Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-05-04

I London merchants, we presume they are correct.
Your american almanac for the present year
states the entire extent of railroads in operation In
the United States to be 6,ll7 miles. An English
return makes the entire extent of railroads in Great
Britain, in operation on lst June last, TO be 3,447
miles, and the number of persons employed thereon
So ,96S, or rather more than ten to a mile.
Our English journals show, by their comments
upon the debates in your Senate on the subject OF
slavery, that they really know very little about the
matter but now and then there is very fair
quantity of good sense as well as of good feeling
exhibited. The latter, by the by, is seldom want
ing in the leading newspapers, which is very plea
SAINT to read and gratifying to have to record. We
will venture to notice two instances. The first is
| from the Economist of the 9th instant. An edi-
torial article therein says: All the business oil
society, notwithstanding the Senate Of the United States
wholly engrossed with the slavery debate going Oh
as vigorously Never was it more active. Some
of the journals begin to write against speculation and pre-
dict period of collapse regarding the present activity
vast ina,ton be sustained. The prosperity is arac-
tive, and it is the boast Of Of the journals that while
the members Of Congress daily threatening dissolution
of the Union, neghbong States and countries anxious
to be admitted members oft Canada talks Of annexation
California is pressing for admission Cuba ready join
it, and only withheld by the power Of Spain and the
desy and integrity of the United States in refusing
cede to lis Wishes and TO grant assistance to
psh them. Mexico has laid aside it is said, its hostile
feelings, and its people looking forward earnestly and
anxouy 10 incorporation. Central America, too is soil
citing closer connexion, and hoping for the time TO
when il shall form part of the great republic that is to
stretch the whole continent Events advancing
rapidly, though the Congress may stand SILL Society will
not wait for its leave live and thrive and grow and will
in some way or other settle the slavery question perhaps
! 49,
is clearly than in Europe that society moves
ter than legislation, and does depend that regu-
late its future existence. Thus while members of Congress
are threatening dsmembermenl, there is gathering round
the States nucleus other States ready to adhere it
and ncrease it every side. swelling, too, by imm
grafton from every quarter, and exhibiting the extraordinary
of men of nearly every lineage OF the earth being
hamoniously absorbed by the great AngoSaxon family,
and becoming with it. The of the phenomenon
that occurred on the plains Of Babel there progress
and many if not branches Of all the various nations of the
e'rh are uniting to tongue and live under one law
The,temper and tone Of the following extract
from the EIamnaer are not to be found fault with ;
but the ignorance which suggested the passage we
have italicized is objectionable, particularly in
journal like the Examiner, which is the textbook
OF large class of readers, and publication of
great talent and liberality. absorbed in this great
domestic quarrel, (savery the United Government
in Congress to have neither leisure inclination for
either quarrel rivalry with European States Notwith-
standing differences points, have every
be satisfied with the Americans and their Govern
ment. The Musquo affair has been most happily and fairly
settled; and notwithstanding the unwlngness of the Cabi-
net at Washington to admit fair reciprocity of duties with
Canada to consider California exempt from the rule Of
coasng party, to resist demands for raising their tariff
we must consider the Government Washington as most
friendly As to the tariff that portion of on which
the American Cabinet is likely to give way incts pal
pabe wrong American interests that it quite dpenses
with English argument against it. The great materials
of coal and iron what chiefly camor for protection both
unworthy Of it and utterly incapable Of supplying the
demand, generally happens where protection is camored
for But the State of Pennsy gana, which rich in these
products, popuous and powerful and the same time
SO placed between the conendng portions of North and
South, that possesses the absolute power of deciding and
turning the color of election The demands of Pennsy
vana therefore, not to be resisted The only reliance
must be its future enlightenment and increased wisdom
There are other great and papable errors in this
extract, besides the one we have designated, show
Ing the great ignorance of the writer as 10 the ma
ture of your Institutions, and the relative weight
influence, and tendencies of the different portions
of your Confederation.
The AloTning Chronicle, which has lately in
clined to be more viuperative than argumentatve,
and has, in its zeal to party, ceased to be
what it was when the enlightened PERRY was its
presiding genius-the advocate of manknd-has an
article headed " Sir Henry Bul,cer and the 4ane-
rican Protectionists," in which it speaks of the
amazing ignorance of public law which led the
American people into many absurdities, and their
rulers into few serious mistakes" As the
writer does not inform US in what this Ignorance.
and these absurdities and mistakes consisted. he
does not furnish the means of removing the one. or
correcting the other.
| The town of Liverpool has begun 10 take its
share in the great exhibition of 1851. 1t purposes
to prepare model of its DOCKS exhibiting the whole length
OF the pesen. seawal Give mIes) and the commercial po
ton Of the town, including ST. Georges Hail. the Railway
Stations. the Markets. Custom House. Town Hall, several
Churches, and the greater portion Of the Warehouses ON
scale of eight feet to mile. 1t is also proposed to exhibit
comprehensive collection Of the principal articles imported into
Liverpool, with appropriate description of each.
Our Grain market is still further depressed. The wool
and timber trades brisk Silk very inactive Cotton abou,
the same, bat if any change, little in advance. Coffee
the SUBJECT Of much speculation, but much in
price, The aJuteraton Of coffee by chiccory is immense
respectable grocer, in fashionable watering place. gives
the following proportions For the "shiHng co6ce," the
chccoy the coffee three oe for the one and fur
penny fire to t,vo; and in the go and eight PENN"
the Lest quality the proportions equal THERE'S strong