Newspaper Page Text
(Times mtir Smtitul.
columbus, Georgia!
WEDNESDAY MORNING, DEC, 5.
Prohibitory .Legislation.
Opposition to the traffic in ardent spirits was a very
important feature in the last canvass. The advocates
of prohibition must have been uniformly unsuccessful,
or success has mado them indifferent to the cause they
professed to have so much at heart during the canvass.
Except the bill of Nichols of Clinch, making it penal
to sell or distribute liquor on election day, and the bill
es Matthews of Houston, giving Justices of the Infe
rior Courts discretionary power in issuing licenses, we
do not now remember that any action has been taken
on the subject of the retail of ardent spirits by the
General Assembly. Some excuse may be found for
this inaction on the part of the professed friends of tem
perance in the inherent difficulties of the subject. In
our Government it is impossible to enforce laws which
are in opposition to, or in advance of public sentiment,
even if they oould be pressed through the Legislature.
This, however, is not the only difficulty in the way of
prohibitory legislation. Temperance is confessedly a
moral reform, and to insure success to the movement
something more than external pressure is needed. To
these causes we attribute the disinclination of the South
ern people to prohibitory legislation, and the very poor
success which is said to have attended it in the North
ern States. The obstacles in the way of the Temper’
anceßefoim by Prohibitory laws are, therefore, inhe
rent, and no wise legislator will venture to cumber the
statute book with them.
What then ? Shall we stand still ar.d do nothing
to arrest an evil which is more injurious to public health
and morals than war, pestilence and famine combined ?
Can nothing be done to arrest it by the Legislature ?
We think somewhat may be accomplished by pendent
legislation to mitigate the evil, for the present, and grad
ually to exterminate it, but not before the pulpit, the
press and the school house have elevated the tone of
public morals very far above its present level.
High taxes on licenses will diminish the number of
groggeries, and thereby remove the temptation to get
drunk from country people and from the lower order of
city residents, and from the youth of the land and our
slave population. This would be a long step in the right
direction ; and we are surprised that this cosy and con
stitutional remedy is not pressed with more vigor by
the friends of temperance.
Liquor shops in cities are very great nuisances, bul
they do not do half the harm of cross road doggeries.
Residents of cities are in daily contact with temptation.
They drink a great deal, it is true, but very seldom get
drunk, and when they do, they are not so violent and
uproarious as country people. Tho reason is obvious.
Their systems become inured to the poisou by eontinu’
ed repetition of the dose. Not so with country people.
I* or months they are out of the reach of temptation ;
but when they do visit the district groggery they ‘‘go it
blind lose all control of themselves ; beoorne irrita
ble and contentious ; get into fights ; and often kill each
other. The inferior quality of the liquor sold at cross
roads and low city doggeries may have something to do
with this singular manifestation ; but it is very proba
ble that long continued übstinence from stimulants is the
chief cause.
Another good effect of high taxes upon retail licen
ses is the improvement of character on the part of those
who retail. This would be a very strong safeguard to
the youth of the country and the negro population.—
Add to the tax on licenses a discretionary power in the
Court to grant or withhold licenses at pleasure, espe
cially when the character of the applicant is not good,
and the cheek on the lower class of doggeries would be
almost complete.
Another check is also much needed. No license
should he granted for a less lime than one year, and
transfers of licenses ought to be sternly prohibited.
Add to these checks the prohibition suggested by
Nichols of Clinch, and we think all will he done to re
strain intemperance that can be safely attempted in the
present temper of the publio mind, unless it be to pun’
ish public drunkenness as a crime.
Education ior the People.
Messrs. Editors.— l send you a bill reported by
Lewis of Hancock “to provide for the education of the
youth of Georgia in tho rudiments of an English edu
cation. ’’ You will oblige me by publishing it in full.—
It is in my estimation the most important measure now
pending before the General Assembly. It is a source of
profound mortifica lion to eve ry patriotic eitizeuofthe
State that there are 40,000 free in Ga.who
are unable to read or write, and that this large number
of Know Nothings are yearly increasing. It would be
a great deal better if the people would educate them
selves ; but they have shown by one hundred years ex
perience that the people of Georgia are either unvvil
ling or unable to perform this great work. When it
is considered that this largo amount of ignorance is fc-lt
and represented in tho jury box, in the hall of the Le
gislature, it evidently is a matter of pressing necessity
that some adequate remedy should be provided by law
for this great and growing evil. The bill of Mr. Lew
is, if adopted, will meet the necessities of Georgia, and
in a very few years dispell the Egyptian darkness which
covers the land. I will keep you advised of the pro’
gross of the bill. In the mean time 1 commend the
bill to the consideration of your readers. Your
Milledgeville Correspondent.
a BILL
To be entitled an act to provide for the Education of the
youth of Georgia in the rudiments of au English Edu
cation.
Section Ist. Be it enacted, That at the next gener
al election for county officers, there shall be elected in
each and every county in this State, by the legal voters,
two Superintendents of Education, who shall hold their
offices for four years, or until their successors are elected
and qualified, who, together with the Ordinary of the
county, shall be, and are hereby constituted a body cor
porate and politic for the supervision and encouragement
of education, in each county in the State, with power to
sue aud be sued, and to have and to hold ali real aud per
sonal estate which may be given, granted, or bequeathed
to them, and their successors iu office, for the purpose of
education
See. 2nd. Be it further enacted, fce., That it shall be
tiie duty ol said Boards of Elucatiotj on the
Monday in January of each year to assemble at the Court
House of their respective counties, for the purpose of ex
amining all such persons as may apply to them for a li
cense to teach school in the r counties; it shall be the duty
of said Board to issue licenses to all such, and those only,
whom they shall find, after strict examination, to be com
petent to teach Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, English
Grammar aud Geography ; said Board shall keep a dock
et containing the names of all persons whom thev may
license to teach, aud the dates of their licenses ; for each
license granted they may charge dollars.
Bc. Jrd. Be it further euacted, &c, That it shall be
the du y of all licensed teachers iu * very county iu the
Biate, ou or before the day of
of each and tvery year, to make return, on oath, to sail
B tards of Education, the names, and places of resideno.-
of all their pupils, and their parents or guardians, who are
taught the br; nches of English education, enumerated in
the second sect on of this act, in their schools, and in those
r inches only ; the length of time taught and the amount
of tuition fees due for the said pupils. It
shall be the duty es said Board of Education to meet at
the Court Houses of their respective counties on the
day of of each and every year, to audit
s; id accounts ; if doubts shall arise as to the accuracy aud
justness of said accounts they shall have power to sum
men aud examine witnesses ; if they shall find them cor
rect, they shall approve them and draw an order for their
payment upon the Tax Collectors of their respective coun
tis in favor of said teachers or their order ; if they shall
and fapprove of them, they shall reject them.
Bee. 4th. Be it further enacted, &c., That if any li
censed teacher shall charge and collect tuition fees trom
the citizens of this state for teaching the branches of En
gl.sh education enumerated iu the second section of this
act, he or they shall forfeit his or their licenses, and be
subject to an indictment for misdemeanor, and on convic
tion shall be fined in a sum not less than one hundred,
nor more than five hundred dollars.
Sec. sth. Be it further enacted, That it shall be
the duty of said Board of Education, on or before the
day of of each and every
year, to transmit to the Executive office a certified list of
all the pupils in their respective counties who have beeu
returned as provided for iu the third section of this act. —
Upon receipt of said lists, it shall be the duty of the Gov
ernor for the time being to consolidate said lists, and, upon
ascertaining the amount due to the lieecsed teachers for
tuition fees as aforesaid, to assess a tax upon the Btate tax
of each couiry in the State of sufficient amount to pay
the tuition fees due the licensed teachers in said county
as aforesaid, provided the 6ame does not exceed one hun
dred per cent, upon the State tax ; and if said assessment
shall not raiae a sufficient amount ol money to pay the
tuition fees of all the licensed teachers in the St te, the
Governor shall make a further assessment upon the gen
eral State tax of sufficient amount to pay the same in full,
without reference to counties; provided, moreover, that
no county in the State shall be taxed more than one hun
dred per cent, on the State tax. The tax assessors and
collectors of each and every county in the State shall as
-Bess and collect, and account for the same as for other
State taxes.
Sec. 6*h. Be it further enacted, &c., That when the
taxes collected in any county in the State for educational
purposes are insufficcnt to pay orders of the Board of Ed
ucat on, in their respective counties, for tuition fees as
aforesaid, said orders shall be presented and paid at the
Treasury of the State.
S“c. 7th. Be it further enacted, &e., That the orders of
the Boards of Education paid by Tax Coll ctors shall be
received as cash from the Tax Collectors of the different
counties of the State in the settlement of their accounts
with the State Treasury and shall be accounted for as
cash.
Sec Bth. Be it further enacted, &c., That the preseut
Poor School system is hereby abolished, and the Poor
Sehool funds of the State are hereby me ged in the com
mon fund of the State, and may he used in the payment
of the ordinary expenses of Government.
Sec. 9th. Be it further enacted, &c., That this system
of common school education shall take effect from and after
the first day of January, 185
Seo. 10th. Be it further enacted, &e., That all laws and
parts of laws militating against the provisions of this act
are hereby repealed.
“Ware-House” Set Right.
In your weekly issue of the 27th November, is a com
munication signed “Ware-House,” in which Mr. Ren
froe, Senator from Chattahoochee, is taken to task for
the verbiage of a bill introduced by him into the Senate
whioo is reported by your correspondent to be “a bill
to prevent Ware-Housemen in the city of Columbus
from charging storage to planters after the sale of their
cotton,” and suggesting that “to mako his bill effective,
he should substitute buyer for Ware-Houseman” in
his bill.
By reference to the bill introduced by the Senator
from Chattahoochee, we find that we have not reported
its provisions accurately. The first section of the bill is
in these words :
“ Be it enacted , cj-c.—lt shall be unlawful for any
Ware-house man, or those employed by them, or Cot
ton Buyers , to charge and exact of farmers, or others,
ny storage upon cotton that has already been sold and
disposed of by the farmer or his agent.”
The second section of the bill makes it a misdemean
or, punishable by a fine of twenty dollars per bale, for
every bale upon which storage is so charged.
We hope this explanation wiil satisfy your correspon
dent “Ware-House” that the Senator from Chattahoo
chee knows what he is about, and that his bill is broad
enough to cover the whole supposed evil it is intended
to remedy.
We will further add that in our brief reports of the
Bubst|j}ce of the various bills introduced in*o the two
Houses it is impossible for us in the limited space allow
ed us to give a bare outline of the more important fea
tures. Please publish the foregoing and oblige your
Milledgeville Correspondent.
Private and Local Legislation.
dn your tri-weekly of the 30th ult., after giving an
account of a “local and private bill/’ which we intended
to be a burlesque upon this kind of Legislation, you
make us say “such legislation is indispensable .” Please
insert the word intolerable in place of “indispensable, ’’
and oblige your
Milledgeville Correspondent.
Accident to Gen’l Bethnne.
We are deeply pained to announce that, on Monday
last, a Rerious accident was sustained by Gen’l James
N. Bethune, Editor of the “Corner Stone.” He was
returning home from a visit to his brother, residing be
low the city, and when near Col. Woolfolk’s plantation,
the horse he was driving took fright from some cause,
and began to kick furiously, during which the General
received two or three terrible blows, fracturing a leg
badly, and otherwise bruising his person. Although
severely fraetured, it is however hoped that amputation
of the limb will not be found necessary.
The Georgia Annudl Conference of the M. E. Church
J w : ll be held this year in LaGrange, commencing on the
12th of December.
Appointed. —Seymour R. Bonner and Michael N.
Clarke, of Columbus, Ga., have been appointed by the
Government, IT. S. Commissioners for Georgia, to take
testimony in relation to judicial matters in other States.
The Know Nothings of Sumter lately elected a Justice
of the Peaoe in that county. The Americus Republi
can considers it a ticlory.
A d : spateh from Washington states that no decision
respecting the three million drafts drawn by Santa Anua
upon the Mexican Government has yet been made, and
it is believed none will be made at present.
Death of an Old Citizen. —The Hon. Henry V.
Chamberlain, an aged and honond eitiznof Mobile,
died there on Saturday evening last, hav ng attained to
his 79th year.
Democratic Convention. —The 1 8th of December is
the day proposed fur the Democratic Convention to
assemble at Milledgeville to appoint delegates to the
Cincinnati National Convention.
The yellow fever still prevails sightly in Canton,
Miss. Two or three new cases made their appearance
there last week.— Mobile Register , 2 d.
Georgia Legislature.
SENATE.
Milledgeville, Dec. 1.
The Senate met at 10 o’clock A. M.
The journal of yesterday was read. Miller of
moved to rec onsider the action of the Senate on the bill to
incorporate the Athens Banking company. After a lengthy
discussion of two hours, the motion prevailed: yeas 43,
nays 41.
Upon a call cf counties the following new matter was
introduced :
Adams of Clay: A bill to allow James T. Boyd, a rr.i
nor, of the county of Randolph, to lake charge of his
estate.
Chastain of Fannin : A bill to prevent tho obstruction of
the free passage of fish in Toccoa river.
Cone of Greene: A bill to incorporate a bank to be call
ed the Bank of Greensboro. Also, a bill to incorporate the
town of Greensboro.
Fambro of Upson : A bill to compel the Superintendent
of the Western and Atlantic Railroad to sell all old iron,
et cetera, which become useless on said Road at public
outcry. Also, a resolution calling upon the Executive for
information as to the amount of iron sold, to whom, and at
what price, by the Superintendent of the Western and At
lantic Railroad since last session.
Hays of Early: A bill to give State aid to the South-
Western Railroad company, to the amount of $500,000, on
certain conditions.
King of Sumter: A bill to make adultery on the part of
the wife work a forfeiture of dower; and abandonment for
three years on the part of the husband work a forfeiture ol
all interest in the wife’s property.
Lawton of Dougherty: A resolution requiring the call of
counties to be made only on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Long of Glynn: A resolution inquiring of the House if
they can not adjourn on the 12th December; which was
taken up and passed
Murphy ofDeKalb: A bill changing a precinct in De-
Kalb county.
Sims of Decatur: A bill to incorporate the “Southern
Bank ol Georgia,” to be located at Bainbridge, Ga.
Ware of Polk : A resolution requesting the Governor to
furnish a clock for the use of the Senate.
The bill making changes in county lines was made the
special order for Monday next.
The Senate adjourned to 10 o’clock Monday morning.
SENATE.
Milledgeville, Dec. 3.
The Senate met at 10 o’clock A. M.
The President being absent, on motion of Lawson of
B irke, Cone of Bullock was called to the chair. The
journal ofSaturday was read and approved.
Lawson of Burke, stated that it would be out of the pow
er cf the President of the Senate to be in his seat for several
and lys, and at his motion, the Senate proceeded to the elec
tion of a President pro tem. ; which resulted in the choice
of Miller of Richmond, by an almost unanimous vote.
The resolution of Lawton of Dougherty, requiring the
call of counties to be made only on Tuesdays and Fridays,
was taken up and adopted.
Cone of Greene, as temporary chairman of the Judiciary
committee, reported upon several bills which had been re
ferred to that committee.
Cone of Greene, Lawson of Burke, and Grant of Wal
ton, were appointed a committee on weights of grain.
The special order being the House bill to give the elec
tion of the Attorney General and Solicitors General to the
people, and to give to the .Courts the power to change
names, legitimate children, change and establish precincts,
and establish ferries and bridges, was taken up and con
sidered.
Murphy ofDeKalb, moved to amend the House bill by
inserting that part of the act of the last session, which was
stricken out in the House, taking away lrom the Legisla
ture and giving to the Courts “power to grant corporate
powers and privileges, except to Banking, Telegraph and
Railroad companieswhich, after some discussion, was
withdrawn.^
Spalding of Mclntosh, moved to strike out the 2d section
of the bill conferring upon the Courts and taking away from
the Legislature the power to change names, legitimate chil
dren, &c., which motion was lost.
The report of the committee was agreed to, and the bill
as amended by the House, passed by a vote of yeas 73,
nays 9.
On motion of Atkinson of Camden, the rules were sus
pended for the purpose of taking up all resolutions on the
taDle of the Senate.
The resolution of Atkinson of Camden, instructing our
Senators and requesting our Representatives in Congress to
urge up3n the Federal Government the importance of estab
lishing a Naval depot at the port of Brunswick, was taken
up. t
Spalding of Mclntosh, moved tq amend the resolution by
striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting the
resolution offered by himself urging upon Congress the im
portance of establishing a Naval depot on the coast of
Georgia, and asking fora United Stages survey for that
purpose, which motion was lost: yeas 27, nays 54. The
resolution of Atkinson ol Camden, was then adopted. It
was regarded by the friends of Brunswick as a decided
triumph.
The resolution of McDonald of Ware, fixing the hours
of meeting of the Senate at 9 A. M. and 3 P. M., was laid
on the table.
The resolution of Wales of Muscogee, instructing the
committee on the Judiciary to bring in a bill providing for
the appointment of a public Administrator for each county,
was adopted.
The resolution of Pope of Wilkes, to refer that portion of
the Governor’s Message relating to the Public Printing, to
a committee ot one from each Congressional district, was
adopted.
The resolution of Peebles ofClarke, ins'ructjngthe com
mittee on Internal Improvements to bring in a bill provid
ing lor the sale of the State Railroad, was in
definitely.
The resoiution of McMillan of Habersham, providing
fora committee to revise the constitution and laws of the
State and report w’ at changes are necessary, was taken up.
Cone of Greme, moved to amend by providing for the
codification of the laws of the State. Resolution and
I amendment were laid on the table lor the present.
| The resolution of Sims of Decatur, proviiing ior the ap
; pointment of a committee to examine and leport upon the
| State Road, was lost.
The resolution of Swinnev of Kincha r oonee, instructing
our Senators and Representatives in Congress to urge upon
the Post Office Department the importance of establishing
a two horse hack mail route from Americui to Eufaula,
was adopted.
‘ Another resolution calling for a committee to examine
the State Road,w’as postponed indefinitely.
The resolution of Cone of Greene, altering the rules of
the Senate, was postponed indefinitely.
The resolution of Ware of Polk, instructing the Governor
to furnish three copies of Cobb’s Forms to Folk county, was
adopted.
A resolution fixing the times cf meeting of the Senate at
9 o’clock A. M., and of adjournment at 2 o’clock P. M.,
was laid on the table for the balance of the session, alter
much time consumed in its discussion.
A resolution of Pope of Wilkes, limiting speeches to 15
minutes and Senators to one speech, except by consent,
was postponed indefinitely.
A resolution of Shropshire of Chattooga, instructing
committees to report as soon as convenient, was, on motion
of the mover, indefinitely postponed.
Peebles of Clarke, reported from the committee on In
ternal Improvements, a bill as a substitute for the bill to
give State aid to the Brunswick Railroad. The report was
received and the bill ordered to be printed, and made the
special order for Thursday next.
The resolution of Fambro of Upson, calling upon the
Governor for information about the sale of old iron on the
State Road, was adopted.
The resolution of McMillan of Habersham, raising a
committee to whom to refer that portion of the Governor’s
Message relating to the Western and Atlantic Railroad,
was adopted.
A message was received from the Governor giving infor
mation asked by the Senate, in relation to the Atlanta
Bank.
Messrs. Pope of Wilkes, Atkinson of Camden, Wales of
Muscogee, Gibson of Pike, Murphy of DeKalb, Dabney of
Gordon, McMillan ofHabersham, and Wingfield of Put
nam, constitute the committee of one from each Congress
ional district to whom was referred that portion of the
Governor’s Message relating to public printing.
The Senate adjourned to 3 o’clock P. M.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Crook of Chattooga: The bill for the pardon of Mercer,
deferred until Thursday next.
The report of the Financial committee was taken up and
deferred for the present.
The bill to change certain county lines, all changes un
important, was taken up and passed.
The resolution of the House making enquiries of the
Governor as to the propriety of abolishing the office of
Surveyor General, and of transferring the duties thereof to
the office ol Secretary of State, was lost.
The resolution of the House appointing a joint commit
tee of the two Houses to equalize the labors of the Judges
of the Superior Courts, was adopted.
The resolution of the House appointing a joint commit
tee of the two Houses to inquire and report what number of
clerks are required, was laid on the table, a joint committee
having been already appointed.
The House resolution appointing a joint committee of the
two Houses to inquire into the condition and management
of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, was taken up. The
opposition urged w’ith some vehemence the appointment of
the committee. Cone of Greene, particularly urged the
appointment of the committee upon the ground that during
the late election, charges of mismanagement were rife, and
that it was due to the Executive and to the State that they
should be investigated. The friends of the Executive, led
by Long ol Glynn, contended in reply, that the charges had
been passed upon by the people and the management of the
Road sustained; furthermore, that the committee in the
limited time allowed for investigation, could make no dis
coveries, and that it was a useless expenditure of time and
money to send a committee up the Road, who would re
turn not quite so wise as when they left. There was, besides,
no charge of mismanagement preferred. If a committee was
appointed, they ought to have time to report, after careful in.
vestigation of the affairs of the Road, and therefore, urged
the appointment of a committee of citizens to examine the
affairs of the Road and report to the next General Assem
bly. There was, however, no great unanimity among the
partisans. Peebles of Clarke, and Cone of Bullock, agreed
in the opinion that very little good could come of the ap
pointment of the committee, and that the best thing to be
done with the Road was to get clear of it. Cone of Bul
lock, moved to lay the resolution on the table and be made
the special order for Friday next, which was lost.
Lawton, of Dougherty, moved to postpone indefinitely
the resolution.
Gibson, of Pike, opposed the indefinite postponement.—
He did not feel disposed to shrink from investigation of the
management of the State Road. If there was ’any thing
wrong he was willing to have it exposed. It he however
had any definite information of mismanagement, he would
not bring it before the General Assembly by way of reso
lutions of enquiry; but in the form of direct charges, and
he thought it the duty of Senators who had such informa
tion, il there were any such, to give the information to the
Senate.
Pope, of Wilkes, demanded the investigation sought, in
the name of the officers of the Road and of the people of
Georgia. This was no party question. All parties were
equally interested in the investigation. He wanted to know
why the Road had never paid money into the treasury. If
it was incapable of making money, he wanted to know it,
and to sell it.
Buchanan, ol Coweta, hoped the question would not as
sume a party aspect. No question had hitherto been so deci
ded. There was precedent for the committee,but the resolu
tion calling for it was defective ; it was a sort of omnium
gatherum. No committee could discharge the duties impo
sed by the resolution in one month. Senators were not stnt
here to go out of the Senaie chamber, the appropriate field
of their labors, to examine bridges, culverts, embankments,
cars, freight lists, and depot buildings, of which they knew
nothing. Jf Senators desirod information, let them call
on the officers of the road for it. If anything was wrong
in the information obtained, he would then go for a com
mittee. He was opposed to appointing a committee, like
the French King, to march up the hill and then march
dowu again.
Murphy, of DeKalb, argued that tho committee could
give no reliable information on the subject ?of the State
Road. They would doubtless ride over the road and come
back as wise as they went. The management of the State
Road was in safe hands, and until some charge was made
he should not appoint committe es of investigation. He
was not tender footed, and should not comply with unrea
sonable requests far tear of being charged with being ten
der looted. Let specific charges be first made by respon
sible men, and then it would be time enough to appoint
committees of investigation He would not vote for the
sale of the State Road. It was in as good, if not better
hands, than it ever was. If gentlemen hoped to place the
road io such hands as that charges would not be made ’on
the eve of an election, of mhmanagemeut, they would
all die as soon as the election was over. If any officer on
the road had done wrong, let charges oe preferred against
him, and he would willingly investigate them.
Hill, of Harris, thought there was a disposition to shrink
from invest'gaiioa. Charges had leen made of partiality,
and they ought to be investigated.
The motion of Lawton, of Dougherty, to postpone in
definitely, was lost.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mii.ledgevjlle, Dec. 3.
The House met at 9! o’clock A. M., Milledge, of Rich
mond, in the Chair.
NEW BILLS.
Bradford of Cobb: A bill to require subpoenas from Jus
tices Cojjts to be served 10 days before the sitting of the
Court
Teihune, of Floyd: A bill to extend the lieu of me
chanics ; also a bill to allow damages for the institution of
frivolous suits; also a bill giviDg Sheriffs ten days longer
time than is now allowed for serving writs, processes and
bills.
Hudson, of Harris: A bill to alter and establish fees of
clerks, sheriffs, ordinaries, justices of the peace and jailors.
Matthews, of Houston: A bill vestiug in the Justices of
the Inferior Courts of the several counties, discretionary
power over licenses to retail spirituous liquors.
Tatom, of Lincoln: A bill ,to incorporate the Goshen
Mining Company.!
King, of M’lntosh: A bill to appropriate $20,000 to im
prove the navigation of the Ahamaha and Ocmulgee riv
ers.
Jones, of Muscogee: A bill to allow certain persona
therein named to build a bridge over Chattahoochee river
in the city of Columbus, provided they vvill convey the
same free of charge to the corporate authorities.
Lewis, of Hancock: A local bill.
Kirkpatrick of Spalding: A bili'to incorporate the Griffin
Mutual Loan Association.
The Committee appointed to investigate the subject, re
ported in favor of appropriating S2OOO to Dr. B. J. Head
for services rendered the citizens of Oglethorpe during the
prevalence of small pox there in 1853.
Johnson, of Elbert: A bill to change the line between
Elbert and Hart counties.
BILLS DISroSED OF FINALLY.
The bill to allow Dr. Roberts of Carroll to practice
medicine, was weighed down with amendments and then
postponed indefinitely.
The bill lor the relief of certain securities on a forfeited
recognizance was lost.
The bill legalizing the incorporation of the Columbus
and Muscogee Building and Loan Associations was pass
ed.’
After disposing of sundry local business, the House ad
journed to 10 o’clock to-morrow morning.
Excitement in New Orleans.
New Orleans, Deo. 1.
The whole Fire Department, numbering thirty com
f panies, disbanded to day, on aocount of non-payment of
, appropriations and other slights of the Government.
Twenty-nine companies marched to Lafayette Square,
, with bells tolling, and delivered their apparatus into the
hands of the city.
) The city is thus left totally without protection in case
sos a fire, and much feeling exists.
Maj. J. Buford, of Eufaula, Ala., proposes to start
For Kansas by the 20th of February next, and is now
engaged in raising means to carry out two hundred
emigrants fit for military service.
Affairs in Nicaragua.
W. J. How’ard, Esq., who arrived at Galveston on Fri
day last, in the steamship Charles Morgan, from this port,
(N. O.) on his return from California, via ihe Nicaragua
route, furnished the Galveston News with some informa
tion as to the state ot affairs in Nicaragua. The News
says:
Mr. Howard informs us that Gen. Walker is universally
popular, not only with his own soldiers, but even more so
with the natives, who express the most unbounded confi
dence in his capacity and patriotism. He is said to be ex
tremely modest and affable in his manners, and wiihal a
man ol undoubted courage and sagacity. He took Gren
ada, a city of fifteen or sixteen thousand inhabitants, with
only fifty men. But he had many friends in the city, and
at the time of his attack, all the troops had left. Walker’s
loss was only one man, while fifteen of the natives were
killed in the attack.
Mr. Howard is of opinion, from w hat he could learn,
that negotiations were going on between Col. H. L Kin
ney and the Transit Company, which will probably result
in a compromise of their differences.
Mr. H. informs us that when he left Nicaragua, the
country appeared to be quietly settled dow T n under the go*
vernment established by Gen. Walker, there being no ap
pearance of opposition from anv quarter whateve?.
Gen. Walker is now offering SIOO per month and a land
bounty of 500 acres for services during euch tim* as he
may need them.
Prospect of Peace.
... ... New York, Dec. 2.
A dispatch from Berlin, received in Liverpool previous
to the sailing of the last steamer, states positively that pre
liminaries are being arranged at Brussels, with the assent of
Russia, for the resumption of peace negotiations. Russia
has prohibited the exportation of breadstuff* from her do
minions.
Reported Death of Senator Douglas.
New York, Nov. 30.
A report has reached this oity that Senator Douglas is
dead. It is believed to be unfounded
From California.
New York, Nov. 30.
The George Law has arrived, bringing nearly two mil
lions iu gold dust. She br ngs no news of interest.
Presidency of Mississippi College —We learn that the
Board of I rustees of Mississippi College, at Clinton, Miss
a r and c , meeting, unanimously elected Rev. P. H. MelJ *
of Penfield, Ga ,to the Presidency of that Institution.—
Ihe well known qualifications ol this gentleman to such a
post demonstrate the judiciousness of the selection.—Chris
tian Index.
Virginia Conference.— The regular Annual Session
of the Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, will convene at the Washington -street Methodist
Church in this city, to-day at Oo’clock, A. M.
Ihe Rev. James Osgood Andrew, D. D., one of the
Bishops of the M. E. Church, South, will preside. The
Rev. Bishop Early of Lynchburg, is also expected to be
present.
A large number of ministers have already arrived in the
city ; and as the weather is pleasant, and the facilities for
reaching the city ample and convenient, it is expected the
attendance will be unusually large.—Petersburg Express
of the 28 th tilt.
CET*In New'Orleans, lately, a man named Hunter has
been sentenced to pay a fine of one thousand dollars, un
dergo an imprisonment of six months, and forfeit certain
slaves w'hom he illegally sold in such a manner as to sepa
rate the mother from child, contrary to the laws of Louisi
ana.
Murder. — A most atrocious and shocking murder was
committed in this county, (savs the Euiaula Ala Spirit of
the South,) a few days since, bv a negro man belonging
to one of our citizens, Mr. Nat. Roach. He attempted to
execute a previous threat of killing his wife, and thought
that he had succeeded in taking her life, when a little
daughter of Mr. \ ining, to whom the man and his wife
were hired, ran up, whom the negro instantly knocked
down with an axe, and then stamped her to death. There
is great excitement in the community and some talk of
burning the perpetrator of the horrid deed. Burning is
what he deserves, but the law is amply sufficient to repay
vengeance upon such deeds, and the offender should be pla
ced in its hands.
A Woman Swimming the Mississippi. —Lloyd’s forth
coming Steamboat D’.rt ctory gives a thrilling instance of
th-j necessity for women knowing how to swim. When
tha ill-fated Ben Sherrod was in flames on the Mississip-
river, and the lady passengers who had thrown lh m
seives into the water were drowning'arouud the boat, the
w.fe of Captain Castlcman jumped into the river, with
her infant in her arms, aud swam ashore, a distance of
half a mile, being the only woman saved out of sixteen.
She bad learned to swim wher. a girl.
The reason why man was made after everything else
was bec-aue if he had been created first, he would have
annoyed the Almighty by endlets suggestions of improve
ment.