@he Democratic Aatchman.
VOL. 7.
BELLEFONTE, THURSDAY MORNING, JAN. 23 1862.
NO. 3.
IWisgellaneous,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Remarks of Mr. Daves, of Massachusetts in
the House of Hemessulatives, January
The House resumed the consideration of
the amendment reported to the House from
the Committee of the Whole on the State of
the Union to the Civil Appropriation bill.
Mr. DAWES (Mass.) said :—Mr. Speaker,
though I have spent the better partof my
Congressional life upon investigating com-
mittees, no one was ever yet raised upon my
motion, no resolution was ever carried upon
my motion calling for inquiry, no motion
was ever made by me, the result of which
has been an investigation by this House, and
yet I have felt that it was proper for me to
speak, in order to decline the service that
has been imposed upon me. But I felt again
that it was incumbent upon me to discharge
my duty as well as I could, and I have, I
think, discharged it fearlessly and cheerfully,
however much mortification and discomfit-
ure might come from it.
Sir, 1 have not appealed to minorities, and
I believe that the Committee of which I am
ane, have taken notice, in common with the
whole country, of tte fact, that for some
reason or other, some unaccountable reason,
the charges upon the Treasury of the coun
try have been such as to reach nearly to its
bottom, Positive facts have come to the no-
tice of the Committee of the country, touch
ing the manner and mode of the expenditure
of the public money. To some of these
items I propose to call the attention of the
House, in this connection, and then to ask
whether they propose to meet the question
at all, and if they intend to meet it, how,
and when, and where.
Sir, the very first contract entered into by
this Government, whien the troops left their
homes in April last, to come here for the de-
fence of the capital, was the contract by
which they were to be fed. It wasa con-
tract for cattle, not with men whose business
1t was to furnish cattle, not the men who
know what the price of beeves is in the mar-
ket, and entered into without even telegraph-
ing to New York, to know the prices of
beeves in the na ket there ; entered into by
the Government here, with men known to
this and the other branch of this Congresss,
for the last ten years as old political stipen-
diaries—men who have made what little they
have made by buying the salaries of members
at a discount, and then drawing from the
Treasury the full amount.
2200 head of cattle was the amount of the
contract. In twenty. four hours after it was
given, it was sub-let to men in New York
who did not know the price of beef; so sub-
let that on the tirst 2200 head of cattle they
put into their own pockets, without stirring
from their chair, $32,000, and the men who
did furnish the cattle, put $26,000 more into
their pockets, so that the contract under
which these 2200 head of cattle were fur-
nished to the army was so made, that the
profit of $58,000 over the market price was
realized upon that small number.
Tt takes a thousand head of cattle longer
to reach the city than it does to consume the
same number by the army. The most am
ple provisions are needed merely to support
tne subsistence department of this army.
Sir, a million. shoes have already been
worn out by the army, and a million more
have been already manufactured. Now, up-
on every one of these shoes there has been a
waste of seventy-five cents ; three quarters
of & million of dollars upon the shoes al
ready worn out, and another three-quarters
of a million upon the shoes already manu-
factured has beon worse than wasted in that
department of this Government.
Sir, there are horse contracts that have
been made, and Government officials go
about the streets with their pockets filled
with them, and of which they make presents
to some political friend to secure the political
doom of some other, while the telegraph au-
nounced that the hatchet of political animos-
ity is buried in the grave of public confi:
dence, while the national credit is crucified
among malefactors. We have just heard the
result of one of ‘hese contracts, A regiment
of cavalry has just reached Louisville, one
thousand horses strong. Oat of that thous-
and, a board of army officers has condemned
four hundred and eighty five as utterly
worthless ; that not one of them is worth
more than twenty dollars a piece ; that they
are afflicted with every kind of disease that
horseflesh is heir to. The whole four hun-,
dred and eighty~five cost the (Government
before they were mustered into the service,
$58,200, and it cost the Government to
transport them from Pennsylvania to Louis-
ville, over 310,000 more before they were
condemned.
There are now eighty three regiments of
cavalry in the service, each one thousand
‘strong, and it takes $250,000 to put one of
these regiments upon its feet before it moves,
and twenty millions of dollars have thus
been expended upon these cavalry regiments
before they left the encampment in which
they were gathered and mustered into the
service, They came here, and then they are
sent off here and there to spend the winter.
Many of these horses have been chained to
trees, and there they have absolutely been
starved to death. I can take you along
within the District of Columbia and show
you the bones and the carcasses of these
horses, with the posts to which they have
been chained, and where they bave pined
away and died, until the Committee on the
District of Columbia have called for legisla-
tion on the subject.
One more instance. In addition to the
arms in the hands of the six hundred thous-
and soldiers in the field, there are outstanding
contracts to-day made with private individ-
uals, not made omradvertisements, not made
with the knowledge of any other man, but
made with ex-members of Congress who
know no more about arws than does a Meth-
odist Minister, with ex members of Con
gress, and their fathers, mothers, sisters and
brothers ; there are outstanding contracts
for the manufacture of Springfield muskets,
the first one of which cannot be delivered in
six months from this day. Springfield mus-
kets, 1,092,000, at twenty one dollars a
piece, while the Springficld musket is made
at the Springfield armory for thirteen dol-
lars and fifty cents.
An ex-member of Congress i8 in Annapolis
to-day, trying to get machinery manufactur-
ed. which cannot be made in six months, by
which to make these muskets at twenty-one
dollars a piece. Before those six months
have passed away, we will have disposed of
the war or it will have disposed of us.—
There will nct one of these muskets come
back here before this exigency will, in the
providence of God, for good or for evil, be
on us. ‘There are also outstanding contracts
for the manufacture, some time hence, of
272,000 Enfield Rifles.
The gentleman from New York charges
me with desiring to blacken men’s names. —
I desire to call the attention of the House to
the enormous expenditure which is beng
carried on, nd it don’t make so much differ-
enc whether it be by A or by B. I speak
by the figure, Mr. Speaker, and I know what
I am saying. Twenty millions of dollars
was appropriated by Congress, at its last
session, and Seventeen millions more have
been added to it, which will have to be paid.
Sir, the riot of the 19th of April. in Balti-
more. opened this ball. From the 21st of
April, there was o ganized a corps of plun-
derers on the Treasury, and two millions of
dollars was put at the disposal of a poor nn-
fortunate man, I think an entirely incompe-
tent editor of a paper in New York, to use
it as hecould, And he went straightway to
the purchase of linen pantaloons, and straw
hats, and London porter, and dried herring,
and such like provisions for the army, until
he used up $240,000 dollars of tLe money,
and got scared, and quit.
(A voice.) It was $390,000.
Mr. DAWES, resuming.—It was $390,000
my friend says. I prefer to keep on the low
figures.
Again, a man has got a wood contract, at
$7 a cord, for all the wood he chooses
to bring. He goes into the forests, and he
takes the Government wagons and horses to
draw it to the several camps. Ile draws his
$7 a cord, and lets the Government draw
the wood. (Laughter.)
One hundred mtllions of dollars have been
spent since the first of December, and an-
other hundred million dollars will be spent
before the 4th of March.
But sir, I care very little what it may cost
to put down this Rebellion, provided it may
be put down, But I am free to confess that
my faith sometimes fails. my faith in man,
not in God. Sir, when the history of these
times shall have been written, it will be
doubtful upon whom the guilt shall rest,
upon him who has spared to destroy, or upon
him who has proved incompetent to preserve
the institutions that have been bequeathed
to us by our fathers. Sir, is1t strange that
the public treasury trembles and staggers
like a strong man loaded wtih too great a
burden. :
How soon will it be before the bottom of
the Treasury is reached by this exhansting
process, while we have no revenue from our
custom houses, from our land sales: while
our notes of issue which the Government has
sent out are already sold at 5 per cent. dis-
count at the tables of the money changers,
and at 6 per cent., my friend says, and the
sutlers are following the army to seize the
pay of the soidiers as the shark follows the
ship on its voyage. I have no desire to crit-
icise the movements of the army, or criticise
its operations, but in view of the stupendous
drafts upon the Treasury, how long will it
last * The longest road has an end, and the
deepe-t well has a bottom.
It is impossible for this stage of things to
continue sixty days longer, or we will have
an ignominious peace.
Again, the Secretary of Treasury, m July
last, said it would cost $200,000 to execute
the engraving and printing of the bonds and
Treasury Notes, and =ow it not only bas
cost $200,000, but $350.000, and another
$100,000 is asked for. We should like to
have the question answered before the money
is paid.
I have here an amendment which I wish
to offer to the bill, and I hope it will be
adopted.
For the necessary experses of carrying
into effect the act of the 17thof July, 1861,
and in addition to the appropriations made
by this act, $400,000, provided that no part
of this appropriation shall be used in pay-
ment or liquidation of any sum, due under
existing contracts for engraving and printing
bonds or notes.
Mr. BAKER (N. Y.) reviewed the financial
condition of the Treasury. and advocated the
passage of a tax bill straightforward in its
object—to realize a hundred million of dol-
lars. Three fourths of this amount can be
collected from the loyal States, which will
cheerfully pay, rather than to submit to
bankruptcy ; the remainder can be collected
in the disloyal States six months hence. In
addition to this, Treasury notes should be
made a legal tender, bearing a small inter-
est. He was in favor of Commissioners be-
ing sent to Europe to negotiate & loan.
He would amend the Excise bill so as to
relieve commerce of some of its burdens.—
The restoration of the Government credit
was of more importance thun a battle on the
Potomac. It was with pain and humihation
he admitted the fact that the credit of the
Government had sunk so low in the payment
of its just debts, that it cannot purchase its
immense supplies at the market rates, and
the Quartermaster at New York is so be-
sieged by public creditors, that he has been
obliged to post a notice that he had * no
funds.” He wished to restrict the business
of Congress for the present, to the considera-
tion of military, naval, and financial affairs,
and hence advocated the postponement of the
bill before the House until the second Tues
day in February.
Mr. SEDGWICK (N. Y.) replied to Mr.
Dawes, in vindication of the Treasury De-
partment in contracting for the engraving
and printing of the Treasury notes.
Mr. DAWES offered an amendment ap
propriat ing $150,000 for this service, in ad-
dition to the former appropriation, provided
that no part of it shall be applied in the pay
ment or liquidation of any sum due on any
existing contract for engraving and printing
Treasury bonds or notes.
This was agreed to—yeas 95, nays 44
Mr. STEVENS (Pa.) in reply to an inqui-
ry put by Mr. Wickliffe, said he could see
no necessity for the appropriation mn this
form with the proviso, as it looked to a new
contract, while the old one was unsatisfied.
Mr. Dawes said the contractors were to
receive $500,000, and having already receiv-
ed $200,000, they can wait.
Mr. Dawes moved a similar proviso to the
next item, appropriating $100,000. Adopt-
ed.
The House, by a vote of 34 against 106,
rejected the amendment reported from the
Committee of the Whole on the State of the
Union, suspending the appropriation of
$178 000 for the survey of the Atlantic and
Gulf ; $100.00 for the Western coast, and
$11,000 for the Florida keys and reefs,
while the present rebellion existed, except.
ing such portion as the President may deem
necessary and important for blockade or
other naval and military purposes.
The bill was then passed.
On motion of Mr. Fenton, New York, it
was resolved that the Committee for the
District of Columbia be instructed to inquire
whetker Marshal Lamar has issued an order
prohibiting any Senator or Representative
from visiting the Washington Jail.
The House then adjourned.
——— pee
Waar A MARYLAND Lapy Dip.—The
Richmond correspondent of the Nashville
Union tells the following :
Not long ago I told you of the sufterings
of Miss Converse on her trip from Philadel-
phia, I have now to record another in-
stance of female heroism.
A young lady of Maryland, as gentle and
genuine a woman as the South contains, but
witha! a true heroine, has after braving
many hardships, recently arrived here.
Reaching the Potomac, she found a boat
and a megro to row it, but the negro refused
to attempt to cross, for fear, as he said, that
the Yankees might shoot him, Drawing a
pistol from her pocket, our heroiue told him
cooliv she would shoot him herself if he
didn’t cross. The negro quailed, rowed her
over to the Vii ginia shore and thus, uterly
alone, she came to her friends in Richmond,
with her petticoats quilted with quinine, her
her satchel full of letters, many of them con-
taining money, and with ro end of spool
thread, needles, pins and other little conven-
iences now so hard to get in the blockaded
South, The name of this heroine ought
not to be withheld from the historians. It
is Miss Nannie Webster. :
nel lA AA.
A kiss is the first prisoner that escapes
when a maiden unlocks her heart to her
lover.
Good Suggestions.
We deem it important at this time to pub-
lish a number of suggestions in regard to the
prevention of fires, which we commend to
the attention of housekeepers, tradesmen,
manufacturers and others. They are as
follows :
Keep matches in metal boxes, and out of
the reach of ctuldren,
Wax matches are particularly dangerous,
and should be kept out of the way of rats o:
mice. :
Be careful in making fires with shavings
and other light kindling.
Do not deposit coal or wood ashes in a
wooden vessel, and be sure burning cinders
are extinguished before they are deposited.
Never put fire-wood upon the stove to dry.
Never place ashes or a light under a stair-
case.
Fill fluid or camphene lamps only by day-
light and never near a fire or light.
Do not leave a lamp or candle burning
upon the steps of a stairway.
Never leave a candle burping on a bureau
or chest.
Always be cautious in extinguishing
matches and other lighters before throwing
them away.
Never throw a cigar stump upon the floor
or into 8 spit box containing sawdust, o r
trash without being certain that 1t retains no
fire.
After blowing out a candle, never put it
away on a shelf or anywhere else, until sure
that the snuff has gone entirely out.
A lighted candle ought not to be stuck up
against a frame wall, or placed upon any
portion of the wood work in a stable, man~
ufactory shop or other place.
Never enter a barn or stable at night with
an uncovered light.
Ostlers should never smoke pipes about
stables.
Never take an open light to examine a gas
meter.
Do not put gas,or other lights, near cur-
tains
Never take a light into a closet.
Do not read in bed by candle or lamp
light.
Place glass shades over gas lights in show
windows, and do not crowd goods too close
to them.
No smoking should ever be permitted in
ware-houses, especially where goods ary
packed or cotton stered.
The principle regis er of a furnace should
always be fastened open.
Stovepipes should be at 1 ast four inches
| from wood-work. and well guarded by tin.
Rags ought never to be stuffed into stoves
pipe holes.
Openings in chimney flues for stove-pipes
which are not usad, ought always to be se-
curely protected by metallic coverings.
Never close up a place of business 1n the
evening without looking well to the extin-
guishment of lights, and the proper security
of fires.
When retireing to bed at night, always
see that there is no danger from your fires,
and be sure that the lights are safe.
This is the season of the year when fires
are indispensable everywhere, and when the
short days and long nights render it necessa-
ry to burn lights for many hours.
The above suggestions, if carefully follow-
ed, may be the means of preventing numer -
ous fires, and thereby saving thousands of
dollars’ worth of property, as well as pre.
serving many valuable lives.
RHYMING 18 MEETING. —Old Dr. Strong of
Hartford, whose name is still a'praise in the
churches, had an unfortunate habit of say-
ing amusing things when he meant it not so.
As when he was presiding in a meeting of
ministers, and wishing to call in one of them
to come forward and preach he said :
«¢ Brother Colton,
Of Bolton,
Will you step this way,
Aud pray 2?
To which Mr. Colton immediately answer-
ed, without intending to perpetrate anything
of the same sort: -
¢ My dear brother Strong,
You do very wrong,
To be making a rhyme,
At such a solemn time.”
And then Dr. Strong added :
“I'm very sorry to see
That you're just like me.’
The good men would not for the world,
have made jests on such an occasion; but
they could plead the same excuse for the
rhymes, that the boy did for whistling in
school ; *¢ [ didn't whistle, sir; it whistled
itself.” :
ei
I~ A wag passing by a house which had
almost been consumed by fire, inquired
whose it was. Being told that it was a hat-
ter’s, “Ah!” said he, “then the loss will be
felt !»
ey AA A Ap ee.
0 A clergyman consoling a young wid-
ow on the death of her husband, remarked
that che could not find her equal. “I'll bet
Twill I" remarked the sobbing fair one.
about right.
Death of Prince Albert.
Prince Albert the husband of Queen Vic
torin whose death occurred rather suddenly |
on Sunday, the 15th ult., in London of gas- |
tric fever, was born at Rausnau, on the 26th |
of August, 1819. He was the second son of
Earnest Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha, whose
immediate personal superintendence: he re-
ceived an admiral education, which he com-
pleted by attending the University of Bonn
during three academical sessions. In July
1838, he visited England, in company with
Leopold, King of Belguim, and spent some
time at the court of the youthful queen, and
in November 1839, it was formerly announ-
ed to the privy council, by the Queen, that
she intended to form a matrimonial alliance
with Prince Albert. The secret had long
been public property, but was kept in sus~
pense by the decorus contradictions ot the
munisterial journals. The marriage was sol-
emnized Feb. 10, 1840 For the purpose of
rendering him perfectly independent, the
munificent personal allowance of $150,000 a
year was made to him by Parliament: Be-
side he was a field marshal, Knight of the
Garter, and other orders, colonel of the Fu-
silier Guards, and held a number of other
lucrative or honorary appointments. lle
was a man of refined taste, and an accom.
plished musician and draughtsman. For.
bidder by his position from interfering in
politics he occupied himself with superine
tending the education of his children. The
progress of the arts and sciences, and gene-
ral philanthropic subjects, such as the
dwellings of the working classes, sanitary
arrangements, &c., also engaged his atten-
tion He was patrom and president of nu-
merous charitable institutions, in which he
took a personal interest. As.President of
the Society of Arts, he was the chief pro-
moter of the gieat exhibition in 1851. He
was noted, in a country of scientific agri-
culturists, ror the spirit with which he
carried out agricultural experiments, and
his farming stock has been frequently exhi-
bited, end gained prizes. As a patron cf
art, Prince Albert has been particularly
active.
————— ee
Curtous,— Eight years .ago the wife of
John Lawbough of Pink Prairie, this county
died and was buried in that place. A short
time since it became desi-able to take up
and remove the remains of Mrs. L., and last
week Mr. D. L. Smith of this place, was em.
ployed to perform thelabor, The grave was
opened, and the coffin, which was in a state
of perfect preservation, was removed; but
before depositing it in the new place, it was
concluded to open it, especially, as it appear-
ed so uncommonly heavy. It was therefore
opened and the body of Mrs. L. was found
to be perfectly patrified ; every part being
as full and fair as on the day of her burial,
eight years ago, except the lower part of the
face and the hands which were partially de-
cayed. Her limbs breast and every part,
with the above exceptions, were solid stone,
and as fair and perfect as when she died. —
The soil of the grave was clay, and posessed
peculiarities discernable. This isan uncom-
mon case, and wi hal, a curious one. We
got these facts from Mr. Smith, the sexton.
—Gennesse (1ll.) Republican.
A Yankee and a Frenchman owned a pig
in co partnership. When the killing time
came, they wished to qivide the meat, The
Yankee was very anxious to divide so that
he could get both hind quarters, and persua-
ded the Frenchman that the way to divide
was to cut it across the back. The French-
man agreed to do 1t on condition that the
Yankee would turn his back and take the’
choice of pieces after it was cut in two The
Yankee turned his back acordingly.
Frenchman —Vich piece vill you have, ze
piece wid ze tail on him, or ze piece vat hain
got no tail?
Yankee—The piece with the tail on.
Frenchman—Zen by gar you can take him
I take ze ozer one.
Upon turning around, the Yankee found
the Frenchman had cut off the tail and stuck
it in the pig’s mouth!
A REFRESHING REVIVAL.—At a late revi-
val meeting one of the brethern became anx-
ious to pile the altar with mourners, and for
purpose left his seat and went among the con-
gretion personaly exhorting bis acquaintance
es to quit the error of their ways. Appro.
aching an individual who drawlingly talked
through his nose he began with:
“Don’t you want to go up?”
“Nay.”
“Don’t you want to join the church?”
“Nay.”
“What would you do if the Lord was to
come for you?’
“Well,” the sinner drawled out, “I’d
kill a chicken, cook some biscuit, and do
the best 1 could. Dent reckon he’d get mad
at that.”
He says, that to live single iS not only sin-
gular, but ‘agin natur, law, gospel, common
sense, snd—fun generally.” Jenking is
Pat Didn't Like to Say.
The Charleston Courier’s Richmond cor-
respondent gets oft the following :
Frequently the ladies are in the habit of
visiting the prisoners, but oftener from cis
riosity than sympathy. Another incident
is told of an encounter between scveral of
them and an Irishman.
It had become a matter of habit with’ ths
fair ones to open conversation with the very
natural inquiry, «“ where are you wounded 1
and accordingly when a party of three or
four the other day approached our cell they
launched out in the usual way. Paddy
made believe that he didn’t hear distinctly,
and replied, «“ pretty well I" thank yez'— °
W here are you wounded ? again fired away
one of the ladivs. Faith not badly hurt at
all I'll be ‘raveling to Richmond in a wake. »
Replied Pat with a peculiarily distressing
look as if he was in a tight place. Think-
ing that he was deaf one of the old ladies in
the back-ground put her mouth down to his
ear and shouted again, ** we want to know
where you are hurt 2” .
Pat evidently finding that1f the bombard-
ment continued much longer he would have
to strike his flag anyhow, concluded to do so
at once, and accordingly with a face as rosy
rs a boiled lobster, and withan angry king
of energy hz replied ;
*¢ Sure leddies, its not dafe that T am. but
since you are determined to know where I've
been wounded, its on me sate, the bullet en-
tered behind ov me breeches. Plase to ex-
cuse me feelings and ax me no more ques-
tions.”
I leave you to imagine the blushink con
sternation of the inquisitors and sudden lo-
comotion of the crinoline out the front door.
Since then Pat has been the hero of the
hospital, and receives any amount of female
visitors, for you know such a thing circu-
lates among the sex like quicksilver on a
smooth glass, but they bestow their sympa -
thics in silence and no more ask him, “Where
are you hurt?”
nl Ae nn.
Cure ror Frostep Feer.—It is said that
frozen feet can bo speedily and certainly cn-
red by being bathed and well rubbed by Ler-
osene or coal oil fora few times at night be-
fore retiring to bed. Several persons have
already tried 1t, all of whom unite in pro~
nouncing it an effectual cure, which, if thes
are correct, is an easy and cheap mode of get
ting rid ofa very sore and troublesome afflic-
tion* Those who have tried it say that the
feet should be well warmed by a hot stove
during and after application of the oil, and
it will certainly cffect a speedy cure.
——— pre
07 Within the past few weeks, some of
tha Southern cities have suffered from confla-
gration, to an extent without a parallel We
give below the most disastious fires, with
the dates of their occurence: —
Dec. 12—Charleston, $8,000,000
Dee. 17—(Greenville, Aa., 50.000
Dec. 22—Nashville, Tenn., 800.000
Jan. 1—Richmond, 65°000
Total. $8,915,000
RETURNED.—A negro boy belonging to
Daniel T. Hyde, Esq. of this city, who ran
away and went to Brooklyn with the Sixth
Regiment N. York volunteers, returned home
a few days since, begging pardon for his
faults and praying to be restored to the pro-
tection of his master. Ie represented his
treatment as being very harsh aud ‘far diff-
erent from what he was led to expect.— An-
napolis Rep,
r—— ee
LoxGeviry. —Récently died (on the 23d of
October, ) in East Bradford, Chester county,
Hamilton Ballentine, at the advanced age of
one hundred and one years. Hd was a na-
tive of Ireland, from whence he came at 83
years of age. Ie was remarkably hale, and
neither hearing nor sight failed him up te
the last. Ho: left behind him in this country,
in children, grand:childern and great-grand-
childern, eighty descendants.
07> A young man, named Levi Schocii;
hung himself, week before last, in the barn
of a gentleman residing near Freburg, Sny-
der county.
tee
07 All ofus who are worth anything,
spend our manhood in learning the follies
or expatiating the mistakes of: our
youth.
[7 As riches and favor forsake a
man we discover him to be a fool; bug
nobody cam find it out in his prosperi-
ty.
ll Qi sates
17= It is not the multitude of applause,
but the good sense of the applauders, that
gives value to reputation.
ree.
(= Always be as witty as you can with
your parting bow ; your last speech 1s the
one remembered.
rare
J7™ A certzin amount of upposition is a
greathelp to a man. Kites raise against
und not with the wind.
a
077 Was it the egg or the chicken that
first wade its appearance on this. terrestrial
| globe ?