The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-11-11

INTERESTING FROM HAvANA.---We have received
by the Rapid, arrived yesterday from Havana,
several interesting letters from our correspondents
residing there, which we give below. o, .5
The war steamer Missouri put tito Havana on the
18th ult. for coal We have seen letter from tine
son OF gentleman of this city, now a first class en-
gineer's apprentice on board the Missouri. The
following is an extract ,herefrom:- iio
~ y, Havana, Oct 9, 1912.
We left Savannah on the 10Th Of this month, and
sailed for Vera Cruz, with Mr. Carson the bearer OF
dispatches from the American government TO that
OF Mexico. Not having suthclency OF fuel to take
US there and back, we put into Hayana. We had
pleasant voyage until arriving oil the Isle OF Cuba,
when we were assaulted by heavy storm, so severe
as TO obge US to send down our top-gallant masts.
We arrived safe here on the following Thursday.
the officers and crew all we'll 70 The Missouri
proved herself first rate steamer well as sailing
vessel For the benefit OF our friends tell them 10
direct to us at Pensacola, rs.,,
The best segars are selling for one cent piece;
also oranges. We proceed on our voyage to Mex
leo on Monday next, and from that to Pensacola.
This is the letter of an apprentice in the United
States Navy, of four wears standing and raised by
his own merits. 1t is a pity the apprentice ship sys
temhas been repudiated by Congress. ,s.,s.l i. a
N Annexed are from our correspondents; auad 4
~ JOSH ~ Correspondence OF the Herald / Tna u n
d. A. U,
8r Important 10 Merchants and Others. sni d \
Letters delivered at the POstofice by foreign YES
sells are charged land postage that is Ia cents for
single letter. double, treble, and SO on, in proper
ton; besides this, packages OF newspapers are
charged Ia cents for small one, perhaps three
four papers, and % cents for larger one but the
ends OF the packages must be to show that the
contents are papers. or they will be charged land
postage. BY the Hellespont, arrived from New
York on the 18th, many packages of pamphlets and
paperswere received, closed, tied and SEALED, which
were charged II, H. and Ss2l, and one package s57,
which OF course were refused by the parties 10
whom they were addressed. Their offers 10 open
the packages In presence of the officers were not
listened to. Merchants, &C. would do well, there
fore. TO be careful OF the mode in which they make
up their packages for this city.
HAVANA, Oct 25.
Our Newspapers Lap is Scrred OM-Bad
Success Of the Rails Dads. Progress of Cipai-a-
General eve, lilF - '11f' 10
DEAR BENNETT - t tt 70"
You will see that our papers contain nothing but
silly articles in abuse Of each other, and in which
they attain only one object, that Of being equally
neavy IN STYLE moore Ct In Information, and venal
IN PRINCIPLES; Oae of them the other day, after
stating that Spitzbergen and Greenland were one
and The same country, and that city in Africa
(which does not exlsD contained more inhabitants
than London, game out with piece of intelligence
equally new, viz that 1t was an iudisputablc fact
that English agents were securing France engaging
iaoorers tor the West Indies to whom they promised
every thing, and who, upon their arrival, were
cheated out OF their wages, and compelled, under
the lash to work like slaves! Pretty stiff necdote,
eh And what do you think OF TRANSACTIONS OF
scraps OF Dickens works appearing in anothe paper
az originally written BY Mons Chas. Dickens in
French. Rather remarkably French name too,
VERY! Lord bless us! when will "le leu ne edi..
teur be ready to have finger in the pie OF editor
ship! You must send him out as soon as he is rea-
dy to lend these fellows an idea. No.
The Government House stares foreigners in the
face,, as soon as they arrive in the public square,
which adlolns the wh.rf. 'En PEASANT" You must
kno that thus square is multum in parva.-t con-
tans small grass plot, which intersected at right
angles and surrounded by broad flag pavement
the lounge OF merchants clerks, stray sailors, new
comers old old Ladies' with six daugh
tens in double file; dandy stoYek eepers, and other
non-descripts, who stroll round or seat themselves
on the benches to listen to the music of the military
sHSe ef ht sd ss a %eks
the bellies who attend in voantes, three de- p (and
who never think Of descending from hemp enjoying
their three ehIet delights, moonlight. music, and the
10 statue OF the old monster Ferdinand the 7lh,
holding IN his hand sceptre, in by no means dig
nted position. The houses which surround the
square are IN singular conrast-all the best coffee
houses are there, jnmbled together, nterspersed
with sprinkle of soda water, cigar shops, groce-
mes, boarding houses, and three principal buildings;
Counts house, the Intendente's and the Govern.
vate to mention the chapes erecisd on the spot
where the first mass was performed, which contains
trumpey bust Of Columbus; contrasting rather de-
isiveIy with the aforementioned statue OF his un.
worthy competitor. sIgoN gI0bommoJ Iedi saisi
But TO return to- the government house-if the
yellow lever Is the Scylla of these regions, this
place is the Carybds of foreigners, and therefore ii
merits pertinent description. The lower part lslet
out tor shops and notary Offices and the first floor,
which is squeezed in under the principal rooms on
the second story, is occapied by the government Of
fees. Every day, except feast days, from ten in
the morning, until two in the afternoon, the large
piazza, which forms part ofthe building one side,
Is crowded with every possible carricature Of hu-
man nature; every villainous looking face that
the city can boast OF, and they are NOT few. at
In this hell of justice the competitors for the odds
appear OF every degree of wealth and squalidtv-of
every hue and shade, from the clear skinned for
egner, Though all the suspicious tnges, down to
The undenable muatto; in every coat, from fine
broadcloth TO The out-at-elbows striped gipghams,
and the nocoat-at-al, or shirtand panaoons Of the
c;ountryman; jostng and rolling each other in all
directions, or formed into knots, chattering like
monkeys. lighting and twisting PAGER cigars, all
bent on one pursuit-a law suit So great is the
glorious uncertainty Of the law" here, that many
be safely said that one third Of the population live
upon the law ruits in which they enabled to en-
tangle the other two thirds. Here, as in the gam
bling establishments, which are not digniied with
the sounding name Of tribunals OF justice, the no.
blest and the vlest the cleanest and the dirsest,
smoke familIarly together and the bterest enemies
handy compliments. have been frequently struck
by the sinister expression which the habits of low
cunning and debssng vice have stamped upon
the faces Of the cowardy rufians Of lawyers,
who iniest this place in shoals, with bundles
OF stamped paper under their arms, (this stam-
ped paper, by the bye, is the source of an i'm
nense income TO the government) Their Of
fees literally dens Of thieves in appe arance
and in fact, for more gloomy, dirty holes can hard
ly be imagined. They are very small, and filled
with cupbeards Of old musty papers, and the only in
letfor light and air is the doorway. Law proceed
ings in this country strongly ofthe inquison
and thus all who depend upon their labor for subsis
ence, and consequently the most useful, intelligent
and honest part OF society," stand awe of the mys-
terious tribunal. II is true that the old Spaniards
stand in the best light but even they must knock un
der if attacked by regular built lawyer Thus
every prudent man, when threatened with law
suit, no matter how unjustly, seeks to buy off his