The times. (Savannah, Ga.) 1823-182?, July 16, 1823, Image 2

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SAVANNAH, WEDNESDAY NOON, JULY 16, 1823. > Eclipse of the Moon. On Tuesday evening next the 22d inst. our astronomers say there will be a total Eclipse of the Moon, and as it will be a considerable time obscured as it passes through the earth’s shadow, it cannot fail of be ing well worthy ot observation. It will take place between the hours of 8 and 11 o'clock. We invite the attention of our readers to an Extract (which will be found on our first page) from Las Cases’Journal of the private life and conversations of the Emperor Napoleon at St. Helena. This single piece, perhaps, discovers more of the real character of Bonaparte, than volumes Which had hitherto appeared ; joined to an in timate knowledge of human nature is pourtray ed a mind equally capacious for conquest and . For government. Although we never believed the half of which Bonaparte has been accused, yet we confess We Were somewhat disappoint pd (and agreeably so) in reading his benevolent reflections on the condition of Toby. We fully agree with him in regard td the happiness which .the people of the Uhited States enjoy under their form of government. He perhaps of all men was best suited to the volatile disposition •rif France—but we doubt very much, whether be ever could have become a Washisgton in America. The two- men, were very different, both in disposition and politics. Bonaparte as pired to universal conquest. Washington only to the liberation of Jus country from the tyrants yoke. The ambition of the former, was to bring emperors, kings, and countries, suppliant at his feet—-that of the latter, was to place his coun trymen in a situation to govern themselves; to be happy at home, and command respect a broad. - .. A communication on si novel subject, signed “Astrim/* ha* been sent to us, which we Should bave inserted, had it been written in plain English. Put as it stands, it would need a jury of lexicographers (o render it intelligible. So outrageously bombastical is its language. Its style reminds us of Fantastictfs speech to his foot-boy: “ Diminutive, and my defective slave, ‘Reach my corps coverture immediately; ’Tis my complacency that vest to have, T* insconce my person from frigidity.” The boy thought all Was Welsh which his mas ter said, till he Cried in English— Rogue, fetch my cloak. In moments When some all-possessing trouble lias a mastery over cAir.senses, the thingSof this World are but of little account with us. We are then regardless of expenses which afflict us sorely, when We afterwards have to pay the bills which the kind offiefousness of friends has in curred for us—in order that we shall appear in all the pride and pomp of showy grief. As in telligence advances and superstition recedes, we find that we can mourn ns well in blue as in black. We hope to see less rs the sombre weeds, and some reduction in the monstrous ex cess of sepulchral habilliaments, in which many Os our community have hitherto indulged—al most even to the deprivation of their children of bread. The following extract shews that the vain pageantry of giving scarves, gloves, &c. at funerals, is do.ie away at New-York : “ A prac tice of this kind, may be introduced with as much ease, as Oust of giving scarves has been so generally laid aside. Parade at ordinary faner arts is incompatible with the feelings and sense of propriety which all serious and reflecting* people entertain. The minds of most persons are solemnized on such interesting occasions, and are perhaps as well disposed to deep and sober thought on the frailty of human life, the certainty of death, and the infinite importance of being prepared for it, as in almost any situa tion in which men are ordinarily placed.” On the toast of Norway, is a dreadful WhirU pool , called the Marlstrom ,- ■vessels that approach within three miles of its centre, inevitably get tuck'd in. BSnCKENMETXB. Sucking in, is not entirely confined to the Marlstrom; there are many ether awfulgulphs, for ‘ When I see a man spehding three quarters of his time, hanging about a hotel, eating relishes, accepting every treat that is offered, and dis coursing over, and upon the excellence of ice punch in hot weather, I think him ih a fair way to be suck'd in. When I see a man making an excuse every time he takes a drink—that he is hot and wants cool brandy and water; or, that he is cool, and whisljey toddy i 8 necessary to warm him, &c. &c. I am Sure be is in a fair way to get suck'd in. When I see a clerk, firing at costly and fash ionable lodgings, dressing fine, keeping a horse, a mistress, &c. upon a salary of jgsoo * year, I know that his master must tnffef, and that he himself, is already tuck'd in. When I see a man hunger and thirst after an office that can cover him with but little honour, But very apt to cover him with debt, losing time, and treating every one of the Sovereign people, in order to gain it, I think he is very near being tuck'd in. . When I sec a young man, of nice'sense of’ honour, and of high temper, seeking every op portunity that offers for being a second in a du el, talking eterhally of etiquette, affronts, et ceteri, practising with pistols—take care I say, sir, that yd do not get suck'd in. When I see iUlandy fellow just come into the possession of a friederate estate, doing .nothing to improve it, and spending as freely as if it were to last forever, I predict that he will soon be suck'd in. See then, young men, the poweirof auction — avoid it, or it will be thy ruin. MISERIES —COMMERCIAL. An arrival direct, in short passage, brings ac counts of a great rise of Cotton at Liverpool— flattering yourself that your last shipment will yield an enormous profit. Next mail destroys the pleasing calculations, by producing your ac count sales, and an elongation of your phiz, when on looking over it, you perceive an alarm ing loss —your parcel sold* just before the ad vance. * Waiting at the Post-Office an hour, in great anxiety, for a bulky letter you sfce in your box, directed by a hand exactly like that of the. man from whom you are almost certain to have a large remittance by the same mail—on opening, you find it a circular from anew established house, covering half a dozen address cards— postage not paid. Receiving an order for a heavy purchase of cotton—felicitating yourself on the swell it wiil cause in your commission account—laying a wake all night for gladness—next day getting a letter which you suppose brings the needful funds—but lo! “ the market has declined, we countermand our order of yesterday,” stares you in the face. Making extehsive purchases Upon the strength of a rumour that the crops liave totally failed; next news that comes, state they never were more promising. Being tormented and dunn'd incessantly for quotations of the market, by a man who nevei makes you a consignment —nor puys the postage oj his letters. BANKS. We stated in our second number, that the banks here, would probably resume Specie payments in the fall. .It is asserted that the, Planter’s Bank is able to do it at this time, but will defer it until the State Bank is in a condi tion to do it also, which we understand is mak ing every preparation to meet their notea in hard money. If the intentions are carried into effect, we may expect to see same change for the better, in our city, and a return of much of the trade, which the alarming difference of our money had driven away, and our plaee meet with a re demption such as Charleston has experienced. Charleston, however, would appear to be un der obligations to the United States’ Bank for some aid, for early in this year the Parent Bank took decisive measures to bring about a wholesome state of currency in South-Carolina, where much irregularity had crept into their banking No sooner did the Parent Bank order a proper and legitimate course to be pursued, than we find the Exchange between Charleston and the eastern cities brought to a bout par. This is as it should be, and if the same judicious measures are pursued as to Georgia, the same desirable results may be ex pected there.” HEALTH OF THE CtTf< For the information and comfort of our friends at a distance, we state that the health of our ci ty was never greater, at this season of the year than it now is. There are only seven cases of fever now in the city—most of them (n the neighborhood of Spring-hill—one of them Worm fever—tlie others, the common reraittentfevers. This is truly a blessing, and it becomes us to thank God for it. It becomes us also to prity for a continuance of it. The weather is warm and even. We have a due portion of the electric fluid, and a fair sup ply of Heaven’s liquid blessing, meted to us in occasional refreshing showers. 4 AH which tends- to keep us sound in body, make the cotton, rice, corn, and sugar-cane grow promisingly, and gives us tokens of a good ly harvest. If we have many evils—there is a sufficient balance in favor of the good, to demand; our thanks. Many of the cellar doors, attached to the • Washington-Hali Buildings on the Bay, in this city, are in a decayed and broken state. Public safety requires that the evil be repaired imme diately. From the bustle which already pervades all classes of politicians in this city, it can easily be inferred that oiir fail elections, as well for mem bers for the General Assembly as for Aldermen, will be Warmly contested. We have this day collected the names of such of the candidates'as have already been proclaimed —and have appro priated a part of our paper for the purpose of perpetuating them all, (at least till the elections take place.) We do this with the view that the people may at all tidies see who of their fellow- Citizens are candidates; And that they may be enabled to make their own selections out of those who are offered for their suffrages. We shall revise the list of candidates each time we shall issue a paper, either by adding thereto or sub tracting therefrom, as occasion may require. The ensuing elections may be-of vital impor tance to'this city and county —and we shall re joice, should they eventuate in the choice of persons duly qualified to serve the people. Some explanations have been given us respecting the case of the individual alluded to in our last under the signature of An Inshman They merely explained some legal points ; they were friily to show that the Law of this state would justify the measure that was adopted W’e have been informed by a respectable indi vidual, that one of the defendants in the case, a female, did appear, and claimed her riglrt to traverse the case, which by law the Judge was obliged to grant. With this exception, the case is not changed. The principal defendant made default for the -best of reasons, and bis bonds were estreated. His associate, appeared, and traversed the case, how this could be done when the original bond was marked estreated, we are not sufficiently learned in the law to say Iu either case, we believe Judge Nicoll, did not possess the power or right to discharge, by law. It is eqaily certain, that the inno cent man in Seeking justice, found only harsh punishment. Poor Dennis will have no more to do with law, or lawyers ; he found them like a pair of shears, which being opened and preseed down, seem to cut each other, when in reality, they cut only what comes between them.— This case, however, will to point out the way to others who may be without money and without friends, how to get relieved from unde served punishment inflicted on pure inriocefice; will show them in what way to get relief from the severity of a law which inflicts a penalty without a trial, and without a crime. It will show them too, how a Judge may perfotm his duty w ithout meriting ‘ immortal honor,’ and how another Judge may do coolly, merely what mere law coldly exiic s, Without meriting heavy obloquy, ttnd without deserving the highest eu logy for a moderate exercise of his functions, i Since the above has been put in type, we have received the following statement from the Soli citor-General : The State , ▼s. , C Assault and Battery. P. Me Gran and Wtje j This case came up to my hands, at the last Term of the Court of Oyer sci Terminer for the city of Savannah, in the usual order, that is to Ba y~There was the affidavit of the prosecutor, tha, warrant of the magistrate, the return of the constable, the bonds of the defendants, and the ci mmitment of the prosecutor and only witness Upon these papers a bill of indictnraent was fra med, presented to the Grand Jury, and a True Bill returned. When the case was called up for trial, the defendants claimed the right of Tra verse- ; it was granted. Afterwards, it appear ed that one of the defendants was absent, his bond was estreated : the defendant s iil claim ing the right to traverse, and the state not feel ing authorized to enter a ‘ nolle prosequi,’ * the prosecutor was remanded. The prosecutor was afterwards brought up before the Judge of the Superior Court, by * habeus corpus,’ and dis charged. Note. We consider it our duty to observe 1 here, respecting his lwing brought up before the Judge of the Superior Court by a writ of habeas corpus, that he was discharged on the ground of informality on the part of the com mitting magistrate—and we have every reason to believe, if the unfortunate man had been mote learned in the law, his release could have been effected sooner than it was it was a hard a case—but such appears to be the uncertainty and intricacy of the law. Mr. Editor r In your paper ofthe 9th inst. someone, under the imposing signature of an “Irishman,” and the equally imposing date ofthe “4th July, An niversary of American Independence,” lias laid to the charge of Judge Nicoll, a case of unpar alled “oppression,” in the recent exercise of his judicial functions; and in so doing, he an nounces to the public their duty as freemen to inquire into every violation ofthe liberty cf a citizen. If the inclination which led the Irishman to examine into the matter, had also induced .him to ask, as he proposed doing, someone “ learn ed in the law” to reconcile to his mind that which appeared to it so stupendous a “discre pancy” in the refusal of Judge Nicoll to grant w hat he had no power of granting, he would probably have found the expediency at least of putting such a course in practice before he had ventured upon the hazardous experiment cf putting his dpinion On the subject in print. llis pathetic narrative in the case of poor Den nis Crosson, discloses circumstances calculated to arouse the sympathies of every frepman, inas much as the poor man appears to have been promptly relieved upon his application to the proper and only tribunal empowered by the laws sf our land to discharge him from his im prisonment, upon cause for such discharge l>e ing judicially shewn. The judge of our Supe rior Court will therefore receive as little acces sion to his dignity from the immortal honor awarded to him in this very ordinary exercise or his peculiar duty, as the judge of our Court of Common Pleas will lose in the estimation of his fellow-citizens for not considering himself sufficiently a legislator to enlirge the scope of his jurisdiction into an Irish sphere, which has been said (I suppose tauntingly) to be no sphere at all, at all. Now sir,our friend Pat, (who will pardon me if i have mistaken ins correct generic appella tive,) appearing not to have lived quite long enough m our republic to have divested him self entirely of those peculiar national prejudi c s imbibed by him in youth, will probably le ad vised by application to Bonne one “ learned in the law,” if he has both money aad friends, whenever a simile occurrence shall transpire, that our legislature has not been initiated into the mysteries of framing Irish laws —nor our judges yet learned in the peculiar tact of giving . an Irish construction to them; and he may at the s me time receive gratuitously, provided his fee is a liberal one, the additional advice of JVe mtor ttttra crepidam. Mr. Editor .- A portion of our fellow-citizens having set the laudable example of retrenchment and eco nomy at a late public festival, and shewn what can be done by the proper application of skill and industry, may it not be taken as a pattern worthy of imitation in every department of life, both public and private, and be the commence ment of anew era in our fiscal arrangements which will result in the improvement of our moral halvts, as well as in the resuscitation of our pecuniary concerns ? If this b e tiie.happy consequence of the pro ceedings at the late Nationat Jubilee, much praise will bd du| to those citizens who have thus nobly broken ih upon that pernicious prac tice of wasteful extravagance, so long observed in our city, to the destruction of our resources, and so inconsiiient with the simplicity of the plain republican. Our present corporation have done much in the way of retrenchment, an l are entitled to the thanks of their constituents; still there are abuses to be corrected, and duties to be per formed, which it may not be improper to re mind on,- adei men of occasionally—not from a captious disposition to complain cf negligence, butrather to refresh their memories, believing that every member is willing to do his duty When a grievance is pointed out. In all ii.corported places, where the chief ma gistrate receives a compensation for his servi ces, it is usual for that officer to perambulate the town, and where he discovers abuses, orvio iatior.s of the ordinances, or any thing that is calculated to produce inconvenience to the public, to apply a corrective on the spot, in stead of waiting for information against delin quents—the regular meetings of the board of aldermen, and the whole parade of summoning witnesses, keeping them attending on council, to their great inconvenience, and the delay ot public justice. To iilustiate ray idea—We have an ordinance that prescribes the exact manner cf laying off’ our side-walks; —now when a person is improving a lot, it would be an easy matter for the mayor, or the street and lane committee, to point out to the individual what the law requires, which no doubt would be immediately complied with—but in case of neglcc*, the penalty could be at once inflicted, which would always secure respect to our mu nicipal regulations. In a late instance, a citi zen \ras called before council on a complaint for raising the side-walk ti o high j and without affording him an opportunity of correcting the error, or giving him the least previous notice, fined him five dollars: while another, who had violated an ordinance by keeping shavings on. his premises, and that too after he was notified of the infi action of the law, is only fined three dollars—the former, by a little attention on the part of the proper authorities, might have been converted into a useful public improvement, en titling the party to reward ra- her than to pun ishment —while the latter, a dangerous nuisance, is only marked by the lesser penalty Again, the street and lane committee give permission to mend a few breaches in our public walk on the Day—the work is partly done, when a sage alderman comes along and forbids any further ‘ progtere in this useful improvement. At another time, a sweep chimney cotractor loses a few dollars, and perhaps at the same time the landlord loses his rent also, by a bad tenant, the former applies for an ordinance giv ing him a lien on the lot to secure his fees, wl.i li is immediately complied with—the con tractor collects his fees from either party as best suits his interests. The existence of the ordi nance has remained almost unknown for nearly three yeats, and now, when it is found unequal and oppressive, a respectful petition is laid be fore council ftr its repeal, signed by a numer ous body of the most respectable inhabitants, which is referred to a committee, who, after a fortnight’s consideration, beg further time to reportshewing an indifference to the claims of their constituents that appears inexplicable, when compared with the facility that a thing jnay be done W'hen proposed by an influential individual Sometimes we see arrears to the city of twelve or sixteen quarters standing, and those perhaps by some members ofthe corporation whilst another unfortunate wight, who happens to owe three or four quarters, has an execution on his back in a twinkling, and he must pay, which is all proper; but yet there is an inequal ity in the measure that is at variance with our democratic notions of equal rights. These remarks will apply in some degree to our Judiciary.—A blundering justice of the peace commits a man to prison tlmt he has no authority to send there—notwithstanding, the county must pay his expences while confined-*- the time of a Grand Jury is uselessly taken up with his case—the proceedings in the higher courts are unnecessarily interrupted and delay ed by it—and individuals subjected to onerous costs; all of which might be avoided by the ex ercise of a proper discretion in the first instance. In some late papers we Lave accounts of Law Schools being instituted for the purpose of pre paring gentlemen for the bar—Would not such an establishment be useful here, not only for our unfledged barristers, but even for the in-, structiou of higher members of the fraternity ? JiF,iend to Equal Eights and Public Improve. nent, on economical principles. Dr MrTcnsLt was to deliver an address on the afternoon of the 30th uk. in the city of New- York, on the laying of the foundation stone of a new Stare, at the corner cf Maiden,lane and Pearl-street ; at which the curious Were invited to ass'st,