STAR OF THE NORTH. R. W. WEAVER, EDITOR. Illoomsburg, Thursday, Nov. IS, 1855. Ey THE EDITOR is still confined to his bed by sickness, but all the signs of speedy re covery are now so favorable in his case that we think by next week our readers will hear from him as usual. tr THE APPOINTMENTS.—It will please many of our readers to see that Messrs. Ertt, Search and Mcßride, the present officers on the Canal, are re-appointed. The Cartal Board wljpFf prefer to hold on to that which has been tried and tint found wanting. W VALUABLE COAL LAND.—On last week Sheriff Snydtjr sold three tracts of the 'Loose' which have been so often adver- the sum ol 842,000. The owners design u> make a stock company concern, •nd sell out shares or slock to such ns wish to join. The land is in Beaver township. tar i .ITERATURE AND ART —The Cosmopo- I 1 litan Art Association offers inducements in its adverlisednent which are rarely met with. In the first place yon get the worth ot your money in a Magazine, ami besides, a chance in the annual drawing of statuary and paint ing. It is right to say too that this is no humbug, and last year a bona jtde drawing of statuary and painting took place. TY NEW OFFICERS —Mr. Jonas Fahringer, the new Commissioner took his the Board on last Thursday, in the place of Mr. ' Kteler, who retired with the respect that al- 1 ways follows an honest ntan. He made an excellent officer, and finds a fit successor in Mr. Fubringer. On last Tuesday Stephen H. Miller, Esq., | the new Sheriff elect, removed into his new home. CP" HARRIET WILSON US. PENN'A R. R. CO. The suit was brought to recover damages for the death of Plaintiff's husband, killed in 'b4 by the breaking of a rail on the Columbia railroad. He was about 27 years of age. It was referred to Judge Haines of West Cites- ' ler, Judge Piersort of Harrisbttrg, and John ' Evans, Esq., of York. They awarded 84500 ' damages to plaintiff. IE Bennett, Savage, and shannon, of Pittsburg, who were before convicted and sentenced for violation of the Liquor Law, have been again arrested for ins same of- ' fence, al the instance of the Temperance League, and held to bail. Some eighteen oth er arrests have been made, including the pro-' prietore of the St. Charles and other hotels. EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT.— GOV. Pollock has appointed Hon. Joseph Buffington, Pres ident Judge of the tenth judicial district, com- j posed of the counties of Westmoreland, InJi- j arte and Armstrong, in place of Hon. J. M. Burrill, who has accepted the position of As sociate Judge of the United States Court in Kansas. GT VACANCIES IN THE U. STATES SENATE.— There are now five vacancies in the Senate, the terms of Messrs. Fitzpatrirk, ol Alabama, Atchison, of Missouri, Petilt, of Indiana, Cooper, of Penn'a, and Gwin, ol California, having expired on the sth of March, 1855. TY THE LANCASTER DEFALCATION. —CharIes Boughter, the defaulting Treasurer of the Lancaster Savings Institutions, was released from prison, Thursday, on bail to the amount of 8100,000, to answer el the next term of the Court of Quarter Sessions. KICOLAIEFF.—According to European pa pers, the Grand Duke Constantine, the Grand Admiral of'he fleet, has ordered the greater part of the entrenchments al Niculaieff to be demolished, it having been discovered the directors of the works had grossly abused the confidence placed in them by their imperial master. Tha Grand Duke has formed a build ing commission, at which he presides, and inspects ell the works, which ate ma king rapid progress. The former direotors are under examination, and in order to pre vent such abuses in future, they will be most Severely punished. Adjutant General Tod tleben, to celebrated lor his defence of Se bastopol, has been summoned lo Nicolai eff. Ex-Governor Iteeder. EASTON, Pa., Nov. 6. —Ex-Governor Reed er was teceived al the cars, on his arrival at Phillipsburg from Philadelphia to-day, by a very great assemblage of the people of Eaa lon and neighborhood. He was esror'ed lo Conner's Hotel, where he was received in a •borl and eloquent ad Jress by Geo. W. Yates, alter which Ex Governor Reeder delivered a powerfully impressive speech, which was listened to with profound attention. Through out the whole of hit speech there was not one violent or abusive epithet against those at whose hands I.e had received such meas ureless abuse. He closed amid a deep and Qgmest response of cordial agreement on the part of his hearers. From Washington. WASHINGTON, Nov. B. —Mr. Buchanan had not left London at the last advices. His let ters of recall went out about Oct. 20. He has cent important despatches by the Baltic, showing that the British government rejecta our construction of the Clayton and Bulwer Treaty. This despatch relative to tha increue of the British flaet did not come from the A meriean Embassy, and the facts disclosed have been satisfactorily explained. Commodore Paulding baa not been order ed lo Grey to WD. The Cabinet ia dividad on the question of the legal liability oi oar Government respect ing the Mexican Drafts. APPOINTMENTS DY THE CANAL COMMISSIONERS- The Board of Car.al Commissioners met in Harrisburg on Wednesday last. The fol lowing ia a list of all the appointments made: Superintendents if Motive Power. —On the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, J. B. Raker; on the Allegheny Portage Railroad, W. M. Caliban. Collectors^— Eaalon, D. H. Nieman ; New Hope, E. K. SolHday ; Bristol, R. Patterson ; Philadelphia, Jno. F. Smijj); Paoli, Robert Lafferty; Parkesbttrg, M. ildVeigh; Lancas ter, C. Carrnnny ; Colombia, J. L. Lighlner; Portsmouth, Joseph Livermore ; Harrisburg, J. L. R-'illy ; Huntingdon, Thomas Jackson ; Blairsville, Geo. S. Jamison ; Fieeport, C. G. Snowden ; Frecport Aqueduct, Mary Nesbilt; Pittsburg, W. M. Stewart; Beach Haven, Peter Ertt; Liverpool, J. M. Baum; Juniata Aqueduct, Samuel Rigler; Duncan's Island Bridge, C. H. Zeigler; Portsmouth Outlet Lock, W. Cole; Johnstown, D. Fulwood; Holltdaysbura, J. P. Hoover; Newport, H. A. Zollinger; Northumberland, J. Swineford; Williamsport, J. Piatt; Dunntburg, G. A. Achetibach. Sitpervuort. —Eastern Division, W. Forster; Delaware Division, D. Evans; Division, J. DifTenbach; Lower N. Branch, G. W. Search ; West Branch, J. B. M'Micken; Upper Juniata, J. D. Leel; Lower Western, J M. Orr; Lower Juniata, D. Eisenbise. IPeighmnsters. —Philadelphia, Robt. Simp ion; Lancaster, R. King; Columbia, J. May er; Johnstown Weigh Lock, Joseph M'Clel land; Johnstown Weigh Scaler, Joint Burk hnlder; Philadelphia Assistant, H. Leech ; Northumberland, W Elliott; Columbia As sistant, Joseph M. Walls; Resell Haven, F. Mcßride; Portsmouth, Henry Yeghtmeyer. State Agents Columbia and Philadelphia R. R. —Geo. W. Bentz, Wm. R. Kelly, C C. Thompson, J. D. Packer, W. S. Myler, J. Clark, O. Stuck, J. S. Royal, C. Geissert, M. D. Holbrook. Cargo Inspectors. —Bristol, D. Willtard ; Johnstown, J. C. Barrett; Columbia, C. Car son; Philadelphia, Patrick Conroy. (Pood Inspector. —Jacob Fetterly. Keeper Outlet Lock, Columbia. —J. S. Roath. Central American Affairs. A Washington correspondent of the New York Courier says: Important despatches from London have been received. Mr. Buchanan transmits the final answer of the British Government on the Central American negotiation. Our ulti matum is rejected and correspondence is closed. Both governments are reloased from the Clayton and Bttlwer Treaty, Great Brit ian retaining her colonies and protectorate, and we withdrawing from our anti-annexa tion clause. Assurances, however, of peace ful views are exchanged. Mr. Buchanan is still acting, but expects to leave for the United States about the 10th of this month. Reinforcements have been sent Gen. Smith in Texas, with instructions to prevent incur 6iono into Mexico. The Clayton ami Bulwer was a humbug, • and its extinction can be no loss to this coun- j try. Events originating with the Central Americans themselves are producing political changes in that country, which will have an important bearing upon the question of an nexation. To leave these changes to the natural course of events is probably the best mode of sentiment which could he devised. All the United States government is bound to do is to fulfill its treaty obligations, and not allow designs tending to revolution in other governments to be formed and perfect ed in this country. Americana cannot be prevented, however, from lending their aid to whom they please, or volunteering in be half ol any cause in any part ul the world, I they taking the risks and relinquishing the right to protection from the United States government. A Kemarknble Experiment- A recent work ot science given the follow ing novel experiment, which settles a ques tion ol lomn importance in philosophy. Two hundred pounds weight of earth was dried in an oven, and afterwards put into anearih ern vessel. The earth was then moistened with rsin water, and a willow tree, weighing five pounds, was placed therein. During the space of five years the earth was care fully waiered with rain wa'er, or pure water, the willow grew and flourished, and to pre vent the earth from being mixed with fresh earth or dust blown to it by the winds, it was covered with a metal plate perforated with a number of small holes suitable lor the free admission of air only. Aflet growing in the air for five years, the tree was removed and found "o weigh 196 pounds and about three ounces; the leaves which fell from the tree every autumn wnre not included in this weight. The earth was then removed from the vessel, again dried in the oven and after wards discovered to have lost only about two ounces of its original weight; thus 164 lbs. ! of woody flbie, bark and roots, were cer tainly produced, but from vrhal source 1 The air has been discovered to be the source of solid element at last. This statement may st first appear incredible, but on slight re flection its truth is proved, because the at mosphere contains carbonic acid, which is the compound of 714 parts by weight, of oxygen, and 338 parts by weight of carbon. Hones of Birds Hollow. —The bones of birds , are hollow, and filled with air from the lungs, which renders them light. Were a siring tied tightly arouud the neck of a sparrow, so that it could not breathe, and its leg broken, so that a bone protruded through the skin, it could live. Respiration could take place by means of the hollow through the broken bone. A newspaper is a law book for the indo lent, a sermon lor the thoughtful, a library for the poor. Il may stimulate the most in different ; it may also instruct the most pro found. 17 THOMII I. GALBRAITH, Esq., late of Danville, haa been elected a member of (he Minnesota Territorial Legislature. 137 Wilkes-Barre ie to be lighted with ges. CEbtttnlionnl Beabing. OUR DESK is not to be exclusively occupi ed by ourselves lor our own remarks. We cordially invite any one who has a few good words to say to step forth and proclaim them; bnt he must talk to the point, and be sure to stop when he has told all he had to say. In addition to the many good things which we hope to receive from others for this de partment, we shall take the liberty to tell our reader pupils, in our own or borrowed lan guage, items of news, facta and discoveries irt science, history, and philosophy, of which we may chance lo hear or read. Rules fir Study.—l. Learn one thing at a time. 2. Learn that thing well. 3. Learn its connections, as lar as possible, with all other things. 4. Believe that to know every thing of something is better than to know some thing of every filing. jS Governing School — The ability of the teach er lo govern others can scarcely be acquired by one who has not learned to govern him self at all limes and under all circumstances. The first duly in this department, then, is to acquire a perfect control over his own feelings and passions. No indication of anger should ever he visible in his countenance; no ex pression indicative of the loss of self-posses sion should under any circumstances be per mitted to escnpe his lips. The teacher, in all iiie attempts to govern scholars; should seek, with far more dili gence and earnestness, lo teach submission to truth than to his own individual authority. How she did it. —The mother of Washing ton, when asked how she had formed the J character of her son, replied that she had early endeavored to teach him three things— obedience, diligence and truth. Which Letters are most used —A very cor rect idea may be hail of the relative frtquen- , cy with which the different letters of the English alphabet are used, Irom the fset that the type in Printer's cases are distributed in the following proportion, viz: For every 100 ot the letter s, there ore 200 of x, 400 of k, 800 of b, 1500 of e, 4000 each of i, n, o, and s; 4250 of a, 4500 of f, and 6000 of . THUS it will be seen that the letter e is most used, and t. a, i, n, o, and s are next in frequency of demand. Curious Etymologies.—Boudoir is from bu- Jer, to pout; hence, a boudoir, a lady's pri vate room, is in plain English a pouting room. Parlor is from parlcr, to speak, and is therefore the thalking room. Arithmetical Curiosity —Multiply the num bers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, by 9, and the product will be Is. Multiply the same by 18, and the product will be composed of 2s. Multiply it by 27, and the product will be 3s. In this manner all the digits may be ob tained by multiplying by the multiples of 9, as 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 81. SCENES IN THE PRACTICE OF A NEW Y'ORK SUR GEON. By Dr. Edward H. Dixon, Editor of "The Scalpel." Willi illustrations by Par ley, engraved by N.Orr. 420 pages, 12ino. Elegantly bound ill cloth. Price Si 25. DeWitt & Davenport, Publishers, 160 & 162 Nassau St., Now York. Dr. DIXON, long known as an eminent sur geon, standing at the very head of the pro fession, and celebrated likewise as the au thor of several popular works on health, phys iology, &c , has found lime, amid his various and laborious duties, to produce a book, many scenes in winch are pronounced fully equal, if not superior, to I)r. Warren's celebrated " Dairy of a London Physician," with this additional interest, that they are actual occur rences in every day life, haopening in our very midst— no*, matters of fancy. The Doctor describes, with a power that thrills to our very heart, and moistens the eyes of '.he strong man,however unused to the melting mood, scenes that he himself saw in | luxurious homes, and at the canopied couch of the rich and the purse-proui', when the cherished ones are struok down by the inex orable dart of the destroyer—" Pallida mors tßqua pnde pulsatpauperum tabernas regum que lurres." Likewise in the lowly cottage of the poor, and at his humble bedside, our friend, the Doctor, is ever at his post, and like a ministering angel, ever ready lo soothe their sufferings, and smoolhe, it may be, their passage lo the grave; and touching, too touching, are hit descriptions of what he saw there. In addition to the Scenes, are several arti cles on health, written in a popular manner, each of which is alone worth the piireoflhe bonk. And we particularly rocommend to mothers the Treatises on Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, Croup, Consumption, &o , as presenting lo all, in a clear and lucid man ner, the proper treatment of these common diseases. It is especially a home-book, affording both amusement and instruction, and should be in the hands of every parent in the land. In addition to its other excellenoies, the book is most beautifully got up ; the illustra tions by Darley are magnificent, and the pub lishers have spared no expense on the letter press and binding. We predict for the work an immense sale, as it is just what is wanted as a household book. Advertise Your llusiness I ft would hardly seem necessary in this day of light and common sense, to expiate upon the benefits to be derived from a liberal and judicious system of advertising, and yet there are many persons, otherwise tegardeJ as good Lusiness men, who sadly neglect this first principle of successful enterprise. Ad vertising, as lias been well and wisely re ntal ked. is to a man's business what oil is lo machineiy. Neither will work well without ill application. As the piston rods and walk ing beams will grow rusty without oil, so one's business will slacken and eventually die out altogether, nnlesa it be kept constant- j ly before the people, by means of public press. In old times when particular branch as of business were controlled by a f.w in dividuals, this mode of making one's sell known was ccmparativel} unnecessary, as the necessities ol purchasers and the small number ol sellers made them well known to each other. But in these days, when every department of business is filled to overflow ing, aud when the purchaser has hia choice f from among scores and hundreds of anxious t sellers, he or they alone who show them selves most often, and keep their warea and locations inoeseantly before the publio eye, can succeed in securing the greatest amount • 1 of trade. NOVEMBER ELECTIONS. New York (election. NEW YORK, Nov. 10—The returns of the lata election ara now complete, except four counties. Headley, the American candidate for Sec retary of Slate, has a plurality ol nearly 11,- 000 over the vote for the Republican nomi nee. All the Senatorial Districts have been heard from except one. The Republicans have elected 14 members, the Americans 9, and the Democrats 9. Tbe Democrats have elee'ed 47 members 01 tbe assembly, tho Republicans 42, and the Americans 28. New Jersey Election. The result of the election in the State of N. Jersey is a Democratic victory. The elec tion was not a* important as usual, being confined to the choice of legislative repre sentatives and cour.ty officers. The Demo crats have elected four of the six State Sena tors, and the re/tt Senate will be composed of eleven Democrats, five Whigs, and four Know Nothings. The house will consist of thirty seven Democrats, sixteen Whigs, eix Know Nothings and one Temperance man. Last year, the Democrats were in a minority iu the House and had a tie in the Senate. Mississippi Election. NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 10.—In the Fourth District of Mississippi, Lake, Dem., is elec ted to Congress. WASHINGTON, NOV. 11.—It is reported here, on the authority of despatches from Jackson that all the Democratic members of Con gress in Mississippi are elected. The Legis lature is also Democratic by thirty majority. The Democratic Slate ticket has a majority ol 5000. Maryland Election. The news from different portions of the State indicate the election of the Know Noth ing State Ticket, and that five out of the six Congressmen will be Know Nothings. In the sixth District, Bowie, anti-Know Nothing Whig, is probably elected. Wisconsin Election. MrLWAUEiE, Nov. (.—We have partial re turns of the vote for Governor, from thirteen counties, which show aggregate majorities for Barstow, Democrat, of 8,463; and fori Bashford, Republican, 7,429. Massachusetts Election. The Know Nothings have elected their whole ticket for State officers by a plurality of from ten to fourteen thousand, Gov. Gard ner leading his colleagues nearly 5000 votes. Both branches of the Legislature will be in the hands of the Know Nothings. In the Tenth Congressional District, C. C. Chaffee, Know Nothing, has been chosen to fill (he va cancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Morris. The House stands 179 Americans, 30 Dem- [ ocrats, 18 Whigs, 71 Republicans and 3 Lib- j erals. The Senate, so far as known, stands < 23 American anil 17 of all other deuomina- j lions. This is rather better for the Demo- i c.rats than last year, when we had 0 in the Senate and 1 in the House. Georflit Eeplslaluro. MILLEDCEVILLE, NOV. B.—The Legislature ofGeotgia assembled on Monday, Mr. Bailey was elected Speaker of the Senate, and Mr. j Styles, Speaker of the House. They are both Democrats. The Governor's Message was sent in on Tuesday. It is very volumi nous and chiefly devoted to State matters, and recommends that the Legislature provide for calling a State Convention in case Con gress rejects the application of Kansas for admission into the Union on the ground of its being a slave-holding State, in which case the Governor advises a disruption of the Uuion, but earnestly hopes that the patriolis m ol the North will avoid such a calamity. | THEORY Ol IIOKASK. AND ITS SIMPLE METHOD OF CURE. It is not our object, at '.his time, to go into a detailed explanation of Professor Hollo way's theory of disease, but simply to inform the American people that one of the most remarkable men of this or any former age is among them, and that his medicines have a celebrity unprecedented in the annals ol the world. There is no chatlatanry in his pretensions. Unless all the civilized world are deceived, the Holloway'e Pills and Oint ment will drive disease from the human sys tem, under the most unfavorable circum stances, and in all climes. Other men have sprung into an ephemeral notoriety by ad vertising their remedies. Like butterflies of the day they have buzzed for a while and then expired; both their names and their medicines have sunk into an obscurity from which they never emerged. Others have met with a limited success, perhaps as much as they deserved. No man, though he may have the wealth of Croesus, car. long deceive an intelligent people with a worth less remedy for disease, almost without an exception, though it is prescribed in a mill ion of instances, and in all forms of disease, all the doctors on the globe could not make the people believe that it was not a good remedy, or that the inventor was not a pub lic benefactor, and no empiric or charlatan. Professor Holloway's remedies occupy this position before ibe citizens of the world.— The inventor is a man of enlarged powers of mind, who has seen disease in all its forms, and in all the climates of the world. His medioal office in London was daily thronged with patients to such an extent that a pol.ee force was necejsary to be stationed at the door. But an office practice afforded too narrow a field for the exercise of his expan sive intellect, and he determined to be the world's physician. All countries have had their celebrated physicians; England has had an Abernethy, Frances Mogendie, and America a Rush ; but these men,it ambition only extended to a practice confined to a narrow circle of friends and admirers, or the superintendency of a medical hospital.— Professor Holloway has choßen the globe as , a theatre for his practice, and though cow a resident of Republican America, he is pre scribing daily foi hundreds of thousands on the four quarters of the globe, j His medicines are expressly designed to 1 act on the organs whose functions are so - essential to health. They operate on the I stomaob, liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin. restore their deranged functions or uses, ana I thus purify er.d cleanse the blood, the very fountains of life.— New York Sunday Timet. From the PclliviUe Gazette. | The Moral* of Ibe Day. RAILWAY, STOCK AND LAND SPECULATION*. One or the most serious evils of the present day, is the speculative disposition of the peo ple. Wealth is not sought, to the extent that it formerly was, by patient industry and by honest, legitimate enterprise. It is sought in too many instances, in a wild and reck less spirit of adventure, where the hope of sudden gain overleaps every consideration of self-respect and propriety. It is useless to disguise that honest industry is losing its re spectability and social influence, and we are hastening, more and more, into a race of sharpers and unscrupulous speculators. The millions ol dollars invested in Railways have greatly enlarged the field for stock operations; and speculations in them are by no means confided to the professional dealers, but in clude a large number of merchants and busi ness men who, from their participation in this species of gambling, carry its baneful tendencies into their counting-rooms and shops—aye, into their drawing-rooms. The very atmosphere we breathe is impreg nated with the moral poison; and one is al ways forced to the conviction thai a truly honest man can no longer exist, or if so, he is surrounded with so much that is corrupt, insidious, selfish, and mercenary that he must be regarded rather as an object commisserat on than of dignified respect and appreciation! " Honesty is a fool, that loses what it labors for;" and while we shall not pretend to rec ognize the truth oi the axiom, we know that there are those who have bitterly realized it. Many of our readers have 110 doubt heard of the celebrated Railway mania, which pre vailed, a few years ago, in England. Its be ginning was obscure, but it almost immedi ately spleud thronghout the length and bleadth of the British realm, and there was scarcely a man or woman in it who had not invested more or less in Railway shares. The excite ment was not only universal, pervading all classes and conditions of society, but it was singularly intense and overwhelming. The apartments of the Parliamentary Railway committee was literally filled with the sur veys of civil engineers, the reports of com mittees, the plans of directors, and the peti tions of the people. About every hopeful looking man you meet in the street, had his prorpectus for a Railway, and after collect ing statistics of the resources of the route, and showing, in formidable tables of figures j and eloquent sentences, the amazing anti cipated profits of the work, he would join with others in an application for a charier— issuing, however, in advance, preliminary certificates to secure the privilege of sub scribing to the stock, and these were sold off for sums proportioned to the supposed merits of the scheme, and the chances for obtaining the necessary charter. An immense traffic was carried on in this way ; and it was only surpassed by that of the regular stock shares, which advanced in value with such rapidity that there was no such thing as placing a fixed limit to any. This wonderful mania for speculation, strange as it now appears, continued for several years, and was mainly sustained, during all that time, by the cun ning and duplicity of a single individual. A tradesman named Hudson, a man of no par ticular influence or importance in the com munity, yet not wholly obscure, became the leading director of a Railway. Part of it had been finished and in operation, and other pnitions remained under construction. Con trary to general expectations, this road, un der Hudson's mantgement, began to show immense profits. Writers were employed in different parts of the country, to set forth its monthly earnings, its prosperity and peculiar management. The unsuspecting people be came astonished, especially as these state ments were confirmed by the distribution of tremendouidividends —dividends that astonish ed capitalists, and struck with amazement the whole community ! The public excite ment now commenced, indeed! Hudson was a great man—a very great man! He was elected President of numerous o'her roads ;—he had the wind of the magician, and every railway sought his services and tho prestige of his name. His salaries amoun ted, in the aggregate, to some four hundred thousand dollars per annum—His specula tions yielded him at the rate of four or five millions per year;—everything he touched, turned to gold;—his society was courted ; his saloons were crowded with the beauty, the fashion, the wealth and aristocracy of the land, and his word carried almost us much weight as the statutes of the crown! In short, he reached the very topmost round of for tune's ladder, and while proudly looking down, from his lofty and dizzy height, "upon the base means by which he did ascend," he was suddenly hurled from it by the pen of a newspaper writer—probably the only hand in Great Britain that scorned to drop the pen, to grasp his ill-gotten gold ! The se cret was unfolded, but it was so simple and so apparently ridiculous, that it could hardly be credited. His dividends, it appeared, had all been paid out of capital, and charged to the account of construction, and not one dol lar's worth of profits had ever been realized I Committees were appointed to investigate ; and after a pause, the startling truth was laid bare, and then came an awful, awful crash! Men who yesterday imagined themselves rich, to-day could hardly purchase a breakfast ; those who gloated over their prospectuses, their certificates, and their shares, and rated them by thousand and tens of thousands, as so much golden treasure, could now scarce ly obtain for them the current rates for old rags or waste paper! Millions—millions up on millions of dollars were thus made, and with one single scratch of the pen, all was lost !—all sank away, like a flickering bub ble on the water! Now, when it is known that the same sys tem of railway management prevails in this country, is there any wonder that this de scription of securities should be seized upon to sustain a species of speculation infinitely more demoralizing than professional gamb ling? As long as a construction-account is maintained, a railway can never be consid ered finished, and the distribution of a divi dend and exhibitions of large profits ought to excite just suspicions as to the integrity of the director#. The Reading Railroad, every one knows, did not cost over eight or ten mil-1 lions of dollars;—yet the whole sum preten ded to be invested is about nineteen millions of dollars. Their construction aooount is con star, t'v going on, and will probably never end ; but if charged to transportation, as it ought to have been ten years ago, there would most probably be no exhibitions in the news papers of extraordinary profits I Like Hud son, (who was termed the "Railway King,") the Reading Railroad have their writers also, and nearly every paper that you meet with has some interesting little paragraph extoll ing the road and its management, and setting forth its wonderful business; but let the in vestigation once be made, and ten chances to one but it will be discovered to be, a la Hud son, bankrupt to the very core I There is another species of speculation, which has prevailed to some extent, though j not in the same organized plan, which is { equally as reprehensible as that of railway ; shares. We allude to land speculations.— These had their origin in the extensive distri- ' bution of railways over a new and previously | uncultivated soil. Large bodies of land are ; secured by a few individuals, and a legally organized course of procedure is adopted. A "respectable gentleman," with some high sounding prefix or title, is selected for Presi dent ; and among the officers and Board of Directors will usually be found associated a few modest business men, anxious to turn an honest penny outside of their ordinary bu siness, with a phalanx of adventures and pro fessional Aminidab Sleeks. Pamphlets are printed; handsome lithographed charts are exhibited; town lots and embryo cities are j laid out (in perspective), and the newspapers ( are filled with their statements and maguifi- ! cent schemes. Land that cost the origninal . parties from two to ten dollars per acre, is i ultimately retained in town lots and small I farms, at from fifty to five hundred dollars i per acre; when everything isgoing on beau- ( lifnlly, a momentary panic occurs, and the poor, deluded purchasers find their invest ments oozing out ol the small end of nothing! An advertisement of one of these splendid companies was sent us a few days ago, but as they proposed paying us in printing ink, and feeling abundantly able to buy and pay for that article as heretofore, we declined the proposition. This company owns several thousand acres of wild mountain land in Pot ter and Elk counties in this State, and accor ding to their prospoctuses, it is one of the fi nest opportunities for investment everpresent ed ! It can be had in small parcels from them at from twenty to forty dollars per acre ; but it is more than probable that equally as moun tainous and sterile land in proximity to it, could be bought in large and small quantities for from five to ten dollars per acre. Mr. Ole Bull was induced a few years ago, to try the merits of Potter county. He purchased a large body of laud, built a handsome village, dignified with the appellation of Oleana, run up the American flag, from a lofty staff in the centre of the village, and played away 1 with perfect happiness on his violin, sur- j rounded by his Norwegian friends, when lo! after the expenditure of some 860,000, he ! found that neither he nor those from whom ' he purchased hail theelightest title to the land! j Mr. Bull retired from Potter a wiser and a ! better man. lie had paid 560,000 for his 1 first lesson in speculation ! But the sharpers j who deceived him are still at work. They , have thousands of acres of "the same sort j left," sod we fancy that we see them every ; now and then, through the thin drapery that i covers these land companies! Tits PASSMORE WLLLIAMSOLT CASE.— Con- ! tempt purged and defendant discharged —ln 1 the U. S. District Court, Philadelphia, on Sat urday morning, before Judge Kane, Passmore Williamson's counsel came into Court with a petition addressed to the Court, stating that be desired to purge himself of the contempt for which he is now in prison, and was wil ling to make true answers lo interrogations addressed to him by the Coprt in relation to 1 the matter. After some preliminary discus sion, the following answer tb the writ of ha beas corpus was offered by Williamson's coun sel. "I did not seek to obey the writ l-y produ cing the persons therein mentioned before the Court, because 1 had not, at the time of the service of the writ, the power over, the custody or control of them,'and therefore it was impossible for me to do so. I first heard qt the writ of habeas corpus on Friday, July 20, between 1 and 2 o'clock, A. M., on rny return from Harrisburg. After breakfast, about 9 o'clock, I went from my bouse to Mr. Hopper's office, when and where the re turn was prepared. "At 10 o'clock I came into Court as com manded by the writ. I sought to obey the writ by answering it truly; the parties not being in my possession or control, it was im possible for me to obey the writ by produ cing them. Since the servioe of the writ I have not had the custody, possession or pow er over them ; nor have I known where they were, except from common rumor or the newspaper reports in regard to theii public appearance in the city or elsewhere. Mr. Vandyke excepted to this answer, and at the suggestion of the Court, it was amend ed as follows: I did not seek lo obey (he writ by produ cing the persons in the writ mentioned before this Court. I did not seek, beoause I verily believed that it was entirely impossible for me to pro duce the sa:d persons agreeably to the com mand of the Court. The answer was then accepted by the Court and ordered to be filed. Judge Kane then said:—"The contempt is now regarded as purged, ar:d the parly is re leased from custody. He is now reinstated to the position he occupied before the con tempt was committed. Mr. Williamson is now before me on the return to the writ." Mr. Vandyke said he had some further remarks to make in relation to the writ of habeas corpus, and in order that thereshonld be no mistake, he had reduced them to wri ting. He now appeared as one of the oouo eel for John H. Wheeler. The purport of hia remarka was, that Mr. Wheeler intended to institute a suit against Williamson in another branch of the U. S. Court, for the recovery of damages whioh have accrued by the lortoua acta of the do -1 fendant towards hia person and property. Excessive Science Defeating Its own Ends. Among the notabilities of the fall of Se bastopol, was the fact that the Malakoff Tower was tremendously mined by the Rus sians before leaving, and a cable covered wire connected with the other aide of the harbor to blow it up as soon as their troops were out. and the French fairly in posses sion. In firing upon the Allies, however, to cover their own retreat a little too fiercely, a Russian shell so exploded as to cut the wire, and thus the French army of occupation was saved from being all blown into the air. We may fancy the disappointment of the opera tors as they watched for the effect of l he eleo trio spark. Had the explosion taken plaoe, it might possibly after all have changed the fun ol the day as the result of a bold as sault immediately after such a ca'.astrophe would perhaps have given them the renew ed possession of the key of their position.— As it is, it adds but another illustration of the truth, so often verified in life, '.hat a little 100 much vigor in the prosecution of any enterprise, one shot too many frequently de stroys the effect of a whole campaign. Politicians could, if they would, afford us some curious illustrations of this. How does a litle too much science in pipe laying de stroy the effect of a thousand well-laid schemes. They are paralyzed and spoiled by one stroke too much ol dexterity and manteuvre. There is no doubt that the break ing up of all parlies and the general distrust in which they are now increasingly held, is owing more than anything else to the in trigues and deception which one after anoth er have shown plain, honest, hard-working men, that they know not what party to Irual, or how to be sure that their most sacred prin ciples will not be betrayed. The fact is thai there is too much science and too little hon esty. Politicians, as a class, are getting to rely more on cunning than on character for success. And when it comes to this, polities', science cuts off the right arm of its own strength, or blows itself up, as M. Mallafon nearly did in New York harbor a year or two ago, when his wires becoming entang led, he exploded the wrong canister of pow der, and instead of removing the rock at the bottom ol the river, only blew himself out of his own boat. Too much zeal will often defeat the object in view. One speech too many haa destroy ed more than one politician. A hastily writ ten note, an unfortunately turned expression, a hasty plate of soup, has sometimes proved the shot too much which has cut all the wires of a Presidential campaign. Fanatics of all kinds and extremists of every sort, whether in politics or religion, soon find that they have lost their hold upon the publio, and have neutralized their own influence. Even if they do not themselves discover this, oth ers will. Kossuth, as an orator, produced ef fects almost unrivalled for a time, but he went too far and talked too fast; and what has he now become! One who has lost all weight of character, in spi:e of being one of the ablest and perhaps anost sincere men in Europe, at a period when ability and integ rity are much needed and found united. The same principla extends to tfie influ ence of every man in private life, because belonging essentially to character. He who wraps up an idea in too many words, the wordy man, destroys the effect of all he ut ter* for want of point. The passionate man, whose language is too violent, soon becomes known, even to his children—hi* wofds ol reproot lose their effect, because sometime* extreme and unjust, while his threats am unheeded, because often necessarily mere threats. One such word too much destroys a man's influence more than ten words of wisdom leftunssid. And if this is true of words, it is muot> more true of dispositions. Any one class of powers cultivated disproportionately may become a real impediment to success. A man may be 100 keen in intellect for bis own real interests; for men always dread great ca pacity without an as'uranon of it* being un der the control of honest purposes. Aaroa Burr was too able lo be trusted, and tbia was the secret of bis misery and his down fall. When he tried to undermine Jefferson in the matter of the Presidency, he fired the bomb shell that cut the cable ol hia power. A forbearing use of great intellectual facul ties, or their use in uniform deference to goodness, is the cause of all true auccese in life. Nations often destroy tbeir influence in the same way. No governments have plD duced diplomatists of greater ability in fi nesse than France and Austria. The effect is, that not one half the publio reliance ia placed upon the honesty and integrity of their course of action, which the more bloat and eiraight-forward Anglo Saxon system carries with it. No surprise would be felt were Napoleon to prove but a treacherous ally to England after all. Yet there ie no suspicion that England will betray Franc*. One act ol bad faith destroys a nation's re spect and publio confidenoe incalculably.— On the other hand, a little too mnch bluster reacts against the proper effect, where a friendly remonstrance could have done far more to secure (he end. Here is where Eng land has often defeated herself, and proba bly will by degrees increasingly destroy her influence. The joint and threatening action of England and France about Cuba produced Mr. Everett's letter. So it was a lit'le too much haste and zeal on the part of Russia in doctoring the sick man that alarmed bis friends and thus took the patient out of bta hands.— Ledger. AKAAAAAAIR- On the Bth inst., by the Rev. Wm. J. Ever, Mr. HENRT Giaca, to Miss CATHARINE Hot.- LINGSIIEAD, both of Montour township. On ihe 25th ult., by the same, Mr. ANDREW LORMIN, of Franklin, to Miss ELIZABETH LEI DIO, of Shamokin, North'd. county. In Berwick, on the 26th ult., by Ihe Rer, I. Bahl, Mr. NATHAN MCAFEE, and Miss MA TILDA WELKNER, both of Briarcreefc Col. CO. In Light Street, Columbia co., on Wednes day the 7th inst., Maj. ABNER W. MCDOWELL, (second son of General M. McDowell,) aged about 33 years. On Thursday, 18th of October, JOHN B. DORRANCE, aged 21 years, SOP pf RSV John Dotrsnce, of Wilkesbarte.