The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

coal. The proposition has been formally entertained,
and Ericsson has been requested to send his new vessel
on to Washington. This has been agreed to, and she was
to he there Within thirty on York paper.
AN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT.—It would be an Un-
precedented thing in the press to give a lady the lie
direct, but what's to be said of the feminine correspon-
dent of the National Intelligence>. (U. S.), who informs
a credulous circle that at a royal ball at which she was
lately present, " the toilets were sa very dowdy and
badly put on, that one wonders if the race of French
dressing maids is extinct. Why, even Her Majesty's
gown was abominably laced, not even meeting behind."
MRS. ER-PRESIDENT JOHN TYLER has addressed a
letter, in the name of the women of America, to " the
Duchess of Sutherland and the Ladies of England,"
which purports to be a reply to the Stafford-house address
on the subject of American slavery. Mrs. ex-President
John Tyler's letter is of unconsionable length ; and, if
shrillness of voice and volubility of inve,ltive be esteemed
the two things needful in a " polite letter-writer," she
undoubtedly may claim the palm.
THE CALORIC SHIP.—A New York correspondent
declares the Ericsson caloric ship a total ;ailure. The ut-
most speed it has obtained is seven miles an hour, and
the increase of fuel to obtain an equal rate with an ordi-
dinary steam-ship would require six tons of coal a-day,
the latter taking only three-and-a-half. He denies also
the originality of the invention. mentioning several un-
successful attempts made within the last twenty years in
Europe to bring the motive power of the caloric or heated
air system to bear.

HIGH PRICE OF NEGROES.-At pullic auction on
Thursday, Thomas Ryan and Son sold fifteen likely
negroes for 10,365 dots., or an average of 691 dols.
Three boys, aged about seventeen, brought the following
sums, viz. :-1,065 dols. 1,035 dols. 1,010 and two 1,000
dots. ; making an average of 1,022 dols. Capers and
Heyward sold a gang of 109 negroes in families. Two or
three families averaged from 1,000 dols. to 1,100 dols, for
each individual ; and the entire sale averaged 550 dols.
C. G. Whitney sold two likely female house servants, one
at 1,000 dols., the other at 1,190 dols.—Charleston
Courier, Jan. 22.

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE.—During the saving of the
passengers from the Parisian steamer, the boiler of which
exploded some days back on the Rhone, an infant was
handed from one to another until it reached a small boat
which had come to the aid of the persons on board ; but,
just as the child was received by the men in the boat, a
larger boat came violently azainst it, and the smaller one
was overturned. The child was, however, saved by the
circumstance of having been placed on a cushion, which
floated down the current, and carried the child to a point
of the shore, where some boatmen took it up, When res-
cued, it still held an apple in its hand.

A BRIDAL CHAMBER.—The New York papers de-
scribe with much minuteness th beauties of " bridal
chamber." in a splendid hotel which has just been opened
in that city. From the centre of the ceiling is a mass of
elaborately-carved work, overlaid with gold, supporting a
magnificent canopy of white satin over the bridal bed,
gathered in heavy folds at each corner. Suspended
directly over this silken canopy are four magnificent chan-
deliers sparkling with crystals. The bedstead is almost
entirely cushioned, inside and out, with white satin,
drawn and tucked, and surrounded by a foot cushion of
the same material. The bed-spread is of embroidered
canary .coloured satin, and over the whole is thrown a
covering of rich lace. The toilet table, sofa, curtains,
and chairs, are furnished in a corresponding style. The
walls are also covered with white satin, plaited perpen-
dicularly.
DRAZILIAN DIAMONDS.—A letter, dated Minas Geraes,
26th December, says :—Fresh diamond discoveries have
taken place at distances of eight, ten, and twenty leagues '
from Bagagem, that is to say, at Taboca, Reberaba, Re-
berabinha, Rio das Velhase Domados, in this province,
and in that of Goyag, at similar distances; at Corumba,
Precorijuba, and Verissimo. At Taboca a diamond has '
latterly been found weighing five-and.a-half " octaves,"
and purchased by Dr. Felix Andre, for 32,000 milreis,
(about 4,000). This gentleman also rejected forty imme-
diately after he made this purchase. The population of
Bagagem is very much diminished on account of the new
discoveries, to which the majority of those who have not
made their fortunes there have rushed. Labour is at a
stand-still in consequence of the heavy rains which have
commenced early, and which have been so abundant on
some days that the embankments of the rivers, formed by
thick walls, have been carried away by the floods. Trade
has suffered from this paralyzation of the diamond works
and from the emigration of the population. The letting
of the diamond-ground allotments has alreadycommenced,
notwithstanding the many difficulties encountered in the
execution of the regulation of the 17th August, 1840. one
of the principal ones being the want of suitable persons
to serve in the administration, in consequence of the
slender emoluments they receive.
TIIE AMERICAN ARMY IS composed of Germans and
Irish, with a small portion of natives of the lowest caste,
and a thin sprinkling of English and Scotch. The officers
nre all natives, and graduate for a certain period at West
Point Military Academy before receiving their commis-
sions. As the idea of a standing array is very unpopular
in the states, and as the mass of the army are foreigners,
the officers are allowed to govern or misgovern it as they
choose. The system of subordination extending through-
out the various grades of rank, on which the discipline
and good government of an army principally depend, is
very imperfectly developed in the American army. This
evil arises partly from the ideas of equality in which the
American officer has been educated, and partly from the
difficulty of enforcing proper regulations, owing to the
army being split into a number of petty detachments,
scattered at wide distances. The officers commanding
these small bodies, thus removed from the inspection and
control of their superiors, too commonly become the
petty tyrants and oppressors of their companies. The
American soldier's nominal pay is larger than that of the
British soldier, but his comfort and health are not cared
for as well as the British soldier's are, and no amount of
pay can compensate for the deprivation. It would be
much better for the American soldier to have more com-
fortable quarters, a more wholesome dietary, more liberal
treatment when sick, and the sympathy and protection of
hisofficers, even if this should be purchased by a reduc-
tion of his pay. At present, the American soldier is only
paid once every two months, and his pay being most
commonly ooncumcd in riot and debauch in a few days,
its large amount is more an injury than a benefit to him.
AN ARCHITECT IN SYDNEY.—The following extract
from a letter dated Sydney, Sept. 14, 1852, will interest
some of our readers. "The Solicitor-General introduced
me to Mr. Mort, the auctioneer, the George Robins of
Sydney. I had a long interview with this gentleman,
who said his office was more than full, or he would wil-
lingly engage me. He then asked me to walk out with
him to Mr. Hilley, the architect, from whom I have
since received the greatest kindness. Mr. Hilley offered
me a berth to superintend some extensive buildings at
Port Philip and Moreton Bay ; to be a fortnight at each
place, and to call at Sydney always on my road, the
steamer always stopping there. I was to receive £7 per
week, and all my travelling expenses. I, of course, ac-
cepted his offer, and was approved of by the directors ;
but with all our united efforts, neither architect, builder,
nor clerk of works can get men to work, now the gold-
diggings are at hand. Ask a man to work at Os. per day,
he will laugh at you ; consequently the works are post-
poned, and I have turned my attention to something
else • I am now embarking in partnership with one of our
curdy passengers in a store at the Bingera gold-diggings,
and intend working a claim. From what I hear from all
quarters, Bingera will turn out as lucrative as Mount
Alexander. At present, the roads up the country are
impassable, from the overflowing of the rivers. It is the
general opinion that gold is more or less dispersed in
quartz, or in the white clay soil, all over Australia. It
is no uncommon thing to see some of the lowest black-
guards walking the streets of Sydney soon after their
arrival from the diggings with massive gold pins, the
heads of quartz stuck in their shirts, and massive gold
rings upon their fingers. In very few instances does the
gold do the fortunate diggers any good. The greater part
of them take to drinking and gambling, and soon become
ruined, and off they start again. At Port Philip things
are frightful. People are knocked down and robbed with
perfect impunity in broad daylight, and not a few are
murdered and shot. These occurrences are very seldom
put in the public papers. People, however, have in a
great measure to thank themselves for imprudence in
drinking, or want of proper caution. Fire-arms are
fetching an immense price : revolving pistols, which in
London sell for two guineas, are fetching £lO : Colt's
revolvers fetch £3O, and new are not to be obtained.
Boots are also very dear. Beef sells for 3d. per lb. ;
mutton 11d. per lb. Sydney, indeed, is a singular place :
by far the greater part of the population are rogues and
swindlers, and carry the very villain in their countenance ;
not all the water of Port Jackson can wash away the mark
of Cain stamped on their foreheads. In Pitt-street stands
a dashing chemist's shop, a few years since kept by Ta.
well, the Quaker, who was transported, made his fortune,
returned to England, and was Wined at Aylesbury for ,
murder."—Thr Builder.