jm Mr? SIMM'S
6
Jiaftsnmn's $mtnwl.
- - - B. B.-BOW, EDITOR ASD PROPRIETOR.
CLEARFIEIA?,PA., MARCTI 9, 1859.
. ' THE E.EIGJT OF COERUPTIOIT.
The Administration oi James Buchanan will,
through all future time, be regarded as the
most corrupt that has ever had the control of
oar Government. Recent developments force
the conclusion upon us that nearly every act
thus far has been marked with the most outra
geous favoritism and reckless squandering of
the public treasure. The- reports of the In
vestigating Committees appointed by Con
gress expose some of these disreputable trans
actions, and, startling as the assertion may be,
show that the President himself, as well as his
Secretary of the Navy, countenanced and en
couraged the corruption.
The Naval Investigating Committee report
that the Navy Tards are stocked with political
favorites, whose appointment is dictated by
democratic members of Congress as a politi
cal reward, and that men are employed in them
by the hundreds, jnst before elections, to se
cure the election of particular men to Con
gress ; that contracts arc awarded to the high
est and not to the lowest bidders, the recip
ients being always political favorites, and in
some instances relatives of the Secretary of
the Navy ; that a contract for furnishing live
oak, at extravagant prices, was given as a re
ward to a man named W. C. N. Swift, a
whaler of New Bedford, Massachusetts, who
was an old line whig, and contributed 16,000
towards carrying Pennsylvania for Buchanan
in 1850, and that a creature of the Presidents,
ono George Plitt, of Philadelphia, was to re
ceive ten per cent, on the gross amount of the
contracts that he should procure for Swift,
and that in 1857, contracts were awarded to
3Ir. Swift to the amount of S2G2.910, and in
1858, by a series of artful and fraudulent ma
noeuvres, it was contrived that Mr. Swift should
get a further contract for 150,000 feet of tim
ber, amounting to $166,700, about 25,000
more than it would have cost the Government
if the contracts had been honestly and prop
erly offered to competition without the dis
graceful favoritism disclosed. The Coal A
gency was given to Dr. Charles II. Hunter, of
Reading, Pa., a man w ho neither knew any
thing about his office nor did anything in it,
bnt allowed outsiders to buy the coal at exor
bitant rates, the arrangement being that the
emoluments of the olb'ce, which reach nearly
15,000, should be divided between Hunter,
John F. Smith and J. Lawrence Getz the
latter subsequently declined to have anything
to do with the matter. The President, accor
ding to the testimony, was fully aware of this
corrupt arrangement. Proposals having been
invited for the machinery of the steam sloops
of-war directed by the act of June 1S58, seven
bids were made for that of the large sloop at
Philadelphia. The lowest was 98,000, but
before the Secretary of the Navy had passed
upon the bids, Col. W. C. Patterson, of Phila
delphia, wrote a letter to Mr. Buchanan, set
ting forth that Merrick & Sons' was the only
establishment in Florence's district ; that they
employed a large number of hands ; that their
influence was valuable, and with the aid of
this firm the result in the 1st district would be
placed beyond a doubt. The President sent
this precious document to the Secretary with
the following significant indorsement :
The inclosed letter from Col. Patterson, of
i nuaaeipnia, is submitted to the attention of
the Secretary of the Navy. J. B."
And, presto ! the contract is given to Mer
rick & Sons for 102,000, being 4,000 more
than the other bid ! It is also shown that J.
Clancy Jones, while a member of the House,
received five per cent, upon the contracts ho
obtained for others at the navy department.
The report of the House Committee on the
case of John A. Searing, a Democratic mem
ber from New York, shows that he refused to
report, as a member of the Committee on
Claims, upon a eertain claim or allow it to be
paid, until ho had been allowed a certain jer
centagcupon it.
The report in the Seaman investigation es
tablishes a collusion between the superinten
dent of public printing and the public printer,
by which the engravers, lithographers, con
tractors for paper and the like, were syste
matically black-mailed and the government
as systematically plundered. So far as the in
quiry extended, Seaman had pocketed about
30,000, and Wendell about 40,000, from
these sources.
The debate in the Senate on Monday a-weck
shows that a contract amounting to $50,000,
which ought not to have cost over $5,000, was
given to the office of the Philadelphia Penn
sylranian, in which a certain Senator has, or
had at that time, an Interest, and that it was a
part of the consideration that one-half of the
profits should go to sustain tho President's or
gan, the Washington Union, and that the As
sistant Secretary of State also came in for a
share of the spoils. The President is well un
derstood to be a party to, or cognizant and ap
proving of this corrupt bargain.
And this is but a beginning of the develop
ments. Tho next Congress will have tho
chance of ferreting out many other instances ;
of villainy. These, however, are enough to !
make any man whose luve of honesty and fair
dealing yet remains, detest an Administration
that permits and countenances such wholesale
corruption and peculation. .
LETTEE FE0M HABEISBITSG.
Special correspondence of the Raftsman's Journal
March 5, 1839.
is. B. Row, Esq. Dear Sir: The local legis
lation amounts to very little. The Clearfield
Gas Company has passed finally, and I notice
that Dr. Boyer read a bill in place on Thurs
day to incorporate the Clearfield Water Com
pany. Are these two sepcrate and distinct
institutions?
An act has passed incorporating a company
to build a bridge over Clearfield creek at A-
lexander's Fording.
Mr. Blood has introduced a bill to vacate
and take from the Company the charter of the
Susquehanna and Waterford turnpike. This
is the old "Clay Pike," which was an institu
tion in its day, but latterly it has not yielded
sufficient toll to keep it in repair, and the
townships through which it passess refuse to
improve it. It has become a regular Jordan,
and the sooner it gets into the hands of those
who will repair it, the better for those who re
side along it.
The Farmer's High School is an institution,
Simon, in which I do not believe. I think it
is a kind of a private speculation got up for
the benefit of a few at the expense of the
many, and that the whole arrangmcnt is being
funned advantageously by somebody, is evi
dent from the fact that a supplement is now
before the Senate, asking for an additional ap
propriation to finish the building. It appears
that 56,000 have already been expended, and
the wings are unfinished. It is said too, that
everything indicates that the School is not
likelyto be what it was originally intended.
Instead of being a school to educate practical
farmers, it is likely to be an institute to edu
cate rich men's sons in the theory of farming,
and the science of making money. But
then, there is no danger, whatever, of the bill
passing.
The Governor has appointed C. D. Ilinelinc,
Superintendent of Public Printing, in place
of O. Barret, removed, and the Senate has u
nanimously confirmed the appointment. This
is a good appointment, and gives very general
satisfaction. Mr. Barret is not a practical
printer, neither is he on the same platform
with the Governor on the great issues of the
day.
A bill to increase the salaries of the Judges
of the State was killed in the Senate to-day
by a close vote.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has a
nice little tax bill to settle evidently, as ap
pears by the following extract from a commu
nication lately made by the Auditor General
to the Senate :
"For tax on capital stock, per act of April
29, 1844, from September 1, 1819, to the first
Monday of November, 1857 ; the said tax es
timated under the provisions of the fourteenth
section of the act of March 30, 1811, except
the. year 185G, for which the company furn
ished the necessary data to determine the
proper amount of tax.
Cap. st'k pd. in. Mills. Tax.
1849 $3,322,035 0 $1,811.01
1850 5,S22,210 3 17,460.63
1851 8,103,465 3 21,310.39
1852 9,768,155 3 29,304.46
1853 11,228,C20 3 33,684.06
1831 12,104,820 3 CC,314.46
1S55 12,300,000 3 . 36,900.00
1837 13,206,625 3 39,619.87
219,410.87
10,970.88
50,346.00
Add five per cent, under said net
of 1811
1856 dividends eight per cent, on
$12,586,625, tax 4 mills
Total, .... 280,727.92
Credit. By payment to
treasury, Jan. 31, 1857 42,065.32
By payment to treasury
Dec. 17, 1857 31,597.62
73,6G2.94
Balance due Commonwealth, $207,064.98
. How would you like the handling of that a-
monnt of the ready ? Wouldn't mind "hand
ling" it into our own pocket, thank'e. Ed.
This sum they are not over anxious about
paying, and have a kind of supplement to give
a construction to the act chartering the Com
pany, to wit : that the tax is only to commence
from the time dividends were first declared.
The supplement will pass over the left !
Quito a number of small corporation bills
have passed within a week past.as for instance,
the Newry Railroad Company, the Quakake
Railroad, the North Branch Railroad, the Ma
hanoy Railroad, the Philadelphia and New Or
leans Steam Navigation Company, the Phila
delphia & Manayunk Steamboat Company, the
East Danville Iron Company, tho Bedford Gas
Company, the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Company of York, the Towanda Gas Compa
ny, etc., etc.
Gen. Duff Green is hard to kill. Although
the Senate unceremoniously slaughtered his
great " American Imyrovement and Loan Com
pany" bill, ho still lives. He has obtained
th eUall of the House, and delivers a lecture
there on his great financial arrangement on
Monday evening.
The Fry divorce case was argued before the
House committee and a large and fashionable
audience on Tuesday evening last. The Hon.
Thomas Corwin, counsel for the lady, made a
very stirring appeal in her behalf, and Whar
ton went in for the husband. There is no
knowing how this quarrel in high life will
terminate.
The House passed a bill to-day divorcine a
daughter of Capt. Blair, of the Commercial
HotelThiladelphia, from the bonds of matri
mony, into which she had entered without the
knowledge or consent of her parents, with one
Priestly, her father's bar-keeper, who is rep
resented as being a gay youth of thirty, while
she has reached the ripe age of thirteen years
and nine months! Tho marriage was the re
sult of a conspiracy, quite discreditable to
those engaged in it, and especially so to the
Reverend gentleman who performed the cer
emony. A grand legislative ball comes oil at Cover-
ly's on Tuesday evening, which is to be, ac
cording to common rumor, a reekerche affair.
Your correspondent is not likely to be in the
ring, bnt he will probably hear what takes
place.
- There is a bill before the Senate to increase
the pay of Adjutant General Wilson to $1,400
per annum. Death certain death, stares it
in the face.
ine memoers oi tne nouse votea to sus
tain the 700 per session system. I glory
their pluck, but some of their constituents
will givo them rats about the latter part of
next summer. Yours, - SrEcut
Ccsti, March 4tu, 1859.
Ma. Row: A svstem of rafting, known as
"splashing," has been introduced on the river
In other words, some of those who own dam
retain the water until their dams are filled, and
then suddenly let off.the water, which enables
them to float what lumber is in or below the
dam, some distance down the river. This may
be tun to those who are engaged in it, but
is death to us, who, when we have partially
rafted in a raft, find it by the sudden rise and
fall ol the water left high and dry, and w
compjKed to cut it apart to get it into deep
water, sometimes we, having no knowledge
that a snlash-nood is to take place, leave on
rafts or timber iusecurelv tied to go some dis
tance from the river and on our return find
that the water has been let off above, and that
our unfinished raft has floated some distance
down stream, or if it was well secured, the
lash poles which projected over the raited
sticks broken off. Have the owners of dams
right to do so ? A Sufferer.
From a letter accompanying the above com
munication, it appears there are more incoc
veniences arising from splash floods than we
thought there were. The Legislature has giv
en owners of land on navigable streams the
right to erect dams, but they must be so con
structea as not to impede the navigation or
prevent fish passing up the river. We have
always understood it to be the law that such
owners have the right to use the water passing
over their land, but that they must let It come
to those who own below in quantity as it would
naturally flow. If we are right, no one can
confine tho water and then let it off suddenly
without being liable for damages. We believe
no one has a right to put splash-boards on
their dams and close their schutcs : but when
this is done merely for the purpose of increas
ing the head, and at a timewhen there is not
sufficient water to use the navigation, and it
can be done without resulting in injury to
others, it should be tolerated.
Beccaria Towxsnir-, Feb. 25, 1S59.
Mr. tniTpa : I am a stranger to you. vet I
feel as if I should like to form your acquaint
ance. Having lately come to Clearfield coun
ty, as a Presbyterian minister, in this town
snip, i nave seen -several copies, of different
dates, of the Raftsman's Juurual, and mu
say, that on the whole, I am much pleased with
a 1 T ...
u. Ana now i wish to become a subscriber ;
for I ought to do everything in my power for
tho prosperity of the county in which I live.
and not the least way to do this, is to take
voir paper. Please .find within, my subscrip
tion. Nor will this satisfy me ; whatever in
fluence I may have, shall go to circulate your
journal as wiaeiy as possible.
At a meeting held here'tbis week for Edu
cational purposes, several short speeches were
maae ; all tending to awaken a deeper inter
est in ine education not only oi the young,
but aiso oi tuose oi riper years. 15c lure the
meeting was over, a committee of three was
appointed unanimously to take subscriptions
for procuring a Library, treating in a scientific
manner, of the various branches of industry
carried on in tne community. W hat is more
a gentleman present has offered to add one-
fourth to whatever sum may ba collected ; be
sides, the proceeds ol the exhibition of a cam
era obscura, which he will send from Phila
delphia. We therefore expect shortly to have
about a hundred vols, on Agriculture, Physi
ology, Mineralogy, Mining, Metallurgy, Zool.
ogy, Botauy, Astronomy and other branches
or Practical Philosophy. The duty and privi
lege of taking a newspaper was urged, as what
no imagined obstacles should hinder them
lrom performing and enjoying. An excellent
spirit seemed to be awakened, which, if con-
: .1 t i i . ... .
uuueu. iu auu tiiei isueu uy mem, will only
tend to produce in the township of Beccaria,
in a lew years, a population second to none in
the coutuy, in intelligence, public spirit, ad
vancenient in the arts and sciences, and I
hope in every good work.
l suau let you know how this good spirit
woms. in me meantime, I am, dear tditor,
Respectfully yours, Lojied.
Ve tender Lonied' our thanks for his good
opinion ana wishes, and shall be pleased to
hear from him at any time. We think your
plan a good one worth a trial, at all events
During our visit to Lowell wo were shown
through theLaboratory of our celebrated coun
tryman, Dr. J.C. Ayer. Scarcely could we
have believed what is seen there without proof
beyond disputing. They consume a barrel of
solid Pills, about 50,000 doses, and 3 barrels
of Cherry Pectoral, 120,000 doses per diem.
To what an inconceivable amount of human
suffering does this point ! 170,000 doses a day !
Fifty million of doses per year !! What acres
and thousands of acres of sick beds docs this
spread before the imagination ! And what sym
pathies and woe ! True, not all of this is ta
ken by the very sick, but alas, much of it is.
This Cherry Drop and this sugared Pill are to
be tho companion of pain and anguish and
sinking sorrow the inheritance our mother
Eve bequeathed to the whole family of man.
Here the infant darling has been touched too
early by the blight that withers half our race. 4-
Its little lungs are affected and only watching
and waiting shall tell which way its breath
shall turn. This red drop on its table is the
talisman on which its life shall hang. There
the blossom of the world just bursting into
womanhood, is also stricken. Affections most
assiduous care skills not, she is still fading a
way. The wan messenger comes nearer and
nearer every week. This little medicament
shall go there, their last perhaps their only
nope, ine strong man has planted in his vi
tals, this same disease. This red dron bv his
side is helping him wrestle with the inexora
ble remedy; the wife of his bosom and tho
cherubs of his heart are waitins in sick sor
row and fear lest the rod on which they lean
in this world, be broken. OJDoctor! Spare
no skill, nor cost, nor toil, to give the perish
ing sick the best that human art can give.
Galveston, Texas, JVeic.
Richard Cobden, the celebrated English re
former, and Wm. Smith O'Brien, the equally
celebrated Irish patriot, are the most recent
arrivals of foreign notabilities. Both come
with the same purpose in view to travel
throughout the States and study the nature and
influence of our political and civil institutions. J
PEITITSYLVAHi'A ITEMS. ,
" prepared for the "raftsman's journal."
Dacfhis Coustt. On the 23d Adam Smith,
fireman on the Pennsylvania Railroad, at
Bailey's Station, died under circumstances
that led the neighbors to think he had been
poisoned by his wife. The previous Friday
she left home for Uarrisburg, telling the
girl if Mr. Smith took sick that day, to give
him laudanum ; be was then in sound health.
At Newport Mrs. S. asked for arsenic to kill
rats, but was relused ; she had purchased
some there before ; she also sought for it at
Uarrisburg. She started for home the night
of that day, at Duncannon offering a premium
to any one who would drive her home, as her
husband was very sick. .Failing in this, she
went on to .Newport, and on Saturday arrived
at home, and found her husband very sick,
purging and vomiting, in which condition ho
remained all the following Tuesday. She then
telegraphed to a Doctor that her husband was
very sick," and at the same time to her
father in Philadelphia, that be was dead. The
Doctor arrived too late. After Smith's death,
an inquest was held, and the stomach taken
out and sent to Philadelphia for analysis.
Mrs. I-'mith was held in custody. Since then
she has attempted to poison herself. -
Indiana Count. Mr. J. P. Carter, of the
town of Indiana, has obtained a contract from
the National Government to deliver a lot of
mules for the western service. ... On the
night of the 23d Feb., a valuable horse was
stolen from Mr. Johnston Keener, near She
Iocta. . . . Mr. John Kinter, of Rayne town
ship, week before last, lost two or three valu
able horses, that were attacked by a malignant
disease that is prevailing among the horses in
various parts of the county. . . . On the 22d
Feb., the house of Peter Freeh, of Rayne
township, was destroyed by fire, with all its
contents, as well as 200 bushels of grain and a
lot of pork, during the absence of the family.
.... On tho night of the 23d, some provisions
were stolen from the "Indiana House," and
several persons in the town had clothes that
were on the lines drying, carried off. . . The
post office at Carter's Mjlls has been removed
to the Blacklick station on the Railroad, and
J. Gardner appointed postmaster. . . . Mr.
Samuel Howe and lady left Indiana for Leav
enworth, Kansas, on the 1st inst. ... Messrs.
Alex. Montgomery and Gil. Woodward ship
ped, on the 28th, a car load of fine horses,
for tho Philadelphia market.
Yobk County. The new bridge over the
Susquehanna river, at Conowingo, 30 miles
below Wrightsville, is completed, and was
thrown open for public use on the 17th ult. . .
A dog, supposed to be rabbid, was killed in
Wrightsville a lew days since . . . The typhoid
fever prevails in Hopewell township, and
deaths are numerous. ... A few weeks ago,
a powder mill went into operation about 3
miles south of York, and already it has bad
ono blow-up; fortunately little injury was
done ... Religious revivals are in progress iu
various sections of the county. . . . The sup
ply of lumber at Wrightsville, the Star says.
is short, and prices have advanced a little ;
culling boards are now selling one dollar
higher, and bill stud two dollars per thousand
higher than formerly.
Jefferson County. On the eveninjr. of Feb.
25th, about dusk, the dwelling house of Jacob
Smith, two miles North of Punxstitawnry,
took fire from a stove pipe, and was burned to
the ground. Bedding, household furniture
and clothing were saved. Ho lost flftv bush
els of buckwheat. His loss cannot be less
than 1500. . . . On the 26th, Mrs. T. K. Litch,
near Brookville. . made a narrow escape.
Whilst in the woodhousc picking up chiis
one of the laboring men about tho mill, not
perceiving her. carelessly tossed a double
uiuea axe into the wooanouse. ibe axe
struck Mrs. L. on the back, but-fortunately
glanced down, cutting her dress and injurin
her only slightly.
Centre Colxty. A cumber of thefts have
recently been committed in Bellefonte. On
the night of the 26th Feb., six or seven bams
were stolen from the smoke house of Henry
Vandyke, Esq. . . . The Democrat says Mr.
Jonathan Kreamer, of Penn to., two vears
ago, bought a heifer for which he paid sixty
nve dollars. Within the last two jcars this
heifer has had five calves. About two weeks
ago she had two calves, and when they were
a week old one of them weighed 85 and the
other 14a pounds. When they were three
weeks old, Mr. Kreamer sold the cow and
calves for one hundred and fifty dollars.
Cumberland Coi nty. The stable of Mr. A
benseman, ot Carlisle, with six new sleichs.
and a quantity of hay and straw, was destroyed
by nre on the zaa t eb Catarrh fever is
prevailing among the children in the neighbor
hood of .Newville. . . . Mr. Wm. Eakins. acred
about 70 years, residing near Oakvillc, went to
his barn on the 'otn, to harness a horse, and
shortly after was found lying on his face, near
tne norsc. dead, the cause of his death is
not stated. . . . Mrs. Crissinger, of Fraukford
township, was thrown from a horse on the 13th
and had her right ankle dislocated and the
bones of her leg broken.
.u it t us uotATt. i lie oarn on the urcmiscs
C m .
of T. L. n illiams, Esq., in Reedsville. known
as Brown's Mills Hotel, was destroyed by fire
on Monday night, Feb. 2Slh. The stock was
all got out in safety, but about 400 bushels of
corn, 100 bushels of oats, four or Cve tons of
hay, ana a quantity of straw, &c. worth lrom
300 to 400, the property of Mr. Moatgome
ry, tenant of the hotel, was all burnt. Tho
barn was a good one, having been nut uo at a
cost of 800 or 900. Insured for about one
half, we believe, in the West Branch Company.
Clarion CorNTY. Mr. Samuel Lcbaush.
residing near the Narrows on the Kittanning
road, in Bethleham township, was killed on
the Joth teb., by the trunk of a tree, which
ne cut down, falling across him. His wife
alarmed at his remaining absent too Ion?, sent
aiaaaner mm, who soon returned and re
ported that his father was Iviiiff in the woods.
The passengers of the Kittanning stage,
which came past the place at the time, raised
eleven aonars ana gave it to the afflicted
woman.
Washington County. On Satnrdav last.
Mr. Edward Ross, of Buffalo township, was up
at Taylorstown in his apparently usnal health.
and, after having started home, fell from his
norse, aoout a halt a mile below town, and im
mediately expired. Mr. Donahey, who was
riding some fifty rods behind him, came np in
time to see him draw his last breath. He is
supposed to have died of apoplexy. He was
about forty years of acre. He learea a.
and seven small children to mourn his untime
ly ena.
Mercer County. On the mornfcir of flm
15th Feb., at the door of his residence. Gpo.
D. Keck, of.Snar Grove townshin. found
box containing a living boy babv. about s.W
weeks old, snugly packed ud in flannel to
protect it from the cold. A letter, with di
rections how to take care- of the child. wa
left in the box. The affair is a mystery which
the letter promises to solve in a few weka
from its date.
Franklin County. A. B. Winzerd had six.
ty-seven sheep destroyed in one night; not
long since, by dogs. ... A man namil .T,la..n!,
Ickes was found dead in tho kitchen of Abra
ham Hossler, on the morning of the 16th Feb
ruary. . . . David Funk, recently convicted of
murder,, was taken to the penitentiary ou tho
COJTGEESSIOXAL PE0CEETJI?G3.
Feb. 26-. In the Senate, the Army Appi'o
priation Lilt was taken up, and Mr. Slid
improved the occasion to abandon the Thirty
Million Cuba Buying bill. After a long debate
the Army bill was adopted. 24 to 15. The ap
propriations amount to 15,000,000. In the
.House, the report of the Committee of Con
ference on the Indian Appropriation bill was
agreed to. A bill was passed to protect tim
ber on military reservations. Steps were ta
ken for the punishment of a witness who had
testified before tho Printing Committee to
certain untruths. The Post-Office Appropria
tion bill was amended by putting in money
.lor new posf-office buildings, and then passed
by four niaioritv. A determined effort Mas
made to introduce a Tariff bill by Mr. Phelps
Chairman of the nays and Means Committee
but, by a vote of 128 to 88, the House refus
ed to suspend the rules. The President's ve
to to the Agricultural bill was received, and
on a vote the count was, Yeas, 105 ; Navs
90 not two-thirds for rt and so the bill was
rejected. In Committee, the House took uj
the JN aval Appropriation bin, and taiKed a-
while about the recent disclosures by the In
vestigating Committee. Without further ac
tion on this bill, the House concurred in th
Senate's amendments to the Consular, the
Legislative.and the IndianAppropriation bills
Feb. 28. In the Senate, the Post-Office
Committee reported adversely to a large num
ber of requests for new Post-Routes. On a
motion to take up the Homestead bill, the
vote was : Yeas 20 ; Nays 29. Senator Hons
ton made a farewell speech. Conference Com-
mittees were raised on the Executive and
Diplomatic Appropriation bills. The Post-
Oflicc Appropriation bill was then taken up.
The third section was stricken out, and in its
place six millions of dollars appropriated for
deficiencies of the fiscal year. A long and
uninteresting debate ensued. In the House
the two Representatives from Texas wasted
considerable time in a personal quarrel. Th
Naval Appropriation bill was amended (as a
greed to in Committee) bv cutting down the
3.100,000 for repairs to 1,900.000, and the
$1,192,010 for navy yards to 130,000 and the
bill then passed. Mr. Phelps moved a sus
pension of the rules to introduce a bill to ex
tend the issue of Treasury Notes for two
years, but the House refused, 93 to 108. In
Committee, the Miscellaneous Appropriation
lull was taken up. A motion to strike out
$250,000 for continuing the Coast Survey was
negatived.
March 1. In the Senate, the Tost-Office
Appropriation bill being under consideration
in Committee, Mr. Yulee moved to raise 1ft
ter postage to five cents and abolish the frank
ing privilege, which motion prevailed i eas,
29; Nays, 28. Mr. Wilson got in an amend
ment that the Post-Office advertisements here
after be printed in two papers having the lar
gest circulation in each State and Territory.
An amendment, giving the overland mail con
tractors the privilege of choosing their own
route, was lost, 19 to 32. During the debate
it was stated that the cost of each letter con
veyed overland was fropi tmrty-nve to si sty -dollars.
It was then moved to make the trips
once a week, and reduce the pay to 130,000
nstead of 600,000.wlnch was agreed to. Mr.
Broderick moved that the weekly mail be
tween St. Joseph and Placerville be int
through in twentv-five davs, and the pav le
$110,000, which was agreed to. Mr. Rice
moved a weekly mail from St. Paul to Puget
Sound, at 20030OO,which was Carried,33 to 4.
The bill being reported to the Senate, most of
the amendments were adopted that concern
ing the Buttcrfield contract by 32 to 16. The
section raising the rates of postage and abol
ishing the franking privilegj was also adopt-.
ed. on a nnal vote, the bill, as amended, was
adopted Yeas, 29; Nays, 22. A motion to
recor.sider was lost. The Senate then took
up the Naval Appropriation bill. In the
House the amendments of the Committee of
the Whole to the Miscelaneons Appropriation
bill were acted upon. The $350,000 for con
tinning the Treasury Extension was cut down
toS50,000; $450,000 for Custom Houses in
Charleston and New Orleans were stricken
out. The bill was finally passed, and then the
Ocean Mail Appropriation bill was taken np
in Committee. When the Committee rose
the till was laid on the tabic by 11 majority.
The House in Committee then tcok up the
Senate's amendments to the Army bill, adopt
ing the appropriation of 227,000," balance due
Massachusetts lrom the war of 1812. The
amendments were disposed of, but the bill was
not finally acted upon. After voting 10,000
to pay the expenses of the Investigating Com
mittee, the House adjourned.
March 2. In the Senate, the bill to carry
into effect the treaty with China was passed".
The Miscellaneous Appropriation bill was ta
ken up. It embraces a total amount of 2,
345,000. Mr. Simmons moved an amendment
providing for a home valuation of imports,
but after debate it was lost. Mr. Hunter mov
ed that the President be authorized to issue
Treasury Notes for twenty millions at six per
cent interest, which was adopted, 21 to 10.
An amendment of 330,000 for the New Or
leans Custom-IIoiise was lost, 15 to 9. Also
$250,000 to complete the Washington Aque
duct. In the House, the Senate resolutions
authorizing the President to confer on Com
modure Stewart the commission of Senior
Flag Officer of the Navy was adopted. The
House then took up the Senate's amendments
to the Army bill, and disposed of them accor
ding to the discretion of the Committee of
the Vt hole. The bill extending the laws and
judicial system over Oregon was adopted
.Mr. Darisot Indtana asked leave to introduce
a bill repealing the restrictive clause in th
ivansas act. Air. .ngnsli thought it was tnn
late in the session- 3Ir. Davis' moved a. sus
pension of the rules, on which the vote was
luti tob ; but, not being two thirds in favor,
the rules were not suspended. The vote on
the Mail Steamer bill was reconsidered, and
the bill was again rejected 66 to 91.' The
House concurred in the report of the Confer
ence Committee on the Execufive Appropria-
iiuu uiu. juv vi luese. amenaments restores
the mileage lor the next Congress, which had
been stricken out by the House. Mr. An
drews wanted to get up the River and Harbor
bill, but finally withdrew bis request. During
the evening session, there was a irood rii-al f
comusiou aooui tne right to the floor, in the
midst of which Mr. Barksdale got a single
private bill passed. The House then took up
the Senate's amendments to the Naw'i.iM ;n
Committee, when there was some talk about
the Paraguay Expedition, particular as to
the right of the Secretary ot War to "charac
ter vessels, and in general as to tho power of
the Executivc!to make war. Finally the
Senate's amendment concerning the Pnrn,,,
affair was concurred in 83 to 78 ; and all the
other amendments were adopted. The report
of the Conference Committee on th rv.i.r.
lar Appropriation bill was agreed to.
-iiAKUH a. in tne Senate, the Ilmno nw
priation of $10,000 to pay expenses of the
Investigating Committee, was adopted. The
Miscellaneous Appropriation bill wn, ,!.-
up. Mr. Yulee wanted the Postmaster-General
to increase the Atlantic and Pacific mail
facilities to the extent of S''f,o rv
adopted. Another amendment gives 1"0 -000
a year, for fonr vn in . Z '.
- . .. . - "in oi a line oi
steamers to Mexican Gulf ports. r ti-;
got in $500,000 instead of sr.n nnn
the Treasury buildings. Mr7 Sinrt
jeet for home valuation of imported goods
was lost by four majority. The reistua of
I Treasury notes was authorized, 30 to 22. The
' amendments added are to abolish the frank
ing privilege and to increase the rates ol post
age. In the House, in thn case of Mr. Star
ing, charged with accepting $400 to engineer
a claim, the committee's resolution that tho
evidence would not warrant a conviction, nor
subject him to an expulsion, was adopted.
Mr. G row rose to a privileged question, and
offered a fesolutron that the Post-Office blli.
with its amendments, be returned to the Sen
ate, as the thirteenth section thereof proposed
to increase the rate of postage, which is iu
the nature of a revenue bill, and according to
the Constitution can only originate in the
House. This motion was carried, 1 17 to 76,
and the bill sent back to the Senate.1 The
rule requiring bills to be read before final
passage was suspended. The House 8grced
to tho leport of tho Couferencc Committee oi
the Naval . bill, wherein 289,000 are given
for the purchase of the vessels chartered fur
the Paraguay Expedition. The bill to carry
into effect the treaty with China was passed.
After recess, some time was spent in talk a
bout remodeling the arrangement of seats and
desks for members. Tho session was kept up
until Friday noon, when the final adjournment
took place. Before doing so. the bill author
izing there-issue of Thirty Millaons iu Trea
sury Notes was passed and tho Tariff revisiou
sacrificed.
THE "GOLD DIGGHTS."
ncrc is something taken f rom the Shelbys
ville Patriot, on the gold mines:
Pike's Peak, Nov. IS, 1858.
Mr. Editor: Me and my wifo left the old
Sucker State on the first of last September,
and arrived here on Pike's Peak on the 17tli
of the same month, being just 17 J day on tho
road. Short trip, say you. But the route tra
velled was not by the Arkansas, neither that
of the Platte, but just midway between tho
two, uniting the advantages of each, without
the drawbacks of e ither. The route was nev
er traveled till me and my wife passed along ;
it tuins neither to the right nor to the left, but
goes straight along, right to the mines, and
liu iiisbes an abundance of grass, wood ami wa
ter; so nutritious is the grass that when me
and my wile got hero our cattle were "butter
fat." At the urgent request of the hall starv
ed miners, me ami my wife killed them and
sold the shanks at thirty-three and one-eighth
cents per pound ; the fleshy pieces we swapped
for gold nuggets pound for pound. But aint
we rich ? Tell all your folks to coma my
route ; no difficulty iu finding it, as me and
my wife took pains to blaze all the trees. We
think of putting up atoll-pole; my wife can
tend it while I work in tho mines! There is
truth in all the exaggerated accounts about
gold. Just now my youngest child (a year
ling) brings in a shirt-tail full of very rich dirt
which my wife will wash and send you tho
yield. I supply me and my wife with meat by
my gun. Buffalo, bear, deer and antelope are.
in abundance; yc.-terday I killed an antelr.mt
320 yards. A gun will kill further here than
any place I ever saw. Strange as it may ap
pear, right on the peak and close to our houso
is a little lake filled with honey ; a few yards
from this is a gushing spring of pure aii.K !
There is a peculiar hpecies of tree here, tho
fruit ot which is better than the lest buck
wheat cakes von ever saw. My wile thinks
she has discovered indications ot" a soap mine ;
Tom Trousers has discovered a rosin mine;
and Joe Boottee is making preparations to
manufacture turpentine. The boys are all do
ing well ; I have 90 or 100 pounds of gold
which I intend sending back to my wife's poor
relations the first express. Sickness and sor
row, pain and death aro strangers here. hen
me and my wife left Punkin Hollow, iu Illi
nois, she was a poor, little, scrawny, wasp
waist creature, weighing 82 pounds ; now sh
weighs 240, and locks like a huge molassex
hogshead, only when .she wears hoops arid
then and then. The color of my wi!c'a skin
has changed to a dec) yellow ; some peculiar
property of the atmosphere communicate
this shade to the cuticle. This is taken as an
indication of the abundance of gold. . '
.My wile stops tne to say the shirt tail .f
earth was not very rich, onlv making $15 t'9
cents, 9 mills and a fraction over. Mv wlio
sends her respects to yon, and says you must
send the Patriot to the Peak. My second hiv
just brought in the point of a two-edged sword.
doubtlvss the one that guarded the garden of
Edon. There is an old Indian hero who says
he well remembers Noah and the ni k. My
twelve sons are all heartv, and my two daugh
ters are fine looking girls. Farewell.
Amabiau Billdap, ani his Wife.
r We Judge there is about as much truth in
this burlesque as in many of the accounts that
arc written in sober earnest.
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.
I
PUBLIC IlOrSE. The undersigned
pcctfullr announces to the traveling mil.lia
i general that he eow occupies thcTnvtru hoa.e
mile east of S. J?au.ler"s old stand, in Onvino-tnr.
township, where he prepared to accommodate
all who may favor hiru rfth their custom, lilt
house is commodious and well adapted to tho or. -tertainment
of travelers, and his table will alwava
be provided with tho best that tho market ran uV.
ford. His stable is aUo cir.venient ai.it frnnit
March 9, ISo9. BKNJAMIN SXIDEK.
EXLCrTOltS'
mcntary on the
.NOTICE.-Letters Tcst.
cntary on the Estate of rsam- Rl
of 1 ike township, Clearfield county. Pa. deceased
haviug been graufed to tho undersigned ; all per
sons indebted to said .estate arc required to make
imincuiaie payment, and those having claims a
gauist tho same will present them duly authenti
cated to our Attorney, L.J. Crans. Esq., Clearfiold,
or to wf: JOHN BfAKiM.
. JAS. A. BLOOM.
Pike tp., March 9. 1 SiS-Rt Liecutors.
4 BBEY&XEFF, X0. SOS North 3d 8tr
rf,. (,,hr,e doors above Vine.) Philadelphia I
OLD HARDWARE STANi, (Established i we.
rnur 1 pan ,r . . : t . . -
reel.
T1IK
i'wentv-
cltanc,l,Far,runz(.,d Household Hardware it
now m More, and will be offered at the lowest mar
J.ct prices to Cash and prompt Sir month l,ui.
ers. ails at Manufacturers prices for Cash Or
ders from new customers will receive strict and ac-
,-u.vuHseM nre cor.uaiiy invited to call and ejtaui
ine their block and Prices before Purchaiing.
Philadelphia, Pa., March 9th, lS53-3u,
CROItGK l. ABI1EV.
jon A. SKFf.
nPHE CLEARFIKL1) ACADEMY" WILL
be opened on the FIKST TUESDAY OF MAY,
under the general supervision of the Rev. J. M.
li allow j, and the immediate care of a competent
teacher. .TERMS per session of twenty-lwo weeks.
Orthozranhv. Rending w i..
A... . a
nthmetio and Geography, S3.
Higher Arithmetic and Geography, Enzlisb.
Grammar and History, S3.
AlgcbraPhvsiolo7v.XatnrJPhilosniiiiW
Jfru ?k Keeping. "Botany, Geology, Ev'idencea
oi Christianity and Biblical AntiquiUcs.SS
l ...... 1 1 r ... th -1 . - . , . ' "
Jicuuuiauusopny, lUietorio, Loxid
and Astronomy, $10.
The Latin and Greek Lanimtroa io
Exercises in Composition and Declamation will
be required of all the pupils, according to their
abih ies So deduction will be made when the
pupil enter within two weeks of the commence
ment of the Session, or tor absence, unless occa
sioned by protracted sickness. Xo pupil r" eh ed
for les, than half a senion. Tuition to be Lid at
me cio-o ot the lirst eleven week of th
iiearueld. March 8th.1853.-it
;"c """""on, aa gnoas sent from thu houjj
will be as represented. Country merchant, on
tneir next visit to our ntvlnm.u ,:-
T V TAST A GOD PAPER. SUB i
lEvnr ;Rsn'' Journal."
hi XT ANT,A U00D rAPi:K- utoriWfrr '
ine Hart.nian s Journal."
ii
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