Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-02-17
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
Correspondence Of lie Richmond Enquirer.
T,,,,, Ut.k 1919


Correspondence Of lie Richmond Erlnirer.l
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb II, lSi6.
A distressing acciden, occurred al the Navy
Yard in this city to.day As the hands in the La
boratory were engaged in drying powder, guam
lily spread out on the oven Tor that purpose e1-
podsd killing two men and wogsndins many
others. II appears 10 me that more dangerous nc
fatal accidents OF the kind have occurred here
within the last three years, than al any other SINH
lar place in the country. Why this is cannot
tell; but the fact argues gross want OF care on the
part Of some oi,he authorities of concern.
/, is said tina, sixteen hundred Individuals were
guests OF the Attorney General al his late splen-
did ball, one hall of whom were hardly able 10
gain entrance 10 the reception room. lady and
gentleman were three quarters Of an hour in
vain endeavor 10 reach The place al which the
supper was spread out. Such is society IN
Washington City. Judge Mason is famed
mol more for the uIhanity of his manners than Tor
the generous hospitality of his mansion he IS
yery dcservedy one of The most popular public
men in this city These facts doubtless served 10
render his entertainment The most delightful oil Inc
season as il is 81 spoken OF, notwithstanding the
sutfocatins crowd who were present.
The House OF Representatives to-day passed
very important amendment 10 The BILL commonly
termed The Revolutionary widows pension bill.
Heretofore, according TO the terms oil this bill,
no widow OF Revolutionary soldier could obtain
relief under it, unless married 10 the person Gin re-
lurn Tor whose services 10 the country she de-
manded the pension, previous 10 the year seven
teen hundred and ninety-two As the bill stands
amended, The time al which she must have been
married is extended 10 eighteen hundred; eight
years farther. Another and even more important
feature in this amendment is an alteration IN The
manner OF making proof OF legal marriage be-
tween The parties. Under The law as II stood
until this morning, the certificate OF the Clergy
man performing the ceremony-.he parish regis
ter or the register usually kept in the family
bible, was necessary 10 prove up The claim IN al
most every instance. Now, any proof which
would subsianiae the tact OF legal marriage,
under the common law, is sufficient. | am thus
particular in describing The tenor and effect OF
this alteration in the law that all who read the
Enquirer may look around them with view OF
knowing whether there are not cases within The
circle of their acqua iniancc, which may now be
brought under its operation. Thousands of egl-
innate applications have been made in vain Tor
relief through il, because the marriage was sub
sequeni 10 792, aad the stringent proof Of the
marriage, hereto required, could not be perfected
after so great lapse of time. The Stale OF Viz
ginia alone will furnish hundreds Of new success
full applications il the matter is properly looked TO-
The House did nothing else OF importance.
In The Senate, after getting through with the
/ busiress the morning hour, Mr. J. NJ Clayton,
OF Delaware, delivered his speech on The qres-
/ ton of the notice. The galleries were wea'-
tended, but the effort was decided failure. His
/ declared point was TO do away with the eficc, Of
Mr. Aliens broad and bold comparison bctween
the resources and competency Tor war OF the U.
States and Great Britain. He appeared 10 think
that, without counter showing, the people OF
the United States, under the operation OF Mr.. Al
| lens speecn would set too high an estimate
upon orr strength and hinl; ico lightly OF that
/ OF our opponent lie though, il this sentiment
/ was allowed 10 operate ON the future measures
! OF this Government with reference 10 the Oregon
question, the result would be disastrous. He also
appeared anxious 10 appease VIVA. anger, and 10
do away with whatever umbrase, England might
lake at the remarks Of Ilr. A. On the whole,
his speech, made with such an object, was like
attempting 10 put oul tie great fire in The city oil
New York with syringe. Aliens argument
will enter every hamlet throughout the length
and breadth OF the land. Hundreds OF thousands
oil copies Of il will doubtless be sent from this city;
and almost all The Democratic newspapers, and
| half OF those engaged in advocating Whiggery,
will spread il before their readers. predict that
the London Times will copy ii rerbatim Fl hterd.
TIM, for j, is destined 10 attract almost as much
notice on the other side of The Atlantic as in the
United States.
MIR CLAYTON gave me an agreeable disapponl-
meui in one respeci-n an important one TOO.
He was not against The notice, and II IN favor Of
arbitration, he did not 81 declare himself fully
and frankly. lie Processes preference Tor The
- H., rad ~
The Senate by Mr. Crit;enden, which though es.
sentially correct in lis important feature OF fore
ing a speedy settlement Of the question, yet, ne
verlheless, is not acceptable TO Congress from
the necessary operation of some Of its minor de-
tails-such as leaving The decision, as TO the pro-
Der time to tender the notice, 10 the Executive
alone, &c. The fact that Mr.. Clayton has led
/ off on The Wing side OF the debate as notice
man. has dashed the hopes OF the National Intel
lisencer ana The stock jobbing organs. These
papers, upto this morning, have latored jealousy
10 hauer The Senate into standing out against me
Oreeon recommendations Of tic Message, back
ed as they are by the late overwhelming vote OF
the House. They proless 10 place great conf
dence in the conservative influences by which the
Senate is supposed 10 he governed &c, &c. The
nav asked for all this is that tee Senate shall. en-
dorse the proposition Of Britain TO arbl'raic. /
fancy time will show that they are barking up
the wrong tree.
The signs are, that the hackers of England
in This country still intend TO labor with view
Of giving the arbitration turn 10 The question:
The Inlelligencer Of this morning gfavely tells
its readers that The only papers they have noticed
which approve OF the late action OF The Government
on the question, are the Union Enquirer and Bal
timore Sun Verify, the venerable Editors must
have been suddenly deprived OF the faculty oi I'M
10 0f
misstalement Of public opinion is not wi.tul mis-
representation, | know moi what IS. II must be
DESPERATE cause, indeed, requiring such support
from lis friends. The British proposition 10 ar
birate was Withdrawn from the House, not be.
cause lis friends had ceased TO approve al II, bui
solely because il would have been voted down,
with demand for yeas and nays, showing that
not one-,cn;h Of the members were willing 10
endorse il. The Editors OF the lnteliisencer
must he well aware of this iac and yet, ioFsooth,
they still proclaim that public opinion condemns
The course Of the administration upon The SUBJECT.
lis we'll known here, tina, all The Representatives
received information from home upon The state
of public opinion in their individual districts,
which very properly had great weight in influence
ing the final Yoie on the question.
The last number OF the Courier dts Etais ms
saws that Mexico is determined 10 reject all peace
able oyedures from the U. STATES, and 10 soiicit
the intervention Of European powers to OBTAIN
from the United States indelnnltcation Tor The
loss o! Texas, and boundary line under The
protecting guarantee ofFrance and England. An
invitation such as this spoken Of By The Courier,
is usi about The kind Of warran, which England
and France considered all-sulicien for their late
operations in South America. doubt, however,
whether they will be tool-hardy enough to com
ply with such request as against u.s. for they
must know, tina, The people of this Union are in
no temper 10 suffer even mediation from them IN
our affairs. A single step towards such move
men, on their part, would shut the door. upon
peaceabe settlement the Oregon question.
MACON.