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c O N o It II S S l O N A Ij ♦ Office of the B*l imore American, Dec. 21. m IMPORTANT KttOM WASHINGTON. Great Rvcitement on the Slavery Questione, Retiring of Southern Members. Oar apeoi&l correspondent, in a no'te'nrcin rling tie annexed notice of yesterday’s pro ceedings in Congress says—We-are in the midst of a tremendous excitemenfoti the Sieve Question.” Washington, Dec. 20th. j House of Representatives. The Speaker made the Idurth appointment mi the Committee of Ways arid Means, this morning. Mr. Pope of Kentucky was select ed to till tire vacancy occasioned by the resig nation of Mr. Everett. Unfinished business was then made the or der of the day in the House, and the unfinish-! c*d business was well named the further consid eration of the Petitions praying for the Aboli-j tion of Slavery in the District of Columbia.— ! The merits of the whole Slave question were) involved in the discussion, and the day has been in the House, one of unusual excitement, i Mr. Slade has had the floor the most of the! day, and coming from Vermont, where A ho-1 lition grows up spontaneously with children to manhood, you can imagine the character of his Petitions and his Speech. To speak of it •in a word, it is the very essence of ail that Thompson, Garrison, May & Cos. have writ ten and spoken on the topic of Slavery. In the very outset of his remarks lie was in terrupted by Mr. Wise, of Virginia, for inti mating that the motion to lay Abolition me morials U|x>n the table was the result of com bination, fx.c. on the part of Southern mem bers. Mi*. Dawson, of Georgia, also called liim to order for the same reference, and Mr. Slade satisfied them by disclaiming all person al feeling and all persona! references in regard to the charge. Mr. Slade continued his remarks and the Southern members became more and more ex cited. The Speaker at length called him to order for wandering from his subject. Mr. Legarc, of South Carolina, got the floor and asked permission to say a few words. He was under the influence of great feeling, and begged the member from Vermont not to pro ceed. Mr. L. as one of the most eloquent rnen in the House, was too excited at the present moment to speak with any degree of coolness. With great ardor and justice he vindicated the South from the attack made by Mr. Slade, and said that the homes and firesides of the South —her dearest interests and her peace—her domestic happiness—all that she had and was —was identified with this question ; and he therefore begged that the member from Ver mont would desist. Mr. Slade refused again and again to yield the floor, except when called to order by the members of the House. Mr. Dawson, of Ga. twice asked permissioa to reply to some severe remarks made by Mr. S. but Mr. S. refused to yield the floor. Here Mr. Legare, much excited, moved an adjournment, although it was not then one o’clock. Mr. Legare’s mo tion was not in order and of course was not put by, the Speaker. Mr. Dawson, of Geo. Called for the orders of the day,—the further consideration of the President’s Message;— the motion was not in order and Mr. Slade was again suffered to proceed. Fora half hour Mr. Slade went on without interruption, animadverting in strong lan guage not merely upon Slavery in the Dis trict of Columbia, but in all States. Mr. Dawson, Mr. Wise and Mr. Rhett oalled him to order. But from the nature of the subject, which I will explain by and bv, Mr. Slade was not out of order, and wasagain suffered to proceed. The House at length became too hot—Mr. Slade’s remarks too per sonal—nnd the southern members too much excited to hear more. Mr. Rhett and Mr. Wise at the same mo.- ment both called him to order, and for the first time the call was in order. Mr. Slade was reading the opinions of several distinguished men upon the merits of’slavery. By a rule of the House it is not in order to read from any document, hook or pamphlet without the con sent of the House. The members objected, and Mr- Slade was compelled to take his seat. This, however, was the least exciting part of the scene. Mr. Wise, after saying that Mr. Slade had entered into a lull examina tion of the merits of the Slave question, called upon the southern delegation to leave the hall. *'Agreed /” “Agreed /” “Agreed!” was re sponded by a dozen voices, and in company with twenty or twenty-five members he left the hall. The House was here in great confusion. — A half dozen members rose upon the floor, calling nnd being called toorder. Mr. Rhett said that the southern delegation would meet in die District of Columbia Committee room, it 3 o’clock. Mr. Slade begged permission to go on in j order. Mr. McKay, of N. C. called him to order, *nd the Speaker told him to take his seat. His motion “ to be permitted to proceed in order” was, however, pot to the House, and the yeas and nays demanded. A motion was now made to adjourn. Mr. Adams, ol Mass, demanded the yeas and nays. The House seconded the call, and the result was 106 in favor of an adjournment, and 65 against it. Mr. Campbell, of S. C. at this moment ap peared in the hall, having been selected by the southern members in the committee room, to request the attendance of all the members representing tbe interests oi the south. The House then adjourned. p. s,—Slade’s petition for the Aboli tion of slavery in the District was accompa nied with instructions to report a bill tor the Abolition of slavery in the District of Colum bia. The report made his remarks in order, and hence the reason why he was not called to order with success. In Senate. —The Senate passed the day in the consideration of private matters ot no im portance to your readers. Tlie session was! n short one, and many oi’ the Senators were in the House, listening to the exciting de-j bate. . Yours. See. December 21. IMPORTANT FROM WASHINGTON. Settiema it of the Slavery question in the House <{f Representatives. The letters of our special correspondent, it •will bo seen, convey the gratifying intelli gence that the exciting question of the Abo lition of Slaverv, has been disposed of by the House of Representatives, for the session, in the adoption by toe House ot a Resolution of fered by a southern member, on hehali oi ■the delegations from the slave-holding states. Washington, Thursday, Dec. 21. The southern members were in session last wif’ht until past twelve o'clock, consulting to gether in reference to the interest ot the i slave-holding states. Some of flic delega tions were in full attendance. From Geor-; gia. South Carolina, and Virginia, nil were; present. From Maryland, North Carolina,] Tennessee, and Kentucky, a large majority j of the members were present. Messrs. Gai-j houn, Preston, Cuthbert, Crittenden, and sev- ] first other Senators were in addressed the meeting. A mu!tit”He ot ru- ] mors are in circulation as to the dolmen-j lions of the members. They* are not to be j depended upon, an ! I will, therefore, only send vou what has been made public. After a <*onsnifation of some hours, it was agreed that the principles of the Report in troduced two sessions hack hv Mr Pinckney, o! South Carolina, and the Resolutions pre twnied hv Mr. Pinckney accompanying that renop. should he now agreed upon by the’ soirtberninentWr* as their guide of action— Mr ’ * V ‘ ; a. who presided at the Ate'eiing, was authorised to bring forward a resolution to that etlecf. Mr, Pinckney’s resolutions, you remember, 1 were prepared two years since, and the part l he then took upon that question lost him ids <lection. The southern members now do Mr. Pinckney justice, and acknowledge his course to have been ttie correct one. An agreement to present such a resolution as was presented by Mr. Pinckney, was tire chief subject dis- I cussed, and without troubling you with ru- J mors, you will learn what is more important j —;facts —in the rt port of this day’s proceed- j ings in Congress. Yours, -&.C. Washington, Tuesdav, Dec. *. Howe of 1 ■; . tentative i.—Mr. Slade, of Vermont, first .* I • > >p in the floor yester day, was the fir.’ .-hii upon the floor fhij j morning. The journal of proceedings had i been read, when Mr. Slade, of Vermont, took j the floor for U*e purpose of soliciting the | House to amend the Journal, in order to ! present the question in a ddierent light before \ the public than it was presented by the clerk’s j | record. The Ho-o, not withstanding Mr. ’ Shade’s request, to amend the journal. Mr. Patton, of W giiiin, then asked the I ! unanimous consent of the House to present a . Resolution. The Resolution was read for information, 1 and in sub-tanee proposed that ail Petitions and Resolutions praying for the Abolition of; Slavery in (lie District of Columbia, and all Memorials or Resolutions in relation to Sin- j very in the different States, should be laid upon the table without reading, without refe- j rence, without printing and without discus- 1 sion. Mr. Adams objected to the reception of the Resolution. Mr. Patton moved a suspension of the j Rules of the House, for the purpose of afford ing him an opportunity to present the Ileso- ! lution. Mr. Cushman, of N. 11. called for the yeas and nays, and the House seconded the call— -135 to 60. The Rules being suspended, and the Re solution before the House, Mr. Patton, of Virginia, rose and said that lie had, with advice and consent, brought forward the Resolution as a peace-offering—a peace-offer ing from the south to ttie north—in the hope that it would calm and tranquilize the public mind. It was his wish to restore haimony, peace and good will, in the House. The emotions that pervaded his own bosom during the scenes of yesterday, were such as he would not and could not give utterance to. In conclusion, said Mr. Patton, C feel myself called upon to do now what I have never done before, and what I have rarely allowed myself to do even when the measure was introduced by others. I therefore move the Previous Question. Mr. Adams said he hoped the gentleman would not make such a motion, preceded by any remarks as he had done. Mr. Adams apparently designed to continue his remarks, and the House—twenty voices in the same moment joining in the call—called him to order. “ Order!” “ order!” “ order !”•—was was uttered with a stentorirn cry, and Mr. Adams was called upon to take his seat. The previous question was then seconded by the House—l 24 ir. favor of the second, and the negatives not counted. “Shall the main question be now put?” was the question iu order, which was propounded by the Speaker. Upon the question the yeas and nays were called and seconded—l 29 to 62. The main question was therefore ordered, and was: “ Shall the resolution be passed?” This, the most important vote of the day, was about to be put by the Speaker, when Mr. Adams, much excited, rose in his place ami said—“l hold the Resolution to ne in violation of the Constitution of the United States.” He was about to proceed, and in the heat of his first declaration, when more than a hundred voices called him to order. Cries of “ order,” “ order /” “ order ! rang through the Hall, almost with the noise of an earthquake. Cdifusion and excitement pre vailed in all parts of the House, and another storm louder and more alarming than that of yesterday, seemed about to burst forth. The Speaker, however, checked it in its bud, by telling Mr. Adams peremptorily to resume his seat for being out of order. Mr. Adams, being out of order, obeyed the sum mons, and the call of yeas and nays was resumed. Mr. Wise begged to be excused, and Mr. Adams bad not recorded and meant not to record his vote. Oihers had come to the same conclusion, some from the south belie ving that the whole subject was unconstitu tional, and Mr. Adams, from the north, refu sing to vole for the same reason. The end, however, had here been reached, and the Resolution was adopted by one hundred and twenty-two in favor of the Resolution, and seventy-four Bgainst it. In the House of j Representatives I hope this is the end of this exciting topic. In the Senate the whole subject will be brought forward on Tuesday next. The House, after adopting the Resolution of Mr. Patton, went into a Committee of the whole on the State of the Union, tor the pur pose of discussing the President’s Message. Mr. Adams was called to the Chair. Mr. Ewing, of Indiana, made some few remarks in reply to Mr. Duncan, of Ohio. Mr. Dun can replied, and Mr. Ewing rejoined. Mr. Underwood followed in opposition to the Message, and was followed bv Mr. Mal lory, of Virginia, on the same side ot the question—who made some severe reflections upon the Secretary of the Navy. The Com mittee then rose, and after some unimportant motions, adjourned. In Senate. —The Senate passed most of the day in the consideration of a Bill for sup pressing the issue of small notes in the District of Columbia. Mr. Bepton, of Missouri, made a long speech in favor of his peculiar notions in regard to hard money and paper money. The bill was under consideration | until past four o’clock. | The remainder of the day was passed in the j discussion of Private Bills, and matters not in j (erecting to the public Yours, &e. w ASHINGTON. Df.C. 23. j Our special correspondent transmitted to j us the following notice ot yesterday’s pro-1 ceedings in Congress: \ House of Representatives.—The Journal of Proceedings as for the two mornings past, so , again tiiis morning, was a stumbling block : over which the House had to jump before proceeding to business. Mr. Adams, ot Mass, ; wished to have his reasons recorded for not ] voting upon the resolution introduced yester day morning by Mr- Patton, of Virginia.; Mr. Adams, therefore, brought forward an j amendment of the Journal giving his reasons: for not voting. See. Another discussion was threatened, and the ] motion, on motion of Mr. Boon, ot Indiana, ■ ; was laid on the table. ‘ The rules of the blouse were then suspend- ( ! ed and the House went into the consideration j I of private bills and bills of a public character, j Wit. —One day when Dr. Channing was ] : paying the toll on a turnpike road in America,! i he perceived a notice of “ whiskey, rum, to- ; i bacco,” &c. on a board, which bore a strong; ’ resemblance to a grave-stone. “ l am glad to i see,” said the doctor to the girl who received i the toll, “ that you have been burying those things.” “ Ami if we had,” said the girl, “ 1 do’nt doubt you would have gone chief-mour ner Direct Trade betireen JVete Orleans and j Canton. —An attempt ismnking by capitalists j at New Orleans to open a direct trade Imm thence to China. The ship Canton Packet is now on her way f.-un Canton to N, Orleons,’ |SENTINEL & HERALD. I COLUMBUS, JANUARY 4, ISI7. P. H. F. Bjuttax is our authorized agent ; j for the collection of such accounts of this ol fice as may be placed in his hands, and also> | to receive subscriptions, &.c. Dec. 10, 1837. George W. Compton is our authorised ; Agent for such accounts as may be placed in bis hands. He wilt also receive in Georgia ; and Alabama subscriptions to the Smtinel ; and Herald. COTTON. The artie’e has come in pretty freely during the past week, and prices have ranged from 7 to 8 3-4 cents; the latter price could only be obtained for strictly prime. Our market i may be considered brisk. “AN ACT To authorize the erection of a Lunatic Asy- j lum in this State.” The above is one of the acts of the last Legislature, and although there is much of! goodness, and mercy, and charity, and bene-! . voleuce in it, yet it is more signally useful to us in another point of view: vve use it for the ; ! purpose of exhibiting to the world the stupen- j dous amount of labor accomplished by the| ! concentrated wisdom of the Stale of Georgia, j jin her legislative Hails, during a session of two months. What else has been done?— ! What more could have been accomplished?; How noble, how patriotic the act ! Leave has been most graciously granted to build a house for the benefit of an unfortunate class! of the human family ! W T ell, ’tis enough ;we j ask no more. The Legislature has adjourned, covered with glory, crowned with immor tality ! How foolish and undignified to be legislating about Banks —what if their vaults are lull of specie , with which they refuse to redeem their miserable ragged plasters, un worthy to keep company with the much abused “ shin plasters” of the day—whose business is it? The country is full of money, (what a burlesque upon the word,) the people j are rich, (excuse us if you please,) and it is j an object utterly unworthy of our attention to legislate for the people against these shave shops, living, breathing, and fattening, under the false cognomen of Banks, having neither the spirit nor honesty which should charac terise such institutions! and away also, with your chimerical notions, your crazy schemes about Internal Improvement. What! pledge the faith and credit of the State to raise funds to build rail-roads and cut canals! Outra- geous ! “ Mr. President, it is in open viola tion ot the Constitution of Georgia ; it is a dangerous doctrine; you will sever the glori ous union ; you are about to sell the people; stop, I beseech you ; pause anil reflect ere you ruin the country. Why plunge our State in debt and ruin, and beggar her like Pennsylvania ? What do we want of Rail Roads? Our common roads are good enough; there is no danger of your being upset more than once in every Jive miles, and you can travel in the mail coach from Macon to Mil ledge ville in ten hours, which is a distance of thirty miles! It matters not about the cur rency of ihe country, ami Internal Improve ment is a humbug, ergo let’s build a Lunatic Asylum, and adjourn sine die.” To be serious, the course pursued by the last Legislature was pretty much as we have described in the above sketch. We were on the spot, noted the matter well, and acknow ledge with shamefacednes3, that the welfare and prosperity of the State seems to have but precious few friends in the Legislature. Posterity, it is said, always renders up jus tice to the past in proportion as it has been merited; if so, we most cordially pity those members of the Legislature who so strenu ously opposed the great Internal Improve ment Bill upon its appearance in the Senate. The bill had passed the Representative branch —to the praise of that body be it spoken— but by a system of management unworthy of so distinguished a body, it was not put ujion its final passage in the Seriate until the last night of the Session, and then at a very late hour! Many of the members had “taken French leave,” others were fretfully anxious to “ close the concern,” a few, we were in formed, who had been friends of the bill, “jumped Jim Crow” at the eleventh hour , and the last and closing scene of the exhibi tion with which our eyes were astonished, was a grand display of “ still vaulting by tbe whole company;” when the measure was swept by the board, which, if passed, would’ have exalted Georgia to the highest point of prosperity, and ranked her proudly amongst her most flourishing sisters! Whether our State shall live and flourish, or whether she shall languish and die, undoubtedly depends upon the progress of that great system of] Internal Improvement already began. Shall j it be fostered, sustained and encouraged, orj shall it be abandoned? We trust that here-] after this question will be carried up to the] ballot box, throughout the State, and there let; the voice of independent freemen speak new , life into the system of Internal Improvement.; and bid it go on prospering and to prosper. TIIE ABOLITION QUESTION. Under the Congressional head in our paper of to-dav, will be found the proceedings in Congress upon the abolition question. The resolution offered in the House of Represen tatives by Mr. Patton of Virginia, and which passed by a vote of 122 to 74, is in substance the same as that offered by Mr. Pinckney, of: South Carolina, two years ago. It secures! temporary quiet, but it is faulty and inefficient, ] inasmuch as it concedes the right of petition ]on the subject of slavery. The resolution lias, ] hut served to hush the noisy clamor of Adams ; : and Slade, and permit Congress to proceed ! with the business of the country. But in the : Inisom of the nation the viper still coils, and j ] that he is alive and big with destruction, we] i fear a groaning, bleeding constitution will bm ; too soon evince. It is urged that the right of j j petition is sacred, being guaranteed in the ; Constitution ; granted, but can it be canstitu- j timial to present unconstitutional petitions: Can wrong be right? If the people of the South have a single right under the Consti tution of the United States, that right is to] hold slaves —so given, guaranteed, and solem nized by the sacred charter of our common rights, as a body of freemen. Can it be just |or lawful “then, for the North to pray Con gress to take ‘riAvay front flic South that right ! which ihe Constitution gives and seals unto iher ? Evidently not. The petitions, then, j of the abolitionists, are not only contrary to I the spiritof the constitution, but they are high- I handed and insulting towards the whole i = j South. Suppose a man should present ape ■ titiou to Congress praying for the dissolution lof the Union, would he be permitted to read I it? and would the vote be taken to lav it on j the table! We think not. What course would jbe pursued? Why he would be kicked out [of the Capitol to a moral certainty. And yet i could not this man—having an instrument in i his hand with which to sever the Union— plead the right of petition, under the Consli tion, with as much propriety as an abolitionist! j The answer of the South is, yea. BUNKLEY CASE. No case has ever occurred in the history of Georgia, which has produced so high and universal an excitement as the case in ques-: lion. Jesse L. Bunklcy was born in Jones j county, where he lived and was well known ‘ | from his wild and reckless eccentricities, until ;he was a young man grown. After an ab ! sence on the part of Bunkley of fourteen years, ; a man appears in Jones county who repre | sents himself to be the real simon pure, Jesse ; L. Bunkley, and claims consequently a large 1 ■ estate to which the said Jesse L. was the ‘ lawful heir. After curiosity had become sa ; Late, and wonder had fallen asleep, justice awoke, and seizing the impostor, placed him J at her bar, where he was tried for swindling, ! ‘etc. The trial was a very Jong and tedious [one, and after the examination of some 120 i witnesses, the prisoner was proven to be, not J Jesse L. Bunkley, but Elijah Barber, for-! ■ merly of Gwinnett county. Being thus con victed of imposture, the Court sentenced him to five years confinement in the penitentiary. He has certainly succeeded to a very ample and secure estate. SKETCHES, AD LIBITUM. BY HORATIO WALDO, ESQ. Messrs. Editors: With your permission, I will occupy a space in your columns weekly, j with a view to descant in a general way, upon j topics, persons and circumstances, as they may arise, and be developed, in ihe due and natural progress of time. It has been a cus tom from the earliest ages of antiquity,to wield the pen against the vices, and in lavor of the virtues ofsociety—to exalt the human charac ter in its morals, and the human intellect in its noblest exhibitions—to sketch the manners of everv-day life, with a view to place in a pro per light, the correct delineations of character —to satirise its follies—to porn tray its beau- ties—to expose its deformities, and in fine to analyze all its component parts ; and he who has read history to any useful purpose, cannot have failed to learn the beneficial results which have followed such a custom. With this brief, and perhaps unsatisfactory preface, I will begin by observing, that upon a recent vu sit to the Capitol of the Stale, I was naturally led to the observance of much which I deem well worthy of notice and record. The me tropolis of Georgia, during the session of the Legislature, which has just closed, was per haps, more lively and interesting than usual. The retiring of one Governor and the suc cession of another to his place, induced to ihe City of Milledgeville, at an early day, a large concourse of native Georgians, as well as strangers; and even up to the last week of the session, the Hotels were throngs, and each succeeding day, presented both tlifc Senate Chamber and House of Representatives, full to overflowing—floor, lobby and gallery.— The Senate of Georgia is lalented—as an en tire body it may be so considered. To individualize, I should place them thus, —that is, the leading members, or stars, if ihe expression may he pardoned. McAllister, Colquitt, McDonald,Powell, Patterson, Black, Harris, T. Butler King, Haralson, and soon; but these are the orators of the Senate, and, as such, rendered conspicuous above their fellow members. The debates in the Senate are conducted with much gravity and deco rum, and with the exception of the .Senate of the United States, it is the best conducted de liberative assembly that I remember to have seen. The honorable gentleman who pre sides over this body, wears an aii of dignity in all his deportment which renders interest ing and illustrious the high station which he occupies. May I be indulged with an item or two with regard to the honorable and learned gentleman, who, by common consent, stands first in tbe Legislature of Georgia. M. Hall McAllister, Esq. the Senator from Chatham county, is a man apparently about thirty-five years of age, stout and athletic in his person, wit!) a countenance that could not be mistaken lor its expression of candor, magnanimity and benevolence. His hair is a light auburn, and worn in the style of a stu dioso fresh from the Halls of old Cambridge; I his face appears beardless, at least across the Senate Hall, and consequently his appearance is quite youthful and interesting; when he rises to speak, he most usually stands with ; his bands in his pockets, a habit for which 1 the tailors are highly censurable. At the ] present session he wore a drab overcoat, with ] side pockets, which are entirely too c-onve -1 nient for a “ potent and grave” Senator. As a speaker, lie is fluent, persuasive, and forci ble, and being a ripe scholar, his ideas are clothed in language chaste, rich and copious. As an orator, he is graceful, fiery, fascinating, ami .in all things quite Shaksperean—he is a powerful debater, and the able and gallant leader of the Union party in the Legislature I —he is an honor to the State, but the State ! wrongs herself in not placing him upon the ] floor of Congress; there he would shine, and shine brightly. The House of Representatives is such a ] compound of men and mortals as would defy j the pen of Walter Scott truly to describe;! men are there of all shape.-*, sizes and figures; ] of complexions and dispositions various as the ] tints of the rainbow; there also are grades] of intellect from the highest to the lowest; j the sound reasoner, the shallow declaimer— the learned debater, the ignorant talker—the ! c j chaste and polished gentleman, the rough and untutored, but honest woodsman—all are there in one solid mass, and the ayes and noes are frequently heard to ring iike the : voice of an army; and particularly when a Bank bill is on its passage, the united voices of the opposition, as they cry no, is positively terrific. In the House there arc many talented met). Those who arc noted as debaters. I would rank thus: Crawlord anJ Jenkins, of Ricu raond, Campbell of Muscogee, H. G. I-amar of Bibb, Tombs of Wilkes, Stevens of Talia ferro, Col. Kennan of Baldwin. Mr. Ste vens, from Taliaferro, is the principal attrac tion in the House. He is young, and his appearance is really that of a boy of IS. 1 His health is delicate, and 1 should not judge his weight to exceed that of the rider of Bas combe. His voice is shrill, clear, and musi cal, and strongly reminds one of the trumpet tones of the inimitable orator of Roanoke. His countenance is excessively pallid, which 1 strikes out more clearly the flash of his eye, which is black and brilliant. He speaks but seldom, owing to the enfeebled State of his health. The House is much more disorderly than the Senate. At limes it becomes uproarious and spasmodic. Mr. Day is a good Speaker, and presides remarkably well. The closing week of the Legislature is a lime of general hustle and confusion, and much censure is attributable to the members for the hasty manner i:i which they run over the business imposed upon them by the kind ness of their constituents. To a stranger, it must appear somewhat paradoxic il, that a body of legislators, whose duty it is in a pecu liar point of view, to provide fir the people’s J wants, should with an air of carelessness and utter disregard, push aside bills of sterling me- J rif, and business of absolute importance! Vet this was frequently witnessed during the last week of the session! It is positively wrong; it is trifling with the rights and interests ofthe ■ people, whose suffrages have elevated them to ; their high seats ; and no other excuse can be given, than tfiat they have squandered the time which belongs to the earlier part of the session! Would honorable gentlemen but con !.. . . ‘siiler the high importance of their stations, as legislators, and the deep and vital interest felt i : by their constituents in the frugal disposition ! jof their time, methinks they would more strictly “ husband their resources.” * # # # # The Legislative Ball, which I believe is an annual festivity, was given at the Lafayette Hall, and although not numerously attended by “ the wise men of Gotham,” yet there was assembled a crowd of pleasure-seekers and fashionables; a goodly number of the most brilliant and beautiful of Georgia’s fair daugh ter’s, were seen winding adown the mazy dance, followed by the wishful gaze of their I numerous attendant beaux and gallants, and “ the light of woman’s eye,” chased away the darkness of the night, and the gloom of the heart, whilst the inerry sound of the viol, plucked from the wing of time a quill with which to write “ begone dull care.” The whole affair passed off'with great eclat. The Legislature has adjourned, sine die* and old Miiledgeville remains in statu quo. \ ✓'MEETING OF THE UNION PARTY IN ’ THE LEGISLATURE. The members of the Union party in the Legislature, convened in the Representative Hall on the evening of the 1 23d of December, with a view to consult as to the most suitable meatus to be adopted in relation to the nomi nation of a ticket for the next Congress. The following were the proceedings : On nharlpfi .1. McDonald, Esq. was called to the Chair, and Joseph Sturgis, Esq. appointed Secretary. The following Preamble and Resolutions were then presented by M. Hall McAllister, Esq. and adopted by the meeting. Whereas, it is desirable to obtain a full and fair expression of public sentiment, as to those who should represent the Union Democratic party of this State in the next Congress of the United States: Be it, therefore, Resolved, That the Union party of this Slate will hold a Convention at Miiledgeville ori the first Monday in May next, with a view to nominate their candidate* tor Congress. Resolved , That each county shall be ent'- tled to as many votes in the Convention as they have members in each branch of the General Assembly, whether they send one or more delegates. Resolved , That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the Chairman and conn-; tersigned by the Secretary, and be published by the Union presses of this State. C. J. McDonald, Ch’n. Jos. Sturgis, Sec.’rv. \ : AN ACT To amend the several acts of the Legisla ture of tiiis State, incorporating the City of Columbus, in the comity of Muscogee, and to lay oft’ the said City into Wards, a nil to point out. the mode of electing the Mayor and Aldermen thereof. Section 1. he it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, | Tint from and immediately after the passage of this Act, the said City of Columbus shall be laid otTinto six Wards. The Frst Ward shall embrace all that part of said City of Co lumbus, including the North Commons lying North of Franklin street, and shall be known | and called Franklin Ward. The Second ■ Ward shall include all that part of said City and Commons, lying South of Franklin street and North of Randolph street, and shall be known and called as Randolph Ward. The | Third ward shall include ail that part of said , City and Commons lying South of Randolph street and North of St. Ciair street, and shall j be known and called as St. Clair Ward. Ihe j Fourth Ward shall include all that part of said City and Commons lying South of St. Clair street and North of Thomas street, and shall he known and called as Thomas WanL The Filth Ward shall include all that part < 1 said City of Columbus, and the Commons thereof, lying South of Thomas street and North of Few streel, and shall he known and called as Few Ward. The Sixth Ward ssssshall include all that part of said City of Co- lumbus lying South of Few street, and shall be known and called as South Ward. Sec 2. And he it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and immedi ately after the passage of this Act, the Mayor j and Members of the City Council if said City of Columbus, or a majority of them, shall pro ceed to designate the place in each Ward at which the election for Mayor and Aldermen j shall he held, on the first Saturday in January, 1333, and on the first Saturday in every I January thereafter; and that after such j places are so designated as aforesaid, the said 1 Mayor and Members of the City Council shail give notice thereof in the public gazettes of the said City of Columbus, and shall also advertise the same at the place selected fir holding such election in each of saul Wa'ds. Provided that nothing in this Act contained shall he so construed as to prevent the Mayor and Aldermen, hereafter to be elected, from changing the place of holding said elec- whenever the same shall become con veiuent or necessary, so that no place beyond the limits of any such Ward be selected. And provided also that whenever any such change shall be made, notice thereof shall be given in tiie manner before pointed out in tms Act. | Sec. J. And be it father enacted by the authority aforesaid, That on the lirsl Satur day in January, in the year 1833, and on the lirst Saturday m January in every year there after, there .-shall be elected in each Ward of said City, two Aldermen by the Citizens ol such Ward, entitled to vote for members of the State Legislature, and that the persons | receiving the nig.iest number of votes shall I he declared duly elected, in the manner here after pointed out. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted by the • authority aibresaid, Tnat no person shall be i eligible to the office ol Alderman of the said City of Columbus, who shall not have resided one year in the State and six months in the said County of Muscogee, immediately pre j ceding the election, and who shall not, at the ■ time of his election, be a Citizen residing in I the Ward from which he shall be chosen; and who shall not have paid all Corporation Taxes which may have been legally required of him. And such Aldermen hereafter to he i elected shall, before they enter upon the du ; ties of their office, take and subscribe the oath | now prescribed to members of the City Coun cil tin* the said City of Columbus. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted by the J authority aibresaid, That at the places and | times of holding elections in the several j Wards in the said City of Columbus, for Al- I dermen thereof, there shall be a separate poll I held for Mayor, and that ail persons residing ; within the corporate limits of said City shall : vote at the respective Wards for Mayor ; | and that the person receiving the highest | number of all the votes given in at all of the Wards, when the same shall be consolidated, | shall be declared, by the Managers of said elections, duly elected. Sec. O'. And be it further enacted I>y the authority aforesaid, That two freeholders in each Ward shall act as Managers, in their respective Wards, of slid election, neither o whom shall themselves he a candidate for 1 .Mayor or Alderman ; and that after the I Polls in their respective Wards shall he closed, ; which shall he done by four o’clock, P. M., the said Managers shall compare the votes given in for Aldermen ; and the person re ceiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected ; and that the said Managers of the election at the respective Wards, shall meet at the City Hall, in said City of Colum bus, and consolidate the votes given in at. tiie respective Wards for M ayor, and the person receiving the greatest number of votes shall he declared duly elected Mayor ; and shall, before he enters upon the duties of the office, take and subscribe the oaffi now prescribed tor the Mayor of said City, and that the said I Mayor and Aldermen shall remain in office j until their successors shall be elected and | qualified. Sec. 7. And be it further ennefed by the! authority aforesaid, That tlir*said Managers! of the elections, at the several Wards in the! said City of Columbus, shall have full power! and authority to administer to persons, offer-j ing to vote at any of said Wards, the follow- j ingoath or affirmation : I, AB, do solemnly swear or affirm, (a the case may be,) that i ! am a citizen of the county of Muscogee, that j I have resided in the Stale of Georgia of; twelve months, and in the county of Musco gee for six months immediately preceding this date; that 1 am now a resident in Ward, n tiie said City of Columbus, and entitled to vote in the same ; that I have not on this day voted in any other Ward in said City for Al dermen, anil that I have paid ail legal Corpo ration Taxes which have been lawfully re quired of me, so help me God—which'said oath may he administered in the third person, j Sec. 8. And be it further enacted by the! authority aforesaid, That any person or per- j sons who shall or may vote for Mayor and A!-! dermen in any of said wards, without i entitled to vote for the Sana?, or who shall vote fi>r Aldermen in any ward ia which he is not entitled to vote, or who shall vote for Mavoi more than once, or for Mayor and Alderman, or for Mayor or Alderman, in more than one, shall he subject to all the pains and penalties ofthe laws of this State against illegal voting; and any person or persons having falsely, in order to vote in any of the wards of said city, for Mayor and Alderman, or for Mayor or Al derman, shall be subject to all the pains and penalties ofthe laws f this State against wil ful and corrupt perjury, arid shall and maybe prosecuted for said offences, or either of them, before tfie Superior Court of the said county of Muscogee, and the Marshall and Deputy Mi rshail hereafter to be elected and appoint-! ed, shall, in addition to the oath already pre scribed, further swear, to prosecute all per son or persons who shall to his or their knowledge so illegally vote or so falsely and i corruptly swear, lor the purpose of voting;! and that neither the said Marshall or deputy,! shall, in order to cany on such prosecution orj prosecutions, give either bond or security for; the prosecution of such offences, as now re-; quired to be given by prosecutors by the laws; ol this State. Sec. 9. And he it further ennefed by the I authority aforesaid That in case of death, re-; signal ion, removal or otherwise, the office of! Mayor of said cilv, shall become vacated, any! two or more of the Aldermen of said city, shall j order au election for Mayor to fill such va-1 cancv, which said election shall be advertised \ in the public Gazettes of said City ofColmri-i bus, and also at each ofthe places of holding! at each of the respective wards, at least ten j days before the time appointed for holding said ! j elections, and that such election shall be held! at each of the wards in the manner herein be-j fore pointed out, and that the person tobej elected shall hold his office until the next rug-1 ular election, and until his successor is sworn j and qualified, and in case any vacancy should | happen by death, resignation, removal or oth- I ervvise, of any of the Aldermen or of any Al-! dernian in any or either of (he said wards, the; ! Mayor of the said City, or onv t ■ ■> or more of j I the Aldermen of said City, may order an el- c-1 | tion to .fill such vacancy in the ward or wards j in which the same shall happen, by giving no tice thereof at the place of holding elections in j said wards, by advertising the same at least ! five days previous to holding said election and I that the person so elected shut! hold his office ! until the next general election thereafter forj j Mayor and Aldermen, and until his Successor is j elected and qualified. Sec. 10. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That ail lavvsand parts of militating against this act, be and the same are hereby repealed. JOSEPH DAY, Speaker of House of Representatives. RO3ER V iM.EOMOLS. Presi lent of the Senate. Assented to, 25th December, 1337. GEORGE R. GILMER, Governor. Secretary of State's Office, Georgia, j I certify that the foregoing is a tr e copy of an original act under seal : n this office. Giv under my hand this 27th D c.’r. 1837. W. A- TENNILLE, Secretary of State. The following are among the most im portant Acts passed by the Legislature of Georgia at the session of 1837. —A Lad show ing. An act to authorize the Justices of the Inferior Court, of ihe county of Early, to lew an extra tax, for the compensation of the Grand and Petit Jurors, of said county. An act to compensate the Grand and Petit Jurors in Talbot county. An act to amend the 2d section, of the 3d ! : article of the constitution of this State. Au act to make penal, the hireing of slavts their time, without a written or verbal author ity from owner, or persons having the right control of such slaves. Au act to alter and fix the time of holding the Superior Courts of the eastern district of this State. An act to compensate the Grand and Petit Jurors of Franklin and Habersham counties. An act to appropriate money for the sup port of Government for the political year 1833. An act to provide (or taking the Census of the State of Georgia, iu pursuance of the re quirements of ilia £sih section of the Ist ar ticle of the Constitution of the State of Georgia. An act further to regulate the mode of dis counting notes, and distributing money m the Central Bank ofthe State of Georgia. An act to compensate the Grand and Petit Jurors of Cobh county, and to authorize the Inferior Court of said county to levy an extra tax for that purpose. An act to repeal the 4th section ofthe act incorporating the Marine and Fire Insurance Bank ofthe State of Georgia. An act to compensate the Sheriffs of Ran- dolph county for their services, in summoning Grand and Petit Jurors in said county. An act to ineoporate the stockholders of the Montgomery Rail Road Company in the town oi West Point, and to give the right o locating and using a depot on their own land, iri said town. An act to authorize the Governor and Se cretary of State, Surveyor General and Comp troller General, to correct any errors that may have taken place in issuing any Grant o* Grants, in any of the Land Lotteries of this- Slate, passed 22d December, 1887. An act to amend an act. to incorporate the Savannah Insurance and Trust Company, in the city of Macon ; and also the Insurance and Trust Company of the city of Columbus, so far as respects the Oglethorpe Insurance and Trust Company in the city of Macon. An act to alter and amend an act, entitled an act to authorize the construction of a road communication, from the Tennessee river to the point on the south-eastern hank of the Chattahoochee river, most eligible for the run ning of branch roads, thence to Athens, Mad-- ison, Miiledgeville, Forsyth and Columbus, and to appropriate money therefor, passed ow Ist December, 1537. An act to he entitled an act, to compen sate tiie Grand and Petit Jurors ofthe Supe rior anil Interior Courts ofthe counties there in named, and to provide for the payment df die same. An act to admit deeds of land to be re corded after a lapse of twelve months. An act to be entitled an act, to authorize each county in this state, to retain the Gen eral Tax, for the year 1837 and 1533, to bo applied to county purposes by the Superior i Courts. Au act (o incorporate the town of Florence, in the county of Stewart, and appoint com missioners for the same. An act to lay out and organ za anew | county, out of the counties of Houston and ! Marion, and to attach the same to the Flint ! circuit, and to the second brigade ofthe Bih j division of Georgia Militia. | An act to authorize die Directors of the j Central Bank, t<> borrow money to carry out | their promised distribution. An act to extend the time for fortunate drawers in the Gold and Land Lotteries, from the year 1818, and all subsequent lot teries, to take out their giants. An act to alter and change the time of hold ing the Inferior courts of the counties of De catur and Columbia, and also the Superior and Inferior courts of Dooly county. An act lor the pardon of Isaac W. While. An act for the pardon of Samuel \Y. i White. i An act for ihe pardon of Benjamin South. An act to amend an act to be entitled an j act to incorporate the Baptist convention of i the State of Georgia. An act to authorise grants to issue in the name ol informants and purchasers for parts of Certain lots of kind in the County of Chero kee which has been condemned as fraudu lently drawn and which has been portioned and sold under an order of the Superior court of saidreounty. An act to punish white persons for oam bling with negroes. * An act to make penal and to punish any unlawful intrusion upon or interference with, or molestation of Rail Roads in this Slate. An act to authorise ti e erection of a Lu natic A-wlum in this State. A't act to amend an act, to incorporate a banking company under the name of the Commercial Bank at Macon. An act to authorise Uriah G. Mitchell of the county of Harris, and William Rahim Shivers of Muscogee, and Charles N. Ma giile, to plead and practice law and equity in this State. An act to authorise the guardians of mi nors to receive, recover, and remove from the State of Georgia, property belonging to their wards or to which they may be entitled in cases when both guardian and minor reside without the State, and to prescribe the mode of doing the same. ! COLUMBUS PRICES CURRENT. ARTICI.E3. PRICES. j BAGGlNG—Kentucky, - - yd CO 25 aCO 28 Inverness, ...... yd CO 22 aCO 2. ; American Tow, .... yd CO 00 aOO 00 BALE ROPE, lb 00 12 aCO 14 BACON—Ham-, .... Ib CO 16 aOO 18 Sides, lb 00 10 a 00 17 Shoulders, ...... lb CO 12 a 0016 BEEF—Mess, hbl 13 00.1 15 00 Prune. - - bbl 750aQ3 OO | BUTTER—Goshen, - - - lb CO 25 aOO 31 Western j lb CO 25 aOO 37 ;OA IN DLLS—Sperm, - - - lb 00 45 aOO CO ‘Tallow, ------- lb 0015 aOO ‘2O CASTINGS, lb 600 a 700 I CHEESE—Noithern, - *• - lb CO 18 aCO 2.5 ; COTTON, - lb CO 6 aOO H i COFFEE—Havpima green, - H> CO 15 aOO Hi Rio, lb 00 121a 00 14 I FlSH—Mackerel, No. I, - - lb CO 12 aCO 14 “ “ 2, - - il> 10 CO al2 50 “ “ 3, - - ib 900a 950 11 l int's, ------ box 200 aOO OO FLOUlt—Northern, - - - Lbl 16 00 u!7 0Q Western, ... bbl 12 00 al4 Country, - - - - - - bbl 10 CO al2 0C GRAIN—Corn, bn 00 80 aCO 00 Wheat, ’ w 02 00 aOO OO GUNPOWDER, - - - - keg 700 a 800 j HIDES, lb 00 7 aCO 8 IRON, lb 00 6 aCO 7 LARD, lb 00 16a CO 18 LIME, - - cask 350 a 400 MOLASSES—N. Orleans, - gal 00 50 aCO 62 NAILS, lb 00 Bi}a 00 9j PORK —Moss, ----- lb CO ‘25 a CO 27 Prime. - - lb 00 17 aOO 23 PEPPER, lb 00 12;a 00 15 PEAS. bu 00 75 a 1 00 RAISINS, box 250 a 400 RICE, lb 00 6 aOO 00 SPIRITS —Brandy, Cognac, gai 175a 225 Peach, ------- gal 1 12;a 150 Apple, ------- gal 00 58 aOO 60 GIN —Holland, ----- gal 150 a 175 D irnsslic, ------ gal CO 62; aCO 65 RUM —Jamaica, ----- gal 177 a 225 Domestic, gal CO 60 aOO 62? WHISKEY—Irish, - - - gal 00 00 a 400 Manonsahela, ----- gal CO 65 a 103 New Orleans, ----- gal CO 62 aCO 65 SUGAR—New Orleans. - lb OO 10 aCO 12 St. Croix, lb 00 12 a 00 14 Loaf, lb CO 20 a CO 25 SALT - -- -- -- - sack SCO a 600 SOAP, - -- -- -- - ib CO Baoo IQ SHOT. - - - lb 225a 250 STEEL Cast, ----- lb 00 183a 00 25 Ger nan - - - - - * lb COCO aOO 15 Blistered, ------ lb 00 12 aOO 20 TALLOW - -- -- - lb 00 Baoo 9 TEA Green lb 100 a 150 B'ack’ lb CO 00 a CO 75 fOßACCO—first quality, - - Ib ?<? a *9 Second quality, ----- lb CO 16 aOO 2a WINE,* ------- lb 0>) 30 aOO 35 j wINES —Madeira,L. P. - - pal 3CO a 350 Sieilv Malaga, ------- cal 00 62; aOO 70 Claret, Marseilles, - - - box SCO a 600 Claret . Bordeaux, • - box 600a 790