dnf-- [The honorable gentleman, from physical debility, had been compelled to be seated while he spoke.] 1 will DO* ask for a conMuoar.ee to *ny other day, because 1 know that the time of Ihe Senate is ptecious. I can only say in rela 'iuti to this whole project, that it will rcagi ate *he country with the slavery question; that it is 1 think, contrary to the spirit of cur institutions to put money in the President's pocket. I sup poso to be sent to Madrid, for Mr. Preston to use in an emergency. 1 think it would be im- j proper, unjust, and ungenerous to our succes sors, who are to ratify the treaty, to take this advantage of them. I think it is an unfair way tif negotiation. 1 tbiuk it would injure Louisi ana above all the States in the Uuiou. 1 think that at this tiuio we ought to compact nr.d hind together and build up and strengthen what vre have. We ate young let the gristle grow into 'he bone; let us get our tnustles developed.— Let us feel strong before we enter info such a contest; let us cultivate the arts of peace, for "peace hath i's victories, no less reDowued than war." That would be my policy, nod 1 hope it will be the policy enforced upon the Presi dcui, by Congress. I u:u going to look for some sensible man ft-r the nut Presidency—a sound tuan, I would rather he had no platform; Ido not want to run him in blinds. 1 confess to you thit, in my opiuion, tny co!lea~ue (Mr. Crittenden) would, of all men ou the face of the earth, ruit me the best. If jou will give him a chance, I will ri.-k him upon my personal confidence, without laying down a creed of faith for Liiu to stand by; Ido not want to stand a man np*n a platform, or run bint in blinds. Best J.s, the pitiforiT.s are all nonsense.— j l*et me say to tny friend, tbe Senator from New York, if he should ever get to ba President, I ! want him to recollect that this platform busi ness is ali humbug, and when ho gets in power, to kick down the ladder Ly which he got there. .The two or three last platform Pros; Jen's we have had, when ibcy got iu the car of State and safely seated, all around, everywhere, you could see, "Jo uot stand oo the platform when the ears are in motion." [Laughter.] That is the way they manage it. There is always •otne emergency, or something to justify a de parture from it. Well, sir, 1 hope 1 shall be forgiven. I have leen to four or live conven tions myself, on account of Mr. Clay, ehieflv, and once, I believe, en account of my colleague, t'i keep kfn out of a scrape of some sort, and 1 know a good deal about them, h the time ! war, in politics, an 1 we dominant, I al *wva knew a hjUJ liinq before the convention came on who would be Governor. It used to be said that you never could koow who was "Governor uutil the vleotiou was over; but it •v.is all lised up—ali done in advance. I wish j i he country to get on prosperously, and peace fully an l gloriously, without any 'slavery agi tation. I want a man of sound heart and sound hc.d, who will administer the government with (bat view. I can say for myself, as was said by tbe immortal Webster, that i trust it will be ouc and undivisible, now and forever; and •hat the Gou who ovoirules us and guides us now, as heretofore, and as 1 hope for ages to co*, will o slnpe oar ends that all will ro suit in good. BEIIFORFTN Q tJIKERr 32DF0PJL JPrlday Hurnfng. .March 4 1559- ; 9-.OVER-Gditor and Proprietor. OUR TAXES The Gazette of last week has a long and li boreo article, attempting to fasten on the op positiou the causo of 'he present indeb'edness of tbe County. It. won't do. The people know too well what party has had the almost uninterrupted possession of Bedford County for tbe last ten or fifteen years. That paper i tlempts to show that a! the time some of tbe money was borrowed, tie opposition hid the board of Commissioners. It i< well known that it was very rare that we bad tbe board one year. lbs debts vrvro contracted, aud tbe money caused to be borrowed by the preceding boards of Locofoco Commissioners. That pa per takes great credit cn account of the debt beiug reduced in 1856. In the first part of the year we bad tbe boerJj *nd tbe redaction was caused by the American board, hefoio the resignation of Mr. Long. That paper says that '-in two years, (1857 and 1858,) Me Dem ocratic commissioner % reduced the funded debt of the county nearly §2,000!" In the next sentence the G'zette says that "in the early part of 1858, the commissioners tare compelled to borrow §SOOO/ ' This is rich! reducing tue Junded debt nearly §2OCO, and then increasing it in the same tuns §SOOO/ making it over §3OOO more than it was before reducing if. nearly §2ooo' This is Locofoco logic! The Gazette rheuki have a leather medal awarded it af the n-xt meeting of the ''-.oirugeo society" for its reasoning—it unkea U out as clear mud that by running I. deb' §SOOO and paying off near ly §2OOO its party is paying off the County debt which Loeofcwoistu bar created. That pa per rays that the expenses of tbe county are wot so great now c* they havo heretofore been, not withstanding the repairs of the County build ings cost several hundred* e r ery year, the "miseelLnccttt'' many hundreds, &c., yet THE L"ecfoeo Couinmsioaers HAY* INCREASED < iJtiE TVSCR FO* TBK NEXT YEAR NEARLY ' OOL'RLK, AND IN HOME CA-ES WK BELIEVE MURK YUAN DOUBLE. 1 If the County exptu- M'f are nut so great as formerly, why increase tbe taxes for the next yoar double the amount ? other-years* That's the question, M L lOoCoCiH. Ihc IVavy Yard Corruption. We publish tc-day from the JV. Y. Tribune, a lengthy article on the recent Rejmrt of a com mittee iu Congress iu relation to the gross frauds of tbe Loccfoeo party, at the Philadelphia and New York Navy Yards. It will be seen that Mr. Buchanan aud J. GLmcy Jones, are aeri- i ously implicated. At New York, on the first of May last, about 1300 meu were employed. Iu November there were 2400. At Philadel phia, on the Ist of May last, about 1100 men were employed. On the 16ib of October, there | were over 1700. In both ccses, these aggre gates were reduced after the elections to the or dinary standard, thu-> proving conclusively why tbe numbers wero temporarily doubled. There is no su'-h ratio of increase at any of the other yards. The Democratic organs wilt have plenty of work to do, after this report is xeposed It brings to light many of tbe frauds practiced. We shall next wet k putli-h several extracts from tbo Report of Messrs. Sherman and Ritchie. Our youngfriend from Woodberry, who pub lishes a long communication of over two mor tal columns iu the BLir County Wli'g. ovar tbe signature of "Fair Pky," Lad letter k; rp cool, as it is a long tio (V nl j j aV(t _ aud it Will be longer yet until ho gets Middle Woodberry attached to Blair. Ilis communi cation might have Icm condensed within a , squatc, and if he had had reference to facts, two or three lines would have amply sufficed, and then there would have been less rocut for so many blunders, truthful, grammatical, typo graphical, 4. We repeat, keep cool, r, is no use making yourself so unnecessarily warm so long before the hot weather. RELIGIOUS REVIVAL.— A great revival of religion is in progress in the Lutheran Church in this place. For the past ten days the Church has been crowded, md the benches around tbe altar are throtigel nightly by many anxious and I pen.UcOt mourners, and the spirit appears to he [ still on the increase. Many have professed con version. Rev. Sam'! Yingiiug of that Church has sustained all tbo arduous labors of tbe oc casion, until the last night or two, when the as sistance of Itev. F. Benedict, of Somerset for ' mer pastor of that Church, and Ilcv. Mr. S-.i --fert of Woodberry, were secured. LOCOFOCO-LIKE. —The present Locofoco House of Representatives, uavo, iu their ex treme anxiety, to reduce the expenditures of the government, passed an Act, that no future ; Congress shall be entitled to mileage! This is j good so far as it goes. But why did the ptev ent Congress, a large majority of whose tr.etu- ; hers are Locofoeos, pass an ..let to repeal the mileage of memb-rs, of future Congresses but con tinue it for themselves? This is Loovfccoism i with a vengeance. We would like to hear the opinion of the Gazette on tbo subject. We have received a communication from a friend in one of the South eastern Townships,i informing us of the conversion of oue of the delegates of the late Locofoco meeting. The people won't belong to a party that is guilty of such frauds as those of Kansas, and of such as have been proved en Mr. Buchanan aud his Sec retaries. We notice that a bill has been introduced inio the Legislature for the purpose of selling the Poor House property, and purchasing another. Mr. Sehell, of the Senate, and Wil liams and Walker, of the House, have offered a Dumber of remonstrances against the dis memberment of oar County. We intend to commence in our next, a story headed "The Guntnaker of Moscow," the con tinuation of which will be found in the New York Ledger of thl 19:b March, inst. Un less our readers will get the Ledger of that date, it will be of no account to them. PETERSONS' COUNTERFEIT DETECTOR for Mireb has come to hand. It contains a list of seventy new counterfeits since the last issue.— It is the best Detector puhlisbed in the couo try. • BEDFORD FOUNDRY. — We call the tte&- tcntion of our readers to thu advertisement of Messrs. Shires & Jordan. Persons in wan: of anything iu tbe foundry business, will do well to call on them Attention is called to the advertisement of Juhn Alsip, K-q., iu to-day's paper. The Sheriff has a good assortment of goods, and sells them eheap. Our friend, S. S. WHARTON, ESQ., of Hunt ingdon, will be a candidate for Auditor Gene ral, before the next People's Convention. He would make a good officer. OCR MUSICAL FRIEND. —We call atteution to the advertisement in another column, of this popular musical work. Our advertising columns are rioh this week in land vales, &o. Seo ihctn. The Post Office has been removed this week to the tore of Messrs. Fergusou & Co. Foi the inquirer. OUR COMMON SCHOOLS—NO 1. Mr. EDITOR:- I am now neatly through vis iting the schools for the present term. I de sire to say a few things in regard to theui. If you give tue a little room in your paper, 1 will ; furnish u few short articles on ths subject. BEDFORD IMDUIRSR. Pet baps ihey will bo interesting to many of your reader*. 1 do not wish to trouble you or atiy person else, will an extended detail of statistics, and therefore would merely remark that there are oue hundred and seventy-nine schools in ihe couuty at this tiiuc. Two hundred and iweu ty-eight applicants were txaiuiued during the term. Two hundred and eight certificates were issued, uiauy of which were of the lower grades. Some of these were employed from necessity and uot fiorn choice. Iu some districts better teachers could not be obtained for tho wages offered, and in others, better ones could rot bu tiad at all. The staudard of the teachers' qualifications was raised a little higher than it was last year, requiring a little more to gat as good certificate. The schools throughout the county, wherever I was able to visit them, have been doing better this term than the last, with only two or three exceptions. The signs of general improvement ate begiuuing to be seen in mcny piaees. Teaehers' institutes are regularly Leld in most of the districts, for pur poses of mutual improvement; a disposition to ' build better school hcuse, and employ better teachers, is showing itself, and in many places there is a more geueral waking up to the claims aud responsibilities cf the subj-ci. One of ihe true principles of political econo my is, that every State should educate its own Cuiidreo, or at Last Svc tint they are educe tod. This is nothing uiore than carryiug out the pricciplo that calls for every goverumcut to establish laws fcr the protection cl life and property, and the punishment of crime. It is j not difficult to see that u good ecbooLlwue?; j well occupied, is worth much mote than any ' jail or any code of penal laws, as a preventive ! of vtce und wickedness. The legislation of our State has hitherto acknowledged this prin ciple, aud has acted upon it, especially so dur iug the last twenty five years, llcaee educa tional means, fully able to accomplish tho pur poses for which they are designed, have been liberally provided. The qjcstiju then forces itself upon the uiind: Are the common schools of our county, us they are now organized, ac complishing the purposes of their iiistitutiool that is, do they give thorough elementary in struction and proper moral training to the children of the people? I ani sorry to say that tLit question canuot be answered fully and sat isfactorily in the affirmative. It is true that much, very much has been accomplished al ready, aQd the stand* d of the schools is high er now than at any time in their previous his tory; aud, as a general thing, they were better taught, and more thorough instruction was giv en during the past scstiou than ever before; and, though more interest was taken in their succcess, Uy directors ami parents, ibaa for merly, aud though it is acknowledged that the interest is increasing, and the tendency is up wards, yet all this does uot bring us up to what we ought to he. We are so far back 1 There is room for great improvements. Much must be done before wo can enjoy the full benefits cf our school system. It is said, by competent judges, to be oDe of the best iu the world,'yet there are many persons who object to it in it* proflcnt form, and would obj'-ct to it la'any other form. Those are not wanting who ob ject even to the laws of God. It is true, there may be some things to object to iu the present system, but whatever these objections uiy be, tuey bear no comparison with the hiudeianccs to iis proper working, thrown in the wr. Hunter, which by him was sent to Tyler, Stone & Co., who became at once the purchasers for and the sellers to the Government. Tyler, Stone & Co. and Dr. Hunter fixed the price at §3 85 per tun. Tho testimony of utaoy witnesses establishes, beyeuud a reasonable doult, that the market value of such coal as was delivered to the Government would not exceed $3 50 per ; iun, and several respcclr.ble dealers would hare furnished the Government at that or a less price, and then made a profit. Ihe amount cf emoluments received by Dr. Hunter nnd di vided by him with Mr. Smith was at the rate of about §15,000 per annum. 11. Live-oak tinder, like ether in-Aerial for the Navy, is required by law to no purchased by contract with ihe lowest bidder ; but, un like other material, it is not kept on h.vnd in large quantities by dealers in timber. I: has, therefore, been the uniform custom of the Government to allow contractors from one to two years to furnish the supply needed, unless the exigencies of the service demand tu im mediate supply, in which case it may be bought in open purchase. Mr. W. O. N. Swift, a whaler cf New-Bed ford, Mass., had, piior to 1844, been contrac tor for the supply of iive-onk and other tim ber for the Government. In 1854, Le entered into a written agreement with Gorge Plitt of Philadelphia, au intimate friend of President Buebanan. by which Plitt agreed Jo aid Swift all he could in obtaining lire-oak contracts with tho Navy Department; for which Swift was to pay to Piitt ten per cent oa the gioss amount of the contracts made. Pending tLe Presidential election of 1856 Piitt introduced Swift ;o Mr. Buchanan. Piitt himself, at the time, was Treasurer of the Democratic State Committee of Pennsylvania, aud, as such, re ceived from Swift the euni of $16,000, to he used in the pending election. Mr. Buchanan was informed, before the election, that Mr. Swift was an Old Lioe Whig who lad come over to his party, and was taking active part in the election ; and he was subsequently inform ed cf the amount contributed by Swift. Plitt also introduced Swift to Mr. Secretary Toacey, telling him that Le was a very warm friend, who had contributed very liberally toward the election of 1856, and who had a Lumber of Old-Line Whig friends io Massachusetts who were equally liberal, end that such gentlemen, of course, "ought to Le patronized." The result cf these introductions and these ; interviews with the President and the Secretary \ of the Navy was, that in 1857 contracts for j live-oak were awarded to Mr. Swift to tic amount of $32,9-40. And in 1858, by a scries of artful aud fraudulent maneuvers, which : aro fully and clearly set forth in the report of : the Committee, it was contrived that Mr. Swift : should get a further contiact for 150,000 fee;' cf timber, amounting to §166,700, aboui j $25,000 more than it would hove cost the Gov ernment if tho contract had been houe-tly aud properly offered to public competition, without the disgraceful favoritism which the testimony proves to Lave been practised. 111. The investigation into the condition of ■ tho Brooklyn Navy Yard disclosed, in the i Grst place, the fact that the patronage of the Yard was systematically divided uuiong the Democratic members of Congress from N. York. Thus, the constructive engineer, the master plumber, aod the master block-maker, repre sented Mr. Sickles ; the master paioter repre sented Mr. Searing ; the master fpar-iuaker, ; master blacksmith, and timber inspector, Mr. M.clay ; rd. In the general division of pt rouage, Liwruooc Coiiuue was appointed master carpenter upon tbc nomination of Mr. Haskio. i He was removed on tho 9ih of Jano, 1858, on account of Mr. Huskin'a anti-Lecomptonisin Alexander Ward, the master laborr, repre sented Mr. Ulurk, and in May, IBSS, after Mr. Clark had taken his position upon the Kansas question, Ward resigned, to avoid being tura od out. This system, Mr. Sherman justly remarks, has reduced the Navy Yard to a uiero political machine, were idleness, tbeft, insubordination, fraud and gross neglect of duty prevailed to an alarming degree. Members of Congress took a scandalous interest io the appointmont of the lowest workmen, sometimes pressing ap pointments upon the master workmen, as a re ward for {.artisan services, without regard to the qualification or character of the applicaut. For example, Mr. Jobo Cochrane, ou Juue 13, 1857, wrote thus to Mr. Cohauc, Mr. Hiskin's master carpenter. "Mr. Ooliano : Mr. Culleu tells me that you arc to lake men ou Tuesday ; now I ask you to take him on and the others I have asked y-iu to take on. I will have my proportion of men under you. If you do not glue them, I will lodge charges against you." He also wroto in similar style to the master blacksmith. Iu another case, Lewis W. Berry, the master painter, discharged a man for habitual drunk enness, who had been appointed upon the rec ommendation of Mr. John Kelly. Mi. Kelly requested that the man be taken on again.— Berry demurred, telling Kelly that the aim wi a diegraoe to tbc service. Kelly said he could not help that—the man must go io work again. Berry stilt refused. Upon which Kelly tuld biru. "Yon tniy set it down as a fnot that 1 ' will have you removed if 1 oan." And he *as removed two or three months afterward, Mr. Kelly having applied fir bis removal! Mr. Kel ly, the report stutes, testifies that Le did not know the man was a drunkard. It appears from the testimony that it was by order of Mr. Secretary Toucey that the patron age of the Navy Yard was divided among the members of Congress. Under date ot July 30, 1858, Mr. Toucey wrote to Cora Kearney, the Commandant of the Navy Yard, telling him that Mr. Sickles had complained of the master joiner because he had not employed, under him, a single perenn from his district. And the Secretary directs the Commodore "to inquire into aud report upou this matter." "Vety ex traordinary business," remarks Mr. Sherman, "on which to iiett.il a a officer of the highest rank known in the N vy t f the United Stutes." 'i Le Commodore, iu reply, transmitted to the Department a letter frcat the master joiner, who justified himself for cot accepting the rec ommendations of Mr. Sickles Ly saying, that "m nine cases cut of tcu the men who are most strenuously recommended are very indifferent hands, many of whom cannot obtain enipb y uient from private employers." Abuses of the grossest nature are shewn to exist in the other civil departments of the Navy Y urd, especially iu those of the Navy Agent and Naval Storekeeper. Similar abuses rxist aiso at ine Diiilalelpbiu Navy Yard. Bir, one of the most flagrant viola-ions of law and of propriety rai disclosed by the inquiry into the contracts ferine tn ohinery of the steam sl.-ps of-w ir directed to be Luii; Ly the Act of June, 1858. Ou the 26th of July, sealed proposals were invited Ly toe Secretary of the Navy lor the machinery of these Vessels. litis were ac cordingly sent iu by in< s* of the leading marine engine-builders of the U. States. For the largo sloop at Philadelphia ibtre were seven Lids, tb3 lowest being trcm the Novelty Iron Hoiks of tbi> ciiy, offering to uo the work for SOB,OOO. Merrick & SUN of PLiledelphia of i'ered to do it for §102,000. Before tue Seo reUry Lad passed upon any of the bids, Col. • o'. Patierscn of Philadelphia wrote, under -t-.ecf Sept. 13, 1858, to Mr. BucLauen the following lettert PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 13, 185 S. "DEAR SIB: 1 veniura to suggest to you the importance of -..warn,eg the contracts for the machinery of tie sloop, caw building at (he! Navy lard at tins Uy.e, and, if ir can Le done ! without prejudice to the public service, to sler- ' ri-k & Suns, 't Lc-;r is '.Le only estaiiLLiaen: in the F rit D. strict which employs a large j BUtiberof tnecL; nice—t; this time,*39o: when iu fell work, 450. "The managing parterre (Mr. M, sr., being absent ia Lai health,) are tali cf energy, strain ing every L.rve tc keep their force dining this depression, and, in so tar BS I knew, the only old Whigs cf any influence in that District who are in le\or of the re-election cf Cel. Flor ence. "1 know, from former experience, the value cf that influence, r.d feel persuaded that i; is the interest of ths Dem emtio party to increase "ihe First District will, 1 hope, be carried in ony event, hut with that simp at woik, fuli hao led, two weeks prior to the election, the re suit would I think, to placed beyond sil doubt. ♦•'.VitL rcoeb respect, W. C. PATTERSON. "THE PRESIDENT." The President sent this precious document I to the Secretary of the Navy with the following I indorsement: '•rue i;icio3ed letter, from Uoi. Patterson of ; Philadelphia, is submitted to the attention cf I the Secretary of the Navy." -J. S." Mr. Sherman's Report puts this trrruaotioa j in its true light: "It is the duty of the Secretary to determine 3 which of the bidders was the "lowest responsi- j Lie bidder," and to award to him the contract. It is a judicial act. The rights of parties un der the law, aud the rights of the Uovornmeut, ' were involved ia the award. Any suggestions : of fact or motive, except those which would en- ! able the SecreUrry to adjudge which of the com- i poiing bidders was ths lowest responsible one, was improper. The Secretary was the subor dinate of the President, holding offiie at bis pleasure, naturally controlled by bis wili; and | by law he is frequently required to award and j adjudge without regard to the President—(De- j catur agt. Paulding, 14 Pet., 515; 6 How., j 101-2.) Under these circumstances the Presi- , deut suggested to the Secretary, and in writing ! called bis attention to the importance of award- ! ing oue of the contracts for machinery to Mer- ' rick & Sons, in order to tecuro tho potent po- j litical influence of that firm :u favor of the re- j election ot Col. Florence, and thus place the result of tho election iu his District beyond doubi, anJ generally to iucrcvso the influence of that firm, mat a might be exeroised in i%vox of the Democratic pariy. ' It the President Lad suggested to a Judge of me U. S. Courts that he render a judgment in favor of cnc of the parties litigant in a o-.ua:; p.tiling before him, because that judgment would aid m the election'of a parly favorite, or would contribute to the success of the Dem ocratic party, the general video of the people I would demand Lis impeachment. Is it a less ! serious offense wheu this suggestion is made by ! the Piesidunt to the Secretary of the Navy? ! Too Judge is beyond be power of the Presi dent; the Secretary is within his power. Each is required to perform judicial fuuctiou*. Tiie suggestions by the President of currupt motives to either is equally dangerous, and is uioro like ly to succeed with au officer whoso teuure of office is the will of tho President. "The terms of the note of the President could not to misunderstood by a subordinate. No ono can read the letter aDd note without a conviction that the inducement in the letter was regarded by the Prcsideut as a proper ouo to bo submitted aud to require the uift-iition cf the Secretary. Thus indorsed, the corrupt motive suggested would decide tbc nward with out regard to cost, nuiess the Secretary evinced a higher reuse ot public dutv thin tns superi or." it is needless io add that Merrick & Sons got the contract; though the most extensive work shop of the kind in tho country had offered to do tho work for S4OOO less than MeriLck & Buns. Is it possible that the American people arc so desdoned to official corruption that they can contemplate with insensibility and indifference revelations like these? ! TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IS WASHIGTON. Philip Barton Key Shot Dead on Penn sjlratiia ifinue, BY DANIEL E. SICK ELS, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM NEW YORK ' WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.— Philip B a . ton Rev j U. 8. Attorney for the District of Columbia's gentleman cf high social standing, and louJ a resident of Washington, was killed to-day by Daniel E. biskeD, member of Congress f ro i New York. ! Many differt-ut rum- rsare circulating 'egard : iiig the tragedy, but nil coceur in he followine | facts: ' ® About two o'clock ibis afternoon, the deceas ! Ed wa atandiDg on Pennsylvania Avenue, ffi the neighborhood of Lafayette Square, and near j the residence ot Sickles, conversing wiih Mr/ . Lu.terwcr-. j, whefi Mr. Siokcis approached uud ; exc,aimed, "D—-