From the United States Gazette, NEIr 101 K (I',STOM HOUSE noGURRIES. WAsmswroN, May 6, 1842 I hail only time last night, to give you a Homo; yithic dose of the New York Custom House villainies, as disclosed by the report of Mr. PMnilexter, one of the Commissioners appointed to investigate that sink of corrnption, just printed and sent to members. I will now endeavor to give you, in as small a space as possible the substance of some 40 pages of this precious document. I stated in my last letter how a certain George A. IVasson, public storekeeper, had, in three years, received $94,430 92 for cartage and labor, without producing . vouchers to authorise the allowance of this sum, or any other, besides a salary of 81500 per annum, large sums of money for attending trials at Baltimore and Phil adelphia, coal taken from that belonging to the Custom House, for his own use, goods abstracted from the Public Stores, and the labor of men erupt()) ed and paid by the government. I also told you how this man charged government from two to jive dollars a load for curling goods, when merchants and others only paid from 311 to 50 cents per load, hauled the same distance—each package hauled by his cart tieing charged as a loud. 'Phis is one of the frauds practised upon the government. I believe 1 also stated that this honest George A. Wasson was continued by Mr. Curtis, precisely as lie had been placed by Jesse Hoyt, that the same extravagant and fraudulent charges for cartage and la bor which had been sanctioned by Hoyt, were continued by Mr. Curtis, with a full, knowledge on his part of the outrageous prices charged. Believing your readers and the , public generally, will have been made sufficient ly acquainted 5.',11 the character of this Mr. Wasson, by the motive I have taken of transaction - , 1. shall dismiss him to take up and look at The amount of money expended lot. s:nlion ary in the rarioms departments cf . /he N. Y. Custom House. Namely 9 months of 1858 $8,487 50 1839 17,780 50 1840 16,713 16 S months of 1841 8,721 69 Total in j , lst 3 years, 861,703 22 Average, 817,234 42 a year. Comparative prices of stationary under Jesse Hoyt and P.wd. CuiPs, as shown by the Testimony of David Felt, ::! 1 Old and re spectable stationer. Articles. Prices under Under Marit• Hoyt. Curtis. Value. Cash Book, 1 $2O - 011 4 Quires. Bond Book, 15 812 6 Impost Book, Z 68 53 19 SO 15 Quires, 3 Masters oath , I 12 per reim 12 to 14 9 2 on a sheet. Several other books same prices Abstract 1 100 to 114 none 47 50 a er S rer ream. er ream. p bstract do. 1 p 7O per ream. 80 p per 15 inferior, per ream. Abstract do. 1 40 per ream. $ll smaller size. 5 per ream. , Pencils per gross, 15 to 28, 15 to 12, 9,00 Tape per gross, 12 to 18, 12 650 Wafers per lb. 1 72 1 50 60 Wax per lb. 1 75 1 50 75 Sand, $3 to 350 2 per 12i cts. peck. per Peck per peck, The comparative statements are made from the vouchers furnished to the com missioners by the Auditor of the Custom House. They were made not in consid eration of the amount of expenditure, but to exhibit a fair specimen of every other expenditure, great and small, in the Cus tom House, for a series of years past. There was expended fur books, station ary, and printing, during the last quarter of Mr. Hoyt's collectorship, including 20 days which Mr. Morgan was in office, and a few days before the second quarter, the following sums for the subjoined articles: For Blank Books, 81,577 00 Steel pens, and a few quills, 1,322 50 Lead pencils, 618 00 Foolscap and post paper, 414 75 Report and envelop paper, 503 88 Letter paper, 893 50 Drawing paper, 50 00 Tape, 486 00 %Valera and wax, 449 00 Sand, 82 00 Blanks, 2,435 00 Knives, 161 00 Ink, 155 00 Sundries, 116 57 Total, "This enormous sum," says Mr. Poin dexter, "stands charged on the books of the Custom House in the short space of three months, of which $5,416 II were debtited to the collector's and storekeep ers offices, in which there were employed seventy-nine clerks, making an avecage of $285 77 per annum for stationary for each person attached to these offices. There I was during this quarter one, hundred and thirty-six reams of foolscap and letter pa per ordered and supplied for the use of the Custom House, which forms a part of the aggregate sum as above stated. It is evi dent that so large an amount of stationary could out have been required for any le gitimate purpose connected with the busi ness of the several ilepartments of the Custom House, to be used in the short apace of three months, and therefore, the greater portion of the articles purchased must have passed into the hands of Mr. Curtis, who succeeded to the office of Collector about the close of that quarter, or have been lradulently abstracted from the Custom House, of which no evidence t but in (Mr. Curtis in the second quarter of the sanie year, being the first quater after he became collector, there is charged for dis bursements in the purchase of stationary , ordered and received by him for the col- 1 lector's office alone, $1,753 75; for the appraisers $llB 50; for the Storekeepers $203 83; for inspectcrs $24 50; for the store in Washington street $2O 56, ma king in the whole, the grand total of $10,942 90 for the stationary alone, du ring one half of the year 1841." * * • • • " The single item of steel pens and quills, of the latter of which but few were ordered, and therefore scarcely worth mentioning, amounting, during the three years of Mr. Iloyt's administration of the Custom House to the sum of $6,255 16! The price of these pens, charged in the bills rendered and paid by Mr. Hoyt, ranged from the minimum of nine dollars per gross, to the maximum of twenty dol lars per gross, the larger portion being of the lower class, which are in general use for clerks, both mercantile and official,— The depositions of David Felt, E. J. Eno and Josiah Iladen, who are large dealers in the article of steel pens, are referred to, to show the standard price per gross of the description used at the Custom House. In purchasing in boxes, which is the most convenient mode of supplying clerks, (the cards being entirely useless,) it will be seen that the first class of " Gallot's" Magnum Bonum pens, or pens of equal quality, could be supplied in the New York market, at four dollars and fifty cents per gross on the card, or on , :. that sum in boxes ; and what denomina tedthe " commercial pm', at two dol lars per grosg on the card, or $1 20 in boxes. Taking the average of these prices, 7i . considering that nineteen-twentieths I of the pens supplied to the Custom House are of the latter class, it will appear that, at these rates the sum appropriated by Mr. Iloyt while he remained in the office would have supplied the enormous quan tity of 432,237 pens, making an average of 144,079 per annum, to be distributed among about one hundred clerks who are , - ;_mstantly employed in writing, on an averae of about 1500 pens each per annum.' The report .:!ates that Mr. Erno offered to supply Mr. Hoyt Arjth such pens as he paid $9 per gross fin., ai $1 50 per gross ; but he declined the offer it) decidedly, as to prevent a repetition of it. "It may be asked why particm'Zr indi viduals are allowed and paid at rates ran ging from $9 to $22 per gross, for pens, for the use of the Custom House, where an after to supply like articles at the moderate price of $1 50 per gross, is contemptuous ly reject'd and shunned? The under signed the volume of evidence taken by the •• .inners to demon strate the fact, which, in the absenceof clear proof, might well be douni,?d, ! h a t this and numerous other oases of favoritisi7: so gross and palpable that none can mis take it, had their origin in a system of fraud on the public Treasury to promote the interests of selected partizans, who could be relied on for efficant services in popular elections. " The conclusion is strongly enforced by the mass of evidence taken in relation to the existence of a Custom House TAX, regularly levied and paid, in advance of elections for city officers, for Governor and Representatives in the State Legislature, for members of Congress, and for Presi dent and Vice President of the U. States, during the whole period of the two prece..l ding administrations of the Federal Gov ernment, This tax was graduated on a scale corresponding with the salary receiv ed by each officer and the importance of the pending election, and a refusal to pay it, was immediately followed by removal from office. " It will also be seen by the report of the surveyor and other evidence, that nu merous officers of the Customs were absent from duty, either by the express permis sion of the Collector, or without censure from that officer, for weeks and months prior to election•, for no other purpose than to influence voters, and lend their aid to the success of candidates favorable to the party in power, while their salaries, as officers of the government, suffered no diminution in consequence of their absence from duty." Mortifying as it is, to be obliged to ex• pose such conduct in a high and responsi ble officer of the Government—conduct which reflects so much disgrace upon the country, the Commissioner states that du ty leaves him no alternatire, and that the facts stated are established by a chain of testimony which to every impartial mind must be conslusive. 8,721 69 "The same system of wasteful extrava.' gance is seen in every article falling under the denomination of stationary. During Mr. Iloyt's three years of official service there was paid the enormous sum of $26,-, 2:7 14, on an average of gB, 752 38 pert annum, for blank books: As will be seen l by the table above given, books which could be supplied at $l9 50, are charged at $6B. Some that are worth only Sll, are charged at s2o—those charged at $l5 are rated at $6, and so on. In the bills rendered by O'llerr and others, the article of writing sand k charged at the rate of from S 3 to $3 50 per peck, and in some cases even higher; when it was in proof by the deposition of David Felt, that he supplied the same, if taken by the bushel at;l2l cents per peck, or 50 cents per bush• el ; and it taken by the single peck, at 25 cents ; at these rates he states that his prof it would be 200 per cent. _ _ . During Mr. lloyt's time, three years, ......i.i r.,n writing sand, the sum of $202 38, which, at the customary rates, would have purchased 404 i bushels. It appears, too, that Mr. Hoyt porches ab street paper, or blue laid English imperial" ruled, which is charged in o'. Herr's bill at the rate of from $lOO to 8144 (one hundred and forty-lour dollai 8!) per ream, its value being in New York, from $3O to 847 50 per ream. " Impost-book paper," which is worth $l5 per ream, is charged at from $7O to 580 per ream ; and demi, worth 511, at 840 per ream. The Commissioner sates that all the supplies from the Custom House were fur nished at second hand by certain favored individuals who had an opportunity of pur chasing the articles at prices even less than those mentioned as their market value, and who of course, made an enormous profit. " The system of favoritism, so in consistent with the public interest and fair dealing, was uniformly extended to the most violent political partizans, who earned the favor by their devotion to the hand from which they received it." From Rhode Island. The Providence Journal of Saturday has the following article: THE TRIUMPH OF THE LAWS. The importance of the triumph of law' and order over violence and treason,' which has been achieved by the firmness and prudence of the government, aided by the manly support the citizens, cannot be over - estrntated. It is a triumph, not for l l'.. ode Island alone, but for the Union; for the cause of republican government; and, unless we are greatly mistaken, the State of Rhode Island has earned and will receive the gratitude of the whole country. It was achieved by our own citizens alone; not a soldier of the General Gov. ernment was here • and, although the authorities had full confidence that the General Government would interpose, still it was not believed by the insurgents, who were fully under the influence of their leaders. It had therefore no moral effect upon them. it must be confessed, also, that some of the friends of law began to think that the interposition of the Gen eral Government, although it would be efficient when it came would be late.— The article in the Madisonian, which we copied in Wednesday's paper, strength ened this opinion ; and every one said on Tuesday, " now we must take care of ourselves." The insult which was unen durable, " the last drop that made the cup run o'er," was the seizure of the Artillery guns. The Cadet Armory, which adjoins I that of the Artillery, was filled with men, entreatjng pertnission to defend the guns. The commander of the company, who himself siiored to the full in the universal sentiment, 1 :,,;d the greatest difficulty in restraining them. An extract was sent to the Governor for perrits6-ul to attack the detachment employed in setZ,PZ the guns; it came fifteen minutes too late. but in i i :;: . !1e to prevent them from taking the: shot. Theo:, ''•• of the Governor to the chartere:lii •-• companies Yi ds .issued after sunset of that day, and by sunri se • - e di the next, it was , answered by eight hut .. . Wen , - .`aYonets.— The militia turned out nobin b,;.siness was suspended as teat as the news art.'" . ved, and the whole State aroused to arms with an enthusiasm which showed at once that the people were not only for law and order, but were determined to maintain both. On the arrival of the Newport Artillery at Newport, they were received by 250 men under arms and waiting orders. The whole body immediately proceeded to one of the. churches, where divine service was performed, and solemn thanksgiving offer ed to that Almighty Power whose mercy had given us victory without blood. The Bristol and Warren companies were also received on their arrival by es corts of their fellow citizens. A FEARFUL RIDE, The Ithaca and Oswego railroad as it comes into this valley, descends in less than half a mile nearly 500 feet by means of two inclined planes. The cars on their arrival at the upper engine house are de tached from the locomotive, and permitted to descend to the lower engine house un• der the control of beakers. From the lower engine house, which is the top of the first inclined plane, the passengers are brought to this village by stage. This is done because of the steepness of the lower inclined plane; it descending 450 feet in the distance of 1750, or nearly at an angle of 45 degrees to the horizon. No person of sane mind would venture his neck by going down this inclined plane, as in case of the car becoming detached in, ileggending, it would inevitably be dashed , to atoms. On Saturday last, the car contained eleven passengers, was detached as usual at the upper engine horse, but it was found that the brakers did not operate, and that the car was hastening with constant ac• celerated rapidity towards the brink of the lower inclined plane. The forward brake man leaped from the car for the purpose of throwing it oft' the track by means of a beam, but he stumbled and 'ldled in his object. The other brake man sat at his post like a hero, calling to the passengers to jump and save themselves. On went the car with dreadful rapidity, and one by one the passengers jumped out. The, Hon. Amasa Dana leaped from the car as' it passed through the lower engine house, and there also the brake man sprang for his life. One man alone was unable to escape, before the car, which was already outstripping the wind, made the plunge down the lower plane. The whole length of this was traversed almost in an instant., About 100 feet from the bottom the car left the track, dashing to pieces the iron wheels on which the engine rope plays,' and splintering the beams which bound the tracks together, until it reached the foot of the plane, where it was dashed into a thousand fragments. One of the car wheels was shivered to pieces, the heavy iron axletree broken, and scarcely any one piece of the body left entire. We saw the wreck, and if a bomb shell had burst I in the car it could not have more com pletely demolished it. In the midst of the fragments the man who descended with the car was found, his arm broken above and below the elbow, and his head severe ly fractured. Medical assistance was at once rendered, and there is some hopes of his recovery. Ills name is Babcock, and he is a relative of Mr. Eber Babcock, of this village. During the delirium occa sioned by the blow, the wounded man kept constantly repeating ww•ds as if endeavor ing to stop a team of horses. Judge Dana was but slightly hurt, al tho' several of the passengers who bprarg from the car were severely but not dan• gerouslv injured. Mr. h., whose escape with life is little short of a miracle, was at the time our pa per went to press, gradually improving, l and confident hopes are entertained of his recovery.—lthaca Journal. MORE HOARDING OF SPECIE. We made mention in the lust Record, of a large sum of specie found in posses sion of an old German of this county, at his decease, which occurred lately, and stated that it went to prove that no in considerable portion of the specie of the country was locked up. But we have a still more and truly remarkable story to relate, going to illustrate the same point. A deposite of between 1100 and 1200 dollars of gold, all in eagles and half eagles, was made at the bank of Chester county last week, belonging to the estate • of Mrs. Marshall, widow of the late John Marshall, of Pennsbury township we be lieve, some 8 or 10 miles south of this bo rough. This gold was found after a lons search in an old desk, which had in it several secret chambers, and is supposed to have been secreted by John Marshall sometime prior to his death, twenty-eight . years ago! The desk was curiously con structed, of great antiquity, and it appears on raising the lid, presented a series of . pigeon -holes. The desk and its contents were bequeathed by the old roan to his wife, and at her death she left it to her , friend and relative Mrs. Way, as a family , relic, and without any idea of its contents' as is supposed. A few (lays since, but , many months after the death of Mrs. Marshall, the desk was carefully examin ed in search of treasure, as it was an old belief in the neighborhood, that the old gentleman, Mr. M., had a " tin-cup full" of gold ; but. after his death no one knew what had become of it. The desk was ransacked ; a small creviee in the bottom attracted attention— on inserting the blade b f a knife it flew open, and several hued red jnßars in silver were found! This magnificent discovery stimulated curiosi ty; and fur:bee search was made. The pigeon -holes wer, tried—they drew out and behind them svas a series of secret boxes- On examining these boxes, lo! the lon t g- of gold was bro:2ght to light! The El Dorado, after the lapse of more than a quarter of .‘ century, was discover., ed , and a great nty's, "ry revealed. In connection with We above, it is wor thyeffects willed of note, that among die by Mrs. M., were from titre,' io filar thou• sand dollars of personal propeoY, in bank notes. They had been in her possession during the late suspension, and on the or praisement it was found, that notwit.s.l standing the depreciation of currency and the crashing of banks, they are all on in stitutions that now redeem their notes in gold and silver.-- IV. Chester Record. From the United States Gazette. Balloon alseension. BELLEFONTE, May 17, 1842. Mr. Chandler :—Last Saturday, the good people of Bellefonte were gratified with the novelty of an aerial excursion. The day was extremely fine for an ascent, and the inhabitants inside the yard numbered much stronger than is usually the case in country villages. At S o'clock, tlie bal -1 loon left the prison yard amidst a dead calm, and in twenty minutes alter, the most picturesque country was presented to the view that could be imagined. The endless chain of the Allegheny, with all its little neighbors running in parallel uniformity, and the beautiful green val leys reposing between them, gave the scene an unique and magnificent appear-, unce. The numerous little villages in' the valleys, had the appearance of so ma ny different country seats in the midst of the most luxurious pleasure gardens, The many columns of smoke rising from the different Iron Works, dispersed through the mountain regions of Centre county, also enlivened the scene, and indicated that an earnest anticipation of the passage of a tariff was urging ,the energies of the workers of metal. Although this was my thirty fourh at mospheric voyage, yet none has bep more pleasing and interesting than last. It would be utterly imposs:' me to give an adequate ileac , ' such splendid mountain ace traveller who passes throw , ' on the surface of the earl sails over it a mile ate like antipodes in de. four o'clock, 11 pas and over Nitta , ter landed e fourteen • habitants near the spot of landing looked at the balloon with astonishment, and were anxious to learn the nature of the machinery inside; but after itwas dischar ged and rolled up in a small compass, their curiosity was changed into suspicion, and I could only, with persuasion, get it accommodated in a barn until it should be ,sent for. I have at present in use a black balloon, which creates a congenial atmosphere around it in the cold upper regions of the atmosphere, from the radiating superiori ty of that color over a lighter one. It is now beyond a doubt, in my mind establish ed, that a current from west to east, in the atmosphere, is constantly prevailing within the height of twelve thousand feet from the level of the Ocean. Both my trips, this season, were strong proofs of this. At Lewistown, I arose with a breeze from the southwest, and finally lan ded east of that place, Very respectfully, your obedient friend, J. WISE. THE HUNTINGDON JOURNAL "One country, one constitution, one destiny." Huntingdon, June 1. 1842. V. B. PALM ER, Esq. (No. 104 S. 3rd St. Philadelphia,) is authorized to act as Agent for this paper. to procure subscriptions and ad vertismen ts. Special Election. On the 20th of May the special election for member of Congress in the place of the Hon. Joseph Lawrence, deceased, was held in Washington county, and resulted ,in the election of the lion. R. M. T. Mc KENNiarq, by a majority of upwards of three hundred. Mr. McKennan formerly rep resented Washington county in Congress with distinguished ability. He is a staunch Whig. Love and Suicide. On Saturday the 21st ult. a young wo- 1 , man, the daughter of a respectable farmer', in Bucks county, Pa., committed suicide by hanging herself to the limb of a tree. She had been married but a few weeks ago. through the influence of her father. to a young man of his choice, while at the same time she was affectionately devoted to another. 1t is said that her husband was making preparations to take her to his own home, which no doubt hurried on the pain ful event. This is another warning to pa rents, that the affections of a tender heart are not to be trifled with. Disappointed love is assigned as the cause that impelled her to the commission of the rash act. A Launch. It is estimated that not less than from forty to fifty thousand persons were pres ent at the launching of the United States frigate Cumberland, at Charlestown, on Tuesday of last week. Otr - AarroLD PLUMER has been recom oended by several of the Loco Foco pa pers as a !candidate for Governor in 1844. O The citizens of Lexington, Ky. in• tend giving a public dinner to the Hon HENRY CLAY on the 9th of June. Or The Clinton County Democrat an nounces WlLLram F. PACKER, of Lyco-' ming county, the present Auditor Gener• al,as a candidate at the next Gubernatorial contest. Mr. Packer has many warm friends, and were it not for them poli• tics" of his, we would say that he is well qualified fur the Executive chair of this Comnror.wealth. A " Skunk” and a " Goat') in Congress. Th , ! excitement occasioned by Messrs. Stanley and Wise has subsided, and Messrs Arnold of Tennessee, and Miller of 0' are now metamorphosing each oche infinite amusement of their cr In a debate in the House r' tives, a short time ago, as they say in Cor between them • what was Mr " Congress. We proceed to give a synopsis of the "sayings and doings" at Washington city for the past week. On the 18th ult. in the Senate, Mr. Al len's resolutions on the Rhode Island affair were disposed of by laying them on the table on a motion to print. The Navy Appropriation Bill was under discussion without arriving at any determination.— The President has signed the General Appropriation Bill. On the 19th, the Bill refunding to Gen. Jackson the fine of 81000, imposed upon him by Judge Hall, was under considera tion, when a substitute was offered to the whole Bill, refunding the 81000, but pro viding that it should not be so construed as in any way reflecting upon the Judge who imposed the fine. The substitute was adopted by a vote of 25 to 22. Finding that they could not get the real "Simon Pure" resolutions passed, the Loco Focos now turned round and voted against're. funding at all. The Bill was voted down by 24 to 17—every Loco Rico except one (voting against refunding. An Executive session employed the Senate for the greater part of the day on the 20th, and in the House the Navy Ap• propriation Bill was under consideration all day, without being disposed of. The Senate was not in session on the 21st. In the House the Navy Appropriation Bill was under consideration on the 21st and 22nd. Several amendments were offered. discussed and adopted. The Bill passed finally by a vote of 171 to 36, and was sent to the Senate, where it was re ferred to the Committee on Finance. In the Senate, on the 24th, Mr. Buchan an called up the Apportionment Bill. which was discussed till the hour of ad. journment. In the House the Army Ap propriation Bill was taken up. Retrench, ment is " always in order" in the Hones at this session. They have just cut dowtal the Navy, and now they are trying theit hands on the Army. This Bill will drink employment ,for the House for perhaps.' week yet. Rhode Island. It seems that the war and rumors of t zj in this little State have at leng2l4wP9 ed. Mr. DOER, the Governot elect of the rebel party, fled from the State t quarters unknown, while the proper authorities were in pursuit of him; aril his deluded followers have dispersed a gone to their respective homes. It is be hoped that this may be the end of vi lent measures, and that the citizens w now proceed peaceably and legally to correction of such evils as may exist their Constitution and Government. We are, and always have been, e ' sed to circumscribing or restrictin elective franchise. The ballot box speak the voice of the whole peo have understanding to know t and necessities, and who contri t support and defence of the Go under which they live. Where . • o d f en re ie fo d, rm re s l i o lo rm uld is b s e va d n o t t e. le d thr ß ou ut visions of the Constit and not through tre e c I i cause that has its founthic ' justice needs no such agen : 7 ened country. To us i' . I • difficulties in Rhode Is! about by political n• l gogues who would w , f l blood and carnage their own political e ruin. Sil, It was pain! portion of t! / 1 1 1 of the minori ring up party ing our natio , I CI r bestowing epith I i