The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-05 00:00:00

Miscellaneous American News.

A telegram from New York, dated Jan. 26, an-
nounces that President Johnson has approved the
bill for re-assembling Congress on the 4th March

next.

When the steamer Fashion, on the Mississippi
river, was discovered to be on fire she was run
aground about seven miles above Baton Rouge, so

that the people upon the bow could leap on shore.
The fire raged in the middle of the boat about the
boilers, preventing those in the after part from
escaping by the bow. The women then in a frantic
state of despair threw their children into the river,

and sprang in after them. The commander, Cap-
tain Pratt, and Mr. Hastings, the chief mate, suc-
ceeded in rescuing many of those struggling in the
water, clinging to chairs and fragments of wood

which had been thrown overboard, by means of a
small boat. There were about 300 passengers on
board, of whom about 50 were drowned.
Mayor Hoffman stated in his message that the
total funded debt of New York city is $30,642,076,
and of the county $11,809,100—total $42,142,176,
which, substracting the sinking fund, is reduced to

$30,901,878. Of this, $11,000,000 are for the
Croton Water-works, $10,000,000 for the Central-

park, and $14,445,000 for expenses growing out of

the war.

The tax levy of last year was

$16,950,767, of which $Bll,OOO were for salaries,
$501,000 for street cleaning, $763,000 for lamps
and gas, and $5,271,000 for police, board of health,
asylums, and the support of the county govern-
ment. The Mayor thinks an immense amount of

personal property escapes taxation entirely, and
that if it could be got at, it would reduce the rate at
least one-half. The Mayor says that while in
theory New York is governed by the Mayor and
city council—in fact it is not, and he hopes for a
change on the meeting of the state convention. He
recommends the improvement of the wharves and
piers, the extension of Fifth Avenue through
Washington-square, and of Centre-street to Fourth
Avenue, to relieve the press of travel, and laments
the widening of Ann-street, and the want of

markets in the city.
The Protestant Episcopal Church of the United
States embraces 2,306 parishes, having 2,530 clergy-
men and 161,225 lay members. The contributions
of the Church, for charitable purposes, during 1866,

amounted to nearly $4,000,000.
The scheme to restore salmon to the rivers of
New Hampshire, operations under which wore be-
gun two years ago, is considered successful. Pro-
fessor Agassiz recommends that the various dams be
so constructed as to admit of the free passage of she
fish. Spawn deposited in Baker's River, a short

time since, is hatching.
The receipts of the New York Tribune for the
first week in January amounted to $62,869,98.

Subscriptions to American newspapers are generally
renewed in January. Nevertheless, the Tribune's
return is a large one.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill
prohibiting any person who took part in the rebel-

lion from practising at law.
Tennessee has rejected in its Legislature a bill to
establish free schools. Upon which an exchange
remarks :—"Until the Tennesseeans learn that a
popular government is based upon popular intelli-
gence, and regard free schools as more necessary
than a militia force or a loyal legislature, they may
expect constant disorder and inveterate disloyalty."
An invoice of twelve fierce-looking Camanches,
in-
tended for the French Exhibition, has been received
in New York. The Camanches are to be lodged dur-
ing their stay at some high and strong-barred hold,
say the place used as the tarrying place of United
States witnesses at the Tombs. How they can be
taken with safety to themselves and the rest of
mankind to Europe is more than an ordinary mind
can determine.
A later despatch from Fort Laramie says the re-
cent massacre of United States troops by Indians
did not occur near the old Fort Kearney, but in the
vicinity of Fort Philip Kearny, Dacotah territory.
The latter is situated at the fork of the two piney
creeks, in the centre of the mountain districts of
the military department of the Platte, and in the
heart of the region occupied by the hostile tribes,
the Sioux and the Cheyennes. Its defence consists
of a well-made stockade of timber, pierced with
loop-holes for musketry. At two of the corners
were block houses of timber logs, 18 inches in dia-
meter. It is thought that the post was captured by
treachery, as the force there should have been able to
stand a siege, and it seems hardly possible that it
couldth the
manifested
otherhave been
htahnedi atr
phteurs eadv
hostilityabgty Indian
ehsatihave
is it edifficult
iaoffis scauullt t.
to On
constantlys e e
how the troops could have been beguiled into any
relaxation of vigilance.
We notice the followinge, in the Nation:—

"Amongst the laws of North Carolina is a statute
disfranchising all persons who have been guilty of
larceny and similar offences, and have been punished
therefore by whipping. In order to head off,' as
is
ehissaeid, any actiontalenegroes,thoef Congress
whiteeoft tending to
a enfra
retakinng-
eveof vrayropportunityeorfi
ma reree, s
at iondg
etehnet
emn,
ccioengv itcht
them
neig ttoh ebme
publicly whipped. This is occurring in all parts of
the State, and an army officer asserts that the sub-
jectsen aits efreelyandHouse
sucsuesseefdcamongst
,t hoe
eme eomf b etrhsem of
rt he
_e
marking, on one occasion :—' We are licking them
in our part of the State, and if we keep on we can
lick them all by next year, and none of them can
vote.' Says the officer mentioned above I
cannot resist the conviction that there is a deliberate
and general purpose to seize negroes, procure con-
victions for petty offences punishable at the whip-
ping-post, and thus disqualify them for ever from
voting in North Carolina, whatever may bo the
future action of the nation.'"
A colony of 3,000 freedmen are about to settle in
lands granted by the Government at New Smyrna,
Florida. Six hundred freedmen have already left
Charleston for the new Liberia.
In a letter to Secretary Stanton, General Howard
presents some estimates of the number of blacks in
the South at the present time, which are compared
as follows with the census of 1860 :-
1860. D0c.1866.
North Carolina ... 361,522 361,522
350,373 350,373
••
1....
56428„697077
56020„060707
Louisiana
Florida ...
443172:432040
432750:000000
Virginia
141861285:,965269381
241000000,:000000000
mSoiu:sthissCipapioilina
111,259 100,000
Arkansas
Georgia
Missouri ••• ••• •••
Texas ... •••
Tennessee ...
283,019 300,000
••• "'
The coloured population of Mississippi, as printed
in the letter, is 320 ; but as General Howard speaks
of only a " slight," decrease in this State, there is
evidently a mistake which needs correction. From
the foregoing figures it appears that there has been
a good deal of shifting and much presumable loss
among the blacks. The Gulf States have contributed
to fill up Texas and Tennessee, where an urgent
demand for labour, on the one hand, and a loyal
Government on the other, offered a refuge from
idleness, precarious pay, persecution, and wicked
laws. Kansas and lowa have drained Missouri and
Arkansas ; Maryland and the District of Columbia,
and indirectly the entire North, have lightened Vir-
ginia. Louisiana may have parted with some of
her blacks, but must also have received many, act-
ing, perhaps, as a sieve to Texas. The emigration
to Florida will be more apparent hereafter. Alto-
gether, about 225,000 blacks are accounted for in
the States enumerated. The natural increase in the
past six years would have been about 350,000, and
allowing that 100,000 will represent the number
who have removed to, and still inhabit, States not
included in the list above, we have a deficit of

nearly have a million of coloured people, whom war,
want, anarchy, and a fictitious peace under liberty
have repressed or destroyed. And this figure would
undoubtedly be swelled from the statistics of Ala-
bama and Kentucky.

It is gatifyng to record the resuscitation of
Southern cities from the prostrating effects of the
late war. Atlanta was, perhaps, that city most ex-
posed to all its horrors, the point aimed at by con-
tending armies, and the centre around which were
fought the fiercest battles. The advantages of posi-
tion which tend most to the prosperity of a city in
times of peace, are those which make it the object
of generals to secure, for strategical purposes in
times of war; and it is therefore probable that
where the fight raged hottest, the recovery will be
quickest. The New Era says: " The unprecedented
growth of Atlanta is the wonder of all who visit it.
Our advancement is almost incredible. The
people have quitted the arena of politics,
and are giving their undivided attention
to more substantial and honourable matters—to
wit, the building up of a great flourishing city.
Merchants, mechanics, physicians, lawyers, young
men and old, are all working unitedly and faithfully
for this important and desirable end. We have
resolved to build up a first-class city in every parti-
cular, and no power short of the Great Ruler of
events can prevent it. In five years at the furthest,
Atlanta will be to the South what St. Louis is to the
mighty West."