Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-03-23

Embassies.
 LISBON, Dec. 31. Private correspon- dence. 1--Mr Mackenzie, the English Consul, having received his recall and orders to de- clare to Don Miguel's Government, that all the communications made under the Duke of Wellington's Ministry are null and void, was upon the point of setting out for France by the way of Spain. The news of the loan at Lon don in favor of Donna Maria having transpi- red, many Miguelites had gone over to the ranks of the Constitutionalists.
 Wine.-The United States is not a wine drinking country. Whiskey is the national beverage. Some districts indeed, indulge in New England and St Croix rum; and in all places, wealthy toper quaffs his brandy, be- cause it costs more money, and tinges the countenance with rich crimson-the badge ofroyalty. But, every where, "strong drink'' is the favorite potation. Anti-intemperance societies have labored to stay the sco,lrge, and for time, with effect. Yet we are still the most incorporate people on the face of the earth. The importation of foreign spirits, in 1828-9, which has fallen off in remarkable degree, snow, we learn, on the ncrease.- Old habits, checked by the efforts of the be- nevolent societies are resuming their sway.
 It is we'll known fact, that in all wine grow ing countries, intemperance is hardly known. In France, Spain, Italy and Sicily, where winess cheaper than cider is here, the dis. gusting spectacle of a drunken man is rarely seen. Our wine-bibbers are spirit bbbers; for if they abstain from the use of the raw ma. terial," (which is rarely the case,) they do., in fact swallow in every pint of Madeira. more than gill of brandy. So in the Sicily Madeira, Fort, Sherry and Lisbon wines. the proportion of brandy is nearly as great. Even Claret, unless imported in bottles, is adulterated with spirits; ,and that which is imported in bottles, costs too much for man of moderate income to purchase. Hence, the rich drink spirits in their wines, and the poor are forced to drink spirits because they are cheap, and the light wines are beyond their means. The wine drinker is pursuing the same path as the dram drinker for after a little time, strong wine urges the stomach to demand "strong waters;" all Madeira drink CTS are, or will be, brandy drinkers.
 A taste for light wine may be easily acauir- ed. Let any man, whose stomach is not en- tirely parboiled by ardent spirits, drink pure clarct, summer and winter, for one year, and he will afterwards prefer it to any other wine. The taste being acquired, he is safe from the contagion of intemperance. To do this, how. ever, requires fortune. The only light wines imported into the United States, are Cl,ret of various kinds Champagne, Sauterne, and the wines of Germany. Claret is brought into this port in casks, from New-York, for the "trade." It is here bottled and sold at from three to six dollars per dozen. Cham paigne costs from nine to twenty dollars per dozen; Sauterne, from four to ten dollars per dozen: and the German wines from seven to twenty-four dollars per dozen. Claret is the cheapest, but he who drinks it daily, soon t1,,% 41x Jo11a. .o than moderate income can sustain.
 There is remedy, which will not only make these wines nearly as cheap as Newark cider, but will do more to reform the habits of our people, than all the tracts, all the so- cieties, all the preachers, and all the misc ries of intemperance have, or ever will effect. take oHthe duties or light 7vines-the wines of France, Italy and Germany. Let Claret, Sauterne, Burgundy, Win de Grave, 8lc. Slc. be imported free ofduty. Levy the duties from Madeira, Sicily Madeira, Teneriffe, Port, Sherry, and strong wines, and from aH spirits, foreign and domestic; so that he who chooses to drink fire may not die "felo de see," without some benefit to the public.
 There are many wines, rich, delicate and delicious, that are not even known in this country. There is the Yin Ballet, at Nice; the Ovetto Lacrma, Chrsiti, Castelamare,
 
 Calabrese wine of Palermo; all genuine s'nec- tar of the gods," which probably have never been imported here, 90 cents a gallon; they can all be imported at profit, and if once introduced. would be an antidote to that in- fernai. flame, ardent spirits and ardent wines, which is now daily consuming the vitals of one half of our population. -Bostou finfier.
 IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.-A bill to a. polish imprisonment for debt in the State of Maryland, has passed the house of Delegates of that State. May we not hope that the day is not far distant, when bill will pass through the legislature'of Pennsylvania. Humanity, justice, and sound policy, call loudly for some thing of the kind-and we think the wishes of the majority of the people of this great com monwealth, would be fairly expressed by our legislature, if a bill for the abolishment of inn prisonment for debt in Pennsylvania was pass ed this session. It is, in our humble opinion not only cruel and uncalled for, but a direct violation of the doctrine of equal rights, and natural freedom, to incarcerate an American citizen, because he may happen to be so un- fortunate as to owe paltry sum to his ne!gh- Dor. Christianity cannot reconcile it to her principles-and the feeling heart bleeds at the horrors exhibited in prison house, and shrinks, shocked and astonished, at the "in- Humanity of man to mans
 Chester Com. Democrot.
 SUPPLY OF WATER IN CITIEs.-It would seem from some of the late periodicals, that the attention of the Parisians has lately been