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CHRONICLE SENTINEL. BY J. W. 8c W. S. JONES. DAIL I 7 OFFICE IN RAIL ROAD HAWK BUILDING TERMS— Daily Paper, per annum, in advance.-$lO ‘ T ri-Weekly Paper, “ “ “ "’ “ \ Weekly, (a mammoth sheet) ». (’ASH SYSTEM. —In no case will an order for the p. per be attended to, unless accompanied with Uie money, and in every instancewhen the time for w ic any subscription may be paid, expires before the re ceipt of funds to renew the same, the paper, wi e discontinued. Depreciated funds received at va u*> in this city. REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OP treasury. Treasi/R* Department, Dec. 8, 1847. In obedience to law, the following report is respectfully submitted. _ , The Receipts and Expenditures for the fiscal y ea r ending on the 30lh June, 1847, were — From customs -•523,747,864 66 From public lands 2,493,355 20 From miscellaneous sources 100,570 51 From avails of Treasury nates and loans 25,679,199 45 Total receipts $52,025,989 82 Add balance inTrea’ry July 1, 1846 * 9,126,439 08 Total means $61,152,428 90 The expenditures during the same pe riod were 59,451,177 65 Lear’g balance inTrea’ry July I, ’47-$1,701,251 25 The estimated Receipts and Expenditures for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1848, are— RECEIPTS, VIZ .* Prom customs, Ist quarter, by actual returns $11,106,257 41 Prom customs, 2d, 3d, and 4th quar ters, as estimated 19,893,742 59 $31,000,000 00 Prom sales of public lands 3,500,000 00 Prom miscellaneous sources 400,000 00 34,900,000 00 Prom avails of Trea’ry notes and loans- 6,285,294 55 41 185 294 55 Add balance in Treasury July 1, ’47. 1,701,251 25 Total means as estimated - • • -$42,886,545 80 EXPENDITURES, VIZ : The actual expenditures for Ist quarter ending Sept, 30, 1847, were $16,469,194 69 The estimated expenditures for the public service during the other three quarters, from October 1, 1847, to June 30, 1848, are— Civil list, foreign inter course, aod miscel laneous $5,486,180 42 Army, proper, includ ing volunteers 19,080,865 58 Fortifications, ordnance, arming militia, &c • • 2,036,446 50 Indian department-• = 1,720,660 26 Pensions 1,063,523 66 Naval establishment •• 10,241,072 47 Interest on public debt and Treasury notes- 2,250,577 18 Treasury notes outstand ing and payable when presented 267,139 31 $58,615,660 07 Excess of expenditures over means July 1, 1848 $15,729,114 27 The estimated Receipts , Means, and Expen ditures for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 1848, and ending June 30, 1849, are— From customs $32,000,000 00 Prom sales of public lands 3 000,000 00 Prom miscellaneous sources-- -. ... 100,000 00 Total revenue 35,100,000 00 Deduct deficit July 1, 1848• • -15,729,114 27 means avaiiame tor service ot nscat year ending June 30, 1849 $19,370,885 73 The Expenditures during the same period . as estimated by the several Departments of State, Treasury, War, Navy, and Postmaster- General, are— The balances of former appropriations which will be required to be expended this year-$1,475,210 77 Permanent and indefi nite appropriations*. 4,587,577 82 Specific appropriations asked for this year-49,582,153 13 This sum is composed of the following : Civil list, foreign inter course and roiscella neous» $5,613,061 52 Army proper, volun teers, and Milkary Academy 32,007,028 42 Fortifications, ordnance arming militia, &c- 2,045,169 90 Pensions 1,694,318 84 Indian department 926,401 81 * Naval establishment.. 10,905,558 55 Interest on public debt and Treasury notes- 2,453,402 68 $55,644,941 72 Deduct ineans remaining applicable to service of fiscal year ending June 30 - !849 19,370,885 73 Excess of expenditures over ineans July 1, 1849 $36,274,055 99 It will be perceived that if the war is contiu- ued until the Ist of July next, and no addition- M al reven,le provided by Congress, nor any sums W received from military contributionsin Mexico, there would be a deficit in the Treasury on that day Os $15,7*9,114 *7. For the reasons here alter stated, under the operations of the Con stitutional Treasury, it will not be necessary hereafter to retain in the Treasury, to meet the wants of the Government, and afford a con stant supply for all their enlarged operations to , themmtand branch mints, a sum exceeding $3,000,000. Adding this to the deficit in ih« Tron-rurj- on me Ist ot July next, it makes the sum of $18,729,114 27 to be supplied during that period ; to meet which, if the expenditures I authorized and estimated should take place prior to that date ; a loan for that sum would be required, if no additional revenue was de rived from any source whatever. It is be lieved, however, that if Congress would adopt the following measures, which are recommend ed to their favorable consideration, additional revenue to the amount of $4,500,000 per an num might be realized. First, from a duty on tea and coffee of 25 per cent, ad valorem, $3,000,000 per annum ; from the reduction and graduation in the price of the public lands, $1,000,000 per annum : and from the extension of the pre-emption privilege to every bona fide settler on our unsurveyed lands wherever the Indian title may be extinguished, $500,000 per annum. Should these measures be adopted by Congress, die loan might be reduced to a sum not exceeding, at the most, $17,000,000. In estimating the loan at $17,000,000, allowance is made for the fact that these measures for ad ditional revenue could not all go into effect, so as to produce the full amount during the time intervening between the present period and the Ist of July next; after that date, it is not doubted that they would produce the full amount of $4,500,000 per annum. The Pres ident of the United States has, however, di rected contributions to be levied in Mexico in every form that may be sanctioned by the law of nations. These contributions consist, first, in diminishing the estimated expenditures, by obtaining, as far as practicable, supplies for the i army in Mexico; second, by duties upon im- i ports, as a military contribution; third, by en- 1 forcing the Mexican duty upon exports; fourth, by directing the seizure and appropriation to the support of the war and the army of all the internal revenues of Mexico, except transit du ties, whether assessed by the General Govern ment of Mexico, or by any department, city or I town thereof. By the acts of September 2 i 1789, and the 10th of May, 1800, it is the duty of this Department to report to Congress esti mates of the probable amount that will be de rived from all sources combined, in order that no larger loan may be asked or effected than would be requisite after deducting the amount thus estimated. The sum to be realized from these military contributions will depend upon future contingencies. If our armies are with drawn from the capital and ports of Mexico, nothing would be received from such contribu tions. If they were withdrawn from the capi tal, retaining the ports, no safe transit being open for imports into the interior, and to the rich and populous portion of the country, in cluding the mining region, a very small revenue would be derived from this source, as shown by past experience—probably not exceeding $1,000,000 per annum. If, however, the ports at present occupied by onr forces be retained, and all the rest seized or blockaded, so as to prevent the carrying of imports into the interi or, through any other ports than those held by our forces; if the roads were then opened into the interior, through the city of Mexico and the mining region and the route of commerce across the isthmus rendered secure, it is my conviction that the revenue from ail these sources above specified ought not to be less, so far as the duties on exports and imports are concerned, than has heretofore been collected by the Government of Mexico. I have not been able to obtain any reliable statement of the amount of duties realized in Mexico upon exports; if, however, it were fairly collected upon all the exports of specie from Mexico, it would probably not amount to less than $1,000,000 per annum, ft is not known, however, thatso large a sum as realized from this duty was ever recorded in the custom house returns of Mexico. Under these circum stances, it is extremely difficult to estimate the amount of duties which could be derived from this source, but they ought not to fall below $500,000 per annum. The receipts from duty on imports collected by Mexico have varied from six to twelve millions of dollars per an num; and 1 think it ought not to be less with the ports and interior and the roads in our pos session, and rendered secure for exports and imports. There are many reasons why it ought to be greater. The present duties are framed so as to yield the largest revenue; whereas the Mexican ta riff was in the highest degree protective and prohibitory ; the duties, even when the goods were admitted, being generally adverse to re venue. There were also sixty articles, the im portation of which was prohibited altogether, among which were sugar, rice, cotton, boots and half boots, coffee, nails of all kinds, leather of most kinds, flour, cotton yarn and thread, soap of all kinds, common earthen ware. lard, molasses, limber of all kinds, saddles of all kinds, cotton gnnds or textures chiefly such as are made in the United States; pork, fresh or salted, smoked or cured; woollen or cotton blankets or counterpanes, shoes and slippers, wheat, and grain of all kinds. The admission of the prohibited goods at reasonable rates, the change of the protective into revenue duties, and the abolition of the heavy transit charges, must of course increase imports and revenue, and greatly enlarge our trade with Mexico, bringing back specie in return for our goods imported there. No nation, in proportion to its wealth, can afford to import more than Mex ico, because her great staple export, being spe cie, is sought by all nations in exchange for their goods imported there. Under onr brave offi cers the money will not be lost, as it was to a great extent by speculation under the Mexican Government, and the lower duties will to a great extent prevent smuggling. The duties, also, being collected on the goods imported from one Mexican port into another, will be an addition to the amount exacted by the Mex ican Government. On the whole, I cannot believe that, under the circumstances andcondition of things above suggested as the most favorable to augment these contributions, that the duties on imports. our military possession, would be less than it was under the Government of Mexico—espe cially under the guaranty already given, that in any treaty of peace it will, as announced, be provided that the goods imported should neither be confiscated or subjected to any new duty by Mexico. The internal revenue collected by the Mex ican Government, as well as Departments, was about $13,000,000 per annum I do not believe however that any very large portion of this revenue could be collected un der our military system; and 1 have no suffi cient data upon which to base any reliable esti mate as to these sourcesof revenue. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to name any precise sum as that which proba bly would be derived from military contribu tions in Mexico. The more complete, howe ver, the possession of the country by our troops, the larger would be the revenue. Thus much 1 have thought it incumbent on me to say ; and, without being able to fix any precise sum, it is my conviction that the revenue deri ved from these various sources in Mexico would be very considerable, and augmenting from time to lime. In view, however, of the uncertainty of the amount of these contribu tions at present, and the delay in carrying them into effect, if the measures proposed for aug menting the revenue by duties upon tea and coffee, the reduction ol the price of the public lands, and the extension ol the pre-emption pri vilege, should not be adopted by Congress, I recommend that authority be granted to nego tiate a loan for the sum of $18,500,000, upon the terms authorized by the act of 28th of Jan uary last. Should the war be continued until the Ist July, 1849, an additional loan, amount ing to $20,500,000, would be necessary if no additional revenues be granted by Congress, and no contributions were levied in Mexico. As it is believed, however, that a considerable sum must be derived from these contributions, no further loan beyond the amount of $18,500,- 000 is asked al this period ; and it is believed that this sum is all that will be required, iu all /-» K /»Kl ll «/* Ooiigrcns, iu December, 1848. It is possible, however, that a further loan for a sum not exceeding $6,000,- 000 may be required before that time. Should this be the case, there will be ample time to communicate the information to Congress, and ask a further provision for that amount. A duty of twenty-five per cent, ad valorem on tea and cofiee is again respectfully recommen ded. By reference to tables. RR 1 and RR 2, it appears that the aggregate value of onr im ports of tea and coffee is progressing, and that the impost suggested would probably yield an annual revenue of $3,000,000, reducing the loan, aiding the credit and finances of the Gov ernment, and, with our other resources, secur ing prompt payment to our gallant army and navy, who are vindicating the rights, sustaining the honor, and elevating the character of our country. The experience of the last year proves that no additional revenue, or none ex ceding a few thousand dollars, could be obtain ed from any augmentation of duties upon the dutiable imports. No such augmentation is re commended; and scarcely any revenue could be derived from the few remaining articles on the free list, exclusive of tea and coffee. It is a sound rule, when contracting a public debt, to provide, at the time, such revenue as will be adequate for the prompt payment of the interest, and the graduulbnt certain extinguish ment of the principal of the debt. So long as this rule is pursued, there is no danger of any alarming accumulation of public debt, nor any apprehension that the public credit will be im paired or embarrassed. To refuse the tax at this lime, would be to accumulate a large debt with an augmenting amount of interest, and with no certain means provided for the liquida tion of such engagements. The credit of na tions is best maintained when, for all their ob ligations, adequate provision is made at the time; and there is danger that increasing debts, without any additional revenue, might expose our finances to great hazard. Diminishing expenses being one of the best means of improving the finances, the charges of collecting the revenue from customs have been carefully examined, and every retrench ment made compatible with the public interest. The saving thus effected, notwithstanding the vast increase of business, will amount, it is be lieved, to nearly $500,000 per annum; not by reducing wages, or reasonable compensation, but by dispensing with every officer or agent not absolutely required for the public service; by curtailing the expenses of the revenue ma rine; by introducing a more rigid and perfect system of accountability; by classifying the ex penditures, and arranging them in tables under distinct heads; and, above all, by subjecting them to the same checks, under the supervision of the accounting officers of the Treasury, as apply to appropriations made by law ; in regard to which, Congress will, no doubt, be guided by that wise and enlightened economy so im portant at this time to the maintenance of the public credit. [continued to-morrow.] Chronicle emit Sentinel. AUGUSTA, GA: THURSDAY MORNING, DEC. S 3, 184 T. On First Page, Proceedings in the Legisla ture on Monday. Tine Mails. The missing Northern mails came through last night, but they reached the city also late an hour that they could not possibly be distributed. We were only enabled to obtain a few of our exchanges, from which we have culled the cur rent news. Our Telegraphic letters failed en tirely to reach us. We however learn from the Baltimore Ame rican of Monday morning the 20th inst., that no tidings had been received of either the English or French steamers at New-Yorkat 10 o’clock on Sunday night. Improvement of Navigable Rivers. We copy below, a message from the Mayor of the city of New York, to its Common Coun cil, on the interesting subject of improving the Harbors and navigable Rivers in the United States : Mayor’s Office, New York, > Nuv. 29th, 1847. S To Ike Hon. the Common Council: Gentlemen—l have received from the Atlantic Harbor and River Committee, appointed by the Gen eral Harbor and River Convention, assembled at Chi cago Uuring mo present year, a cuniiiiuiiicauuii which I transmit herewith to the Common Council. I regard the objects embraced in that communica tion as intimately connected with the commercial pros perity of this city, and deserving the earnest and re spectful attention of our municipal authorities. It will be seen that the Convention was very numerously at tended, by delegates not only from this city, but from nearly all the other important cities and states of the Union—that its objects were of no narrow, local or partizan character, but that seeking the welfare of the whole American people, it asks from the Nation al Government the adoption of a just and liberal sys tem which shall secure the improvement of the har bors and rivers of the whole country in all its parts. To prosecute these objects more efficiently, and to concentrate the action of the different sections of the country, an executive committee was appointed by the Convention consisting of tw r o delegates from each of the eighteen States represented. That Committee has deemed it important to attain the most recent and ac curate information as to the exisiting trade and naviga tion of our harbors and navigable rivers ; and for that purpose to apply directly to the municipal authorities of the cities in the districts more immediately adjacent to those waters. To facilitate these inquiries the Union has been di vided into several large districts, one of which em bracing the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida in clusive, has been assigned to the Ior«' from ——- ...v w.uuiunrothion in question nan been receiv ed. It will be seen that its objects are to obtain from the public authorities of this city authentic official in formation as to —Ist. The extent of its trade present and prospective. 2. The situation of the harbors and rivers with which that trade is more particularly con nected. And 3. The obstructions, ifany, to the per fect navigation of those harbors and rivers and the pro per means of improving their capacity, security and means of access. I am informed by the chairman of that committee that similar inquiries have been addressed to the Mayors of all the Atlantic cities, and to the public au thorities of all the important trading towns on the coast —and that it is deemed important not only to procure the desired information in this authentic and official form, but also to obtain the public actions and co-op erations of those cities and towns, so far as it may be thought proper, by petitions, memorials or otherwise, in urging upon the general government the speedy adoption of a just, constitutional and systematic plan for the improvement and security of our navigable waters, and such as our rapidly increasing commerce so imperiously demands. Without presuming to anticipate the action of the Common Council on this interesting subject, 1 shall nevertheless rely on their intelligence in believing that they will regard it as a matter deeply atfecting the interests and general welfare of our city, and that we shall cordially unite with the municipal authorities of our sister cities in such efforts as may be requisite to induce the general government fully to discharge this portion of its public duty. In regard to our own municipal proceedings, the dif ficulty, ifany, will be found in defining the limits with in which its action and co-operation should properly be confined. The commerce of our city, as the general emporium of the Union, is co-extensive with the Union. The property of our citizens will be found afloat on all its waters, whether in the harbors of the Atlantic— the ports of the Lakes —or the great navigable streams of the West. No measure of improvement, increas ing the security of any of those waters, can be adopt ed which will not as directly affect the commercial in terests of this city as if applied to the very harbor or wharve s within our municipal limits. Without entering, however, into these more gener al views, it appears to me evidently proper and de sirable, that the Common Council should furnish, in an accurate and authentic form, the information sought as to our own particular harbor ahd the navigable wa ters with which it is immediately adjacent, and in so '•"'"ff 1 ' *"■««--* **»»• and usefully unite with the public authorities of Al bany and Troy in such official statements and memo rials in respect to existing obstructions in the Hudson river, as may present that particular portion of the sys tem to the consideration of Congress, with the force which its importance demands. I need hardly add that in furthering these objects it will afford me much gratification to unite in any official action which the Common Council may deem most proper and expedient. William V. Brady. The citizens of Savannah and Augusta are as directly interested in the removal of all ob structions in the navigable waters of the Savan nah, as are the citizens of New-York and Alba ny in improving the navigation of the Hudson. The cases are precisely parallel. The Hon. T. B. King, of this State, is a member of the Atlantic Coast Committee, appointed by the National Convention held at Chicago last Au gust, as he is also Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs in the House of Representa tives. This gentleman will doubtless gladly re ceive any information relating to the obstruc tions. navigation and commerce of the Savan nah between this city and the seaboard. If the city authorities do not move in the matter, our business men should at least lose no time in col lecting and arranging statistics on the subject and forwarding them to Mr. King. The navigation of the Hudson has given to the cities of Albany and Troy a population of about 70,000. Improve the Savannah as it should be, and you will at once reduce the price or freights upon it, one-half, and add four fold to its commerce. This done and the same trade which has given to Augusta its pre sent population, will augment its inhabitants and wealth in a ratio equal to that ofits increas | ed advantages. The commercial advantages j of this city when fairly developed, wi|l be found j far greater than most men are aware of. One of these days the discovery will be made that Augusta has advantages fully equal to those of Cincinnati, for packing and exporting pork, lard and beef. The large production of these staples in the region north of us for 300 miles I is an event which we confidently anticipate. , With ordinary skill in grazing and tillage, pork, beef, tallow, wool, mutton and pelts can be produced and delivered in this market at a round profit, for export. A great many thou sand bales of cotton have been shipped from Augusta to Liverpool. The day for exporting thence wheat, flour, corn meal, provisions and wool, is close at hand. Some may smile at this prediction: but they know nothing of the agricultural capabilities of Northern Georgia, South Carolina and those portions of North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, whose farmers may be seen in our market selling the fruits of their industry, and buying their groceries and dry goods. The extensive regions referred to, are now but sparsely settled; but they are remaikably healthy, reasonably fertile and rapidly filling up with an industrious and most enterprising peo ple. The intelligent citizens of this city know well how to concentrate the trade of this rural population at their own doors. No effort of their’s will be wanting to render the navigation of the Savannah all that can be desired. Pos sessing an immense Hydraulic Power, now ready for use, and soon to be set at work in the most profitable manner, Augusta will pre sent a market for every thing which the farmer raises, that will tell most advantageously on all the surrounding country. All the benefits of skilful agriculture, manufactures, inland and foreign commerce, are placed within the reach of our citizens. We will not doubt that they will make the necessary personal efforts to turn these local advantages to the most useful ac count. Mr. Olidclon’g Second Lecture. Those of our readers who attended Mr. Gliddon’s first lecture on the Hieroglyphical Researches in Egypt, will not need reminding that another takes place this evening, in contin uance of the subject. We have rarely seen an audience so deeply interested. The Lecture will compare the records on me Monumems or the Nile, with Scriptural History, and elucidate the religious creed of the Egyptians 3,500 years ago, in regard to the immortality of the soul, future state of rewards and punishments, and the resurrection of the body. As there is no question of the accuracy of the reading of these by far the oldest Hieroglyphical records of our race, no subject can well exceed it in interest. A full house is confidently predicted. to tike Dead Sea. A paragraph in the New York Herald, some time since, stated that a party of naval officers, under the command of Lt. W. F. Lynch, would shortly sail from that port, in the United States store ship Supply, to the Mediterranean, for the purpose of making an exploration and survey of the Dead Sea. The editor has since receiv ed the following interesting communication re lative to the expedition: To the. Tldilor of the Herald :— la reference to the proposed surrey ot me £/eaa Sea, several of the newspapers have asked, “ cui bo no ?” As the first public intimation was given, without my knowledge, through your columns. I ask permis sion to avail myself of the same medium to answer , briefly, to the point of abruptness, questions at once so natural and so reasonable. Although most reluctant to parade my insignificant name in print, I take this step without an instant’s hesitation, in justice to the enlightened statesman whose mind in an instant grasped the importance of the questions at issue and foresaw the credit to be ac quired by his country in their solution. For upwards of four thousand years, the Dead Sea has laid in its deep and wondrous chasm, a wither ing record of the visitation of God’s wrath upon his sinful creatures. Itself once a fertile vale, teeming with population and redundant with the products of a favored clime, it no.v lies inert and sluggish, a mass of dark and bitter waters, with no living thing upon its shore, or above, or beneath its surface. Receiving at one extreme, the mighty volume of a swift and unfail ing river, and the numerous torrents that plunge into it through the clefts in its sides, it slowly rises ard falls in its own solitary bed, with no visib e outlet for its tributary waters. Its lofty and fretted sides riven by earthquakes —here blanched by the rain, there black ened by the tempest, —rise perpendicularly fifteen hundred feet on one side, and two thousand feet on the other ; while from the summit the awe-struck specta tor beholds floating upon its surface huge masses of bitumen, thrown up from its mysterious v. rtex. — Mount Lebanon is 9000 feet above the Mediterra nean, and 10,300 above the Dead Sea, which is little more than one hundred miles distant from it. The “ Corral ” in the Island of Madeira is wonderful, for it is the bed of a crater nearly level with the ocean ; but here i* a sea, forty miles distant from another sea, and upwards of thirteen hundred feet below it. The unhappy Costigan, the only man who has undertaken to circumnavigate this sea, and who perished in the attempt, could, in one place, find no bottom, and it was indicated by incessant bubbles and an agitated sur face. Whether or not this be the crater of a sub merged volcano, forming a subterraneous aqueduct with the ocean, who can tell ? This unfathomable spot, whether or not through an extinct volcano, in connection with the depression of surface and the height of a contiguous mountain, forms the most ex iraordinay fault, orfissure, in the known world. One great object of investigation will be to ascertain wttetner tins sea and its shores are of volcanic or non volcanic origin, and to refute the position of infidel philosophers with regard to its formation. The eluci dation of this subject is a disideratui» to science, and would be most gratifying to the whole Christian world. It is a mystery which has remained impenetrable since the awful moment when the waters of that wondrous sea first rose above the smouldering ruins of the vale ofSiddim. The configuration of one-half of its shores, and its very extent, are unknown. Its waters, of a petrifying quality, and limpid as a mountain stream, doubtless hold within their bosom, and holding will reveal those ruins, upon the non-existence of which the unbeliever states his incredulity. Strabo, Diodoros, Pliny and Josephus among the an cients—and Maundrell, Pococke, Abbe Martine, Cha teaubriand, LaMartine, Stephens and Robinson among the moderns, all differ as to the extent, and many of the peculiarities of this sea. Considerable streams are said to empty into it, the very names of which are un known. Some have heard the gambolings of fish upon its surface, while others deny that any animated thing whatever can exist within its dense and hitter waters. Fruits, luscious to the eye, but of nauseous taste, and crumbling in the grasp, are said to be found upon its shores. Many travellers deny the existence of all vegetation, and Chateaubriand asserts that he found branches of the tamarind tree strewn upon the beach. Its southern coast is said to consist of masses of solid salt; while, as far as the eye can reach from its northern extreme, it beholds only the washed and ! barren hills of Judea on one side, and those of Arabia Pclrea on the other. All is vague, uncertain and mys- | terious. j ; Are the questions answers'? Or, shall a small pecu- j niary consideration withhold a country such as this, i from such an undertaking 1 1 admit that it is not a summer’s excursion, and that British officers are said to have twice failed in a like attempt. Should that circumstance deter us? I ven ture to say, that within the broad periphery of this land, which, cradled between oceans, stretches from the frigid zone to the topics, there is not one native born or true hearted adopted citizen who will answer in the affirmative. We owe something to the scien- 1 tific and the Christian world, and while extendiug the blessings of civil liberty in the south and west, may well afford to foster science and strengthen the bul warks of Christianity in the east. W. p. Lynch, U. S. N. \ W k understand that the Governor has ap * pointed Col. Wm. W. Williamson of Chero i kee, Principal Keeper of the Penitentiary. Tornado in Alabama. — The Mobile Tribune says: —We find another item of news respect ing the tornado, in the Wetumpka Guard. Its direction was from Southwest to Northeast.— Some damage was done in the neighborhood of Prattville, Autauga county. It passed through Coosa county, doing great damage to proper ty, but fortunately no lives were lost. It struck the Tallapoosa river at Young’s Ferry, in Tal lapoosa county, near which several wagoners were encamped on the road to market, and two of the wagoners and some dozen mules were killed by the falling timber. It is asserted that in all Italy, containing a population of 22,000,000 souls, there are not as many newspapers printed as would emanate from the single city of Boston or Philadelphia ; and they are small “7 by 9 sheets,” contain ing little else than advertisements and the de crees of government. Out-Polking Polk. —The Mobile Advertiser says:—The Register of yesterday has the fol lowing : A letter from Montgomery to a friend of ours in this city, speaking of the Senatorial election, says — “ You need have no fear of Lewis’s support of the administration. He out-polked Polk in his Polkery. His only objection to the territory indemnity is, that Polk has not asked enough!” We know that such was the general impres sion at Montgomery at the time the Senatorial election took place, and we have no doubt of its truth. Mr. Lewis was understood to have gone farther than Mr. King in his pledges for ultra democracy. “D nhim,” said an in veterate ‘ old hunker’ to us, *• Lewis gulps down every thing in the shape of Democracy without stopping to taste it. He is more of a Polk man than Polk himself.” It was the opinion of the said “ Old Hunker” that Lewis’s democracy might possibly last him to Wash ington city, but it would be a tight fit.” From the Baltimore American of the 20 th inst. The Flood in the West* The papers received by last night’s Western Mail are filled with accounts of the disastrous effects produced by the recent severe freshet in the Western River. The Sciota River has overflowed its banks, washing away the turn pike, bridges, culverts, &c. On this as well as on the smaller streams emptying into it, vast amounts of hogs and other stock have been washed away. ti.« latoar Cincinnati papers received are those of Monday last, and we arc therefore without any fartiier accounts of the effects of the freshet in that city than those received by telegraph. The Pittsburgh Gazette of the 17th inst. con tains the following notice of the flood in the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. By the politeness of Capt. Gray, of the Cin cinnati packet Pennsylvania, which arrived at this port last evening, we have further particu lars of the disastrous flood of the last few days. He says that at no time since the memorable flood of 1832, has the Ohio river been so high as at nresent. The destruction of property along the river and the distress of the inhabi tants is truly appalling. In the towns of Guy andotte. Point Pleasant, Pomeroy, Hocking port, Parkersburg, Point Hanner, Marietta and Sun Fish, many families were compelled to leave their dwellings, and others removed to the upper stories. Most of the Islands between Kanawha and Wheeling, are entirely covered. Fences, corn, wood and property of all kinds have been car ried away by the water. All the people residing in the low lands have abandoned their dwellings and taken refuge on the hills, leaving their property to the mercy of the water, being satisfied to escape with their lives. When the Pennsylvania passed Portsmouth the river was rising at the rate of four inches per hour, and at Marietta the Muskingum river was found to have commenced rising the se cond time, and more rapidly than before.— Fears were entertained that the ships now on the stocks at that port, would be carried off.— The late rains have been very heavy in the val ley of the Muskingum river. At different points on their way up, the} saw several houses afloat, and innumerable quantities of corn, hay stacks, &c. On many of the farms, the people were observed gathering their corn, from the fields in flat boats. At Gallipolis the river lacked but 5 feet of being as high as in ’35 and was rising rapidly. In many places it was difficult to tell where the main channel of the river was, the low ground being overflowed for several miles in width. The steamer passed across fields on her way up fully thirty feet higher than the channel of the river at low water mark. Capt. Lucas, of the steamboat Mary Stevens, reports the distress occasioned by the flood be low Marietta, as being truly alarming. People deserting their dwellings in such haste as to be compelled to leave their property, others taking what they could in boats and removing to the hills. By Telegraph. Cincinnati, Dec, 17. —The river rose five inches last evening, and is still swelling. The weather is clear and cold, which fortunately prevents the snow now on the ground from melting to any extent, or the flood would be greatly heightened. Dec. 17, 9 P. M. —The flood is subsiding. The river has been at a stand nearly all day, j and J am now rejoiced to be able to announce | that it has fallen one inch within the last few ' hours. The steamer New England, arrived ( from above, reports the waterssubsiding. The wpatlmr in still pleasant. i Zanesville, Dec. 17. — The Flood at Zanes ville.—The Muskingum river has risen two j feet within the last twenty-four hours, and is now three feet higher than during the flood of 1832. Part of the town is inundated, the levee I having given way this morning, and at least a hundred families have been forced to leave their dwellings. Extraordinary exertions were made : to save West Zanesville, together with the ' mills located there, and the bridge, which i will probably succeed, as the waters now appear to be at a stand. - I Curious Case. —A child about four years and a half old, son of Mr, J. H. Sweet, of j South Reading, accidentally swallowed a cop- i per cent some two months since. Several phy sicians were called in; and he was made to vomit at intervals for twenty four hours after the accident. Subsequently he remained pret y well, with the exception of a difficulty of swallowing. Mr. Sweet, suspecting that the cent was still lodged in the throat, took the child last Thursday to Dr. Wyman, of Cam- I bridge, who passed a probing instrument down the little sufferer’s throat, and distinctly felt the i cent. The doctor then made a sort of double i hook of common covered bonnet wire, which he passed into the throat, and on the first trial I succeeded in hooking up the cent, which was lodged in the aeso pha gus, standing edgeways! The child is now as well as ever.— Boston Transcript. Look Out !—There is an impression abroad that the clan of Horse Thieves has been of late re-organized in certain sections of Georgia and Alabama, and that the owners of quadrupeds should look to their cattle. Within a week or 1 so some daring deeds have been performed, ' and we notice that almost every paper we open contains divers advertisements of strays | or stolen animals. We give fair notice that the , game is on foot, and warn our readers to look out for the players.— Columbus Enquirer. , | PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS First Session—Thirtieth Co ntnu., j Correspondence of the Baltimore American IN THE HOUSE Dec. 18. [The Senate did not sit to day.] The Speaker announced that the first busi ness in order was the report of the select coni mittee upon the Rules of the House. The question being upon agreeing to the sub stitute reported by the committee for the one hour rule, [which substitute extends the time , which each member may occuoy in debating I any question in the House or committee to on hour and a half, and g : ves the member who reported the measure under consideration f roin any committee, the privilege of opening and closing the debate ; and also allows any ber five minutes to explain the object, nature and effect of any amendment which he may of fer.] Mr. Pollock,-of Pa., moved to amend the sub stitute by reducing the time to one hour, as al lowed under the former rule, Mr. Pollock briefly supported his amend ment, and expressed a hope that a Whig Con gress would not abolish a rule which had been adopted by the Whig majority in the 27th Con gress, for the purpose of expediting the busi ness of the House. Mr. Truman Smith spoke in opposition to limiting the time to one hour, upon the ground, principally, that there were many very iinpor tain subjects which no member could properly discuss in so short a time, Mr. Henley, of Indiana, supported the a mendment of the gentleman from Pensylvania (Mr. Pollock.) The rule had been adopted as the honorable member had stated, by the Whig majority in the 27th Congress, and though the Democratic minority had opposed it at that time, it wus found to work so well that the Demo cratic majority in the 28th Congress had adopt ed it as one of the rules of the House, and had continued it in the succeeding Congress. Mr. Woodward, of S. C.. spoke briefly in favor of the one hour rule, which iie contended, did not in the ieast abridge the freedom of de bate. Mr. Caleb B. Smith advocated the substitute reported from the committee, and thought its practical operation w T ould afford satisfaction to the House. Mr. Vinton thought that the debates o< the House had lost character by the working of the one hour rule, and that the House had also lost courtesy by it, as it sometimes induced mem bers to refuse to give way for explanation in order that they might lose no portion of their allotted time. He thought that liberty of de bate should be unrestricted, except in an emer gency; and that was simply provided for by the rule allowing the House to fix a period when the debate upon any measure should ter minate. The debate was also participated in by Messrs. Collamer, Cobh of Ga.: Wick and others, when a motion to adjourn was made and lost. The debate was then resumed by Mr. Thom son of Pa., in favor of the one hour rule. Mr. Goggin moved to lay the whole subject upon the table, which was disagreed to. After some further debate, Mr. Brodhead moved the previous question, which was se conded, and the amendment of Mr. Pollock was agreed to. The substitute reported from the committee, as amended, was then adopted, so that the one hour rule is retained, with the privilege to the member reporting the measure to open and close the debate, and to every member propo sing an amendment to occupy five minutes in explaining such amendment. The rule reported from the committee to au thorise a register of those who intend to debate a bill, resolution, or other matter, to be kept by the Clerk, and the order of their speaking to be determined by Jot, was rejected. A rule was adopted that “ members may ad dress the House or committee from the Clerk’s desk, or from a place near the Speaker’s chair.” [This is the plan adopted in the British and French Parliaments.] A rule was also adopted that except during the last ten days of the session, no motion to suspend the rules shall be entertained by the Speaker, except on Monday of every week ; and except also for the purpose of going into committee of the whole, or for providing for the discharge of the committee from the fur ther consideration of any bill referred to it, after acting, without debate, on all amendments that may be offered. A rule was also adopted, that whenever the Committee of the Whole finds itself without a quorum, the chairman shall thereupon cause the roll to be called, and the Committee shall rise and report the names of the absentees to the House, which shall be entered upon the journals. A rule was also adopted that in Committee of the Whole, all business shall be considered and concluded in the order of reference to them by the House, except general appropria tion bills, which may be preferred at the dis cretion of the Committee. Upon the last resolution reported from the committee, providing for a committee on the Smithsonian institution, a debate arose, in which Mr. Andrew Johnson advocated the ap pointment of the committee, and denounced the manner in which the legislation in relation to the Institution had been conducted. Before any question had been taken upon the rule for the appointment of the Smithsonian Committees, Mr. C. J. Ingersoll offered a resolution, which was adopted, that the rules of the last House, with the modifications this day adopted, be the rules of the House for the present session of Congress. The House then adjourned- From the Washington Correspondent of the Charleston Mercury. Washington, Dec. 17.1847. Both Houses have adjourned in respect to the memory of Mr. Dromgoole, formerly a Rep resentative from Virginia. We have done lit tle yet bat appoint Committees, and are now engaged in the House in a debate upon Inter nal Improvements, the interest of which was heightened by receiving while it was in full flood the President’s Message vetoing the Har bor bill of last session. Resolutions respecting our difficulties with Mexico ha.-, oeen introduced by Mr. Calhoun in the Senate, and by Mr. Holmes in the House. We will have the views of those gen tlemen more in extenso when they come up for consideration. Special Notices. jjpT An Flection will take place at the several places for holding Elections in the county of Rich mond, on the first Monday in January, fora COUNTY SURVEYOR. JESSE KENT, j. i. c. r. c. VALENTINE WALKER, j, i. c. R. c. JAMES HARPER, j. i. c. r. c. IGNATIUS P. GARVIN, j. i. c. r. c. n 25 WM. P. BEALLE, j. i. c. r.c. Medical Card* --Doctor MEALS lenders his professional services, in the various branches ol medicine, to the citizens of Augusta and vicinity. He may be found either at the office formerly occu pied by Thos. and J. J. R. Flournoy, Esqs., on Mclntosh-street, or at the residence of Mrs. Water man, on Broad-street. dl-6m* HIT Sands’ Sarsaparilla. --Exhausted by the heats of summer, the vital function’s at this season of the year are seldom performed with the vigor and regularity necessary to perfect health. The secretive organs but lazily fulfil their duty; the digestive pow ers become relaxed ; while the surface of the body but imperfectly exhales the waste water which should puss off through the pores, and the excretory organ* do not act with their accustomed vigor. The conse quences are cutaneous eruptions, running-sores, glandular swellings, a morbid condition of the liver, dyspepsia, &c. In some cases one of these results,