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CONFLAGRATION. Last night, about fifteen mioutes before eleven o’clock, the eentre ■wooden building on M tore's wharf, was diseovered to be on fire. The citizens and different E igine com panies were soon convened ; but un fortunately no immediate or deci sive measures were adopted by which the fire could be stopped at its beginning. Tbe season for two months previous to this incident bad h a en dry—the night was vfy cold and a brisk breeze from W. N. W. which was soon increased by tbe ef fe -ts of the fire. Several bouses were soon affected and almost in stantly in slimes. The wind now became strong, and whirled into tbe air with agitated violence large flakes of burning shingles, boards a>d other light substances, which alighted at a distance, on the roofs of many houses at the east end of the r >wn, and set them on fire, but the flames were happily exiigimh> ed without much damage. The fire continued to rage until it had drs trojred all the buddings on Moore's wharf, from the fitcuange dock to Auciaux’s wharf including Rice's stores a id Vlongiu’s large five story tabby buildings. The houses on An ciaux's wharf w*re pulled down by the firemen, in order to arrest the flames which realized the desired abject. All is laid waste from Bol ton's fire proof range, to Hunter's brick and stone buildings! That spacious and substantial edifice, the Exchange, was in imminent danger. Two or three times it was on fire, but through great exertions ic wa saved; had it fallen a prey to the destructive element, the fl imes must have crossed to the opposite side of the Bay, -and God only knows where it would hvp stopped. We might 2ti all probability have witnessed what our devoted city experienced four years ago, when two thirds of it was laid in ashes. The amount ot properfv des’royed. i* estimated &> seventy Jive thousand dollars , half of which 19 said to he insured. Those who suffered by the caia n itv, are, J, IV. Mongin. W Lip pi it 4k Vo. R. Waterman &C. ft. Bliss, J natltan Meigs, Paris HUM) raft, G. Tompkins, ft. Padelford, M. Woodworth, H Blair, J. W. Stack pole, Childs A Perkins, J, J lemur, eftz. 8 C. Greene, C %ruo!d, Hen ry & Turner, Hdl & Perry, T. W. Ri ?e, 8. A. Condy, 11. Marreilin, Hleig9 A Bars tow, J. DcMiauips, Jenny & Douglass, the estate of M oore, tlie estate of Riee, the es late of Aneiaux, and others. The first appearance of the ficp Was in the roof of the building which was unoccupied, and must have been the work of some daring inceodia ry —Our readers will recollect that two attempts witbin the two weeks past have been made to set fire to the same block of buildings. At length the villains have succeeded. It was truly fortunate that it W"i* high water at the time the fire &roke out, which enabled the ship ping at tbe wharves to haul into the stream, otherwise there would have t>eeu considerable damage done to them. Sixteen or seventeen build ings were destroyed and a quantity of merchandize. Two or three of oureiti7C:i3 received a slight injury from (he fall of a piece of scantling; luf we at e happy to state that no lives were lost. Savannah Republican, 20 th inst . It appears that some apprehen sions have recently been entertained in Florida, of tbe hostile intentions of the I idians. The Mobile \rgus ays, *• G vernor Duval had made a requisition on tbe commanding officer for a company, to proceed forthwith, to St. Marks, to meet and I put down Indian hostility io that 5 quarter. The Governor came to i Pensacola, over laud from St. Au | gusfine, through Talahatn; it was on his road that be heard the Semi nolrs were committing depredations { rn the white border settlers Io the ) nation he met their ehief, Neherna thla, who confirmed the fact of out rage having been committed, but declared himteif unable to protect the whites or cforce theiuw; the blood of the young warriors was in -11 uned, sud they would know no control, nor submit to authority. Their disaffection grows out of the recent treaty, and the laying out of the new road, which will pass thro’ their country. Captaiu Burch, who is surveying and marking (he road, has a guard of two officers and twenty tun, and has nothing to fear, r hnt we are alarmed for the safety of Col. Gadsden and Lieut, Ripley, (be commissi opera appointed to survey and mark the line of tbe country as signed to the Seminoles. These gentlemen are now discharging that duty, and we learn, without any guard, we trust that our alarm may be causeless, but there is surely danger.” It i contemplated to remove tbe United States troops from Pensaco la, where they were waiting trans ports— ind it it not now certain whether the requisition of Governor Duval, will be respected, the com manding ,(finer doubting his power to change the destination of the troops, and having no force with which to meet the requisition, other than that now under requisition for Tampa Bay. Sav. Georgian, 2 id inst. The ease of Bachelors has been very seriously taken up in the Le gislature of Pennsylvania, and a law seems to he progressing, or to have already passed, imposing a tax on them. We do not know whether the law makes any distinction be tween those who are bachelors from necessity, and those who are bache lors from choice, though there would certainly seem to be an important difference between the two oases.—. II an individual, from perversity of temper, or from a misanthropic disposition, remains a practical injl del , as relates to the divine decima tion, that “ it is out good for man to bo alone,” perhaps a due appli cation of a tax law might so far lighten his purse, enlighten his mind, and soften his heart, as to effe t the conversion necessary for his esca ping its penal operation. But if it so happens that a man is uofortu nateiy disappointed in not obtaining the object ot bis affections, and he cannot readily transfer his regai and to another with whom he would he willing to he a partner in all the vicissitudes of life, he would rather seem to call forth commiseration, than to he an object of taxation. For the Legislature would not, we presume, he so uncourteous as to consider the life of a bachelor a lux . uty, and like other luxuries to be among (he sources from which a public revenue was to be derived When ba helors are taxed for not being married, perhaps it might me rit consideration whether some cor responding tax ought not to be le qnired from such females as refuse what, io the estimation of a disin terested committee, should be con sidered an eligible, or at least, a reasonable offer. For surely if a man desirous of marrying is itfu sed and taxed too, it would scarcely seem that equal and exa*t justi* e was rendered to him,—Besides which, it is declared in the great charter of American rights, that “ life, liber*?, and the pursuit of happiness” are among the unequiv ocal rights of men—and perhaps a man has as ti questionable a right 1 to pursue happiness in the cold and dreary regions of celibacy, as in the 1 warm and cheerful enjoyments of 1 matrimonial bliss. One might not admire his taste, or have a wish to partake of his comforts ; but it does not follow, that while he is pretty r severely taxed in the privations he f experiences, it would be either eha ; ritable or just to require, by a com > pulsory process, his money also. *-ugusta Chronicle . “ The Treasury Estimates were • yesterday sent in to Congress, be i iog a week earlier than they were sent in the last year. The writers > of letters to distant places, there -1 fore, can no longer represent Mr, ; Crawfoud's recovery as hopeless. Their case is hopeless if their cal eolations of success are founded on so deplorable a contingency We cannot even flatter them with the hope of his losing both his eyes, as is said to have been predicted abroad, or even one of them. He is grad ually and certainly, though yet not rapidly, regaining his health.” We are sorry to see an article ex pressed like the above in so respect able asd es rrect a paper as tbe Na tional Intelligencer. It conveys tbe idea that there is a feeliog, or rather a want of feeling, amongst many of those opposed to a candidate for pub lio favor, which we trust has no real existence. There are hund reds, no doubt, and thousands io the United States who do out consider Mr. Crawford the most proper per son in our country to fill the Execu tive Office—but we trust there are none of these who would rejoice at anyindifidualmisfortune that might befall him, or personal suffering he might experience. We hope that none would be gratified to learu that his recovery was hopeless, or feel flattered at a proipeet “of bis lo sing” one or “ both of his eyes.” We have no idea that political opin ions, honestly entertained, have ex tinguished, or will extinguish, the ordinary feelings of humanity in any of our citizens. Ibid . Our readers will remember, that some time during the last summer, a letter of Mr. Jefferson, to a friend of his in New-Y'rk, was published, in which he deliberately stated, that he had an entire confidence in the good sense of the people on the Pre sidential queston, and that he nei ther had meddled, nor would inter fere with its decision. This declar ation was published, at the time, in almost all the papers, with marked approbation, as becoming his age, and position in tbe nation. Now, indirect opposition to this declara tion of Mr Jefferson, the Demo cratic Press ha, affirmed, that a letter of his, io which he gives a de cided preference to Mr. Crawford, with various reasons for chat prefer ence, is handed about in private circles at ishingtou, We cannot believe that he has m>de any de claration at all, in favor of any one of the Candidates, as it would be in direct eoutradh tion to the declara tion of Mr. Jefferson himself, so lemnly and deliberately made to the whole community; and would, in consequence, be calculated to im pair his high standing with the A merioan pe pie Mu ti less can we believe that he has declared in fa vour of the candidate in question, (he moat distinguished acts of whose life are in opposition to the republi cans of'9B, during the reign offer ror, and to the embargo in 1 07, a measure recommended by Mr. Jes fersou himself; and which was sup ported by the whole of the republi can party in tbe Senate, with the exception of Mr. Crawford aloue. Admitting it, however, to be true, and that tbe arts and impoi (unities of Mr, Crawford's friends, practis ing upon the infirmities of extreme age, have drawn sentiments from Mr. Jefferson, favorable to his pre tensions, it is obvious that it can have bm little weight with the peo ple of the United States. It is well known, that Mr Jefferson reads but two papers, the Enquirer and National Intelligencer; and if be lias taken up a favorable opioioo of Mr. Crawford, it can only be ac counted for by the false medium through which he has viewed his character; and consequently, his opinion, under such circumstances, would be entitled to less weight than the calm and deliberate opinion of one whose situation enables him tc view the whole ground. But, wt again repeat it, we cannot, for a moment, place the least confidence i the report, particularly coming from a man like Binns, whose dis regard to truth is such that his inoi solemn declaration has but tittle weight with those best acquainted with him. It is certainly much more iucirdihle that Mr. Jefferson should write the letter in question, in opposition to his owu solemn de claration, recently made, than tba< Binns should put such a story in circulation, for electioneering pur poses. W hat renders it more in credible, if possible, is that Mr. Jefferson is said to have assigned reasons for his preference. What reason can he, or any other man, assign, in favour of Mr. Crawford's pretensions? Can he assign con sistency of conduct ? Can he as sign adherence to principle ? Ca li e assign services rendered the country? Can he assign display of talents, or aiquisitioo of know. ledge ? Can he assign fidelity to the preseot republican administra tor. ? To all these questions, tie answer is emphatically—No ! But one reason can be assigned ; and we trust Mr. Jefferson will be a mong the last to assign itwe mean, that he happened to draw bis first breath on the soil of the ancient dominion. Although some Virginians are so far governed by this improper feeling as to write to Virginians in other states, upbraid ing them for their opposition to the Virginian eandidate, yet no one can believe that the distinguished patri ot in question could, for a moment, indulge iu (bis unworthy feeling of state pride.— Wash- Republican . Triumph of Democratic Principles. We eoogi atuiale the friends at Republican principles throughout the State and Union on the choice of Major Goodeil, as Speaker of the Assembly, by a vote of almost two 10 one in Caucus, and nearly unanimously in the House. We do not offer these congratulations so much on account of Maj. Gooilell’s known attachment to a particular in dividual candidate fsr the Presi dency as on account of l : s open and declared preference of the old sys tems of the parly; lit is an avowed friend and warm supporter of a Con gressional Caucus for President, and upon that ground, he received so unanimous a sujtport from the Republican members of the Assem bly for Speaker, v In this we have another evidence, in addition to that offered by the Legislature last winter, that the Re publicans of this State are not dis posed to break down the ancient u sages of the Demooralir family The American and Patriot have both set Mttjor Goodeil down, as a friend to Mr. Crawford; knowing Major Goodell’s sentiments on this subject as we do, and having known him long as an intelligent and inde pendent Republican, wc cannot con tradict the assertion of those papers on this point, and (heir having an nounced that fact with the view of prejudicing him a sutth ient lime be fore the meeting of the Legislature, to bring it home to the knowledge of the Members, We should like to suggest to the Editors of those papers whether that fact seemed to have formed any objection in the minds of the members to his being made Speaker, It appears after all, that notwithstanding the oppo sition of the Patriot and American to “oaucus,” they are at last com pelled to y ield to the publm voire, and consent that their friends should go into caucus at Albany; and, con sequently, out of 128 members of Assembly, 120 atieuded thocaucus; and we learn that S. 8. Gardiner, F*q, one of the partizans of the Patriot, offered a resolution in cau cus, that the members should vote in the house for Speaker, for the person who should have a majority in caucus. ‘The resolution was a dopted, and consequently they did, wheo in the house, abide by the vote in caucus. This is as it should he, and as it has been heretofore. But let republicans beware; there are some men there who “can turn, aud turn, and yet go on* and turn a gaiu.”—JV’at. Advocate. ALABAMA POLITICS. .Mobile, December 27. We learn that the Governor has put hi veto to the Resolution re commending Gen. ral Jackson to the Presidency of the United States, dis * senting from the wM of a large ma jority of both branches of the Legis lature. A large majority of the peo ple are al?o in favor of the nomination, beyond a doubt, but. it i* po* c ib e, the may not consider it a fit subject to legislate upon. After the Governor’• Veto had been returned to the House, a resolution * wa adopted (desiring the concurrence 1 of the Senate) requesting the Presi 1 dent of the Senate and Speaker of the ► House to transmit copie of the pre amble and resolution, (recommending General Jackson to the Presidency) to the Executive of the everal States, in which the Senate concurred. Governor’s Veto to the Presidential Resolutions. Executive Department, Dec 22, 1823 Gentlemen of the House of Reu’ves. I herewith return to the House of Representatives in which originated the joint reso utionentitled *■’ Res olutions proposing General Andrew Jackson a- a suitable candidate for President of the U States.” which had, on the 17th inst. been present ed for the Executive approbation I regret that, according to my own idea* of the legislative duties of the General Assembly of the State, I can not unite io this official and authori tative mode, not merely of rendering a just tribute of respect to our emi nent fellow citizen who i* the subject of the Resolutions but of proposing any individual as a candidate for the office of national Chief Magistrate— by an ordinary and formal act of le gislation— anctioned by the Execu tive approbation, and entitled to a place among our statute laws. A* an expre* ion of the lively sen timents of gratitude to so distinguish ed a benefactor, and of the high esti mation f hi* exalted merits so justly entertained by ourselves and our con stituents, no language would hare been too stTong for my official & cor dial assent. Indeed cMr language is wanting in richness to furnish ade quate terms of commendation of the military service? of our hero. His signal gallantry has not mere ly given him a rank among the con. queror* of modern time ; but hia u. niform and eminent usefulness in the protection of our southern frontier ha enlisted his name among the sa viour* of our country. And to none is the recollection of hi> important services more dear than to the peopie of Alabama. To have made such an expression of our admiration and gratitude, would have been regarded as a debt, and would have had the canction or ofH ciai precedent to justify it. Indeed it would have teen no ground of objec tion, to have proceeded in a les* for. mal and official manner, to tbjTfull extent of the resolutions; th* as© wou dhave had the sanction of pre. cedent, and would have furniphed e qual testimony of the public senti ment of our fellow citizen in regard to tiii question, of so much present and future interest to the nation. It is because I believe it iv not fair'y within the legitimate sphere of iegis latiou, & so far as my own knowledge extends without any prcviou exam ple, and would be introdutory of un neces ary, if not mischievous matters into our legislative deliberation-jtfthtf I am induced not to add my sigtmture to the joint resolutions. I can also add with the most per fect sincerity, that there i no orher individual among the distingui. hed sa ges whose names have been in con templation for the high office in ques. tion, in whose favor I would more reluctantly withhold my signa u?e. IBR %E L PICKENS. Great Fire at Columbia. By a passenger from Columbia, arrived in the Stage last evening, we learn that a fire broke out in that pla< e, on Wednesday morning, by whi h nearly a whole bloek wai consumed, our informant counting 15 or 18 chimneys standing, 8 of which were fronting the street, a- <1 extending to a brick house at the comer. By a note on the way-bill, it is stated that the alarm was given about half past 2 o’clock in the amr ning* from the shoe-shop of Mr. Huut, iron which the fire extended on the stree* to the Washington Ho tel* where i§ ravages were clink ed, and the house saved, though the 2 9'ory buk building of Latia and M*Faijtg was destroyed, but without injur/ to the front store. The stables 0’ Mr. Randolph were burnt, ihe vhole loss was nst ac curately estinated, but calculated not to exceed 5.000 dollars. \ Carolina Gazette, CO^iRESS. Haute J Mpresentatives. ■ J •*., 12. A message v, rereived from flio President of the United Slates, in tbe words ‘lo the House of the Utlifti States . In answer to resolution of the House of of He. cember S*th, t e. s ,j ng |he | Ve . sident of tbe states to lay before tbe Uou.e t H h i„r ormß , ion as be may possess, tD( ] w | li< tl Bia , be disclosed will*, injur? to tbe public good, relath to (he deler . mmatioo of an, sofreigo, or com binatio,, of •over!,,,, „ sift Spam m (lie subjuAi on 0 f her late colonies oo tbo Ania . an continent; and whether ary go nmeot 0 f Eu rope is disposed or Y-temiined to oppose an, aid or asS aooe whio |, such sovereign, or %,bination of sovereigns, may aff.|t„ Spain forf the subjugation of he| t e eolonig. above mentioned; 1 £ tll 9tate , that I possess do ioflloozlion on that subject, not knob Con gress, which oao be with out iojury to the publio gLy James mcl^oe. Important Decision. —-S he Su preme Court have decide&i the present term in the ease ofOins moor vs. Hand, argued at a\rmer term, aod upon which tbeVourt took an adversari, that a note Vider seal, payable at a future day, vith interest from the date, ifnotpu\tu ally paid, it g penal bond or writ Wig obligatory, and that in case it not punctually paid according to the terms of it, the holder oau on ly recover the face of the note, to gether with interest from the time u became due. Gahaivba (Jlla.J Press)