v - ...:vz .r .u- :irtff: - i , , i MASUr .l?,r.,li'''T,' .1, . . '!. ' ' ; H. B. MASTER, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE, CORNER OF CENTRE ALLEY & MARKET STREET. 81 jrantds iietospaptrDrtot.rt to JJoUtfcs, ttftcratttrr, JWovalfuj, jTorctfiu ana Bomrstfc aietos, Sefcntc an the arts, ! agrfculturr, HarrftMt anrascmritts, , NEW, SERIES VOL. 1, NO. 43. SUNBtTllY, NORTIIUMBERTjAN I) COUNTY, lV SATURDAY, 'JANUARY CO, 1819. OLD SERIES VOL. 9, NO. 17. ' ' ' ' " . TERMS OF THE AMERICAN. f THE AMERICAN It published every Saltinloy at TWO bOL.LA.H9 pet annuin to b paid heir yirly in advance. No paper discmitiimed until AtL arrramiti-a re paid. , AUoominunioBtkine or le!ter on buainesa relating to the office, to inaure attention, muat bo POST l'All). TO CLUBS. OlirM copies to one addrcs., PS 00 Qev.d Po bo 10 (Ml Fifteed ' Do Do 8U UO . Five dVHhrrt tn advance will pay fot Ihtee yeai'a aubacrip tfon to (be Arosricau. One Square of 10 linea, 3 timet, Every anhsenuent insertion, One Square, 3 month., Sin mouths, One ycor, , Bnaineaa Carda of Five linea, per annum, Merrhnnt. and other., advertiaina- by the year, with the privilege of inserlieg dif ferent advertiaementa weekly, tj" Lorgcr Advert iuiueuta, at per agreement. 8100 wo 073 StlO 300 10 00 E. B. MASSES,, ATTORNEY AT LAW, 6UNBTJHY, PA. Business attended to in the bounties of Nor burr-lerland, Union, Lycoming and Columbia. Itefrr tot P Ar A. KnrounT. l Lowin & LUnitux, Somen &. fminnnAM, Ratitot-ns, McKnt.Asn & Co. Srsmso, 'loon & Co., yptiilad. THE CHEAP BOOR STORK. XA1TXLS &, SMITE'S Cheap Nsw & Sicond uakd Book Siork, North Weal comer nf Fourth and Arch Streelt Vhilaileli'hia, Law Book. Theological anrl Classical Booki, MBDIC&L BOOKS. BIOGRAPHICAL HISTOHICAL BOOKS, SCHOOL HOOKS. Scientific and Mathematical Boon. Juvenile Books, in great variety. Hymn Book and Prayer Books, Bible, all siie and pricea. Blank Books, Writing Paper, and Stationary, Whohtnle and Retail, tr Oca price" are much lower tlinn the axon. pricea. rr I.ibiariea and aninll pnrccla of books purchaagd. TT Booki impnrtel to order from Ixndon. Philadelphia, April 1, I9 y PORTER & E1TGLXSE, CROCERS COMTmMOX MERCHANTS and Dealers lu Seeds, No. 3. Arch St. PHILADELPHIA. Conttantly on hand a general assortment of GROCERIES, TEAS, WINES, SEEDS, LIUUOHS, &c. To which they respectfully invite the attention of the public. All kinda of country produce taken in exchange for Groceries or told on Commission. Philad. April 1, 148 BASKET MANUr ACTOR!?, No. 15 South Second Hree I Eatl tide, down itairt, PHILADELPHIA. HENRY COULTER, JT EBPECTKULLY informs his friends and Mfc,the pub'ic, that he constantly keeps on . hand a large assortment of chi drens wilow Coaches, Chairs, Crad es, market and travel, ling baskets, and every variety of basket work .manufactured. Country Merchants and others who with to purchase such articles, good and cheap, would do well to call on him, as they are all manufac tured by him inthe best manner. Pbitadephia, June 3, 1818. ly CARD & SEAL. ENGRAVING. WM. G. MASON. it Chctnut it. S ifoon ofcore Indtt., Philadelphia Eagrarer af BUSINESS fc VISITING CARDS, Watch papers. Labels, Door plates, Seals and Stamps for Odd Fellows, Sons of Temperance, lie., fcc Always on hand a general assortment f Fine Fancy Goods, Gold pens of every quality. Dog Collars in great variety. Engravers tools and material. Agency for the Manufacturer of Glaziers Dia monds. Orders per mail (post paid) will be punctually attended to. Philadelphia, April 1, 1848 y FX&ST PREMIUM PIANO FORTES. rHE SUBSCRIBER has been appointee, agent J for the sale of CONRAD MEYER'S CELE BRATED PREMIUM ROSE WOOD PIANOS, at this place. These Pianos have a plain, mas sive and beautiful exterior finish, and, for depth of tone, and elegance of workmanship, are not surpassed by any in the United States These instruments are highly approved of by tha most eminent Professors and Composers of Music in this and other cities. For qualities of tone, touch and keeping in ton upon Concert pitch, they cannot be sucpas eed by either American or European Pianos. Suffice it to say that Madame Castellan, W. V Wallace. Vieux Temps, and his sister, the cele brated Pianist, and many others of the most dis tinquished performers, have given these instru ments preference over all others. They hsve also received the first notice of the three last Exhibitions, and the last Silver Medal by the Franklin Institute in 1843, was awarded to them, which, with other premiums from the ssme source, may be seen at the Ware-room No. S2 south Fourth st. QyAnother Silver Medal was awarded to C. Meyer, by the Frahklin Institute, Oct. 1845 for the best Piano in the exhibition. Again at the exhibition of the Franklin Insti tute, Oct. 1846, the first premium and medal was warded to C Meyer for his Pianos, although it bad been awarded at the exhibition nf the year before, on the ground that he had marie still great er improvement in hi Instrument within the past 13 months. Again at the last exhibition of tha Franklin Institute, 1847, another Premium Wat awarded to C. Meyer, for the best Piano in the exhibition. , At Boston, at their last exhibition, Sept. 1847, C. Meyer received the first silver Medal and Di ploma, for the best square Piano in the exhibition These Piano will be sold at the manufactu rer's lowest Philadelphia prices, if not something lower. Perwns r requested to call and exam ine for themselves, at tb residence of the sub scriber. , H. B. MASSER. anbury, April 8, 1848 TEE CHEAP Bratli, Comb and Variety '.STOKE. BOCKIUS AND BROTHER, 1 - BRUSH MANUFAf TCRERS, AND DEALERS II COMBS & VARIETIES Ae 98 North Third, btluxe Kate St. and North Em! tanner of Third and Marlfet ttretl, PHZX.ADEX.rHXA. WHERE they offer for sa'e a general assort ment of all' kinds of Brushes, Combs and varieties which they are determined to sell Lewer than ran be purchased e sewkrer'e. Country Merchants and other Purchasing in the above line Will find it to their advantage to rail before purchasing elsewhere a the quality and price will be fully guaranteed against all competition. Tbi'sdn'rhia, June 3, lSIS-ly SELECT POETKY. tFrnm ,,ie Phila. Bulletin. THE LOCOMOTIVE, ni gvks wito. A song, a song of the wondrous steed, That careercth along so last, With his tireless joints and his furious speed, And his breath like a fiery blast; AVitli bis burning entrails, mid iron bones, And voice like a demon's yell, As swift as li(rht, and as black as night He looks like an imp from Hell. No baby diet of ninngcr food Suflkcth his ravenous zeal, But stones from the mountain and trees from the wood, Scarce furnish his giant, meal. Ho liatlt eaten hie fill he pants to be off His dragon-like hiss is sounding, Half frantic with ire he liclcheth out fire, . Ami see! nway he is bounding. Away, away with a shriek of delight, And a pull' ami a snort and a yell, Away, away with the speed of light, Howfliclli this imp of Hell! Still faster! still faster! hurrah ! hurrah I IV0 matter how heavily loaded, And the folks as he passes gaze at him with awe For he seems by the Evil One goaded. He scoureth the vallics with thundering tread, Ho ho ! how his blood is boiling! By homes of the living, by homes nf the deadf Regardless of all he is toiling. He burrows flic mountain, he stemmeth the tide And we cry sure the mischief is in it ! As river and main, hill, valley, and plain, Arc seen and and arc gone in a minnte. No matter how hot ! uo matter how cold ! He liecdeth not wind or weather ; He never grows weary, ho never grows old, He will travel forages together. And woe unto those that come in his way, Be they friends, or be they his foes; One thrtuit tbey will feel of his iron heel, As rcmorscleKidy o'er them he goes. Then a screech of delight as his goal comes in sight, Ha ha ! I've done it ! -I've done it ? Here wecoinc! Here we come ! Ha-ha! Ho-ho! Good people I've won it ! I've won it ! Then a heavier dash, and a swifter runh, And I say as I hear his yell, In pain or in pleasure, in huste or in leisure, Still give nie this imp from Hell. TRAGICAL SKETCH. THE SlRGEOVs REVENGE. The following deeply interesting story was related by Dr. Gibson, in one of his lectures before the medical class of the University of Pennsylvania. The Hero of the story is Vesale, one of the most eminent of the Italian surgeons : Andre Vesale, says the manuscript, first saw the light in the city of Brussels, in the year 1514-. His father was an apothecary, attached to the service of the Princess Mar garet, aunt of the Emperor Charles V., and governess of the low countries. Up to the period when Vesale first rend ered himself conspicuous, the anatomy of the human body was so imperfectly under stood, as scarcely to merit that the term of science should be applied to the dim and confused ideas relating to it. Vesale was the first to break through the trammels with which ignorance and bigotry had crippled the march of science ; surmounting with admirable courage and constancy, the dis gust, the terror, and even the peril, insep arable from this description of labor, in which he had devoted himself, he was to be seen whole days and nights in the ceme teries, surrounded by the, festering remains of mortality, or hovering about the gibbets, and disputing with the vulture for its prey, in order to compose a perfect skeletou from the remains of executed animals left there to be devoured by the carrion-bird. It was during a sojourn at Basle, after his return from Italy, that Vesale first be held at the house of Hans Holbien, the painter, Isabella Van Steenwryk, the daugh ter of a merchant at Haerlem, who was destined to exercise some influence over his future life. He was scarcely twenty-eight years of age, and already he had attained the summit of well directed ambition. The family of Van. Steenwryk was a wealthy and honorable one, far superior to that of Vesale, in birth and fortune; but the distinguished position the latter had ac quired for himself, entitled him to aspire to an alliance even more exalted. The son of the Princess Margaret's apothecary would have been rejected by the rich Haerlem burgher; the Emperor's first physician was accepted by him as the most eligible son-in-law. The marriage solemnized, Vesale, accompanied by his young bride, set off for Seville, where Charles then held his court. She loved her husband, there was so much awe mingled with her affection as to throw an appearance of restraint over her demean or towards him, even in the privacy of do mestic life. The very nature of his pro fession and occupation was calculated to increase that awe, and even to create some degree of repugnance, in a shrinking mind, which nothing but strong affection could overcome. Isabella's nature required skill, ful drawing out and tender fostering. Ve sale, unfortunately, mistook her temerity for coldness, and resented it accordingly; this led to estrangement on her part, which he attributed to dislike, and jealoua distrust at last took possesion of his soul. Amidt the galleries of Seville, where for a woman to be ydung and attractive, was to command the attention and author ize the oevotion of the other sex, it was no diflrcult task to arouse the susceptibilities of a suspicions husband. Vesale's house became the resort of all that was noble and gallant in Seville, and he for a time believed his own scientific conversation to bo the attraction. At first the young wife showed her usual calm in difference to the admiration that followed wherever she was seen ; but, at last, some thing in her manner and countenance; whenever one particular person appeared, or his name was mentioned, betrayed that there did exist a being who had discovered the secret of causing the blood to flow more tumultuously through her veins. That per son was Don A 1 var de Solis : and as he was young, handsome, gay, and the most in consistent gallant in Seville, the suspicions of Vesale were painfully aroused. He took silent note of the unusual emotions that agitated Isabella, whenever that noble man was in her presence. The general conduct of Don Alvar was calculated to baffle suspicion, being marked by indifference. This would have misled the vigilant husband, had he not, on one occasion when his back was turned towards Don Alvar, perceived him, in an opposite mirror, fix his kindling eyes upon Isabella, with an expression not to bemistaken, while she grew red and pale by turns, and then, as though unable to surmount her ag itation, rose and left the room, bhorlly after, Vesale received an anonymous note, savins, "look to your wife and Don Alvar de Solis, and be not deceived by appear ance. They only want a fitting opportu nity to dishonor you. Even now he car ries about him the gloves she dropped for him at mass." Vesale shut himself up to ponder over the most effectual means of avenging him self. His resolution was promptly taken. He had established schools of anatomy at Lan Lucar and Cordova obtained the Em perors permission to visit them, quitted Seville, ostensibly for that purpose, but re lumed the same night, concealed himself in a tenement belonging to him, at some dis tance from his abode in Alcazar, which was devoted to the double purpose of a laboratory and dissecting room. He had taken no person into his confidence; he was alone in his vengeance, and he listened to his own counsel. At dark in the fol lowing eveninsr, he issued forth, muffled to the eyes in a woman's mantle and hood, and left a note at Don Alvar's habitation, containing an embroidered glove of Isabel la's and these words : "I have obtained the key to Vesale's la boratory, during his absence; be at the gate an hour after midnight, and you will be ad- nutted on pronouncing the name ol Isa bella." The assignation was promptly kept by Don Alvar. At an hour past midnight he left his house, alone; but he never return ed to it. . Whither he had gone none could say; nor could an)' trace of him ever be discovered. It was supposed he must have missed his footing and fallen in the Guadal quiver, near which his abode was situated ; and that his hody had been swept away by the waves into the ocean. Such an occurrence was calculated to produce a great sensation inthe place where it had happened ; and Vesale, recalled, three weeks after, by the illness of his wife, found the disappearance of Don Alvar the theme of every tongue. The altered ap pearance of Isabella was attributed, by Ve sale, to grief for the mysterious absence of Uon Alvar; and that conviction took lrom him all pity for her sufferings. It chanced to be the festival of Santa Isa bella, and to do honor to her patron saint, as well as to celebrate the return of her husband, Isabella put on her wedding dress, and seated herself by an open casement that overlooked the Alvar gardens, she watched for his coming. But whilst her eyes were vainly fixed upon upon the path by which she expected him to appear, a hand was laid upon her shoulder, and, turning round she beheld Vesale standing by her side. "I have ordered the supper to be laid in my study," said he," and taking her hand, he led her away to the room in question, dismissed the attendant and closed tliedoor. Everything wore a festive; yet the repast was cheerless. Perceiving that she tasted nothing, Vesale poured a few drops from a vial of elixir in a cup of Malaga wine, and presenting it to her : "Drink this," he said; "it is a sovereign cure for the complaint you are suffering from." "Pledge me in the draught," she replied, filling up a goblet from the same flask, and handing it to him, "and it will bring a quicker healing to ine. Let us drink to our absent friend, Andre." Vesale accepted the offering, and they emptied their goblets together. "Talking of absent friends," said he, and suddenly fixing his eyes upon her; "you have not spoken to me of Don Alvar de Solis. Are all hopes of hearing from him relinquished? "lie was a braggart and a libertine, and boasted that no woman ever resisted his seductions, that no husband ever suspected the injury lie was preparing for him." Then, grasping his wife by the hand he led her up to a door at the farther end of the room, and throwing it wide open, revealed to her view a skeleton, sus pended within, holding in one of his bony hands one of her embroidered glove. "Behold," he said, pointing to the ghastly spectacle, the gallant and beautiful Don Alvar de Solis the object of vour guilty love contemplate him well, if the sijht can render your moment's happier, for you are about to die too ; the wine I have just given you was poisoned!" When the last dreadful sentence, and Us still more dreadful illustration, burst upon her affrighted senses, she became paralyzed with excess' of emotion ; the scream which had arisen to her throat, died there, in strangling manners, and, sinking back, she fell, as one dead upon the arm of Vesale. She was not dead, however ; he had not poisoned her; that crime he had hesitated to commit, yet he was not th less her mur derer. Convulsion followed convulsion, and at last she died ; and, in that supreme moment, the hour that preceded death her husband, who had never quitted her, be held one of those phenomena which some times attends the dying. Awaking from n torpid slumber, consciousness and memory returned at once, and with them a calm and courage she had never possessed in the flush of life. "Andre," said she, fixing her eyes on her husband, "lam dying by your hand, yet I am innocent; I never wronged you by thought or deed. Don Alvar pursued me with his love and his threats, but I repulsed him. I never loved but you. 1 feared and honored you as much as I loved, but I dar ed not tell you of his pursuit. Oh, Andre, believe my words, the dying deal not in falsehoods ! Should I be thus calm were I guilty ?' Vesale, sinking upon his knee, solemnly protested his faith in the innocence of his wife, and, with choking sobs, abjured her to believe that he only feigned to give her poison, that he could not nerve his hand to take away her life ; but the terrorof death, and not death itself, was upon her! And, while he yet spoke, Isabella murmured "Thanks be to Heaven for this!" and, drawing his hand towards her, laid it upon her heart, and, as he did so, it ceased to beat. OLD TIME WINTLltS. Iii lfilll fho cold was so intense that the Thames was covered wiih ice sixty-one in ches thick. Almost nil the birds peiishcd. In lfi91 the cold was so excessive that the furnished wolves entered Vienna and attack ed beasts mid even man. Many people in Germany were frozen to death in 1695, and the winters of 1697 and 1099 were nearly as bad. In 1709 occurred that famous winter called by distinction, ibe cold winter. Alllhe rivers and lakes were frozen, and even the sea for several miles from the shore. The ground was frozen nine feet deep. Birds and beasts were struck dead in the Colds, and men pe rished by thousands in their houses. In tho south of France tho w ine plantations were al most nil destroyed nor have they yet recover ed that fatal disaster. The Adriatic sea was frozen, and even tho Mediterranean about Genoa, and tho citron and orange groves suf fered extremely in the finest parts of Italy. In 1716 the winter wasso intense that peo ple travelled across the straits from Copenha gen to the province of Senia, in Sweden. In 1729, in Scotland, multitudes of catllu nnd sheep were buried in the snow. In 1740 the winter was scarcely inferior to that of 1709. The snow lay ten feet deep in Spain nnd Portugal. Tho Zuyder Zee was fiozen over, and thousands of people went over, it. And the lakes in England froze. In 1744 tho winter was very cold. Snow fell in Portugal to the depth cf 23 feet on n Wei. In 1754 and 1755 the winters were very severe and cold. In England the strongest ale, exposed to tho air in a glass, was covered in 15 minutes with ico one eighth of an inch thick.' In 1771 the Elbe was frozen to tho bottom. In 1776 the Danbbo bore ico five feet doep below Vienna. Vast numbers of the feather and finny tribes perished. The winters of 1784 and 5 were uncom monly severe. The Little Bolt was fiozen over. From 1S00 to 1812 also, the winters were .remarkably cold, particularly the latter, in Russia, which proved so disastrous to the French army. From the I'hila. Ledger of I'm; 10th iust A 1'lllCIITHL SCENE. Yesterday afternoon, about twenty minutes of 6 o'clock, an appalling occurrence trans pired upon the Schuylkill liver, in tho imme diate vicinity of the Fairmount dam, in con sequence of which a very large number of persons, who had collected upon the ico in that quarter, were suddenly and unexpected ly submerged in tho congealing element. The intensely colJ weather lor tho past week us our readers are aware, had the effect of producing ice above tha dam of considerable thickness, furnishing to the ice-dealers a pros pect of an abundant 'supply for thoir store houses, and to the skaters and those who are fond of w itnessing the dexteiily nnd agility of the latter, unusual sport and gratification. The ice had formed to the thickness of sev eral inches, nnd extended to within fifteen feet of the dam, which never freezes over, except when the frigidity of the atmosphere is very intense, nnd continues for a long pe riod of time. Along the eastern shore of the river there are a number of ice house, and the establishment nearest to the dam is llint of Mr. Kern. Some hundred yards distant from the house the employers of this gentle man had made an opening in ilu pure ice, and for the purpose of conveying the cakes as they were cut to the depository, a narrow canal was made, extending diagonally from the ioo house, in a southwesterly direction. A large number of persona having collected upon the uiea of ice which intervened be tween the dam and the canal, their weight ' hud tho effect tu cause a fracture, and- three men fell into the opening ihusMnude. As soon as they were observed to fall in, a body of persons rushed to tho edgo of the ice to rescue them, anil tliey were quickly drag ged out of the water. It wag apparent that about an acre of ice hud separated from tho inuiu body, and was floating loivardsthe edge of the dam. By this litre a large number of person had collected upon 'I'.e ice on the other side, and their great weight had the ef. fct lo break off anotlipr pice, nisi a- bout nn acre in size, which moved in the direction of the dnm. Those who were upon lhrse bus cakes of ice wero principally wo men nnd children, who had preferred remain ing near thi shore, to venturing far out upon tho slippery urface. Their consternation became most fparful, w hen they found them elves being carried towards the dam. Some of tho men leaped from one cake to another while others, with females nnd children -in their grnsp, sprang into the water, as they ncared the brink of the yawningabyss. Some of the women were so terrified, that they sunk upon the ice, nnd were taken up insensi ble from the excess of their emotions. Those who maintained their presence of mind succeeded in getting afoot-hold upon the shelving breastwork of tho dam, nnd re mained standing there until Ihey wero taken off in boats. At least seventy persons, it is estimated, were in the water upon the dam at one time, nnd tho fearful scene which was presented it is impossible to describe. As soon as their situation was discovered by person owning boats upon the shore, they put out for their assistance Four large boats were quickly slid along the ice and launched and the shiverius and affrighted Miflercrs ta ken on board nnd safely landed. There were about six inches of water running over the dam at tho time of the accident, which was amply sufficient lo float a batteanx over. The mass of ice. upon reaching the edge of the dam. broke off into small pieces and fell into the current below. But three individuals were carried over the dam, viz: a girl of 11 or 12 years of age, daughter of Morgan Ash ; a young woman. doir.e?tio in a family in the northwestern part of the city, who took out with her two small children who were sepa rated from her and saved from the danger which threatened them, and a young man a student of medicine from Virginia. Mr. Abraham King, tho proprietor of the hotel at the locks, saw the three descend in to the raging waters, and immediaie(y launch ed his boat and went to their succor. He succeeded in getting them nil nn board nnd brought them to his house. Miss Ash was from thence carried to tho premises of Mr. Blackwell. keeper of the refreshment house at Fairmount. where medical aid was sum moned. At first pulsation was not percepti ble, but after the application of proper reme dies she was partially restored. The young woman was taken home from King's nnd, from appearances, sho hful sustained very se vere internal injuries from the fall, or being struck with some of the pieces of ice. The student seemed to bo uninjured. The heroic conduct of Mr. King, in saving the lives of tin above persons at the hazard of his ow n, was the theme of general praise among those who witnessed the act. The preservation of the lives and limbs of those who were the victims of this unlooked for calamity is truly providential, and their ex pressions of gratitude to the parties who had so magnanimously came to their relief at the moment when despair was written upon eve ry lineament of their countenances, was loud and deep. Dr. J. K. Mitchell and other gentlemen of the healing art were fortunately present at ihe time, nnd exerled themselves in adminis tering to the wants and giving advice to the sufferers. The drenched and (.hivering ciowd as soon as relieved from their cold bath, lost no time in obtaining the first conveyance and depar ting for their homes to change their dripping habiliments, and by six o'clock none remain ed to tell tha story of their sad disaster. It is impossible to porticularize all the events w hieh the eye beheld during the sli ug gle for life on tho part of the terrified mass w ho were visited by this fearful calamity. We, however, give some of the most promi nent. We noticed Dr. Stoin, his lady and son, of about ten years of age, stiuggliug and buffeting with tho broken ice, by the aid of a plauk. They were, however, rescued, but not until nearly exhausted by the violence nf their efforts, a generous stranger, whose at tentions had been drawn to them, laid himself flat upon his face and slid ulodg the edge of the ice until ho reached 'the boy, whom ho caught by tho hair, and though the ice broke several times, he succeed in draggiug him out of the water. - A young lady, ubout 18 years of age, was also engnlphed in the midst of broken ice, but rescued by lhe assistance of Mr. Robert P.irliam and others. Two gentlemen, whose situation among the broken ice was most pe rilous, alter the greatest difficulty, at length reached the shore in safety. The mol terrible encounter was for those w ho w ere on the large sheet of ice, which moved towards tho edgo of dam, separating as it neared the precipice, and carrying over on its fragile surface the persons whom we have mentioned above, Dr. Stone and his family wero taken to a house in Coates street, near Schuylkill Third and was uttended by Dr. W. Jewell, who, with the disinterested kindness of the family mado them as comfortable a the nature of the cases would admit of. We learn that they are doing well. . "Absssce o" Misu." A Brooklyn piper gives this notice, which contains, as near as we ran judge, an insinuation : 'The person who took the silver spoon in stead of almonds, and silver ladle instead of pickled oysters, from a house in Hicks vtreet will be kind enough to correct the mistake.' - The Decgais havo disappeared from New Orleans since the prevalence of the cholera, and hav arwH tn large number ut Mobile- Tilt: MILITIA SYSTEM ADJUTANT GESE. ItAL'A REPOIIT. We have furnished us, at an early day, by our Ilarrisburg correspondent, the report of tho Adjutant General, VV. II. Irwin, upon the militia System of the Commonwealth, who recomrnendsan entire abolition of militia train ings, as very expensive and altogether useless, but proposes a volunteer organizalion, calmly pursuing, in times of peace, the ordinary avo cations of civil life, but ready at a moment's warning to take the field, exhibiting the stea dy and disciplined bearing in the presence of nn enemy, which, when directed by science, is resistless. This system, he thinks may be established with less than half the ex pense of the present absurd system. The public is not generally aware, we be lieve, what the burlesque of militia trainings annually costs. It adds at least more than twenty thousand dollars to the debt of tho State every year, nnd of course requires that much additional taxation upon our citizens nnnually to pay for tho folly. As the nnrhor ized assesments are found insufficient to raise tho required revenue for Slate purposes, nnd an increase of taxation will probnbly be resorted to, it is time that every item which goes to swell the public debt rhould be strict ly inquired inlo, and all unnecessary and use less expenses bo cut off'. To show the utili ty of the militia system of the Slate we copy from the report the following table of its re ceipts and expenditures for eighteen yeais past, and challenge any ono to show any be nefit corresponding with this enormous cut-lay: Militia mill F.xrniril Finvs Militi: Yeats. 1S26 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1S33 1834 1S35 1836 1S37 1838 1S39 1840 1841 1842 1843 Kxrfines. Amount. $23,238 05 26,U6 75 25.542 80 17,738 22 22.090 24 22,859 00 21.561 43 20,776 99 21,075 87 21.862 44 29,601 65 22.451 01 30,664 21 25,981 17 33,470 75 33.031 71 33J61 94 42,4 18 59 J ears Amomu. IS','6 1S27 1S28 12 1&30 1S31 1S32 1833 1834 1835 1S36 1837 1838 1S39 1840 1841 1844 1843 5. 1 20 50 K516 20 1290 70 3.C00 7 1 7,847 13 1.331 41 2,313 27 1,693 00 1.160 70 2,350 83 3,164 16 22 82 288 58 812 16 229 00 446 58 13 30 11 40 Total. S32,669 43 Total, 473.226 85 Ded't Hues 31,669 43 Eees of militia ex- j penses, $440,557 42 Thus it will be seen, that for eighteen suc cessive years the militia expenses havo large ly exceeded tho revenue (the average annual excess being twenty-five thousand dollars,) nnd that in this short time we have expended rocn IK'.NDIU'.D AXD FOBTV TIIOISAND DOLLARS for no good, or in the words of tho Adjutant Ge neral, the money has been ''thrown away." The plan or outline of the reform he proposes is ns follows : "The present military organization of divi sions, brigades, regiments nnd battalions, and the appropriate officers fortheso several corps wo cannot abolish; it exists by virtue of an act of Congress. Our State Legislatures can increase or diminish the number of divisions, the number of brigades being determined by the major general and brigadier generals of any division, and the number of regiments by the brigadier general and the colonels of the regiments of any brigade : but the provisions of the act of Congiess of 1792, (which an act of 2d April, 1822, attempted to cany out) must bo observed by establishing these dis tinct corps. Let this be the limit, let the septennial elections bo held, the officers duly commissioned, tho enrolment be made, (by the assessors,) the returns, of brigade inspec tors be furnished to the Adjutant General, but let company and battalion trainings, and inspections, be forever abolished, and thus we nro at once relieved from tho injurious and expensive part of the existing system. The State will thus bo divided by law into volunteer divisions, brigades, S;c., entirely distinct from the militia and the appropriate general, staff and -field officers will be elected and appointed by the volunteers, to hold their commissions for five years. Let the officer. of brigade, and direction inspectors of volun teers, be filled by men who will serve, as all volunteer officers should,' cratuiovsly. To llieso officers let the duty of inspecting the public arms, &e., bo entrusted. Let there be semi-annual military encampments, at each of which there wilj be a muster, review and inspection of the volunteersthe first en campment, in May, to Ty brigade ; the second, in October, by regiment. Let every regiment be by law required to perform one term of camp and field duty annually, of not less than five days. Let the colonel of every regiment bo required to establish a "Regi mental School of Instruction," so that every commanding and subaltern officer may accu rately learn his duty, and be qualified to im part instruction to new commissioned officers non-commissioned- officers, musicians and privates, in each volunteer corps, correspond with that in the regular army ; and let a neat cheap, aud soldierly uniform lie substituted for the gaudy, expensive and unserviceable one, now' generally affected by our volunteer corjH. Let the term of service to secure ex emption from military duty, (except during a war,) be reducod from seven to five succes sive years. Let the most rigid accountability for arms, equipments, he., be insisted on all reports,' returns and. muster foil, &e., be made strictly after the forms furnished by the Adjutant General of the State. The young men of this State should parti oularly be induced to form volunteer corps. !.( tllm, early in life, enter t ti s corps, ef ' their choice, bo enrolled therein, serve unt year at least in the rnii.,and six months na non-commissioned officer, before being eligi ble lo a commissioned office ; and having served faithfully ns a volunteer utlicci or pri vate for five successive years,, be forever ex empt fio-.n military duty in time of peace This part of the system, serving t the ranks for the year, ought to be indispensable in all who join volunteer corps. To sustain the proposed change of. which I havo sketched an outline, I would recom mend that each county of the Slate contribute by a tax in proportion to its population, to be levied as the ordinary taxes now are. Tho trifling sum of from fifteen to twenty cents for each citizen subject to military duty, will produce nt once a sufficient and available re venue lo defray all the military expenses of this State, There was in Pennsylvania, hi 1847, two hundred and thirty odd thousand militia, and twenty-four thousand volunteers. When, by tho proposed reform, so much of the expense is removed, how light, how tri vial the tax to sustain merely the organiza tion of lhe militia and the volunteer system- Letting oct. An Irish tailor making a gentleman's coat and vest too small, was or dered to take them home and let them out. Some days after, tho gentleman inquiring for his garments, was told by tho ninth part of nn Irishman that the clothes happening to fit a countryman of his, ho had let them out at .a s.hillin;; a week. CiiANcn roii AiTiions. A prize of S100 is offered by tho Scientific American for tho best essay, of not more than twenty pages, on the Patent Laws of the l'nited States and their improvement. A ;I!ig Onk," We can't vouch for tho truth of the following, from the Boston Post: "A man in Chatham, N. Y., has a frog 22 years old, which weighs 172 pounds! It is kept in a cellar, and fed on corn meal amf cabbage " llor.iious of the Slave Trade. A Jitter from Capt. EJen, of the British man-of-war Ampliilrilc, dated Bights of Benin, Oct. 3d, says that 690 slaves were lately murdered by the chiefs nt Talma, who were Mnable to dis pose of them. Beoi.vsinu THE YEAR rightly .-The Biook lyn Eagle cf tho 8th, contains the follow ing letjer, receivod on Thursday by Mr. David Coope, of Brooklyn : Sir I knew a person once that bought ? 12, 00 of you, with full expectation of paying you : you neglected lo charge it his honest j was not very positive, so that it has ri"w reached, principal and interest, S19 50. You will find $20 inclosed ; the change you may keep to give away. This is a Xew Years resolution. Truly, O Mm. H. 11. Earl, of Newark, N. J., cut and put up on Monday and Tuesday, one fort of ice every tieo miuutcs, for 10 hours ice 10 aud 12 inches thick. THE FISIIERMA. UT JUBJ C. SAXE. There lived an honest fisherman, I knew him passing well, Who lived hard by a little pond, . Within a little dell. A grave aud quiet man was he, xV!o loved his hook and rod ; So t re n run his t. ne of life, His neighbors thought it oJJ- l'or science and for books, lie said, lie never had a wish, . No school to him was worth a fiif, Execpt a ''school of lull," The single minded fUhcrman . A double calling had, To. tend his flock in winter time, In summer fish for shad. In short, this lionckt fisherman All other toils forsook, And though no vagrant man was ho, He lived by uhooi and crook." All day that fisherman would sit I' pun an ancient log, Aud gae into the water, like f'onic sedentary fr Sg A cunning fisherman was he, His a it git s were all ru.il. And when he scratched his aged yotl, You'd know he'd got a Hi To charm the fish, ho never spoke. Although his voice w as fine, He fouud the most convenient way Was just to "drojt a lint." And niuny a "gudgeon" of the pond, If made to speak tu dfiy Would own, with grief, this augUr had . A mighty "taling irai." One tiny, while nulling on a log, He mourned his want of luck, When suddenly ho felt a bite, And jerking caught a duti, Alas ! that day die fisherman' Hid tal.cn too rhueli grog, And bctn but a landsman, too, lie couldn't "itiji the log. In vuin he strove with all his might, And tticd to gain llie shore ; Down, dow n he w ent, H feed tho fish He'd baited oft before ! The moral ot 'his mournful mfli To all is plain antiulcer; A single "drop too murli" of rum May make watery h'rr. And he wtaswirl not '-sign the pVlje,' And keep tho piomiae fast, May be, in spi'e of fate, e's-ij' Cc't (,-?' bv !
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers