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MORNING NEWS. BY JOHN M. COOPER. THOMPSON, EDITOR TERMS : DAILY PAPER $4 00 | TIU-WKKKLT $2 00 All New Advertisements appear in both papers. Report of tire Commissioner of the General Land Office. The annual report of the General Land Of fice, prepared by the present incumbent, J. Butterfield, Esq., columns much information of interest nnd of value Not being able to gi.o it in extensn, says the Boston Atlas, we ore not yet willing to pass it by entirely ; many of its statements are too important not to receive some notice. Worn tViis port, it appears that our public lands obtained by treaties cessions, &c., env brace an area of 1,584,000,000 of acres. On the 30th of Sept. 1849. 140,000,000 bad been disposed of, leaving 1,438,000,000 unsold. The mineral lands of Luke Superior have not yet been brought into market, owing to in ability to complete their survey. Measures have been adopted to hasten their exploration In Wisconsin and Iowa, where the survey has been nearly completed, the land has been brought into market as fast as surveyed. The minerals of these lands are very valuable, ami have attracted the attention of capitalists both in this country and in Europe. In surveys of the public lands in Florida, great difficulties have been met with, one class being in consequence of errors in the original Spanish surveys ; another, in consequence of vagueness in the description and locations of confirmed titles. The first class is remedied by re-survoys. The latter requires the interven tion of Congress. During the past year six millions of acres of land were advertised for sale, nnd more than six millions ami a half are now prepared for market. During the year 1841!, there were sold of the public land 1,887,553 04 acres, amounting to $2,621,615 26; and for the three quarters of 1849, ending 30ih September 887 - 206 40 acres were sold, the purchase money being $1,178,037 62. Ttiis falling oil' in the receipts is attributed to the largo quantities thrown into market from other sources, especially my menus of the Mexican wnr warrants, by the State selections, under the act of 4th September, 1841, granting 500,000 acres to each State for internal im provements ; and by selections under nets milk ing largo gi ants to several Stales for canals, improvements of rivers, &c. It appears, however, that the quantity of land disposed of by sales and other means has largely increased, though the revenue, for the reasons given has somewhat diminished. The labor imposed on the Lund office, by the differ* ent acts for the disposal of the public land, is much greater, as it occupies more time in ex amination, registering and issuing evidence of title for the military and Slate locations, than would be required for double the same amount of land sold for cosh. The Commissioner urges the importance of prompt nnd summary measures to separate public from private property in our new territo ries, New Mexico nnd Upper California. Ho dwells to some length upon the extraordinary emigration to the latter territory, and the im portance of an early attention to the wants and duties thereby created, He-says: In extending to this territory the United States system of surveys, and erecting tl c land districts, with loculofiic.es, for the sale of the public lands, it is u measure of the first import ance that some judicious plan be adopted by by which private properly may be propery dis criminated, and severed from the public lands, in order thut in our syetom of selling we may avoid conflict with private rights,by disposing of only such lands as is fully ascertained to bo public property. To obtain information ns to the system that existed before the late change of government, iu disposing of lauds in Upper California, such materials have been examined lit this office as were within reach—particularly the report, in March, 1849, from the military officer, acting as Secretary of State of the Territory of California. From thut report, which is replete with use ful information und interesting details, we find that the land system which grew up under the auspices of Old Spain and Mexico does not rest upon loose, uncertain, unwritten data, but is founded‘upon written orders, which from time to time huve been promulg d. It is, then, the obvious and indispensable duty of our gov ernment to take decisive measures for the n - cognition of good claims, for the extinction of fraudulent ones, and for the selection and with drawal from the mass of public property of all lands requisite for her military fortifications, arsenals, depots, light houses, or other public uses; so that our system may be he unimped ed and free from emb»rrassment in disposing of the public lands. Decatur anil Barron's Duel.—The follow ing letter to Judge Carr, upon the ill-omened duel between Decatur nnd Barron, in which a gallant patriot threw away his life, is taken from Kennedy’s Life of Wirt:— Washington, April 2, 1820. I thank you, my dear friend, for your short letter, which I would have sooner answered, bnt for causes beyond my control. Instead of attempting to give you an account of the quar rel between our lamented Decatur and Barron, I propose to send you in this a copy of their correspondence, which wo are promised from the Intelligencer press to-morrow. Decatur showed me this correspondence, in confidence, late lust fall, so far ns it had then gone; and I used every effort to prevent the fight, which he wns very far from wishing to bring on, but which he considered as forced upon him in such o way that there wa> no avoiding it, but by disavowing what he had really said and through! of Barron ; and of this I need not say in* was incapable. He did not approve of duelling. * * He then passed to his own case, fighting, he said, wns his profession, and it would bo im possible for him to keep his station and pre serve his respectability without showing him- se f ready, at all times, to answer the call of any one who bore the name of a gentleman. After my return from Baltimore, I heard nothing more of it till he was brought home mortnlly wounded; nnd then I saw him no more till he was a corpse. As I stood near him alone, and looked at his dear face, mark ed, as it still wns, with the last traces of his departed spirit, I could not help stying. “What is life, and what all the glory this world enn give?" The soliloquy is not a very novel one indeed. I have made it, in common with others; a thousand times before,but 1 nev er felt its force till then; for never, till then, laid I seen the corpse of such a man. They both fell at the shot, which was so simultaneous thut the report of two pistols could not be heard by those who stood out of sight, though close within ear-shot. This 1 heard from Com Porter, who was standing by with Rogers. He exclaimed immediately,” "One of them is killed, for there is only one shot.” Very different was the scene when he got to the ground. Decatur was apparently shot dead; he revived after a while, und lie nnd Barron held n parley ns they lay on the ground, Dr. Washington, who got up just then, suys it re minded hint of the closing scene of a tragedy, Hamlet and Laertes. Com. Barron proposed that they should make friends before they met in heaven, (for he supposed that both would die immediately.) Decatur said ho bad never been his enemy, that he freely forgave him bis death, though ho could not forgive those who bnd stimulated him to seek his life. One re port says that Barron exclaimed. ‘‘Would t< God you had said this much yesterday!” It is ceitain that the parley wns a friendly one, und that they parted in peace. Decatur knew he was to die, and his only sorrow was that he had not died in the service of his country \ Correnponrlenfie of the Morning News ] MILLEDGEVILLE, Jun. 28, P. I\I. THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1850. It is believed that Barron will recover—though this is far from certain. The papers will tell everything as to Decatur’s funeral, procession &c. Your friend, W.M. WlllT. Disunion Taper.—It is stated in the north- I era papers that a prospectus has been issued in Washington for the establishment of a paper in that city, to advocate the penecnble d ssolu- lion of the Union. The name ol L. Hamp ton appears as publisher, but who the editor is to be is not made known. It is not slated from what party the scheme has emanate—whether it is a Soul hern or an Eastern movement ; and the most that is said obout it is in terms ol strongest reprobation. The New York limes is startled at the proposition to insure such a pa per at the seat of Government. 1 he editor cannot believe that disunion is seriously con templated by any one, or that any man contem plates tiie establishment of a press to advocate such a measure. He thinks “the paper is bl inded to advocate Southern rights, and that is called disunion.” Is it not u strange state of things when the “advocacy of Southern Rights ’ is term ed treason against the Union—in other words when the maintenance of “ Southern Rights and the preservation ot the union are con sidered incompatible with each other. South ern Rights have been and are duily assailed at Washington—there is no treason in that! but to vindicute those rights, and to counsel sistance to the aggressions of those who are setting the constitution nnd laws at defiance, is disunion.. The error ot the newborn patriot ism of the day, is that it directs its arguments against the effects instead of the cause. If those who are now ssvallinnt in their denuncia tions of all who speak of disunion, would array themselves against the disorganizes who are driving the South to desperation by their acts of outrage nnd aggression, they would exhibit more real attachment to the union, which they would do much more to insure its preservation. The treason is in assailing “Southern Rights not in “ndvocaitng” them. If disunion consists in a lawless determina tion to disregard the compromises and guaran tees of the constitution, and to trample on the ghts of the South—then there are no lack of disunionists in the free States; but it it con sists in n resolute determination to preserve that instrument and its guarantees, and to defend those rights at all hazards, then all true men thii side of Mason and Dixon’s Line are disunion ists, and the land is full of disunion presses olreadv. in senate. The Bill of the Senate authorizing all per sons whatever to establish ferries and erect bridges across water-courses or strearns on their own lands; also, the Bill to alter and amend the several Acts of this State so far as they relate to the counties wherein the trial of claims to personal property levied on under execution shall bo hail, have been passed. The Sonnte has adopted a Resolution author izing the Surveyor General to employ a Clerk to assist him in discharging the duties of his of fice for one year, fiixing his salary at $600. A Se lect Committee was appointed by the Senate to examine into the business in that office, and they reported that the press of business, owing to the numerous applications for head right grants and other grants, made it indispensibly necessary for a Clerk in that Department hence tbs adoption of the resolution. HOUSE BILLS PASSED THE SENATE. A Bill “to incorporate the Duhlonega nnd Marietta Turnpike and Blank Road Company; und also to incorporate the Camming and At lanta Turnpike and Blank Road Company.’ The Senate amended the Bill by engrafting the following to it: Also, “to incorporate the Cobb county and Alubnma Turnpike or Blank Road Company ; also, authorizing the construc tion of a Blank Road from Washington, in Wilkes county, to some point on the Georgia Rail Road. The Bill to niter and amend the Act approv ed Dee. 22, 1832, which requires the Jailors of the several counties of this Stute to advertise or publish all runaway slaves in one of the pa pers of Milledgeville. _ Tito House has been engaged during the day, principally, in considering the “ad valo- Tux Bill.” Several amendments were offered during the evening, which have been disposed of. To-night the local Bills will he up on their passage, and many will be dispos ed of. See first page. I Ignorance in the Manufacturing Districts. —The correspondent of the morning Chroni cle for the manufacturing districts, on entering a house in Leeds found three children alone. The following conversation ensued :—I asked them if they ever went to school 1 "Never.” —“Can you tell your letters?" A mere stolid stare of ignorance.—“How old are you?” I asked the eldest girl. “Don’t know.”—“Do you know the Queen's name?” “No.”— ‘•Whore were you born?” “Don’t know.”— (The relieving officer said he believed all the family were Irish.)—“Did you ever hear of a place called Ireland ?" “No.”—Or a place called England ?’’ “No.”—“Or a place culled Yorkshire ?” “No.”—“Do you know the 1 name of this town?” After a pause the question was answered. The eldest girl did know that she lived in,Leeds; and this knowledge, with the exception of matters belonging to the only routine of existence, seemed positively to be she only piece of information in the posses sion of the family.—Liverjiool Chronicle. Terrible Snow Storm—Loss of Sixty Cat tic.—A correspondent of the Frontier (Iowa Guardian, of the 13th ult., writting from Mud dy Fork, under date of Oct. 18, says:—“We cros-eil over Rocky Ridge on the second of this month, near the summit of the South Bass, with the Wind River chain of mountains on the north; toward night it began to snow and blow quite hard und fast from the north-cast, weth er increasing in coldness, which obliged us to encamp the best way we could, on a branch of the Sweetwater. E. T. Kenson nnd Captain Richards’camp some ten or twelve miles ahead on Willow Creek. We turned our cnttle loose nnd drove them into the willows near by to do the best they could a d share their fate; und such a storm of wind and snow as wo experi enced, wo think was never superseded ir I’ot- tnwnmie. For thirty six hours, it continued to howl around us unceasingly, blowing nearly a hurricane, drifting the snow in every direction, and freezing fast to whatever it touched. Be ing unable to keep fires, (except a few who had stoves in their wagons,) we hud to he content without them, and do the best we could. Many were the mothers and infants that were obliged to be in bed under their frail covering that sheltered them from the pitiless blast, to keep them from perishing, with nothing per haps but a piece of dry bread, or a few crackers, to subsist upon, while the winds spent their fury upon our camp of canvass, covering it with a mass of ice, the snow drifting around us in some places to the depth of three or four feet. On the morning of the thirddav the storm abated anil wc turned out thro’ the chilly blast, (from off these everlasting snow capped mountains, being at «n altitude of about seven thousand foet) and snow, to look for our famishing, and as we expected, many perished cattle. As wa wended our way down the stream among the willows, indeed it was a sorrowful sight to be hold our perished cattle; one afteranothcr cold and stiff, lying in the snow banks, food for wolves, ravens, catamounts, magpies, &c., thai inhabit these mountainous regions in count less numbers, and live on prey. The greater port of our rattle had made their way during the storm about five miles off to the Sweetwater, where they obtained pasture and fared quite well, not one being found perished, while those that tarried behind (ell a prey to hunger and the merciless storm. Upwards of 60 head of cnttle perished in the three camps. Those of our cattle that survived the storin, did not rerover from its effects for sevosal days; others died in consequence, nnd some show the effect,* yet, although they are improving at present, as we find quite plenty of mountain grass, nnd that hearty and good, and wc are in tolerable good rolling order, making from 12 to 15 miles per day, and we hope if we are prospered to reach the vaRey in 8 or 10 davs from this time. Creole Melodists.—The concerts of this Curpshavo been well attended, and their per formances have given a high degree of satisfac tion. To-night' will be their last night, and their bill is one of unusual attraction. In addi tion to a choice selection of Ethiopian Mel dies, they give a burlesque dance, in imitation of the fashionable Bnllet- by Lucy Long. JANUARY 29, A. M. IN SENATE BILLS PASSED. A Bill to exempt Physicians, Surgeons and Accouehiers from jury duty. A Bill to amend the several Laws of this State in relation to writs of certiorari. Several other local Bills have also passed the Semite this forenoon. The Resolutions reported by tbe Committee on tho State of the Republic, together with the Bill authorizing the call of a Convention, as passed upon by tho House, have just been re ported to the Senate. Truly Yours C. actresses, and some of the “press," wore thei —Sandy editors and reporters principally. You may be sure it was a mixed assembly, nnd very different from those to which gentlemen would introduce their wives and daughters. I presume Burton di 1 not lay out much on this affair, or if he did, he adopted a .very good plan of reimbursing himself, for every gentleman wns taxed 25 cents for taking charge of his hat nnd cloak, and another quar ter for the brushing off. Besides what was spent at tho bar, of which the Manager is said to he the proprietor. Three steamers are to be launched from one of our ship yards on Thursday morning, of 3500,650 and 600 tons,respectively. Oneis to be launched with engines in working order and “steam up,” and starts at once on un experi mental trip. This may be termed a bold origi nality, nnd a very dangerous one too. Some thirty Democrats were discharged from the Custom House yesterday, and about 1.50 more, it is said, will go after the 1st. This is rendered necessary by the reduction of ex penses. To tell the truth, that department is in a queer state, nnd will hnve to stop payment if things do not chnsge. The amount, accord ing to the new board, which should pny its ex penses until July next, has been already ex pended, except about $200,000. and the pay ment on the 1st will make a largo hole in that. This, to say the least, is a disgraceful state of uffaiis. The great Ball of the FircDepartmentconios oft' on Tuursday night, at the Opera House, the parquetto and stage forming the ball-room— the ornamental part of the place, on these occasions, consists of tho apparatus used by firemen; except, of course, their hose- carts and engines, but of which they are so proud, that if it were possible, I have no doubt they would be introduced also. Fanny Keuble read, on Thursday night, to an audience of probably 3500 persons, at the Tabernacle; and hundreds went away, being unable to obtain even stnniling room. She was presented, on this occasion, wifh a very beauti ful silver vase filled with flowers ! Tammany Hall (Old Hunker) are out again against the Free-soilers. The General Commit tee have passed a resolution that no person is eligible to n seat in the council, who is known to have voted for Cass and Butler nt the lust election, and who are now opposed to the Wilmot Proviso ns n party test. So there is no chunce of harmony in the democratic ranks at present. Yours, • CHARLEMAC. Gen.-Cass.—A letter frgm Lansing, Michi gan, published iu tho Detroit Tribune, says that several letters have been received by members of the Legislature from Gen.Cass. They breathe at fear of the dissolution of the Union, un less there is a stop put to the aggressive move ments ngninst the South. He wishes to be un fettered oil this question, and desires that Michigan sfiall take a stand in support of the guarantees of the constitution. Feelers are busily being put forth to the members, for re scinding his instructions. In Boston the Pnrkman tragedy is still the engiossing topic of conversation. The Grand Jury have indicted the accused, and what was somewhat unusual, the vote was unanimous as to his guilt. A correspondent of the N. York Tribuno says: “As to the coun sel which Webster has secured, I think he has been fortunate in securing two such able men 'ns Messrs. Mesiek and Sohier. Mr. Choate w as applied to, and so wns Mr. Webster. The latter, I am informed, was offered $2,000, but declined the invitation.” Gov. Quitman, of Miss., in his Message to tbe Legislature, urges the abolition of nil Common Law forms of Legal Procedure, so that “hereafter all suits shall be instituted by petition, and pleaded to by an answer, after the manner of pleading now in use in the Chancery Court.” * Some of the friends of Mr. Calhoun assert that he will never again, in any reasonable pro bability, be able to take an active part in pub lic nfl'uirs, his health being completely prostra ted. Mr. C. is no'w more than 76 years of age. Difficulty Surgical Opcra'ion..—We learn from the Richmond Times, that on Wednesday last, a most rare and ■’ifficult operation wns per formed by Dr. Gibson, ai the Medical College iu that city. The disease was Ostco-Cepha- loma, and the patient a lady, aged about 40, a resident of the neighboring county of Chester field. The operation consisted in the removal of the right half of tbe upper jnw, and is be lieved to be perhaps the most difficult and un- iommon in the whole range of surgical prac tice. Tho patient bore the operation with heroic fortitude, and is doing well. Boston .—During the last six months 291 unfortunate debtors have been imprisoned in Boston. Dates from Jscmcl, Havti, to tbe 4th inst.. state that a tremendous fire had taken place, dest' oi ing almost every house in the town. It is attributed to the work of incendiaries. Oth er accounts say that the Dominican ' squudron had'entered Jacmel and fired the town. A Boston Mystery.—The bodies of twins being found beried in an nsh-heap, lias just been solved by the father coming forward and stating that he hurried them surreptitiously, for want of money to pay for their burial other wise. ' , One of the Christmas pantomimes at Astley’s was called “Yankee, Doodle on his pretty Jittie poney,” in which sm drv jokes were pla'ed off ut the expense of the Yankees, and Britet'da i« the great personage of the piece. The Revenue Cutter Craw ford, Capt. Coste, arrived at Charleston on Saturday from a cruise on the Coast of Florida. Loft at St. Mary’s brig Dunbar for Boston, in a few days; the schr. Yankee Blade sailed for New York on 13th; the Coast Survey steamer Hetzell, Capt. Rogers, sailed on the 23d for Cape Carnaveral. On passing the habor of St. Johns, observed n steamer making in, supposed to be the Jasper from Savannah. The New York Times says it is proposed to give a grand hall in that city on Washington’s birth-day, the profits to be in aid of the Hun garian exilse. The arrangements for the ball and supper are to be on tho most extensive scale. The tickets are limited to one thousand, at $5 each, to admit a lady Hnd gentleman ; ex tra ladies’tickets at $1._ . If the accommoda tions will permit,a larger number of tickets v. ill heisxeed,'which will he put at f 10. [Correspondence of the Morning News.] NEW YORK, Jan. 2T6, 1850. Thera is a rumor to-day thut a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Gen. P. M. Wet- more, as the Government has decided to pros ecute him criminally under the clause in ihe Sub Treasury act. The plot thickens with respect to the Ar lington Bonnet, Drury and Ashley affair. Yes terday, “ one-eyed Thompson,” the active ngent in causing the arrest of these parties, was him self nabbed and is now in prison in Brooklyn, charged by Bennett with having altered a bill on the Mechanic’s Bunk to a $50. Bon net says the bill was shown to him by Thomp son, and subsequently passed off. I begin to think the old adage is not true, thut “ there is honor among thieves.” Drury’s trial for the torpedo charge is set down for Monday next in the Oyer und Terminer. Our city has been disgraced for some time past by outrages with a weapon called a “ slung shot,” with which the victim is struck from behind, and fulls insensible. One of the cowardly wretches who was caught with one in his possession which is a penal offence, was convicted on Saturday, I am happy to say, in the Court of Sessions, and sent to the State priron for two years. The case I referred to lately, against Bennei of the Herald, of libel, for publishing the po lice report of a mail’s arrest has resulted in a verdict for the defendant, the court ruling thut he was justified in the publication provided it was a correct account, and gave a fair state ment of the case. A remarkable case of conscience has just occurred. A fellow stole a door mat from the stoop of a house last week, but moved by re morse and preaching ho returned it in a day or two afterwards, and slipped the following note under the door—verily there is some honesty loft: to The oenpyir Of this lions—by The instiga tion Of the devul or sumboddy Like him i So fur furgot The golden rule Of duin To uthers what you want them to do to yoo as to Steel Y’oor mat i Took it one nite last wetik and un til sundy nite wen i was endust To Go inter a church i own up that i went thinkin in the kroud thur might be A chance to pick up suni- watbut tho precher brot up the Cost so strong when He sed ‘set that douu’ that i had no piece til i sot doun your mat agen wich i doo axin you to tiirgiv me this time. To day is as soft and balmy ns spring ; in fact the weather is another of the mysteries that New Y orkers are puzzling themselves about. During the present week W(5 hnve had an end less variety.—Scotch mist; and a real London fog; a ripping frost, ami a sheen of snow, and great rain! not coming down in sluices, but a nasty close insinuating one, that reaches the skin before you are aware, almost that it ruins at nil. Burton, the Manager, gave an opening hall Inst night, in a room built for assemblies, ad- joitiif.g his theatre. Most of the actors and Kossuth. — A correspondent of tho Lon don Times says :—“What an extraordinary re. putution this man Kossuth has left after hint. From Orsova to Vienna, by watcgW byittrid, there hardly ever pass ten minutes in the day that you do not hear mention of his name ; nnd in Pesth, where the sale of his portrait is a cap ital offence, the Magyars club together to pur chase a single copy nt exorbitant prices, and tear it into fragments, which are shared he tween them.” Courts of Conciliation.—Gov. Fish 1ms proposed to the Legislature of New-Y'ork the establishment of Courts of Concilation, by means of which parties disposed to a just set tlement of their differences can do so umica- bly, promptly and without.lhe expense of lengthy and tedious suits at law. A Better Man than his Brother.—The Philadelphia Spirit of tho Times vouches for the correctness of the following: •’On Thursday last.a wedding party arrived from the country, cosisting of the bride groom," the brother of the latter, and several friends. They put up at one of our public houses, and in the evening the preliminaries having been nil settled, and the clergyman in aitendunce, the ceremonies were about to begin when the groom manifested some dissatisfaction. The birde perceiving this, nnd being high-spirited, show ed as much independance ns the lover. In the midst of the confusion which ensued the bride groom’s brother steeped up to the bride and said, "Since— won’t marry you, I‘ll marry you myself, if you have no objection. “None in the least,” said the bride; “I al ways took you lora better man than yonr brother, nnd I am now folly convinced of it. The knot wns at once tied, and much "rati fication was expressed at the finale of the af fair. OP A correspondent of the New York Tri bune says: “Mr. Abbott Lawrence 1ms been making a speech in London. Why is it our ministers are forever making such elegant fascinating har angues, to be published in the Ministerial Tifiies along with fierce attacks on the morals, manners and policy of America? I think we hnve lmd enough—two much of this kind of thing. I do not remember when a British Minister in'America ever declared with swim ming eyes anil palpilnting heart, that lie gloried in America as n descendant of England, or recurred with pride to times antecedent to the year 1776, when E' glundhud the honor of be ing one nnd the same nation with America. Our Ministers abroad have generally nothing t" do—Missions being political hospitals; wit ness the jobbing of the Russian Mission—but this is no reason why they should be compro mising the national dignity, by giving England more than we , rW *V i vc in the wav of fine speeches from her ambassadors. So American Indies made and sent a bonnet to Queen Victoria Queen Victoria never made and sent n bonnet to an American lady or female sovereign. Steamboat Disasters.—The St. Louis Re publican publishes a table showing the number of steamboats lost on the Western waters du ring the year 1849. The whole number was 83, and the aggregate loss with cargoes amounts to $1,600,000. The same paper gives a list el the boats which were sunk,collapsed boiler* 1 flues, &,o., and subsequently repaired. The number is 28.