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CHRONICLE & SENTINEL. BYJ. W. & w. S. JONES. DAILI , TRI WEEKLY 4fc WEEKLY. OFFICE IN KAIL HOAD BANK BUILDING TERMS —Daily Paper, per annum, in atDance-*slo Tri-Weekly Paper, “ “ “ " ’ o Weekly, (a mammoth sheet) “ ('ASH SYSTEM.—In no case will an order for the p ■ per be attended to, unless accompanied with t e money, and in every instancewhen the time or w ic any subscription may be paid, expires before the re ceipt of funds to renew the same, the paper vvi e discontinued. Depreciated funds received at value in this city. VETO MESSAGE, ON THfi RIVER. AND HARBOR BILL. To the House of Representatives : On the last day of the last session of Con gress a bill, entitled “ An act to provide for con tinuing certain works, in the Territory of Wisconsin, and for other purposes, M which had passed both Houses, was presented to me for my approval. I entertained insuperable objections to its becoming a law ; but the short period of the session which remained afforded me no sufficient opportunity to prepare my objections, and communicate them, with the bill, to the House of Representatives, in which it originated. For this reason the bill was re tained, and I deem it proper now to state my objections to it. Although, from the title of the bill, it would seem that its main object was to make provis ion for continuing certain works already com menced in the territory of Wisconsin, it ap pears, on examination of its provisions, that it contains only a single appropriation of six thousand dollars applied within that Ter ritory, while it appropriates more than half a millionofdollarsfor the improvement ofnume rous harbors and rivers lying within the limits and jurisdiction of several of the States of the Union. At the preceding session of Congress it be came my duty to return, w ith my objections, to the House in which it originated, a bill mak ing simi'ar appropriations, and involving like principles, and the views then expressed re main unchanged. The circumstances under which this heavy expenditure of public money was proposed were of imposing weight in determining upon its expediency. Congress had recognised ihe existence of war with Mexico, and to prose cute it to “a speedy and successful termina tion” had made appropriations exceeding our ordinary revenues. To meet the emergency, and provide lor the expense* of the Govern ment, a loan of twenty-three millions of dol lars was authorized at the same session, which has since been negotiated. The practical effect of this bill, had it become a law, would have been to add the whole amount appropriated by it to national debt. It would, in fact, have made necessary an additional loan to that amount, as effectually as if in terms it had required the Secretary of the Treasury to bor row the money therein appropriated. The main question in that aspect is, whether it is wise, while all the means and credit of the government are needed to bring the existing war to an honorable close, to im pair the one and endanger the other by bor rowing money to be expended in a system of internal improvements capable of an expansion sufficient to swallow' up the revenues not only of our own country, but of the civilized world. It is to be apprehended that, by entering upon such a career at this moment, confidence, at home and abroad, in the wisdom and prudence of the Government, would be so far impaired as to make it difficult, without immediate re sort to heavy taxation, to maintain the public credit and to preserve the honor of the nation and the glory of our arms, in prosecuting the existing war to a successful conclusion. Had this bill become a law, it is easy to foresee that largely increased demands upon the Treasury would have been made at each succeeding ses sion of Congress, for the improvement of nu merous other harbors, bays, inlets, and rivers, of equal importance with those embraced by its provisions. Many millions would probably have been added to the necessary amount of the war debt, the annual interest on which must also have been borrowed, and finally a permanent national debt been fastened on the country and entailed on posterity. The policy of embarking the Federal Go vernment in a general system of internal im provements had its origin but little more than twenty years ago. In a very lew years the ap plication to Congress for appropriations in furtherance of such objects exceeded two hun dred millions of dollars. In this alarming crisis President Jackson refused to approve and sign the Maysville road bill, the VVabash river bill, and other bills ofsimilar character. His inter position put a check upon the new policy of throwingthe cost of local improvements upon the National Treasury, preserved the revenues of the nation for their legitimate objects, by which he was enabled to extinguish the then existing public debt, and to present to an ad miring world the unprecedented spectacle in modern times, of a nation free from debt, and advancing to greatness with un equalled strides, under a Government which was content to act within its appropri ate sphere in protecting the Slates and in dividuals in their own chosen career of im provement and enterprise. Although the bill under consideration proposes no appropriation for a road or canal, it is not easy to perceive the difference in principle or mischievous tendency between appropriations for making roads and d'gging canals, and appropriations to deepen rivers and improve harbors. All arealike with in the limits and jurisdiction of the States, and rivers and harbors alone open an abyss of ex penditure sufficient to swallow up the wealth of the nation, and to load it with a debt which may feller its energies and tax its industry for ages to come. The experience of several of the States as well as the United States, during the period that Congress exercised the power of appro priating the public money for internal improve ments, is full of eloquent warnings. It seems impossible in the nature of the subject, as con nected with local representation, that the seve ral objects presented for improvement sha 1 be weighed according to their respective merits, and appropriations confined to those whose im portance would justify a tax on the whole com munity to effect their accomplishment. In some of the States, systems of internal improvements have been projected, consisting of roads and canals, many of which, taken separately, were not of sufficient public impor tance to justify a tax on the entire population of the Slate to effect their construction ; and yet, by a combination of local interests, operat ing on a majority of the Legislature, the whole have been authorized, and the States plunged into heavy debts. To an extent so ruinous has this system of legislation been carried in some portions of the Union, that the people have found it necessary to their own safety and pros perity to forbid their Legislatures, by constitu tional restrictions, to contract public debts for such purposes without their immediate consent. If the abuse of power has been so fatal in the States where the systems of taxation are direct, and the representatives respon sible at short periods to small masses of con stituents, how much danger of abuse is to be apprehended in the General Government, whose revenues are raised by indirect taxation, and whose functionaries are responsible to the people in larger masses and tor longer terms? Regarding only objects of improvement ol the na.ure of those emb need in this bill, how inexhaust.ble we shah find them. Let tiie im agination run along our coast, from the river St. Croix to the Rio Grande, and trace every river emptying into the Atlantic and Gulf ol Mexico to its source; let it coast along our lakes and ascend ail its tributaries; let it pass to Oregon, and explore all its bays, inlets, and streams and then let it raise the curtain of the future and contemplate the extent of this Re public’, and the objects of improvement it will embrace, as it advances to its high destiny, and the mind will be startled at the immensity and danger of the power which the principle of this bill involves. Already our Confederacy consists of twenty nine States. Other States may at no distant period be expected to be formed on the west of our present settlements. We own an exten sive country in Oregon, stretching many hun dreds of miles from east to west, and seven de grees of latitude from south to north. By the admission of Texas into the Union we have re cently added many hundreds of miles to our sea-coast. In all this vast country, bordering on the Atlantic and Pacific, there are many j thousands of bays, inlets, and rivers equally en titled to appropriations for their improvement with the objects embraced in this bill. We have seen in our States, that the in terests of individuals or neighborhoods, com bining against the general interest, have in volved their Governments in debts and bank ruptcy; and when the system prevailed in the General Government, and was checked by Pre sident Jackson, it had begun to be considered the highest merit in a member of Congress to be able to procure appropriations of public money to be expended within his district or Stale, whatever might be the object. We should be blind to the experience of the past, if we did not see abundant evidence that, if this system of expenditure is to be indulged in, combina tions of individual and local interests will be found strong enough to control legislation, ab sorb the revenue of the country, and plunge the Government into a hopeless indebtedness. What is denominated a harbor by this system does not necessarily mean a bay, inlet or arm of the sea on the ocean or on our lake shores, on the margin of which may exist a commercial city or town engaged in foreign or domestic trade, but is made to embrace waters where there is not only no city or town, but no commerce of any kind. By it a bay or sheet of shoal water is called a harbor, and appropriations demanded from Congress to deepen it, with a view to draw commerce to it, or to enable individuals to build up a town or city on its margin, upon speculation, and for their own private advantage. What is denominated n river, which may be im proved, in the system, is equally undefined in its meaning. It may be the Mississippi, or itmay be the smallest and most obscure and unimportant stream bearing the name of river which is to be found in any State in the Union. Such a system issubject, moreover, to be perverted to tha accomplishment of the worst of political j pur poses. During the few years it was in full operation, and which immediately preceded the veto of Presi dent Jackson of the Maysville road bill, instances were numerous of public men seeking to gain popular favor by holding out to the people interested in parti cular localities, the promise of large disbursements of public money. Numerous recon noissances and sur veys were made during that period for roads and ca nals through many parr* or me L'nion, and me people in the vicinity of each were led to believe that their property would be enhanced in value and they them selves tic enriched by the large expenditures which they were promised by the advocates of the system should be made from the Federal Treasury iq their neighborhood. Whole sections of the country were thus sought to be influenced, and the system was fast becoming one not only of profuse and wasteful expen diture, but a potent political engine. If the power to improve a harbor be admitted, it is not easy to perceive how the power to deepen every inlet on the ocean or the lakes, and make harbors where there are none, can be denied. If the power to clear out or deepen the channel of rivers near their mouths be admitted, it is not easy to perceive how the power to improve them to their fountain head and make them navigable to their sources can be denied. Where shall the exercise of the power, if it be as sumed, stop ? Has Congress the power, when an in let is deep enough to admit a schooner, to deepen it still more, so that it will admit ships of heavy burden ; and has it not the power, when an inlet will admit a boat, to make it deep enough to admit a schooner ? May it improve rivers deep enough already to float ships and steamboats, and has it no power to improve those which are navigable only for flat-boats and bar ges ? May the General Government exercise power and jurisdiction over the soil of a Slate consisting of rocks and sand bars in the beds of its rivers, and may it not excavate a canal around its waterfalls or across its lands for precisely the same object? Giving to the subject the most serious and candid consideration of which my mind is capable, I cannot perceive any intermediate grounds. The power to improve harbors and rivers for purposes of navigation, by deepening or clearing out, by dams and sluices, by locking or canalling, must be admitted without any other limitation than the discretion of Congress, or it must be denied altogether. If it be admitted, how broad and how susceptible of enormous abuses is the power thus vested in the General Government? There is not an inlet of the ocean or the lakes, not a river, creek, or streamlet within the States, which is not brought for this purpose within the power and ju risdiction of the General Government. Speculation, disguised under the cloak of public good, will call on Congress to deepen shallow 7 inlets, that it may build up new cities cn their shores, or to make streams navigable which nature has closed by bars and rapid*, that it may sell at a profit its lands upon heir banks. To enrich neighborhoods by spending within it the moneys of the nation, will be the aim and boast of those who prize their local in terests above the good of the nation, and millions up on millions will be abstracted by tariffs and taxes from the earnings of the whole people to foster specula tion and subserve the objects of private ambition. Such a system could not be administered with any approach to equality among the several States and sections of the Union. There is no equality among them in the objects of expenditure, and, if the funds were distributed according to the merits of those ob jects, some would be enriched at the expense of their neighbors. But a greater practical evil would be found in the art and industry by which appropriations would be sought and obtained. The most artful and industrious would be the most successful ; the true interests of the country would be lost sight of in an annual scramble for the contents of the Treasury ; and the member of Congress who could procure the largest appropriations to be expended in his district, would claim the rewards of victory from his enrich ed constituent*. The necessary consequence would be, sectional discontents and heartburnings, increased taxation, and a national debt, never to be extinguished. In view of these portentous consequences, I cannot but think that this course of legislation should be ar rested, even were there nothing to forbid it in the fun damental laws of our Union. Tins conclusion is for tified by the fact that the constitution itself indicates a process by which harb.rs and rivers «{♦»,;« ♦»— *Liayu c mipioveu —a process not susceptible ol the abuses necessarily to flow from the assumption of the power to improve them by the General Govern ment; just in its operation, and actually practised up on, without complaint or interruption, daring more* than thirty years from the organization of the present Government. The constitution provides that “ no State shall, with out the consent of Congress, lay any duly of tonnage.” With the “ consent ” of Congress such duties may be levied, collected, and expended by the States. We are not left in the dark as to the objects of this reser vation of ;w)wer to the States. The subject was fully considered by the convention that framed the consti tution. It appears, in Mr. Madison’s report of the pro ceedings of that body, that one object of the reserva tion was, that the States should not be restrained from laying duties of tonnage for the purpose of clearing harbors. Other objections were named in the debates, and among them the support of seamen. Mr. Madi son, treating on this subject in the Federalist, declares that— “ The restraint on the power of the Stales over im ports and exports is enforced by all the arguments 1 which prove the necessity of submitting the regulation * of trade to the Federal Councils. It is needless, there i fore, to remark further on this head, than that the - manner in which the restraint is qualified seems well . calculated at once to secure to the States a reasonable • discretion in providing for the conveniency of their imports anti exports, and to the United States a rea sonable check against the abuse of this discretion. ” j The States may lay tonnage duties for clearing har bors, improving rivers, or for other purjioses, hut are restrained from abusing the power, because, before | such duties can take effect, the “consent” of Con- J gress must be obtained. Here is a safe provision for , the improvement of harbors and rivers in the reserved , | powers of the States, and in the aid they may de- B ! rive from duties of tonnage levied with the consent ol f Congress. Its safeguards are, that both the State Le s gislatures and Congress have to concur in the act o v raising the funds; that they are in every instance tc be levied upon the commerce of those ports which arc to profit by the proposed improvement; that no ques r tion of conflicting power or jurisdiction is involved ; i that the expenditure being in the hands of those wh< f are to pay the money and be immediately benefitted, r will be more carefully managed and more productive 9 of good than if the funds were drawn from the na< d tional Treasury and disbursed by the officers of the General Government; that such a system will carry | with it no enlargement of Federal power and patron- | age, and leave the States to be tne sole judges of :heir own wants and interests, with only a conservative ne gative in Congress upon any abuse of the power which the States may attempt. Under this wise system the improvement of har bors and rivers was commenced, or rather continued, from the organisation of’ the Government under the present constitution. Many acts were passed by the several States levying duties of tonnage, and many were passed by Congress, giving their consent ts those acts. Such acts have been passed by Massa chusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Geor gia, and have been sanctioned by the consent of Con gress. Without enumerating them all, it may be instructive to refer to some of them, as illustrative of the mode of improving harbors and rivers in the ear ly periods of our Government, as to the c jnstitution alily of which there can be no doubt. In January, 1790, the State of Rhode Island passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels arriving in the port of Providence, “ for the purposes of clearing and deepening the channel of Providence river, and making the same more navigable.” On the 2d of February, 1798, the S ate of Massa- \ chusetts passed a law levying a tonnage duty on all ? vessels, whether employed in the foreign or coasting trade, which might enter into the Kennebeck river, for the improvement of the same, by “ rendering the passage in and out of said river less difficult and I dangerous.” On the Ist of April, 1805, the State of Pennsylvania | passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, “ to I remove She obstructions to the navigation of the river I Delaware, below' the city of Philadelphia.” On the 23d of January, 1804, the State of Virginia | passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, ‘‘for i improving the navigation of James river.” On the 22d of February, 1826, the State of Vir ginia passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, “ for improving the navigation of James river, from Warwick to Rockett’s Landing.” On the Bth of December, 1824, the State of Vir ginia passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, for “ improving the navigation of Appomattox river, from Pocahontas bridge to Broadway.” In November, 1821, the State of North Carolina passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, “for the purpose of opening an inlet at the lower end of Albemarle Sound, near a place called Nag’s Head, and improving the navigation of said Sound, with its branches;” and in November, 1828, an amendatory law was passed. On the 21st of December, 1804, the State of South Carolina passed a law levying a tonnage duty, for the purpose of “ building a marine hospital in the vi cinity of Charleston and on the 17 th of December, 1816, another law was passed by the Legislature of that State for the “ maintenance of a marine hos pital.” On the 10th of February, 1787, the Stale of Geor gia passed a law levying a tonnage duty on all ves sels entering into the port of Savannah, for the pur pose of “ clearing” die Savannah river of “ wrecks and other obstructions” to the navig..tion. On the 12th of December, 1804, the State of Geor gia passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, “ to be applied to the payment of the fees of the har bor-master and h»ulth nf I and St. Mary’s.” In April, 1783, the Slate of Maryland passed a law laying a tonnage duty on vessels, for the improvement of the “basin” and “ harbor” of Baltimore and the “ river Patapsco.” On the 26th of December, 1791, the State of Mary land passed a law levying a tonnage duty on vessels, for the improvement of the “ harbor and port of Balti more.” On the 28th of December, 1793, the State of Mary land passed a law authorizing the appointment of a health officer lor the port of Baltimore, and laying a tonnage duty on vessels to defray the expenses. Congress have passed many acts giving its “con- i sent ’ to these and other State law’s, the first of which is dated in 1790, and the last in 1843. By the latter | act the “consent” of Congress was given to the law j of the Legislature of the State of Maryland, laying i a tonnage duty on vessels for the improvement of the harbor of Baltimore, and continuing it in force until the Ist day of June, 1850. I transmit herewith copies of such of the acts of the Legislatures of the States on the subject, and also the acts of Congress giving its “consent” thereto, as have been collated. That the power was constitutionally and rightfully exercised in these cases does not admit of a doubt. The injustice and inequality resulting from con ceding th« power to both Governments, is illustrated by several of the acts enumerated. Take that for the improvement of the harbor of Baltimore. That improvement is paid for exclusively by a tax on the commerce of that city ; but if an appropriation be made from the national treasury for the improvement of the harbor of Boston, it must be paid in part out of taxes levied on the commerce of Baltimore. The re sult is, that the commerce of Baltimore pays the full cost of the harbor improvement designed for its own benefit, and, in addition, contributes to the cost of all other harbor and river improvements in the Union. The facts need but be stated to prove the inequality and injustice which cannot but flow from the practice embodied in this bill. Either the subject should be left as it was during the jirst third of a century, or the practice of levying tonnage duties by the Stales should be abandoned altogether, and all harbor and river improvements made under the authority of the United States, and by means of direct appropriations. In view not only of the constitutional difficulty, but as a question of policy, lam clearly of opinion that the whole subject should be left to the States, aided by such tonnage duties on vessels navi gating their wateis as their respective Legislatures may think proper to propose and Congress see fit to sanction. This “con sent” of Congress would never be refused in any case where the duty proposed to be lex led by the State was reasonable, and where the object .»f improvement was one of importance. The funds required for the improvement of harbors and rivers may be raised in this mode, as was done in the earlier j eriods of the Government, and thus avoid a resort ti a strained construction of tne constitution, not wan mted by its letter. If direct appropriations be made of the money in the Federal Treasury for such purposes, the ex penditures will be unequal and unjust. The money in the Federal Treasury is paid by a tax on the whole people of the Unite I States, and if applied to the pur poses of improving harbors and livers, it will be par tially distrib ited, and be expended for the advantage of particular sections, or localities, at the ex pense of others. [concluded to-morrow,] From the Macon Telegraph. Col. Seymour. The friends of this gentleman will be glad to hear that he has reached Vera Cruz in safety. The Fashion, the steamer on which Col. Sey mour embarked at New Orleans, had a long and dangerous passage, and fears were felt for her safety at New Orleans, lor several dav* , ~.. idc aniv.it or me last steamer from Vera Cruz. We find the following in the Del ta, extracted from a late Vera Cruz paper,, which we publish for the benefit of the numer ous friends and acquaintances of Col. Seymour in this vicinity. At a meeting of the passengers of the stea mer Fashion, Lieut. Col. Seymour was called to the Chair, and Dr. E. K. Kane appointed Secretary, when the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: Resolved, That our thanks be and are here by given to Capt. David 13. Morgan, for his energetic efforts during the late protracted “norther” between Tampico and Vera Cruz, as also for the intelligent resource which cn -1 abled him to meet the various contingencies ’ which arose during that trying period, to the 1 successful exercise of which we attribute our g most unexpected preservation. By request of the officers of the U. S. Navy, present during the meeting, the following reso -3 lution was appended: * Resolved, That the conduct of Capt. Morgan, in obtaining an effective anchorage on an un s known lee-shore, while his vessel was in a dis- I abled and sinking condition, meets with our e unqualified admiration as an act of bold and r skilful seamanship. I. G. SEYMOUR, Chairman. E. K. Kane, Secretary. e It is stated that the French house of Delrue e & Co. Dunkirk, lias completed an arrange ment with the government of the republic of f Venezuela, for the introduction of 80,000 im d migrants, chiefly from Germany, Switzerland * and Belgium. The contractors are to receive a grant of 812,000 square miles, with various privileges, and are to pay the expenses of the Q voyage from Europe. e The extensive Bleaching establishment of Messrs. Greenwood, in Philadelphia, was de- stroyed by fire on Thursday morning, toge ] ther with a large portion of its contents. There e was a partial insurance on the property; but the loss to the owners will be between $6,000 ie and SB,OOO. j Chronicle anti Sentinel. AUGUSTA, GA: FRIDAY HORNING, DEC. 94, 1847. The Mails. Yesterday the mails failed on both ends of the line —the Southwestern beyond Mobile and the Northern beyond Charleston. These re peated failures are very perplexing, particular* ly at this time, when we are in the daily ex pectation of later European new’s, now fully due, both from England and France. The President’s Veto Message. Our readers will find a moiety of the Presi dent’s most unreasonably extended Veto of the River and Harbor bill, which passed both i Houses at the last session of Congress. We have searched in vain in this elaborate docu ment for one new thought or argument on the constitutional right of Congress, to regulate the commerce of the nation, whether it exists on the ocean, the great lakes, or the rivers of the country. No amount of pettifogging can de prive the law-making Representatives of the people of the right to judge of the constitution ality of all bills that come legitimately to them. They may misjudge, and so may Mr. Polk.— For our part, we had rather confide in the judg ment of a clear majority of the Representatives of the several States in the Senate, and of the popular suffrage in the House, than in the opin ion of any Executive, whether he be called a King, Emperor or President. The one-man Power at Washington, is constantly acquiring strength to make war, control legislation, and rule the Republic, as absolutely during his offi cial term, as the autocrat of all the Russias.— Progressive Democracy will soon be able to dis pense with Congress, as a useless appendage, at the rate it is now going ahead. How many presses practically sustain the monarchical doc trine—“ the King can do no wrong ?” This doctrine is the essence of modern “ Democra cy !” Report of the Secretary of the Trea sury.— We are compelled to postpone the con cluding portion of this public document for a or Iwo, in ni-dor tn givp tn llio Vptn Message of the President. Tile Erie Canal and Public Domain. We have been a little surprised to find that the Erie Canal, which cost not far from twenty-seven millions of dollars, already yields a much larger income than the Public Domain of the United Slates. The latter has been estimated to be worth a thousand millions of dollars. Yet, with the immense immigration from Europe, and the famine prices there to stimulate the pur chase of new lands and the extension of agri culture at the West, the receipts for public lands sold within the last fiscal year have been less than two and a half millions. Nor is it at ail probable that they will yield on an average for the next 25 or 50 years a large annual income The citizens of the older States are wisely turn ing their attention to the improvement of the soil within their present limits, in preference to incurring the privations, risk of sickness and premature death, incident to a new settlement on Congress lands. A good many millions of acres, even of the military bounties of the last war, to say nothing of the purchases of 1835, ’36 and ’37, still remain in a state of nature. A reduction in the price might help the sale of large tracts to speculators, but this would cer tainly be followed by a reaction, and an equal decline in sales, not unlike the results of the land speculations of’36. The drain to Texas New Mexico, California and Oregon, will ab sorb many emigrants and restless adventurers. Viewingthe subject in all its bearings, $2,- 500,000 is the maximum which our public lands can yield hereafter. Let us now take a glance at the Erie Canal. All the Canals of New-York have paid into its Treasury something like $3,610,000, of which the Erie Canal furnished about $3,000,000. — Eightyears ago the agriculiural produce of New York, from eleven and a half million of acres, exceeded $108,000,000. Before ihe close of the canal, the arrival of cheese at tide water on the Hudson was 40,844,000 pounds. Most of this was made by a portion of the dairy-men in that State. The arrival of butter at West Troy and Albany the past season was 22,724,- 000 lbs. The milk produced in the Empire State within the last twelve months, including the cheese, butter and pork made from the same has been worth full thirty millions of dol lars. % The grain and flour which have arrived at tide water, came mostly from the Western States, viz : Flour, (barrels) 3,952,972 Wheat, (bushels.) 4,143,830 i •< - 0,053,(545 Barley, “ 1,523,020 Tobacco, lbs. 1,228,000 Cotton, lbs 474,000 Dried Fruits, lbs. 3,558,000 We select the above items from the official table, as published in the Albany Journal, as likely to interest onr readers. To give some idea of the growing trade of the Northwest, of which Georgia improvement, will soon com mand a fair portion, we will remark that if all the new boats built and put upon the Erie Ca. nal the past season, were placed in contact in a line, they would extend over 22 miles ! For all purposes of revenue, the Erie Canal is worth more than the one thousand raillionsof acres of Government lands, and will yield more income for the next century, if j udiciourly managed. It is works like this that furnish the cargoes ofour ocean ships ; but while the Presi dent pretends to great friendship for foreign commerce, and finds abundant authority in the Constitution to survey the Dead Sea, the west coast of South America, and to expend one hun dred millions in Mexico, he has nothing but Vetoes with which to foster the inland trade of the U. States. Senator Colquitt and the Hon. A. Iver son passed through this city on Wednesday evening on their way home from Washington. The Washington Correspondent of the Balti more Sun says: Mr. Colquitt will not return to Washington, as he has or will soon resign his seat in the Senate. We presume he has only been waiting for the Legislature to adjourn, so as to let the Governor appoint his successor. A New York letter in the Philadelphia Ame rican of yesterday says that the Cunard steamer which left Boston on Thursday for Liverpool took out $355,000in Specie, The Columbus Times, A few weeks since, stated, that “it was only after Mr. Slidell had been rejected by the Mexican government, that the march to the Rio Grande was ordered by Mr. Polk.” To this we responded that this “ was mere assertion on the part of the Times, which was not only not sustained, but positively disproved by the correspondence of the Stale Depart ment, as had been previously shown in our columns.” To this contradiction of its assertion the Times rejoins in half a column or more of mere twattle, about “Federalism,” ‘‘anti-war organ,” &c , in which that print is wont to in dulge with great “facility,” and hopes to pass it off for argument and proof in support of its assertion. The Times affects to appeal to the “record," in proof of its position, but instead of giving the “ record" we have only a string of assertions, among which we find the folio w ing: “ On the 2lst December the Mexican govern ment definitely refused to receive Mr. Slidell as Minister." So far from this assertion being the “ record," or being sustained by the “ record.” it is posi tively disproved by it, if Mr. Polk and Mr. Buchanan are to be credited. Mr. Polk in his annual Message to Congress, in December last, said: “This movement (the march to the Rio Grande) was made in pursuance of orders from the War De partment, issued on the thirteenth of January’, 1846. Before these orders were issued, the despatch of our Minister in Mexico , transmitting the decision of the Council of Government of Mexico, advis ing that he should not be received , and also the des patch of our Consul residing in the city of Mexi co —the former bearing date on the seventeenth, and the latter on the eighteenth December, 1845, copies of both of wh'ch accompanied ray message to Congress of the eleventh of May last— were received at the Department of State. “These communications rendered it highly proba ble. if not absolutely certain, that our minister would not be received by the Government of Gen. Herrera.” Thus Mr. Polk says that his rejection had only been “ advised ” by the Council of the Mexican Government, and that therefore, it was rendered a “ probable ” event when the order was issued on the 13th January, 1846 Again, Mr. Buchanan in a letter to Mr. Sli dell, dated January 20lh, 1846, seven days af ter the order of March was issued, says: “ Your despatches, Nos. 2 and 3, under date, re spectively, the 30tli Wovcmbei and 17th December have been received ; and_l shall await the arrival of others by the Porpoise with much solicitude. Should the Mexican Government, by finally refusing to receive you, consummate the act of folly and bud faith of which they have all’orded such strong indications, nothing will then remain for this Government but to take the redress if the wrongs of its citizens into its own hands. “ In the event of such a ref usal , the course which you have determined to pursue is the proper one,” &c. “In the meantime, the President, in anticipation of the final refusal of the Mexican Government to receive you , has ordered the army of Texas to ad vance and take position on the left bank of the Rio Grande; and has directed that a strung fieet shall be immediately assembled in the Gulf of Mexico" Mr. Buchanan, therefore, concurs in the dec laration, that the order to march was issued in “ anticipation ” of the event, that Mr. Slidell would be “ finally refused. " On the 6th of February Mr. Slidell, in a despatch to our Government, says: “Since my despatch of the 14th ultimo [January] nothing has occurred to indicate the course likely to betaken by the existing Government as to my recep tion, but 1 think it will be mainly controlled by the aspect of the Mexican question. ” He was not, therefore, “ definitely refused" on the 6th of February, nearly one month aft« r the order was issued. Mr. Slidell, however, in a letter dated 18th March, 1846, two months after the order was issued, officially announced to the State De partment at Washington, that the Mexican Go vernment had “ definitely refused" to receive him on the 15th of March. So much for the “ record. ” Thus have we given the “ assertion " of the Times, and shown how far it is sustained by the “ record I" Verily, we think the Times must seek some other “ record, ” or rely upon its “ facility ” for making “ assertions." Perhaps, however, the Times regards the Editorial in the Washington Union the “re cord," instead of the documents emanating from the Executive and State Departments ; if so, we doubt not it will be fully sustained by that ‘‘ record. " The Fine Arts—A Lecture. The attention of the admirers of the Fine Arts and the public generally, is invited to the Lecture proposed to be delivered this after noon at the Presbyterian Lecture Room, by Mr. Wood. In the course of the lecture the Artist will exhibit some specimens of his Art, which we doubt not will excite the admiration of every beholder. See advertisement. Herz and Sivorl. Bv reference to the advertisement,thepnhlic will learn that these distinguished masters, will g|vt> a grand ootv’prt on Saturday overling ul the Masonic Hall. As the opportunity is sel dom presented to the citizens of Augusta to hear such performers upea their respective instru ments, we doubt not a large audience will greet them on the occasion of their only Concert in this city. There are numerous cotton manufactories in Mexico. In 1842, there were 53 factories, having 137, 280 spindles which consumed about 3 000,000 lbs. of cotton annually, being about 2,000,000 lbs. more than the production of that country at that time. The raw mate rial can be produced in Mexico to a much greater extent. Georgia Sugar.—Mr. James Seymour ha? sent to our Office a sample of Sugar, raised by Mr. J. D. Havis on his plantation in Houston county, about fourteen miles from this city. This Sugar is of excellent quality, equalling in appearance the finest St. Cruz. Mr. Havis has as yet only attempted the culture of Sugar on his lands byway ofexperiment, though we are glad to learn, he has been sufficiently encouraged from his success this year; to engage in it more ■ extensively hereafter. Mr. H. made, this year, from three-fourths of'an acre planted in Cane, one barrel of Sugar weighing 380 pounds, and three barrels of Syrup. Tiie Syrup isequalto the best N. O. Sugar-House. Samples of both can be seen at the store of Mr. James Seymour, and w’e would advise all who desire to see what can be done in the way of raising Sugar to advantage, in the South-western counties of Georgia, to call and examine these specimens. —Macon Tel. Distressing Casualty. —We learn that on Wednesday night last the house of Mr. James Brock, of this district, a revolutionary soldier, aged nearly one hundred years, was consumed by fire, and, horrid to relate, its owner with it. Mr. Brock had no family living with him ex cept ois negroes. —Ceerato Q ixttter LEGISLATURE OF GEORGIA Tilings in MlH«dgevill <: . | 1 Correspondence of the Chronicle and Serdinel In Senate Dec. 81. Some time was consumed this rnornin* the Senate on divers motions for reconsider lion. Having disposed of iher.., the resolmi 0?1| voting Captains Walker, Tattnall and Hardee suitable swords were taken up and agreed t 0 The House bill to curtail and simplify ings at common law and to regulatethe admis sion of deeds and other muniments of iit| e a3 evidence, was taken up. and after some dhens sion, passed. Among other things, this biH contains forms of the several actions now i n use, which it is proposed to be adopted in ijeu of those heretofore recognised. The bill how ever, does not make it obligatory upon the pleader ; be may adopt the old or the new form at his discretion. It will probably have the ef fect of killing those two ancient gentlemen, John Doe and Richard Roc, who have from time immemorial figured so extensively in ac tions of ejectment. They have lived a long time and cannot complain that they have not “ had their day.” They were old men in the days of Brueton and Lyttleton, and have ever been treated kindly and deferentially by the legal profession, from the unknown day of their birth up to the present. The time and place of their nativity, like the source of the Nile, are merged in doubt and mystery, it may be that they sprung from the Mountains of the Moon, or the Moon itself, as it is be lieved that the “River of Egypt” does. Be that as it may, “ they are gone, glimmering through the dream of things that were.” Peace to their ashes! The bill to provide for the education of the poor was also passed. Also, the bill to exempt from taxation tiie property belonging to the several colleges in this State, and to exempt the Faculty and stu dents thereof from patrol and militia duty. An amendment to this bill was offered and agreed to, which prohibits all persons under the age of twenty-one from doing patrol duty. This is a wise provision—for many of the diffi culties which occur in the discharge of this duly are attributable to inexperienced and thought less young men. There were other bills of the genus local dis posed of. During the day, the regular order was sus pended, when Mr. Farris introduced a bill in relation to the Western and Atlantic Railroad. This is coming in at the eleventh hour. House of Representatlves. The Lunatic Asylum Bill, which was lost yesterday by a majority of one. was reconsid ered this morning—yeas 58, nays 56. No far ther action has been had on the bill. The House then resumed the unfinished bu siness of yesterday, to-vvit : the General Tax Bill for the years 1848-’49. This bill was re ported by Dr. Phillips, the Chairman of the Fi nance Committee, and is predicated upon the ad valorem principle, as recommended by Gov, Crawford in his last annual message. Any number of amendments were offered, until the bill became so encumbered that it sunk under them. It was believed by many members to be an inauspicious time for the experiment, and hence Mr. Gartrell offered the Tax Act of 1845 as a substitute. His motion prevailed by a vole of 95 to 24. Though the greater part of two days has been consumed upon this bill, there was but little speaking. Mr. Ramsey made a short but highly interesting and creditable effort in lavor of the ad valorem principle. No one attempt ed a reply. The House then took up the Appropriation bill, and was passing it with almost telegraphic despatch, when Mr. Harris of Baldwin, in or der to extricate the members from the position in which they had placed themselves by their hasty action, moved an adjournment. The motion prevailed; but not before the members had voted themselves five dollars per day for their services (?) The whole subject will come up again to-morrow, when, I expect, the ap propriation bill of 1845 will be re-enacted. It is now ascertained, 1 believe, that VV in. W. Williamson, at present a member «1 the House, from Cherokee county, has been appointed Principal Keeper of the Penitentiary in place of Col. Redding, removed. Mr. VV illiaiuson is a gentleman of unexceptionablecharacter, as I am informed; but whether bis appointment to that post is ajudicious one, is altogether an other thing. I fear the institution will not be so ably conducted as it has been under Col. Redding’s administration. There are but few such men anywhere as Col. Redding. He is a mail of great practical and mechanical skill, en dowed with a strong and vigorous mind and Roman integrity, and is perhaps better filled for the office from which he has been dismissed than any other man in Georgia. 1 his is sajr ing a great deal; yet, in my opinion, it is never theless true. f As I informed you in my last, the Governor s Levee comes off to-night; and as lam neither a married man nor an old bachelor, I shall stop this letter right here and go to it. You vvili excuse this, as lam rather of the opinion that my communications generally have been too long, if so. yon must attribute it to the many long speeches which 1 am doomed to hear eve ry day, and which may have led me into the habit ol spinning out my letters to correspond with them. Every thing here is after the order of “ long John Wentworth. ’ P. W. A. P. S. I send you a copy of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Central Bank. P. W. A. General Taylor.—Unanimous resolutions passed both Houses of the Legislature, on Sa turday, it,' :, ing Gen. Taylor to visit this State ; and tende...:g him its hospitalities. There isa. rumor here, we know not how well founded, i that Gen. Taylor will pass through this State j iu about two weeks ou his way to Washing* j ton. If this should prove true, there will be \ such an uprising among the people to greet the glorious veteran as the world has never vvit i nessed. We observed that both Gen. Shields ! and Gen. Quitman spoke in enthusiastic terms of Gen. Taylor. Gen. Quitman styled him the I “ noble, glorious veteran of the Rio Grande,’ i and Gen. Shields remarked, in bis speech at the Rialto, “that there was no doubt but it was I the example set by General Taylor, in his un paralleled victories on the Rio Grande, which gave the high tone of gallantry to our troops i which insured the subsequent victories in Mex [ ico.”— Alabama Journal, 20 thinst. 1 1 Indiana. —The Legislature assembled on ! j the 25th ultimo. The House was organized , i by the election of William A. Porter, Whig, . ’ over several competitors, by a small majority. I In the Senate the absence of a Democrat gave ► | the Whigs a majority of one, whereupon the i : other Democrats withdrew. After much de , ! bate, and no little excitement, the Senate, on ' appeal from the decision of the chair, decided ' : that a quorum was unnecessary lor mere P l,r j i poses of organization, and elected a principa • | and assistant secretary. - ■■■ The New York Herald of Thursday say?— 1 The value of the property received this year at * tide water, and consigned direct to N. York was - $14,568,882; in which was included 332,0-y 1 barrels of flour, 884,615 bushels of wheat,.and ■ 1.656 r 091 bushels of corn. In 1834, the value of all ithe property delivered at tide was s!•>,- 465,022.