Piue?r Festival at Ithaca. Wo were among tlio-e who attended the , Fe-t.v.il of the Pioneer and Historical A-so ciiitiou of the Susquehanna and Chemung : Valleys, on the 24th in.-t. at Ithaca : and we j are happv to be able to say that it was an oe- | caslon of very great interest. The people of Ithaca, through their loenl j committee, of which we believe Mr. FROST was j Chairman, bad taken great pains in perfecting ' the arrangement* for the meeting, so as to en- i sure a pleasant and agreeable time to all who , should unite in the festivities of the day, and it j is due to them to say, that they succeeded j most admirably in the undertaking. At 12 o'clock, (noon,) the grey headed pi oneers in attendance, together with large num bers of their descendants, were escorted from the Clinton House to the Town Hull, by the Ithaca Band and a splendid Military company, both of which organizations are an honor to that beautiful village. Arriving at the Town Hall, which was filled to overflowing with ladies and gentlemen, the following officers of the Association took their seats upon the sta id, viy. : President—Hon. XH'OL IIALSEY, of Triiiiiansburgh, Tompkins Co. Vice Presidents— PAUI.EY CORIRV, Bradford, Pa.; EDWARD TOMPKINS, N. V.; Hon. JOHN MCD>WEI.L, Chemung, X. Y.; ELDER DIMOCK, Susquehanna, Pa.; llou. O. 11. 1 IAKXTOW, Tioga, X. Y.; DANIEL QFIGG, Tompkins, X. Y.; As soon as the organization had been per fected, and after the band had played an ap propriate air, the Itev. Mr. SCHK.NCK, of the Dutch Reformed Church, of Ithaca, being in troduced to the audience came forward and of fered up a most impressive and beautifujly up propriate prayer for the blessing of God upon the occasion, and especially upon the old men who were present, and whose grey hairs indi cated with unerring certainty that they had well nigh finished the journey of life. The first b isiness in order was announced to be reports from the several counties, respect ing the decease of early settlers during the past year. To th : s call Mr PAULEY COIICRN responded for Bralford County, but said he had not come prepare 1 with any record of the deaths which had o etirrcd in his county. EO.VARD TOMPKINS, Esq., of Binghamton, resp aided for Broome, giving a list of thirty seven who had joined " the band of Pioneers" that had gone to the Spirit World previous to the former meeting at Binghamton Tins Obituary, record, which had been prepared with great care, and embracing as it did some interesting fact or incident in the life of each individual, is a document of very great inter est, and will he hereafter published. From the other counties nobody had come prepared to do justice to this most important feature in the objects of the Pioneer Associa tion ; and many were the regrets expressed at this inexcusable neglect. Next on the programme was the animal ad dress, which part of the performance was as signed to the Hon. ALFRED WELLES, of Ithaca, who acquitted himself in a manner that com manded the united applause of the large as semblage who had the good fortune to listen to him. The exercises at the Hall were brought to a close by the Benediction, which was pronounc ed by the Rev. Mr. REED, of the M. E. Church, when the procession was re-formed and march ed back to tlie Clinton House, where a sump tuous Dinner, prepared by the popular Propri etor of that establishment, was partaken of In ns many as could lind seats at the tallies. At the conclusion of the Dinner several matters of business were transacted, of which our notes furnish the following items. After considerable discussion, the first Wed nesday in June, 1858, was agreed upon as the time, and Montrose, Pa , as the place, for the next meeting of the Pioneer und Historical Festival. Mr. TOMPKINS, of Broome, moved a resolu tion of thanks to the people of Ithaca, for the hospitable reception which they had extended to the Pioneer Association on this occasion.— Unanimously adopted. On motion, Hon. WILLIAM JF.SSIP, of Montrose, was chosen President of the Association for the ensuing year. Mr. THOMAS BISHOP moved the appointment of a Committee by the Chair, consisting of one from each town in the County of Tomp kins, to report at the next annual Festival through a Central Committee, consisting of XICOL IIALSEV, CAI.RU B. DRAKE, and DANIEL (JIIGG, Ksq'rs., the time of the first settlement, and by whom made, in their respective towns ; together with such other information as they may deem interesting. The motion was adop ted, whereupon the Chair appointed the fol lowing Committee in pursuance of it : LEWIS B. CFRTIS, Dauby ; HENRY BROWN, Enfield ; THOMAS BISHOP, Lansing ; HARRIS A. WILLIAMS, Enfield ; SMITH ROBINSON. Dauby ; ROBERT H. S. HYDE, Caroline ; BKNG. (}. FERRIS, Ithaca ; MOSES CROWELL, Xewfield ; HENRY D. BAKTO, Ulysses. Mr. L. B. CIRTIS, of Dauby, moved the ap pointment of a Committee of three from each comity connected with the Association, to col lect facts and statistics of historical interest, and report the same at the next annual meet ing of the Association, at Montrose. We be lieve the selection of the-c Committees was l> ft to the friends of the cause in each of the coun ties, and we hope the matter will command early and prompt attention. Mr BKIIKE, of Owego moved a vote of thanks to the Hon. ALFRED WELLES, for the able and eloquent manner in which he had ac quitted himself as the Orator of the day ; and including in the same motion, a request that Mr. WELI.ES furnish a copy of his address for publication ; and the same was adopted. A number of ladies from Owego, Waver ly, Towanda. Ac., —among whom, —especially from our. own village—we recognized the Rep resentatives of some of the very earliest of the settlers of this place,—honored the occasion with their presence. Altogether the Festival was a good one—a happy re-union of the Old Pioneers and their descendanfs ; and we can truly say that we left Ithaca feeling that we had been fully com pensated for going over, and greatly profited by what we had seen tlnd heard.— Otrcgo Ga zette. Gov. HAMLIN of Maiuc resigned his office 011 Wednesday, and goes to Washington to take his place in the Senate. Joseph 11. W\l liams, President of the Maine Senate will per-1 form the duties of Governor until the next I election. i /:. V. GOODRICH, EDITOR. TOWAXDA : iTfpireiiiin Xtloruuii), lßaril) 5, 1837. funs*—One Dollar per annum, invariably in advance.— Four week* previous to the expiration of a subscription. notice mill be gireti by a printed m apper, and if not re newed. the piper will in all cases be steyped. - The Reporter will be sent to Clubs at the /al lotting extremely low rules : ( copies for #5 <>(> I \li copies for... s\'l 06 10 Copies for n (Ml [2O copies f0r.... 15 00 VIIVKKTISKMKXTS — For a square of ten lines or less, One Dollar for three or less insertions, und twenty-Jive cents for each subsequent insertion. ./08-WOKK— Erecuted with accuracy and desputch. and a re ismuible prices—with every facility for doing Books, Blanks, Hand-bills, Ball tickets, 4 - c. MUSKY may be sent by mail, al our risk—enclosed in an envelope, and properly directed, we will be responsible for its safe delivery. REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.— I The Re publican State Convention, for the nomination of Camli I'ur (kivernor anil other State officers, will he hehl at ll ii risburj; on Wednesday, the J",th otsMarch, 1557. Kach District will elect Delegates in.thc usual manner, e<|iial in number to its representation in the two house- of the State legislature ; and no person will lie entitled, by substitution, to represent a district in which he does not reside. t'HAKI.KS (IIBHONS, Chairman of State Executive Committee. a@*Tlie Legislature of this State adjourn ed on the 27th ult., to meet on Monday next. Ifay- We have no news from the Democratic State Convention, held at Ilurrisburg, on Mon day last. Various rumors are in cirenlatiou re garding Mr. Buchanan's cabinet, but we be lieve nothing is vet definitely known, except that CASS and Conn are certainly to have pla ces. Even GEANCY JONES is in doubt. The President elect finds that it is not an easy mat ter to satisfy everybody. CHENANGO AND XOKTII BRANCH CANALS.— The Owego Times in commenting upon the importance of a connection of these improve ments, remarks that the time has come for the comities of Tioga, Broome, Chenango, Madi son and Oneida to unite their entire strength for the completion of the Chenango canal down the Susquehanna,till it meets the North Branch at Athens. The Chenango when projected was not intended to stop at Binghamton but to be continued so soon as Pennsylvania would brinir the North Branch to the State Line, which occurred last summer. Now New-York has her duty to perform. The Chenango ex tends 07 miles, and cost the sum of $1,737,702, the distance between Binghamton and the ter minus of the North Branch at Athens in 38 miles. This ought not to cost over $<500.0(10 inasmuch as the Susquehanna connects the two points, and there are uo heavy grades.— A few locks are all that would be required. #3?" The annual examination of the several classes connected with the Susquehanna Col legiate Institute, will commence on .Monday the 9th of March, A M., ami continue till Thursday, 13th. The patrons of the Institu tutiou, and the public generally are invited to attend. STATE TAXES. —The Board of Revenue Com missioners are in session at Harrisburg, trying to fix a basis• of taxation for the next three years. They finally passed a resolution "that the total amount of taxes received and paid into the Treasury for 1856 should not be increased," by a vote of 18 to 6 ; and then postponed the further consideration of the resolution until Wednesday of this week. The Board have been delayed in proceeding with their business, in consequence of the returns from several coun ties not having been sent in to them. THE TARIFF IN* CONOKESS. —After hammer ing away at the Tariff fot more than two months, the House of Representatives, on Fri day last, passed the substitute of Mr. CAMV BEI.I., of Ohio, in lieu of the original bill re ported by the Committee, by a vote of 110 to 84. The Senate, however, will not pass the bill and Committees of Conference have been ap pointed. No agreement has yet been made, and the whole subject will probably fail. A PERSONAL LIBERTY RILL IN WISCONSIN. —A " Personal Liberty bill," relative to per sons claimed as fugitive slaves, has been pass ed by the Wisconsin Legislature. It directs trial by jury to be provided for persons claim ed, punishes false and malicious arrests of per sons as fugitive slaves with fine, and gives power to county courts to graut writs of habeas corpus. SriciDE.— Charles 11. Whippo, a medical cal student, aged 23 years, committed suicide in Philadelphia on Wednesday.—Cause love and spiritualism. A NARROW ESCAPE.— During the freshet in the Fox River, Illinois, a house was carried off from Aurora with a woman and child inside. They were rescued after floating some twenty miles. BST- Heavy rai- s in Northern Illinois on Tuesday and Wednesday created a sudden freshet in Rock River, whereby the Galena Air Line and the Illinois Central Roads were greatly damaged. I)R. KANE'S remains, were on the 24 tn es corted to the steamboat landing in New Or leans, by a grand military and civic procession, in which the municipal authorities, foreign con suls, Free Masons, etc., participated. Short Notes of a Hasty Trip To HA volty— .l IL/< del Stage-driver — Scenes at the Railroad Stations, by (J-as light—Pil grims to Washington — Svwliaig cars- -ITar rishvrg—Poor Dinners and High [Charges —O/ticial Celebrities—The Legislature, and our Members —Dig Tax—Dr. Kant —Miss Die —Candidates J\ r Governor—Military Convention —Adjournment af the Legislature. IIAKIUSBCKO, February 27,1857. Dear Reporter : —PEREGRINE'S compliments, and hopes that you may be rich as you are good. We have been below, and are to tell all about it. The " correspondents " always inform the papers that they started. Even Virgil particularly describes the incidents which befel his hero in getting down to the Shades. We began our trip doten by going ftp to Wa vcrley. Our horrid anticipations of mud and trouble were pleasantly dissipated by the chit chat of our stage companions. The air was balmy as May. Old Winter had really fallen in love with a very young Spring, and in the ardor of dalliance, not finding her at all coy, he forgot to be stern and grim. Ido pray, that her companions, the birds and buds, will not be silly, nor tempted to follow her too close ly, for the frost king is a moody old sprite,and will yet bluster and blow, and may coldly nip their young hopes. Now, I like an occasional stage-coach ride. "It minds me of departed days." It admits of friendly fellowship which the cars do not. Could we always have an agile, good-looking, whistling, singing, good tempered, kind-hearted and careful driver as JOHN - , we would not pine for the completion of the North Pennsylvania R. 11. By the way, has that great railway found its terminus be low the mountains, rather than at Sodus Bay? Or are all the North Branch improvements, like the Canal, to be a quarter of a century in the womb of time? At the Erie stations we found the black boards constantly consulted. Some trains were chalked as " on time," others two hours behind time, and others still as abandoned. At El mira w had some four hours' waiting for a train south. Having supped, we had time to study human nature by gas-light iu the depot. Our attention was first attracted by the bluster of a short, sleek, fat and fussy gentleman who was vexing himself by endeavoring to scatter a crowd of provoking urchins, who should have been in bed, but who were attracted to every crevice, peeping in every hole, in the telegraph office, to catch a glimpse of three returned Ca lifornians who had been arrested as pickpockets at this point, from some of the traius, by a lighter-fingered telegraph despatch. Need I stop to tell yon of the various faces and characters and postures which humanity exhibited in the rooms of that depot ? llow some slept—how some couldn't keep still ? Au old lady corning from a vi5T. Instead of the Corruption Committee Report the House begau this morning to consider the several appropriation bills, including the Ar my, Navy and others, which are passed with uncommon despatch. During the debate an exciting episode occurred, arising from the dif ficulty of Tuesday last, between tdierman of Ohio and Wright of Tennessee. About 12 o'clock, Wright, accompanied by Savage of Tennessee, walked over to the seat behind Sherman's, which is i ear the door, rather to the left of the Speaker. Wright' 's friends allege that be only went to speak with Air. Harris, of Maryland, in the rear of Sherman's, while, on the other side, it is asserted, Wright evidently had a purpose of iusulting Sherman, so as to provoke him to a duel. Mr. Sherman, acting on the impression, and thinking he saw or heard something in the conversation or mariner of IVright to confirm it, tossed a handful of wafers in the Tennes seau's face, thus throwing the responsibility of challenging on him—a resjxnisibility which previously was supposed to lie ou Sherman, iu consequence of Wright's imputation of false hood in the debate of Monday. Of course the wafers were not palatable, and a row ensued. Wright, it is averred, put his hand suspiciously in his left breast pocket, and Sherman sprung on and struck at him, but was seized by Wakeman of New-York 'Wright was simultaneously seized by Watkins of Tennessee, and Savage, and escorted to his seat. A great deal of writing ensued among the parties, friends collected iu groups around them, and at the last advices, Messrs. Savage, Harris and Keitt, were engaged iu earnest consultation outside of the Hall. If anychal leuge should pass, it mast necessarily have come from Wright ; but his friends, Keitt aud Savage, have determined that no such demon stration, under the circumstances, is required. WASHINGTON. Feb. 27, IM" The House was occupied all day to a late hour ou the Report of the Investigating Com mittee. Mr. Gilbert made a speech which left an ; impression in his favor, lie did not talk like a guilty man. The House refused him a trial. ; which Gilbert admitted the impracticability cu !at this late day, and he then resigned. It then laid all proceedings in regard to his ease OQ the table. Mr. Matteson sent in his resignation through Mr. Morgan, ou the ground that the action of the body in Gilbert's ease showed that he, too, would be denied a trial before the bar of the House. The resolutions of the Committee 10 his ease were then taken up and passed, ex cepting the one for expulsion, which was sus* ■ ponded by his resignation. The first resolu tion, declaring him guilty of corrupt practices in the Des Moines grant, had but 1" votCs against it. On the second, declaring him £ u "' ty of defaming the character of the House 0 charging corruption on its members, ami tmb proving himself unworthy to be a member " ! it, there were 75 votes for laying it on theAa ble. A vote 011 its passage was then takcu, and it passed without a division. Mr. Welch's case next came up, and herein ! to trial on the testimony presented by the ( mittee. Mr. Stanton of Ohio opened in ''i> favor by an able, luminous, completeargumeu. which seemed to determine the House in favor. He was followed by Messrs. . of Georgia, Smith of Virginia ami Harris m Maryland on the same side. At 9 House had not voted 0:1 the case, but it highly probable that it would reject the rt commendation of the Committee and cxculpu^ Mr. Welch. Ten, I\ M— The House has just adjourned after action oil Mr. Welch's case, cxculpatu £