Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-14

of the Dead or the curious Ritual or Bible OF the
Ancient Egyptians. Having previously explain
ed how scientific investigators, starting IRON the
data obtained from the Rosetta stone, had acquired
the art of reading the heroglyphics, Mr.. Gliddon
gave most interesting account of the "Book OF
the Dead which is found in whole or In part,
buried with the mummies, according to the rank
of the deceased. The multiplicity of fragments
of this venerable record, obtained from the ex-
humed mummies, have enabled modern Swans to
make out the complete book, and an exact copy
of it has been printed in Europe. Mr.. Glddor
exhibited the volume, and proceeded to expound
some of its most important features. Mr.. Birch,
the most learned of English Psychologists, ex-
tended to Mr.. G. the distinguished kindness Of
preparing for him an abstract from his own manu-
script translation of the "Book of the Dead" and
parts of this abstract, with occasional explanations
formed the staple of the lecture. The general
design of the sacred book was expounded and the
religious creed which it prescribed developed
This book, in the form in which it is to this day
preserved, is asserted to have been in exist
ence long before the days of Abraham. Yet it
discloses the astonishing facts that the Egyp-
tans of that early age believed in the mmor-
alty of the soul in the existence of a great
Supreme Being, in place OF eternal happiness,
and place of eternal punishment after death,
and in the reunion of the body and the soul,
which was the reason of their practice of num-
MITIGATION The "Book ofthe Dead' was descrb
ed by Mr.. G. to be a sort of Pilgrims Progress of
the soul of every deceased person from his death
to his final establishment in the abodes of delight
or misery. His adventures in this progress, ac-
cording to the Egyptian notion, were singular
enough When at last arrived at.the grand judg
ment hall of Osiris, he passes through tie rrible
ordeal. His good and evil deeds are weighed
against each other in the balance; the fearful re-
cord is kept by an assistant divinity; and the
dread Judge sits ready to pronounce the decree.
The Egyptian faith, however, offered one conso-
lation; if the soul was found wanting at the first
trial, he was allowed to 60 on penance and then
have second.
These are but touches of some of the highly in
eresting information impaired in Mr.. Gibbons
ecture. They will suffice, we hope, to stimulate
the curiosity of our readers and incte them to &C
quaint themselves with the important results of
the Egyptian researches of the present day,
CATALONIA MARKETs.--The New York Dav
Book, of Monday, says:
at would be criminal in us after what we have
heard from individuals just returned from Califor-
| mia to republish the reports of the markets in San
Francisco from the California papers. We are
assured by those who have taken out goods and
sold them at half their cost that there is reli-
ance whatever to bcgalaced on anything they pub
| lish in reference to gold, trade or land. Their
chief object is to induce people to come to Cali
fornia, and they publish just such articles and just
such reports as they think are most likely toac-
complish that end"
| THE LEGIsLATuRE.-The Senate yesterday finally
acted upon the bill Postponing the Elections, and
back the House Of Delegates with the request that
! the House in the amendment OF the Senate to
said bill. The amendment having been read in the
House, motion made that House CONCUR and
under the operation OF the previous question, direct
vote was had upon the proposition, and the amend
ment of the Senate agreed to-ayes &c, noes 39.
The bill provides that in the Convention shall
agree upon Constitution before the Goth June, 1851 the
President thereof shall certify copy OF it to the Gov
enor, whose duty it shall be to have the published
in the newspapers, and ten copies shall be transmitted
10 the Clerk OF each county 1t shall be the duty the
officers and comm ssioners authorized to conduct gen.
eral elections the fourth Thursday in August next,
to separate poll book. i he SAID poll book shall
be headed 'The Constitution Amended" and shall
contain two separate columns; the first column shall
be headed For rattying" and the second col
umn shall be headed For rejecting" All persons
qualified to by the existing constitution, as
well all others who may be qualified to vote
under the amended constitution tor members THE Lee
gsature shall be authorized TO vote the ratification
or rejection Of the constitution; the polls to be kept
open three days, but person shall be allowed to
more than once. Upon ascerainng that majority of
the votes cast are in favor OF atyng the amended Con-
the Governor shall make DrOcI for
holding the 18th Thursday in October next, general
election throughout the State for Delegates and Senators
TO the Legislature, according to the apporonment and
districts prescribed in such amended constitution, or
any schedule thereto attached
The elections for members of the House of Repre-
sentatves in Congress, and for members of the Gene
raj Assembly OF Virginia, under the existing constitu
ton, are postponed until the 4h Thursday in October
next. And if an amended constitution shall, be-
for the 10Th June, 1881 be proposed by the Conven-
uon, aud ratified BY the people at the elections auhor
lied the 80 section OF this act then the election of
members to the General Assembly under the existing
constitution shall be postponed indefinitely.
IfthesConvenon shall not prepare amended con-
stituton before 10th June 1856 but shall propose such
constitution and furnish the Governor with copy be-
fore the LIST August, 1851 it shall be the duty of tho
Governor forthwith to make proclamation of the fact;
and in the happening oths last event. it shall be the
duty ofthe officers who shall conduct the elections for
members othe General Assembly, on the 4h Thursday
in October next, to open poll books for submitting
1.-THE Constitution as amended for the ratification
rejection otthe voters. The bill likewise provides that
the next session OF the Genera Assembly shall com.
mence on the second Monday in January 1852 Instead
of the time now fixed by law.
The House likewise passed the bill increasing the
capital stock of the Danvile Railroad Company $780,
600, in lieu of S35o000 the amount authorized by the
act of March 49, l850he State to take three ffhs of
such additional capital stock and acted on number
of other bills all of which will be noticed tomorrow
in the regular proceedings.
LONDON FAIR.-It is said that the glass palace
of London; is already receiving goods, sent to it
from various nations, A British lion, in bronze
from Bavaria in Germany, was one ofthe first OBJ
iects received in it. A beautiful statue of Venus,
SO badly packed that its head was broken off, was
LIZ L L. 1 IL