Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-01-10


was fIeiue''tly heard TO xclaim. Mas: ulas |!
l have committed an unpardonahe SIM A
priest who stood near. told him that lie must
confess his sin, and repen' Of it. .Ah" says
he, my Grim is treat! Ihnve owed a printer
twelve months for his pa.'er-but il Gcd spares
my life. I'll pay him with interest, and pro" ure
him new subscriber lie recovered and
faithful, kept his promise" Let Ill delinquent
subscribers INSTANTLY repent. ar they nu, BE- sud-
! denly cut off, nnt! the printer lose his money
San beams from Cucumbsrs-The Mercury
! gives this humorous caption to the proceedings
in Congress-, on tho pu;it"n OF Mr.. Espy. a
scientific gentleman, of Philadelphia. 4 Phi,
lospher once published I" tile world that he
had found out II way OF maxi, Z su, beams tro,.,
cucumbers. When any absurd scientific pro-
jcct is ow proposed. Is called "a plojcc, To
make sun beams from cuc,i b, rs.''
SunBEAMs FROM CucuMBERs.-Mr
| buchanan said that he had rather "a strange
| pctitiun to present To the Senate, but il
came from ii very respectable aud scientific
man; and however strange it may appear,
| il was voucl,ed for hy several Of the mos,
respectable literary gentlemen of the city
Of Philadelphia The petitioner was Mr..
james l.. Espy. SD de>ervcdly celebrated
Tor his knowledge of mcleorology, who
says that he ha. discovered the means of
making II rain in a tract of country at d
period when there would be no rain with
out tho use of the process. MIR. Epsv pro-
posed to make the experiment at his .ow u
expense, aud he proposed that Congr .ss
should pass an aC, engaging 10 reward him
with certain sum il he succ, eded in ma
king Il rain in a tract of country ten miles
square; a still higher sum il he produced
ruin iu tract of country lUUU square
miles; a rtiIl higher sum il he produced
rain in a tract uf 5000 square miles; and
lastly, to give him Il still greater cotnpen
sati"n II he should causc The Ohio RIVER TO
he navigahle all summer, from Pittsburg
To the Mississippi
MIR. Is. observed that he WAS perfectly
acquainted with Mr.. Epsy. aud knew mm
10 he very respectable man. He had no
| faith himself that tho gentleman possessed
the power he claimed; bui il was true that
| there were several Things in nature that
! philosophy never dreamed of. MIR. =. then
moved to refer the pctilion TO the Commit
tee on Agriculture.
MIR Benton observed that the Senator
| from Pennsylvania, who introduced the
petition, could not make the motiun which
he wouii make-tliai gentleman had felt
iims"lf bound to treat this petition seri-
ously, and move for its reference 10 Il com
mitt"e. tie wnutd mo, that The priiiiOu-
cr have leave 10 Withdraw his petition and
papers, for reasons tno obvious 10 require
| notice.
Mr.. Buchanan said that he would ra,h-
er-that the course proposed by the Senator
| from Missouri should moi br taken with
the petition. lie scarcely knew himself
| what to say about il; but he knew MIR.
Lspy to be highly respectable and learn
| ed man, and knew that in the science of
mcteorology, there was scarcely man in
the United States his superior. lie hard
y believed it to be in Mr.. Espy's power
! to make it rain. though there were some
| SIX or seven of the most respectable litera-
ry gentlemen Of the city OF Philadelphia,
who expressed the opInlrn llla, he proceed
ed OH highly phioo" phiraI principles. lie
hoped the Senator from Missouri would
permit the pci'Ion 10 take the usual course,
and go to committee, and ii that motion
did moi prevail, that II would al least be
suffered to lie on tn table.
Mr.. CrIitenhcn would vote against the
propositiOn OF the llonorahlc senator from
Pennsylvania, Mr.. Bucnanan,i tor the
purpose uf recording his vote ~ avor of
the gentleman from Missouri Mr.. len
| ton. lie dOuhted very much whether, e.
ven !! this thing was possible. il would be
good policy to encourage the measure.
he would be very sorry that any i.,dvidu-
al should have the power that this gentle
man Processes 10 have, more especially
| from the annunciatiOn that le was about
TO take the Ohio river under his especinl
protection. Why, sir. he might enshroud
us IN continual clouds, and indeed falsify
the promise that the earth should be no
more submerged. And ifhe possesses the
power OF causing ram, hr may also pos
scss tho power of withholding it, aud in
ms pleasure, instead of giving US navisa-
hle river, may present us with rocks and
shoals and sandbars. He thought that this
would he too dangerous power to eulrus,
to any individual, unless we had a couu
teraclinS power, capable of prompt appli-
cation-without we had some very sum
mary process of manufacturing sunshine,
This. indeed, had been attempted by some
French philosopher, but he thought with
| n9agrea' success. H.. was also opposrd
Icme Oh another account--, had
the appearance Of a suh.,rensu-
ft; Il boarding up Of clouds aud
val'o!9sVt, he dispensed at will b, an midi
v'dual. lie thought the proper course in
relation To it. Was thar Indicated bv the
'hot'"n OF the gentleman from Missouri.
MIR. Niles remarked that he agreed in
many things with his worthy friend who
nad just taken his seat. Mr.. Crilienden.1
he thought Il.is subject was noi filcd far
the consideration Of Congress; and he mus,