Newspaper Page Text
—m» .
: xticv In in Judge Clayton’s Speech in |
i. piv tu Mr. M'DfjrriK, upon the Re so- !|
!u i m for invr'iga mg the affairs of the' 1
Uoied S him II ink. jj
Tt>- Glt ciisrgt; is in the capi*stuck, not
e »v;<iy; due |»r (• n don* of cum.
•* ihr gi-titinn !s savv, "I sm wholly«t r
1 ntj (o understand this c iai •• •* ’ Taking,
him, :is I did, upon amp mc, and being. i i(
suppose <t Inn* time since he read |i-u. ctiar-j,
'er, it mint nave escaped Ins r c lection!
how the hard money foundation ot ’lint rn-ij
ormnu« structure was laid. Th* 3d nee- j
linn of the charier requires, “ B n veii mil- j
linos of dollars therenl in gdil nr silver},
e-tin of (tic United Suites, nr in gold coin r
id Spain, ul A certain nle, &c. and twenty j
•nilli i-'i 'd dollars in like gold or silver coin, j
or in the funded debt nl the Uni'ed States {
Tots mule twenty-right millions, which ~
was that por'ion of the stock intended for ,
individual subscribers. fur gi vernmunts r
seven millions was to b i paid in g ml nr sil- H
ver coin, nr in s ock ot the Uni ed Stales, ,
healing i iierest at the rale of live per ciuit. , (
per annum. The funded debt was ennsi-
Hcred ■ qual t > gold ami silver, bottomed, as „
it was, u ni l l ih credit nl the Government, g
seven millions of the latter was, however, Mi
iodispma lie and, of course, a cm respond- Rl
ing amount of the former. Toe 9tn sec
tio i dec) ired, “ that as s ion as the sum ot M
eight millions lour hundred thousand dol- j,
lam m gold and silver coin, and in the pub- a
lie debt, shall h >ve been actually received ;f
on account of subscriptions io (be capital of g(
the said b nk, (exclusive of the subscrip n
tion i f the Uniied S ates,” then the Book
was authorized to go imp operation. —N"W, f||
it is very dear, that this amount of eight n
millions, (our hundred thousand dollars, ex „|
elusive of the Government’s subscription, -j
was he least amount of coin, upon which
thu Bank should commence; and, there
fore, constituted the true |»ioportion of coin
in relation to i s future »»'ues, w ich being
limi'ed to its s.ock ol tinny-lire millions,
w«* early one»(ooith of he c.pnal. i; |
tl|.- Bank could not be peinulled In s uit
without this am unt, and that too, in refer
ence '» the individual subscriptions, which
was twenty-'eight millions, surely it should
never come below dial amount alter u gets i
in'o operation, and alter seven millions
in we ol the Government’* stock i- added
if 'here whs any good reason for such a
provision n fiist, ii must continue. Theie
must Inve been some meaning in it, I ap
prebend, or it would not be found in the
charter. Every body will perceive at once,
that a B*nk without »umt specie, would be
Soon wi'houf credit, indeed o, uld be broke,
for specie i* the only (run means of pay
ment of drills, and the whole and sole ere- j
■dit of Banks. I' is the measure of value j
to every thing, though it hat very many!,
substi'utrs, some of which are eiin m-ly',
precarious, t hen wha' amount of-speci* j
shall always remain in Bank, is a quesiionl.
of some dilliculiy, and depends veiy much |
upon iis business, iig stock, its credit, and c
its management. If it were said the Ii - •*k|«
ol the United States had NO specie, ii|t
would siarde every man in the nati » who s
had any demands upon it. If it wrre Haiti|h
it had but one bundl'd dollars, ihm wuldii
equally alarm us creditors ! Wiiat amount!]
then sh II it have, to quiet all apprehen-j
•ion i I can give no betier answer then toj'l
say, the charter requi ml si its beginning.l
it should livve 88,400,000. and it at that';
time i was considered the proportion upon
which public cor-ft lencu might rely, there
can be no good reason why n should not re
main so. N w. Sir, what is the fac' as to}
the q-isn'ity of specie in the Bmk? B ,
the mooihly stalemeirs it had on the tsi ,
of J .nuary but g 7,038 8-23. &bu g‘2.200 *
ol funded deb ; being, when added toge-;,
•her. 51.338.irr less than what the Bank ■
commenced wilt, though the Governments ,
atock has since been paid in. Now. Sir, I ,
maintain that 'his is not, under any sound
interpretation nt the charter a due propor
tion of coin to the capi at (.fhek. Igo fur- 1 ,
• her, and say, that this result involves the
pi iiieiple, if not the actual fact, that the
Bank is broke. She has been coinpelled to
us.- that portion pf her capital, which was
the prescribed security to the public, of the
B ink’# claims to confidence, it was the
pled*,- of the Bank’s credit and the start
ing point of its operations, below which if
it should come, there was no safely an to i'B ,
promises; fur it must be obvious to ail, if
uuce allowed to range below this limit, it ,
may j ist as well continue business upon one ,
f liar as fine hundred, and upon one hun i
died as upon ons thousand, and so on. till
i' gets to that limit assigned by the charter. .
Tnuogli the gentleman lus s.-dii, the B .nk l
is not only able to pay its J Hits, but is a |
g-eat deal too able, to suit the views and ,
wi-hes of its opponents,” yet, 1 dispute i
the fact, and will iffi-mi, m opposition to ,
his declaration, that upon true mercantile ,
or banking pi inciples, ( ,nd that punctuality,!.
Which those respective telatims require it
is not ib eto meet its engagements. He ,
ie«;s i's capacity upon its property and <
deb's to discharge ,h- d-raands that may I
b ‘ “«■“ ■»’ '• N,w sir, f S h T that .
this is not a sal - reliance, and I suy morel,
that it toe Biliks of N>w Y . k and Penn f
if Ivania were itisposed to ui.i-e and nuke a .
rmopan .he mother Bu.k a. P iUdelphla
th y could compel her to close her doors ,
t» morrow no* withstanding she migl* q,. a . ,
b c oeiealter to pay thirty diifltegs m the ,
P' -n l. He has said it cm d pa. if a ,| , ts ,
■st.s iu mx>y days, What ! a B aiJ k as k- r
ling sixty days (b pay its debts f Brcod
(u! ! Will Hanks dare to require of her
poor debtors to pav down (he last farthing
in the lhret>. days of grace, ami then turn
roam! ami claim sixty days for themselves ?
If they arc such clamorous sticklers tor
punctuality among their debtors that they
protest them, stop their credit in Bilik, nay,
strip them of all their property and 11 og
their b idics into a dungeon, il th-y overgo
those «-;iid days of grace, can it b- 1 possible
that th-V claim an exemption from a like
punctuality ? If by the lav; merchant, a
strict compliance is required with the rule
I have in -ntioned, ami a failure to regard
it involves the consequence ol binkrupicy,
though the.defaulter may be worth twice as
much as 'he deht, how can the Bmk escape
from .his fundamental principle in ail trad
ing establishments; Would the Bmk be
content with such a reply as this Irom one
of her debtors, on the day his note b emm
doe—“ Sir, I have not toe cash to pay my
note, hut, look upon my list of proper y ;
see the notes due from other persons to me,
to be paid in sixty da's—the whole amount
ten tiiiu-a more than I owe you : wilt you
wail slx-y days, when it will be entirely in
ny power to pay you f” Think you, Mr.
Speaker, the Bank would reply—“ Tube
iure, mv Hear friend, we will wait ; we are
mrry you have troubl'd yourself j.bou! it,
>ive yourself no uneasiness ; yuftt pay us
when it suit* your convenient e.” II there
« any such Bnk in th : s world, 1 k 'ili make
it least i n<- pilgrimage to it. Then, S.r,
f the Bank musi piiy, like all other per-,
ions, when demanded, and in the three days
>f gmee, le - us see how far she is able to)
nent her present debts. Let it be borne in
nind. t >» t her seven millions of specie does
in*, lie.in the parent Bunk, bu' is scattered
ill i ver the Union, in her several branches.
The whole, of her sper'<e m the
principal, and twenty-seven I
brandies, including the Hank
in the District us Co.uiubia,
is but 87,038 823
Funded dvbf, 2,200
To which add all the tangible
silver and gold now circulat
ing out of the Banks, in the
United Slates, which it es
timated at 14,077 346
Add Bills due her from other
Banks. 2171676
Add- Debts due her from other
Hanks. 1,993,744
Add her Contingent Fund,
though 1 do not understand
its nature, 2,114 365
g«7 398,454
N >w. Sir, this is all the im
medi.'e available ci»sh fond,
in the power of the Bank to
wield, upon a sudden emer
g mey ; and it is seen that one
impossible rem is allowed—
that is, die whole of the circu
lating gold and silver curren
cy in the U. S'ates. When
ibis, and the scafered condi
tion of her nw ■ specie is con
sidered, how is il possible for
her to meet the following deb’s,
if'timeiliately pressed to wit;
Bu ssued, and now in cncu
lati. 24,690,732:
To whicn -'d public and pri
vate dep./ ,es, 1T,997,689
Add Biring & Co’s deb', and
Dividends unclaimed, 1,512,663
£44 141 106
The Bank cannot make specie rn (he coun
try, toe deception is in promising to pay
anecie. Tin; best financieis calculate that
there i* but about fourteen millions of spe
cie circula'iog in the cuntry, oat „f the
Banks, 6t if the Bank of the United States
could lap up every dollar of 'hese, could
insert its proboscis imo those leather purses
• hit have for many years concealed from
the >ight of day dollars that have "grown
dun” >viih age, it could not according m the
usages f merchants meet its engagemen’s
with hat promptness which is the arterial
circulation of commerce. This is what I
meant »he ether day by saying the Ba k
was broke I did not in nd to u-e the le.in
in \Upopular, but in its commercial smise
I know too weil its j* nense rea ‘urers to
believe it is unable to pay, the Government
d-posit, will upho d her. It nas been too
loog wringing ftrnn the cmninuniiy., the fat
of -he lind. to be wm' w n d be tend
ed insolvent. I only wish to warn the na
tion that hei late trading, as well fur the
purpose of making friends, as for money
"pt %.aions. especially io specie, as will be
her.'»*v.T show i, has carried her over the
boundary of safe transactions, and she relies
up-m getting back by the indulgence of th-
Gcvernmeiit «nd that most desired of all
objects, a new charter. And I make this
r in n k which I n..p e will be well remember
ed, mt when that is accomplished, and she
makes the rebnu idmg ~ff irt to gain her for
mer position, it will Ue a »p ing that will
crush i s thousands to death. Mai v a N .bob
has broken fu I handed. Many a g ded
iign hang- be’ore a rich w,re-house, all iu
contusion And, drawing a Cguie from hit
best of books, live while ! sepulchre is filled
with dead men’s bones.”
" The several States are obliged to have
money tor their wants, as well as iheG ne
ial Government, losiitutions of Govern
tneot, intended to protect such impor mt
inierests as the rights of persons, and Ii
rights of property mast be supported by die
- same wean* as these that beloß" to the fou’e
r ral or any otiier government. And it ia no
» bold assertion in me to iay, that the United
t States Bilik cannot soppy ail the wan's of
? the Staten. The people ot the States mus
r have money for their taxes as well .»« (or
i other purposes, and 'o I<■ caf institu inns they
, are compelled »o lin k tor those facilities
r which i ; s H.ml the United States B.nk fur
i oishes tb's G-merd G ivernnient. Is it de
; sifllie to. pruslra'e these great cunver.i
--s encew ? Will the Representatives In re, of
i their different S a en, so far forget their own
■ establishment as to place them in 'he povv-
I er of an invi'Ution, which its own Piesident
, has decla> ed can crush them, whenever it
i chooses ? If the corporation of the Uoi'eJ
i States Bankjiad an invincible army in Phi
ladelphia, which it could send out by de
i tachmen’s to p under and rifle the S ates of
i their proper'y, cm q ter tilem whenever it
■ suiied either their i ter*»t or ambition, at.d
make them tribu'ary to ihtir avarice or
i power, every one would shudder at such a
slate of things. Now, Sir, in ticy is invin
cible power, and is to - the moral, what :.n
amij is to the phvdical world. The Bank
has nothing t.i do but to send nut a detach
ment often midions of dollars into a Sta'e,
demolish the State Banks, deg .late, then fair
fields of profit, make prisoners of war of
their custinneiß, tb'ain the allegiance ot
their debtors, pstahl>*>h a fort, and then
march on t:> the mst State, conquering and
to conquer. Who does not perceive thi 1 -?
And in there none who would not be. willing!
to divert such an enemy of this despotic do
minion ?
The Bank does not cash its notes or re- 1
ceive in deposile at each branch, and at the
parent Bank, the re es of each other. This
idea will be belter understood hy s'a'iug
that the mother Bank preparrs tile bills and
jeends them out to her respective branches,
iThese branches then fill them up anil issu.
ithem, and as soon as they are afloat, the,
parent Bank knows them no more, t-hough
circulati gin the country as her offspring
and bound tu support them, and can never
be brought to i t collect them again till her
mommy is refreshed with suin 'thing like a
onept'r cent, remembrancer. And so with
regard to the branches, though sis-'er? from
, the same parent, they know no’hingof each
olhei’n progeny, ami will have nothing to dn
with 'hem. unless paid to entertain them.
As 1 s'ated h fore, ttie parent -Bank de
mantis a premium for receiving the notes o f
.her branches, he brat.ches os the parent
j Bark, and of eat It oher,— T iii■* (heg'ntle-
I man says, is obliged to b' done, and the at
. tempt to ilo wfat the Batik is hete assailed
I *or not doing, produced all its embmiais
, ments in 1319 If it cannot do it. the busl
ines* ought t 0 be confined eutjiel/to the
I mother Bank, and the branches wiitidrawn
jtro.n (he States, for, a* at present organized,
they are complete brokerage, or rather Sha
ving shops, selling and baying their own pa
per and making a profi; both ways. But
(here is good reason tu believe the fact is
untrue. In the first place, they do it for
the government, they receive at any branch
the bills of the mother Batik or any of the
other branches, without any discount when
ever demanded by the Treasury Depart
ment, and why may they not on account of
citizens ? In the second place, they do it
for the citizens in all sums of five dollars.
! Why no more ? In the third place., in very
I many branches they do it without any pre
mium, for any amount and to any person
jWhy this difference? In the fourth place,
they charge more at some branches than at
Rothes, and they require a greater premium
; upon some branch bills than o hers, and
upon none does it exceed half per cent, the
usual price being one quarter of one per
cent. Now. can ihey believe that if they can
(receive their bills lor the government with*
iout premium, from the cnizens up to five
dollars, can dispense witfrit at some of the
|> brunches, make a difference in the bills,
and fi tally receive only one fourth to one
* half per cent, upon what theyr actuillydo
1 in this traffic, they might not dispense with
Jit altogether. Can it be possible that this
petty shaving is indispensable to ' sustain
• j the soundness of the currency,” and the
| attempt lo do which, in 1819, “led to all
the over trading and em larrassmcnt and ru
| in which ensued ?” If it is, the time has ar
rived, as 1 humbly conceive, to sweep it
from its connection with this great govern
ment. and to rely upon hard money curren
cy, the only one known to the constitution.”
j “I believe, Sir I have now gone through
all the arguments of the gentleman found
ed upon the charges in th» ir regular order.
Bi fore, however, I take mv final leave of
him I must advert to one suggestion,which,
lr*>m its nature, was intended to be address
ed to our sympathies ; and, as I am one who
have ever be n veil, that one touching sally
upon the passions, overpowers a thousand
dry arguments. I always leave the lat er
to dislodge (he former. He said, "A large
1 portion of the stock of this ntSM’.u'ion be
, l"Dgs to he widow tit the orphan ; in many
ins auces, peihaps their sole support and
, inheritance ” 1 believe nothing could ba of
t ,nore service to this description of persons
I than a dissolution of this institution. When
the old United States Book wound up i s
.business, and made a fi >al division, each
j|St 'ckholder had returned tu him not only
toe lull amount ot his shares, wi*h eigh
percent inters* per annum for the whole
period of i r » ir. «-por.i ion, but he hail
paid to him o .r hundred Jullais lo the -bar'
besides- iat i«, „ IS money wia doubled,
exclusive of '!).• interest. There is no man
nor if doubt 'hat such vjuld be the re
sult at Hit wXjiiratiou of the present Char*
- ter. This doubled amount could soon be
i vested in other stock, & their means of sop
llpurt consequently increased c ne hundred
( per rent. A id, Mr, Speaker, this would
be no common support, either ; for 1 tied
r upon eximiiii g the list of Stockb'ldcr
, there arc unwauls i f for y widows who - own
;!over ten thousand dollars each, and sever
■ al as high as fifty thousand. Concerning
• these last, I hope the gentleman will giv;
■ himself no uneasiness ; fur they cut assure
f him, in any event ol the Bi' k question,
i they will remairi prett» good frame, for thi
- pursuit of ANY WIDOWER whatever,
t But, Sir, while lie is manifesting such sen
t nihility lor these des i u»e persons, let nn
1 shade his portrait a fit'.k hy a sombre Color,
■ whkh I can employ f.om ano'he.r dr.»# rd
- Bt»>rkho!dfrs in this same Batik t — I’he
f real Stockholders are not American VVid
I nws sod Orphans, hut British Lords and
I Ladies— Uri'ish Naval and Military Of
rfioeis—British Clergymen and. Country
i Squires—and, Sir, for your exquisite tie
iigh . permit me to read a few of tlieirj
i name :
; Haring Brothers U Co. London, $791,500
The Most Honorable the Marquis of Hart
ford ’ 100,300
1 The Wight Honorable Sarah Countess
Dowager of Castle Smart 10,000!
f Sir Colin Campbell and Sir Richard Hunter 37,100
Right Honorable Lord Henry Viscount Gage 12,000
Hon. Hudson Gurney, member of Parliament 50,000
Sir Robert Harvey ..;. 19,500,
Sir William Kcppel, General in His Brit
: isli Majesty’s forces, Knight of tbs Grand
! Cross of the order of the Ruth 72,200
, Major General Maister 9,000
j Sir George Nugent, Baronot 20,000
J Packwood, of-the Rojal Navy 8,000!
(Sir Marmaduke Warren Peacock, Lieu
tenant General, &c 50,000;
The Karl of Beaucham..... 15,000!
; Sir Gilbert Sterling 10,000 i
Lady Sarah Stuart 31,300!
Sir Greenville Temple 20,000
Augusta Countess Dowager Van Pollant 4,200
Hie Karl of Levin 50,000
Major General Macdonald 64,900
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Bradford 4,000 !
Sir William Keeth Ball, Baronet 30,000
Lord Erie Reery 60,000
Mrs. Ann Redlern 70,160
Abel Smith, Eq 100,000:
Sir Edward Tucker 50.200
Jonathan Austin, Esq 120,000^
Major William Davis 20,600
Reverend Ar'hur Dean 7,100
Reverend Philip Fletcher... 20,000,
Reverend George Gordon SO.llo'
Mr. Benjamin Heywood 178,400!
John Marshall, (London) 123,600
James Drake ; IQO.OOO
John Marshall 264,200,
Lieutenant Colonel John Maxwell 64,900|
Sir Robert Wilson 15,000 !
Lady Rosabella Wilson.. 15,000 J
And last, tho’ not least, Mrs, Candelaria Bell 63,700
Whose fanciful and beautiful name 1 hop*-
[ will be remembered by some gentlemen of
! the Turf, when he comes tu chris en his
1 next female Racer. In all, upwards of
' 400 in number, and holding Stock to the
amount of 8i millions, beside* what is in
! the hands of Trustees. .. ,
New York, March IT.
FLOODS ON THE HUDSON AND MO
HAWK.
The Hudson. — We stated yesterday that
on Monday evening the river was very high
. at Albany, the wa er having risen two feet!
over the docks. The mail of last evening
brought further accounts of the breaking up
of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, and a
melancholy detail of the loss of -lives and
property by the great flood. We have se
lected the following from the A'bany Juur
’ nal. Daily Advertiser and Argus.
’ About a o’clock on Tuesday morning, the
| ice, which had started a few yards, the pre
vious evening, broke up, and the rush of w«.
* ter from above was very great, At-lfiu’-
' clock un Tuesday, (noon,) it was nearly up
Jto the second stories of the houses on Quay
street, and extended almost to Market-st.
' in the centre of the city, and in fact over
flawed it at Hamilton st, at the lower Mar
• ket, and at Lydiua and Ferry streets, as well
Jas the pasture below the new wharves.
’j The access to the Eagle tavern, National
1 and Columbian hotels, and Excha ge Coffee
4 House, could only be by boats or carriages
1 The principal damage was done on Tue*-.
* day forenoon, when the ice setting in at the
1 head of the pier, came dowu with irresistible
■ force in the direction of the stores and the
' piles of lumber.
1 The three story buildings, situated at the
termina ion of the Columbia-street Bridge,
' v/ere crushed in a few moments—one sf or
the other ihey were swept from thrir fouoda
-1 tions, apparently without the least resis
tance. The Bridge was also carried away
•;anil destroyed. That at the font of Statc-st.
* is also materially damaged, if not totally
• ruined.
The water in the northern part of (he ci’.y
° ovetfljwod ihe canal, and rose as high as the
P garden of the Patroon. Large cakes of ice
‘jwere thrown upon the field on the west side
r ,of the canal, ami near the stone mijl. Tht
p tow path bridges are thrown over and crush
led. The largp sheds to shelter wood and
P ! plank, were injured.
I The New London and her tow boats re
l main near Bath in the ice, apparently with
* "U damage, and wiih having shifted their
• places ia which they have remained all win
-5 er * having been frozen in last December,
> while on their way from Troy,
Numerous trees, wrecks of biats, and
buddings floating along.
1 Ten buildings on the Pier, owned by Win.
1 James, were much injured.
Peter Muakley’s sail loft was scrinusl'
. damaged,
Smi h & Willard and E. C. Delevan a .
a'so sufferers by injury to builfti»g« cn the
- Pier,
1 Gough end H?rrit'g. & trs Messrs. Slack,
have 1 (is * much by stoves and iambi- r being
i carried away from the Pier.
I Kverj thing on the'Pter above the Coltmi
,)ia-i -f'cei fridge is swept away.
Brut’? Furnace near the South berry lies
been alni-a* entirely carried away.
S. S Fowler’s extensive leather and mo
; rocco establishment at the same place is te
riously dJ-nvgf d'
I The hoes;‘■ton V-n . R«*nssela<' r : s .Rin'f,
,'{<Hrectiy this ci f y, and which* i*
('Hud as a riic-i- of recreation in the sum
. me?, was carried away. ' ■
File house and barn <f Mr. Wilbur sit
uated at the fetry dock in wvss
, entirely destroyed on Monday night, to-
I gether wi'h ail his furniture.
A lug- raft lying between Albany ard
I’luy, valued at SSOOO, was totally scattered
I and Inst.
The Bridge over the Norman’s Kill about
■ three miles directly south of this citv, i-i
the Bethlehem turnpike, h.:s been so touch
(injury th«' it is imp asab'e by carriage?.
i’lie brrdge generally called M’CnrniicVs
i Bridge, on the Norman’s Kill, some miles
west of the above mentioned bridge, has
1 b en entirely swept away. This is a small,
( ia> d not a toll bridge.
! It is much feared that tha bridge at
(.‘'Sti'es” on the same Kill, and about mid
i way between the two before named bridges,
1 will be taken oft*.
Many families on the dock were obliged
I to leave their dwelling houses very sb
, ' upt manner, and some of the inmates were
i taken our in boats from their second stories.
t| The canal boats in the Basin, and small
(cruft at the docks, were stranded on the
;| wharves and bridges.
|l Considerable damage had been done at
but the particulars had not been
i ascertained.
t The Mohawk -—A. letter from Schenccta
-1 dy, dated Tuesday morning, March 13th,
[i-otys—" The Mohawk bridge is yet safe,
i nd the water falling. The river is clear
i below the bridge, but is so completely Idock
eed up with ice, for three or four miles above,
•jas to turn the current upon the fla's. Much
[jdam«g>* has been done on the battle ground
! and in Frog Alley. The water rose jo high
i last night, as to cover, at 12 o’clock, the
i ( flats as h gh as the canal bar k, and run over
(the canal through Frog Alley, to the Mo
'lbawk. The water rose so fast in the Al
[ ley, that the inhabitants had not time to
i leave their houses. A number succeeded
ijin getting away safe, in boats \ but the cur
rent soon became so sirong ; that it was
'i impossible to pass up with boats. Those
1 at the further end of the street were oblig
ed to take refuge in ths upper par s of their
hou es, and remain there until morning, be
ing every moment in dinger of being swept
away by the current, One home was thrown
down and two children diowned. Another,
in which were six or seven persons, was
thrown down on its side, ami remained in
that si'uation until 8 o’clock thU morning,
when the boats succeeded in reaching if ami
bringing them all off safe. Several build
ings have gone to piece-*. Mr. John Brown
is the greatest Buffcrer. The rail-road must
;be much injured, all that part from the foot
of the inclined plane to ihe canal being un
; der water. A part of the new embank*
1 ment west of the canal is entirely washed
i away.
•• Tuesday', It o'clock, A. M. —The mail
ha* j is' come down from Amsterdam. The
water was 6 or 8 feet deep on the turnpike.
On the flat, near the gate, it rose so rapid
! ly, that the gate keeper had scarcely time
to get hi? family out of the house. Hi#
horse atjd cow were drowned in the stable.
" The river is raising again.”
• March 1 f,
■ FURTHER DETAILS OF THE FLOODS.
The steam boat Constitution arrived thie
■ morning ft™ Hudson. She could proceed
no further op, in consequence of the ob
struction by the ice, caused by the severely
(cold weather of Tuesday and Wednesday
■(night. The Albany papers of Thursday
' and Friday, were brought by the boat, but
the two mails are still due.
-j The details which we publish this after
‘ noon of the destruction occasioned by the
’Veakiug «P of the ice, and the freshets its
! : the, Hudson and its tributaries, are of a me
lancholy character. The damage to pro I
■ p pr ty, and loss of lives, probably exceed
• those sustained by (he freshets in’the west. 4
r Since the above was written, we have
- been informed that it is probable the boat#
' I will not be able to reach Albany for some
fj'days, in cons-quence of the immense quan
• Itity of wrecks of buildings, rafts, limbers,,
' &c. which is piled up, to a great length, a
(cross the river at Four Mile Point.
B| [From th*- Kin<t«rhtoh Columbia Santioat, Marsh 15.)
e Melancholy Occurrence.—On Tuesday,
e at 12 o’clock, A. M. the ice in the Hudson
river at Stuyvesant landing began so give
wav. The river had at (hat lime risen l»
I an unusual height, the water being twelve
feet abive low wa'er mark, covering the
- dorks to the depth of four feet, and making
; an enhance into most of the itore houses on
r j the wharve*. Serious and well-grounded
Uppiehensions were entertained that every
building along the margin of the river would
(tie swept away ; hut happily these fears were
I i not realized, she buildings having sustained
only a trifling Hm "?. The ice continued
. to move for about two hours, and apparently
( n one sJid mass, reveral miles in extent.
Goring 'his interval, a most distressing
scene was witnessed at the sight of the upper
■ I.light H -use, situate a mile and a half abova
l he landing. This was a stone building, 20
oy 34 and 2 stories high with a vnole but-