The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-10

AfIsAA % tho OhlOs
The United States mail steamship Ohio, Schenck
from New Orleans the s0th December, and Havans
the afternoon of the Sd of January with specie
M. o. Roberts, arrived at New York on the 9Th inst
The Ohio has made the run from Havana to Sandy
Hook in four days, during three of which she en-.
countered heavy head winds.
The steamship Falcon, from Chagres, had not ar
rived when the o. left Among the passengers by
the Ohio, are Com. G. Vanderbilt, Capt. J. H. Van
dcrbilt, Mr.. Fairchild, (steward,) who arrived in
Havana by the brig Roscoe from the Crescent City.
MIR. Morgan left Havana for New Orleans, in the
packet-ship Melodeon, on the 30th ult. The Ohio
brought twenty passengers and 900 douboons
from New Orleans and Havana. The steamer
Philadelphia, from Philadelphia, arrived at Havana
on the morning ofthe I'd. The United States squad
ron consisting of the frigate Rartan, alag ship Of
Com. Parker,) sloop Albany, schooner Flirt, and
steamer Water Witch, arrived at Havana on the
I'd. The squadron to have sailed on the It'll
inst.-the Rartan to the Windward Islands, and
the rest of the squadron for Nicaragua and Tigre
Islands. The British ship Norma, Ellis, from New
York, was discharging cargo, and was to sail in a
few days. Freights were scarce, owing to Spanish
vessels arriving and taking preference to American
vessels The French and Spanish squadron were
daily expected to arrive at Havana. The following
are the names Of the passengers that arrived in the
brig Roscoe at Havana, on the Goth ult, from the
Crescent City: Charles Morgan, c. Vanderbilt, j..
II. Vanderbilt, Joseph Thomas, ID. L. White and
IL, 4. d. n,
S. w. Fairchild (steward.)
The following are the names of the passengers
arrived at Havana in the brig Marcia Smith, the
26th Capt. Alderman and lady, w. Whpple, j.
M. Lemon, VIM. p. C. Stebbins, and Oliver p.
Cox.
[coRREspoNDENcE OF THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF
COMMERCE.
HAVANA, January 3, 1850.
In political affairs there is nothing new. of ru-
mors there abundance, but ssthey come like
shadows, so depart" and are not worth report
ing to you. The morbid appetite of the multi
tude for the marvellous is more sure of mo.
mcntary qualification in cou ntries where the press
is positively prohibited from commenting upon
the measures of government a duty assumed
by Madam Rumor, with her thousand tongues, each
one of which seems to be employed in magnifying
the slightest reports that the head and OBJ
tain, and cautious one must be who desires to
municate to his correspondents only actual facts.
Some fifteen days past number of foreigners
were arrested for having simultaneously purchased
butcher knices in a quantity greater than usual.
This is fact, and they may have been merely pre-
pairing for a Christmas frolic-" quien sabe." But
by the time Rumor's last tongue had done with the
story, the number Of negroes arrested was magni-
fled to two hundred, the knives to ten thousand,
and the most minute details were given of an in
tended conspiracy of the whole negro population
Tor rising on Christmas eve, when, usual,
nearly the entire population visit the various
churches between ten and twelve o'clock at night!
The better to understand what is meant by the
general term "knivcs," you must be informed that
the sale OF sharp pointed butcher carving knives
is strictly prohibited by an order Of long standing;
but in ordering the points to be broken off, it did
not seem to have occurred to the authorities that
they might easily be ground again
The United States frigate raritan, corvette AL
bany, and schooner Flirt, all in port, and two
other sloops said to be momentarily expected.
hear also, but cannot vouch for its accuracy that
the steamer Philadelphia, arrived here yesterday
from Charleston, was detained four days at the
latter place to bring specie for the Commodore,
who is about to proceed to San Juan de Nicaragua
with his squadron. But all this may be true or
mere conjecture. You will probably learn more of
the matter from your Washington correspondents
than can possibly do here. Ii is certainly very
unusual for so large number of American ships Of
war to assemble here
By this conveyance send you a file of the Diario
de la Marina the best conducted paper that has
ever been established at Havana, and which, un-
trammelcd by government ordinances, so that its
columns could be made of political as we'll as gen
eral interest, could readily double its present COM
parativey large circulation of $500 daily papers
You will find in the one of the LIST some valuable
statistics, the probable accuracy of which have
had no time to scrutinize.
There are a great number Of strangers here from
the United States and from the Ohio and Falcon,
others, on their way to New Orleans or Chagres,
land here for brief space s'vew the town." visit
the opera, and spend their dimes for segars and
other little wants. Such passengers, you are, l
believe already aware require no passport, nor are
they obliged to go through any formalties at the
government office. If these travellers bring Amer
lean coin, with little trouble it could be
changed at Cabarza, grocery where American
captains " most do congregate - but, il is not a
legal tender, although the coins Of all the South
American States have been made so for more than
twenty years past The best currency for a stran-
ger 70 bring here is the old Spanish parts of dollars
head pistareens pass for 20 cents-rubbed or worn
18th and l-l6th-l0 and cents; good marks, 25
cents. This change here is worth two to four per
cent. premium on the current gold coin that is,
you have to pay for II at that rate in small sums II
could not be sold in large parcels Were the
United States dimes and halves legalizcd here,
there would be an end Of this vexation Az