JJl TWO DOLT.AKS PER ANNUM, " HALF-YEARLY IN ADVANCE. 5 AND FARPJIEIIS ACID MECHANICS' REGISTER. CIF NOT PAID WITHIN THE YEAR. I $2 50 WILL BE CHARGED. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY J OiTHiN R O W ,SOJMERSET, S&JIEttSET COUNTY, PA. yjcw Scries. TUESDAY MARCH 3i; 1846, Vol. 4. No. 20. Cfjc fltgtjt of Zhm. ; Faithfully flow, thou falling river, . Like a dream that dies away; - ' . Down the ocean gliding ever, " Keep thy calm, unruffled way! Time with suck a silent motion, Floats along on wings of air, To eternity's dark ocean, Burying all its treasures there. Roses bloom and then they wither; Checks are bright, then fade and die, Shapes of light are wafted hither, Then like visions hurry by; Quick as clouds at even driven O'er the inanv-colorcd west; Years are bearing us to Heaven, Home of happiness and rest. vi. r 1 . 29th Congress 1st Session. A rEXCTL SKETCII FROM THE Correspondence of the Tribune. w ashixgtox, March 13, 184C. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The day is gloomy without, and not ve ry cheerful within this Hall of Loco Fo co Legislation. TJ.o .'-'leaking has b en pretty good on an average, but the dis pute turns upon too nice distinctions to make the debate interesting. The manners 01 my honorable pupils below arc pretty good to-day. I have on ly seen one member with a cigar ( a long nine) in his mouth, and that was not ligh JeJ, and therefore it did not kindle my in dignation, and I let it pass. Old' two members were seen eating apples in their scats, and two only had their heels on their writing desks. Tiiev are all Lo-co-Focos. As this is much better in the scale of manners than usual I let them pass, being to-day full of the milk of hu man kindness. After the Journal was read, Mr. Gor don of N. Y. rose to a personal expla nation. He made some remarks upon art article in the New-York Herald, which it seemed did not please him ex actly, as to his position on Oregon. He read from the different papers which had represented him in three di ill: rent posi tions. This showed that it was hard to understand him. The House then went into Committee of the Whole on the River and Harbor Bill. . Mr. Thompson, of Pa. then address ed the committee in favor of internal im provements. A sparring match took place between him and Mr. Rhett of S. C. a lout the constitutional power to make such improvemcrrs. Mr. Thompson in quoting the authority of different Presi dents for making internal improvements, referred to Gen. Jackson, who had signed several similar Bills. This Bill had been called a bill of Plunder. If this is plun der then Jackson was the king of plun derers. . One gentleman complained that Ten nessee was neglected. This was not so. Tennessee had some small share in this Government at present. Not to descend to minor things,she had one President and a Postmaster General, not to mention oth er officers of this little Government. But we are told that the South has nothing. Has not North Carolina the first Lord of the Treasury, McKay, and the Chairman of the Military Committee. "Cries of Militia. Militia then said Mr. Thompson, and Georgia has the Chairman of the Military Committee. It is said that the Union of Purse and Sword is dangerous to Freedom, and here we see that the South is clothed with this doubly dangerous power. rLaughter. : After continuing in this strain for some time and advocating fa liberal policy of Internal Improvements, on the Lakes, he took his seat. Upon which several mem bers sprung to their feet, with the red lightning of eloquence gleaming in their eves. The most earnest combatants for floor favors were Mr. Douglass of III. and Mr. Wood of New york. The Chair recognized the latter. , : Mr. Wood then addressed the Com mittee in favor of the bill. The . North River was truly but the strait leading to the inland seas and connecting them with the Ocean. Mr. Rhett had. some sparring with him also in the nice construction of Mr. W.'s Speech. ... Mr. Wood here went into s-ome valuable statistics about the commerce of the Hudson River and of Albany. ' He chimed to he a Democrat after the strictest sect, but that did not prevent him froin voting for what hethought was clearly constitutional. " Mr. Vinton, of Ohio, then got the floor and spoke in favor of the bill. He is one of the most sensible mm in the House, and is always listened to with at tention and respect. When he took his seat Mr. Adams of Miss, got the floor, but did not proceed lor a few moments. Mr. McConnel!, of Ala.'rose and said that as no'iiodr teemed to claim the floor he vnuld oceu"- it himself. .. The Chair said the gentleman from Mississippi was in possession of the floor. Then said Mac.' let him grind on with his music. Mr. A. then proceeded to argue against the bill. Opposition to this measure was always a Democratic doctrine. He was not'tojbe bound by precedent Presidents Monroe&Jackson had been referred to,but he would never pursue any course of con duct, because it had the authority of great names. ' He would not be bound by great names, however distinguished, how ever pure - Mr. McConnell Or however foul. Though he and his lriends were now in the minority, he hoped the time was coming when they would be in a majority Mr. Severance of Maine next got the floor, and moved an amendment appropri: ating $15,000 for removing obstructions in the Kennebec River, and for facilita ting nrrpss tn th II. S. Arsenal situated at Augusta. He then proceeded to advo cate the bill, including this amendment, with ability and judgment. Some of j these very men who now oppose these appropriations will yet vote for appropria tions to improve the Kio Grande and Columbia. When Mr. Severance took his seat, Mr. Douglass of Illinois obtained the floor; and then such a scene ensued as would have delighted thejbeart of any one who wished to be savage on the Loco Foco Members. Mr. Ewing of Pa. who had been try ing for some time to get the floor, thought that it should have been given to him. Whereupon he made some remarks about some bargain or understanding to give the gendeman from Illinois the floor over oth ers. Mr. Douglass exclaimed, "It is false." This created great sensatfon in the House. The political cauldron bubbled more furi ously. When Mr. D. had proceeded some time in favor of Internal Improvements, some of the Southern Loco Focos thought they would cross question him about his Democracy. This was a game which the little Illinoisan thought two could play at, and he began to cross.question them, to the infinite amusement of the honest men who were looking on. This fun continued over an hour. The scene beginning to wax hot, Mr. D. opened his vest, run his hands into his suspenders, and went into the sub ject and his own party simultaneously. He run a muck with Mr. Davis of Ken tucky, which the Whig side of the House enjoyed very mnch. He then ran against Mr. Woodward of S. C. and introduced the Oregon question and 51 40 The Baltimore Resolutions on that subject were the true text-book of Democracy. To depart from that standard was to commit treason a gaiust the party. Here the leaders came to loggerheads about this text-book. Mr. Yancey of Ala. said that the Baltimore Resolution did not contemplate the Notice. Mr. Woodward seemed to be of the same opinion. Mr. Douglass would rote for the tar iff", the Bank, or a general system of In ternal Improvement, rather than vote for a line one inch short of 54 40. Here" Mr. Douglass put a hard ques tion to Mr. Yancey which Mr.Y answered bv asking as hard a one. Being at even game, both questions were dropped. Mr. Woodward finally came out and repudiated the authority of the Baltimore Convention, and frankly said he would sustain the President on the line of 49. Mr. Douglass And yet the gentle man had voted for a bill on 54 40 last year. Mr. Yancey put a question about pri vate opinion, and Mr. Douglass inquired whether he would be allowed to detail private conversation also. John C. Calhoun's Democracy was Mien brought into question. Mr. Wood ward said that when Calhoun went for a Bauk he was not in communion with the Domocracy of South Carolina. Then said Mr D. that is a strange De mocracy which supports a man who vio lates the constitution. Mr. Yancey had not violated "a single principle of the Baltimore creed. Mr. Seddon, of Va. then asked Mr D. if he thought the Baltimore Resolutions meant up to 5 4 40 Mr. I), answered in the affirmative. Mr. Seddon. Then does the gentle man say that Mr. Polk was false to his pledges when he offered to take 49? Mr. Douglass did uot answer This very plainly. After a mutual explanation be tween Mr. Ewing and Mr. Douglass, the House adjourned near 7 o'clock. Washington, March 14, 1846. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met this morning at 11 o' clock. Reports were called for from va rious Committees; and several reports, bills, rcsolbtions," &e, were submitted of no general importance. Mr. R. Smith of III. made several at- . tempts to get his bilL for ' continuing the ! National Road, made the order of the day j for Monday next, and then for the second ; or third Monday of April. These were ! voted down by the Locos, though sup 1 ported generally by the Whigs. Having spent half an hour with this proceeding, Mr. Yancey of Ala. rose to a personal explanation. rIf he had, in the debate yesterday,j'used the phrase, preten ded Democrats' with regard to any of his political friends in this House, he desired to withdraw it. This showed Mr. Yan cey's good sense, for a man is in immi nent danger for telling the truth in the present House. There is no question at all but that some of his friends who vo ted for Polk are pretended Democrats. Mr: Douglass of Illinois rose to ex plain also, and said that he withdrew any remarks he had made about pretended Democrats. Laughter, and cries of "You did not make any remarks of this kind" , Mr. Donglass observed, amid, much laughter, that he withdrew any such re marks that he might have made; (and well he might have made them. This was the winding up of yesterday's spirited fight. . . The House then went into Committee of the Whole on the River and Harbor bill. - . ' Mr. Houston, of Delaware, having the floor from yesterday, commenced his speech of offering amendments to the bill, to wit: That the SI 5,000 for improve ments at Newcesde be increased to $40, 000, and that the $75,000 appropriation for the Delaware Breakwater be increased to 8100,000 Mr. Houston is a young man of fine abilities and pleasing manners. He sup ported the bill with his amendments in a short and able speech; much of this hour having been wasted yesterday by the Lo co Foco fight. Mr. Baker, of Illinois, followed in a short speech in favor of the bill. He proposed an amendment looking to the improvement of the Illinois river. He made some interesting remarks on the in ternal improvements of this State. n Mr. Seddon of Va. offered an amend ment, the purport, of which was not heard. Mr. Bayly of Va. spoke an hour on Oregon, the Tariff", tc. He said he would not discuss, as others had done, the Oregon question, and yet he went on for a good part of his hour to speak on the subject. He would not desert the Presi dent if he sould compromise on the 49th degree, as lie thought the matter ought to be compromised, and he would not quar rel with the President if he should settle on the 51 40 which is not within the range of possibility without wan He could not see why the subject was intro duced. The Ececutive would not be o verawed by such remarks. He contended that Government had no power to make internal improvemenst, ei ther with or without the consent of the States. Government might as well fur nish ships as give other facilities to com merce. It was inexpedient as well as un constitutional. But Mr. B. said he had risen to reply to the gentleman from Mass. (Mr. Hud son) on the agricultural question. His people were almost exclusively agricultu ral. Mr people said he, are farmers. (What is meant by Mv?) Internal Im provements and the Tariff" are measures of the same kind. They are Chinese twins. Mr. Giles of Md. was under stood tn chime in Siamese, but no notice was taken of the correction. Mr. B. asserted among other things that there was not an acre of land fit to be cultivated in Great Britain, except in the parks of the Nobility, that was not now in use. This is not in accordance with my recollection of facts. There are thousands of acres in Ireland this ve ry day of the very best kind , of land to be reclaimed from its original wildness. So in Scotland and other parts of Great Britain. Mr. B. consumed the remain derof the hour in reply to Mr. Hudson. . He was followed by Mr. Stewart, of Pa. in a speech of an hour long, every line of which is worth a golden eagle, if it could only reach every working man in the conntry. He commenced by saying that every thing whichSouthern gentlemen wished to pass was constitutional; what they did not like was unconstitutional. One of the Southern members asked him to mention one " measure which was unconstitutional, that they had defended. Mr. Stewart replied Texas, and eve ry thing they wanted to pass. The West was the step-child of this Republic, and it had got the step-child's share, but this would not continue. The veto of a similar bill last year had rob bed them of their rights. Mr. Cobb of Ga. asked Mr. Stewart who elected Mr Tyler. . - Mr. Stewart, holding up both his hands, protested against reviving the memory of Tyler. No man in this Republic had vo ted for him as President. The question was not who elected him, but who sup ported him. Gentlemen contended that Government was onlv to interfere with foreign com merce!. Everything here was Foreign- Foreign. Mr. Stewart thought onr own people deserved some of the attention of their Government. He then turned to Mr.. Bailv, and said he would notice some of his assertions. ! Mr. Stewart then made one of the most successful attempts ever witnessed in Con- gresSrto annihilate the arguments of a po litical opponent. Mr Baily had talked of England de pending on us for agricultural productions. The contrary was the fact. Half of all the British goods and five-sixths of all the iron used in this country imported from England; were in reality British ag ricultural productions used in the manu facture of these articles. A gentleman from Va. here asked Mr. Stewart whether he would refuse to give the South a market for their cotton and tobacco? - Mr Baily here asked Mr . Stewart a question about the Corn-Laws, &c. Sitdown, said Mr. S. and I'll tell you. Our Corn goes through Canada to En gland on colonial duty, 14 shillings. The North of Europe sends its Corn at a du ty of 15 shillings to England and yet we have an assertion by Lord Ashburton, by the last news from the British Parliament that the North of Europe furnishes 9 lOths of all the foreign Corn imported into that Kingdom, . What will it be when the duty of 15. shillings is taken off from the Corn of the North of Eu rope? It is a fact -strange, but nevertheless true that the people of the West in us ing British manufactures consume five times as much British agricultural produc tions as the British do of Western agri cultural productions. The agricultural prodncttons ofyhis country are estimated at one thousand millions of dollars; Engand takes only about two millions of this. . The gentleman buys a British manu factured coat of 20 dollars I buy a coat at 20 dollars of American manufacture his money goes to England, half of it for agricultural productions consumed in the manufacture my money circulates a mongmy neighbors, half of it buys wool from the farmer and the other halt is for American agricultural productions consu med by American manufacturers Every thing done by this Congress seems to be for the benefit of British commerce, Brit ish manufactures, &c. Surely it is to do something for American manufactures. Why one of our committee-rooms in this Capitol is now used by the agent of Brit ish manufactures. He hoped that a room might be appropriated to show American manufactures. The British act in unison with this Congress. We are showing British arguments, and the British House of Lords are printing American arguments against our own manufactures. Mr. Walker's report, &c. (cries of Sir Rob ert Walker.) I tell you, said Mr. Stewart, that if you break down the present Tariff" the party now in power will be overthrown, as in 1840. Then, said a Southern Member, why not go with us? So I would, said Mr, S. if I loved my party better than my country. Mr, Stewart's hour" here expired and Mr Ewing of Tenn. got the floor. The committee then rose and reported progress and the House adjourned. The Proposed Southern Rail road. The bill for the Southern Railroad, from the Mississippi river to the Atlantic has passed the Mississippi Legislature. It will commence at Jackson, the seat of Government, and connect with the Rail road from Vicksburg, on the Mississippi river From Jackson it will run through four counties, contiguous to nine other counties, andjbe an outlet for the trade of Colffmbus, Mississippi. It will then cross the Alabama line into Sumpter, and through Marengo, Percy, and other coun tes, to Montgomery affording an outlet for the gold and mineral regions of Ala bama and Georgia.--At Montgomery it will meet the two routes coining together towards the West. The one is thi road from Charleston and Hamburg to Atlanta, in Georgia, and from thence to West Point, on the Chattanooga, the line be tween Georgia and Alabama, and from West Point to Montgomery. The Rail road, is now in progress, and nearly forty five? miles completed. The other , route, from Savannah, Georgia, by the Central Georgia Railroad to Macon, Georgia, and from thence the Georgians are about to make a road to Columbus, on the Chat tanooga, and thence Irom Girard, opposite Columbus, to Montgomery, and from Montgomery to Vicksburg will be the Southem Railroad. . The friends of this great work contend that it is to be the great route .of North ern "and Southern travel, carrying the Southern mail. Steam packets, with the mail and passengers, will then run daily from Vicksburg to New Orleans. Now, that all the legislation necessary to enable it to proceed to its construction is completed, the question is, how arc the funds to be raised? The Mississippi bill appropriates the two per cent, fund of Mississippi, which is about 8300,000, given by Congress to this road. . . Of the same fund in Alabama, 112,000 have been loaned to complete the distance in tervening between Montgomery and West Point. There is also a bill now before Congress, granting the alternate sections of public land, for five miles on each side of the road. Richmond Enq. tetter from Cap. Bell to the Secretary of the A'avy United States Ship Yorktowx. Kabinda, (Africa,) Dec. 16, 1845. Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I addressed a letter to you on the 30th ultimo, giv ing an account of the cap ture of the American barque Pons, of Philadelphia, with eight hundred and ninety-six slaves on board, a duplicate of whish I now enclose. I was so anxious to dispatch the vessel iu the shortest time for Liberia, in order to land the slaves, and Telieve them from their miserable confinement, that it was not in my powar to give you a more particular account of this vessel. I will now endeavor to do so, and also state some facts which have since come to my knowledge. The Pons, under the commaud of James Berry, was at anchor at Kabinda for about twenty days before she took on board the slaves, during which time she was closely watched by her Britannic Majesty's brig Cygnet,Commander Lay ton. At about nine o'clock on the morn ing of the 27th November the Cvgnet got underway and stood to sea. Imme diately Berry gave up the ship to Galla no, who commenced getting on board the water, provisions, and slaves; and so ex peditious were they in their movements, that; at eight o'clock that evening the veisel was under weigh, having embark ed nine hundred and three slaves. In stead of standing directly to sea, she kept in with the coast during the night. At daylight they were off Kacongo, about twenty-five miles to the north of Kabinda, when they discovered the Cygnet in the offing. They immediately, furled all their sails, and drifted so near the shore that the negroes lined the beach in hope of a shipwreck. Tney continued in this situation until rr.e.idhn, when, finding they had not been discovered, they set their lower sails in order to clear the shore, and, as the Cygnet drew off' from the land, they afterwards set their more lofty ones. Two davs afterwards we captured her. Her cargo consisted of Spaniards, Portuguese, Brazilians, and some from other countries; and, al though continuing under the American flag, with probably American papers, not one Americin was on board. As I could not despatch her the eve ning of her capture, she kept company with us that night. The next morning I regretted to learn that eigteen had died andone jumped overboard. So many dying in so short a time was accounted for by the captain in the necessity he had of thrusting below ail who were on deck, and closing the hatches, when he first fell in with us, in order to escape detec tion. The vessel has no slave-deck, and up wards of eight hundred and fifty were piled, almost in bulk, on the water-casks below. These were males. About , for ty or fifty females were confined in one half of the round-house cabin on deck; the other half of the cabin remaining for the use of the officers. As the ship ap peared to be less than three hundred and fifty tons, it seemed impossible that one half could have lived to cross the Atlan tic. About two hundred filled up the spar-deck alone, when they were permit ted to come up from below, and yet the captain assured me that it was his inten tion to have taken four hundred more on board if he could have spared the time. The stench from below was so great that it was impossible to stand more tlran a few moments near the hatchways. Our men who went below from curiosity, were forced up sick in a few minutes; then all the hatches were off. What must have been the sufferings of these poor, wretches when the hatches were closed? I am informed that very often in these cases, the stronger will strangle the we .ker; & this was probably the rea son why so many died,.or rather were dead, the morning after the capture. None bnta i eye witness can form a con ception of the horrors these poor crea tures must endure in their transit across the ocean. I regret to say that most of this misery is produced by our own countrymen, they furnish the means of conveyance in spite of existing enactments; and although there are strong circumstances against Berry, the late master of the "Pons," sufficient to induce me to detain him, if I should meet with him, yet I fear neither he nor his employers can be reached by our present laws. He will no doubt make it appear that the "Pons," was be yond his control when the slaves were brought on board. Yet from the testi mony of the men who came over from Rio as passengers, there is no doubt the whole affair was arranged at Rio between Berry and Gallano before the ship sailed. These men state that the first place they anchored was at Onin, near the river Lagos, in the Bight of Benin; here they discharged a portion of their cargo, and received on board a number of hogs-heads or pipes filled with water. These were stowed on the ground tier, and a tier of casks containing spirits were placed over them. They were then informed that the vessel was going to Kabinda for a load of slaves. On their arrival at the latter place, the ' spirits was kept on board until a few day? ! before Berry gave up the command, cov ering up the water casks m order to elude the suspicions of any cruiser. For twen ty davs did Berry wail in the roadstead of jKabmda, protected by the flag of his country, yet closely watched by a for ' eign man-of-war, who was certain of his S intention; but the instant that cruiser is compelled to withdraw for a few hours, he springs at the opportunity of enriching himself and owner, and disgracing the flag which had protected him. As we are short-handed, I have ship ped those, men, much to their gratification who came out as passengers in the Pons from Rio to Kabinda, in order that their testimony may be taken, should Berry be in the United States on our return, and committed for trial. I have landed the balance of the prize crew here, with the exception of one who died of coast fever a few days after he came on board the ship. I have the honor to be, with much re spect, your obedient sevant, CHARLES II. BELL, Commander. To the Hon. George Bancroft, Secretary of the Navy. Indian Meal in Great rSrifaln. The Philadelphia United States Ga zette speculates in this wise on the intro duction of Indian corn among the English and Irish people: Well, when some thousand bushels of this 'Indian corn' reach the store-houses of England, and are thence distributed into the meal-tubs and kneading-troughs of the laborers, and the swelling heap shows a double quantity, for . the same cost, of ordinary flour or meal, who shall tell them of its use? Who shall say to the housewife, 'thus shalt thou mix the ma terial, and so shalt thou "mould the loaf? Who shall enter into the little laboratory of the Workingman's house, and lecture the practical chemist upon the affinities of salt and lard, hot water, and Indian meal and who will tell her how long she must submit her combination to the action of fire, that it may be for the comfort of her household? Also, she would be as igno rant of all the arts, parts, and process of that work, as were the uninitia'l f.-th Eleusynian mysteries. Some time after the introduction of tea into Massachucetts, a citizen from Cape Cod came up to Boston, to trade off hi3 fish.' The merchant persuaded him to take a pound of tea among other articles of household requirements. "I've heard of the article," said the Cape Cod man, "but how is it to be copked.'" "It must be boiled," said the merchant, "and is always used when company comes." . The tea was taken home, and it was resolved to be hospitable. Company was invited to spend the day. At dinner a fine piece of boiled beef, and another of good fat pork, with an accompaniment of potatoes and carrots, graced the table. "And now," said the host as he looked in triumph first to his wife, and then to his guests, whom he served bountifully with the viands before them, "nclp Mrs. Besstt to something from that dish." The pewter spoon was thrust into a dish of well boiled tea leaves, from which the water had been carefully strained, and each, from the architrichlinos down to the youngest guest, was served with a quantity of the Ceinese weed, real green Souching. "Taste of that," said the worthy host, "it is tea, such as the quality in Boston and Plymouth make such a fuss afjout." Each mumbled a little of the herbage, and carefully rinsed it down with cider, but none ventured to criticse the new addition to the dinner table. "Will yoy have some more, my dear?" said the good lady to the husband. "Not a leaf more that platefuil cost fonr and a sexpence, and if it were not for the name of tea, I would as 'lief have turnip tops tor my greens as that stuff.. It is monstrous hard chewing, and not over pa la table after all." And so, or even worse, it may be in England, with the corn meal of this country. It may be made up into form, or mixed in dilution, until poverty itself will grow sick of the ingredients. Would it not be well, as soon as the adoption by Parliament of Sir Robert Peel's plan shall be known, to send mes sengers on a mission of love and profit to England, to instruct housekeepers in the use of Indian meal? The new Eng land Envoy Extraordinary shall teach the people how to mix the rye and corn meal, and how to build the lofty "loaf of brown bread" how to mingle the milk, the molasses and the meal, (lusciou3 al literation) and to compose the "baked pudding." The messenger from Mary land would instruct in the formation of "pones," and he of Virginia lecture upon the composition and baking of "hoe cakes," and Souih Carolina instruct in the fabrica i ,n and ase of "johnny cakes. And thus the poor, meagre tribe, th't had shrivelled up on oat meal gru, or been drenched by sour flour and poisoned! ale, will grow rugged, red an rampant upon the blood-warming j'c! flesh-giving meal of maize. Tnen, the mountain brown loaf of Few-Enghnd would make the weaver cjo;" fcy 'hovr;H i?