The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-12-08

New YoRE, Nov. "a, 1854.
The fall in stocks, the tightness of the mon
ey market, and the general stagnation of trade.
whatever grumblins they may occasion on
change and in the counting do not seem to in
tcrferc with the domestic economy of Fifth
Avenue and our other aristocratic quarters
Stalls are not relinquished at the opera, car
riages Are not laid down, diamonds are not re-
placed with paste, $500 cashmcres and $1,000
sets of sable and ermine are sported in profu-
sion on Broadway, and the preparations for the
winter campaign of fashionable dissipation are
on as grand a scale as if Bank accounts were
not Overdrawn, extensions were not asked for,
and notes were not protested. But despite
this glitter on the surface, the present is sea-
son of great commercial embarrassment Our
large importing houses are not doing one fourth
of their usual business, and the difficulty of
making collections especially in the West and
Southwest, is almost unprecedented. Mer
chants, manufacturers, and in fact all the en-
ploying classes, are reducing their business ex-
penses, and the number of clerks, shopmen
and operatives thrown out of situations by this
general race is very large. OF course the
prices of food, shelter, fuel and all the necessa-
RES of life, must eventually adjust themselves
to the pressure of the times. Already provis-
ions and coal begin to decline, and house rents
must follow sait when the letting season COM
mences.
Nothing enli7ening in the way of an excite
mcnt has as yet broken the monotony of the
current week. Just as the mcrcurial spirits
among us had worked themselves into fever
on the Soule affair and Young America began
to Glare up" under the supposed insult to our
national dignity, the flame of patriotic indig
nation was provokingly extinguished by the
news of Louis Napolcon's back down." and
we were left without topic capable of stir
ring the public pulse. We were going to have
war meeting on the subject when the damper
arrived. 1t spoiled grand dramatic point,
like the malicious supernunerart who, to graf
ify personal spite against Kcan, informed the
representative of Richard that the Duke of
Buckingham was not only taken, but that his
head had been cut off.
The case of Capt Smith convicted of hav-
ing been engaged in the slavetrade, a capital
offence under our laws, if committed by an
American citizen is attracting good deal of
attention here. The prisoners counsel have
moved for new trial on two grounds, first
that the vessel was partly owned by the Por-
tuguese court at this port, and second Captain
Smith is not a citizen of the United States.-
1t is pretty well understood that the Portu-
guese CONSUL owned the vessel commanded by
Smith. If this point is established the latter
individual cannot be punished as the law now
stands. The probability is that new trial
will be granted and that he will get clear. 1t
is notorious that considerable number OF
Longbow black schooncrs" ard rakish brigan-
tines are sent out from this port and from Bal
timore every year to participate in the slave
traffic. They are extensively owned by for
eigncrs, cheahy Portuguese and Brazllians.
The law which renders slave trading a piracy
in America should make no distinction in favor
of aliens
Bennett of the Herald will probably have to
pay the $4,000 awarded by jury to Mr..
Fry formerly manager of the italian Opera,
here for editorial libcs upon his character
published in that paper. The Superior Court
has denied the motion for new trial. Tie
case may possibly be sent up to the Court OF
Appeals but l apprehend nothing would be
gained except time by such a proceeding.
One of the "Twelvc Apostles of the latter
days saints named John Taylor is on his way
from Utah to this city, where he intends to cs-
tablish paper to be called "The Mormon.
Five of the elect accompany him as advisers
and helpers.
Another fthose fashionable robberes poll
tely designated as "delalcations" has just oc-
cured in this city. Mr.. Candee, first teller OF
the American Exchange Bank, has it appears
been using the funds of the institution for
some years past in real estate speculations.-
He lived like nabob kept fast horses and all
that sort of thing. The directors and the
othor officers of the Bank seem to have been
taking Rip Vanwinkle Nap while this whole
sale robbery was going on. The defect is said
to be $l38,O0O, it is all loss. This is doubt
full. The Capital of the concern is $780,.
600.
simultaneously with this Bank rascality we
have the announcement of a post Office robbery
here, night clerk and porter named j ones
Fitz-gubbon has been caught in the very act