m iioran op KErnKiKTATivnn, l-lnrcup in the limine tor. Wrfmter antt Mr. J,t gt:rni!l Exciting flisrttsion. Washington, April 27, lSfi. As soon as tlie Journal had Wen read, Mr. C. .T. Ingersoll rose and asked leave to make a per sonal explanation. Objection being roade from several c)iirirtir!i, be moved a suspension oftlie Rules, unit the mo lion prevailed, yens 102, nays 2'i. Mr Ingersoll then repented wliat lie had laid una former occasion in relation to the unexpect ed discoveries he had made at the S!ate Depart ment, relative to the peculations ofMr. Webster, t'pnrt the reception of the President's Message, inclining to give the required information, he, Mr. Ingersoll, had contented himself with mere 1 stating that the charges eou'd be proved by the evidence in the Department, lie did not then proceed further, because he was so advised ly his friends, under the impression that Mr. Welifer himself would demand an investiga tion. As this had not been done, and as Mr. W. bud denied the truth of the charges, be now felt it bis duty to come forward with his proofs. Mr. Ingersoll then briefly reiterated bis charges, which were : 1st. Unlawful use of the secret service fund. 2d. Misapplication of said fund to corrupt the party press. .Ird. Leaving the State Department as a do f.tultcr. Mr. Innersoll then proceeded to show that the S-eret Service fund was always kept in the bands ofthe "disbursing agent" of the Department, an.l that, contrary to all lormer usage, Mr. Webster, during the first twelve months of his administra tion ofthat Department, drew payable to ;' own order, the sum of SI. 1,000. Also that there was evidence in the Department to show that this proceeding did not meet with the approbation of the Fresulent. Of this Sl.ri,000, Mr. Webster returned .",000 in June 1812, and Jl.t.'iO was settled by Presi dent's certificates in July IS Pi, the greater part of which was applied to the corruption of the public press, through the agency of Mr. F. (). J. Smith. After crediting sundry other items, Mr. Webster was still a defaulter when be left the office to the amount of above two thousand dol lars, and although repeatedly written to by the President he did not make up the amount until M. n days before the Inauguration of Mr. Polk, The evidence of all this, Mr. Ingersoll said could be found in the Department. In the Department of State there is now a let ter, signed F. O. J. Smith, marked priratc, dated Portland, the 12th ol August, 1 HI, addressed to Mr. Webster, Secretary of State, substantially as li d lows : It begins by congratulating Mr. Webster on his settlement of the Maine boundary question, by a new mode of approaching the subject, after forty years of diplomacy, without which new made another forty years of diplomacy would have come to nothing. Mr. Smith informs Mr. Webster by bis letter, that he had occasion to resort to services and in fluences, in order to adjust the tone and direction the party presses, and through them of public sentiment, to a purpose so desirable of accom plishment under Mr. Wcbstcr'sadmiuistratinn. The sums Mr. Smith vouches as got by him from Mr. Webster are $2000 for sei vices con nected with the northeastern boundary and two years after he vouches $"00 more, as will be shown. Thirdly Leaving the Department ot State in dubt tn the seeiet service fund, $22'.l0. Th records of the Department show this de fault beyond all denial or question. They show, furthermore, that it was neither piid or accounted for during nearly two years after Mr. Webster's removal from office. They show several letters sent to him by Pres ident Tyler's direction, urging payment, and eva sive letters of excuse from Mr. Webster tor non payment. At length, a peremptory letter that exposure would or might be the consequence of more de lay, produced reimbursement. But settlement did not take pluce till the 1st of February, IM5, ten days before President Polk arrived in Washing, ton, to be inaugurated, when Mr. Welfster pro duced another voucher from Mr, F. O. J. Smith, for an additianal $S00, anJ other vouchers, one from George Smith for $.'00. Tito rules were then by a voto of I3."i to 22, suspended to enable Mr. Aahniun to reply, lie did to in a very severe manner, pronouncing the accusation of Mr. Ingersoll t false, and that the respectable portion af all parties would be d insisted at the course be had pursued, lie reviewed some portions of the former course of Mr. Ingersoll, and said it was evident that had Mr. Webster been present, and a member of the House, Mr. Irigorsol'i would have bitten his tongue off before be would have dared to make the charges. He said it ill became a man to charge soother with peculation, who had him Mlf been turned out ot office by President Jack eon for peculation. Mr. A. then referred at some length to the particulars of the accounts of Mr. Ingersoll, when, in le2U, he was tried as a defaulter. Mr. J. U. Ingersoll stated that as howsf, em ployed on that occasion tu Counsel (or hit broth er, he would on the honor of a gentleman say, that bis brother, having died for a long tmiu in vain to bring the Government to a settlement of his accounts, at last himself, proposed that the wh ile matter should lesottled by a Jury, and the accounts were accordingly settled in that mode, in an honorable manner, and to the satis faction of all parties concerned. Mr Ashuitin, after pay ing a high compliment t Mr. J. It. Ingersoll, went on to refer to the facts as he found them in the public documents, and which showed that Mr. C. J. Ingersoll did not pay the balance found against him by the jury until nearly ten years afterwards. Mr.A- weut on to say that iujtjiuu attempts had been made to induce en-President Tyler to break prnund on this subject, and to disavow having sanrtionrd the disbursements. Mr. C. J. Ingersoll asked whether the mem ber meant tosny that the attempt bad been made hy him. Mr. Aslimnn replied in the affirmative. Mr. InirerKol!, find, "It is lalae It is a lie." Great confusion, during which Mr. Ingersoll repeated the words "fnUc and lie." Mr. Ashmnn said, if the member supposed be could draw on n personal qunrrc by using such language, he was mistaken, He, Mr. A., cams from a part ofthe country wlire they did not fight duel?, ami where they used neither bowie knives, pistols nor daggers ; they did not use them, nor were they afraid ol them. Hut if any body doubted bis courage, let him try it. When Mr. A. had concluded, M. Sch.mck ol-fi-red a resolution providing lor the appointment of a Select Committee, to report on the means by which Mr. Ingersoll obtained accessto the papers in the State Department. . After several ineffectual motions to lay the whole matter on the table, on motion of Mr. Pe tit, the repolution was amended, so as to author ize a Committee- to inveftignte the charges a- gainst Mr. Webster, with a view to impeach ment. In this amended form it. was adonted i Ry Maonktic TEi.t-firtApii - Washington, April 2rt, 2J o'clock, P. M. In the House this morning, the Speaker appointed as the commit tee under the resolution to investigate the char ges sgsinst M. lnrjersoll, Messrs. Schenck, Dob bin, Mcllvaine, Stanton and J A. Rockwell, and on the committee under the resolution to inves tigate the charges against Mr. Webster, Mes srs. Pcttit, Vinton, Jefferson Divis, Daniel P. King, and Wilmott, of Pennsylvania. M I KR At. WKAtTII. We have reason to believe, that the statements made in the following extracts ore nearly cor rect. A few days since we were shown speci mens of the sii.vi r as well ostberorrf.R ore re ferred to. and we know ton, that several of our citizens, stockholders in one of the copper com panies, some weeks since, were offered a most cxtravaganl price for the stock owned by them. The silver ore exhibited to us, is certainly v ry rich, and we were told, is valued at $10.1)00 per ton. What a source of wealth, not enly to the fortunate owners ol the mines, but to the nation .' If the silver ore should prove of one half the value now supposed, there is no tel ling the cfToct it will produce upon our monita ry system; it will certainly greatly increase the bullion of tho nation, and give the people silver coin in placo ol the small notes which now constitute almost our entire circulating me dium. Pittsburgh Post, From the Clcvhtnd Herald. Iteport from Copper Region. We have not been inclined to give credit to all the big stories that we hear about the cop per, and especially the silver of the Like Supe rior country. There is no doubt much rxaj geration some of it intended to aflect the val ue of stocks, and some not dishonc-tly, but for want of knowledgo of the value of such mines But the accounts come so thick upon us, and a grceso well together, that we cannot reject them entirely. There must be something ex traordinary in those newly discovered mines, or else there is a most extensive combination tode- ceive the community We have before us extracts from three It-' lera received at Detroit, w ithin the past few days. One from Dr. Kinne, U. S. Surveyor at Fort Wilkins, dated Feb. .r, llrt, says "A few days since, a mass of pure copper was taken out of the earth, weighing about nine tons. Near the same place they are taking out anoth er maFB nearly as large. I have in two or three instances seen thrn blast out lumps of pure sil ver, weighing 30 or 10 pounds." A letter from Mr. A Sherman, dated at the "Anse," in February, nays "I ahould not dare write yen what I have actually seen, did I not suopoFe hundred of others would corroborate my statement. 1 have just returned I'rum Cop- per Harbor by way of F.agle river. The silver is not like that found hint summer in tho Hs ton company's mines, but runs in streaks and lumps, the latter sometimes as large as a wal nut, and sometimes much larger, end ol pure silver, They have pot out two conper and silver rocks, ono weighing 120t) and the other 1800 pounds, rich in silver, which stands out in mas ses and spangles. I vinited tho copper rock, of the Copper Fall company, five miles from F.aglo river, towards Copper Harbor. They sunk a shaft U feet in diameter, 50 feet below the surface, and struck a vein of copper running across the shall. They have cleared away from one ide to the depth of 13 feet, and on the other 4 J feet, and have found neither end or bottom. It is 5 to 13 in ches thick, and is computed to weigh I) times as much as the copper rock ol the Ontonogan. I picked up a piece ol rock at Jennings in which there are strtakssud lumps of silver as thick as my little finger. What I saw I can hardly be lieve, yet I ak you to believe it, for it is every syllable true. The North American company's location is but about 20 rods from w here they are taking out this silver, and the vein runs in to it. I was prejudiced against the copper mania until my recent trip, and still think that those veina may not improvo as they go down ; but there must be ore wbera there is so much native silver and copper." Some ofthe rich Polinh nobles resident in Ta lis, sold shares in the French railways to the amount of X&0.000 sterling, to seiid the proceed to titcu ttuuigeiit voiuitry men. 4 - -. '.a. . i . THE AMERICAN. Saturday, .Vay 3, 1840. 1X7 The Right liev. A. Potter, Bishop ofthe Diocese, will officiate in St. Matthews Church, in this place, on Saturday next, tha 0th of May. fX7" There has been another flare tip in Con gress, on account ol Mr. Ingersnll's charges a gainst Mr. Webster, tho proceedings of which will be found in another rolumn. On our first page, several interesting articles will be found. CT?" SkciikT Sebvh-k Fino. An abstract of the President's Message, refusing to communi cate to Congress the records in relation to the secret service fund, will be found in another co lumn. This is exactly what all sensible men might reasonably have expected. We do r.ot think that Mr. Ingersoll has acquired any fresh laurels by his movements in this transaction. Ev The Notice. It will be seen by refer ence to our columns, that the Senate Notice, ns submitted to the committee of conference, with a very slight alteration, has passed both houses by a very large majority. The notice seems to give satisfaction to all parties. It will have the effect of bringing F.ngland to a final stand. We have no doubt that negotiations will be resumed, and that the whole question will be finally set tled on the basis of the l.fth parallel, with the free navigation ofthe Columbia river to F.ngland, for a limited time. E!7" Fhi it of all kinds, nnd the grain crops generally, wear a promising appearance. The rains, in the beginning of the week, were much wanted, and have bad a refreshing effect upon ve getation. C7 LcMnrn Trahe of tiik Srsqrr iiaxna. A considerable quantity of lumber is laying in the river, opposite tjiis place, waiting for a lise of water. This is the case almost every season. Yet a small link of about 30 miles of rail road would connect us with the Rending rail road, and give to Philadelphia nearly all this vast trade, that now must seek another market. C7" Tiik Canals The water was let in the Susquehanna division of the Pennsylvania Canal, on Wednesday last. The public works are now ogain in order, between Northumberland and Philadelphia, and from Northumberland up the West Branch. The packet boats, we presume, will re commence their daily trips, and as a ne cessary consequence, we suppose, the fare be tween this pluce and Philadelphia, by way of Pottsville, will be reduced to the old prices. The stage proprietors on this route have been reaping a fine harvest. The raising of the fare has, how ever, induced a number of persons to take their own conveyances as far as Pottsville. When will stage proprietors and Railroad companies team that low, or at least reasonable charges, are in the end, the most advantageous to all con cerned ? Tiik Tins Wat eh Canai. was to be open- 0,1 on Thnrs.lay last, the HOth tilt. The North Rianch canal is to be opened on the 7th of May. CT7" The Philadelphia Ledger has again assu med a new dress." The immense editions of this enterprising paper requires a lenewal of type every two or three months. V7 The Oirasd Cans Orncr.ns have leased the old banking house Ht Philadelphia for five years, at a rent of $2,000 for the first two years, ami at 2,500 for the remaining three years. The question whether it has not forfeited its charter will then be tried before the legal tribunals. Fisal Action om t he Omtco Qi estion in CoM.iass Congress has at length made a final disposition ofthe Oregon subject. The two (louses of Congress settled their dif ferences in regard to the form of authorizing no tice, by adopting (with two unimportant changes in the phraseology, recommended by the confe rees) the Preamble and Resolution ofthe Senate. These changes consisted simply in substituting the words "all proper measures" for "renowed etrorts," and the word "adjustment" for the word 'settlement." The recommendation of the conferees was agreed toby the Senate by a vote of 4i to 10 ; and by the House of Represen tatives by the very decisive vote of H2 to4G. CC7" Interesting from Mexico. Gen. Taylor is now encamped on the river Rio Crande, in frent of MaUmoras. The river is about 180 yards w ide. (Jen. Ampudia, the Mexican com mander, has entrenched himself in Matainoras He sent a message, threatening to use force if lien. Taylor did not retire in 2 hours. He has sent to Mexico for further orders. Gen. Taylor's force amounts to ubout 7,000. The Mexican force about the same. DP" Tn r National Fair. The great fair to be held at Washington City, on the 20th of May, will probably exhibit the most extensive and splendid display of American manufactures and products that has eve,r been witnessed. An im mense temporary building, covering an extent of over five hundred feet front, is already nearly e rected. Goods manufactured in almost every part of the United States, will be sent to the fair. The manufacturers are willing to contrast them side by side with the impoited articles. We predict that it will be a greut triumph of Ameri con skill ond industry over the visionary views and speculations of Enlish fiee trade theorists - -s ... a., i ('urrcspoiidcnre of tlic Siinbnry Amrricnn. NUMBF.RXV11I. Wasiiinotom, April 27, 1S10. "The deed has been done," The exciting ques tion ofthe session has besn disposed of -by Con gress, ami the consummation oftlie notice for the abrogation of the convention of joint occupancy is left to the President's "discretion." I cannot forbear n.aking a few extracts from General Cameron's remarks upon tho occasion, which are well worth the space they occupy. The extracts, as below, too, were so applicable and well-timed, that they were made a part of a lender in the "Union" of the 21th inst., besides being placed in the regular report of tbs procee dings. This, I can assurt you, is as unusual thing, and is an Lonor to any one. Here are the extracts, as taken from tha leader af the Vnion : "Mr. Cameron said he should vote for tke report ofthe committee, and before he did so he wish ed to say a word or two, in explanation of his vote. Mr. C. said he was in favor of a plain no tire, and in every vote pending the termination ofthe question, he had been with the friends of it. Next, he was willing to take the notice which came from the House of Representaives, and had voted for it. Failing to get either of these, he had voted for the resolutions which pas seil the Senate. He did so, because he consider ed it more important to the interests of the country, that the action of Congress on this im portant question should be indicated by unanimi ty, than it w as to have that action expressed in any particular from ; and, obove all, he believed that o speedy settlement of the impending diffi culties between the two countries could only be had by terminating the joint occupancy of the territory in dispute. Until a period was fixed at which the state of uncertainty must cease, he did not believe that the question of peace or war could be determined. The President, in the an nual message, had asked for authority trt give the notice to terminate the joint occupancy, under tho treaty, and having full confidence in hJ integrity, capacity and patriotism. Mr. C. was willing to trust the whole question in his hands. Mr. C. said he believed fully in our right to tlie whole country in dispute; that our title on ly terminates where the Russian line begins at 5 1 deg. 40 min. ; but he did not think this the pro per time or place to argue the title. It could be better done by the Executive in arianging a trea ty, or in insisting uponaur rights. He had done so in the published corresondence. When a treaty should be agreed upon by the negotiators, of the two countries, tlie Senate could revise their acts. This course, Mr. C. thought, would have been more respectful to the President, and, i in the end, better for the country. Cut as the defeat of the present notice would, in his opinion, be a defeat of all notice during the present ses sion of Congress, he should vote for it, without meaning to commit himself in favor of any trea ty which should not secure to the United States the whole of our just rights in Oregon." The President, it is, said, will give the notice forthwith. The country has full confidence in his ability to settle the Oregon question, and if Great Britain shows a disposition to do ns jus tice, James K. Tolk will terminate the difficulty in a manner satisfactory to all. Great Britain must enter upon negotiation with a more liberal spirit than heretofore, if it be her desire to settle the matter amicably. She must not suppose that her wholesale slaughter of the poor benighted Sikhs will have a tendency to make us yield to any unjust measure she may propose. Nor should she entertain any such absurd ideas, as to think he American people would be intimidated, in pursuing a course they know to be just, by the force she is shipping into Canada. You have, no doubt, frequently noticed with what avidity the opponents anil they are fast being dwindled down to a few irresponsible de magogues of Gen. Cameron grasp at the most trivial affair to injure bis reputation. Notwith standing the feeble etjorts of such persoos, it is not nngratifying to know that the General not only enjoys the confidence of the Democracy of his own State, anil it is the Democracy, but that of other States also. In Ohio, he is not un known. The Democratic publishing committee of that State, with Col. S. Mcdary at its head, among others "from distinguished Antrican statesmen," acknowledges the receipt of a letter from Gen. Cameron, on the currency, and pays a merited compliment to the writer. It is in these words : "The letters of Gov. Brown, of Mississippi, of Gov. Drew, of Arkans.it, and of Senators Tur ney, of Tennessee, and Cameron, of Pennsylva nia, are worthy of the brightest days of republi can freedom, and entitle their authors to the e verlasting gratitude of the Democracy of Ohio, and the lovers of truth and a virtuous govern ment, every where." What other endorsement will the peculiar de mocrats of your State ask for, if this is not sulfi vienl. Cromwell. We find the following note from Gen. Cameron, in a lata number of the Washington L'nion : To tho Editor of the Union Sir: Not a word of what is attributed by your reporter tome, in yesterday'a debate, on printing the Patent Of fice report, was said by ma, and all that I did soy his been omitted. 1 learn lint what is said at my desk cannot be heard in the repor ters' gallery. I seldom have Fpoken and have no ambition to be reported but I wil! thank them not to make a speech lor me. 1 am vt-ry proud ofthe farmers and farms of my state, and I am mortified at being made to eay that 'the wonderful improvements in Agriculture in Pennsylvania hsvo resulted from tho Patent Office.' 1 did ttoi say so. They are the result ofthe combined industry and intelligence ol tho men who hold their own ploughs and drive their own hordes who labor by day and read at niSllt' Vtfy fespectfulfy, April 51, 1510. Simon Camwo.v, Tha Preslitenl'a Mrssagei As neither ol the Washington papers contain the President's Message relative to the Secret j Service Fund, we copy the following abstract from the Baltimore American : The Message wos rend, beginning with n re cital ofthe resolution calling lor the items of the secret Bcrvice lund. The President ays that, with an anxious desire tn furnish the informstion if it were consistent tods it, he must decline. The foreign intercourse Act ot 110, in pursu ance of which information was communicated, was stated. Tha law required the public itema to be sta ted privately. Tha President's certificate only was required to be presentca to the accounting officer to secure tha payment ofthe same. Had the public items been called for they would have been Communicated with rest pleasure But the secret expenditures cannot be made pub lic without injury to the public interest. Some of his predecessors have not specified for what the secret service fund was expended. His predecessors had declared that this sum of $.",4-"0 ws expended for foreign intercourse Mr. Polk says the question is whether the resn lution can be answered at all with propriety. As a general rule, it should not be done, ond whether it could be done under any circumstan ces or not, is a subject for serious consideration. The President may keep the information in his own hands if he chooses, in which case the items do not become public records by being filed a way. They are not seen by the accounting of ficer. The provieion of the law of 170 were then (tntod and explained, when Mr. Polk says that if called upon to answer this Resolution, he would he under tho necessity of answering all such calls, whether under one administration or o net her. or whether in Peace or in War. The President saysthat he is aware of the prejudices against keeping nny thing secret, but there are circumstances which may require it. While in office, says Mr. Polk, I have had no account settled noon the Presi lcnt's certifirnto, nnd it would be an extreme cne that would al low him to use his ccrf ideate. Still, if there was s necessity for this-, lie .should most cheer fully take the responsibility of .doing so. Tiie House, as the Grand Inquest oftlie nation, hive a right to investigate the conduct of a'l public officer, but it must always be by a committee Such committee would have the right to demand the appearance of every public and private pi per, but they would not communicate what was ' done to the injury ofthe public intcre-l. 1 No communication is found upon the files n' the Department, in reference to the special mis-' sion to F.ngland, says Mr. Polk, and therefore this part ofthe information is not piveii, as de sired, by Mr. Polk. All public pipers (and they cover forty or fifty pages) are communica ted. The Secret Service Fri. There has been much talk recently of the Secret Service Fund. This fund has always been appropriated by Con gress, and its application has been left, by the law, to the sole discretion of the President. "The New York Telegraph says that the largest expenditure ever made by the American Govern ment in this way, since the Revolution, was in 112, when John Heriry, supposed to be a Bri tish agent, received from Mr. Madison ?"i0,000 in two drafts on the Treasury, one of? 13,000 and the other of ? 1000. Before he left the I'ni States, he purchased of the Count de Grilloa, then at Washington, an estate in Languedoc, F ranee, for -100, U00 francs, of w hich the amount received from our Government was supposed to have been a part. Mr. Madison sent a message to Congress infor ing them of the plot, and also with the message, a series of letters between this George Henry and Sir Thomas Craig, Governor General of Cauuda, and his Secretary, Mr. Ryland. Henry made these discoveries in consequence, as he alleged, of "the perfidy and dishonor of tliose who first violated the conditions en which he received their confidence," and on the gronnd of retaliation. The papers he communicated were voluminous, and Congress thought them so important as to print 5000 copies, aparin to believe in the authority of the documents. Henry was an Fnglishman, and hail been a captain in our army of 179S. The British Minister at Washington, Mr. Fos ter, disavowed the whole affair in on official let ter to the Secretary of State, who also made a report to the President, that tha department was not in possession of any names or persons in the United States who had any way countenanced the project and views of Mr. Henry. The affair made a great sensation at the time, but the author of it left the country in a few weeks after his communication had been made public, and sailed from New York on the 10th of March, 1M2, in the ship Wasp for France. Hi subse. quent career, we have not yet been able to trace. During tho Revolution large sums were ex pended for secret services, and in 177(5 the a mount oppropriated for tLose purposes was about X700.000. Of late years the amount expended has been very trilling." The Iron Company in Armstrong county, styl ed the 'Great Western,' made some fifty or sixty thousand tons of railroad iron, the past year, for Western roads. Ex-President Tiler. A resolution of thanks and respect to Ex President Tyler has been uiiani nionxly adopted by the Legislature of Texas. DKri:oTF.n. 700 acres of wood and timber land were burnt over, in Fairfield, Cinii , On Sunday laai From the Philadelphia Ledger. 1 Continuous Hnllrnml The Interests of Iiillittlclihla. Messrs. F.ditors : In sore prior communica tions I have instituted comparisons between the several routes which have been specially surveyed with a view to a continuous Railroad from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. I have shown the vast superiority in grade, on the route which has hitherto been neglected, and proved that by following the 'preferred middle route' of Mr. Schlatter, we must encounter two thourand eight hunilred and sixty-nne-fret more rise and fall be tween Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, than if we fol lowed the West Branch of the Susquehanna. It has been also proved that in reaching the divi ding ground between the waters of the West Branch and those ofthe Two Lick Creek flowing to the West, no grnde will be encountered higher than 5C feet per inile and that for not more than 10 miles af the distance. Whea the other advantages of this latter route besides its low summit and unrivalled ease of grade are taken into view its connection for instance, with the North Branch iroa district, with the Lycoming Creek, or Williamsport and F.lmira Railroad penetrating to the heart of New York, with the Lakes at Krie, and with a rich mining district throughout nearly the whole route we shall I ap prehend, find good reason to pause before we un dertake to scale the Eastern escarpment of the Allegheny Mountain and to follow the tortuous courses, and climb the steep precipices ofthe Lit tle Juniata and its tributaries, involving after all an aggregate of 2 or 3 miles of tunnel. At least let the city of Philadelphia before she puts any number of millions of dollars inlo the hands of a company to expend on such a scheme be assured that a full, faithful and impartial survey of the natural channel shall be made, before pro ceeding to the final location of tho road. This need not delay action on the part of the citizens or even ofthe city government, for the conditions of the law requii ing the location and actual com mencement of 15 miles at each end of the route, may be complied with in all due time, without involving the imediate determination of the ques tion whether the Stone Mountain route or that ofthe Susquehanna shall eventually be adopted. More than l.'i miles at each end of the route will be cemmnn to the two, whichever shall be pur sued in the intermediate portion. The examina tion and estimates of former years have left to be surveyed and estimated about Uo miles of the Suqnelianna route. The route by the West Branch is, I am persu aded, destined, at no distant day, to be occupied by a Railroad. Whether from the advantages heretofore presented, it is likely to become a formidable competitor with the shorter, Stone Mountain route, can only be certainly known by a full and faithful survey. Capitalists may eon- jcclure, but Engineers must decide. I have barely referred to the mineral wealth of the region to be traversed on the West Branch. Mines of coal and iron ore already exist at num erous laealities, and hundreds more might readily be opened. From Quill's Run to the head waters of the West Branch, the coal foration i scarce ly interrupted in a distance el" I 10 miles. The city of Philadelphia is herself an exten sive proprieter of a part of this territory, Ivinj. between the Siunamahoning and Kartiiairs known as the 'Boudinot lands.' For want of oi table means of approach this property is at pre sent unavailable, but a line of public improve ments cannot fail to enhance its value. Durin; the past year these Boudinot hinds were visiter by a committee of the City Councils, who return ed and reported that they ought to be sold be cause they are at present of no value a rsasei by the way which in the event of their being of fered for sale, would doubtless carry great weigli with purchasers, and enable them to get the pre perty at their own prices. Had a Railroad pas sed immediately over these, offering for thei lumber and minerals a ready transit to bot F.astern and Western markets, the same Con rnittee might probably have made a very diffei ent statement of the value of those lands. Had Maryland possessed a route to the We at all comparable with that of the West Branc ofthe Susquehanna, I have no hesitation in say ing that session after session of our Legislator would nver have been agitated aod embroile by wrangling about the 'right of way ;' and ha the New York and Krie Railroad found such route in its own State, the inhabitants of th. prcid State would never have been seen at Ha risburg supplicating for the right of pass throug a coiner of Pennsylvania. The time is come and the opportunity is no afforded fr availing ourselves of the triple n vantage which Pennsylvania alone of all t) I Union enjoys, namely, that of bordering on tl waters of the Alantic, those of the Western R vers and those of the Northern Lakes. I.i Pennsylvania seize the occasion to benefit I her position, and by her unsurpassed faciliti for forming a continuous Railroad of easy grai and without inclined planes, between Ilarrisbu and Pittsburg. Let her get rid of the danger ai delay caused by the inclined plane at the Schuj kill ; sell the Teter's Island Bridge to those wl even now require nearly its whole capacity f the coal trade ; bring the trade into the city Market street, ami secure by proper regulatio the charges for freight and toll on the State roa and we shall hear little more of the danger lr competition by other States or by foreign o operations. Pennsylvania may'then defy com; tition. Through this natural ami easy chain trade and travel will low in all urn-easing ci. rent ; many subordinate lines will become tub tary to the main trunk, and will bo found elsewhere, the greatest sources of profit to ti stockholders. The merchants of the Weet wi no longer be driven to sok Philadelphia thrmt, routes which they do not desire to pursue ; a the merchants of our eity will again reap the f share of that trade which their uprightness, s briety and liberal demeanor have secured, ai w hich lh same, know it excellencies of ekiract' Will not fail to ittatn W. R
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers