pC her sisier Slates. The turnpike from Phila- dclphia to Lancaster, was the first undertaken in the Union, and was completed in 1794, at a tost of $465,000. Subsequently, the whole Mirfacc of the State was traversed by these loads. Hut the day of turnpikes has passed awayf and the famous Conestoga wagons, with their noble six-horse teams, whoso bells sound--jed along lite mountain defiles, and warned the traveller of their approach, arc to be reckoned among the wonders of Pennsylvania as it was. The bridges of the State, have been account ed one of itstfemarkable features. The Schuyl kill " Permanent bridge," erected in 1798, at an expense of $300,000, was the first great work of this kind attempted in this country. Th first Fair-Mount Bridge, with its span of 348 1-2 feel outrivalling the famous bridge of Shauff- hausen, and the Wire bridge erected in 1817 at the Falls of Schuylkill which served to sug gest the idea to European builders, were an honor to Philadelphia. The bridges in the in rcrior, by their number, and their substantial, and even bold character, have Hone honor to the State. . For the introduction of Canals, as well as turnpikes to the public atten'ion, the country is indebted to Pennsylvania. Even William Penn heeras to have meditated on the project, of con necting the Susquehanna with the Schuylkill ; :uid in 1762, David Rittcnhouse and Dr. Wil liam Smith surveyed a canal route for the pur pose. At an early day, these gentlemen had in view the connecting of the Lakes and the Ohio River with the Delaware, by a route of nearly six hundred miles! The survey, under the authority of the Legislature of Pennsylva nia, was accomplished in 1769. In 1791 a company was incorporated for connecting the Schuylkill with the Delaware, via Norristown. At the head of the latter was Robt. Morris, the celebrated financier. These companies under took the work, and proceeded far with it, when having expended $140,000, they were embar rassed, and suspended operations; a number of the leading individuals having become bank rupt in this Herculean effort. These begin nings, however, resulted at length in the com pletion of the Union Canal. The first tunnels - excavated in the Union, were in Pennsylvania. The first survey for the Chesapeake and Dela ware Canal was made in 1769, by order of the American Philosophical Society ; and as early as 1804, $100,000 were expended in the exe- ;cuiion of the work. ..When the period of Railroads arrived, Penn sylvania was again the pioneer. The Railroad . at Mauch Chunk, constructed with Philadel phia Capital, was the first in the Union ; or, at leasi, was anticipated only by a short tram-road at Quincy, Mass. From that period to the pres 1 ent, Philadelphia has been second to no city in the Union, in expenditures for constructing these wonderful annihilators of lime and space. Somerset County. At a meeting of the Whigs of Somerset coun . ty, on the 10th inst., the following among other .resolutions were adopted with great unanimity: - Resolved, That although Gen. James Irvin, was not the first choice of the Whigs of this county, yet believing him to be a true Whig, honest and capable, a sincere frienrJ of protec tion to home industry, and all other measures -best calculated to promote the interests of the American people, we hereby pledge him our cordiahand undiiided support for the office of Governor. Resolved, That we will warmly support Jo 'seph W. Pattorr, rhe Whig candidate for Canal .Commissioner. Encouraged by the election of .a Whig last fall, we are the more desirous of electing another, thus obtaining a majority in the Board, when we trust an eud will be put to all the foul corruptions and piundcrings upon our Public Works which have well nigh beg- 'gared the Slate. . Re&olved, That language fails us to express our feelings in regard to the brilliant achieve ments of Gen. Zachary Taylor, the hero of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Paima, Monterey and 'Buena Vista, who in spite of the base machi nations of our Locofoco rulers in- Washington, jhas covered himself with glory in every battle with his foreign foes, and should he be the can didate of the whole Whig party of the nation we predict for him an equally glorious victory .over his and his country's domestic enemies in 1.848. Qn Wednesday evening, a stout, bouncing .young woman was knocked down and run over lva horse and waron. at the crossing of Han- , i ur , t)f r and Warren bis. J he carriage passed; over her neck and shoulder, when the bysfan- tiers, expecting to see her killed, were astonish - ed lo see her jump up and spring upon the 'pavement, exclaiming at the same time, " Dod rot your picture, you didn't hurt me, old feller, -an Koiwr I" The driver of the vehicle was very imuch frightened at the accident. Ttcnlon Dai tfy News. Thb prospects of the fruit crop'arc, says the Gincinnati Commercial rather "promising, not--vviithstandmgthe frost EaVueen aalittle severe. 4 MantttMtaMttaaTxsamizjjxtanrmt umiiiuTnrrn ..itT"icct JEFFERSONIAN REPUBLICAN Thursday, ITIay 90, 1847. Terms, $2,00 in advance : $2,25 half yearly ; and, $2,50 if not puiu uclore the end of the year. lieauocratic Whig Nominations. FOR GOVERNOR, JAMES IRVIN, OF CENTRE COUNTY. FOR CANAL COMMISSIONER, JOSEPH W. PATTON, OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. A new Post Office has been established at Soxville, Monroo co., Pa., and Perry Sox has been appointed the Postmaster. We have received the first No. of the " Carlton Deinocrat" published at Mauch Chunk, by Enos Tolas. The Democrat will support the Locofoco party. We wisli our friend Tolan success in eve ry thing but politics. The Next Congress. The New York Tribune says that the mem bers elect to ihe next Congress stand 88 Whigs to 60 Locofocos. In the Stales yel to elect, it sets down the probable result Whigs 32 ; Lo cos 41. According to ibis count the next House will stand Whigs 119 Locos 108. The Senate, with the Calhouuitcs against it, will also be anti-administration. Considering that Mr. Polk had a majority of about seventy in ihe last House, we sjiould think this result indicates pretty strongly what the people think of his miserable administration. General Irvin. Gen. Irvin, it seems, cannot please the loco focos. Some of them say he's rich, and grinds the poor yet no sooner does he give fifty bar rels of meal for the relief of ihe suffering poor of Ireland, than these self-same men fall to abusing him for attempting to make political capital. Others say he's an aristocrat, and revels on the sweat of his hands 3ret no sooner is it shown that many in his employ have earned a handsome competence, than these fault-finders open anew their smut-machines, reiterate the statements, and will probably swear to them so often between this and election time that the poor 6Quls will at last believe it themselves which they do not now. A third' class allege that he is an " ironmas ter !" as if there was something objectionable in that. Well if he is, Gen. Irvin is acknow ledged to be an honest one. Can the braw lers, who do the dirty work of the party, lay their hands on their hearts and say that they have at no rime supported an iron-master for office one, too, who was perhaps honest enough for thorn, but not too much so T We could allude to oilier objections madefy the supporters of the "retired city merchant," and the retired lawyer and life office holder but in truth they are too trivial, too weak, too impotent to do Gen. Irvin any harm. If they can bring no othei objections against him than the above, ihey might as well hang up their fiddles, for the greater their abuse the more votes he will gel. Mark that. Lewistown Gazette. . Joscpli W. Patton. The Sunbury American, a locofoco paper pays the following well-merited compliment to our gentlemanly and talented Whig commission er : " Mr. Power, the new incumbent, has made a favor able impression upon all parties. He is fully aware of the position he occupies before the people, and the circumstances under which he was elected by so large a majority. He is also a pratical man and a good officer, and is determined not to disappoint tho expectation ofhis friends." The Whigs have been equally fortunate in the selection of another candidate for Canal Commissioner, Mr. JOS. W. PATTON of Cumberland county. The nomination is admit ted, by all who know Mr. Patton, to bo a most excellent one, and meets with general favor from the people in every section of the State. Mr. Pation is just the man to unite with Gen. J Power in the management of the pobltc works, so as to make them most useful tothe people, and most productive of revenue to the Treasury. The extravagance which has heretofore char acterized the management of the public im provements by the Locofocos demands a change tho interests of the State demand it our oppressed tax-burthened people demand it and POWER and PtVTTON are just the men to. been seized by the authorities of Mexico, ad effect it. The Whig party present Joseph W. dressed by a great personage to Senor Retort, nation to the people as the Khl'OK.M OAI-j DIDATE, and if the tax-payers understand : their own inteie', I Ley vtfll go for hiinei masse, FARTHER NEWS FRO.TI MEXICO! Jalapa and Perote taken ! Sa?ita Anna at Ori zaba with 6,000 men ! Mexican Army dis persed ! Col. Childs Governor of Jalapa. Gen. Shields not dead. Advices from New Orleans are to the pth ins'. We copy from the Commercial Times of that city. uy me arrival Here, last evening, oi uie steamship New-Orleans, Capt. Wright, which left Vera Cruz on the 29th tilt, we have received a mass of letters and papers from our friends and correspondents in that city. Gen. Scott was vigorously pressing the ene my, affording the defeated Mexicans no respite. Jalapa and Perote have been occupied, and the report was curreut when the New-Orleans set sail that Gen. Scott was on the point of making a demonstration on Puebla itself. Santa Anna, when last heard from, was in ho forlorn a condition that it was expected he would give himself up to the American Gover nor of Vera Cruz, preferring to trust himself to the generosity of an open foe to exposing him self to the tender mercies of his own country men who now denounce him as their betrafer. The Mexican Army, after heavy losses of killed and wounded, among which last Gen. Oiriaco Vasquez, and other chiefs and officers of less note, who fell on the field of battle, has has broken up altogether, not an officer or sol dier remaining with their standard. Gen. Santa Anna, who commanded in chief, was the first, according to some, and the last, according to others, to leave the field, accom panied by only 25 Dragoons, taking tho by ways, and a party is even found to assert that they saw him in one of the villages of the Si erra, in search of horses to remount his escort. The fact of this General not having fallen back on Jalapa, has left room for the supposi tion that his flight is prompted by the fear of being sacrificed for treason imputed lo him. and which has no other foundaiion than the ad verse results experienced by the Mexican arms in every encounter with the Americans. Gen. Canalizo, in his retreat on Puebla, dis mantled the Fort of Perote, carrying off all the ordnance ho could, and spiking such as he had to leave behind. He set at liberty all the crim inals confined there, including the assassins of Falconi and his brother-in-law, who, some of our readers will remember, have been cruelly murdered in this city. In consequence of this, the American troops advanced in triumph from Corro Gordo to Ja lapa, where the corporation and civil authori ties went to meet them, and took possession of the city, where they behaved therasely.es m the same quiet and orderly manner as in Vera Cruz. (jen. Worth left yesterday for Perote. 1 he Pass, nine miles from here, occupied by ihe enemy, has been abandoned, and was taken possession of by an advance last evening"? Col. Childs is the Military Governor of Jalapa. Gen. Patterson has recovered his health in a great degree. Gen. Shields, I heard lo-day, was in a doubt ful state. Last night Gen. Wonh slept within 5 miles of Perote, and, no doubt, entered the town to day. Perote has been abandoned by the Mex icans, after spiking all their largo guns, and will be taken possession of without opposition. General Quitman's brigade reached this place this evening from Yera Cruz, his troops in good health. Tho people in this place are following their usual occupation, and do not at all seem dis pleased at our presence. Jalapa, April 23 8 a. m. An express has just arrived from General Worth. He entered Perote yesterday morning about 1 1 o'clock, and found a Mexican Colonel, who was charged with the surrender of the place and all the arms and munitions of war generally. None of the large guns wore spiked, and were found in excellent order. Ampudia, with about three thousand disorganized Lan cers, moved out just far enough to avoid a con flict, and then proceeded on. Santa Anna had not passed through Perote, and must now be in the mountains on this side of that place. We understand that information was received yesterday that Gen. Worth had thrown his outpost toward Puebla .and would march immediately in that direction himself. It is now certain that Santa Anna is at Ori zaba, a little village at the foot of the mountain of that name, with about one thousand troops. He was seen at that place on Sunday morn ing last and was heard to express his desire of remaining there till he could muster a sufficient force to make another stand. He will not dare to return to the City of Mexico is the universal opinion, until some success should crown his efforts to redeem his thousand promises to the deluded people and the clergy, ihe latter being now his only backers. It is said that those who now cling to his drooping standard are brought from Oajuca principally, and that not more than two or three hundred of them have any arms,, those too be ing in a very bad condition. We learn that he pretends he can yet re pulse the invaders of the soil, if he can rouse the Rancheros and form them into Guerilla parties to annoy small bodies of our citizens and soldiers, whom they may have the temeri ty to attack. The following is from the Mexican Chronical of the 28th, by a person just arrived from Ori zaba. He knows that Gen. Santa Anna had arrived there with about 200 Dragoons and im mediately commenced recruiting, having now under his command about six thousand men ; including the fugitives from Cerro Gordo. He also assures us that a correspondence ha? offering a ceriaiu sum if hp would hiinj about an oariy peace and to place all the requisite means at his, disposal, In Puebla Gen. Inclin is commanding; They are fortifying the town for resistance. - The Navy are happy, and arrangements are in course of completion lor the expedition to the southward, and a start will soon be made after the ports along ihe Southern coasts are secured. A grand expedition is to be fitted out for the Pacific, not by way of Cape Horn, but by in ternal navigation. It has a real-existence, and the movement is seriously contemplated of its object, I am also ignorant. It is to be composed' entirely of sailors and marines, two thousand in all. Is it not Quix otic ? I am pretty confident that it will be abandoned when all the difficulties come to be weighed, although it may at this moment be re solved upon. The correspondent of the Times says : I send you the first two numbers of a paper issued in this city, the Mexican Chronicle, from which I take the liberty to clip the following morccau. Gen. Morales measures tho veracity of the American officers by the Mexican standard, hence his mistake; I car; hardly consider him capable of a direct falsehood, but this document would seem to justify such a charge. Juan Morales, General of Brigade of the Mexi can Republic, to the Nation and its Allies. It having come to my knowledge that some chiefs and officers of the invading armv of ihe United States, which have operated against Vera Cruz, said that General Scott had previ ously advised me that the families could leave, to avoid the evils attendant upon a bombard ment, and that consequently those which have happened are chargeable upon me ; in order that neither now nor at (any future lime any ac cusation of injustice'may stigmatize the defence of Vera Cruz, I declare that it is false that any such advice was given ; that the only commu nication I have derived from General Scott tended to summon rne in general terms to sur render ; lhat even the neutrals were prevented from leaving the place ; that if tho Mexican families could have left, the enemy would not have occupied the place without first burying its defenders in the ruins. JUAN MORALES. Jalapa, April 24, 1847. Gen. Scott is said to have dispatched a mes senger to Mexico or to the point occupied by the Legislative junta. This is the old song, and the olive branch. Vera Cruz, April 29, 1847. An express is in this morning (April 29th, 1847,) bringing intelligence of the continued advance of Gen. Worth and somo disconnected rumors from the City of Mexico. The citizens are throwing up walls of sand, I fancy, around the place, and expect the soldiers to defend them. How far their expectations will be re alized, we may judge by the past. 1 he public voice is openly heard m opposi tion to the late Mexican demagogue, Santa An na. " Coward," " Down with the traitor!" are the cries that are now heard in the Capitol. I am very happy to learn by this express that General Shields is not dead ; he is impro ving. The steamship is expected to move ev ery moment. Important froisa Flcxico. Upon the receipt of the news of the defeat at Sierra Gorda, the Mexican Congress held an extraordinary session, at which a decree was passed, dictating to all Mexicans the importance of carrying on the war, and defending the na tionality of the Republic. It also prohibits the Executive from making peace with the United States, or concluding negotiation witrfforeign powers disposing of any part of ihe territories. The decree pronounces all to be traitors, whether private persons or public functionaries, who make any treaty with ihe United States, and declares such treaty to be null and void. A permanent committee is to be installed, should Congress find it impossible to continue its sessions. On this committee is to devolve tho whole duties of the Government counsel, and appoint in case of vacancy, temporary Ex ecutive. Gen Salas had issued a proclamation decla ring that he was empowered to raise a guerrilla corps, and calls on all good Mexicans to join his standard. It was rumored that Gen. Taylor had arrived at San Luis, but not that he had taken the city. A Naval Victory' On the 19th April the Squadron under Com. Perry captured the town of Tuspan, after a se vere resistance by the Mexican troops. The Americans had four men killed and fourleen wounded. The place was rendered defence less and then abandoned. The. N. O. Picayune has received an account of the killed and wounded at Cerro Gordo. Thero was no officer of tho Regulars killed 14 were wounded, 39 privates were killed and 196 wounded. One volunteer officer was kill ed and seven wounded, three privates were killed and 48 wounded. Total, 43 killed, 205 wounded. Letters received, express confi dence that Gen. Shields will recover. The oldest fruit tree on ibis continent is now in full bloom ; " the Siuyvesant pear tree," in the upper part of the city of New York, brought from Holland in 1017, planted near New Am sieulam, anfl npw.twu hundred years old, iiOCO jloco Aia au i;i232ort." PoWs Pass to Santa Anna. " The Commander of our naval forces in the Gulf is hereby instructed not to obstruct the passage of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and suite to Mexico should he desire to return thither. May 15, '46. JAMES K. POLK. Polk's admission of having granted the Pass. When orders were issued to the commander of our Naval forces in ihe Gulf, on the 15ij, day of May last, only two days after ihe exis tence of the war had been recognized by Con gress, to place the coast of Mexico under block ade, HE WAS DIRECTED NOT TO OBSTRUCT TI1C passage of Santa "Anna to Mexico, should he return. PoWs Annual Message to Con gress, Dec. 7, 1846. It remairfs tobe seen whether- his return may not yet prove favorable to a pacific adjust ment of existing difficulties. What has been seen, Battle of Monterey-, Sept. 21, 22,23,--three days, hard fighting Loss oj Americans in killed and wounded 0OO Battle of Buena Vista, Feb. 22 & 23d, Santa Anna commanding in person a force of twenty- thousand men! Loss of the A mericans in killed and wounded seven hun dred ! This is what we call " aid and comfort" with; a vengeance. Dan. Dem. It is recorded by the letter writers at the Camp, that Santa Anna's second in command at Sierra Gorda was a man ' as black as the ace of spades.' Revolving Sliuttle-Sox. Mr. Harrison Fitts, of, Ontario, Wayne coun ty, New York, has invented a Revolving Shuttle-Box, for weaving Gingham, Plaids, Checks, Carpets, Shawls, or' any kind of weaving that requires more than one color in the filling, ic promises to be of great advantage to our hand and power loom manufacturers. What is a Quarter r The quarter of wheat or corn cited in accounts of the English mar kets, is generally estimated at eight bushels. The exact measure is eight bushels and forty eight one-hundredths of a bushel, or about eight bushels and a half. The quarter is a term used originally to express the fourth part of a load ; grain or corn having been formerly, and ia now frequently estimated by the load. iscovery of a SmsKiInr lSa.cc oi People. The Christian Observer of Calcutta gives a. notice of a singular race of pejiple called iiu Calhies who inhabit a Dart of Guzerat. They are worshippers of the sun as are the adoring Parsees. " These people are supposed by some to bi the ancient Cathie, who in the time of Alexan der's invasion occupied a portion of the Pun jaub, near the confluence of the five rivers. Among the Cathies ther& arc no distinctions of caste. Besides priests tiiey have an official class of persons called barb?, who possess au thority almost equal lo that of the Druids. They become security for ihe payment of debts, the conduct of individuals who have misbe haved, and the appearance of persons in pend ing actions, either civil or criminal. On the same terms they conduct travellers and cara vans through districts infested with robbers, or in a state of war. If a troop of predatory horse appear, the barb commands them to retire, and brandishing his dagger, takes a solemn oath, thai if they plunder the person under his pro tection, he will stab himself to the heart, and bring upon their heads the guilt of shedding his blood. " Such is the veneration in which he is held ,jts a person of celestial origin, and such is the horror at being the cause ofhis death, that the threat in almost every instance- deiers them from making the meditated attack; and the par ty is allowed to pass on unmolested. Tho religion of the people consists of little else than, an adoration of the sun. They invoke this ob ject of iheir worship before commencing any great undertaking, and if a plundering expedi tion is successful, a poitionofthe monoy stolpti is consecrated lo tho service of religion. Th only functions of the priests are m ceh-briv marriages and funeral solemnities. They hu but one sacred building a temple sitin'cl near Thaum, dedicated to ihe Sun aad con taining an image of that luminary. The size of the Calhies is above the average, often ex ceeding six feet. The women are tall and of ten handsome ; generally speaking, modeht and faithful lo iheir lords. The Cathies have no restrictions of any sort regarding food or drink." A resolution has been passed by ihe Legis lature of Louisiana, authorizing tho Governor to present a sword to Gen. Scott for the m' rics at Vera CrusTand'Cefrp Gordo,.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers