present year they amount to the crushing sum of three hun- dred and eighty millions, and that patient ani- mal, Jobn Bull, submits to the infliction, though not without many groans. How could it be otherwise when in one mad war the expenditure for a single year was $650,000,000? Instead of learning wisdom, then, from the follies of other nations, shall we imitate the bad examples they have set us? Shall Uncle Sam permit his agent, instead of attend. ing to the. vital interests of his thirty-four farms, to set the people soldiering, to the ruin of their interests and the destruction of the property accumulated in many years of toil and industry? Neither the government at Washington, therefore, nor tha government at Montgomery, ought to receive a dollar from any source unless they renounce their nefa- rious echemes of civil war, and agree toa peaceful solution of the questions at issue, upon the basis of mutual compromise laid down by George Washington in his letter to Congress as chairman of the convention which formed the constitution. Avotner Mexican Exrte.—The perennially disturbed condition of Mexico renders it fruit- ful in dietinguished exiles. Divided as it is into a number of States, we find a leader spring- ing up continually, here and there, who aspires to the chief rulership of the republic, and some- how procures his election to the Presidency, always, of couree, according to the’ constitu- tion. But, after a term of office extending over a few weeks, sometimes perhaps a few months, and after fighting two or three battles, he runs away, and comes to this country, en route for Paris or some other European capital, there to enjoy a fine time after his brief career; or it may be that he seeks a quiet retirement in the neighborbood of Carthagena, to look after the cock-fighting interest, after the manner of Santa Apna. Miramon, the latest Mexican hero, arrived in New York on Friday, on his way to Paris. Miramon is a young soldier, and made a pretty good fight for supremacy. Unlike former Mexi- can generals who left their country in a state of anarcby, Miramon retired into exile leaving & government established there, and he comes to this country now to find the government and the republic all upset, divided and verging upon chaos, It was the custom heretofore to comment upon the visits of distinguished per- sonages to our shores—whether they were the victims of foreign revolution, like Louis Napo- leon, Santa Anna, Comonfort, Arista and Paez, or mere visiters for pleasure, like the Prince of. Wales—as affording them an opportunity of “study ing our institutions” aud “observing the progress of the United States;” but it remained for Miramon to leave his own country with an established government, and to find in the country of his temporary sojourn, under the tule of Abe Lincoln, a divided nation, two go- vernments, and a condition of things which is rapidly burrying us towards the uvhappy tate of Mexico, unless wiser counsels rule the admin- istration, or the people be permitted to settle the preeent political difficulties as their good eense and patriotism would cerminly direct them. Imrortant FROM ENGLaxp—Enoursn Po- Licy tN Re@arp To THe Sovrn.—By the mails received yesterday by the Africa, we learn from tke organ of the British government, the London Post, of the 14th of March, that England will only recognire a blockade of the South so long as it ie supported by ade- quate force. This is the doctrine of the treaty of Paris, and is European law. A month ago we announced that Lord Lyons communicated such a policy to Mr, Buchanan as the course which his government would pur- sue. The republican journals denied the authenticity of the news, and now we have a confirmation of it from the special orgen of the British government. The words are of that cautious diplomatic kind which might be expected, but their mean- ing cannot be mistaken unless by nincom- poope. “Even in these days of non-interyon- tion, and when it is the practice to recognise de facto governments, England could not refuse to recognise any blockade which Mr. Lincoln might choose to declare, so long as it was supported by adequate force.” Of course the converse holds; and as the government at Washington has no adequate force to maintain a blockade of a coast extending thousands of miles, the mean- ing is that any declaration of a blockade will be utterly worthless. A bright prospect for carrying out the Morrill tariff, which comes into operation April Fool’s Day. the attention of the w--1s at large. For in- atance, thear+-r day the Brooklynites opened ar Opera House, and actually madé an operatic seaeon pay expenses—that was now it appears they are going to have an elec- tion. The leading characters in the contest which comes off to-morrow are the two candidates for the Mayoralty—the candidate of the republi- cans, and the candidate of ever so many demo- cratic and Union committees. Several other candidates were nominated for this office; but they all backed out, leaving the field to two only. Brooklyn is considerably exer- cised about thiselection. It is the first time that the republicans have had any spoils to offer in e municipal contest, and how shamelessly they are uring their newly acquired power for pur- poses of bribery and corruption may be seen by the following paragragh from the republican organ of the party candidate, to-wit:— may state also, in siding im Brooklyn will have his considered efter the Mayorelty election, and then the ward the jargest number for Frederick Scholes for Mayor will have the first and greatest claims upon his attention. Now, which shall be the banner ward? This is about the most unblushing piece of im- pudence that any party in this country has ever perpetrated, and it only shows how the re- publicans regard the victory they have acci- dentally achieved. It is the spoils, and the spoils alone, they appreciate; the safety, the prosperity, the dignity of the country, they care nothing about. Brooklyn, like New York, however, is a democratic city, and we hardly think that even the temptations of the Custom House or the Navy Yard thus openly held out will succeed in placing a black republican in the civie chair to morrow. Tae Operation or THE New Tarir.—The Morrill tariff goes into operation to-day, and to-day the perplexities of the Custom House officials commence. But that is the least part of the mischief which this measure is to entail upea the country. The new tariff imposes a duty upon imports ranging up to a hun- dred per cent, while the tariff of the Southern confederacy puts a duty upon them of from ten to thirty per cent—the latter figure being the maximum. The Southern tariff continues in operation in its present form until the Ist of May; but when the Montgo: Congress meets @gain it is intended to twenty per cent the maximum of duty—breadstpffs and munitions of war being free; and in time there will be an average duty of ten per cent upon ‘all foreign merchandise—such being the ulti- mate.design of the Southern statesmen. fo one can doubt what the operation of two tariffs will effect. Already we may ler importation into Northern pérts virtu- ally (tan end. Foreign goods will henceforth seek fhe porta of the South, and a magnificent syste of smuggling will be inaugurated on the of the two confederacies. “The smug- eter,” as the London Times says, “will redress the errors of the statesman.” It should have eaid the politician or the fanatic; for, alas! we have no statesmen now. The revenues of the government at Washington will fall away to almost nothing; and as to the future prosperity of the Northern Atlantic cities, we are almost afraid to contemplate it. . Ovr Dipromatic Representatives Hasten- 1xG To Evrore.—The new diplomatic repre. sentatives of both confederacies are hastening to Europe; the agents of the Southern govern- ment to open negotiations with foreign Powers for the recognition of its independence and the establishment of commercial relations, and the appointees of Mr. Lincoln to represent the new régime inaugurated at Washington. On Sa- turday two of these diplomats sailed from New York—Dnudley Mann, the representative of the Montgomery government, on the Europa, and Mr. Sandford, Mr. Lincoln’s Minister to Belgium, on the Arago. Mr. Mann’s colleagues, Yancey and Rost, were to have left New Orleans yes- terday for Europe, by way of Havana; and the administration at Washington are completing the instructions of their other ministers to Eu- ropean courts as rapidly as possible. Mr. Mann will be the first Southern representative in Europe, if we except Thomas Butler King, who is already there, in bebalf, not of the govern. ment so much as of the cotton interest. The Southern people are contemplating the supply of cotton yarns to continental Europe, which hitherto were provided by the machinery of England, and for that purpore Brnesels has been selected for the headquarters, and it is for this that Mr. Mann, who represented pre- vious administrations on the Continent, and has much experience of that quarter, is now des- patched to Belgium Mr. Sandford is accordingly hurried away to the same country by Mr. Lin. coln, no doubt to head off Mr. Marn if possible. In a short time the diplomatic representatives of both confederacies will be assembled at all the European courts, and, in consideration of the Northern and Southern tariffs, it is easy to foresee which will meet with the more favor from the reepective commercial! nations of the Old World. Tur Sournern Transatiantic Steamsnrtr Com pany.—The newly organized Liverpool and Charleston Steamship Company, intended -to establich a direct trade between the South and Europe, is likely to prove a success, The entire amount of subscription called for was $350,000. Upwards of $300,000 has already been taken; and we are reliably informed that the first vessel will leave Liverpool for Charleston about the middle of July, to be followed by a second about the lst of August. The ships will be of the largeet dimensions, built of iron, with water. tight compartments; the motive power will be on the auxiliary screw principle. Messrs. Laird & Co., the celebrated Scotch shipbuilders, own a large share of the stock in the new com- pany. Aw Extra Session or Covoness—Oan any ome suppose that, under the present state of things, and with the prospect before us of more embarrassing financial and political complica tions from day to day, the government at Washington can keep its legs till next Decom- ber without the assistance of Congress? No. There must be an extra session of Congress. It cannot be avoided; and the sooner Mr Lincoln's Cabinet act upon this idea thy better it will be for the administration, and, we hope, for the country and the Union. Abe’s friends rejoice to claim for him. He “put his foot down” on that oceasion to some pur- pose, completely snubbing a fussy little fellow named Simoaton, whose conneetion with cer- tain investigating committees in Washington some time ago, when he was correspondent for one of Mr. Seward’s.organs in this city, will be remembered. " Simonton, it protested against the appears, 3 interference of Senator Baker, of Oregon, with the California appointments, and read a “se- vere and disrespectful” address to the Presi- dent, in the presence of Mr. Baker, dealing very hardly with that gentleman and his friends; whereupon Old Abe, with the firmness of a Washington and Jackson combined, crushed the manuscript in the hollow of his hand, and cast its bruised remains into the flames, using, at the eame time, some very indignant language to the awe-struck Simonton. The protesting Californians were then politely invited to take their leave, which they did, headed by little Simonton, feeling no doubt uncommonly like a whipped spaniel just at that moment. * Meantime the California appointments are to be disposed of at the discretion of Senator Ba- ker and Messrs. Satterlee and Stanford, the discomfited Simonton not having a word to say thereon. Being disappointed in obtaining any of the New York spoils on a previous occasion, despite his extensive lobbying, we fear that the utter loss of the California spoils now, which he thought he had in his pocket, will seriously affect the state of his health. Tue New Excuanp Evecrions.—The Connecti- cut election takes place to-day, and the Rhode Island election will come off on Wednesday. These events are regarded with great anxiets by every friend of the Union, as indicating whether there is any return to reason in New England, or whether it still adheres to its action, and will let the dissolution of the Union and permanent separation of the States go by default. They have already suffered enough in consequence of the distress of the population arising from the breaking down of trade and manufactures, and the want of employment of the population. Are they prepared to allow all interests to go to utter destruction? We shall ehortly learn their determination. Forr Sumren—Sovrnern Inpsrenvence.—It appears tbat the people of South Carolina anti- cipate, from the evacuation of Fort Sumter by the United States, a strong moral effect on the other side of the Atlantic in behalf of the inde- pendence of the Confederate States. This is pot a bad idea, and it may, perbaps, explain the painful reluctance of the administration at Washington to abandon a post which it must abandon, or from-which it must very soon be ignominiously expelled. But why should “Honest Old Abe” hesitate, when “nobody is suffering and nobody is hurt?” Trial of the New York and Havre Steamship Illinois with Dinsmore’s Feathering Paddle Fioats. ‘The steamship linois, having been laid up during the past winter toreceive new boilers and the addition of an upper stateroom saloon, the opportunity was taken to attach to her paddle wheels Dinsmore's feathering floats, in place of the common fixed floats, and the result of atrial trip made last Friday, out to the light ship and ‘back, proved to be a success exceeding the anticipation of the most sanguine. The Mlinois backed out from her moorings at foot of Eleventh street, East river, at elevan o'clock, came down the Fast river under @ low pressure of steam and pro- coeded to Bea by way of the Swash channel. Subjoined are particulare of her trip:— Ocou- in Nau t- Hi, M, pied. cal Miles. Passed Governor's Island at. 11 37 Al. Ml. Passed Quarantine 11 56 ow 6 Paseed Sandy Hook teeseees . 1246 * 049 n Paesed light ehip . 18 08 7 Total... . = 136 mt Averag ifteen knots. Returned by way of the snip channel. Passed light ship........... 17 Passed Sandy Hook, due west 1 56 030 8 Passed eouthwest spit bi 010 2 Passed Narrows. 043 9 Paesed ow 3 023 6 208 23 Average speed per hour 134 knots, Going out she contended agsinst a stron” breeze dead ahead, and returning she bad the all stre..gth of the ebb tide and the North river freshet—together at least four miles per hour—against her the whole distance. This performance in the then state of the wind and tide is unparalleled, and clearly demonstrates the great supori ority of the feathering float over the common fixed floats. The average pressure of steam, cutting off at half stroke of the pistons, was eighteen pounds, and the average number of revolutions of the paddles twonty per minute, though fora part of the time with steam at twenty-five pounds pressure the revolutions reached twenty three and three quarters per minute, and the speed of the ship eighteen knots per hour. ‘The prin- ciple of the feathering float, or eccentric paddle wheel, is not new. It has been in use in the Old World for more than'twenty years; but the mode of getting it up has been so complicated, of such enormous weight and so costly, that the drawbacks more than offset the advan- it. It remained for an American mechanic, Mr. Dinsmore, of Albany, in this State, to overcome theee disadvantages, and which, by a rare combination of mechanical ekil! and perseverance, be has fully succeeded in coing. Nothing can be more simple than the present Illinois wheel. In weight it does mot exoced the old wheel, while in strength and {efficiency it is one-third superior, and is at the same time perfectly noiseless and free from Jar in its operation. The Iilinoie bas been refitted ta the most thorough man. ner in every department; has iron bulkheads, absolutely water tight and fire proof, and now takes her place in the Buropesn line ae one of the fastest, most elegant ano safest of ocean steamers. She will sail next Saturday, 6th inst., un¢or command of Captain P. E. Terry, an experienced and able seaman. ia State Convention. Richmond, March 80, 1961. In the Convention to-day Mr. Wise offered a series of amendments as a substitute tr report, which were. referred and ordered to be printed, but were ovt It is believed that they embrace the propositions of his minority report. Pome entertain the opinion that the Convention will adjourn in about two weeke from this time, ‘The agricultural portion of the Convention are getting anxious to retorn home. Ricnwonn, March 31, 1861. ‘The Hovee was in session all night, considering the Joint rerolutions relative to the movement of troops and ‘arms within the commonwealth, growing outof the pro- pored transfer of gune from the " ‘Various amendmenta were proposed and rejected amid an exciting debate, ‘The Senaie’s amendmenta were finally , modided by authorizing the Governor to call out the Public guard to arrest the Sataeel tne removal, and directing bim to employ the needful force to resist any attempt to re- move the eame beyond the reach and comtrol of the State goverpment, A rencontre occurred yesterday at the Ballard House Bugh L Gallaher, the contractor at the Rip Bags, Kent at Joseph Gegar a member of the Legislature, bail ered through bie coat, and Segar was unharmed. Gal- {ener to-day accidentally shot himself, and is expected to He. The Virg The Secession Feeting im Norfotk. Norrork, Merch 31, 1861, A petition nomerously signed, in@truoting Mr. Blow, « delegate ty the Con vention trom this erty, te vote for im Inediate secession was presented bogiaatio meeting held at Wi were adopted instracking gates trom Norfolk county to vote for fummedint secoreton The meeting #lao appointed delgater to 8 ht) be hela on the 19th of April, at Saffpilk, t inate ® eecersion candidate for Congress, ia care Virginie should :umain ‘a the Union, ES fs Hi i if I ‘fOixed in the case of & pound sterling of Great Britain $4 84, or a franc of Frazoe at 18 6-10 cents, then the in- voice must be accompanied by « Consular certificate showing the value of such curremey in Spanish or United dollar is certified by the Consul to be worth only four cents of American money, and duties are estimated on that value, when it is worth, in fact = greater sum; it will be seen that the revenue loser, and wool which really costa more than ¢1 cents ® pound, and 60 liable to duty, might under the present tariff, be intro- duced into consumption here free of duty. All the circumstances, as given to us by parties inte- rested, seem to indicate that the above extract from the Hana.p furnished the information and led to the investi- gation now pending before the Custom House authort- ties. At all events, unusual attention was given to Bue- nes Ayres importations, and eminent couneel are engaged by the government on the one band, and the merchants interested on the other. ‘The first vessel overhauled on suspicion was the brig Mary Wilkins, on board of which wes merchandise to the amount of about $100,000 consigned to R. W. Ropes & no intermission between this and the March term. ‘The Court of Appeals is now in session in this city, dad ‘most of our eminent lawyers are drawn there, eo thet the busiaees of the other courts will be compsratively light for a few weeks, The Court of Oyerand Terminer willbe minal and revenue cases have been disposed of, those in- efatigable inspectors or dectectives of revenue, Alex. Isaacs, Brown and Archer having, within a few time to come. . ; : Marshal Rynders is ‘‘like a hen on a hot griddle;” he does not feel easy in apy partof the building, and is continually looking towards each corner of the street for his successor or for a telegraph to inform him when he will be relieved from the duties of his office. The Firet Depaty, Joseph Thompson, who bas heid that pesition for some nineteen years, has be- come an indispensable portion of the machinery of the department, and from his intimate kcowledge of the taxation of costs and the keeping of accounts, is sure to be retained bd incom pg Marshal, whoever he may be. Lorenzo the Deputy, who Angelis, terved two apprenticeships lees, lr H : Ft E rs i y Part 2—Mcets and adjourns to % Scrxuor Covrt—Part 1. 1631, 1643, 1 ek eB ew Ocaee tous iet 780, 148, Nee a Sono, soa! 608? ; 299, 88, £5; aor, 140, 160, Be.” HR Wi Medal Department Achnaored tebe telinvel hase Bont ip the Department of Oregon, then to ae See re ae army. Companies A, Band J. Third arti are under orders totane posh en eect, Polat fon Fieacloy hereon pase tensat L. Kip, Third artillery, is directed to report for duty with these companies An extension. of leave of absence for four months is Markets. Naw Onagans, Mech), 2080, The holiday Come ton—sales to-day balee micdling at 124¢¢. a 190,; sales of che 64,000 dies; recoipts last week, 6,720 bales againgt bales year; receipts less than last year, ‘310 600 bales; at alt Southern § ports Feta Pag hag ty Eg ‘otal ex) . 118 0C0 bales, Coffee at 10%%C.. & 13c.: naloe of the week . - Mons, Mareh Cotton—Saler of 1,700 bales at Take. Toc malddhag. ‘The market ie unchanged Arrivals afbntvats. a en ie " jared alway, Mine bao! i apt 'f Capt re Ray ee ae Sees, TS Loshe. Jan eflson, Yat fro io Hoer and. toms? a Masters, Daniel, W RJoues, @ Ridler Ravaxnan—Bteamebip State of é. eremsene Raps a Indy" 3° Qi certain Rarthelow and ron, Re: and ert Moodie, B Mezaros, Kk one $ ir J G Meads, WG Samm and @ in sleernge Ric nwonn—t eamehip & BR apieot, &) Bop, tn the sir age 3 extora—0W a ty °