Washington sentinel., 1854-04-08
ITEMS OF NEWS.

ITEMS OF NEWS.
The MACON HOUSE, AT PORTSMOUTH, VIRGIL
SIA.-The warm, pleasant weather Of the past
few days has led our imagination to anticipate
the cool retreats and grateful breezes Of a sum-
.mer rustication. AS we yesterday sat in our
sanctuul, gazing upon the dusty thoroughfares,
and inhaling the pulverized compounds of the
paving,stones of Pennsylvania avenue, letter
was received from friend, dated at Ports
mouth, Virginia Our correspondent says:
"The Macon House, at Portsmouth, Virgil
na is one of the very best in this country. 1t
is within three hundred yards Of the wharf, at
which the Baltimore steamer lands, and is con-
venient to the railroad cars. If the real merits
of this house were known, itwould command a
liberal patronage. The house is new, having
been opened for the first time in January last.
The furniture is chaste and costly, and the
hotel is capable of accommodating one hun
dred and fifty persons. Every thing is clean,
genteel, and quiet. The table groans beneath
the choicest viands. The air delivers up its
feathered tribes; the ocean, its fnny ones; the
earth pours forth her cornucopia; and the fire
waits, as ministering angel, for their concoc-
ton. Mr. Parker, the host, is the type Of a
Virginia gentleman, devoting himself to the
comfort Of his guests; and you will really serve
the travelling public BY directing their atten-
ton to this admirably kept house."
The THREE THoUsAND.-The Boston Post,
speaking of the Ne,o England clergy, says:
"There are honorable exceptions; indeed, the
number who refuse to memorialize Congress
lin the name Of Almighty God is quite respec-
table. Some sects eschew this business almost
unanimously. Here and there religious jour
mails, also, are boldly taking ground against
this whole political business One of the
presses which has manfully spoken on this
subject is the Witness and Advocate, of this
city, of the Episcopal order"
The subjoined, is an extract from this paper
on the subject:
"The pulpit, then, is a place consecrated
exclusively to one great work--that Of setting
forth the revealed truth of Almighty God, in
the hearing of lost world. The business of
Christ's ministers is to teach, to exhort to re-
prove, to rebuke, to counsel, and to comfort.
This Office they can never rise above, for there
is nothing but heaven that lies above it; and
from it they may never descend, with propriety
or safety. Sin and salration are the great
topics Of the Christian ambassadors discourse.
When the minister lugs into the pulpit mat
tiers which relate exclusively to the things of
time, and about which the world for the time.
being may be very much excited, for the pur-
Il I. i,
otherwise rather tame productions, or with the
view of raising something Of popular .tisrore,
or when, under the clamorous pressure of pub
lie opinion, he cowardly yields his better judg-
ment to the madness of the people, and SO
panders to popular feeling by throwing from
Ills pulpit fuel upon fire, which is already
raging beyond the control of safe counsellors,
then he does great wrong to himself, to the
profession Of the ministry, and greater wrong
still to the cause of pure and unde6led re-
ligion."
Mrs. WILSON, of captivity notoriety, has late
ly become the mother of boy. It having
been announced in the New Orleans Delta, by
telegraphic or other correspondence, that the
child bore marks Of Indian origin, cores
pondent has proved by undeniable data that
this could not have been the case. He con-
cludes thus:
"These statements are extensively circulated
in Texas, through the columns of the Delta.
1t is true they appear in your paper as ex.
tracts from other papers, but the effect is the
same. am sure you would not knowingly do
injustice to an unfortunate woman, who has
L., -, {yraJ -, orn fho n eha % ,yalI anJ,r,
and I think it is due to her that she should at
; least enjoy the credit of having told the truth
in her own narrative"
HoDBs's Locxs.--A great growing has been
made in England in consequence Of one of
Hobbs's locks having been picked; but it ap.
pears that, at meeting Of the Society Of Arts,
Mr.. Hobbs explained how one of his common
locks could be picked, and that, on discovering
this, he improved them by simple protection.
Mr.. Chubb, or his foreman, learning the secret,
purchased some Of these locks, and, by Mr..
Hobbs's explanation, succeeded in picking them.
A great cry was made in the Times, whereupon
Mr.. Hobbs offered 9200 if any one would pick
his American bank lock; but neither Mr.. Chubb
nor his foreman would accept his challenge.
MINING OPERATIONS AT CUMBERLAND have
been resumed. 1t is about three months since
the miners struck, and as a consequence
coal has been hard to get, even at extraordi
nary prices. Now, the railroad is taxed to it.
utmost capacity. As soon as the damage te
the canal at Hancock is repaired, there will bt
an abundance of coal in this region again.
The RIVER PLATE.-Dates from Bueno
Ayres to the I'd February, received in England
state that the government Of Brazil had deter
mined to Interfere in the affairs Of Montevideo
and it was said that Montevideo would be oc