The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-30 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS AMEEICAN NEWS.

Late news from Connecticut informs us that the
new reservoir at West Hartford is nearly completed,
and the water will be let into the city immediately.
It holds 212,000,000 gallons, and is 250 feet above
the level of the Connecticut river. General James
N. Palmer of New Haven, died at Hartford on
Saturday, Sept. 29. He was a highly respectable
citizen, and for many years surveyor general of the
state. Edward Malley has purchased for $60,000
the property on the corner of Temple and Chapel-
streets, at New Haven, for many years the resi-
dence of Augustus R. Street and Admiral Foote,
and will erect a fine block on the lot, which will
be the largest and most elegant building in the
city. Dr. A. Hill, of Norwalk, has recently patented
a process by which ineffaceable painting can 131
done on marble. The colours are fixed as perma-
nently as they are in stained glass, and the pro-
cess of applying them is said to be simple and rapid
of execution. A plan is in process to dam the
Housatonic river at Birmingham, and secure one
of the finest water powers in New England. • The
company chartered for the purpose in 1864, are
now trying to commence operations on $400,000
capital, of which Birmingham will raise one-half.
It is estimated that the annual rental of water will
amount to $BO,OOO, or 20 per cent. on the cost of
the works. The gross receipts from premiums of
the Hartford insurance companies for August
amount to $564,892. The !Etna returns $251,910;
Hartford, $99,906; Phoenix, $82,960 ; Putman,
$36,609 ; City, $23,080 ; North American, $20,869 ;
Merchants, $19,394; New England, $11,972 ;

Charter Oak, $5,942 ; and Railway Passenger,
$12,349. Yale College has in all its departments
686 students, of whom 492 are in the academical
course, and 113 in the Sheffield scientific school.
There are 100 seniors, 117 juniors, and 126 sopho-
mores, and 149 freshmen, and the Linonian society
has 249 members, or six more than its rival, Brothers
in Unity. Senator O. S. Ferry has accepted the
appointment as orator of the Phi Beta Kappa
society of Yale College at the next commencement.
Rev. Dr. E. D. Morris, of Ohio, will deliver the
poem. The American Social Science Association,
organised at Boston about a year since, will hold
its second annual meeting at New llaven, com-
mencing on Tuesday, October 9, and continuing
two or three days. Among its members, of whom
there will be three or four hundred present, are
Presidents Woolsey of Yale, and llill of Harvard
College, and John Stuart Mill, Sir John Bowring,
and Thomas Hughes of England.
The Treasury Department has just completed the
settlement of the prize money made at the capture
of Mobile. Admiral Farragut's share of this is
$19,000. During the war eleven hundred and
forty-nine captures were made, and the amount of
prize money, after deducting the expenses of con-
demnation, is $20,501,927.69, of which one half.
goes to the captors. Fifteen millions of this amount
has been already divided. The largest amount to
any individual, from one capture, is $28,000 to
Captain Baine. The largest amount to one indi-
vidual, from all captures, is $129,000 to Captain
S. F. Lee.

We hear from Berlin, Oct. 20, that the Israelites

inhabiting the States belonging to the Northern
Confederation, are signing a monster petition, pray-
ing that they should be placed on a footing of per-
fect civil equality with the other citizens. Count
Bismarck is expected to resume his functions in
a fortnight.
An exchange says :—Fred. Douglass, in his late
Philadelphia visit, had an interview with his old
master and mistress. He had not seen the lady for
25 years. She wai very kind to him when a boy,
and received him cordially. his old master long ago

became convinced of the sin of slavery, and freed
his slaves. Ile is now living in Baltimore, but when
he beard that his old runaway had been chosen
a delegate to the Convention he came up purposely
to sec him.

OCTOBER. BANK DIVIDENDS.—CharIes River Na-

tional, Union National of Weymouth, Old Colony
National, Newton National, Central National and
National City of Lynn, Merchants' National of
Boston, Appleton, Merchants', Old Lowell and

Prescott of Lowell, Taunton and Machinists' Na-
tional of Taunton, all 5 per cent. ; Waltham
National, $3 per share ; Attleboro' National, 31 per
cent. ; Hingham National and Mercantile National
of Salem, 4 per cent. ; Beverly National, First Na-
tional of Provincetown and Asiatic National of
Salem, 41 per cent. ; First National of Cambridge,
Pemberton of Lawrence and Randolph National, 6
per cent.

We hear from Franklin county that contracts
have been made for the construction of the Troy
and Greenfield railroad to the lloosac tunnel from
Greenfield, and were ratified by the Governor and
Council at their meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 2. The
entire cost of this section of the road, including
depots and other attendant expenses, will be within
the legislation appropriation of $600,000. It will
be completed to Shelburne Falls in one year from
November 1, and to the tunnel by July 15, 1868.
A. project is in progress for constructing a dam
across the Deerfield river at Scott's bridge, a short
distance from Shelburne Falls, and by building a
tunnel to convey the water through the hill, it is
said that a water power equal to that now afforded
by the falls will be made available. The estimated
expense of the enterprise is $30,000.
A large emigration of sheep from Vermont to
Virginia is in progress, under the direction of George
Campbell of Westminster, Vermont. 1,900 were
started southward on Monday of last
week, and
1,200 undertook the journey last Monday morning.
They foot it by the way of Chatham, N. Y.,
at the
rate of about ten miles a day, ani get their living
on the road. They are chiefly cheap grade merinos,
purchased at a cost of from $2 to $5 a head. A
few blooded rains will accompany each flock. Mr.
Campbell shipped from New York, last Saturday,
50 choice merino rams for Texas.

The Cocheco (New Hampshire) manufacturing
company of Dover, during the last six months,
produced five million yards of cloth, and last year
its earnings were 30 per cent. John A. Burnham
was elected president and Daniel Park treasurer,
at the annual meeting, on Friday, Sept 28. The
state of New Hampshire has lately received an in-
stalment of $172,067 on a debt of $965,512 for
national bounties advanced to the soldiers furnished
by the state, under calls of the President prior to
January 5, 1864. There had previously been re-
funded $224,224, of which the larger part was paid
before the troops left the state. A great deal of
trouble and delay has been caused by the difficulty
of finding out what became of the men reported as
missing, and of whom in some cases more than
two-thirds deserted. The bounties on this portion
of the quota will not be refunded, and will be a
total loss to the towns who purchased the men of
substitute brokers to escape a draft.
Colonel Joshua Capenter, of Moulton, was killed
on Saturday, September 29, by the falling of a tree.
Charles E. Becket, a landscape painter of more
than usual ability and promise, died at Portland on
Saturday, September 29. One of the mills in
Lewiston is hereafter to be devoted to the prepara-
tion and spinning of jute for bags. Before jute
Pinging was introduced into America, the jute
.yarn was impoaed from Dundee, Scotland ; now
it is brought direct from Calcutta, and spun and
woven here.
\Ve have received a letter from the Liverpool
agency of the " American Emigrant Company,"
directing our attention to the mistakes which
have arisen from a
similarity
Emigrant C
American journals, which it is
of names in the
desirable should be
corrected. The " America
pany" is in no way connected onl-
,‘ American Aid and Homestead C with the
"'Tony." The

American Emigrant Company is an enterprise well
established, based on large capital, and owning vast
tracts of land. The American Aid and Homestead
Company proposed to establish a line of steamships
between New York and the Scandinavian countries.
The undertaking has, it is reported, failed through
the financial incapacity of the company. We ex-
tract the following from the _lron Age:— " The
United Government has, we learn, sold to the Ame-
rican Emigrant Company the Cherokee reserve
lands in the State okKanzas, known as the ' Neutral
Tract.' This tract comprises about 800,000 acres
of land, and is sold, in conformity with the terms
of the treaty, for cash, for $BOO,OOO. the Secre-
tary of the _lnterior, in negotiating the sale, was
careful to guard the rights and interests of the In-
dians, and wisely elected to secure to them this
large amount of purchase money, without risk or
abatement, in preference to dividing the lands into
small parcels, and incurring the cost, contingencies,
delays, and inevitable losses which would result
from such a mode of sale. By this measure the
Secretary has, at the same time, promoted in the
most effectual manner the interests of the country,
especially of the State of Kansas, as the company,
we understand, will bring its powerful agency as
rapidly as possible into operation to direct the stream
of immigration in that direction. This will speedily
lead to the increase of population and the conse-
quent development of the rich and varied resources
of the section. Thus will be carried into effect the
sound policy of the Government in regard to the
settlement of vacant lands, and the interests of the
State of Kansas will be, at the same time, mate-
rially subserved. This is another and important
step taken by the American Emigration Company
in the great work for which it was chartered, viz.,
" to encourage and assist emigrants from foreign
countries to settle in the United States."

The work of levelling Fort Hill, at Boston, was
commenced on Tuesday, Oct. 2, and will not be
completed before spring. The earth excavated will
be used in extending India, Central, and other
wharves, and will increase their value $7,000,000.
Twenty acres of territory lying between Broad,
Pearl, and Milk-streets will be included in the pro-
proposed improvements. Washington-square will
be kept open, and a magnificent building, 204 by
143 feet, with wings in proportion, erected upon it,
under the auspices of the Boston board of trade.
The work has unhoused about 2,000 persons, most
of whom have found temporary shelter at South
Boston.

Colonel T. Bigelow Lawrence, United States
Consul-general for Italy, is at Boston on a brief leave
of absence.

The report of the East Indian Currency Com-
mission is now completed. It declares in favour
of the immediate introduction of a gold coinage in
India.

The Hamilton woollen mills declare a quarterly
71 per cent. dividend, the National insurance com-
pany of Boston one of 3 per cent., and the
American molded collar company a quarterly' one
of 9 per share.

From Maine we hear that the Leeds and Far-
mington Railroad Company has assessed its stock-
holders 28 per cent. to pay off its mortgages, and
leased its road for fifty years to the Androscoggin
Railroad Company for $32,000 per year for the first
five years, and then an annual increase of $2,000
per year, until the rent reaches $40,000 annually.
The Spectator's correspondent, " A Yankee,"
writing on September 28, says that the Democrat
party had made great mistakes in its late nomina-
tions, showing itself the " mere old rotten" political
machine it was for many years before the war. It
has rejected General Dix in New York for Governor
—life-long member of the party though he has been
—and has nominated Mr. Hoffman, the mayor. In
Pennsylvania it has nominated a gentleman who
rejoices in the name of Meister Olymer, who was
one of the bitterest opponents of the Government
all through the war. After all, I for one am glad
that the Democratic leaders have done this, for it
secures the utter destruction of the Democratic
party, which, as a political organisation, was the
pest and incubus of the country. It was crushed
before ; but owing to the lack of statesmanship of
the Republican leaders it was beginning to lift up
its hideous head again. Now- it will be ground to
powder. General Dix, a Democrat, would have
been elected by a tremendous majority ; Mayor
Hoff Man, also a Democrat, and a very estimable
gentleman, will be tremendously defeated ; and
Meister Olymer will be " histed" the wrong way in
such a fashion that lie will feel like disowning his
surname ever after. The best, and also the largest
part of the people will not trust the Democratic
party with the Government. I verily believe they
would sooner put it in the hands of Jefferson Davis,
Alexander Stephens, and General Lee, than in those
of the Democratic leader. Among the intelligent
and educated classes almost all the young
men are deserting or not joining the De-
mocratic party. It is quite common to see
a father a Democrat, and his sons, just arriving
at manhood, ready to vote for anybody but a nomi-
nee of the Deinocratic party, even although
they are not Radicals or even Republicans. The
reverse is almost unknown. Therefore it is that
the Philadelphia Convention has failed in effecting
a coalition against the Radicals. There is another
reason—the President's Tour, which has had just
the contrary effect to that it was intended to have.
But I venture to assure you that under any circum-
stances that are likely to occur there is not the
slightest chance of an outbreak, or of any conflict
of force between the President and Congress. The
President will veto, but he will execute all laws
constitutionally passed, in spite of his veto. The
ballot-box and the Supreme Court will decide all
political questions, and the President will not be
impeached, unless we have a majority in Congress
composed of 'Wendell Phillippses, which is not pro-
bable.

Mr. David A. Wells, the commissioner of the re-
venue, is at the Tremont House, Boston, and will
remain there for some days consulting with promi-
nent merchants and manufacturers in regard to
the revision of the tariff, in which great work he is
now engaged.
A monument of granite, costing $lB,OOO, has
just been erected at Mount Auburn, to the memory
of William F. Hamden, the founder of the express
business in America. Its marble tablets are in-
scribed, " Because the king's business required
haste."—First Samuel, 21:8, and " Erected by the
express companies of the United States, in the year
1866."

A stock company has been formed at Bennington,
with Dr. J. Scranton as president, and J. U. Cush-
man as secretary, to work the gold mines supposed
to exist at Pittstown, N. Y. The company are
unusually sanguine of success.—A mine just dis-
covered on the farm of Louis Spaulding at Granville,
is reported to produce gold, silver, lead, and iron.
A recent general order from the War Department
of the United States prescribes the monthly rate of
commutation of army officers serving without
troops, -where there are no public quarters furnished
by the Government, at $l5, with the exception of
San Francisco, Cal. ; Washington, D. C. ; Alex-
andria, Virginia ; New Orleans, Louisiana ; Rich-
mond, Virginia ; Galveston, Texas, and Mobile.
$5 extra will be allowed ,for the first-named city
and three for the others mentioned. The order will
take effect on the Ist proximo.

A letter from Cherbourg states that two men-of-
war, bearing the flag of the United States, have just
anchored in the roads there. One is the armour-
plated ship Augusta; the other is the well-known
monitor, the Aliantonontah, last from Kiel. The
number of American vessels now at Cherbourg is
four, as for the last fortnight the despatch sloop
Frolic and the frigate Colorado, carrying the flag of
Admiral Goldsborough, have been in that port. It
s announced that the Chasse-pot musket; which was
repeatedly tried at the camp of Chalons, is defini-
tively adopted by the War Department. It is some-
what shorter than the weapon now in use in the
French army. It weighs only three kilogrammes, or
61h. looz., carries a sabre-bayonet larger than the
old one, and the barrel is rifled. It can be fired, it
is said, 50 times in four minutes ; in the ranks, on
an average, ten a minute ; and the soldiers fire with
ease seven or eight shots a minute. As regards the
appearance of the weapon a print of it is published
by the illustration—it seems exactly modelled on
the Prussian needle gun. If the weight is only that

given by the Patrie, it is the lightest service weapon
in any army. The Prussian musket is nearly double
the weight.

Agricultural Prospects.

The week opened with a dry morning, but it was
somewhat threatening, and at 1 p.m. rain set in,
with a good deal in the afternoon. Monday was
a dull and thick morning, and at 11 a.m. rain
set in again, and at times it was very heavy.
No field work could consequently be proceeded
with, and the damp atmosphere was much
against the thrashing of wheat, although the farmers
might be dispsed to bring out more than they do,
now that prices are more to their satisfaction. Tues-
day a dull, thick day, but no rain fell, yet field-work
could not go on. Our advices were as under :
From Suffolk : " Farmers are now busily engaged
with wheat-seed and outdoor work generally." From
the West Riding of Yorkshire : " Wheat-sowing is
kept back on wet land. The bad quality of potatoes
has a great influence on the prices of wheat ; but as
turnips are good we trust the prices of meat will be
easier, and thus a little relieve the consumer." From
the East Riding : " Weather has been on the whole
favourable for autumn sowing, which thus far has
proceeded under the most favourable auspices." From
Bedfordshire it was remarked : " Autumn sowing is
proceeding rapidly ; land in fine condition ; in some
localities wheat is coming up on light soils. From
Wiltshire it was stated : " The weather has on the
whole been favourable, and outdoor work is progress-
ing favourably." From Northumberland : " The
weather has been changeable since our last report ;
yesterday, however, was very wet ; to-day is fine,
with a south-west wind." Wednesday was a fine
day, at times sunny, and field work would go on
steadily. From the west coast of Scotland, on that
day, it was remarked: " The weather has been fine."
Thursday was a thoroughly wet day, with a low tem-
perature ; wind, N.N.E. ; thermometer, 45 early
and 48 deg. at noon ; barometer down to 29.50 in.
Our advices from Suffolk stated :—" In a former
report we said : ' A cold wet spring never yet pro-
duced any abundant wheat crop ;' such is the case
this year, our yield of barley is equally complained
of. This season greatly resembles 1853, and we may
see an important change in the grain trade before
Christmas next. The sad wet and unpropitious
harvest weather we have had since Sept. 6 has not
improved this anticipation, and the deficient yield of
wheat and barley on our fine staple soils is now
daily confirmed. A great change has certainly taken
place, for prices of both wheat and barley have ad-
vanced 10s. to 12s. per qr." From Bedfordshire, on
that day, it was observed : " The late rain has
greatly benefited the meadows and fields of turnips,
marigold wurtzel, and other green winter food for
cattle." Friday was a fine bracing day, sunny at
times, and some work would be accomplished in the
fields. On Saturday there was a dense fog, while
it remained thick throughout the day, but dry ; and
being the second favourable day, we think some
progress would be made with every description of
field work. A great effort will be made to sow
a large breadth of wheat this season, and the in-
quiries for choice and approved sorts are numerous
from all parts of the United Kingdom ; to secure
such buyers must not care so much about the
quality. There are some very fine Chidham samples
secured early, and these have been run up very
high, as for such millers are very liberal bidders ;
weighing 641bs. to 651bs. per bushel, they tell in the
manufacture of flour. The next approved sort is
Chidhain, that also commands a good price. Amongst
the red samples the golden drop stands high.—Mark-
lane Express.